My Youth Was a Little Lost

Li Yao never expected that Chen Tao, who usually hung out with Cao Rui and acted like a scoundrel, would do such a thing, and he never expected that Chen Tao would be able to turn the members of the pyramid scheme to the side.

He asked, "So what are your plans now? What about your girlfriend? How's she?"

Chen Tao smiled wryly and said, "She idolizes me now, saying all the time that I'm not destined for me, and that I'll eventually rise to power and become a dragon... Isn't that nonsense?"

Li Yao remained silent.

Perhaps that girl really had a keen eye and noticed something unusual? Chen Tao continued, "This successful anti-pyramid scheme operation got me registered in the public security system, and their Anti-Pyramid Scheme Office invited me to become their Special Consultant. I accepted. In addition, I plan to start an anti-brainwashing and pyramid scheme rehabilitation company to support online and offline consultation and assistance."

Li Yao pursed his lips. Not bad! He said, "I'll invest one million in exchange for ten percent of the company's shares in the future."

Cao Rui followed up. "I'll offer two million, how about 20%?"

Chen Tao was taken aback. He had been thinking about discussing it with his family and borrowing some money to try it out, but his roommate had already started investing in stocks, and quite a substantial amount at that. Chen Tao looked at Li Yao, then at Cao Rui, feeling ambitious—

if,

If it weren't for this accident, he might have been unemployed upon graduation, just like most college students.

But things are different now.

Through this experience, he found his direction in life: helping others and making himself wealthy, which made Chen Tao genuinely happy.

This is his career!

His name is Chen Tao.

The roar of the raging sea!

In his entire life, he neither wanted to nor was willing to lose to anyone!

Chen Tao laughed and said sincerely, "Then I won't stand on ceremony! When I'm rich, we'll drink the best wine together."

"I'll date the wildest girls." Cao Rui laughed wickedly and arrogantly.

Chen Tao replied, "Go ahead and date me, I already have a girlfriend."

Cao Rui rolled his eyes. "Young man, don't overestimate your moral standards. You think you can remain chaste not because of love, but because you haven't seen wilder girls. Right, Da Yao?"

Li Yao: "I've never seen this before either. Can you introduce me to it?"

Cao Rui: "..."

This is impossible to talk to!

The three raised their glasses again and drank heartily. Finally, they pulled Shuisheng Ge over from next door to play rock-paper-scissors with him. To be fair, Shuisheng Ge and Cao Rui were in one team, and Li Yao and Chen Tao in another... If Li Yao and Shuisheng Ge were in one team, Cao Rui and Chen Tao would have drunk themselves to death here.

They are all on the extraordinary side.

With keen senses, agile thinking, and quick reflexes, playing rock-paper-scissors is an act of torture against ordinary people.

Finally, the four of them drank until 11:30 p. m. before parting ways. Shuisheng Ge was going back to his dorm, while Chen Tao went to find his girlfriend.

At the door, Li Yao and Cao Rui waved goodbye to them as they left. Then Cao Rui plopped down in front of the Lost Tavern. The dim spotlights in front of the tavern shone on Cao Rui. Sabatini Windbreaker looked very stylish, and Cao Rui himself wasn't bad-looking, so in this particular environment, he actually looked quite dashing.

For some reason, Li Yao suddenly thought of Zhao Lei's song:

Walk with me on the streets of Chengdu... until all the lights go out and we don't stop... walk to the end of Yulin Road and sit at the entrance of a small bar.

This isn't a street in Chengdu, nor is it Yulin Road, yet a similar sorrow pervades this place.

It's not like couples being all lovey-dovey.

Instead, you find yourself at a crossroads in life, where your best friend, who has been with you for three years, suddenly starts running headlong in different directions, so fast that you can't even react before his back begins to sway.

Cao Rui lowered his head, his face obscured by shadows, and all his restlessness seemed to be slowly dissipating.

Li Yao sat down next to him and asked, "Do you have any cigarettes?"

Cao Rui was somewhat surprised. "I remember you don't smoke."

Li Yao smiled; it didn't matter anymore.

With Cleansing Potion and Vitality Potion available, what are mere nicotine and tar? He plans to mass-produce a low-cost version of the Vitality Potion at his senior's place and then send some to everyone.

Cao Rui took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Li Yao. It was Nanjing Twelve Hairpins, mint-flavored cigarette.

Li Yao lit the cigarette, the faint minty coolness of which entered his lungs and was exhaled, swirling in the light and creating a somewhat psychedelic effect.

He asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Cao Rui said, "It's just a bit bittersweet. You opened a tavern, and even though you're just lazing around all day, it's kind of fun to see. Chen Tao, that kid, got a girlfriend and still ran into this pyramid scheme thing. He kept quiet and dealt with it, and then started his own business. It seems like he's found his career path."

And then there's Shuisheng Ge...

Cao Rui lowered his voice and said, "Shuisheng Ge doesn't seem like an ordinary person to me; his perspective is different. But what about me?"

He looked up at the sky, his expression bewildered and forlorn. "I'm just lucky to have a good father, but I don't even know what I want to do."

Da Yao

She's a little panicked about my youth.

He doesn't lack money.

He lacks a direction, a direction to which he can devote his efforts, passion, and energy; otherwise, his life would be too empty.

That's actually quite absurd to say.

How many people are still struggling to make ends meet, willing to sell their bodies and even their dignity for a better life, while this bastard is here lamenting the passing of spring and discussing the meaning of life and the purpose of living.

—It gives me a "why not eat meat porridge" feeling.

But that's reality; it's unreasonable and illogical. Many things just happen without any reason.

There are always people who say "don't lose at the starting line." Not to mention that some people are born sitting at the finish line, even if you have a fast start and long endurance, there are some people who are not even on the same track as you.

This applies to ordinary people like Cao Rui, and it also applies to Cao Rui and Shuisheng Ge.

If my best friend hadn't suddenly given me a lifeline, I wouldn't be on the same track as them. That's the cruelty of fate—it clearly shows you what unfairness is, and you have to accept it.

But does that mean you have to give in to fate? No, seize fate by the throat and let her know that your life is truly under your own feet.

It's not that you can change your fate.

Rather, it's about being able to fall with dignity when fate plays tricks on you.

Li Yao patted Cao Rui on the shoulder and said, "You're already at this point, what else do you need to prove? No, you don't need to. Being lucky is a skill in itself. You never looked down on us when you were with us, so we won't look down on you either. Besides, having money is great, isn't it? Invest in Chen Tao, invest in me, being an investor is pretty good, isn't it?"

Haven't you seen those angel investors acting all high and mighty?

Are they truly experts in every industry sector? Not necessarily.

But they have money.

If you invest a little here and a little there, as long as you break even on one of them, you'll make a profit.

Anyway, sometimes an investment isn't even enough for them to buy a yacht... Li Yao slapped him on the back of the head. "Isn't that right!"

First update, a tribute to youth. Hope you enjoy reading.