Stealing The Wind But Not The Moon

Chapter 52

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The autumn in Harbin is already quite chilly. After getting off the plane, Chu Shichen put on a cashmere scarf as Aunt Tang had instructed.

This was Chu Shichen's first time in this northern city. Everything was unfamiliar. He took a taxi to the hotel, dropped off his luggage, and then set out to look for Zhou Kesen.

Harbin has a vast territory. The company where Zhou Kesen works moved to Daowai District last year and is called Ying'an Technology Company.

Chu Shichen got out of the car in front of an office building. There was a row of shops downstairs, mostly fast food restaurants and convenience stores catering to white-collar workers.

The management of the office building is not strict. The elevator does not require a card swipe. There is a floor index hung on the wall. Ying'an Technology Company is on the eleventh and twelfth floors, occupying only two floors.

Chu Shichen straightened his collar towards the staircase door and came out on the eleventh floor. The company's facade was right in front of him. He walked to the reception desk and asked, "Hello, does Mr. Zhou Kesen work here?"

The guy at the front desk said, "Manager Zhou, yes, here it is."

"Is Manager Zhou in the company today?" Chu Shichen stated his purpose, "I want to see him."

The guy at the front desk saw that Chu Shichen was well-dressed and thought he was a customer of the company: "Please wait a moment, I will ask for you."

Chu Shichen nodded and stepped back slightly to avoid the other party asking him his name. If he told them his name, he probably wouldn't be able to enter the company at all.

The guy at the front desk made an internal call, and soon, a business assistant came over, looked Chu Shichen over, and said, "Hello, are you looking for Director Zhou? Come with me."

Chu Shichen gave a score in his mind. He thought that the reception system of this company was not standardized enough. He passed by the office area. Because it had just been renovated last year, the environment was quite nice, but there were not many people. The scale of the company was a little smaller than he expected.

At the door of the manager's office, Zhou Kesen's name was engraved on the nameplate. The assistant knocked on the door and said, "Manager Zhou, there is a gentleman looking for you."

The door opened suddenly, and the office only accommodated a desk and a small sofa. The coffee table was forced to move to the corner, leaving space for a blackboard.

Zhou Kesen was wearing an old navy blue sweater. He must have been busy all the time. He had just finished his lunch. The name of the fast food restaurant downstairs was printed on the plastic lunch box.

Seeing Chu Shichen at the door, Zhou Kesen was obviously stunned. After a few seconds, he suddenly stood up from behind his desk, and his chair hit the white wall behind him.

Chu Shichen clenched his fists loosely, the note with the address on it wrinkled in his palms. Zhou Kesen looked much older than in the photo. The outline of his square face was not as obvious, and the corners of his eyes, mouth, forehead and eyebrows were all covered with a layer of vicissitudes.

Chu Shichen called out, "Uncle Sen."

Zhou Kesen stared at him in disbelief, as if trying to confirm who this young man who suddenly appeared was. After a while, he recovered and said in a deep voice with a thorn in it: "What a rare visitor, what are you doing in Harbin?"

Chu Shichen walked into the office and said, "Uncle Sen, I'm here to see you."

Zhou Kesen put down his chopsticks and said, "That's even more rare. You're looking for me to entertain you when you come to the Northeast for a trip? I'm sorry, I don't have the time for that."

Chu Shichen said: "I came here for Yisi."

Zhou Kesen said, "What's wrong with Yisi? Are you going to open a branch in Northeast China?"

Xiang Mingzhang has extended the olive branch more than once. Zhou Kesen already knew that Yisi was acquired by Xiang Yue. His words were clearly a mockery of Chu Shichen selling his shares.

"No." Chu Shichen said, "Uncle Sen, I am now Xiang Mingzhang's secretary and work for Xiang Yue."

Zhou Kesen was stunned for a moment, then stretched out his hand to block in the air: "You don't need to tell me who you work with and what you have accomplished. It's your ability, Master Chu. There's no need to talk nonsense to me."

The office door was wide open. Seeing that the situation was not right, the assistant did not dare to go far. Other employees heard the noise and were watching the excitement quietly. Chu Shichen could endure the embarrassment, but in someone else's company, he could not blatantly say that he wanted to ask Zhou Kesen to go back.

Chu Shichen asked: "Uncle Sen, can we have a good talk?"

Zhou Kesen just felt that "Chu Shichen" was pretending, and pretending to be quite decent, and said: "I have nothing to discuss with you, you should leave quickly!"

