Chapter 6

"Dummy." Chi Ning instinctively used the tone he had used with Qin Heng in his previous life. "Shouldn't there be a delivery fee? I can't have you running around for nothing, can I?"

He counted three red bills from his wallet and stuffed them into the little box.

Qin Heng looked at the money, his feelings a tangled mess. He had casually told Chi Ning that he owed the hospital money, not because he wanted Chi Ning to help him, but Chi Ning seemed to have misunderstood.

This young master had walked all the way to Yangcheng Night Market under the blazing sun, his face flushed red. Other than wanting to check on his injuries, there was probably no other reason.

Qin Heng's expression tightened. He glanced at Chi Ning's face and guessed, What does he want? Invest in me?

Under Qin Heng's gaze, Chi Ning quietly explained, "I'm not doing this so you can pay off the hospital sooner. It's just that no one in Yangcheng can make bayberry juice that tastes exactly like this. I like drinking it."

Qin Heng clicked his tongue inwardly, becoming even more certain of his guess.

Saying one thing and meaning another.

That day, Chi Ning had been so scared that he had nearly cried, yet he had still helped a stranger whose face was covered in blood. Helping him was one thing, but he had even gone all the way and found an excuse to help pay his debt.

If someone ever dragged him into a van to sell him off, he might even help the traffickers count their money.

And after getting out of the van, he might even tell them, "You're actually pretty nice, huh~"

The thought vanished in an instant, but Qin Heng was still annoyed. He said coldly, "I understand."

Chi Ning let out a breath. Why did the younger Qin Heng seem even more imposing than the grown-up one...

He muttered casually, "You really are a pretty good person."

Qin Heng's expression froze. He suddenly felt like he was a human trafficker from Taiguan District, about to skin a sheep and eat its meat the next second.

No one who knew him would think he was a good person. Where had Chi Ning even gotten that idea?

Just as Qin Heng was about to say something, a brash voice came from behind him. "Hey, Brother Qin? You know Second Young Master Chi?"

Chi Ning turned to look at the newcomer.

He wore the short-sleeved uniform shirt of No. 1 High School, its collar thrown wide open without a single button fastened, exposing his muscular upper body. He strode up to Chi Ning with easy familiarity and pointed at himself. "I'm Zhang Qiuwen, from Class 18 at No. 1 High School."

"Hello." Chi Ning shifted half a step to the side, instinctively standing a little closer to Qin Heng. "You know me?"

He didn't remember knowing anyone who walked around the streets with his shirt hanging open like that.

Wasn't this basically a gangster?

"Of course I know you! How could I not?"

Zhang Qiuwen pulled a newspaper folded into a long strip from the back of his waistband. After unfolding it, he read aloud with dramatic intonation, "Jiang Shijie tried to provoke Second Young Master Chi, only to get slapped in the face! Eldest Young Master Chi was kicked out of the house for taking his younger brother out to party in Gangnan at night~ You're famous now. There's even a photo of you in this paper, so of course I know you."

Chi Ning raised an eyebrow.

Hadn't it been about the KTV host and Eldest Young Master Chi being inseparable after racing through the night just this morning?

Had the newspaper changed its report after Dad made that call?

He leaned closer to look. The front-page photo showed him bent over a billiards table.

The picture was clear and beautiful.

The lamp above the table was the only light in the darkness, illuminating his profile with striking clarity. The photo looked like an artistic portrait.

Zhang Qiuwen pointed at the picture and praised him. "Your posture is pretty standard, too."

"Mm, my brother taught me." Chi Ning pinched the edge of the newspaper and turned to the next page. The next photo showed Jiang Shijie's furious, twisted face.

This time, the paparazzi had been remarkably honest, without any loaded spin at all.

They had reconstructed the entire incident from beginning to end with crystal clarity and vivid detail. It was even more entertaining than the wish-fulfillment novels sold at street stalls.

Chi Ning's eyes curved slightly, but his expression darkened.

Something was off.

Judging by the angle of the photograph, the paparazzi should have been far away from them, at least by the drink counter near the entrance.

The place where they had played was near the windows on the inner side, at the very back of the entire floor. It should have been around forty meters from the drink counter.

There was no way the paparazzi could have heard what he said to Jiang Shijie from that far away, much less written the words, "You lost. Just call me Daddy and we'll call it even," so clearly.

Unless someone among the people playing with his brother had deliberately leaked the details to the paparazzi, the entire thing made no logical sense.

Who would do that?

Once something like this was reported, the Chi family's stock price would inevitably drop. Who stood to benefit?

Chi Ning frowned slightly, and the fingers pinching the newspaper turned white from the force.

When the young man lowered his eyes with a frown, he gave off a delicate, fragile air. He was somewhat thin as well, and even the vertebrae protruding at the back of his neck when he lowered his head looked slender and vulnerable.

Zhang Qiuwen panicked inwardly.

He really deserved to die. A well-behaved kid like Chi Ning must have grown up surrounded by praise. Those paparazzi wrote whatever nonsense they wanted, using the most exaggerated words possible. They had even written things like "a waist slender enough to fit in one hand" and "Jiang Shijie harbored ill intent."

