Black-bellied vs. Black-bellied: Ultimate ShowdownCh25 - Never Admit Defeat

Chapter 025: Never Admit Defeat

“Hello…” Qi Yu stretched out his hand and shook hands with the other party. Though his face revealed not a single ripple, huge mighty swells were already surging in his heart! HVWdEi

——How could this man be Complex Number!?

Mentally connecting this to the routines and tactics that the other party often taught him, for a moment, Qi Yu actually felt that this entire thing was something that he had planned!

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Qi Yu had tricked him and even avoided the problem by walking away. Complex Number was very upset. After secretly finding out his identity, he spent more than a year carefully laying out this trap and getting him to rise to the bait. He waited for him to come back and he specially invited him to meet at the same bar. …

But reason quickly caused Qi Yu to overturn this unrealistic conjecture. huV0ke

Because from how his father asked him to investigate Mei Wei’s financial report, to Si Hang’s trip to the United States, to Xu Yizhou’s recommendation of this person…there were simply too many variables in the middle. It would have been impossible for them to know of and associate with each other if there had been a problem in any of those links!

Furthermore, how could Complex Number, a proper member of society, spend so much time and effort just to avenge a prank on him by a patch of drifting duckweed he'd met in the bar?

On top of that, on WeChat last night, when he confirmed the meeting time and place with Complex Number, the other party had first asked him “Can you drink alcohol” and “Do you know where Feng Mao Building is?”

If Complex Number already knew who he was ahead of time, he wouldn’t have asked these questions.

FUl8EC

……

So really, maybe, it’s just a coincidence…

——But this really is too f*cking coincidental! ! !

Seeing the other person sitting down in front of him, Qi Yu tried desperately to calm his agitated mood. J8S5Mm

There were separated only by a small table. It was just the right distance for chatting.

But because the other party was also very tall, after sitting down, a pair of long legs stretched out under the table and easily encroached into Qi Yu’s space.

Qi Yu subconsciously leaned back against his chair, his heart pounding with nervousness.

“What would you like to drink?” He took the initiative to relieve his embarrassment. xHb60N

“I’ll have the same as yours.” Complex Number’s expression was equally serious.

Qi Yu beckoned to a waiter and calmly placed the order for the other. However, after that, he didn’t know what to say.

His head was such a mess, it felt like a lump of paste.

Taking a deep breath, Qi Yu urged himself not to think too much. TZR9nb

Since this was just a coincidence, maybe Complex Number no longer even remembered him. Then he had nothing to worry about.

However, at this moment, Complex Number narrowed his eyes. Sounding a little puzzled, he said, “Why do I feel like I’ve seen you before?”

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Qi Yu: “…………”

The corners of Qi Yu’s mouth twitched. “Hehe, you do?” ejQMf9

His mind was a continuous stream of ‘f*ck’ and ‘sh*t’…

——He has an impression! He unexpectedly still has an impression!

…Wait, no.

Qi Yu reacted. What he’d given the other party was his brother’s name and phone number. If Complex Number really did still remember, wouldn’t he be able to get through this like before — by throwing the pot onto his younger brother! ? TsDRvO

That’s right. The person who kissed Complex Number was “Qi Feng”, not him. So long as he manages to convince himself of this, he will be invulnerable!

Steady, don’t panic, don’t mess up, don’t collapse

Complex Number smiled and shook his head. Easing Qi Yu’s anxiety, he said, “Forget it, it sounded like I was trying to cotton up to you when I said it. Maybe I got you confused for some other handsome person with a similar figure.”

Qi Yu: “………………” MoAl8I

The way you f*cking say it allows me to actually throw the pot!? Just what does this unclear statement mean! ?

The plural was still looking at him. “You seem a little quiet, not much like I imagined.”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Hl Te obgmfv j ijeut, “Qtja vlv sbe lwjulcf wf ab yf?”

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Hl Te: “???”

Rjeutas? Vqblifv? Aera ktb lr atlr wjc ajixlcu jybea? ? ?

Jbwqifz Rewyfg ibbxfv ja tlw jcv qblcafv bea, “Cgfc’a sbe atf bcf ktb ralii xffqr erlcu fwbplr ab rtjxf wf lc QfJtja?”

Qi Yu: “……” ULjkeP

Seriously, he regrets it very much now.

…Sending those emojis.

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If he’d known that Complex Number was the one who’d kissed him, he would definitely have kept the distance between them to one that befitted gentlemen.

