Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn? - Chapter 191: Feeding Whatever Is Given

TL: Etude

The rapid emergence of e-commerce undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the retail industry. There’s no question about that, but finding the right direction in the torrent of time is not an easy task.

This situation is precisely what is meant by the saying, “When you’re too close to a situation, you lose perspective.”

It’s like a fishing boat tossing in the sea. As long as it can’t find a lighthouse, no matter how long it perseveres, it will eventually be swallowed by the waves.

But once the direction is clear, one’s thoughts can suddenly expand. This is exactly how He Yijun felt at the moment.

Half an hour later, the doorbell of the villa rang again. He Manqi ran to open the door, and two men and two women, all carrying briefcases and without even time to change their shoes, hurried upstairs to the study.

“Who are those people?”

Jiang Qin casually asked, while handing a small piece of red chili to Feng Nanshu.

After eating it, the little rich lady coughed and sputtered from the spiciness, yet dared to eat again when offered next time.

“Those are managers from our family’s mall,” He Manqi whispered in reply.

Hearing this, Jiang Qin couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, thinking to himself how ridiculous it was to call employees to one’s home to discuss business during dinner time on a weekend. This was downright exploitative!

At that moment, Jiang Qin deeply realized he was a good boss.

Old He was a true capitalist! But given the situation, it seemed He Yijun had indeed been awakened by him, no longer content with thinking alone in his study, but instead dragging his subordinates into a brainstorming session.

He thought it best to leave quickly.

What if they hit a dead end and came out to ask him for ready-made solutions? He had already provided free advice; the rest would cost. He couldn’t let his limited knowledge be exploited for free. What would he use to leverage Old He next time?

“Are you done eating?”

“Yes,” Feng Nanshu nodded obediently.

Jiang Qin picked up their coats. “Let’s go, time to run.”

“Jiang Qin, my mouth is so spicy.”

“You eat whatever you’re fed, not even taking a glance. Learned your lesson yet?”

Feng Nanshu replied coolly, “If you feed me again, I’ll still dare to eat.”

Indeed, just as Jiang Qin expected, He Yijun came downstairs again to ask questions.

With more people involved, disagreements were inevitable, leading to questions, especially after deeply exploring the ideas Jiang Qin had provided. Many uncertain details also came to light.

But when He Yijun came out, only his daughter was left in the dining room.

“Where’s Jiang Qin?”

“He’s already left. He said you would definitely come out looking for him and told me to tell you that any further advice would be charged.”

He Manqi answered while eating.

He Yijun inwardly cursed, thinking that even if everyone in the house teamed up, they couldn’t outsmart this kid.

“Manqi, you should invite his girlfriend to our home more often.”

“Sure, I’ve told her. Sister Nanshu said our home is quaint and cute. She really likes it.”

“?”

He Yijun looked around his three-story villa, thinking, how on earth could this be considered ‘quaint and cute’? What kind of family does she come from!

Meanwhile, Jiang Qin had already driven back to Linchuan University from Donghu Mountain Residence, and after an intense tutoring session with the little rich lady, it was already dark by the time they returned to the dorm.

As he opened the dormitory door, Cao Guangyu, Ren Ziqiang, and Zhou Chao were all studying under the lamplight, deeply focused.

They had no choice. After this weekend, exams were looming, and even the laziest couldn’t afford to procrastinate any longer.

Jiang Qin walked to the balcony and slightly opened a window to let in some fresh air. The cold outside air instantly rushed in, awakening the three people who had been crawling through the dark depths of their studies.

“Jiang, have you been out playing mahjong until now?” one of them asked.

“Exactly. The senior who beat me last time was stripped clean by me this time,” Jiang Qin bragged, sitting down arrogantly.

Ren Ziqiang was startled, “You mean ‘left with nothing’, right? Jiang, are you even getting idioms wrong now?”

Zhou Chao, overhearing the conversation, turned and said, “Jiang’s mahjong game isn’t your ordinary game. The rule is whoever loses strips. ‘Stripped clean’ is probably not just a metaphor.”

Ren Ziqiang’s face showed shock, “Jiang, can I join your mahjong game?”

“Do you even know how to play? I remember your area doesn’t play mahjong, right?”

“I can be your assistant.”

Jiang Qin tossed his car keys on the table, “Maybe next time, after the senior buys new clothes.”

Zhou Chao gave him a long look, “We have exams tomorrow, Jiang. I advise you to start revising. Aren’t you afraid of failing?”

“To be honest, I’ve completely given up. My mind is filled with nothing but mahjong now. Not even a god can save me.”

Cao Guangyu casually reassured him, “No problem, Jiang. At worst, you’ll just retake the exam. I heard retakes are much easier. It’s no big deal.” Meanwhile, he was frantically studying.

Jiang Qin, with his legs crossed, looked at him, “Old Cao, let’s fail and retake together. Stop studying.”

“I’m just glancing over. There’s a high chance I’ll fail too. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you behind.”

“You better not lie to me. Make sure you fail.”

“No problem.”

Cao Guangyu secretly felt thrilled but continued to rapidly jot down a complex formula.

Jiang Qin didn’t really believe Cao’s nonsense. He was probably the first in the dorm to start revising, apart from Jiang himself.

