Trillionaire's Slice of Life

"Bro, from now on, you're my brother, my own brother, Brother Chu. This drink is to you. I'll finish mine, and you do as you please."

Liu Ming was twenty-seven years old this year, two years older than Chu Mo. By age, it should be Chu Mo calling him brother.

However, in their circle, age was never the main concern. On the contrary, in the circle of second and third generations, which was more genuine than that of ordinary people, whoever had more family wealth or greater power was deemed the elder brother.

Even those senior in years had to lower their heads and address the more powerful and influential as 'brother' if they wanted to remain in this circle.

Liu Ming's address of 'brother' to Chu Mo was sincere.

And it wasn't just about the financial strength Chu Mo had shown.

No one knew the immense pressure he had just faced.

In front of Lu Ye's grim face in the Magic City, not only a junior like him, but even his father would be weak at the knees, let alone the importance of Chu Mo glossing over the issue; otherwise, no one could predict the consequences.

Even if he was willing to take responsibility, the billions involved were far beyond his capability. It would ultimately lead to family involvement, and given his family's penny-pinching ways, it's doubtful they would easily pay up, let alone the eventual outcome...

A full-blown fallout between the Li and Lu families?

If it really came to that, he didn't know how he would face Lu Siyue, with whom he grew up playing from childhood.

Luckily, this most profligate son of Magic City named Chu Mo had pulled him out of the mire. Whether Chu Mo did it for Zhao Lili's sake or had other motivations didn't matter.

In any case, the young man before him had truly lent him a helping hand, and Liu Ming, being a man of passion – which was evident from his owning up to the punishment – was profoundly grateful to Chu Mo.

As the two clinked glasses, Chu Mo, who was not good at handling his liquor, merely sipped the strong spirit, while Liu Ming, at his side, tilted his head back and poured a full glass of the hard stuff down his throat.

That was two liang of liquor.

After emptying the Moutai into his mouth and flipping the glass, not a drop remained, showing his full sincerity.

However, Liu Ming's forthright act made Chu Mo's light sipping seem indifferent.

Some at the drinking table clearly could not tolerate that.

After completing his deal with Old Lu, Chu Mo chatted briefly before the other party left. The transaction was now complete, and with both parties' objectives fully met, Chu Mo was also prepared to leave. However, Liu Ming and the other wealthy scions wouldn't have it. They insisted on having a drink with Chu Mo to express their thanks.

Especially since Zhao Lili, with her flushed face, who he had met at the auction, also warmly invited him, making it hard to refuse. Moreover, Chu Mo indeed intended to expand his network, so he stayed.

They naturally didn't want to stay in the private room upstairs, so they moved to the largest booth on the first floor, including Liu Ming, Zhao Lili, Lu Siyue in her cheongsam, along with a bustling group of more than a dozen others who sat down together.

Only four or five people in the booth had witnessed the incident and others had no clue about what had transpired in such a short time. Seeing this outsider Chu Mo seemingly disrespect their own, with Liu Ming drinking up while Chu Mo merely wet his lips, they became upset.

One of the young men in his early twenties, with golden earrings, immediately glared and said shrilly:

"Dude, do you even understand the rules? Our Brother Li drank up as a sign of giving you face, and here you are acting all high and mighty."

As soon as the earring-wearing young man finished, even before Chu Mo could respond, Liu Ming immediately narrowed his eyes and turned his cold gaze to the other young man, saying:

"Gangzi, this is the first time I hear you disrespecting Brother Chu, and I hope it's the last. If I ever hear from any of you disrespecting Brother Chu again, don't blame me, Li Ming, for turning hostile."

The young man known as Gangzi's face flushed with anger. At twenty, when young blood ran hot, he was initially speaking out on behalf of Liu Ming and wondered why Liu Ming was defending an outsider. Just as he was about to justify himself, his companion tugged at his sleeve and whispered something in his ear.

After this brief interlude, Zhao Lili, whose face remained blushing, also stood up.

No matter what, Chu Mo had acted on her account, and while it was Liu Ming's place to be grateful, she couldn't simply do nothing.

The eighteen-year-old girl rose gracefully, a glass of red wine before her. Lifting it, the girl not skilled in flattery murmured:

"Brother Chu, I really want to thank you for this time. If not for you... I don't know what I would have done. I'm going to drink, and you do as you please."

The girl, mimicking Liu Ming's earlier gesture, lifted the glass and tilted her head back, guzzling down half a glass of wine. However, clearly not accustomed to drinking, she choked violently midway, looking rather abashed.

After managing to swallow half the glass, the girl's neck turned a tender shade of red, and her peach blossom eyes seemed to shimmer with moisture.

In front of Chu Mo was a full glass of Moutai, also a two-liang glass. After clinking glasses with Liu Ming, he had only wet his lips, but this time with the ponytailed girl, Chu Mo modestly drank just two fingers' worth.

It was then that Lu Siyue, wearing a cheongsam and exuding an aloof air, similar in some ways to Zhou Yuanyuan from the University of Science and Technology, also stood up.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Before her was a glass of red wine, but she took the glass of strong spirit from the man next to her and, raising it to Chu Mo, the icy beauty with an earnest expression said:

"Chu Mo, this is to you."

As her words ended, the lady tilted her head back and drained the full glass, inverting it afterward without spilling a single drop.

Lu Siyue was genuinely thankful for Chu Mo's intervention.