Could Chi Ning handle that kind of slander? Why had he carelessly pulled out the newspaper?

"I... uh..." He swallowed. "Don't be angry. The paparazzi are all writing nonsense."

"What?" Chi Ning glared at him, tapped the newspaper, and lifted his chin proudly. "I really am as fierce as it says here."

How was it nonsense? This article made him sound so distinctive. Once those people on the board saw it, they definitely wouldn't try to force the inheritance rights on him anymore.

-

Qin Heng felt as if he had just watched a kitten puff up its fur.

Chi Ning wasn't fierce at all in that tabloid. Most of the paparazzi's mockery had been aimed at Eldest Young Master Chi and Jiang Shijie. The passages about Chi Ning mostly described his stunningly beautiful face and the way his eyes widened when he provoked others.

Qin Heng glanced at Zhang Qiuwen, frowned, and said in a low voice, "Zhang Qiuwen, did you come here just to chat? Don't you have anything serious to do?"

Zhang Qiuwen immediately stood at attention. "No, Brother Qin, I do. I have serious business."

"I asked Boss Xu. He said we can use his billiards hall for free from Monday to Friday mornings, but we have to help watch the place on weekends. Brother, are we doing it?"

"We can do it," Qin Heng said.

Chi Ning: ...Huh?

That strange feeling he had felt when he saw his kind father play favorites and his rebellious older brother bring him fried shrimp cakes shot straight into his head again.

In his previous life, Qin Heng had said he was an exemplary student who worked part-time while studying, excelled academically and morally, developed in every aspect, and received scholarships until his hands went soft.

Working part-time while studying and being an exemplary student seemed to fit, but what about the rest?

This man planned to play billiards at the hall every weekday morning.

At night, he sold bayberry juice at the night market.

And on weekends, he was going to help someone watch their place.

Where was he supposed to find time to become a top student?

Could it be that... the future famous Boss Qin was actually a reincarnated USB drive, and once plugged into a computer, knowledge just flooded into him?

Damn it, his CPU was starting to burn.

Why was everyone different after his rebirth?

"Don't you guys go to school?"

Chi Ning pointed tentatively at the job listings on the last page of the newspaper. "If you really need to work, you could do hourly jobs instead. They pay by the hour, and they wouldn't interfere with school too much."

Zhang Qiuwen smiled at him. "Fewer than five people from Class 18 go to school every day to study. Our grades are poor, and we need to make a living, so the school doesn't manage us much. As for hourly wages..."

He paused before continuing, "The Yangcheng Billiards Tournament held three months from now is sponsored by the Jiang Family. The champion gets a prize of two hundred thousand. After winning, you can also compete in the national tournament. If you win the national championship, you can earn three million, and you can get into university through special-talent admission. For students who aren't good at academic subjects, it solves everything at once."

Chi Ning gave an oh and turned to Qin Heng. "Are you applying as a special-talent student too?"

Qin Heng had been about to nod, but when he met Chi Ning's eyes, the words on his lips inexplicably changed direction. "I need the money to start a business."

Chi Ning relaxed.

Right, Qin Heng had started from nothing. It was normal for him to spend more time making money. Maybe he was working while studying?

Qin Heng had treated him so well in his previous life. As his colleagues in the laboratory put it, "The great CEO waited hand and foot on Professor Chi."

He shouldn't doubt Qin Heng.

Looking at the incredibly inspiring Qin Heng, Chi Ning suddenly felt that even if he wanted to slack off, he couldn't slack off completely.

Slacking was one thing. Being lazy was another.

Some people bent over backward just to go to school, while others squatted by the roadside eating boxed meals just to make a living.

He couldn't rely on his parents being wealthy, pay the tuition, lie around at home, and then take first place in exams. Wouldn't that be discouraging to others?

What if people suspected him of cheating or using connections?

At the very least, he had to lie around at school.

He definitely couldn't participate in competitions. If he won an award, it would be reported nationwide, and he would be in trouble if the board found out.

But he still needed to keep hold of the patents that should have belonged to him in his previous life.

Some of those patents had been taken by the board as favors and registered under other people's names. Others had been stolen by rival companies and became someone else's capital. In the end, less than a third remained in his hands.

He had still managed to win the highest scientific research award with that one-third. It was obvious how valuable the things that had been taken from him were.

This time, he would register them first!

Anyway, doing things he had already done once wouldn't be tiring. Without the board squeezing him dry, he could work nine to five and go have fun whenever he got tired.

Playing billiards was pretty interesting. It could become a regular way to relax.

Playing with his brother was fun, but there were too many people who ruined the mood. Better to...

"Where is Brother Xu's billiards hall?"

Chapter 6

Qin Heng couldn't figure out what that question meant.

Chi Ning was too beautiful, exquisite as though he were Nuwa's finest creation. He had no worries about food or clothing, excellent grades, a gentle personality, and stable emotions. Every compliment fit him perfectly.

He was wonderful, but completely out of place among them.

Qin Heng turned his head away and said casually, "The equipment at Gangnan Entertainment is very good. You can practice there."

Thinking of Gangnan Entertainment's prices and its awful bayberry juice, Chi Ning muttered, "It costs five hundred per person over there... and besides..."