Chapter 5

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Song Chen stood at the door of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets given to him by his mother.

The Dongou City of the 1990s was not much different from the city fifteen years later, except for the increased population, economic prosperity, and taller buildings.

Due to frequent business trips and travels across major cities, from Song Chen's perspective, although the people of Dongou had achieved unimaginable success worldwide, their contributions to their hometown were not necessarily high. In terms of the cleanliness and tidiness of the city, Dongou City fell far short of Ninghai City, another prefecture-level city, and was even less comparable to Huating, a municipality directly under the central government.

Of course, this was the result of policy bias. Due to the lack of direct national investment, the gap between Dongou City and other cities was evident. After twenty years of reform and opening up, the economic development of Dongou City had a complex and profound side, far from being simply described in a few words. As a forefront of China's political struggles, the results of each confrontation could be seen here, and the waters were deep and chilling.

Song Chen, lost in deep thought with a furrowed brow, did not notice the passage of time. Unconsciously, the bus had already arrived at its destination.

The eastern gate of Dongou University. Looking at the unique architectural entrance, Song Chen, who had become increasingly silent since his return, fell into deep contemplation about the future once again.

As another testament to his failed life, he could barely remember the name of his first love. Moreover, with only a few months of university life, the names of his classmates that remained in his memory were few and far between, almost completely forgotten.

He had almost forgotten the way to his dormitory.

After dropping out, he almost tirelessly traveled across various cities and towns nationwide, never returning to the university even for a moment of reminiscence. Perhaps it was for the sake of his future, or perhaps it was an intentional avoidance of the memories of his first love and university life. In any case, the university had become a blind spot in his mind that he was unwilling to recall.

Walking slowly along the main road, he pursued the memories of the past while watching the young and vibrant students chatting and laughing. Song Chen suddenly felt a sense of the passage of time and the changes in the world. If calculated strictly, Song Chen's mental age was about ten years older than these students.

He couldn't help but ask himself, with a good opportunity to continue his interrupted university life, should he really choose to leave again!

Is this... what he wanted?

Or rather, what did he really want?

Thinking about this, Song Chen's heart involuntarily skipped a beat. As a member of the failed masses, he was unwilling to admit that the ambition buried deep within him had grown strong.

"Chen!"

A sweet, unfamiliar voice came from behind, but Song Chen almost instinctively recognized it. It resonated with his soul, allowing him to recall the owner of the voice without turning around.

Zhang Ruoxi.

His girlfriend.

His first love.

He slowly turned around and saw a girl walking towards him with a radiant smile.

Her long, black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her oval face was very round. She had a pair of bright, almond-shaped eyes with meticulously groomed, long lashes. Her skin, fair and rosy, had a smooth, jade-like elasticity. Seeing her beloved man, her tender lips curved slightly. She was tall and well-proportioned, with a full and plump chest. She wore a black long-sleeved knitted top, and a unique belt accentuated her perfect, slender waist. Her long, white legs and delicate, small feet were exposed.

Even after a separation of over a decade, Song Chen was still captivated by her youthful and sweet charm. Seeing her man entranced by her beauty, Zhang Ruoxi couldn't help but smile even more proudly. She walked up to Song Chen and naturally linked her arm with his.

Inhaling the mix of shampoo and the fresh, pleasant scent of a young woman, Song Chen was jolted back to reality, and silence once again enveloped him.

Although Zhang Ruoxi noticed her boyfriend's unusual expression, she didn't say anything. Instead, she enthusiastically pulled him along, and the two strolled down the tree-lined path on campus, an atmosphere of romance that Zhang Ruoxi always cherished.

"What's wrong? You look like someone owes you two million!" A woman in love is sensitive and delicate. Seeing Song Chen's gloomy expression, she couldn't help but ask.

Song Chen stopped, and Zhang Ruoxi stopped with him.

Gazing into Zhang Ruoxi's star-like, brilliant eyes, Song Chen couldn't help but reach out with his right hand to caress her flawless face, feeling the smooth, eggshell-like tenderness of her skin.

Zhang Ruoxi blushed but didn't reject her boyfriend's affection.

Song Chen sighed lightly, finally clarifying what he most wanted after returning to the past.

And this was something that Zhang Ruoxi, as a woman, could not, or found it difficult to, give him!

Song Chen whispered, "Ruoxi!"

"Hmm?"

"I think I have a goal, a dream, and perhaps I shouldn't hide it from you!" Song Chen murmured softly.

Zhang Ruoxi was slightly taken aback, then smiled, "A man with dreams has the drive to pursue the future and is especially charming! I'm glad you found this goal! What is it?"

Before he could speak, Song Chen already felt a bitter taste at the corners of his mouth—perhaps he would regret it in the future.

"Yesterday, I had a dream. I dreamed of my incompetence and decadence years later; I dreamed of my helplessness and despair... Perhaps, this is a warning from heaven, and I must change!"

Song Chen's gaze, which had been gentle, gradually became calm and indifferent. This was a passion and... ambition—ambition as a man—that Zhang Ruoxi had not seen from her boyfriend in a year.

Zhang Ruoxi's heart trembled. In an instant, she suddenly realized that the man before her, though familiar in appearance, had a very different look, demeanor, and tone. Or rather, from the moment she saw Song Chen, she felt that this man named "Song Chen" was not "Song Chen"!

No! He wasn't.

"Who are you?" Zhang Ruoxi's face turned pale, and she instinctively took two steps back.

What a sensitive woman!

Song Chen smiled bitterly again but did not explain. He said calmly, "I plan to take a leave of absence!"

Zhang Ruoxi's heart was in turmoil. Looking at the man before her, who was gradually becoming blurry, she asked instinctively, "Why? Is it your parents?"

As Song Chen's girlfriend, Zhang Ruoxi knew his family background well, far better than Song Chen knew his girlfriend's background in his previous life. From this perspective, Song Chen's depth of character was not as deep as Zhang Ruoxi's—this further proved his failure in dealing with people and situations!

Song Chen shook his head and calmly revealed his "ambition": "That's just a small part. I've just found the path I want to take in the future!"

"What path? Working? Doing business?" Zhang Ruoxi's eyebrows furrowed, and she said unhappily, "If you work, you only have a high school diploma. How many companies will hire you? If you do business, do you know how to do it? Can you deal with people? What kind of business will you do? Where will you get the capital? Have you thought about all these things? You're only 19!"

What a smart and beautiful girl!

Song Chen looked at Zhang Ruoxi with admiration, and the scattered memories of Zhang Ruoxi in his mind suddenly became vivid and clear.

"I want to drop out and start my own business!"

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