lovenovelstory Chapter 1 Good Luck Arrives
Chapter 1 Good Luck Arrives
Chen Che looked out the office window for a while. The sunset at the end of the era of large-scale infrastructure construction was just as beautiful as the beginning of the golden age.
When the big boss was arrested and taken to the brothel for investigation for bribery, Chen Che knew that he would inevitably have to go there as well.
So I took some time to file all the documents and materials I could, and when I was called over, I handed them over to a few colleagues wearing administrative jackets, emphasizing that I should be enthusiastic, polite, and cooperative.
I've only heard about hunting expeditions, but I've never participated in them. At most, I've just accompanied leaders to dinner.
They only charge subcontractors.
However, if you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. Sometimes you might unintentionally cross the line. But luckily, I had no intention of doing anything wrong, the offense was minor, and I actively cooperated with the investigation. Judging from the situation, it seems unlikely that a case will be filed.
It's a pity I didn't get to see the big boss, otherwise I would definitely have told him, "Brother, I'll take care of your wife and kids for you. You can explain the situation properly inside, don't worry."
When I got back to my office, everything was normal, except that some scoundrel had taken away the two potted green plants on my windowsill. Now the whole group... no, the whole team is all about relaxation.
The company was on the verge of collapse, and they were hoping this project would give them a chance to survive and see if things would turn around. Now they can rest easy, and the leader and boss will be going in hand in hand.
It's completely cooled down.
Just then, my cell phone rang in the office.
When I was seven, I caught that cicada, thinking I could catch summer.
When I was seventeen, I kissed his cheek and thought we could be together forever.
......
Over the years, mobile phones have evolved from flip phones to the tri-fold phones we have now. They have become more feature-rich, have clearer resolutions, and are more expensive, but our mindset has become more stable.
What used to be a way to flaunt wealth during student days is now nothing more than ordinary communication tools.
The only thing that hasn't changed is that my phone ringtone is still "Like Smoke".
A call came in from an unfamiliar number in another city. Chen Che glanced at it and hung up.
These days, the operators are calling from private numbers, either dental hospitals or bank loan companies. The most outrageous ones are from children's education companies, and damn it, I'm still single. Can't these people who sell personal information have any professional ethics?
The only advantage is that the frequency is much lower; otherwise, a decade or two ago, they would have been calling you to look at nearby properties every day.
Buying it is like making a profit. Even if it's not for personal use, it's the top choice for investment and wealth management. Just pay a down payment and make monthly payments, and wait for it to appreciate on its own. It will definitely outpace inflation.
A short while later, the phone rang again; it was the same number.
Chen Che frowned, answered the phone, and said helplessly, "Hello, who is this?"
"Hello," a female voice answered, sweet yet hesitant, "Is this Chen Che?"
A familiar yet strange feeling pounded in my brain, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall it.
"Yes, who are you?" Chen Che asked.
"I am Chen Sui."
Upon hearing the name, Chen Che was stunned. Suddenly, he couldn't hear anything because he seemed to see her face.
It's been too long, and her exact appearance has become blurry. Only fragmented memories remain, etching her into my heart as a synonym for beauty and youth.
"Feed," the other person called out again.
"Oh, it's been a long time."
"How did you find my phone number and call me?" Chen Che asked.
After breaking up years ago, both of them had changed their phone numbers long ago, so there was no need to add each other again.
"Hmm... I heard you were taken away for questioning by the disciplinary committee."
"I'm a lawyer now, and I can go through your case file for you, look for points that could reduce your sentence, and try to get you a shorter sentence during your defense," the other person said earnestly on the phone.
Oh, a lawyer, Chen Che thought for a moment, that's tough work too.
First, you need to get an A license, which is the first hurdle. Then, the year from intern to practicing lawyer is pretty much a year of working for someone else's expense.
Once you're officially hired and think you've made it big, but without connections or cases, it's all for nothing. You can only fantasize about the day you become a senior partner.
Therefore, the assessment is that it's not as profitable as becoming a mage and opening portals.
"Hehehe." Chen Che laughed out loud on the phone.
"What's wrong?" The other person's tone was a little displeased, feeling that their good intentions had been taken for granted.