Chu Shichen said: "I will wait for you."

Zhou Kesen lost his appetite and slammed the lunch box shut. He grabbed the food and threw it into the trash can. The bottom of the trash can made a harsh noise as it swayed on the floor. He ordered him to leave: "Don't try that on me, kid. Get out!"

Chu Shichen maintained his composure and left calmly. After coming out of the office building, he bought some fresh fruits at a nearby supermarket and then waited downstairs at the company.

It gets dark early in the Northeast. When Zhou Kesen came out from get off work, he saw that Chu Shichen had not left. However, he was too lazy to say a word and just felt disgusted.

Zhou Kesen lived not far from the company and walked to and from get off work every day as a form of exercise. He walked along the street for a while, passed by the vegetable market and bought some cooked food.

Chu Shichen followed Zhou Kesen, keeping a distance of no more than three meters, and finally followed him to a nearby residential area.

Zhou Kesen is a native of Heilongjiang. He was born into an ordinary dual-income family with limited conditions. He relied on hard work and study to make a way for himself.

The reality is that I have gone through a lot of twists and turns, with success and failure, and returned to my hometown where I dreamed of when I was young, full of regret.

Mrs. Chu said that Zhou Kesen was a workaholic who would stay in the computer room until he came out with an unshaven beard. He got married after graduation, but divorced because he was too busy. He has no children and it is said that he has been alone all these years.

The community is not big and the house looks very old. It should be the home of Zhou Kesen’s parents.

When they reached the door of the unit, Zhou Kesen stopped and said, "If you follow me again, don't blame me for beating you up. If I hurt you, the worst that can happen is that I'll just detain you for a few days. Can your mother bear it?"

Chu Shichen stood still and watched Zhou Kesen leave him behind and enter the apartment building. He looked up and waited for a while, and then the light in the small window of the bathroom on the third floor came on.

Zhou Kesen washed his hands and prepared to eat. His family hired a nanny to take care of the elderly, which relieved a lot of pressure and allowed him to free up two hours every night to study.

Just as I had set the table, the doorbell rang.

Zhou Kesen cursed "ghost lingering around" and angrily opened the security door, but there was no one in the corridor and a bag of fruit was on the ground.

Chu Shichen returned to the hotel. The three-foot-thick ice did not form overnight, so we must not act rashly.

In fact, he had drawn up several countermeasures, such as seeking cooperation with Ying'an, establishing contact with Zhou Kesen through the company, or finding Zhai Feng and Yisi's elders to lay the groundwork first, and paying some substantial financial compensation.

But after thinking about it, Chu Shichen overturned them all.

This matter cannot be resolved by thinking of methods or discussing techniques, nor should it be resolved. One must put aside all thoughts and sincerely ask for forgiveness first.

Chu Shichen looked up some more information about Ying'an Technology. This company mainly produces HR systems, mainly in the Northeast region, and faces relatively small market demand, so its development is destined to be limited.

If a person's talent cannot be used, his fighting spirit will inevitably be worn out over time. However, Chu Shichen made a special observation today and found that there were more books than documents in Zhou Kesen's office. The blackboard was filled with research and development plans, which showed that Zhou Kesen still retained his old mentality.

Desire, whether good or bad, is a weakness.

The cell phone rang, and before Chu Shichen had time to report, Xiang Mingzhang sent a message first, asking: Have you seen Zhou Kesen

Chu Shichen: I saw it.

Xiang Mingzhang: What’s the situation

It’s really not that good, Chu Shichen replied: Still need to work hard.

The next morning, Chu Shichen went to Ying'an again. Zhou Kesen didn't say a word and directly asked several young and strong salesmen to kick Chu Shichen out.

After get off work in the evening, Chu Shichen followed Zhou Kesen back to the community. He did not chase him too closely, nor did he even say a word. He took the initiative to stop in front of the unit door.

Zhou Kesen went upstairs without looking back. The windows of every household were lit. After ten o'clock, the lights in the entire building went out one by one.

The temperature dropped to below zero at night, and the wind was as cold as a knife. Chu Shichen stood downstairs. In ancient times, there was a story of Cheng Men Li Xue, but unfortunately it was not snowing yet, so he could only stand outside Zhou Men Drinking the Wind.

All the lights on the third floor went out, and there seemed to be a shadow passing by on the balcony.

Chu Shichen was quite satisfied. At least Zhou Kesen didn't call the police to chase him away. Another gust of northwest wind blew. He turned sideways and used his back to block it. As soon as he moved, he felt his legs numb from the cold.