“But you are right about one thing.” Complex Number drew back his long legs and put one hand on his knee. He looked him up and down and said, “You are indeed quite dazzling. Even if you are the son of a billionaire, not everyone is as good-looking as you.” EiVT9W

Qi Yu: “…………”

If the other party said something like this over on WeChat, Qi Yu wouldn’t have thought much of it. He would have even felt happy.

But now, facing the person himself…

His tone was obviously normal, but why did he feel like the other party was…teasing him? YdcAFI

Qi Yu pinched the palm of his hand, warning himself not to let him imagination run wild anymore.

Since he had determined that it was Qi Feng did it, then he should stick with it and see this play through to the end.

He desperately tried to brainwash himself. This is Complex Number, the learned and knowledgeable “Teacher Fu”, a service provider he’d spent money on online to hire. He has nothing to do with the man he kissed here a year ago!

“You still haven’t told me your name.” Qi Yu gradually calmed down. fmx54T

The man said “Oh” and took out his wallet from his trousers pocket. He pulled out a business card and pushed it towards him.

It was the same small pearlescent white card, the same slightly rough but heavy paper, with the other party’s name and title printed on it——

Fu Yansheng, Deputy Director of Ming Tai Securities IBD.

Below, there was a string of phone numbers, it was exactly the number Fu Yansheng told him during Christmas last year. NmlgLr

After their face to face meeting in January, his father had also revealed to him that Complex Number was working in the investment banking division of a securities company. Add to that his ‘Fu’ surname…

In fact, the other party had given him a lot of clues. If Qi Yu had kept that business card or remembered the other party’s name from that time, he might have made the connection.

But he forcibly put this man completely to the back of his mind and missed all the opportunities.

Their drinks arrived and the two gently clinked their glasses. Vd4tqQ

“Hey, I’ve let you see me and I’ve even shown you my business card, but remember, don’t just casually tell other people that I’m working as your tutor. The company has confidentiality regulations, and many of the examples I mentioned while teaching you were ones I’ve personally come across. Although I’ve erased the key information from them, if you tell anyone, it would still cause me trouble.” Fu Yansheng took a sip of drink and raised his eyebrows at him, “Were you listening?”

Qi Yu: “……”

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Even when they were just conversing over chat, he already couldn’t out-talk the other. Now, that he was facing the actual person, when the other party opens his mouth, with the expression in his eyes and his imposing manner, Qi Yu was even less able to withstand him.

Qi Yu said “Oh”, and thought to himself that chatting over WeChat was still better. At least there, he could still send a Tuzki emoticon… IMPoxf

But Qi Yu was obviously unwilling to be suppressed by the other party. After all, his education and experiences since he was young have all led him to become a man with a strong heart.

He might pretend to be cowed for a little while, but he would never admit defeat.

Qi Yu lowered his eyes, pretending to carelessly play with the business card in his hand. He asked, “Just what do you usually do at work?”

Fu Yansheng: “Help clients raise money.” H4neCN

Qi Yu asked a lot of detailed questions about how he raised money and what it was that he did. Fu Yansheng answered them one by one.

He understood and asked, “So does that mean you see a lot of people every day?”

Fu Yansheng: “En.”

Qi Yu: “What kind of people?” fNWldv

Fu Yansheng: “Most are shareholders of listed companies. Occasionally, I will negotiate with accounting firms, law firms or people from government departments.”

No wonder Fu Yansheng knew so much. He was exposed to different information every day…

Qi Yu vaguely remembered that Xu Jing said that it was rare for Fu Yansheng to be the vice president of the IBD at his age. So, he curiously inquired about the other party’s resume.

He was shocked once again when he learned that Fu Yansheng had graduated from university at the age of seventeen. 7xRHa8

However, since answering the questions just now, Fu Yansheng would glance at him from time to time, staring at him.

Because of his good looks, Qi Yu had grown used to having other people look at him since he was a child. But the way Fu Yansheng looked at him, he minded very much. It wasn’t a look back and it was a furtive glance, even less.

He moved his gaze down, trying his best not to lock eyes with the other. He continued to look for topics to divert his attention. “Then, you just got off work today?”

He saw on the business card that the address of Ming Tai Securities was also in Feng Mao Building. GOZY3E

Fu Yansheng let out a “en”.

Qi Yu asked again, “Have you had dinner?”

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Fu Yansheng: “I went to see a client at around five this afternoon. We had some Japanese food. Then I came back for a meeting at the company and after that, I came up to see you.”

