"Finance University? Which one?"
"Yutong, you don’t mean the one in Bright Pearl City, do you?" Yu Xin asked, unable to hide her disbelief.
Liu Yutong nodded. "Yes, the one in Bright Pearl City."
Yu Xin immediately grew anxious. "Yutong, are you crazy? With your high scores, you’re going there? Sure, it’s a decent school, but it’s not even a 211 university. Isn’t this a waste of your grades?"
Liu Yutong, however, remained unfazed. "Where I study doesn’t matter to me. My business is here, and you know that."
Yu Xin, who had now become Liu Yutong’s assistant, was well aware of her situation.
She knew Liu Yutong owned a restaurant and had a group of subordinates working in the fish trade.
What surprised her was how such an unassuming business could bring in tens of thousands a day, sometimes even close to a hundred thousand.
Of course, the sheer number of people involved played a big role.
After all, which fish vendor could afford to hire over a hundred people to cover the rural markets?
Even if they could, most wouldn’t be willing to spend that much.
What impressed Yu Xin even more was Liu Yutong’s management skills. Her subordinates worked with such enthusiasm, as if they were fueled by pure adrenaline.
It almost seemed like they’d work for free if Liu Yutong asked them to.
That was her advantage.
"What about you? Which school are you choosing?" Liu Yutong turned the question back to Yu Xin.
Yu Xin paused, then answered after a moment’s thought, "Well… I’ll go with you and pick Finance University too. That way, I’ll be closer to my grandma."
Liu Yutong nodded. "Sounds good."
In 2007, their region allowed students to check their scores before filling out college applications.
After reviewing their results,
Yu Xin borrowed Liu Yutong’s phone and stepped into the hallway outside the classroom to call her village and share the good news with her grandmother.
Liu Yutong also called her grandfather to tell him she had gotten into university. Though she wasn’t particularly excited about higher education, she knew it would make her grandparents happy.
Once the calls ended, Liu Yutong and Yu Xin returned to the classroom to fill out their applications.
Without hesitation, they both wrote down "Finance University" on their forms.
Though located in the small city of Bright Pearl City, it was a provincial key university.
With their scores, admission was practically guaranteed.
After submitting their applications, Liu Yutong and Yu Xin were about to leave the school.
Just as they reached the gate, a familiar voice called out from behind, "Liu Yutong, Yu Xin, wait up!"
They turned to see Lin Bin.
"We’re having a dinner gathering tonight. Are you two coming?"
Before Liu Yutong could decline, Lin Bin quickly added, "We’re all going our separate ways soon. Who knows when we’ll get another chance to meet up?"
Yu Xin was clearly tempted. Unlike Liu Yutong, she had a different perspective.
Though she had been introverted throughout the three years in class, she still had a few close friends.
Besides, with Zhao Zhu now out of the picture, she no longer felt the same psychological pressure.
If Zhao Zhu were still around, she definitely wouldn’t have gone.
Noticing Yu Xin’s expression, Liu Yutong said, "Go if you want to."
Yu Xin looked up at her. "What about you, Yutong?"
Liu Yutong smiled faintly. "I’ll go too."
Hearing this, Yu Xin’s face brightened, and she agreed, "Sure, where’s the restaurant?"
Lin Bin walked up to them, his gaze lingering on Liu Yutong a little longer than necessary.
The girl before him was still as beautiful as ever, but the youthful innocence had faded, replaced by a composed aura that made her even more captivating.
Lin Bin quickly averted his eyes and said with a smile, "We originally wanted a private room at Yuyue Fang, but they were all booked. So, I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for the main hall with the rest of us."
Yu Xin glanced at Liu Yutong when she heard "Yuyue Fang."
It was Liu Yutong’s restaurant, but seeing her unfazed, Yu Xin simply nodded. "Anywhere’s fine. I’ve been there before—the food’s great!"
Lin Bin agreed. "Yeah, they’re the only place that makes fish potstickers this authentic. That’s why we chose it."
"Alright, see you tonight."
"See you!"
After parting ways, Liu Yutong and Yu Xin returned to their hotel.
After handling some business matters, they headed out for the dinner.
Since it was a class gathering, Liu Yutong didn’t plan to bring Yun Cheng along.
But Yun Cheng secretly followed them anyway.
Liu Yutong noticed but pretended not to see, feeling a quiet warmth in her heart.
What she didn’t know was that Yun Cheng had a reason for tailing them—he had received a message from Bright Pearl City. Someone in the gang knew he had taken his men to find the young mistress.
For Liu Yutong’s safety, he had no choice.
Yun Cheng carried a burden in his heart—the matter of his former boss.
If not for him, Yun Cheng might not even be alive today.
He had failed to protect his boss, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to the young mistress.
A little past six in the evening.
The main hall of Yuyue Fang was already filled with classmates.
Out of the original fifty-seven students in Class Five, only nineteen had shown up for various reasons.
They sat around a few large tables pushed together, chatting animatedly.
Liu Yutong hadn’t asked the restaurant for special treatment. Customers had reserved the private rooms in advance, and she wasn’t about to cancel their bookings just for her gathering.
As soon as Yu Xin and Liu Yutong took their seats,
a classmate named Guo Xiang made a flashy suggestion: "After dinner, let’s head to Caesar KTV! I’ve already booked a room—Lucky Triple Eight! The guys will split the bill, and the ladies are free. How’s that?"
Liu Yutong, however, declined. "No need. We’re all classmates—let’s split it equally. Everyone pays their share."
Yu Xin immediately agreed. "Yeah, AA is fair. We girls don’t need to take advantage."
In the end, everyone went with Liu Yutong’s suggestion, handing Guo Xiang a hundred yuan each, with the promise of refunds for any leftover money.
The dinner table buzzed with lively conversation.
Topics ranged from school memories and video games to the latest gossip.
Guo Xiang, a local of the county, was the most vocal about the latter.
He spoke with an air of superiority, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Do you guys know who owns Caesar? None other than the underground king of our county—Niu Ben!"
"That guy’s ruthless. Back in the day, he took a machete and fought his way from West Street to East Street until everyone in the underworld bowed to him. In this county, who dares not show him respect?"
"........"
This was a unique era, heavily influenced by gangster movies and the rebellious "kill-mainstream" culture. Many people, even the quiet or academically inclined, harbored a strange fascination with the underworld.
