Chapter 363

Chapter 363: Returning, Returning, But Time Does Not Stop

Well, it was another complete defeat, a rare loss for the Dragon Knight.

“We should hurry back to the city; it will take at least half an hour on the road,” Lin Mo said, glancing at the taxi waiting area, not wanting to continue discussing the gossip with Qi Fei.

When a man and a woman discuss relationships, the outcome is certain: the man will undoubtedly retreat without a chance.

“Giggle!” Seemingly satisfied with her triumph, Qi Fei waved her pink fist behind Lin Mo, teasing the subordinate from their former cosplay group, feeling more accomplished than when she completed a million-dollar deal.

“We might have to wait a while; it looks like there are a lot of people waiting for taxis,” Lin Mo observed, noticing the queue outside where three or four taxis stood waiting, and more than twenty people lined up—a clear example of many people and few resources.

“Hey, Lin Mo, isn’t your dad in the car business? Why not have him send a car to pick you up? Oh right, speaking of this, I almost forgot your dad sells cars! Hm, I want to buy one; you have to help me pick a cheap, good one. Don’t rip me off, or I’ll turn against you,” Qi Fei’s leapfrogging thoughts nearly overwhelmed Lin Mo, prompting him to make a fierce gesture toward her as if to warn her off.

After opening her company for over six months, taking taxis back and forth had become time-consuming and exhausting. Qi Fei thought lacking her own car would affect both her company’s image and its representation, so a chance to connect with someone who had access was not one to be missed.

Yang Zhenwen, her assistant, glanced at Lin Mo and Qi Fei, noting an unusual flicker in his eyes that neither of them caught.

“I didn’t inform anyone about my return, so how could my dad know? The car purchase is easy; while I have these few free days, let’s go to my dad’s car dealership and pick one out,” Lin Mo thought of his parents, who still lived. Though divorced, he felt this connection was luxurious given that he had no hopes of family or affection in another world as an orphan.

For a Dragon Knight who had risen from the lowest rung of society, the bond of family love was incredibly precious and almost unimaginable.

Parents had their own thoughts, and Lin Mo never intended to reconcile his divorced parents; some things cannot be forced.

“Then it’s settled!” Qi Fei exclaimed excitedly, her eyes shimmering like crescent moons. She pulled her suitcase alongside Lin Mo and added, “Once we get to the city, let’s stop by my company. And remember what I told you—if you can’t make it, come find me, and I’ll make sure you have something to eat. I’m short on staff right now.”

She even stuffed her business card into Lin Mo’s pocket, reminding him, “This is my card; make sure to keep it safe!” As she did, she gave it a light pat to make sure it wouldn’t fall out.

“What can I do?” Lin Mo sighed, shaking his head. This captain’s authoritative style still held strong; having him around would either make Lin Mo her private jet pilot or a gold-plated henchman.

“Be a driver, of course! Didn’t I just say I want to buy a car? By the way, my company is called Moonlit Lotus Design Center. Ha-ha, I thought about that name for two nights; it fits the company’s location. We’ll change it later if needed.” Qi Fei had already squeezed into the taxi line, just as a dozen empty cabs pulled up, so they wouldn’t have to wait long.

“Me, driving? That’s a bit much, considering I fly planes,” Lin Mo chuckled. “Sure, when I run out of food, I’ll definitely come find you.”

He was just joking, and the words went in one ear and out the other.

Qi Fei had said as much before, but Lin Mo believed that such an opportunity was unlikely. He made enough from side jobs each year to afford a luxury sports car and typically ate on the government’s dime, so how could he possibly end up starving?

Soon enough, Lin Mo, Qi Fei, and Yang Zhenwen got a taxi together, all heading in the same direction. Lin Mo initially intended to take the co-pilot’s seat to pay, but Qi Fei pulled him to the back seat, leaving poor Yang Zhenwen to sit in the front and handle the bill.

Throughout the ride, Qi Fei chatted non-stop, while Lin Mo took on the role of a faithful listener, absorbing her story of starting a company on her own without any connections or support.

This girl, with no background, boldly invested money to start her company, like a cake attracting flies. If she didn’t manage every aspect proactively, countless troubles would come knocking.

In her narrative, she described the bittersweet experiences and the warmth and coldness of human relationships intertwined, detailing how a recent graduate girl had to drink with seasoned men in the spirit industry to secure orders, often getting sick after drinking too much and having to go to karaoke with the clients while enduring immense stress.

