After Crossing Over to the Republic of China, I've Become a Heartthrob Chapter 18

Someone Entered the Room

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Coming out of Song Liao's office, Shi Yao felt a bit unsettled.

In the hallway, his eyelids kept twitching, and when he accidentally bumped into someone, Shi Yao quickly apologised and said, "Sorry, sorry..."

The person chuckled, "What a coincidence."

When Shi Yao looked up, he saw Ling Junde.

The big man was holding a cigar between his fingers and handed something to Shi Yao.

It was cold, Shi Yao looked at it carefully for a while, oh, it was a metal lighter.

"Light the cigar," Ling Junde poked the bridge of Shi Yao's nose with his cigar, "will you?"

"Oh, okay." Used to modern plastic lighters which cost fifty cents, Shi Yao felt a little embarrassed when he couldn't manage to use such a delicate metal device.

Ling Junde took his hand and with a flick, he heard a 'pop' and the fire was lit.

After lighting the cigar, Ling Junde asked, "Want to try?"

"No, I don't think so." Shi Yao didn't want to get addicted to smoking.

"Try it." Ling Junde blew a nice ring of smoke and then passed the cigar to Shi Yao's lips. Propping one hand on the wall, he wrapped the other around him.

"Hold it." Ling Junde said.

For some reason, as if bewitched, Shi Yao moved closer and bit onto the brown object.

A strong feeling of irritation went straight to his head and Shi Yao coughed violently.

"This is too much to bear, huh?" Ling Junde seemed to find it amusing, "Shi Yao, I'm curious, how on earth did a little white rabbit like you survive in the Song family."

Shi Yao choked until the corners of his eyes reddened: "I don't need to bother Boss Ling with the life and death of a low-class person like me."

"Of course I care about you." Ling Junde whispered in his ear, "I'm teaching you to use a gun and to smoke, I'm training you. In other words, I think you're interesting, want to consider following me? There's a lot more I can teach you."

"Like what?"

"For example, I can also teach you," Ling Junde's smile was meaningful, "about earthly pleasures."

The meaning of this conversation was simply inexplicable, and Shi Yao's ears flushed a little: "Ahem, what are you doing here at the Chamber of Commerce today? Talking business?"

"Mhmm." Ling Junde seemed very pleased: "After it's over, this evening, I'll take you somewhere interesting."

Shi Yao swallowed,  Wh... where?"

"To take you to experience earthly pleasures."

As a result of this strange promise from Ling Junde, Shi Yao's mind was filled with a jumble of dirty images.

At three in the afternoon, he followed someone to the conference room in a daze and sat next to Song Yuan, acting as a translator and secretary.

Song Liao was also not far from him, in the main seat in the middle. Ling Junde sat opposite him, with representatives from other chambers of commerce to his left and right.

The meeting was long and boring, and towards the end of the meeting, Ling Junde got up from his seat and approached Song Yuan, ready to sign the document.

The incident happened in a matter of seconds. Not far from Shi Yao, a man with his head bowed suddenly rushed out and grabbed the collar of Ling Junde's shirt. No one could see his movement clearly, but a loud gunshot rang out, causing the room to be filled with screams. After the man fired, he immediately crashed through the crowd and jumped out of the second floor window.

Blood gushed out of his chest as Ling Junde covered his wound.

Shi Yao immediately climbed over the table and came to his side, his voice unable to stop trembling: "Boss Ling, hold on! Doctor, a doctor, and an ambulance are on their way."

Ling Junde tried his best to endure the pain, and looking around the room full of people one by one, he wanted to say something, but in the end he just laughed lowly: "Shi Yao... Shi Yao."

"I, I'm here."

"Light another cigar for me."

"What cigar, it's already like this!" Shi Yao coaxed as he supported Ling Junde, "When we go to the hospital, when your wounds are healed, I will give you as many as you want."

He insisted, "It's in the lapel of my jacket, do as you're told."

Shi Yao reached out for it, and a thick, warm liquid stained his palm, it was Ling Junde's blood.

"No... no!" Shi Yao's voice trembled, "No, I can't find it, Ling Junde, I can't find it..."

"Shh, don't be afraid." Ling Junde held him as he murmured softly in his ear, "It's okay, it's all over."

———

Two hours later, the news of Ling Junde's death arrived.

He rushed to the hospital, but he still didn't get to see him one last time.

If it was said to be a coincidence, no one would believe it. It happened at a time when Ling Junde's company was flourishing, at the crucial moment when the contract was being signed, and at the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce.

He remembered what Ling Junde had told him, that in this era of business, opportunities and risks go hand in hand, and no one can escape them.

He felt grief and anger in his heart, extremely depressed and extremely painful.

But there was nothing he could do about it, nothing he could do.

After spending a long time calming down, Shi Yao came to Song Yuan's office and said to him, "President Yuan, I want to resign."

Song Yuan was a bit surprised: "Where will you go if you resign from your position here?"

"Go back to school and continue studying, focus on my studies and follow Professor Han as a teacher after graduation."

"Yao'er, the Chamber of Commerce needs you, you're too talented for teaching."

"I can't stay here any longer." Shi Yao looked determined: "As long as the cause of Ling Junde's death is not cleared up, there is no way I can work for the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce anymore."

"You think the Chamber of Commerce did it?" Song Yuan looked at him, his tone still as gentle as ever: "Then as the president, am I also unpardonable in your eyes, hmm?"

"No, no," Shi Yao hastily explained, "I didn't mean to doubt you, it's just that, this incident happened in the Chamber of Commerce, and I just can't accept it."

"Okay, I respect your decision."

"Thank you." As Shi Yao was about to leave, Song Yuan called out to him.

"Yao'er, I'm curious. Is Ling Junde that important to you?"

"Mr. Ling is someone I respect, he is a friend I cherish, after all, I don't have many friends here," Shi Yao pushed the door open, "Besides, President Yuan should know in his heart that this was a premeditated murder."

When he got home in the evening, Shi Yao was in a low mood.

He had bought two bottles of wine downstairs, even though he didn't know how to drink.

For a while, he thought about how he had been so unlucky to have travelled to such a bad time, and he wondered how he could go back.

A moment later he thought of Ling Junde, of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, of Song Yuan...

"Raising a glass to the moon and drinking with three people?" Song Yuan's voice rang out in the night, "Yao'er, why don't you invite me to join you?"

Shi Yao was startled and almost knocked over the bottle of wine in front of him, how could he think of anyone coming here: "President, President Song Yuan? What are you doing here?"

"Whose apartment is this that you rented, have you forgotten so quickly?"

Shi Yao suddenly remembered that this apartment belonged to Song Yuan, who was his landlord, "Oh."

"Having a hard time?"

"Mhmm."

"Let me tell you a secret."

"What?"

Song Yuan took the bottle he had been drinking from and took a small sip, "I've resigned too."

Shi Yao looked at him in shock, "President Yuan? You? Resign?"

"Mhmm."

"But you're the president of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, if you resign, what will happen to the Chamber of Commerce?"

"The Chamber of Commerce can run without either of us, can't it?" Song Yuan winked at him, "You won't ask me why?"

"Why?"

Song Yuan's smile was soft, and it was as if there were stars in his eyes, "Because you're not in the Chamber of Commerce, there's no meaning there for me."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: June 16, 2023