fictionpage Chapter 148 The Confession
Chapter 148 The Confession
Chapter 148 The Confession
The dim yellow light from the food stall shone on him, casting a long shadow.
"I started a company." Lin Dong's voice was muffled in his palm, as if it were squeezed out from a very deep place.
"It started last June." Lin Dong put down his hand and stared at the skewers on the table. "Making cell phones."
"Currently, the only thing we can't get right in the mobile phone business is the operating system."
Lin Dong said, "So for a while now, I've been writing code at the company. I've been writing for three months. It can boot up and run, but it's still far from usable. I'm not very satisfied with it." He paused, his voice lowering, "So I'm feeling rather down."
As he spoke, he picked up another bottle of wine and tilted his head back to gulp down more than half of it.
The wine spilled from the corner of his mouth and trickled down his chin.
Li Hu looked at him and didn't stop him anymore. He had thought that Lin Dong might be busy with something important, but he didn't expect it to be starting a company or making mobile phones.
He sat down, his eyes red, staring at Lin Dong.
"I was wondering, Fourth Brother," Li Hu's voice was a little hoarse. "You're not even a computer science major, how come you were so strong in the competition? Turns out you're a mobile phone maker."
Lin Dong's lips twitched, but he didn't laugh.
He picked up the half-finished bottle of wine again, raised it, and said, "I'm sorry everyone, I kept this from you for so long. I'll punish myself with a drink."
He was about to pour more water into his mouth when Li Hu grabbed his hand and said, "That's enough, stop drinking."
Lin Dong looked at him. Li Hu's eyes were a little drunk, his face was very red, but his hands were very steady.
He released Lin Dong's hand, picked up a bottle of wine himself, and took a big gulp.
"Since you've brought it up," Li Hu put down the bottle, wiped his mouth, "I'll be frank with you too."
Lin Dong looked at him.
"I'm not an ordinary person either."
Lin Dong paused for a moment, then smiled.
He raised his hand and patted Li Hu on the shoulder: "Alright, third brother, stop comforting me."
I know you're good, but you're just a normal college student with some computer talent. Not the kind of genius system expert I'm looking for.
Li Hu raised an eyebrow and stood up.
"Don't you believe me?"
Lin Dong looked at him.
"Fourth brother, listen up." Li Hu's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "I started learning programming in elementary school. In junior high, I participated in the informatics competition and won first place in the province. In my first year of high school, I received a guaranteed admission to Tsinghua University's computer science department."
People at the surrounding tables started looking over.
Li Hu didn't care, and his voice grew louder: "I didn't go. Because I didn't want to be too far from home. Shenzhen University is close to home, so I came here."
Lin Dong's smile froze on his face.
"During the competition, I deliberately wrote the answers wrong for all those questions."
Li Hu said, "I just want to advance. I don't want to be too high-profile. Besides..." He glanced at Lin Dong, then at Chen Long and Xu Zang, "You guys have a very good relationship with me, and I don't want to ruin the atmosphere between us."
After saying that, he picked up the bottle and drank it all in one gulp.
Lin Dong stared at him in disbelief.
The students and the shop owner around looked over, their faces full of disbelief.
Someone muttered under their breath, "What a load of bull! Going to Tsinghua or Peking University? Coming to Shenzhen University?" Another person chimed in, "He's drunk, just bragging." Yet another shook their head, "These days, students will say anything when they're drunk."
Lin Dong ignored those voices.
He looked at Li Hu: "Is everything you said true?"
Li Hu raised the bottle in his hand: "If I've ever told a lie, may I be struck by lightning..."
""
"Alright, alright," Lin Dong quickly covered his mouth. "I believe you. Let's drink."
Li Hu mumbled a few words indistinctly with his mouth covered by Lin Dong. Lin Dong released his hand and grinned, "That's more like it."
He sat down, picked up the bottle, and clinked it against Lin Dong's glass. "Take me to your company tomorrow. I'll take care of the system problem for you." He took a swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "When it comes to the system, if I say one, who dares to say another?"
Lin Dong looked at him without saying a word.
He recalled that during the second round of the competition, Li Hu rewrote the problem, optimizing it from 0 (n²) to 0 (n log n), reducing the amount of code by almost half.
He initially thought Li Hu was just reviewing the game.
Now he understands that it wasn't a review, it was a demonstration of ability.
The person he's been looking for is in his dorm room.
Chen Long looked at Lin Dong and Li Hu and shook his head.
He picked up his glass, took a big gulp, and then stood up.
"Looks like tonight's a confession session." He pushed up his glasses. "Well, it's tiring to keep it all inside."
Lin Dong turned his head to look at him.
"I'm not an ordinary person either." Chen Long's voice wasn't loud, but it was steady. "I've been involved in electronics since elementary school. In junior high, I made my first chip simulation model. In my first year of high school, I won first prize in the National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition."
He paused.
