Chapter 24: Not Harming Oneself
Just this one sentence dampened half of the fire in Zhuo Zhixuan's heart, but he still felt troubled.
Having been friends for over a decade, Chen Wan had never seen his friend this angry. After a brief pause, he raised his hand and pressed down firmly on Zhuo Zhixuan's shoulder. His next words pressed down on Zhuo Zhixuan's chest like a weight.
Chen Wan looked at him and said, "Do you know who was in charge of Xiaolan Mountain sixteen years ago?"
Zhuo Zhixuan's eyes widened in shock, and he stared directly at Chen Wan, his mouth opening slightly.
"You—"
"Yes," Chen Wan met his gaze and admitted frankly, "This is as far as I can go." Even if success isn't guaranteed.
He didn't want to involve Zhuo Zhixuan or Tan Youming, partly because he might end up needing Shen Zongnian or Zhao Shengge's help, but more importantly, he didn't want to spare Luo Qiansheng.
Zhuo Zhixuan looked at Chen Wan, speechless.
He had never forgotten, not even for a moment.
Chen Wan harbored a deep, dark hatred, kept in check by his morals and character. Zhuo Zhixuan had known this since the day they met.
Chen Wan could break a bully's bones without hesitation.
At nine, he stabbed Liao Quan's hand straight through with scissors.
At twelve, he set fire to Xiaolan Mountain.
At thirteen, he fought fiercely alongside Zhuo Zhixuan and Zhuo Shengyan, and even now, Zhuo Shengyan avoids him.
At fifteen, he watched coldly as the Chen family's eldest son's wife had a stroke and collapsed in the garden during a banquet. Chen Wan didn't make a sound. Any later, and she would have been beyond saving.
People are complex, a mix of good and evil. Zhuo Zhixuan didn't know what kept Chen Wan's darker impulses in check, allowing him to live as a gentle and kind person.
In fact, Chen Wan often went to extremes in his kindness, showing a self-sacrificing nature, though this was limited to friends and family.
But as they grew older, Zhuo Zhixuan sensed something was wrong, which eventually led to Monika coming into Chen Wan's life.
After a long silence.
"Even so," Zhuo Zhixuan's voice choked, and he irritably lit a cigarette, "Even so, you can't tackle something this big alone without a word. Have you thought about the consequences?"
But in truth, both he and Chen Wan knew very well that while they could approach Tan Youming for a project, bringing down an official was an entirely different matter.
In the intricate web of interests among powerful families, such matters were no small thing for Tan Youming or Shen Zongnian. No friendship was deep enough to warrant such a risk.
Chen Wan would never put Zhuo Zhixuan in such a dangerous position. Seeking help from Tan Youming or Shen Zongnian would essentially push them into a moral dilemma, leaving them with a difficult choice—to help or not to help.
Chen Wan couldn't bring himself to do that. This was his own mess, and if he could settle it, he would do so himself. If he couldn't, he wouldn't drag others into it.
Most importantly, Chen Wan would never let anyone know about the events of Xiaolan Mountain, especially Zhao Shengge.
Fortunately, a murder case later occurred on Xiaolan Mountain, leading to an investigation by the regulatory authorities. The deeper they dug, the more they uncovered, and the tangled interests from sixteen years ago were eventually sealed away. Even now, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to access those records.
Thus, Chen Wan's past was also buried, giving him a temporary sense of peace.
Cigarette butts littered the floor, and no one spoke. The silence was palpable. Zhuo Zhixuan no longer knew what to say to Chen Wan, or what he could say.
Once Chen Wan decided, no one could change his mind or intervene.
Zhao Shengge didn't, and neither did Zhuo Zhixuan.
Until the cigarette in his hand burned out, Zhuo Zhixuan's throat rolled, and he said wearily and helplessly, "A Wan, can you take better care of yourself?"
This was the only thing he could think of to say to Chen Wan after a long time of not knowing what to say, and it was also his only request to Chen Wan, not even a demand, just a plea.