"I said, do you think I have such a bad image of me? I can still answer your calls, so how big of a problem could there be? The other side basically means they won't consider suing me, so don't worry too much."
"Oh, that's great." The other person breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, how's Attorney Chen doing? How many cases do you have? You must have quite a lot."
Audits are being conducted everywhere, and they're targeting people like us who are in the construction industry.
"Have you run into any of our classmates? If you have, you must persuade them to explain more and try to get a reduced sentence," Chen Che asked jokingly.
"Are you being sarcastic, Mr. Chen?" Chen Sui chuckled on the phone.
"How could that be? Our teacher once said that you have the most upright character in our class and are not suitable for our industry."
"And you, how are you doing now? You should be married by now, right?" Chen Sui didn't continue the conversation and changed the subject to talk about something else.
"It's fine. We're not married yet, but we're already engaged." After so many years of hard work, Chen Che can lie naturally without batting an eye. His habitual fake smile is like a mask firmly welded to his face.
"Oh, that's good. Hmm... I'm about the same. I've been discussing wedding arrangements with my fiancé recently," the other person replied.
This is a lie.
This silly girl's habit of preparing before lying is still so obvious after all these years. Some people are just born unable to lie, no matter how hard they try. But I guess I shouldn't have exposed her.
"You're inviting me to your wedding banquet, right?"
"I'm sure you'd be welcome."
"Okay, then add me on WeChat later. This is my number. I'll hang up now, bye."
"Okay, bye-bye."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Che sighed inwardly and went downstairs to stroll around the street.
I still remember when we graduated, I went to work on a construction site, while Chen Sui went to work in a government agency.
Not long after, Chen Sui chose to resign and retake the postgraduate entrance examination, choosing law as her major.
He was stubborn and insisted on working on construction sites, because back then, people only said that civil engineering was tough, not that it was poor.
Moreover, jobs are hard to find for other majors, but civil engineering graduates can find jobs easily.
If it's a man, and you add in some other advantages like not being an only child or coming from a poor family, then he's practically a born saint.
Many experienced workers complain about how tough and tiring it is to work on a construction site, but if you can't even handle this much hardship, you definitely won't be able to do anything else!
The two had different views, had fewer and fewer things in common, and coupled with the long-distance relationship, the final outcome was predictable.
Looking back now, I really want to punch my younger self.
If I had known earlier that her father was a leader in the city investment company and her mother was the vice chairman of the trade union, I would have never bothered with this internal competition.
They kept saying they'd add each other on WeChat right away, but they never actually did anything about it.
What's past is past. The white moonlight that remains in our memories is only for reminiscing, not for chasing.
Many people, years later, saw their former "white moonlight" or "cinnabar mole" again at class reunions.
Seeing someone who once shone brightly and illuminated a part of their life become a bald, middle-aged man with a big belly and a full beard, or a fat aunt with a numb look in her eyes, left only with the struggle of life.
When dreams shatter, you realize that what you miss is the version of yourself that was just beginning to experience love and could genuinely like someone.
Unfortunately, if the spring breeze had any pity for the flowers, could it grant me another youth? If we could do it all over again, perhaps we would be alright.
Chen Che picked up his phone, thought for a moment, and then called his elderly mother.
"Hey Mom, I'm home for dinner today."
"No, it's just me. Where would I find a partner?"
"What? You're not coming back without your partner?"
"Oh, Mom, now that things have come to this, I'm coming clean with you. Actually, I'm attracted to men."
"What? You're bringing a man back to see first too?"
Chen Che was on the phone when he saw a Dayun truck speeding towards him.
"beep--"
The driver shouted anxiously, "Get out of the way!"
The brakes suddenly stopped working! What the hell is going on? This isn't Zhang Min's convenience store!
Chen Che's eyes lit up. They've finally arrived!
Chen Che leaped directly in front of Dayun. Luckily, he was half a beat slower and Dayun would have gotten away.
"Thump!"
Chen Che's vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by a sea of people, and the noise filled my ears. I was standing at the entrance of the university campus with my bags.
The school's name stone at the entrance is prominently engraved with six gilded characters: Jinling Institute of Technology.
I'm reborn! Yay!