Gu Liming

At the airport's Blue Mountain Cafe, a man in brown casual shoes held a fashion magazine and drank coffee.

Shen Qiong pushed the door open and immediately spotted Gu Liming sitting to his right. A wide smile spread across his face as he walked over.

"Well, well, look who it is! Master Shen has arrived?" Gu Liming teased with a laugh.

Shen Qiong shot him a look. "Spit it out! Did you fail abroad, so they forced you back home?"

Gu Liming looked at Shen Qiong with disdain. "Are you kidding me? I've returned specifically to serve my country."

Just then, Gu Liming's phone rang. He glanced at it but had no intention of answering.

Shen Qiong snatched his phone over and saw the contact name was in English.

"Oh! I get it! You didn't want to take responsibility after sleeping with some foreign girl, so you ran back, didn't you?" Shen Qiong chuckled, knowing full well his friend was a notorious playboy.

Gu Liming's face darkened. "It wasn't that dramatic. It was consensual at the time, who knew she'd cling to me the next day."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You beast. You don't even recognize someone after you wake up?" Shen Qiong said dismissively.

"Hey, hey, hey. Are you saying you've never done that?" Gu Liming looked at Shen Qiong innocently.

Shen Qiong waved his hand. "Of course!"

Gu Liming gave a wry smile. "I'm not that kind of person either! But I really drank too much that night, couldn't tell a ghost from a person. When I woke up the next morning, damn! This body... I reckon it must have been over 200 pounds!" He looked pained.

Imagining his friend pinned to the bed by a woman whose arm was thicker than his thigh, Shen Qiong burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. "Not bad! So you were rescuing 'refugees' all along. That fatty must have you hooked."

Gu Liming shuddered with lingering fear. "Don't even mention it. Just thinking about it makes me sick. You know what they say, 'He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet.' Don't ever drag me to a bar again. I'll die before I go."

Shen Qiong shook his head and chuckled. "Karma's a b*tch! Serves you right for living such a carefree life."

"Ah, forget about me. Tell me about yourself! How have you been these past two years?" Gu Liming sighed.

Shen Qiong gave a mysterious smile. "Smooth sailing."

"Oh? Really?" Gu Liming looked at him in surprise.

"It's something you can feel but not explain!" Shen Qiong said cheerfully.

Gu Liming took a sip of coffee. "Alright, spill it. Did you really inherit your dad's skills? I know exactly what you're capable of!"

"You wouldn't understand. The moment I opened my mind, I surpassed my predecessors." Shen Qiong said smugly.

Seeing Shen Qiong's expression, Gu Liming wondered if it was true.

"Alright then, brother, I'm counting on you! I came back this time secretly. Even my parents don't know." Gu Liming said helplessly.

"That bad?" Shen Qiong was taken aback.

Gu Liming sighed heavily again. "It's not easy! It's tough for overseas returnees these days. My parents actually didn't want me to come back. They kept telling me to work hard abroad and bring them over once I'd made it."

Shen Qiong nodded, indicating he understood.

"If my dad finds out I came back without a word, he'll probably give me the 'whip treatment'." Gu Liming shrank back, shaking his head vigorously.

Shen Qiong laughed. "It's fine. You're different from me. You're good with words and have a wide network. You won't starve."

Gu Liming gave a wry smile. "I definitely won't starve. To be honest, having a good network also depends on how well you're doing. If you're successful, a single call will bring friends from all over. If you're not, no one will even look at you, no matter how much you beg."

Shen Qiong deeply empathized with Gu Liming's words.

"I might need to stay with you temporarily. I'll see if I can find a job here in a while. After all, I'm an overseas returnee; finding a job that pays over ten thousand a month shouldn't be too difficult."

Shen Qiong heard this and asked, "What did you study in Germany?"

"Advertising, promotion..." Gu Liming replied.

"What a coincidence! I happen to need someone to help me with promotion and managing fan reputation." Shen Qiong's eyes suddenly lit up.

Gu Liming was stunned. "Fans? Aren't you a fortune teller? You have fans?"

Shen Qiong grinned. "In this day and age, even cats and dogs can become internet celebrities. Why can't I have fans?"

"Alright, you're comparing yourself to cats and dogs. What else can I say?" Gu Liming said with a smile.

"Hmph! I was just using an analogy. Anyway, I happen to need someone to manage my Weibo, help me promote the stories of some peculiar clients, improve my reputation, and interact with fans. I'm not good at these things, and you happen to know them." Shen Qiong said.

Gu Liming frowned. He knew about managing Weibo. He asked curiously, "Manage? How many followers do you have on Weibo?"

Shen Qiong pondered for a moment. It should be close to twenty thousand followers now.

"Around twenty thousand. It's okay for now, but it'll definitely grow in the future." Shen Qiong shared his thoughts with the other man.

Gu Liming looked at him in surprise. "Not bad! Twenty thousand isn't a lot, but it's some level of fame. Is the fortune-telling industry really that popular now?"

Shen Qiong chuckled. "Of course. You have to consider who's sitting next to you. This is Master Shen, who can Glimpse Heavenly Secrets and tell fortunes."

Gu Liming really wanted to kick him. The way he was bragging.

He considered it for a moment. Instead of working for someone else, it might be better to help Shen Qiong, provided that Shen Qiong actually had the skills he claimed.

"I'll think about it..."

Shen Qiong laughed. "Think it over! A monthly salary of twenty thousand, double what my assistant makes. That's quite a lot."

Gu Liming stared at him in shock. "You have an assistant? And they make over ten thousand a month?"

Shen Qiong knew this guy would be scared. That was exactly the effect he wanted, and he immediately laughed, "Absolutely!"

"Whoa, looks like you've scammed quite a few big clients!" Gu Liming said disdainfully.

Shen Qiong felt indignant. What did he mean by scam? He earned his living through genuine skill.

"Alright, let's leave it at that! You can stay at my place. I have a spare room anyway. I'll give you two days to think about it. You can also visit my shop for a look around." Shen Qiong figured if Gu Liming actually visited the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, he'd understand why he could offer such a high salary.

After all, customers seeking fortune telling were constantly arriving.

The two chatted for a while longer before taking a taxi back to Shili Street.

Gu Liming asked curiously, "Kid, you're not pulling my leg, are you? Someone who can afford to pay tens of thousands in salary, why don't you have a car yet?"

Shen Qiong gave a wry smile, "It's the early stages of my startup! Everything has to be done frugally."

Gu Liming knew Shen Qiong was joking. He understood Shen Qiong's character. Although he sometimes bragged a little, he rarely messed up on crucial matters. This was precisely why he contacted him the moment he returned to the country.

The car drove slowly along the airport expressway, an airplane streaking across the sky.

If Shen Qiong knew that a major client who paid five hundred thousand for a fortune telling session was currently leaving on a plane, he'd probably be heartbroken for days.