To protect herself from some lurking men with ill intentions, Qi Fei hired a capable female bodyguard to provide close protection, making it possible for her to navigate through such challenges.

Once, a bald man from the fire department came to the company, sat directly in the CEO’s chair, and demanded a fine of three hundred thousand, claiming their fire safety inspection was inadequate. They wouldn’t even give her a chance to fix it and insisted on the fine (Author’s Note: This story draws from real events; encountering such situations requires calmness, as panic leads to being taken advantage of).

What a terrible excuse for fraud! This was all because the boss of Moonlit Lotus Design Center was a woman, a young girl fresh out of college.

They didn’t bother discussing evidence or laws; they made their own rules, and in their jurisdiction, anyone had to bow their head.

This was akin to losing at a street gambling table where one could never win.

In the end, Qi Fei spent a significant price, leveraging other connections to navigate through that crisis. Speaking of this incident, the girl looked wronged, tears welling up in her eyes, filled with pent-up complaints.

Then the tax bureau showed up for an inspection, and there was absolutely no chance they would leave empty-handed (Author’s Note: After eight years of experiencing business battles, I’ve never seen the tax bureau leave without collecting). Targeting competitors by reporting them for tax evasion was an often-used tactic, and if luck favored you, it could end their business outright.

After starting her company, Qi Fei truly bore the weight of the entire establishment on her youthful shoulders, navigating various challenges and working tirelessly with employees to bring in business. She maintained a strict standard of quality for her work, even with difficult clients, and despite her busy schedule, she never lowered her quality requirements. Thankfully, the company slowly got on track through the challenges of the past six months.

However, those six months felt like half a lifetime to Qi Fei. She nearly broke down several times, losing sleep over the stress and crying through the night only to grit her teeth and persist in the end.

Feeling like she had found a good listener, Qi Fei poured out her frustrations and grievances, while Lin Mo had to dutifully hand her tissues from the back seat.

In the front seat, Yang Zhenwen glanced back in the rearview mirror, showing a complex array of emotions. He felt admiration and pity, and his thoughts tangled together, forming a chaotic knot.

As a beautiful leader with looks, charm, and abilities—qualities uncommonly found in ordinary women—she was a prime target for many men.

If Yang Zhenwen had spent the past few months assisting Qi Fei in expanding the company, claiming he had no feelings for the beautiful boss would be a lie.

Yet, despite considering himself quite dashing, Yang Zhenwen couldn’t help but notice how Qi Fei treated Lin Mo, a university classmate she had just met, with a rare girl-like demeanor. Jealousy sparked within him.

As Qi Fei shared her pent-up emotions, affection for her arose in Yang Zhenwen, wanting nothing more than to pull the beautiful boss into his embrace and console her.

Of course, this remained a mere fantasy; he didn’t dare act on it, fearing it would ruin the impression he had built with her.

Any man would love the idea of gaining both talent and affection.

Yet, Yang Zhenwen felt a surge of unease towards Lin Mo, wondering what qualities he possessed that made Qi Fei so inclined towards him—he was nearly throwing himself at her.

Throughout the journey, the three of them harbored divergent thoughts.

When they finally got out midway, Lin Mo remained oblivious to the inexplicable hostility that flickered in Yang Zhenwen’s eyes as he watched him leave.

As Lin Mo arrived at the entrance of his long-neglected abode, he suddenly recalled that his house key was still at the “Night” base dormitory and not with him.

After the “Shilang” docked at Hainan’s aircraft carrier base and spending a few days in Shenzhen, returning to Hangzhou was a last-minute arrangement, so it was impossible to carry all personal items.

However, the lack of a key was not a substantial problem for a gold giant dragon; metallic locks were almost defenseless against gold coins. After pressing his watch against the keyhole, with a quick twist, he heard a click, and the door slowly retreated inward.

The door opened easily, as it seemed all metallic items had no defense against the gold giant dragon.

In the room that had been unoccupied for over half a year, the air was thick with a slightly musty smell of dust. Lin Mo opened the curtains and windows, letting fresh air flood in. The sunlight streamed inside, revealing a layer of light gray dust that had settled on the table, cabinets, and floor.

Cleaning up took Lin Mo a fair amount of time, and if he were a water element or wind element warrior, a few simple spells would have made the room sparkle like new.