Chapter 210 - 149: Let Me Warm Your Hands

"How much do you need?"

"As much as you can give," Zhang Niu said.

’So there’s no exact number...’

Zhang Liang’s brow furrowed. After a moment of thought, he said,

"Compile a list of the technologies you’re planning to develop and give it to me. I’ll help you apply for funding. As for how much..."

"It’ll all depend on how they react. Don’t get your hopes up too high. The government doesn’t have much to spare these days."

Zhang Niu nodded. "Anything is better than nothing."

They exchanged a few more words before hanging up.

He paused for a moment, then walked back to the R&D department. Looking at the few zealous tech geeks before him, he said,

"Draw up a simple technology development list by tonight."

Everyone around him nodded.

Zhang Niu paused again, lost in thought for a moment.

He walked outside and made a phone call.

A moment later, a male assistant appeared before him.

"President Zhang."

"Go get Old Sun and the other three. We’re holding a secret meeting in two days," Zhang Niu instructed in a low voice.

The assistant paused and asked, "Under what pretext?"

"The Alliance."

Zhang Niu said, "Tell them that someone in the Capital City has just unearthed a gold mine that can never be exhausted."

"And the only way to tap this gold mine... is with the power of the Alliance."

The assistant paused, then nodded.

"Understood."

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Niu paused again and added,

"Oh, and invite Zhang Liang again. Call this number, then delete it once you’re done."

"Ask him if he’d like to join us."

...

...

「10:30 PM.」

In the Capital City’s night market, in front of a time-honored roast duck shop.

Wang Chao opened his cavernous mouth and devoured the crispy roast duck before him.

"Man, this is so good. If I’d known the Capital City had so much delicious food, I would’ve come ages ago."

Having eaten his fill, Wang Chao rubbed his stomach and let out a burp, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Heh, I’m just afraid you’ll look down on this stuff in the future," Xu Huo remarked leisurely.

Beside him, Chu Xi extended her slender, lily-white fingers. She wrapped some crispy duck skin and fragrant scallions in a thin pancake, then popped it into Xu Huo’s mouth. Afterward, she did the same for Niuniu, who was sitting next to her.

Watching them both chew, a deeply satisfied smile graced her lips.

’Double the joy!’

"Nah, how could that be?"

Wang Chao waved a dismissive hand. "It’s just a little business, that’s all."

"And doing it in the Capital City, no less. Business here is tough to manage..."

As he spoke, a deeply wistful expression crossed his face.

"President Niu called just now, mentioned something about a meeting."

"I’m guessing he’s looking to form an alliance."

"Tsk, it’s like walking on thin ice. We haven’t even sorted out the product technology, and we’re already thinking about an exit strategy."

Saying that, he stuffed some more rice into his mouth.

"Man, making a bit of fucking money is a real grind."

"You don’t like money?"

Li Jianye, who had been focused on his food, looked up in surprise at Wang Chao.

"If you don’t like money, why are you starting a business!?"

"It’s about achievement! Achievement, Captain Li, you get it!?" Wang Chao retorted, his face flushed.

"It’s not that I need a ton of money. It’s that I need to prove what I’m capable of!"

"And starting a business is the best way to do that."

"So, the truth is, I don’t like money."

Wang Chao declared, shaking his head smugly, "I have no interest in money."

Li Jianye gave him a thumbs-up, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "You’re really something else."

Xu Huo just smiled, not bothering to argue.

’One of humanity’s fundamental drives is to demonstrate one’s own worth and abilities. There really are people like Chao Zi out there.’

"Huh, is it snowing?"

As if just noticing, Chu Xi suddenly spoke up in surprise.

Everyone looked up.

Countless delicate snowflakes were drifting down from the sparkling night sky, gently blanketing the ground.

Chu Xi reached out her hand, and a snowflake landed on it.

The warmth of her skin was like a scorching furnace, instantly melting the exquisite snowflake into a drop of water.

"So chilly," she murmured in surprise.

The five of them hurriedly paid the bill and then walked toward the hotel.

The hotel wasn’t far, only a few hundred meters from the night market.

"Ah~"

Niuniu was being held in Li Jianye’s arms. She opened her mouth, tilting her head back to wait for snowflakes to fall into it.

"That doesn’t taste good, don’t eat it," Li Jianye said softly.

"The big monk said it’s clean," Niuniu said after a moment’s thought.

Li Jianye paused. Remembering that she used to live in the sewers, he sighed, a visible puff of warm air escaping his lips.

"I’ll take Niuniu back. You guys go on and have fun."

With that, he left, carrying the child.

By now, a thin layer of snow covered the ground.

