This person really knows how to be reborn!

Chapter 4 Family members sit together leisurely, the lamplight is warm and inviting.

Xia Ning spent the entire day celebrating her coming-of-age ceremony.

I invited about ten classmates to have hot pot together for lunch, and then we went to Jialedi KTV to sing in the afternoon.

To be fair, the central bank's massive stimulus of 4 trillion yuan in 2009 hadn't even officially taken effect yet. In Dezhou, karaoke bars like Jialedi do offer very cheap afternoon sessions, with rooms available for just a few dozen yuan, and unlimited free lemonade.

Throughout the process, Xia Ning was absolutely the center of attention.

After all, apart from a few close girlfriends who centered around her, the rest of the people who came to celebrate her birthday were her suitors.

Although Xia Ning cannot be compared to a femme fatale like Yu Baiwei, her looks are still very striking, and she has already learned how to apply makeup.

Today, her delicate oval face is adorned with light makeup, and her almond-shaped eyes possess the typical boldness of a Sichuan or Chongqing girl, yet she always manages to exude a captivating charm that evokes endless thoughts.

After entering the KTV room, she took off her coat, revealing only a small tank top underneath that barely covered her navel, exposing her fair and slender waist without any restraint.

This scene left many teenagers with dry mouths and dared not look any longer.

After singing for a while, a girl nudged Xia Ning's arm.

"Ningning, what's wrong? You seem down all day. It's our birthday, be happy!"

Her name is Mu Jiajia, and she is the girl in the class who is closest to Xia Ning.

A few days ago in the same private room, the famous line, "A dog knows to turn back when it's hungry," came from her mouth.

No one sang in the private room anymore; everyone looked at the birthday celebrant with concern.

Xia Ning said angrily, "It's all because of Zeng Cheng! It's my birthday today, and he didn't even send me a single greeting!"

Mu Jiajia could hardly believe it: "Zeng Cheng really hasn't spoken to you for three days? How is that possible—"

The other students echoed this sentiment.

Who in the class doesn't know that Zeng Cheng is Ningning's lapdog?

They come when summoned and leave when dismissed.

Does one really mean they can just like someone after saying they don't?

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

After a moment's thought, Mu Jiajia began to analyze: "Ningning, I think Zeng Cheng is playing hard to get. Some boys are like that; it's childish and laughable!"

Xia Ning clearly agreed with her best friend's statement, scoffed, and raised her sharp chin: "Zeng Cheng is so ridiculous. Actually—I've even thought about apologizing to him."

"No apology!" Mu Jiajia waved her hand firmly. "Ningning, it's not like you forced Zeng Cheng to confess to you at gunpoint. Why should you apologize to him? Aren't you afraid that Zeng Cheng will take advantage of you after you apologize?"

Xia Ning nodded again, then blinked her big, watery eyes: "Jiajia, what should I do now?"

"Just expose him. You can't give guys face when they play childish tricks, otherwise they'll do it again," Mu Jiajia said confidently. "Here's what you do: give Zeng Cheng an ultimatum. Make him come over here and apologize to you right now, or block his number and delete him from QQ. Trust me, Zeng Cheng will definitely be running over here in less than half an hour—"

That's how Zeng Cheng received that text message.

After sending the text message, Xia Ning placed her phone on the glass coffee table, eagerly awaiting Zeng Cheng's reply.

She completely believed her best friend's words and thought that Zeng Cheng would definitely apologize to her.

Beep beep—

As the phone vibrated, Zeng Cheng's reply text message arrived.

Xia Ning hummed in response before opening it.

Everyone else tried to cradle their heads closer.

Why do so many people love watching circus shows?

Because there's a clown!

They could already imagine how humble Zeng Cheng's tone would be, being such a sycophant.

But what came into view was this sentence.

[Hey classmate, if you're sick, let's go get treatment.]

The private room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xia Ning's expression gradually turned ugly.

First, she was furious—Zeng Cheng actually dared to insult her!

Then came shame and anger—the clown was myself!

Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, Xia Ning called Zeng Cheng directly.

The following prompt tone came through the receiver.

Sorry, the user you are trying to reach is not in service area!

Xia Ning was increasingly astonished.

Did Zeng Cheng block her number?

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

With a look of shock and surprise, Mu Jiajia spoke up: "Ningning, Zeng Cheng might not have a signal. Why don't you send him a QQ message?"

Xia Ning hummed in agreement, quickly logged into QQ on her phone, and after searching for a while, her face turned from unpleasant to ashen.

Zeng Cheng even deleted her QQ account!

At that moment, only three words filled her mind.

On what grounds?

These are all my own tricks!

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, and tears welled up in her phoenix eyes, as if she were about to shed small pearls.