He was a sly one, just like a guy from their high school days. He’d claim to know nothing, but when checked, everything was correct. He’d say he was unsure about several questions, yet his answers were more accurate than the textbook.

But Jiang Qin was now rich in knowledge and talent, so he wasn’t worried at all, just watching Cao Guangyu frantically studying with a mocking look.

After a while, because the dorm was too quiet, Cao Guangyu couldn’t help but look at Jiang Qin.

“Old Jiang, why are you so quiet? Are you secretly studying?”

“No, I’m playing Minesweeper.”

Jiang Qin, with his legs still crossed, clicked randomly on the screen, dying every three clicks.

He had played this pre-installed Windows game several times but never understood how to play. It was insanely difficult.

Hearing that Jiang Qin wasn’t studying, Cao Guangyu felt relieved and, while comforting Jiang Qin that he might not fail, turned back to study frantically.

However, the quieter Jiang Qin was, the more uneasy Cao Guangyu felt, looking back every five minutes, worried that Jiang Qin might secretly study. Under this strain, Cao Guangyu found he couldn’t concentrate either.

“Old Jiang, don’t be so quiet, it’s kinda scary. Why don’t you watch a TV show or something?”

“You really are a pain in the ass.”

Jiang Qin grumbled but opened a video website to stabilize him and randomly clicked on an episode of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.

Three minutes later, Cao Guangyu, Ren Ziqiang, and Zhou Chao all gathered around, watching intently behind Jiang Qin.

“Damn, university is a magical place. I always thought this stuff was childish, but it’s quite fun to watch together in the dorm,” one of them remarked.

Jiang Qin nodded, “That’s the power of atmosphere.”

“But, you know, that Boiling Goat really resembles Old Ren,” Zhou Chao said while cracking sunflower seeds.

Ren Ziqiang: “?”

Monday morning, F4 headed to the pre-arranged classroom for their exams. Jiang Qin realized he was indeed brilliant, answering each question quickly and accurately.

Old Cao and the others, however, were cramming at the last minute, watching Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, scratching their heads in frustration, cramming, watching the show again, then taking exams, and scratching their heads again. This regular routine lasted four days until the final exam was over, and everyone instantly relaxed.

“Old Jiang, I think I might end up retaking exams with you after the winter break.”

Cao Guangyu stood in front of the teaching building, his tone somber and seemingly genuine.

Damn, during the exam, all that filled his mind were characters like Pleasant Goat, Beauty Goat, Lazy Goat, and Ren Ziqiang. It was maddening.

“Retake exams together? That’s not necessarily the case.”

Jiang Qin chuckled mysteriously.

“Did you actually know all the answers to the exam?”

Cao Guangyu’s face couldn’t hide his surprise.

“I turned in blank papers for all of them. I might be advised to drop out when I return. Old Cao, we’ve known each other for a while now. How about treating me to a farewell dinner tonight?”

Jiang Qin seemed quite satisfied with his response.

On one hand, it would ensure that Old Cao had a good mood over the holidays, and on the other, he could enjoy a free meal.

What is emotional intelligence?

This, this is emotional intelligence!

Cao Guangyu, looking at Jiang Qin’s composed expression, felt something was amiss.

He felt he had been tricked somehow but couldn’t find any evidence.

Before Cao Guangyu could agree to the dinner, Jiang Teng received a message in the QQ group from Jiang Tian, announcing a gathering at Nanshan Restaurant, with Lu Guangrong joining as well.

Actually, Jiang Qin wasn’t too fond of such noisy group activities.

He seldom participated in class gatherings in the past.

But considering it was the end of the year, and Old Lu was also attending, it would seem too arrogant if he didn’t show up.

Jiang Qin thought, despite having made money, becoming a boss, excelling in exams, and being a star student, being too detached could mean missing out on the beauty of reliving one’s youth.

So, with Cao Guangyu metaphorically at knife-point, he narrowly escaped being treated to a meal.

In the deep winter season, though the midday sun was strong, the chill was still biting. The four of them left the dormitory for Nanshan Restaurant, passing many students carrying bags, ready to head home.

Seeing this, F4 felt an inexplicable sense of melancholy.

The semester had passed so quickly, ending before they fully savored it.

Looking back on these three months, some got into relationships, others started businesses, and some immersed themselves in web novels. Truly, each had their own gains.

Upon arriving at Nanshan Restaurant, everyone else was already there. Old Lu was the last to arrive. He scanned the room and sat next to Jiang Qin.

“Principal Zhang personally inquired about your exams, worried you were spending too much energy on entrepreneurship. But luckily, I spoke to the teachers of your earlier subjects, and after reviewing your papers, they all said you probably did well.”

“I always balance both academic and business achievements, unlike some who cram at the last minute,” Jiang Qin grinned, revealing his teeth.

Zhou Chao: “?”

Ren Ziqiang: “!”

Cao Guangyu: “?!”

AN: The prototype of Wanzhong Mall was a mall in my hometown. It was very popular when I was a kid. Mentioning shopping there meant buying high-end goods. However, it couldn’t withstand the tides of time and has been sold off two-thirds, with the remaining third barely surviving. No one goes there anymore, replaced by various comprehensive malls. It’s the tears of an era. Also, please vote for me with your monthly ticket!!!!!!

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