The street lights cast a small circle of dim light. Chu Shichen stayed inside, pacing and stamping his feet, tossing and turning all night.

In the morning, when it was still dark, an old man wearing a down jacket came out to buy breakfast. When he saw Chu Shichen, he exclaimed, "Young man, what are you doing here before dawn?"

Chu Shichen's lips and teeth were cold, he pursed them, and exhaled a puff of white air: "I'm looking for someone."

"Who are you looking for?" the uncle asked enthusiastically, "What's your name? I'll just shout it out for you. You'll freeze if you keep waiting!"

As he was talking, the window on the third floor suddenly opened, and Zhou Kesen said from the balcony: "Old Liu, mind your own business."

Not long after, Zhou Kesen came out of the apartment building, carrying a large outdoor bag. He glanced at Chu Shichen, got in the car and drove away without saying a word.

Chu Shichen quickly called a taxi, and when it was bright, he followed Zhou Kesen out of the city.

When they arrived at the place, they found a natural river beach. Zhou Kesen invited his clients to go fishing together. After walking along the river for a while, the river became narrower and deeper. Many people came here to fish early in the morning.

Chu Shichen stayed more than ten meters away, waiting quietly. Zhou Kesen talked to the client for a while, and both sides fell silent. It seemed that things were not going well.

After a few minutes, Zhou Kesen put down his fishing rod and started the second round of attack on the customer.

Chu Shichen shook his head secretly, thinking it was too hasty. One of the skills of conversation is rhythm. If the rhythm is wrong, talking too much and too fast will only make the other person feel oppressed.

Sure enough, the two people failed to reach an agreement and the customer left first. Zhou Kesen did not try to keep him and stood there smoking.

Chu Shichen came over and called out "Uncle Sen".

Zhou Kesen snorted in annoyance. He thought the prodigal son who couldn't even finish reading a page of information would run away if he just scolded him, but he turned out to be so patient that he not only followed him but actually waited downstairs for the entire night.

Taking the cigarette from his mouth, Zhou Kesen asked, "What do you want?"

Chu Shichen stated his purpose: "Uncle Sen, I want to ask you to go back to Yisi."

Zhou Kesen's hand trembled and he shook off a piece of cigarette ash: "Don't you think this is ridiculous? You came all the way here just to make fun of me?"

Chu Shichen said: "Yisi has undergone a lot of changes in the past six months—"

Zhou Kesen interrupted him: "It has nothing to do with me. What happens to Yisi is something that Li Zangqiu should worry about. It's you, Young Master Chu, who should worry about it. Oh, yes, I forgot, you sold your shares."

Chu Shichen said: "I was confused."

Zhou Kesen exhaled heavily and said in a serious tone, "Whether you are stupid or smart, mean or honest, who are you going to cling to and who are you going to betray, there is no need to argue with me, and I don't want to serve you."

Chu Shichen's face turned pale and he said, "Uncle Sen, I was wrong in the past. I owe you an apology."

"No, I can't afford it."

Zhou Kesen roughly stuffed the fishing gear into his bag, picked it up and left. Chu Shichen stepped in front of him and said, "Uncle Sen, can you give me a chance?"

Zhou Kesen raised his head, his cheeks flushed red, whether because of anger or the cold wind. "Chu Shichen, when you were ignorant, I gave you a chance and taught you step by step. When you were making trouble, I gave you a chance and kept you in the company against all odds. When you and Li Zangqiu were working together to harm me, I gave you a fucking chance and didn't even slap you!"

Chu Shichen at the moment had never experienced anything like this. In the blankness, he only felt Zhou Kesen's surging resentment. He resented the past for deceiving him and hated the playboy for not fighting back.

Zhou Kesen pushed him away and turned onto the bridge. Chu Shichen strode to catch up with him and shouted, "Uncle Sen, I really know I was wrong!"

Zhou Kesen stopped and turned back with anger in his heart: "I know how much of a jerk you are, Chu Shichen, stop putting on a big show here!"

Chu Shichen said: "I will change, I have changed everything!"

"It's too late! You were used as a pawn by Li Zangqiu, and you handed over the company your father worked so hard to build, and now you've sold your shares." Zhou Kesen snorted coldly, "You're a spendthrift, but you're right. Instead of working for the Li guy, you might as well be Xiang Yue's helper."