"Peking University's Department of Microelectronics sent me an invitation to be admitted without taking the entrance exam. I didn't go. I felt that Shenzhen was developing well, and Shenzhen University was not bad either. In addition, my parents also wanted me to come to Shenzhen University, so I came."
Another murmur arose from the surroundings.
"Another braggart."
"No wonder we're roommates, they're such a braggart."
"Tsinghua and Peking University, huh? They've all come to Shenzhen University. Who are they trying to fool?"
Lin Dong ignored those voices.
He looked at Chen Long and thought of the thick professional books on his desk and the textbook-perfect code he wrote during the competition.
He thought Chen Long only had solid basic skills.
Now he understands that it wasn't solid, it was a dimensional reduction attack.
Lin Dong was already a little drunk and his mind was somewhat unclear.
He picked up his glass, swaying as he stood up. "Well, looks like our dorm is full of hidden talents. Everyone here is a top genius." He turned to Xu Zang, "Oh—by the way, second brother, what level of genius are you?"
Xu Zang didn't drink much wine, just two bottles.
However, he wasn't a very good drinker, and he was already a little tipsy, with a flushed face.
He stood up unsteadily, opened his mouth, and said, "I—I am—a perfect score in the college entrance exam physics—"
"Anything else?" Lin Dong asked.
Xu Zang thought for a moment, his mind already a bit foggy: "And—he also got a perfect score in math—"
He paused, then thought for a moment, "And—I think—I also participated in a physics competition—the provincial team—" His voice grew softer and softer, more and more indistinct, "And then—and then I—abba aba—"
Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed onto the table.
The snoring started.
Lin Dong, Li Hu, and Chen Long exchanged glances, paused for a second, and then laughed at the same time.
He laughed so loudly that tears almost streamed down his face.
The surrounding guests looked at them as if they were a bunch of lunatics.
Lin Dong raised the bottle, swaying as he stood up: "Great! Our dorm is the best! We're the Four Heavenly Kings! The coolest guys in the world are all in our dorm! Let's drink!"
Li Hu stood up, and Chen Long also stood up.
The three bottles clinked together, making a crisp sound.
They tilted their heads back and gulped down the rest of the wine in the bottle.
The wine dripped down the corners of his mouth.
Then, one by one, they fell down.
Li Hu lay on the table, still muttering, "Fourth brother—tomorrow—system—I'll take care of it for you—don't worry—"
Chen Long leaned back in his chair, his glasses askew, but he didn't reach out to steady them.
Xu Zang lay on the table, snoring evenly.
Lin Dong lay in the middle, his face buried in his arms, motionless.
All four of them were drunk.
Seeing this, the people eating nearby said to the proprietress, "Boss, it seems like they're here to stage an accident, right? They're bragging to the heavens, claiming one is a big boss, one can get into Tsinghua University, one can get into Peking University, and the other got a perfect score in physics."
Another person chimed in, "I've never heard of anyone getting a perfect score on the college entrance exam in physics and then going to Shenzhen University." The people around him chimed in, "Exactly, exactly, that's just bragging." "He's drunk, probably trying to skip out on the bill."
The proprietress looked at the four drunk young men and shook her head with a wry smile.
She's been running a food stall for so many years, she's seen plenty of people like that.
Most of them are bragging, so we can't stop the guests from talking.
It seems we'll have to wait until they sober up before asking them to pay the bill.
The surrounding guests continued to laugh and talk.
Just then, a black Mercedes slowly drove up and stopped in front of the food stall.
The headlights went out, and the engine fell silent. The people who had been talking just moments before fell silent, their eyes fixed on the car.
Someone whispered, "This is the kind of car a big boss drives; this is truly awesome."
The car door opened, and Zheng Hao got out.
He was wearing a black jacket and had a cold expression.
He glanced at the food stall, his gaze falling on the four people slumped over the table, then on a young man in his early twenties who was talking, a man with dyed yellow hair, who was still saying "bragging".
Zheng Hao walked over and picked up an empty wine bottle from the table. Before anyone around could react, he grabbed the bottle and smashed it directly over the head of the blond-haired man.
With a "bang," the bottle shattered, shards of glass scattering everywhere.
The sound was crisp; it was clearly a good start.
The blond-haired man screamed and backed away, clutching his head.
Zheng Hao grabbed him by the collar, lifted him off the chair, and slammed him onto the table.
"Kid, watch your mouth." Zheng Hao's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail. "Whose boss are you calling bragging?"
The blond-haired man turned pale with fright, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
Zheng Hao stared at him, his eyes like knives.
No one dared to move or speak.
Zheng Hao threw Huang Mao back onto the chair, where Huang Mao slumped down, trembling all over.
"I'll remember, my name is Zheng Hao."
Zheng Hao straightened up, looking down at him. "The person you just mentioned is my boss. I won't allow you to talk about my boss like that. If you're unhappy, you can come find me. If I hear you say that again..."