In the distance, Wang Chao was squatting on the ground building a snowman, his butt stuck high in the air.

Xu Huo and Chu Xi weren’t in a hurry to head back either, so they started playing by the hotel entrance.

’Snow. It’s still a common sight these days. The environment is still decent; it snowed from time to time when I was in college. In my previous life, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d played in the snow. I only remembered waking up as a child to find the entire world had turned white with snow.’

"Looks like this snow is going to last a while," Xu Huo remarked with a sigh. He looked up at the thick snowflakes falling from the sky, let out a breath, and then bent down to pack some snow.

Suddenly, he felt a piercing cold on the back of his neck.

He reached up to touch it.

His fingers came away wet.

’This is... snow?’

Xu Huo turned his head to look.

Wang Chao was still squatting with his butt in the air, building a snowman.

He then looked at the second suspect.

Chu Xi avoided his gaze, tilting her head, her eyes darting about.

Feathery white snow settled on her jet-black hair, and a scarf was wrapped around her long, elegant neck.

The cold night air had nipped her cheeks a soft pink. With every rise and fall of her chest, a faint white mist escaped her lips, melting the snowflakes in its path.

But right now, "guilty" was practically written all over her face.

An idea struck Xu Huo. He suddenly raised an eyebrow and glanced behind Chu Xi.

Chu Xi subconsciously turned to look, but then...

...a bone-chilling coldness slid down her back, making her shiver.

"Ah!"

Chu Xi hopped aside, squatting on the ground and digging the snow out from her collar.

She shot Xu Huo a reproachful glare.

They played for a long time, goofing around while they built a snowman.

After a while, the snowman was finished, and their energy was spent.

They sat on the steps at the hotel entrance, silently watching the snowy scene.

The snow fell from the sky, and Chao Zi was part of the view.

The north is always cold. The winter wind is like a razor, feeling as if it could slice the flesh right off your face as it blows past.

Chu Xi huddled into her scarf. After watching for a while, she suddenly asked,

"What’s our plan for the future?"

Before Xu Huo could speak, she added,

"Back when we were in Zhaozhou, Sister Zhang told me... to think more about the future."

Xu Huo froze. He turned to see a pair of bright, dark eyes looking up at him, her head tilted in question.

"The future?"

"In the future? We’ll open a bakery, do some delivery, and make enough money to live on. That’s all," Xu Huo said slowly.

Chu Xi shook her head. After a moment’s thought, she hesitated and asked tentatively in a low voice,

"I mean the future-future."

"The future-future?" Xu Huo echoed, slightly confused.

He was about to answer, but the next second, he paused, frowning in thought.

’In my past life, I had been young and audacious, going head-to-head with a major power before I was even thirty. I’m about the same age now as I was then. As for the distant future... I’d never really gotten to experience it.’

"As for the future-future... we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it." Xu Huo shook his head. ’I have no experience with that.’

"But Sister Zhang said if you don’t plan ahead for the future, you’ll run into a lot of trouble."

Chu Xi rested her face in her hands, watching the heavy snow fall before them.

"She said only by planning ahead can you live without regrets. Otherwise, a lot of wonderful things will just slip through your fingers."

"That makes sense."

Xu Huo considered her words seriously, offering no rebuttal.

’The future is uncertain. Planning ahead is just a way of finding the one path you want to take out of countless possibilities. Where do I want to go?’

No one spoke. There was only the howling of the fierce wind.

After a long silence, a clear, sweet voice broke the quiet.

"I’m cold."

Chu Xi murmured suddenly, then looked up at Xu Huo.

"Are you cold?"

"A little. The temperature feels like it’s below freezing. There’ll be ice tomorrow," Xu Huo nodded.

"Then let me warm your hands for you," Chu Xi said. Then, she took both of Xu Huo’s hands and placed them by her lips.

"Haa~"

She blew a gentle puff of air, and a current of warmth spread through Xu Huo’s hands. She looked very serious as she did it.

Seeing this, Xu Huo smiled.

"Let me warm you up too."

He gently clasped his hands over hers.

Chu Xi’s warm, soft, and slender fingers were enveloped by Xu Huo’s slightly calloused hands.

She felt as though her hands were wrapped in a blanket, impervious to the cold wind.

Xu Huo felt like he was holding a piece of warm, exquisite jade. The soft, delicate, and smooth texture made him want to toy with it in his grasp.

"As for the future..."

"Let’s just go with the flow."

Suddenly, a voice piped up.

"Bro, my hands are cold too."

Wang Chao’s eyes widened, and he shamelessly sidled up to Xu Huo.