Transmigrated as My Best Friend's Ex

91. One Day I’ll Beat Nancheng Group

Translator: Guy Gone Bad

Shihao Hotel was not the largest hotel in the city, but local people all liked to entertain guests from other cities or countries here, because Shihao Hotel was famous for its authentic local dishes and snacks, and every dish was very delicious.

Mr. Li thought it was better to entertain a foreign guest with local dishes than with foreign dishes, so he brought Wilbert to Shihao Hotel.

“When I was studying in the United States, I especially liked to patronize the Chinatown for Chinese dishes. Chinese people are good at cooking.” Sitting at the table, Wilbert Dom talked with ease and fluency. He was tall and gave an aura of dignity. But now he was like a naive child expressing his love and yearning for China.

Foreigners were usually not used to eating with chopsticks, but Wilbert Dom was an exception. “Which university are you attending, Qinghao? Harvard? Or MIT?” The reason Wilbert made such a guess was because Li Qinghao spoke fluent American English. His English was not inferior to Wilbert’s.

Li Qinghao smiled and shook his head. “I’m a student at the local university.” If the accident hadn’t happened, he should have gone abroad for further study as a medical student. What a pity! Things had gone against his will. But Li Qinghao determined that he would change his major to medicine if he could survive.

“Really? I’ve met a lot of Chinese people, but none of them speaks English better than you do. My Chinese alumni all have a Chinese accent, but you don’t. You surprise me.”

“At present, the teaching standards of many schools in China are high.” Especially Nancheng College, which mainly focused on training the second-generation rich. It belonged to Nancheng Group and was as famous as Harvard and MIT. No one dared to regard it as a second-class university.

The dishes were served in succession. As time went on, Mr. Li grew anxious. Chinese people were accustomed to talk business during dinner. However, Wilbert avoided all mention of business, which made Mr. Li confused. If it wasn’t for the friendly atmosphere between Li Qinghao and Wilbert, Mr. Li would suspect that Wilbert had no intention of cooperating with him.

Wilbert knew Mr. Li was anxious. He was sharp-eyed and clear-hearted. He could see through others easily, but the youth in front of him was an exception. With a calm smile, Li Qinghao talked with Wilbert. His voice was deep, soft and melodious. Wilbert Dom felt it was a pleasure to listen to him.

Li Qinghao perceived the hotness in Wilbert’s eyes. He responded with a smile, but the next second the smile froze on his face.

A sudden, sharp pain pierced him to the heart. He turned pale. Then he felt as if numerous thorns were growing in his bone and waves of pain penetrated every pore. Apparently, pathogens took affect again.

“What’s the matter with you?” Wilbert Dom asked in a concerned voice. He noticed that Li Qinghao’s face paled in an instant.

Li Qinghao’s hand holding his chopsticks trembled so violently that the chopsticks almost fell from his hand. He put down the chopsticks in time and said, “I have a sudden stomachache. I need to go to the washroom.”

“Go ahead.”

Li Qinghao stood up and walked away with steady steps. But after a few steps, he quickened his pace. He rushed into the men’s room, took out the painkillers and turned on the tap. When he was about to take a few painkillers with running water, his hand was taken in a firm grasp. “What’s the matter with you?”

A melodious, familiar voice came from behind Li Qinghao.

He turned around to see Nancheng Lie. His face relaxed into an expression of ease, and he set his mind at rest. But soon he straightened his face and said, “Let go of me.”

His body was trembling, and his voice was very weak. He seemed to suffer pain.

Li Qinghao’s paleness needled Nancheng Lie. Considering that Li Qinghao was a steady fellow who knew what to do and what not to do, Nancheng Lie loosed his grip on Li Qinghao’s wrist and let him take the medicine.

Nancheng Lie came here for lunch at the invitation of his business partner. They took up a conspicuous position in the hotel’s restaurant. As soon as Li Qinghao walked in, Nancheng noticed him. Nancheng thought that Li Qinghao would say hello to him. However, Li Qinghao ignored Nancheng, and talked enthusiastically to the man beside him.

It was was the first time Nancheng was enchanted by Li Qinghao’s personal charm. He wore a smile, composed and unhurried, and seemed to be bathed in the golden light of dusk. Nancheng couldn’t take his eyes off Li Qinghao.

But soon Nancheng’s face darkened and grew gloomy. He felt tight in the chest, as if a big stone had started to suffocate his heart. ‘Li Qinghao hasn’t communicated with me since his return from Leiluo Kingdom. But he now smiles at another man,’ Nancheng Lie thought to himself. He was jealous, but didn’t know why.

