Chapter 2: Lobster Feast

He Qiuting stood by the roadside, his suit jacket draped casually over his right arm, seemingly resting naturally in front of him. Yet beneath the cover of the jacket, his hand pressed fiercely against his stomach.

Through the fabric of his shirt, he could clearly feel the outline of his spasming stomach, the taut muscles twitching uncontrollably.

From last night until now, He Qiuting had only eaten half a piece of bread, drunk one cup of coffee, and a few sips of water. He prided himself on having weathered many storms, having seen all there was to see. To outsiders, he always appeared perfectly composed. But whenever critical moments like this arrived, he would suffer from insomnia, poor rest, and loss of appetite.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, He Qiuting smoothed his furrowed brow and slowly straightened up, subtly digging his fingers deeper into his abdomen.

He pressed down viciously, almost as if trying to pierce through his stomach, crushing the anxiety buried deep within him along with it.

“President He!”

Hurried footsteps approached from behind. Lin Xu, clutching a briefcase, jogged over and quickly steadied He Qiuting’s swaying figure.

His shirt was already damp with sweat. He Qiuting glanced sideways at him, his jawline tight. “Go get the car.”

His stomach was still convulsing violently; in his current state, he couldn’t walk at all.

Lin Xu had been He Qiuting’s personal assistant for over five years. Taking one look at him, he knew it was his old ailment flaring up again and hurried off to fetch the car.

Soon, a black Maybach pulled up smoothly by the curb. Lin Xu swiftly got out, opened the door, and with one hand guarding the roof and the other firmly supporting He Qiuting’s arm, helped him into the back seat.

The car’s heater was on, and the seat had been adjusted to the most comfortable angle. Lin Xu took out a thermos and stomach medicine, unscrewed the cap, and handed them to He Qiuting. Behind his round-framed glasses, his eyes were filled with concern. “President He, Doctor Li warned you just last week to pay attention to your diet and rest. You…”

“I’m fine.” He Qiuting gave him a faint smile, took the water and pills, swallowed them, and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes for a few seconds to recover.

The image of his father standing on the rooftop flashed through his mind again, the fierce wind whipping his suit into a frenzy.

The heavy thud of a body hitting the ground…

The crowd scattering, screams rising, sirens wailing one after another, eventually cut off by the sound of an auction hammer…

Winning the prime land for 14 billion was only the first step in the Sky Citadel Ripple Capital project. He Qiuting knew how many eyes were watching him from the shadows and understood the challenges that lay ahead.

The first installment of the land payment was due within a month, and the pressure on cash flow was undeniable. At the same time, bank loans took time to process, coupled with fluctuations in the bond market and the counterattacks from Hong Kong capital… He had to face it all.

People of all kinds, ever-changing faces…

He Qiuting didn’t dare relax for even a moment. The mental pressure peaked at that instant. The quiet, comfortable environment only intensified his discomfort racing heartbeat, clammy palms, churning stomach…

These were physiological reactions only the weak would exhibit.

He Qiuting despised this version of himself. His hand dug deeper into his stomach, using the sharp pain to suppress the loss of control and anxiety.

Yes, he was just that kind of complicated person.

As Lu Shun put it, he carried too much baggage, loved to act tough, never showed weakness, and was utterly boring as a partner.

Lu Shun had told him more than once, “If you weren’t He Qiuting if it were anyone else I couldn’t stand this kind of personality.”

Hearing this, He Qiuting showed no temper. His expression was pale, his voice even paler, but his tone was unyielding. “No one’s forcing you to endure it.”

At such moments, Lu Shun would playfully come to coax him, treating it as a form of flirtation. He’d wrap his arms around He Qiuting’s neck, kissing and nibbling like an affectionate dog, before they’d sleep together.

During their intimate physical contact, love and expression were instinctive pure and primal. But when they met in business negotiations wearing suits, it felt as if mountains and oceans stood between them.

He Qiuting’s stomach pain had eased somewhat, but his face remained pale. He blinked, his voice hoarse. “Debrief. Focus on Lu Shun’s moves today.”

“Understood.” Lin Xu pulled out his laptop, displaying the auction simulation model he’d just completed.

“Before the auction began, CL Capital leaked news of preparing 20 billion for bidding.” Lin Xu lightly tapped the keyboard, expanding the data sheet. “This caused three real estate companies to temporarily lower their credit limits, while two others withdrew entirely.”

“20 billion…” He Qiuting’s lips curved slightly. This scale matched Lu Shun’s style, but based on his understanding of Lu Shun, this was likely false information.

He Qiuting: “Continue.”

“Lu Shun shorted Hong Kong-capital affiliated stocks, triggering margin calls that prevented them from matching bids.” Lin Xu suddenly understood. “So when Lu Shun jumped the bid to 12.85 billion, he was signaling to the Hong Kong investors that he knew their funding ceiling.”

The minimal bid increase was actually a blatant threat.

Lin Xu remained puzzled. “But I don’t understand with such major moves from CL Capital, they could have directly secured the land. Why concede to us? Unless it’s just because the premium was too high…”

The car radio suddenly interrupted with a financial bulletin:

[CL Capital announces acquisition of 18% stake in Hong Kong-capital owned gambling company…]

A trace of mockery flashed in He Qiuting’s eyes. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a document, handing it to Lin Xu. “Page eight.”

Lin Xu quickly flipped through the materials, stopping at page eight. His pupils constricted abruptly.

CL Capital had already acquired the abandoned power plant adjacent to the Ripple Capital prime plot months earlier through shell companies. The plant’s geographical position was strategically vicious while not part of the Ripple Capital plot, it sat precisely at the only cable access point, serving as the potential energy hub in He Qiuting’s planned Sky Citadel · Ripple Capital project.

