"Has the company's money been recovered?"
"Both the person and the money have left the country."
"What about the house and the car?"
"The house has a mortgage, and the bank took it. The car was bought under the company's name, so it now belongs to the company."
"So, you're saying you have nothing left?"
Zhou Yu, in a moment of agitation, blurted it out, spreading her hands.
But she quickly realized she had said the wrong thing.
That wasn't the tone a girlfriend should use.
She picked up her coffee, took a sip, and chose tactical silence.
Jiang Beicheng wasn't surprised by her reaction.
Their relationship wasn't built on pure affection to begin with.
Zhou Yu was a minor internet celebrity who had graduated from a "socialite training class."
Those classes were comprehensive, teaching posture, etiquette, tea tasting, wine appreciation, fitness, yoga...
The goal was to hook a rich man.
And not just any rich man, but one from high-end social circles.
Occasionally, they'd pull off some fraud, too.
Zhou Yu's tricks were a bit amateurish in Jiang Beicheng's eyes—her little schemes didn't impress him.
He was willing to spend money on her purely because he was drawn to her stunning figure and her enthusiasm for pleasing her benefactor.
It was a mutually enjoyable partnership.
But now, after a major family upheaval, Jiang Beicheng had lost everything, and Zhou Yu's cold, distant attitude toward him was only natural.
"Just say what you need to say, all at once," Jiang Beicheng said, taking a small sip of his coffee.
Zhou Yu looked up at him, cleared her throat, and spoke her true thoughts.
"We never had much emotional connection. I liked your money and your social circle. You know my personality and how I operate. From the moment I joined that training class, I never planned on living an ordinary life with anyone. So... I'm sorry..."
She had wanted to say these words a month ago.
Holding them in until now, she felt she had at least considered her boyfriend's feelings.
Jiang Beicheng shook his head with a faint smile and waved his hand.
The gesture meant: *You can go now. It's just a breakup—no need for so many explanations.*
One sentence was enough. Adults understood these things.
Zhou Yu stood up, adjusted the hem of her low-cut dress to cover her shapely hips, slung the platinum handbag Jiang Beicheng had given her over her shoulder, said "Take care," and walked away.
No dramatic, clingy, soap-opera nonsense.
For Jiang Beicheng, it was like discarding something he didn't particularly care for.
Still, he felt a pang of discomfort.
It wasn't because of the breakup with a woman.
Zhou Yu's words hit him hardest by reminding him of the bitter taste of a man losing his value.
It wasn't just Zhou Yu. Because of this family crisis, most of his acquaintances and friends had started to distance themselves from him.
Society's logic for judging a man was simple: it came down to how much value you had.
Without the backing of his family's wealth, Jiang Beicheng now had almost no value in social circles. The sense of failure this brought inflicted a deep psychological wound.
Reflecting on his 27 years of life, the greatest hardship he'd faced was drinking black coffee every morning. He could never have imagined he'd end up in this pathetic state—looked down upon and ignored.
When he was in middle school, his father was sent to Africa to pioneer business ventures. Within two years, his father signed several deals worth hundreds of millions, and just from commissions, their family entered the middle class.
When the state-owned enterprise planned to call his father back for a promotion, he saw an opportunity for entrepreneurship in Africa, quit his job, and went into international trade.
He started by reselling second-hand goods, then built connections in Kenya, securing mining rights for three titanium mines.
Jiang Beicheng went from being the child of a middle-class family to a second-generation heir of a wealthy one.
Later, his parents divorced. His mother quit her teaching job and ventured into entrepreneurship, becoming a benchmark in the city's catering industry.
With two CEO-level parents, Jiang Beicheng's life became even more affluent.
During university, his nicknames "Young Master Jiang" and "Boss Jiang" were well-known. The entire university town knew of him.
In his senior year, his mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer, and half his world collapsed.
After handling his mother's funeral, his father sent him to study in the UK to start fresh in a new environment.
He earned a one-year master's degree, worked in the UK for another year, and returned home.
When he came back, his father's secretary had become his stepmother, and he had a new kindergarten-aged younger brother.
He had been completely unaware of these changes.
He couldn't get along with his stepmother, and staying at home felt awkward.
Working at the family company wasn't any better—his father's "old cadre" style of command and execution left no room for a young person's ideas or creativity.
So, he spent his days indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle, reveling in the flattery and attention, willingly letting himself sink into decadence without a care.
A young man in his twenties could easily be seduced by the thrill of throwing money around.
In the two or three years after returning to China, he spent tens of millions.
He thought his life would continue to be this carefree forever. But then, his father, Jiang Tao, was accidentally killed in Kenya.
Six months ago, a coup in Kenya led to a local armed group seizing power, followed by a series of policy reforms.
Foreign investors like Jiang Tao suffered the most. The interim government froze their assets and issued tax bills and fines worth hundreds of millions.
Jiang Tao was accidentally injured during negotiations with the interim government two months ago and died despite medical efforts.
While Jiang Beicheng was handling his father's funeral, his stepmother sold off the domestic company's shares, liquidated several properties, and moved to Singapore with his younger brother.
The company and assets in Africa were confiscated by the interim government.
The Peninsula No. 1 mansion and luxury cars left to Jiang Beicheng were worth hundreds of millions.
But the mansion had been used by his father as collateral for a personal loan.
The loan was massive.
According to the court's ruling, the bank had priority claim.
The mansion, valued at over 70 million, along with the family's fine wines, teas, luxury watches, paintings, audio systems, and other valuables, were all seized by the bank.
Then, the two luxury cars were reclaimed by the company. They had been purchased under the company's name for tax purposes, and now that the company had nothing to do with Jiang Beicheng, they rightfully took them back...
Faced with losing everything, all Jiang Beicheng could do was curse.
What kind of shitty life script was this?
**F***!
After venting with a few choice profanities, he felt a bit better.
But that was it.
Having finally calmed down, he didn't want to dwell on it or let it consume him further.
[Reject self-destructive overthinking. Face life with a smile—that's the positive attitude.]
[Smile Fund Activated]
[Do you accept your current life predicament?]
A golden finger?
Jiang Beicheng frowned slightly, surprised.
Lately, it seemed like golden fingers were favoring middle-aged men who'd hit rock bottom or been betrayed by their wives. He never expected one would come to a fallen rich kid like him.
[Do you accept your current life predicament?]
Accept my ass!
Without a moment's hesitation, Jiang Beicheng chose to reject it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear readers,
If you happen to notice any errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the text, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me improve the story. Together, we can make it as polished and enjoyable as possible!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------