Chapter 73

When they arrived in town, it was almost noon. Chu Ying led the way, with Wu Ling closely following behind. The three cars stopped in front of the "Peach Blossom Source" restaurant. It was mealtime, but the restaurant was still quiet, with only two or three tables occupied. The customers, who had been chatting and laughing, stopped their conversation and hurriedly finished their meals, paid the bill, and fled as if they were afraid of catching the bad luck that seemed to cling to the injured group that had just entered.

"Ah, it's you. Did you bring so many people to cause trouble?" the owner, a woman, said with a light laugh.

Chu Ying also smiled and said, "I came to see if anyone was causing trouble for my sister. If there is, I'll help you clear them out!"

"Order whatever you like, but with so many of you, the dishes might take a while. Please don't mind the wait." Apart from Li Dong, the others were all young and ravenous, and at their age, their appetites were enormous. The owner was the only one working, and she couldn't keep up with their pace.

Chu Ying smiled and said, "Sister, don't go through so much trouble. Just bring all the cold dishes you have. Do you have beer?"

In the summer, every restaurant prepares cold dishes, and this one was no exception.

The owner said, "I only have two cases of beer left. If that's not enough, I'll go buy more."

Chu Ying said to Ah Biao, "You take two brothers to go get three cases of beer, and make sure they're chilled!"

When Ah Biao and the others first entered the restaurant, they were all captivated by the owner's beauty. She might be a bit older than them, but still within an acceptable range. The thought of her made their mouths water.

Although Ling Siyi, Ling Xuan, and Wen Jing were all more beautiful than the owner, Ah Biao and the others knew they were out of their league. But the owner was different; they were all on the same starting line and had a good chance.

"Why are you all standing there like fools? Didn't you hear what Brother Ying said?" Li Dong, being more perceptive, knew that although the owner fit the group's taste, her relationship with Brother Ying was clearly special, meaning they had no chance. Who would dare to snatch food from Brother Ying's mouth?

Ah Biao reluctantly led two of his brothers out.

Including Chu Ying, there were sixteen people in total, and they had to combine four tables to fit everyone. The cold dishes came quickly, and after a few glasses of alcohol, the atmosphere became lively. Chu Ying, who had never experienced such a large group drinking and chatting, let go of all his inhibitions and fully immersed himself in the moment.

Li Dong suppressed the group's revelry, stood up with a glass of wine, and said to Chu Ying, "I, Li Dong, have achieved nothing and am cowardly, but I have never admired anyone. However, since meeting Brother Ying, I am thoroughly convinced! If Brother Ying truly considers us brothers, please drink this glass of wine!"

"To Brother Ying!" The others also stood up with their glasses, looking at Chu Ying with eager eyes.

"Aren't we already brothers?" Chu Ying smiled faintly.

Li Dong said solemnly, "To be frank, with Brother Ying's abilities, you wouldn't genuinely look at people like us. We are the ones who clung to you, and it was only with Brother Huan's help that we had the chance to follow you—"

Chu Ying waved his hand and stood up, saying slowly, "Although we haven't shared prosperity, we have shared adversity. You are my brothers, Chu Ying's brothers!" After saying this, Chu Ying finished his drink.

"Thank you, Brother Ying!" The group was overjoyed and drank their glasses dry. They knew that Brother Ying had finally recognized them.

Li Dong said loudly, "Everyone, drink to your heart's content!"

The group cheered, and the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

Chu Ying looked at this group of carefree guys and laughed. He signaled to Li Dong, Ah Biao, and Fan Hong, and the three followed him to another empty table.

"Are your heads still clear?" Chu Ying asked the three, who were flushed.

Even if they were a bit dizzy from the alcohol, the three sobered up a bit at Chu Ying's serious expression. They nodded, and Li Dong said, "Brother Ying, just say what you have to say. We can still listen!"

Chu Ying's gaze swept over their faces, and he said slowly, "I want to know, what are your life goals?"

Hearing this, the three were taken aback and exchanged glances. Their eyes, which had been somewhat unfocused, became even more confused. They had never considered this question.

"You were their leader before, so you go first," Chu Ying said, staring at Li Dong.

Li Dong scratched his head and laughed awkwardly, "To be honest, Brother Ying, we are just the kind of people others see as loafers. We are lazy and have no life goals, and we don't even dare to think about such things."

"Then why are you following me?" Chu Ying continued.

Ah Biao quickly answered, "Brother Ying is good at fighting, and we think following you will be better than what we have now."

Chu Ying smiled and said, "Following me shows that you have some aspirations. Wanting to be better is a goal."

After a pause, Chu Ying continued in a serious tone, "But this is just a temporary thought. If I let you stay in the construction team and ignore you, what would you do?"

The three shook their heads; they hadn't considered this either.

Chu Ying said, "No matter what you do, you need to set a goal for yourself. If you want to be something, you need to achieve it. Otherwise, you will be bullied all your life. Even a fat head like Ma Qingfeng can scare you so much. How will you survive in the future?"

Although the three had not seen much of the world, they had a stubborn and unyielding spirit deep down. Hearing Chu Ying's somewhat condescending words, their faces turned even redder. Ah Biao said in a low voice, "Brother Ying, tell us what to do, and I, Ah Biao, will do it. If I hesitate, I'm a coward!"

Chu Ying shook his head and said, "It's not about what I want you to do, but what you want to do. This relates to your life goals. What kind of person do you want to be? How far do you want to go? Think about this carefully after you go home. If your answers satisfy me, we can discuss other matters."

The three fell silent, their faces showing signs of deep thought. Fan Hong, who had fought in underground boxing matches and had more experience than Li Dong and Ah Biao, quickly thought and tentatively asked, "Is Brother Ying planning to do something?"

Chu Ying gave him an approving look. He knew that Li Dong and Ah Biao were used to being lazy, and it would be difficult to change their mindset. He reminded them, "What I want to do is my business. The key is what you want to do. Do you plan to be loafers for the rest of your life, just eating and waiting to die?"

The three fell silent again. At this moment, Chu Ying's phone rang. He pressed the answer button, and a deep voice came from the other end, "I am Ma Qingfeng. I wonder if Brother Ying has time to sit down and talk."