Chu Shichen said anxiously: "Everything about Yisi is not over yet. It needs you and a new beginning. You also need it. Your ambition has never been to accompany customers fishing in the wilderness."

Zhou Kesen was hurt by the poke in the heart: "I only have this little ability now, and I am only worth this much. I am sorry to make you, Master Chu, laugh at me!"

"That's not what I meant!" Chu Shichen almost begged, only his upright posture maintained his dignity, "Uncle Sen, what should I do to make you forgive me?"

Zhou Kesen's thick eyebrows were knitted tightly, and his words were as sharp as nails: "Forgive? You cooperated with Li Zangqiu to frame me and infringe on Yisi's interests. Why should I forgive you?!"

Chu Shichen begged, "I was an asshole in the past. For the sake of my father, Uncle Sen, please forgive me once more."

Zhou Kesen seemed tired and said hoarsely, "There's no need to bring up your father. I have a clear conscience towards Yisi and you. I would dare to say the same thing at Chu Zhe's grave."

Chu Shichen refused to give up: "I am guilty, I owe you, Uncle Sen, please give me a chance to make it up to you."

"Make up for it..." Zhou Kesen suddenly turned his face away, "Look at this river."

Chu Shichen looked down. This section of the river was very narrow, and there was a thin layer of ice in the middle of the river, which was crystal clear in the sunlight.

Zhou Kesen said: "It looks clean, but there are actually a lot of weeds and dust floating in the water. You only know how dirty it is when you fall in."

Chu Shichen: "Uncle Sen..."

Zhou Kesen squeezed out the last sentence from between his teeth: "So, only when dirty water is thrown on yourself, you will know how uncomfortable and piercing it is!"

It's heartbreaking. Without empathy, saying I can make amends would just seem hypocritical.

Chu Shichen clenched his fists. This identity was stolen by him, so he should pay for the sins he had committed. It was fair.

Zhou Kesen was more stubborn and stronger than he expected, which made him admire him. He believed that Zhou Kesen would not look down on a coward who only knew how to beg.

The journey is long and the sky is high, but he will never return in vain.

As soon as his fist loosened, Chu Shichen raised his hand and touched the railing, saying, "Uncle Sen, I've tasted the feeling of being framed. If it's not enough, I'll jump down and taste it again."

Zhou Kesen was suddenly startled.

Chu Shichen stretched his long legs over the railing and jumped without hesitation!

“Bang!”

Broken ice splashed, causing ripples on the river surface, and in an instant Chu Shichen fell into the deep water.

Zhou Kesen was so frightened that he froze. The bag in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. He almost fell down when he ran down the bridge. He rushed to the river and shouted, "Chu Shichen! Bastard!"

A bunch of people came running over to watch: "Someone jumped into the river!"

Chu Shichen's body sank, and the extremely cold river water instantly penetrated through his layers of clothes, drowned him, and poured into his limbs and bones, piercing his body like thousands of needles.

He was so cold, too cold, a hundred times, ten thousand times colder than sinking into the sea.

He felt his scalp tingling and his whole body lost all feeling, only endless coldness.

There were shouts coming from the shore. Chu Shichen opened his eyes. The clear thin ice was broken by him, and the fine dust in the water was flying, blurring the vision.

He struggled to get out of the water, splashing, and there were screams all around. Zhou Kesen was lying on the bank more than a meter high, his eyes were bloodshot: "Chu Shichen! Are you crazy!"

Chu Shichen's breathing was disordered, his lips and teeth were shaking uncontrollably, and his face was pale from the cold, like ice and snow or white jade, with ripples of water running down its face in the sunlight.

He said like a madman, "I know how uncomfortable and piercing it is."

Zhou Kesen stretched out his right hand with all his strength: "Catch me! Come up! Get the hell up here!"

Chu Shichen raised his arm and held Zhou Kesen's hand.

The hand was warm and rough, like the hand of an old butler, like the hand of a comrade who had met him in secret, and like the hand of a comrade who had shaken hands with him and said goodbye at the dock on the day of the safe transfer.

He was dragged to the shore. Zhou Kesen was sweating profusely. He hurriedly took off his coat and put it on him, cursing him even more fiercely than on the bridge: "You bastard! If something happens, how can I explain to your mother? How can I explain to Chu Zhe?!"

Chu Shichen was left with only a weak voice: "Uncle Sen... I'm sorry."

Zhou Kesen choked in his throat and slowly exhaled a breath of white air.

After four years of regret, I finally let it go.

(End of this chapter)