For she had been the one in the most difficult position – with the stained painting about to become worthless, on one side stood her entire Lu family's fortunes and fall, and on the other, her childhood friend. Caught in the middle, she could not stand with either without betraying the other.

Torn to death inside, if Chu Mo had not stepped in, she would have faced the agonizing choice of picking between her family and her friend.

Thus, among this group, Lu Siyue felt genuine gratitude towards Chu Mo.

She never drank baijiu before, and this was also the first time she drank baijiu with a man, something that even Li Ming, who grew up with her, wasn't treated to.

Moreover, it was a full glass of baijiu, which had already surpassed her limit, but she drank it willingly.

Chu Mo across from her had also downed two fingers' worth of drink, which was already quite rare for him.

Of course, what he considered wasn't the Lu Siyue in front of him, but the face of Grandpa Lu behind her.

The earring-wearing youth who had just provoked them understood the ins and outs of the situation after being warned by his friends. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his glass and said,

"Brother Chu, it was I who was ignorant. Please don't take offense; I'll punish myself with three glasses."

The earring-wearing youth picked up the two-ounce glass of baijiu in front of him, downed it in one gulp, and without hesitation, after signaling to Chu Mo with a now pale face, he poured another glass down his throat.

By the time he picked up the third glass, Chu Mo finally picked up his own glass and lightly signaled, merely touching it to his lips.

The earring-wearing youth who had gulped down three glasses immediately lay motionless like a dead pig.

Chu Mo, however, felt that the guy had some balls.

If he had just toasted with him, Chu Mo wouldn't have paid him any mind. However, since he had downed three glasses and ingested over half a jin of liquor, Chu Mo ended up holding him in higher regard. He finally clinked glasses with him for the last time, considering the earlier misunderstanding settled.

All the necessary drinks had been drunk, and though others thought about proposing a toast, Chu Mo waved them all off. With the highest-ranking Miss Lu of the Lu family and Li Ming paying their respects, no one else dared to overstep. Since Chu Mo wasn't drinking, they didn't dare to force him either.

Initially, they were all just a group of youths in their early twenties, a time when they would naturally be wild and unrestrained. As the drinks started to flow, the atmosphere at the table gradually warmed up, and Chu Mo suddenly found himself missing this kind of ambiance.

After graduating from university, he had barely kept in contact with his classmates and friends; besides occasionally eating skewers with Li Fei, his life was really like that of an old man who lived a life of abstention and few joys.

Being introverted was one aspect, but his financial situation also didn't allow him to indulge in extravagant food and drink; so even if there were notifications for class gatherings in the group chat, he never participated, and eventually, he even blocked the group messages.

Later, even after he had access to an unlimited credit card and sufficient finances, those he came into contact with were still people like Lin Hongqiang, Sun Shangwu, and even Zhou Shixing.

His status decided his position; the current Chu Mo, should he appear at any event, was always among the most elite group, the kind who could wine and dine with that generation. As for those from the second or third generations, they simply had no right to speak with him.

Over time, his demeanor became increasingly steady, and as his aura as someone in a higher position grew stronger, he also gradually lost the youthful vigor that should have been present in a young person.

In fact, he had just turned twenty-five this year.

Many of the second and third generation individuals who were partying wildly here were older than him.

"What are you thinking about? You look so serious."

Lu Siyue, who had been sitting across from him, switched places with a young man and now sat looking at him curiously with her pretty face flushed red from the drink.

Chu Mo, pulling his thoughts back, looking around the hall lit up with bright lights, said reflectively,

"I was wondering if it's possible to get back what has been lost."

Lu Siyue, not understanding, blinked her bright eyes. With the sharp eye she had honed during her twenty-seven single years, she could clearly tell that the younger man in front of her was not feigning mystery to attract the opposite sex.

Although he was young, he seemed to be shrouded in a layer of enigma, inscrutable yet tempting her to keep her attention on him.

She now held a glass of red wine in her hand and asked gently, while making a light gesture,

"It seems like you don't really enjoy baijiu, do you want to switch to red wine?"

Chu Mo hesitated for a moment; his tolerance for alcohol meant that the four fingers' worth of baijiu he drank earlier was his limit. However, it was rare for him to be with people his own age, and Chu Mo suddenly wanted to let loose and experience the carefree life of the wealthy, so he didn't refuse and nodded lightly.

Once his glass was filled with red wine too, and after clinking glasses with Lu Siyue in front of him, Chu Mo for once initiated,

"You must have been born in April."

The cool qipao-wearing lady was momentarily taken aback, not because he guessed the origin of her name; Lu Siyue was a name that anyone could guess the origin of. What caught her attention was the slight curve on the lips of the young man in front of her.

Ever since she met him, the man across had always looked completely unflappable, with no sign of any emotional change on his face—to put it plainly, he had been nothing but poker-faced.

However, when he slightly curved his lips, his sharp and handsome cheeks softened a bit, especially those eyes hidden behind the golden glasses. The depth that usually resided in them was now replaced by a hint of brightness, and his entire demeanor suddenly became different.

After a glance, she pulled her gaze back. Her heartbeat sped up for the second time in twenty-seven years as she softly said,

"I need to use the restroom."

After the radiant-smiling young man nodded, Lu Siyue gracefully made her way toward the restroom.

It must have been the baijiu she drank earlier that was making her feel uncomfortable.

Her head was spinning, and most importantly...

Damn it, her heart was beating too fast.