Falling Star

Chapter 1 The city of Haikou was under a cloud cover for the entire week. Shen Huaixu drew back the heavy blackout curtains, and the grayish-white, turbid clouds stretched endlessly into the sea. He had been continuously on roadshows for three weeks now, and so far, he had failed to secure any investment. Shen Huaixu was not surprised by this. The success rate of internet startups is less than 5%, and their company's business is quite niche—they operate a special food online sales platform, a concept many people didn’t even understand. "There's always a way when you get to the mountain", he thought. "Solutions always outnumber problems." So, Shen Huaixu didn’t dwell on it too much. Moreover, Boling Capital, known for favoring niche tracks, had scheduled a meeting with him today. The company had a reputation for its sharp insights and bold style within the industry. Shen Huaixu believed this was his best bet on this journey. However, he had a nightmare last night. He woke up in cold sweat at four in the morning and couldn’t fall back asleep. His sleep-deprived brain now dominated his mood, and a bad premonition was slowly surfacing in his heart. It had been many years since he had dreamed of those old memories. Shen Huaixu pushed open the window, and the cool, salty air hit his face, making him squint his eyes. Leaning on the window frame with his elbow, he leaned forward slightly, and lit a cigarette. The human brain is indeed mysterious. Even though the face in his dream was blurry, he knew it was Ji Chenshan. Thirteen years ago, he had been harsh to Ji Chenshan, each word a deep wound. Ji Chenshan had decisively cut him off, disappearing without a trace. Ji Chenshan entered his world and disappeared from it in just seventy-one days. Those were the most chaotic two months of his life. Shen Huaixu suspected that, with the passage of time, his resentment for Ji Chenshan's abrupt departure had far exceeded his guilt. Because he dreamed... that Ji Chenshan was dead. * The meeting place was arranged by his assistant, Pan Shen. The teahouse they chose had quite a distinctive style. They were led by a waiter through a long corridor with red lacquer and white tiles. The winding path led to a tranquil spot where one could see a clump of delicate bamboo at the end, a modern teahouse with a Chinese style tucked behind it. "It seems like Boling brought more than just their investment manager this time," Pan Shen murmured, flipping through the printed project materials. "They also brought a vice president." Shen Huaixu frowned. For a company of their valuation, it seemed unnecessary for the other party to make such a grand gesture. But since they were already here, he might as well take it in stride. Shen Huaixu casually asked, "What's the VP's surname?" "Ji." Though not a common surname, it certainly wasn't rare. Shen Huaixu swallowed hard, a bad premonition reemerging. "Ji... who?" "Ji Chenshan." It was as if thunder had struck directly above his head, and a torrential downpour was imminent. All the cruelest words Shen Huaixu could think of, he had used on Ji Chenshan when they broke up years ago. This resurrected first love, appearing unexpectedly at his investment negotiation table, left him unsure of Ji Chenshan's true intentions. As the waiter slid open the door, Shen Huaixu quickly hid his inner turmoil. The blurry face from his dream became clear in an instant. The man sitting by the door got up immediately upon hearing the sound, offering a polite nod towards the doorway. "Greetings. I am Fu Pinghe, the investment manager in charge of the Mai Man Ping Wu project," he introduced himself, then gestured to the man beside him. "This is our vice president." Only then did Ji Chenshan slowly rise, his cream-colored, fitted suit emphasizing his broad shoulders and long legs. His eyes were bright, a smile spreading from the corners of his upturned eyes. He leaned forward to extend his right hand to Shen Huaixu. "Ji Chenshan. However, I suppose there's no need for me to introduce myself to you, right, Mr. Shen?" After years apart, Ji Chenshan's face had grown even more handsome. His smile always carried an unabashed air of unruly freedom. Time had added a touch of indiscernible depth to his demeanor. Surprise flickered across Fu Pinghe's face. "You two know each other?" "Long time no see." Shen Huaixu gently returned the handshake, his eyebrows curving upwards as he turned to explain softly to Fu Pinghe, "We were high school classmates." "Mr. Ji, Manager Fu, let me introduce our latest project." Pan Shen deftly stepped in to ease the tension, laying out two copies of the prepared project materials in front of them. "There's no need." Ji Chenshan interrupted without looking at the materials. "We've read your proposal many times already. It's very interesting." He resumed his seat on the wicker chair, fingers interlocked on the table, revealing his attractive wrist bones. "There are 1.4 billion diabetics and 1.9 billion lactose-intolerant individuals in our country. Even without considering other groups with special dietary needs, the market is quite considerable. We believe that your project has good prospects in terms of both economic and social value. We're not here to listen to your story, but to formally extend an invitation for collaboration." Fu Pinghe presented a stack of papers. "Here is the draft framework agreement we've prepared. Please take a look." Not one of the talking points Shen Huaixu had prepared was used. He had to admit, the conditions offered by Boling were very sincere; only a fool would refuse them. Both parties quickly went over the details of the agreement, and Pan Shen sent an electronic version to the legal department, urging them to review it as soon as possible. They exchanged contact information and exchanged pleasantries. Shen Huaixu glanced at his watch. The meeting had not even exceeded forty minutes. It went so smoothly that he wasn't used to it, and it made him oddly nostalgic for his once good luck. Ji Chenshan twirled the tea cup in his fingers, his gaze fixed on the swaying tea. He suddenly said, "The tea here is not bad." Murphy's Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will, no matter how unlikely it seems. Shen Huaixu had once scoffed at this saying. He only heard Ji Chenshan telling Fu Pinghe in a low voice, "You can leave first." His gaze casually swept over Shen Huaixu's face, his tone as casual as a common remark, "I would like to catch up with Mr. Shen."