“Now that we’ve secured this land, the power plant’s value will multiply at least twentyfold.” He Qiuting shook his head, his gaze inscrutable. “This isn’t assistance it’s leverage.”

Every move Lu Shun made was calculated.

Before acquiring the power plant, he had systematically exposed its dilapidated condition, secretly organized resident complaints, and cemented its worthless reputation to maximize price suppression.

Now that Cloud Horizon had successfully acquired the land, He Qiuting predicted Lu Shun would soon make moves regarding this power plant, then cling to Cloud Horizon like a leech sucking its blood.

He Qiuting didn’t mind.

On the contrary, if Lu Shun had merely helped him secure the land and deal with the Hong Kong capital today out of so-called feelings, that would have bothered him.

He preferred mutually beneficial partnerships, disliked mixing business with personal feelings, and equally detested relationships tainted by calculation.

As Lin Xu continued reporting the relevant data, He Qiuting listened half-heartedly while glancing down at his phone where a new message had arrived.

Lu Shun had sent: “Remember Zhang Wenqian, the one we played with as kids? My childhood friend whose family runs catering businesses. He just opened a private lobster club on Hongshi Street and invited a bunch of classmates for dinner tonight. Come join if you’re done with work.”

Before He Qiuting finished reading, a second message eagerly popped up: “Consider it celebrating the land king acquisition. With so many people around, even if photographed, it’s easily explainable.”

He Qiuting’s fingers hovered over the screen as he typed: “No, I have to…” but before he could finish, a third message appeared.

Lu Shun: “We can also discuss bridge loans and the power plant matters.”

He Qiuting exhaled softly, deleted his draft, and sent a single character: “Okay.”

Lu Shun was both relaxed and assertive – two traits that surprisingly didn’t contradict each other.

He Qiuting envied Lu Shun’s ease, and this admiration for strength had been his initial attraction to Lu Shun. He admired how Lu Shun could casually command any situation.

Lu Shun wasn’t afraid of losing. He could easily brush off an 80-million investment failure without letting it affect his next decision’s timing. When a friend of over a decade betrayed him, he showed no sorrow, handling it as lightly as dusting off his clothes before turning around to enjoy a party until late night.

When He Qiuting tried to comfort him, Lu Shun simply said: “Friends are plentiful – one more or less makes no difference. This actually saves me the trouble of party small talk.”

This carefree attitude perhaps stemmed from never having truly lost anything profoundly meaningful. Lu Shun’s life had been smooth, almost like a perpetual feast where every gain was an embellishment and every loss merely a drop in the ocean, never altering his life’s course.

Such luxurious composure was a demeanor those struggling at the bottom could never master in their lifetime.

Perhaps precisely because of such privileged upbringing, Lu Shun naturally assumed he could control everything – including He Qiuting.

Sometimes, Lu Shun showed no interest in He Qiuting’s projects, yet he would meddle in every Cloud Horizon venture. Only through this could he maintain the upper hand in their relationship. Otherwise, even when arranging dinners, he’d be the one left waiting.

At 8 PM, after handling company affairs, He Qiuting drove to the designated location.

The private lobster club was expansive – a luxurious three-story standalone venue. Passing through the lobby, He Qiuting casually glanced at the price list: starting at 5,000 per person.

He inherently disliked such extravagant lifestyles. While he could casually mention 14 billion for land acquisition, he still found 5,000 yuan meals expensive.

Upon entering, Lu Shun approached with a smile, giving He Qiuting a measured hug before quickly releasing him.

“President He, we meet again,” Lu Shun teased mischievously. “Why the change of clothes? Tsk tsk.”

He Qiuting remained silent.

He hadn’t mentioned his worsening stomach condition to Lu Shun – he’d vomited back at his office that afternoon, hence the fresh clothes.

At this moment, his stomach still burned like fire, tormenting him relentlessly.

In the private room, glasses clinked amid the lively atmosphere. Everyone raised their wine cups, ostensibly reminiscing about their childhood days together, but in reality, using this dinner to exchange resources.

Lu Shun wasn’t seated next to He Qiuting. He lounged lazily against the chair back, twirling his wine glass, taking occasional sips while lifting his gaze to watch He Qiuting.

The latter didn’t glance at him even once, merely lowering his head to slowly sip some soup. As if it didn’t suit his taste, he set the spoon down, wiped his mouth, and remained silent.

“Qiuting is still the same, not fond of talking,” Zhang Wenqian said with a laugh, patting He Qiuting’s shoulder.

He Qiuting politely curved his lips into a faint smile and nodded without responding, his peripheral glance drifting toward Lu Shun sitting not far away.

The latter was peeling shrimp, taking his time before finishing. Before he could complete the task, a classmate eagerly leaned over with an ingratiating smile, offering peeled shrimp onto his plate.

Lu Shun frowned slightly but didn’t eat them.

“By the way, Qiuting, you and Lu Shun are collaborating now, right?” someone asked.

“Mm,” Lu Shun lifted his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. “President He has been needing me quite a lot lately.”

He Qiuting’s stomach ached severely; he didn’t even catch what Lu Shun muttered, his mind focused only on finding a chance to speak with him alone.

By the time three bottles of red wine were emptied, Lu Shun was already drunk, half-slumped in his chair and refusing anyone’s assistance.

His collar hung open, the skin of his neck flushed red. Propping his chin, he gazed dazedly at He Qiuting, at those deep, unfathomable dark eyes.

As he stared, he suddenly laughed.

“He… Qiuting…”

“Do you know what I hate most about you?”

The room fell silent instantly.