Chapter 24

Because Pei Zhennan was that kind of person himself, he understood Cheng Yu's approach. He also saw more clearly how Cheng Yu regarded his son.

Having seen through that, Pei Zhennan was not about to stand up for his son like Zhou Xiyuan did. Still, he was more than happy to take this opportunity to teach—and provoke—that disappointing brat Pei Yan.

"If you want to be friends with someone like him, you absolutely cannot act like a little lackey, circling around him all day. He is heaven's favored son, accustomed to being fawned over since childhood. He will not notice you. Unless you defeat him in the field he cares about most, or demonstrate enough value for him to use, at the very least you need to make him see you as an equal before you can talk about whether you'll be friends or rivals."

Pei Yan looked at Pei Zhennan thoughtfully.

Pei Zhennan said in a low voice, "Your mother and I have only one son—you. One day, all of Pei Mining will be yours. In that respect, you are no less than him. But if you do not have his scheming mind, depth, and methods, then in his eyes, you will forever be nothing but a juicy piece of meat. Today, he can ask you for help; tomorrow, he can plot against Pei Mining behind your back. Think about it: with your current abilities, do you have what it takes to withstand him setting you up? Or rather, when the day comes that he does, would you willingly hand the entire Pei Family over to him?"

"Your father is getting old. I cannot protect you forever. Sooner or later, Pei Mining will be handed over to you. And you are destined to face alone those wolves and tigers coveting the Pei Family's assets."

Pei Yan instinctively objected, "Cheng Yu is not some wolf or tiger—"

Before he could finish, Pei Zhennan cut him off. "He is."

Pei Zhennan stared straight into his son's eyes, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "He is exactly that kind of person. The only difference is whether he will make a move against you—whether he will make a move against the Pei Family."

Cheng Yu was only sixteen this year, yet he could devise such a meticulous plan to scheme for Zhao Jinchui's plot of land. Who could guarantee that ten or twenty years later, Cheng Yu would not set his sights on the Pei Family?

Even if Cheng Yu would not, Pei Zhennan had built his career to this scale and had never been in the habit of placing his choices in someone else's hands and waiting helplessly.

Father and son stared intently into each other's eyes. After a long silence, Pei Yan asked with difficulty, "Dad, what are you trying to say?"

Pei Zhennan said, "You are about to enter your final year of high school. I hope you will study abroad and pursue the best business program."

Pei Yan clenched his fists and said nothing.

Pei Zhennan continued, "With your current grades and the Pei Family's financial resources, whether you want to apply to an Ivy League school or another university, it should not be a problem. The choice is yours. Remember this: if you want to bargain with a tiger, you must have the ability to kill one. Only evenly matched opponents and business partners with equal strength have the right to stand together and go farther."

Pei Yan drew a deep breath.

Looking at his son, Pei Zhennan pressed further, "Or do you know exactly what kind of person he is, yet dare not admit it? Because you are afraid that even if you work hard, you still will not be able to catch up to him or surpass him. So you would rather remain mediocre, deceive yourself, and stay where you are? Waiting for him to go farther and farther, leaving you behind?"

Pei Yan's heart suddenly sank, as though a drumstick had struck it hard enough to make even his eardrums tremble.

Chapter 24

"What's wrong with you?"

Cheng Shao looked at Pei Yan, who had been silent and looked rather unwell ever since leaving the study, and asked in confusion.

"Nothing." Pei Yan came back to himself and instinctively looked toward Cheng Yu.

Like countless people ten years later who constantly had their heads down over their phones, Cheng Yu could not break his habit of fiddling with his phone anytime and anywhere, even after dreaming himself back eleven years. Although his current phone was not a smartphone and could neither play large games nor check stock prices, Cheng Yu could still use the old model as an electronic memo, typing as he walked.

"Cheng Yu." Pei Yan gathered his courage and called out to him.

"Mm." Cheng Yu responded absentmindedly. He had not noticed at all that Pei Yan had just called him by his full name. Cheng Shao, on the other hand, gave Pei Yan a surprised look.

Pei Yan's eyes dimmed. After hesitating for a while, he said, "I want to attend university abroad. Do you have any good suggestions?"

"For business, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania are both good choices. HEC Paris and London Business School are not bad either. It depends on which country's atmosphere you prefer." At this point, Cheng Yu could not help recalling the awkward circumstances he had faced when he first went to F Country to study and could not speak the language. He sincerely advised, "Pay attention to the language environment. If you are going to a country where the language is not English, it is best to familiarize yourself with the local language in advance."

Pei Yan fixed his eyes on Cheng Yu's profile. "Which university are you planning to attend?"

"Me?" Cheng Yu had originally not planned to go through it a second time, but he could not refuse his grandparents' request, and he somewhat missed his teachers and his drinking-and-gambling buddies. So he did not particularly care. "BJOP again, I suppose."

Pei Yan quickly decided, "Then I'll attend HEC Paris."

Cheng Yu nodded politely, without much reaction.

Pei Yan looked at Cheng Yu, whose attention remained fixed on his phone, and asked, "I heard your F language is especially good. Could you teach me?"

Cheng Yu frowned. "You can hire an F language teacher."

He was already half a step into the entertainment industry. He still had to compete in the DMI International Jewelry Design Competition, establish his own jewelry brand afterward, and deal with the remaining troubles for C&C Jewelry along the way. All those matters were waiting for him to handle. Where would he find the time to teach Pei Yan F language? Besides, he was not a professional language teacher. Even if he taught him, the results might not be good. This sort of thing should be left to professionals.

Pei Yan felt an indescribable disappointment. He suddenly stopped walking and called out to Cheng Yu with utmost seriousness. "...If one day you had the chance to acquire Pei Mining, what would you do?"

Cheng Yu raised his head with a baffled expression. He clearly had no idea that Pei Zhennan had just used slander against him to spur his son into striving harder. But Pei Yan, thoroughly provoked, insisted on asking Cheng Yu's position. "Would you disregard the friendship between our families and make a move against me?"