23. My Uncle Knows So Much

"Liang, where are you?"

Inside a small private room at the Famous Chef Restaurant, Chen Ze toyed with a Dupont lighter that had a pleasant, resonant sound while chatting on the phone.

The waiter set down an ashtray, and Chen Ze instinctively pulled out a cigarette, his thumb brushing the roller. He had taken this lighter from home; it had been sitting on the cabinet in the dining room, though he had no idea who had given it as a gift.

Whatever. If I see it, it’s mine.

His father used to be inseparable from his cigarettes and alcohol, but as the company grew, he started to cut back. He hadn't completely given up alcohol, but he had quit smoking. Although his father had picked up the habit again in his previous life, since he had already quit in this one, he might as well stay off them for good.

By the time he finished his cigarette, he had hung up the phone. The door to the private room was pushed open from the outside, and a voice arrived before the person did.

"Beautiful Ze, did you miss me?"

Guo Jinglin rushed in with the bluster of a storm, holding a gift bag of Moutai. He paused abruptly upon entering.

"Uh, why did you change your style, brother?"

Seeing him, Chen Ze suppressed a smile, tossed the cigarette pack over, and crossed his legs. "It’s only natural that I’ve changed since you left. I wonder if this get-up is stylish enough to blind your dog eyes."

"Fuck, I knew you’d turned narcissistic."

Guo Jinglin laughed and cursed, walking over to the table and pulling two packs of premium Cloud cigarettes from his pocket. "You’ve probably never seen these. Try them out. If they’re any good, I’ll get you a couple of cartons."

"I only smoke these. They’re cheap." Chen Ze pointed to his pack. He didn't recognize the brand, but judging by the packaging, they weren't cheap.

Guo Jinglin was taken aback. He watched Chen Ze acting mysterious and, feeling frustrated, tore open the packaging, calling his bluff. "Stop bragging! Weren't you the one smoking Marlboros and Camels when you couldn't find Furongwang?"

Consumption in Boston and New York was exorbitant; a pack of Furongwang could cost as much as $25. Do you know what $25 for a pack of Furongwang means? It means you can only buy one pack. The tobacco tax there is extremely high. On streets without surveillance or the FBI, if you were seen holding a cigarette, there was a high probability someone would come over to ask for one. The decent ones might give you a dollar, but the shameless ones would just demand it, or even snatch it.

It was expensive enough, and it was always out of stock, while the imported Zhonghua cigarettes didn't taste right. When there was truly nothing else, Chen Ze would buy Marlboros or Camels for around $12. The reason Guo Jinglin knew about this was that they had gone to study in the United States together. However, the other man wasn't in Boston, but in the world metropolis with an even higher cost of living: New York.

Guo Jinglin was about 1.76 meters tall. He wasn't fat yet, though he would eventually balloon into a "Range Rover physique." He loved showing off by wearing various designer brands with large logos, and he was born with slightly wavy hair.

As fellow children of nouveau riche families, Guo Jinglin was much more carefree than Chen Ze because he only had one older sister and was showered with love at home. This was evident from his studies—Guo Jinglin was enrolled at Columbia University, a top-tier institution. Of course, it was a very "watered-down" program, specifically prepared by Columbia for the wealthy—a playground for the rich.

Guo Jinglin was the son of Guo Qidong. Chen Tianhong and Guo Qidong were friends, so naturally, Chen Ze and the similarly aged Guo Jinglin had become friends too. They hadn't known each other long, but those two years of studying abroad were enough to build a deep bond.

After the Chen family went bankrupt in his previous life, Guo Qidong, who had suffered his own financial losses, didn't turn his back on them; instead, he helped quite a bit. The house and storefront they had in Shimen were provided by the Guo family, among other small favors. Such was the friendship between their fathers.

It was much the same for Chen Ze and Guo Jinglin. After the bankruptcy, Chen Ze stopped his studies, while Guo Jinglin finished his undergraduate degree in the U.S. This "undergraduate" degree was the type where the money was essentially wasted. After graduating, Guo Jinglin returned to China and went straight to Hangzhou to develop his career. Before Chen Ze was reborn, the other man had also co-founded a company with someone, and they had kept in touch.

Furthermore, the reason Chen Ze called him "talented" was that they shared a common background. Guo Jinglin’s original name was Guo Youcai. He was from Cao County, Shandong.