When he saw Li Qinghao walking towards the men’s room, he subconsciously followed.

“What’s this?” Nancheng Lie took the rest of pills from Li Qinghao’s hand and looked carefully at the package. “Painkiller? Why are you taking painkillers?”He paused for a second and asked, “Has the virus in your body begun to take effect?”

“Yes, the pain is unbearable,” Li Qinghao replied in a casual tone. He forced a faint smile. Nancheng Lie frowned.

“When did it start?” Why didn’t he take care of himself?

“Last night.” The worried look in Nancheng’s eyes warmed Li Qinghao’s heart and gave him the courage to face the pain.

Nancheng Lie raised his voice, “Last night! Why didn’t you tell me?” He looked sharply at Li Qinghao and gripped Li’s chin with his slender fingers. “What are you playing at?”

Li Qinghao raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why should I tell you? Do you have anything to do with me? And…” Li Qinghao curved his lips into an ambiguous smile and said in a teasing tone, “Don’t look at me like this, or I will think you are in love with me.”

“You?!” Nancheng tightened his grip on Li Qinghao’s chin. He felt embarrassed because Li Qinghao saw through his mind, but he refused to admit it. “Fall in love with you? You must be daydreaming! I’m just worried that I will never know where Xu is if you die.

“Oh?” Li Qinghao stared at Nancheng with a meaningful smile on his face. He was not angry; instead, he was happy.

“Fuck…” Nancheng Lie cursed. “By the way, why are you with Wilbert Dom?” When Li Qinghao appeared in the doorway of the restaurant, at a glance Nancheng Lie recognized Wilert Dom, who was walking beside Li.

Li Qinghao didn’t explain; instead, he asked, “Do you know him?” The people Nanchenglie knew were usually famous.

“Don’t you know him? He’s quite dangerous; you’d better keep away from him.” Nancheng Lie took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up. After a while, he continued, “Few people know that his father was the top drug trafficker in Germany ten years ago. At that time, people called his father ‘the King of Drugs’. His father was extremely arrogant, and sold drugs without restraint. The German government thought of his father as a risk to national security, so they hired bounty hunters of LD organization to deal with his father. But a month later, the King of Drugs suddenly disappeared.”

“How do you know that?” Li Qinghao knew Nancheng Lie was trying to tell him that Wilbert Dom was not a simple businessman.

“Five years ago, Wilbert’s company was set up and developed rapidly in Germany. In the following two years, his company absorbed 40% of SMEs in Germany and was successfully floated on the Stock Exchange. I don’t think he could acquire so many companies without the help of his father. His company is now in the top 20 in Germany, and your father’s trade company is small. I don’t think Wilbert, as the owner of a large, well-endowed company, will cooperate with your father.” Since Nancheng Lie took over as general manager of Nancheng Group, he had spent lots of time getting to know well-known enterprises in different countries. Wilbert Group run by Wilbert Dom once surprised him.

Li Qinghao admired Wilbert for having brought Wilbert Group to such a high position in just five years, although he didn’t know if Wilbert had the support of his father.

What amazed Li more was that Wilbert was the son of a drug trafficker in Germany.

Li Qinghao snorted, “Don’t jump to conclusions. According to your logic, Nancheng Group will never take the initiative to cooperate with any SMEs, right?”

Nancheng Lie replied, “As long as Nancheng Group sends out a signal of seeking a cooperator, lots of enterprises will come and fight for the chance.” What he meant was that Nancheng Group wouldn’t take the initiative to find a cooperator.

Looking at the arrogant and confident man in front of him, Li Qinghao knew that Nancheng must have gone through a lot of tough times in the past two years. He was like a phoenix rising from the ashes.

‘Everyone’s soul is shrouded in mystery. Two years ago, Lie was not mysterious to me because he didn’t keep any secrets from me. But after two years, he arouses my curiosity.

In the past, I was not sure how I felt about him. But now, I’m sure I like him,” Li Qinghao thought to himself.

He suddenly smiled. Different from the meaningful smile that he often wore, now his smile was as bright as diamonds. Nancheng Lie was stunned. Li Qinghao’s smile gave him a strong feeling of familiarity. He tried to sort himself out but in vain.

“Nancheng Lie, one day I’ll beat Nancheng Group.” As long as he was still alive. With an arrogant look on his face, Li Qinghao made a vow and then walked out of the men’s room.

Every man was by nature a rebellious child. Everything about Li Qinghao could easily rouse a feeling of rebellion in Nancheng. To Li Qinghao, challenging Nancheng Lie got his adrenalin pumping.

Their game was just beginning. It would be diamond cut diamond.