Everyone quickly offered words of comfort.

Then a rather handsome young man slammed his fist on the glass coffee table, making a loud thud.

Having successfully attracted everyone's attention, he said angrily, "That's too much! Zeng Cheng is really too much! Ningning, you wait, I'll teach him a lesson tomorrow!"

There is a small group of boys in this age group who really like to attract attention.

The person in front of me is clearly someone with an innately conspicuous and sacred physique.

When Zeng Cheng returned home, he found that his elderly father, Zeng Liqing, was unusually not working overtime, but instead was at home refreshing the page, currently curled up on the sofa reading the newspaper.

After chatting for a few minutes, Sun Feng came out of the kitchen to prepare dinner.

At the dinner table, Zeng Cheng had barely taken a couple of bites when Zeng Liqing tapped on the table, adopting the authority of an elderly father, and with a serious expression, inquired about his eldest son's studies, asking if he was confident about the diagnostic test in a few days.

"Dad, can I refuse to answer?"

"Of course not! Zeng Cheng, you're almost graduating from high school. You should know what rights and obligations are. My concern for your studies is exercising my rights, and you must answer truthfully; that's fulfilling your obligations."

Although the deputy director of the subdistrict office is just a minor official, that doesn't stop Lao Zeng from speaking in a bureaucratic tone—even when talking to Zeng Cheng.

Zeng Cheng's eyelids twitched, and he decided to teach a certain deputy director of a street office a lesson in bad habits, using magic to defeat magic.

"Dad, I'm still quite confident about the upcoming third mock exam."

"First, I will connect top knowledge providers with leading strategies, deeply cultivate vertical fields within disciplines, and identify my own differentiated niche!"

"Secondly, we should use this as a starting point to align our efforts with those of the teachers, striving to empower ourselves effectively!"

"Finally, it's about organizing knowledge, breaking down barriers, and forming a closed loop to deliver a complete and powerful combination of strategies!"

Having spent several years working at a major company in his previous life, Zeng Cheng naturally knew these internet slang terms by heart.

Zeng Liqing's cheeks began to twitch.

I can understand every single word my son says, but when we put them together, it all becomes completely incomprehensible.

"Dad, what's with that expression? Didn't you understand? Do you want me to translate for you?"

"Cough—No need."

The deputy director of a certain subdistrict office indeed did not understand.

However, he chose to remain stubborn and refuse to admit it.

This is an old father's last act of defiance.

Sun Feng laughed heartily, secretly giving her eldest son a thumbs-up.

Looking at his mother's teasing face and his father's barely concealed embarrassment, Zeng Cheng couldn't help but feel his eyes redden.

[Family members sitting together, the lamplight warm and inviting], this feeling is something I haven't experienced in a long time.

Silent all night.

The timeline jumps to May 4th, when schools reopen.

Zeng Cheng got up at 6:30 sharp, and after a quick wash, he went to Li Ji Noodle Shop at the entrance of the community.

A dozen meters away, the noodle shop owner, a tall, slightly overweight middle-aged man, greeted him with a smile.

"Xiao Cheng, you're here."

As he spoke, he pointed to a small table in the corner.

There sat a square-faced boy with a bowl cut, a wispy mustache, and a few pimples popping up on his chin. He looked quite mischievous.

The square-faced boy spoke first: "Brother Cheng, come and eat your noodles. My dad cooked them for you right on time. Eat quickly, or we'll miss the bus."

Zeng Cheng hummed in agreement and sat down.

The boy's name was Li Xingzhi, nicknamed Zhiliao. He was the young owner of Li's Noodle Shop, his childhood friend whom he had grown up with, and his deskmate for six years in junior high and high school.

Such a relationship is certainly very intimate; to put it more sentimentally, they are each other's collectors of youth.

Li Xingzhi's family sells Chongqing noodles. The noodles are soft, springy, and chewy. After cooking, they are topped with a few pieces of braised beef and garnished with a few sprigs of cilantro and chopped green onions, making them look very appetizing.

Knowing Zeng Cheng's taste, Zhi Liao's father also brought him a plate of pickled vegetables, drizzled with chili oil. The perfect blend of spiciness and sweetness, it was spicy at first, then crunchy, sweet and slightly sour after biting into it, very appetizing.

Zeng Cheng had just taken a couple of bites of noodles when Li Xingzhi spoke up again, his face full of gossip: "Brother Cheng, I heard that on the day of the holiday, you went to confess to Xia, the class beauty, with roses in your arms?"

Zeng Cheng nodded: "That's true."

"that--"

Li Xingzhi already knew the whole story through the class group.

He was organizing his words, preparing to offer Zeng Cheng a few words of comfort.

