Men value grandeur, women value elegance. These two things are fresh and unattainable for Zhangjiacun. Chen Ergou entered the city, every time he received a cold glance from the common people, every time he felt the arrogance of the rich young masters, he became more and more fond of these two things. Just like Wei Duan Gong, even if he was old enough to be sitting in a rickety sedan chair, as soon as he got out of the car, he would still have a more dignified demeanor than Gu Ke's group of spoiled brats. And Chen Yuanshu, even if she changed into casual clothes and didn't wear any brand-name clothing, would still be more intimidating than Yanzi, the owner of SD bar, by three points. So Chen Ergou teased the dog, but he was always observing Wei Duan Gong and Chen Yuanshu's words and deeds. A glance that lingers on the face for a few seconds, a smile with a raised corner of the mouth, how to raise one leg while sitting without appearing frivolous... Chen Ergou recorded these details in his mind, benefiting greatly from them. He didn't think he could learn from them immediately, afraid of becoming a laughing stock by imitating others' mannerisms. He didn't want to be seen as a clown who was trying too hard to appear refined. Chen Ergou squatted on the ground, stroking the head of the Shaanxi fine dog, and muttered: "When our wallet is full, when we have some culture, we must also have some elegance."

  Wei Duan Gong accompanied Chen Yuanshu to the study, and Chen Er Gou glanced at the sports car Queen Maserati, then looked at the Geely old sedan of Tu Jie, thinking that this Wei Ye was indeed different from ordinary rich people. In fact, after entering this villa, Chen Er Gou had been speculating about what kind of person Wei Duan Gong was in Nanjing. Xiao Mei always joked that he was just a marginal public son of Beijing's non-mainstream circle, and Cao Jingjian told Chen Er Gou that the fewer titles on a socialite's business card, the more valuable they were, so Chen Er Gou had always thought that Xiao Mei was definitely a second- or third-generation descendant of a prominent family. Wei Duan Gong, whose business card only read "Mr. Yang Ding's underling Wei A Dun", was probably a powerful figure in Nanjing who could turn his hand over to make clouds and cover his hand to make rain.

  About half an hour later, Chen Yuanshu came out of the villa and saw Chen Ergou nodding his head. Then, with unparalleled elegance, she got into a sports car that even Chen Ergou couldn't help but gasp at its price. Although the car looked classic and beautiful, with a strong personality, Chen Yuanshu drove extremely slowly, making people feel like it was a waste of the sports car. If it weren't for her being so charming, it would be a waste of the car's potential. At least that's what Chen Ergou thought. Wei Duangong lit a cigarette and stood beside Chen Ergou, taking big puffs with each drag, his face shrouded in smoke. "Do you think she drives too cautiously? That's because you haven't seen her racing on the highway. Some professional street racers from Suzhou would even voluntarily give way when they see her coming. It's said that over a decade ago, a young master from Beijing who was sent to southern Jiangsu to make money boasted that he could take her down within a month. Chen Yuanshu accepted the challenge and drove a Chrysler she had just privately imported to find him. She said, 'From Nanjing to Shanghai, you go first. Book a room at the Jinmao Tower tonight, I'll let you have fun. If you're still in Nanjing tomorrow, get out.'"

  "What's the result?" Chen Ergou asked curiously.

  "The result was that the old man, who was a former deputy national level and whose father is still a central committee member, slunk away back to the north the next day. That time, Chen Yuanshu gained a lot of face for us in Nanjing, but the Chen family also paid a not-so-small price for it. Generally speaking, she's a woman who can get along with all sorts of people from the southeastern coastal regions, and her cleverness lies in the fact that even if she met a beggar, she wouldn't be like those brainless women who would try to show off. The saying 'a cunning rabbit has three burrows' is probably talking about this kind of person. Whatever she puts on the surface will never leave any flaws, what you see, feel, and touch are all bright and shiny, just like how she treated you, even though it was your first meeting, she dared to give you a Hummer as a gift. Don't worry, even if you lost the dog fight, she would still be willing to give you the car, she's doing this on one hand because of my face, and on the other hand, she's also doing favors and investing in people. When it comes to making money, she's a high-ranking executive with real power in two large international venture capital companies, her judgment of people and things is very accurate. If one day she gives you the car, just honestly and sincerely accept it, once you do, that means you're already a number one peripheral figure in Chen Yuanshu's circle, who knows what kind of things she'll have you do, how far you can go depends on your own luck."

  Wei Duan Gong finished one cigarette and quickly lit another, waving his hand to decline Chen Er Gou's gratitude. "You're still in the rising phase, thinking that opportunities are something that can't be missed, even if it means making mistakes. I was like that when I was young too, wanting to try everything that could make money, and chasing after beautiful women. But opportunities are actually a combination of chance and risk. I'm lucky to have made it this far, but the bitterness and hardship involved, I don't want to talk about. You might not be able to understand even if I did.