“Oh…” Looking at the other’s thin lips, Qi Yu’s mind once again drifted back to last April… IUMHJ6

“Why have you stopped asking questions?” Fu Yansheng said suddenly.

Qi Yu trembled. “Huh?”

Fu Yansheng smiled. “Just now you were beginning to seem like how you usually are when chatting with me over WeChat. It seemed you were holding yourself back the first time you saw me.”

Qi Yu: “……” QTxJw2

Fu Yansheng said again, “If you want to ask, just ask. You’ve already seen me. My guess is you’re not gonna leave until you’ve satisfied your curiosity.”

Qi Yu definitely didn’t want to admit it but what he wanted most to ask now was if Fu Yansheng still remembered him, what he thought of that kiss last year…

He thought he was probably going crazy.

After taking a sip of his drink, Qi Yu pretended to be relaxed and said, “I’m here for two months, can I only see you once?” dudBif

“Hehe, that’s right,” Fu Yansheng lowered his eyelids and muttered in a low voice, “With how domineering you are, you’re going to want to stick to me every day for these two months and I can’t refuse you.”

Qi Yu: “……???”

Qi Yu: “Who’s going to stick to you every day? I still have to go to work at my dad’s company!”

“When are you going to work?” Fu Yansheng changed his sitting posture, his tone becoming serious. cR5oFg

“Next Monday.”

“What did you father arrange for you?”

“He said he had already spoken to Chief Qin, the one in charge of the branch office. Chief Qin found me a female secretary and she even went to the airport to pick me up yesterday.’ Qi Yu remembered the big box of clothes and daily necessities, and also mentioned this to Fu Yansheng. .

“So thoughtful…” In the middle of Fu Yansheng’s sentence, there suddenly came the sound of violin music from the table. 5CNb62

Qi Yu was surprised.

“Sorry.” Fu Yansheng glanced at the caller ID on the phone screen, and swiped at the screen to reject the call.

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Qi Yu said, surprised, “Your ringtone…”

“En, I think it sounds good, so I decided to use it,” Fu Yansheng said without the slightest change in his expression, “Do you mind?” tU1Orh

“It’s fine…” Qi Yu said, but his heart beat wildly again.

Complex Number actually used the violin piece he played…as his ringtone! ?

Fu Yansheng seemed to not care at all about how ambiguous that was. He continued, “After you go to the company, I suggest you hire an assistant yourself.”

“Eh, huh?” Qi Yu’s deviating thoughts were forcibly dragged back by him. Ix6vjt

“Actually, your dad has already noticed that someone below has been up to some dirty tricks. As one of the highest-level managers of the company, does Chief Qin actually know or not know about it?” Fu Yansheng paused and said, “If he does, then the secretary he arranged for you may be the biggest obstacle to your investigation.”

Qi Yu had also thought about this point. That was why he was a little wary when he first met Cheng Lijun. He even deliberately sent her away, not wanting to leave everything to her.

But finding an assistant…

“How do I find one?” Qi Yu asked. dlmDU

“Make a post on the recruitment site. Find an intern assistant for two months and pay 8,000 yuan a month. A lot of high-quality graduate students will be throwing their resumes at you. There’s no shortage of talented individuals in the country. Moreover, it’s the peak of job hunting season. By my estimate, you’ll be done in less than a week. If you recruit him yourself, you’ll be able to rest assured.”

“Won’t Chief Qin be displeased if he finds out?” Qi Yu frowned.

He remembered that his father had said that Qin Hanyao was forty-two years old already. No matter how you look at it, he was an elder who was nearly two generations older than him.

Fu Yansheng smiled. “Displeased? You’re here to do an investigation on behalf of your father, not to pretend to anyone’s grandson.” ixTehD

Qi Yu: “……”

Fu Yansheng: “Don’t hesitate to have more courage. Since he’s already given you the same rights as the company president, you should behave like the president — Don’t be afraid that that he might be displeased. Rather, be afraid that he’ll think you young and ignorant and try to make you go round and round in circles.”

Qi Yu nodded. “I understand.”

“The person Chief Qin arranged for you, you don’t need to completely push her away. Make use of her if you need to, consider it as leaving him face.” Fu Yansheng lifted his glass, leaned over, and once again, clinked it against Qi Yu’s. “If there’s any problem, just call me. I promised your father that I’d give you pointers. Now we’re in the same time zone, I’m no longer worried about you harassing me while I’m  asleep.” B1TERQ

Qi Yu said depressed, “I didn’t actually… disturb you while you were sleeping before, right?”