The latter waved his hand impatiently.

"Cicada, please shut up. I know you're trying to comfort me, but I don't need comforting, and I don't think you're really good at comforting people."

Li Xingzhi choked for a moment before changing the subject: "Brother Cheng, what did you do during your three-day holiday? I asked you to go to the arcade on QQ, but you ignored me!"

Zeng Cheng rolled his eyes: "The college entrance exam is almost here, why would I play games? I went to the school's public study room to review. Oh, and I also bumped into an epic-level rich and beautiful girl. Not only is she gorgeous and has a great figure, but she's also picked up and dropped off in a luxury car every day... I've been playing sweet duo games with her every day!"

Li Xingzhi, of course, didn't believe it: "Pfft, Brother Cheng, you're just talking nonsense. I believe the sun rises in the west, but I don't believe you would go to school to study during your vacation, let alone some epic-level rich and beautiful woman."

Zeng Cheng shrugged: "Okay, then I'll say I spent my three-day holiday at home doing nothing, either sleeping or reading novels, wasting my youth and squandering my prime. Would that make you feel any better?"

Li Xingzhi: "..."

Zeng Cheng smiled and casually recalled the young man's life trajectory over the next twenty years.

A conclusion was reached quickly.

This kid's life is like a coffee table, full of tragedies.

First, it was bad luck.

I studied at Chengdu University of Science and Technology.

The school is quite good. In 2009, it was a second-tier university, but the admission scores were very high, with many majors exceeding the first-tier university cutoff. It was upgraded to a first-tier university within a few years and was later selected for the "Double First-Class" initiative.

The problem is that he chose the wrong track – civil engineering.

Civil engineering students should all know that this major was very popular in the first decade of the 21st century, but it became quite lackluster in the second decade.

Secondly, their lives were filled with misfortune.

After working on construction sites for several years, I couldn't keep going—not because I couldn't endure hardship, but because I couldn't see any hope.

Later, he switched to several different tracks, but each time he made a mistake.

Civil engineering is a sunset industry, while the internet is always a sunrise industry, right? I finally got into LeEco, but after a few years I found it was in a slump, and then the boss ran away.

After much painful reflection, I switched to a more cutting-edge path and joined the newly established Ofo bike-sharing company—but the result was that I couldn't even get my deposit back.

With the internet failing, real estate is always a golden opportunity, right? Through connections and favors, Li Xingzhi, already over thirty, successfully landed a job in Evergrande's sales department.

He not only sells, he also buys...

Then, still unhappy in her marriage, she encountered the infamous "same-sex marriage."

The double blow to his career and love life caused half of his hair to turn white before he even turned forty.

If he's so unlucky and ill-fated, he should be reborn, but instead, he's reborn as your brother Cheng—a successful man who achieved financial freedom in his thirties.

Therefore, God is never fair. For some children, He not only closes the windows but also nails the doors shut.

After Zeng Cheng gradually made his fortune, he certainly wanted to help Li Xingzhi, but Li Xingzhi refused every time, and even said that he would "rise up" to him after only a few words.

Li Xingzhi's reason for refusing Zeng Cheng's help was simple and honest—he didn't want the relationship between the two brothers to deteriorate.

All I can say is that, whether in his past life or this one, whether he's thirty-six or eighteen, this kid has always been naively foolish.

Thinking about all this, Zeng Cheng said earnestly, "Zhi Liao, we're brothers for life. From now on, whether you're dating or pursuing a career, you'll have to get my approval first!"

Director Qi's village dogs can all be used as police dogs, so Zeng Cheng will definitely help out Li Xingzhi, a childhood friend he knows well, as much as he can.

People are interconnected.

In his past life, during the most difficult period of his business venture, this kid tricked his grandfather out of his pension and gave it to him.

This kid is definitely not a good grandson, but he's absolutely a good son.

"Brother Cheng, I don't like hearing that. You're not my father!"

"That's obvious, your father's right there below. But you can recognize me as your godfather!"

"Get lost! Godfather? Calling you Brother Cheng is an understatement. You're only three days older than me. Besides, my mom said he was pregnant with me at least a month earlier than Aunt Feng. Who knew you'd have a premature birth..."

"Oh, is that so? Well, I've overstepped my bounds. From now on, I'll acknowledge you as my godfather!"

"Is it a deal?"

"Certainly!"

Li Xingzhi's expression turned smug.

However, he realized what was happening a few seconds later.

"Recognize me as your godfather" and "I recognize you as my godfather" are not the same thing at all.

Haha, what a clumsy word game!

Li Xingzhi cursed, "Brother Cheng, you're a fucking bastard!"

Zeng Cheng replied very politely, "Tell me something you don't know next time."