""
He paused, his voice turning cold, "It's not as simple as just a wine bottle."
After saying that, he stopped looking at the blond-haired man and turned to walk towards the proprietress.
The ferocity on his face had vanished, replaced by a hint of apology.
"Excuse me, ma'am. How much was that table? I'll pay."
The proprietress was a little confused. She looked at the four people lying down, then at Zheng Hao, and stammered, "Five—five hundred and thirty-eight."
Zheng Hao took out a thousand yuan from his wallet and handed it to the proprietress: "I'm sorry, keep the change. I'm sorry for the trouble."
The proprietress looked at the thousand yuan note, unsure what to do with her hands: "Uh—no need, no need, it's just a small business, I'll give you change."
"No need, please keep it."
Zheng Hao's tone left no room for argument: "I'm sorry to have caused you trouble this time."
The proprietress looked at his still-bloodied hands, then at the Mercedes parked at the door, and dared not refuse any longer.
She took the money and thanked him repeatedly.
Zheng Hao didn't say anything more and walked to Lin Dong's side.
My heart sank when I picked Lin Dong up from the chair.
Dong Ge is so light.
It's abnormally mild.
He remembered that last year in Huaqiangbei, although Dong Ge was thin, he was still muscular, strong in the arms, and walked with a brisk pace.
Holding him in his arms now felt like holding a bunch of bones. Beneath the fabric of the suit were hard shoulder blades, digging into his hands and causing pain.
How badly has Dong Ge ruined himself these past few months?
Ever since Dong Ge let him drive, he has started practicing on his own. He feels that since Dong Ge has entrusted his life to him and put him on the steering wheel, he has to live up to that trust.
Later, I got used to it and started running five kilometers every morning, doing a hundred push-ups when I got home in the evening, and sometimes even going to the boxing gym to practice boxing.
Dong Ge has never used the word "bodyguard".
But I can't help but think about it.
Dong Ge is no ordinary person now. He owns a company, makes mobile phones, has tens of millions in his account, and deals with people who are all incredibly influential. What if something happens to him?
He needs to be able to step up.
He put Lin Dong in the passenger seat and bent down to fasten his seatbelt.
Dong-ge, you should rest well. With me here, nothing will happen.
Then they came back and helped Li Hu, Chen Long, and Xu Zang into the car one by one.
All three were completely drunk, with Li Hu muttering things like "system" and "done." Zheng Hao closed the back door, went around to the driver's seat, and started the engine.
The Mercedes slowly drove away from the food stall and disappeared into the night.
Only then did the people in the food stall behind him dare to speak.
"Holy crap, it really is the boss. And a big boss at that."
"That Mercedes isn't cheap; it costs several hundred thousand."
"My cousin works in construction, and his boss owns this car. He's so envious of it and has told me about it several times."
"This blond guy has messed with the wrong person."
The blond-haired guy was long gone; he slunk away.
The proprietress didn't stop him or take his money, since he was injured there and the other person had already given him a lot.
Zheng Hao drove the car into Shenzhen University.
The security guard at the gate recognized the car and Zheng Hao, greeted him, and let them through.
Zheng Hao parked the car downstairs at the dormitory building and carried the four people up one by one.
The door to room 501 wasn't locked. He pushed the door open, put Lin Dong on the bed, took off his shoes, and covered him with the blanket.
Then Li Hu, Chen Long, and Xu Zang were also settled in.
After doing all this, he stood in the middle of the dormitory, looking at the four drunk people.
Li Hu lay sprawled on the top bunk, snoring loudly. Chen Long lay on his side, his glasses still perched on his ear. Xu Zang was huddled under the covers, only half his head showing. Lin Dong lay on the bottom bunk, his face against the wall, breathing very lightly.
Zheng Hao watched Lin Dong's retreating figure, recalling the first time he met him.
Back then in Huaqiangbei, Lin Dong was still a student, carrying a bag and a toolbox.
He was being blocked in the alley by people demanding repayment of a debt when Lin Dong came over and dismissed them with a few words.
Then he was asked: "Do you want to repair phones properly and earn clean money?" From then on, he followed Lin Dong. From Huaqiangbei to the company, from a tiny basement to an office building in Futian.
Lin Dong never treated him like a servant. They ate together, he listened in on meetings, and he was never shortchanged on his salary.
He knew Lin Dong treated him like a brother. He also treated Lin Dong like a brother.
Between brothers, there's no need for many words.
He took out his phone and opened the camera.
Looking at Lin Dong's profile on the screen, he suddenly wanted to take a picture.
It's rare to see Dong Ge drink like this. When have I ever seen him so relaxed?
If he doesn't tell, no one will know.
This is a great opportunity.
He held up his phone, leaned close to Lin Dong, and made a peace sign.
With a "click," the photo was captured.
He glanced at it, then put his phone away with satisfaction.
"Goodnight, Dong-ge," he whispered.