  They say that offering kindness without reason is either deceitful or thieving. Letting you take care of Chen Yuan Shu's dog wasn't without cause. What kind of person am I, Wei Duan Gong? Wait until you climb higher and mix better in the future, and you'll naturally understand. As for me, it's almost sunset. The old saying goes that a bird's song is sorrowful before its death, and a person's words are kind before their death. I've had enough of wealth and women, but who knows what punishment might come my way? Nobody can say for sure, so today I'll speak some heartfelt words with you. You're an outsider, and I've never let you on my boat, so I have no reservations in speaking with you. There are many things that even Guo Ge Rou, who saved my life, can't know about."

  "Wei Ye, you speak, I'll listen word by word." Chen Ergou said softly.

  "No matter if you're a nobody or a rich kid, to succeed, you need to look further ahead, have a bigger vision, think more, and have six parts evil, three parts ruthless, but also leave one part kindness for yourself and your descendants. To see far, you need to read more books, observe how people in higher positions behave, and expand your social circle. A person's tolerance and broad-mindedness are essential; I know this from decades of struggling. If not, you'll suffocate yourself. Your brain is fine, but what's lacking is vision. As for being cunning, it's not just about knowing when to bow down and swallow your pride. I'm aware of how you've been treated in the villa, with Summer Grass looking down on you and Winter Worm giving you the nickname 'dog slave.' Does that hurt? Ha ha, don't be bothered; if you want to be a superior person, you need to be able to laugh off these small annoyances. Compared to your peers, your cunning is quite good - not so shallow that everyone can see through you, nor so deep that we old-timers would be disgusted. Take your time; it's not something that can be achieved overnight. You might understand the six parts evil and three parts ruthless, but I want you to remember that one part kindness; don't lose it, or you won't even qualify as a human being. Losing kindness will harm your own virtue and bring no benefit to yourself or your descendants. Now I regret creating too much evil karma; it's too late for me to make amends. Don't follow in my footsteps."

  Chen Ergou nodded.

  Wei Duan Gong smiled and said: "Poverty, warmth, comfort, middle class, millionaire, multimillionaire, billionaire, Forbes top 100, Forbes top 10, China's richest man. Village head, township head, county head, mayor, provincial governor, ** committee member, **** standing committee member. One threshold after another, each one harder to cross than the last, which year and month will you be a leader? You want to climb, but some you can't climb. I know you're also guessing what I do and how high my status is, it's hard to say, think about it, I can have an equal conversation with Chen Yuanshu this kind of woman, even today, this fallen dog still has the upper hand, don't you think I'm awesome?"

  Chen Ergou smiled and said: "Awesome."

  Wei Duan Gong burst out laughing, lit the third cigarette, this not tall and strong man, although his expression was arrogant, his back could hardly conceal a hint of inexpressible loneliness and desolation.

  Patting Chen Ergou's shoulder, Wei Duangong said with emotion: "You're still young, don't be afraid of making mistakes, as long as you can endure the loneliness, I believe no one is destined to be humble and obedient all their life. Finally, let me remind you that while it's okay to get close to Chen Yuanshu, don't get too deep in, whether it's politics or business, or even playing with underworld figures, small pawns always die first. Don't easily sacrifice yourself for others, this era values loyalty and righteousness, but don't risk your life and future. I didn't pull you up because I was afraid you'd follow me too closely, Chen Yuanshu is a woman with deep schemes and strategies, she's ruthless and won't hesitate to use people, these past few years haven't been enough for her to play with, one misstep and you'll become a sacrifice. Your future is definitely not just a Hummer, I hope what I did today wasn't well-intentioned but ultimately harmful."

  Chen Ergou smiled lightly and said, "I've never been one to understand the concept of sacrificing oneself for a greater cause. After living with beasts in the mountains for so long, I've come to realize one thing: never leave your back exposed to them."

  Wei Duan Gong was taken aback for a moment and smiled awkwardly: "It's good this way."

  Chen Ergou didn't quite understand why Wei Duogong was telling him all about human emotions and worldly affairs today, but they were all words of gold, and he truly remembered every single word in his heart. To be honest, the current Chen Ergou in Nanjing is nothing more than a poor commoner with no money, no power, not even a warm nest, let alone a woman. Wei Duogong, on the other hand, has already reached the pinnacle of life. As Wei Duogong said, there are very few men in Nanjing who can face Chen Yuanshu without losing their composure and speak to him as an equal. In his opinion, whatever is on Chen Ergou's body must be shining brightly, it's just a matter of time. He told Chen Ergou these things perhaps to let this young man with a possible future remember the kindness he showed him back then, or perhaps he was momentarily moved by emotions and showed compassion, or maybe it's true that people are more kind-hearted when they're about to die. In any case, Wei Duogong, who is over 90 years old, has finally said some human words for the first time in his life, and this conversation will surely shatter many people's glasses if it gets out.

  Wei Duan Gong threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stepped on it and sighed: "My greatest regret is that I didn't have a son."

  Here is the translation:

  At this point, Wei Duan Gong wanted to speak but stopped himself, seemingly wanting to express his intention to take Zhang Sanqian as his adopted son, but ultimately swallowed his words. Before returning to the villa, Wei Duan Gong stretched out his hand and shook hands with Chen Ergou. When Chen Ergou let go, Wei Duan Gong smiled and said one last sentence: "When shaking hands with others, hold on for a little while longer."