“No?” Fu Yansheng raised his eyebrows, “Then who was it that spent every day pestering me to chat until one or two in the morning. And who was it that called me at three in the morning, insisting on having a video call with me?”

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Qi Yu: “……???”

Every day? What an exaggeration! And ‘pester’? Isn’t this a service that Fu Yansheng ought to provide as stated in their contract? bCS85A

And why did he have to bring up about the video call at three o’clock in the morning? That was a special situation and he already apologized. Why was this person still turning over old accounts! ?

Fu Yansheng looked at him for a while, and suddenly said softly, “Forget it. Seeing how you’re so good-looking, I won’t argue with you about it.”

Qi Yu’s heart gave a jump and he almost dropped the glass he was holding.

Fu Yansheng said he was good-looking, and he has mentioned it twice since their meeting… p7Un0w

At this moment, a confounding question appeared in Qi Yu’s mind——

Is this man… gay?

Just when Qi Yu was beginning to have his doubts about the other party’s sexual orientation, he suddenly heard Xu Jing calling his name.

Qi Yu tilted his head and sure enough, he saw Xu Jing walking towards him with a happy expression on his face, “Is it really you?” TdS7b4

Xu Jing then turned looked at Fu Yansheng who was sitting opposite him. He asked curiously, “This is…?”

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Because Qi Yu came to see Fu Yansheng without telling Xu Jing, he felt a little guilty. He quickly got up and introduced, “He’s the one I mentioned to you over the phone…Complex Number.”

There was a flash of astonishment across Xu Jing’s face. “The online friend?” EzwR9M

Fu Yansheng raised his eyebrows. He didn’t seem to like this title very much.

Qi Yu introduced him to Fu Yansheng. “This is my father’s former secretary, Xu Jing.”

Fu Yansheng also stood up and politely shook hands with Xu Jing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Xu Jing’s expression was a little stiff. He and Fu Yansheng exchanged a perfunctory shake of hands. He then immediately asked Qi Yu, “Didn’t you say you had something going on tonight? Was it to come see him?” AHQ4Pf

————

【Little Theater】

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7 fish: Just f*cking bring it up! Let me explain!

Fu: I won’t let you explain, just keep holding back. bPsHlM

————

7 fish: You still haven’t told me your name.

Fu: Go on, keep pretending.

Vndy6r

Translator's Note


Si Hang is the second/youngest son of Qi Yuancheng’s business partner in the Si Yuan Group. He’s the one who owns an e-sports company

Translator's Note


Si Hang’s very competent secretary who is actually an undercover agent like FYS

Translator's Note


a stranger

Translator's Note


More specifically, don’t let your persona collapse

Translator's Note


A distance that there should be between gentlemen

Translator's Note


i.e. drama, act

Translator's Note


The number FYS gave him to set up a meeting with Qi Yuancheng

Translator's Note


Investment Banking Division

Translator's Note


Overly-conscious

Translator's Note


Like when you pass-by someone good looking and do a double take

Translator's Note


‘It’ being their kiss last year

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12 comments

  1. Eh.. the title ‘black-bellied vs black-bellied’, ‘ultimate showdown’ and all, has made me expect a somewhat equally.. smart and fierce (friendly) fight between them.. I hope xiao Yu would develop to be more.. I meant less and less.. naive later on. Maybe the story is now in the process of the all-round gong grooming the little shou (in term of wisdom) bah..

    /how can a person who came to know you and all the ppl related to you in varied stances either rivaly or peers, wouldn’t be able to find out about that fake identity guy he had kissed ne?

  2. Im torn. I wanted the actual confrontation but also enjoying the internal turmoil Qi Yu is facing…as well as the fact that the skeleton in the closet gives way to Fu helping qi yu’s task

  3. I’m starting to dislike Fu ngl.

    I don’t like how he makes Qi Yu question everyone (well not really everyone lol), especially Xu Jing. I mean tbh, if Fu is not the ML he would be the most questionable character here. Imagine someone you’ve only known over the internet makes assumptions of your friends (who’s never brought you harm) without any concrete basis other than their logic; imma start thinking about their character twice. If you could always explain human behavior with logical reasoning, life wouldn’t be so complicated.

    Xu Jing might be some villain in future chapters and this is foreshadowing but I don’t really see how his character is questionable rn as Fu is trying to imply. That’s why it really comes off as if he’s just trying to create distrust between them.

    I loved the story so far but Fu is starting to annoy me 😭