After all the words, the only thing that could be said was this one sentence: can you take better care of yourself.
"As for Luo Qiansheng," he had no right or position to say anything about this—you can't judge someone until you've walked in their shoes—but Zhuo Zhixuan stomped out the cigarette butt, "but in the future, don't risk your health for business."
"If this deal doesn't work out, there's the next one, and the one after that, do you have to take on every single one? Can your body handle it? Look at yourself now, a shadow of your former self, I really don't know if one day you'll—"
Chen Wan pursed his lips and said, "A Xuan, I haven't been neglecting myself."
But reality is like this.
Even without Luo Qianshan's matter, he would still do this.
Hai City is a bustling metropolis, teeming with opportunities and wealth, but beneath the glitter lies a darker reality. The competition is fierce, with everyone vying for the top spot. Playing by the rules won't get you anywhere in business.
It wasn't easy for Chen Wan to climb to his current position, really not easy.
In the cutthroat world of business, this fiercely competitive and ruthless city, Andrew Avenue is always bustling with activity, Admiralty Street's CBD is always alive, and every month, someone jumps from the towering financial building after bankruptcy. A moment of weakness, and you're out of the game.
You'll be forgotten in no time.
Many billionaires have seen their empires crumble overnight, so Chen Wan never dares to relax, always deeply involved and hands-on, fearing that a moment of carelessness will sweep him away in the ruthless tide of business.
He wants to stand tall and independent at the forefront, not too close to that person, but at least able to admire from a distance, which is enough.
Zhuo Zhixuan and he come from different worlds and can't understand or agree with his decisions. Chen Wan doesn't push, doesn't mind, and doesn't feel the need to explain.
None of this prevents them from being true friends.
The more Chen Wan is in the midst of the flashy and fame-driven world, the more he appreciates Zhuo Zhixuan.
"You haven't been neglecting yourself," Zhuo Zhixuan lightly mocked, "but Monica said you haven't picked up your medicine for half a month."
"Yes," Chen Wan rubbed his temples, "I've apologized to Monica and rescheduled for this weekend. This time, I've made a memo and will definitely go on time."
Zhuo Zhixuan's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again: "Why do you always think about whether you're troubling others? The important thing is your own body, not the doctor's schedule. Do you really take it seriously?"
"I know what I'm doing."
"What do you know," Zhuo Zhixuan no longer believed him, "send me the new appointment time, and I'll make sure you get there."
The follow-up appointment was on Sunday. Zhuo Zhixuan and Monica are very good senior-junior siblings. Monica told him that the follow-up test data was not optimistic and hoped that Zhuo Zhixuan could persuade Chen Wan to reduce work hours and psychological stress and pay more attention to his lifestyle and mental health.
Zhuo Zhixuan said, "It's difficult."
Monica said helplessly, "Then at least let him do the most basic—take his medicine on time."
Zhuo Zhixuan sighed, "I'll talk to him."
On the way back, Zhuo Zhixuan drove and mentioned the invitation from Tan Youming to attend the ship king's banquet, asking if he had time. If he was too tired and wanted to rest, he would help decline.
Although if Chen Wan didn't show up again, those young masters might come to Zhuo Zhixuan's door to hand over the person.
Chen Wan laughed, saying he was exaggerating.
Zhuo Zhixuan tsked, "You’ll see for yourself whether I’m exaggerating or not."
Chen Wan seemed naturally inclined to love, but he never considered the possibility of being loved.
What Zhuo Zhixuan didn’t know was that someone who has never truly been loved wouldn’t even think of it.
Chen Wan still smiled, saying nothing. With the project wrapped up, he finally got a break from the constant overtime.
After some thought, he still asked, "Is he going?"
Zhuo Zhixuan replied, "Why does it matter if he’s going? If you want to go, go. If you don’t, then don’t."
Chen Wan was just asking out of curiosity and said, "I’ll go." For Tan Youming, he would go.
Chen Wan had received so little kindness in his life that whoever showed him even a bit, he’d return it ten times over.