Now that they were meeting again, Chen Ze felt a touch of melancholy; everything had returned to its best possible time. He and Guo Jinglin were at the stage where their relationship was at its peak; calling them "iron brothers" was no exaggeration.

But if Chen Ze remembered correctly, in his previous life, Guo Jinglin hadn't gone to look for him until after he heard about the bankruptcy and visited from the south. Now that Guo Jinglin had returned to Jinmen and knew he was there, it meant he had altered the trajectory of history.

It was because of last night's dinner. Chen Ze's performance last night couldn't be called perfect, but in Guo Qidong's eyes, there was a clear contrast. To put it another way: someone else's son was already pushing the high ground, while his own son was still in the fountain buying equipment. Clearly, Guo Qidong had sent this kid back to Jinmen to learn from him.

"Really, I’m quitting smoking."

Before the waiter took the wine away, Chen Ze reached out for the gift bag and held the Moutai in his hand. Guo Jinglin, hearing that he wanted to quit, was stunned. He widened his eyes, his face stiffening, and asked curiously, "Why? What kind of blow did you take?"

"I broke up with my girlfriend."

Chen Ze said it calmly. This shocked Guo Jinglin so much that his face paled, but once he realized what was happening, he was overjoyed. "That’s a good thing! Let's drink until we drop today. Honestly, I’ve wanted to say it for a long time—she was way too controlling."

Where you stand determines where you sit; many people defined women like Li Yao as gold-diggers, but in Guo Jinglin's eyes, the money didn't matter so much as her need for control. She wanted his money, and she wanted him under her thumb.

It was truly inexcusable. Guo Jinglin spoke without holding back, but noticing Chen Ze shooting him a sideways glare, he quickly offered a sheepish laugh. "A breakup is a breakup. You just have to look at things more openly, otherwise, you're only making yourself miserable."

"Right. If I were as carefree and heartless as you, I wouldn't have to be miserable."

Guo Jinglin was a big idiot—at least, in Chen Ze's eyes, the guy was a bit of a loose cannon. Once, for some reason, he had asked him a question after watching a movie: something along the lines of whether Chen Ze would be willing to "do it" if the other person became an adult film star... In his previous life, Guo Jinglin really played a huge part in Chen Ze becoming the person he hated. This guy was a synonym for being unserious. As for the day he would finally mature, one could just keep waiting.

"Oh, come on, I was just trying to comfort you." Seeing Guo Jinglin reach out to drape an arm over his shoulder, Chen Ze pushed him away with disgust and pointed at the menu. "I'm not sad, really. Don't try to persuade me; let's just hurry up and see what we're going to order!"

Chen Ze seemed genuinely unaffected—at least on the surface. After being pushed away, Guo Jinglin complained, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You want to quit smoking, right? My dad says if a person is suppressing their desires, they must be plotting something bigger."

Holding the menu, Guo Jinglin didn't rush to flip through it. He looked up at Chen Ze, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Everything you've done tells me that while I was away, you must have met a better girl."

Chen Ze paused, then gave a thumbs-up. "You really do know a lot."

Guo Jinglin was delighted and hurriedly asked, "I guessed right, didn't I? What does she look like? Let me see. I knew all that 'deep affection' of yours was just an act."

"Get lost, get lost, get lost." Chen Ze, feeling slandered, interrupted him impatiently. "I just said you know a lot, I didn't say you guessed correctly. Just hurry up and order."

Mentioning girls got Guo Jinglin excited. He leaned in, full of curiosity and excitement. "Let me see what that girl is like. We're brothers, we can share, right? I'm telling you, I met a super gorgeous girl in Hangzhou."

Watching Guo Jinglin’s drooling dog-like expression, Chen Ze couldn't help but be speechless for a moment. He sighed helplessly, "I really don't have anyone. You don't believe me?"

Chen Ze finally understood why this guy had been so determined to die in Hangzhou in his previous life—it was all for a girl.

"I don't believe you." Guo Jinglin gave his answer directly. When Chen Ze refused to argue with him, he added with a shifty look, "Sigh, I was going to take you to Hangzhou to meet that girl, but since you’re not being honest, forget it."

Hearing this, Chen Ze felt a flicker of interest.