{"id":9663,"date":"2019-11-23T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2019-11-23T17:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=9663"},"modified":"2020-03-12T17:30:49","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T21:30:49","slug":"epiphanies-of-rebirth-22-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-22-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphanies of Rebirth 22.2"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9663\" class=\"elementor elementor-9663\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f035568 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f035568\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column 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data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chapter 22.2<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67aa1986 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"67aa1986\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-32971be7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"32971be7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few days later, Tian Dahua brought back good tidings: \u201cThe loan has been approved!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe was especially careful to always maintain his composure in front of Tian Dahua. At this moment, he was leisurely brewing tea and merely smiled in response to hearing the news.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He offered the broker a small cup of crystal clear tea. \u201cTry it?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeing his complete lack of concern over the loan process, Tian Dahua felt ashamed of his own excitement. He hurriedly took a sip of tea.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAh!\u201d he exclaimed as he began to praise, \u201cSuch a tasty tea! This <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pu%27er_tea\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pu\u2019er<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> must be from a particularly good year<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m afraid the price must be equally amazing!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His grandfather had a weakness for tea. Lin Jingzhe deliberately brought one compressed tea cake to reinforce his \u201cwell-bred\u201d persona. Therefore, he just gave a faint smile. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy to acquire good tea; it should be appreciated. Talking about the price is vulgar.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tian Dahua was at a loss for a second before he let out a laugh, \u201cHa ha, indeed! Talking about the price is vulgar!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His smile was so wide it almost split his face in two, but inwardly, he couldn\u2019t help complaining, <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Talking about the price is vulgar?\u2019 You can only say this because you\u2019re swimming in money, young master!<\/span><\/em><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, since he was unclear about Lin Jingzhe\u2019s background, he would never say this out loud. His face returned to a more natural expression and he commented, \u201cMr. Lin, most people I know who are your age like to drink red wine and such. It\u2019s really unexpected that you\u2019d be fond of tea.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s because alcohol is too expensive.<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lin Jingzhe lowered his gaze and replied, \u201cAn elder at home likes it. I guess I was influenced by him.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An elder? Probably the patriarch of the family<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Tian Dahua noted in his mind. His eyes swept over the seemingly ordinary tea set on the table. \u201cThen, since Mr. Lin enjoys tea so much, I\u2019ll look out for tea sets\u2014maybe I\u2019ll be able to find a good one for you!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo need, I\u2019ve never been particular about tea sets.\u201d Lin Jingzhe waved a hand, dismissive. \u201cWhen drinking tea, one should focus on the tea, not what is holding the tea.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Actually, he was just spouting bullshit\u2014the truth was that good tea sets were too expensive. He didn\u2019t have much money now and needed to count every penny, what kind of tea set could he buy? His grandfather had several nice ones but he didn\u2019t dare take them with him, for fear of breaking them during the long and arduous journey.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonetheless, Tian Dahua was obviously fooled, and stared blankly for a moment, stunned. Lin Jingzhe smiled and poured him another cup of tea.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The broker cautiously held the cup, slowly sipping from it. After hearing Lin Jingzhe\u2019s words, he felt that the tea in his mouth seemed extraordinarily flavorful.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the small clay stove, the mineral water in the copper pot boiled, creating steam that made the pot lid rattle melodiously. As Lin Jingzhe brewed tea, he chatted with Tian Dahua, discussing\u00a0 recent international news, including some local developments. Then, he clicked his tongue as if something had suddenly occurred to him\u2014<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMr. Tian,\u201d he said, \u201cI just remembered that Shen City Stock Exchange is going to open soon, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYes,\u201d Tian Dahua answered promptly. \u201cAre you interested in stocks, Mr. Lin?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh, I\u2019ve traded some stocks here and there. You\u2019re a very resourceful person, Mr. Tian\u2014perhaps you\u2019ll be able to get me in?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tian Dahua smiled. \u201cIt\u2019s not that there isn\u2019t a way, but\u2026 Mr. Lin, we\u2019re friends already, so let me give you some friendly advice: I suggest you wait and see. The exchange hasn\u2019t opened yet and nobody knows what its prospects are. The stock market crash a few years ago is still fresh in my mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe knew that he was talking about Black Monday, a worldwide financial market system disaster in 1987, which began with a sudden crash in the New York stock market. Countless stockholders went bankrupt, and that tragedy spooked domestic investors. In 1990, the stock market in China was still in its pilot stage; with such a horrific example of what could happen if things went wrong, everyone was extremely cautious.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe disregarded Tian Dahua\u2019s warning. \u201cI know about that, but why should I be afraid? I\u2019m just going to play a little.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tian Dahua both admired and feared people with this mindset. He knew they came from entirely different social strata: what he had to cautiously trudge through, afraid of traps that might lead straight into an abyss, in some people\u2019s eyes, was but a shallow puddle that could wet their shoes at most.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So he nodded, not bothering to waste his breath. \u201cAll right, if you\u2019re sure, I\u2019ll get in touch with my contacts. I can\u2019t guarantee whether you\u2019ll profit or make a loss, but at least you\u2019ll be able to trade.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe nodded, then changed the topic to several wine brands that were recently gaining popularity in China.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He knew that Tian Dahua was a businessman\u2014since he had agreed to his demand, he was at least 80% sure he would succeed in getting him in. Although the popular, hard to obtain <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Warrant_(finance)\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stock warrants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hadn\u2019t appeared yet, it didn\u2019t mean that trading stocks was easy. The main reason for this difficulty was slow and inefficient procedures and the small number of stocks available for purchase.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe didn\u2019t have much time. Before long, he would start university and would have neither the time nor the energy to keep up with the stock market in Shen City.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-467bacf elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"467bacf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70ec29c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70ec29c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The loan was approved on Monday, so that same afternoon, Lin Jingzhe was accompanied by Tian Dahua and arrived at the bank. After receiving his updated passbook, he saw a digit followed by a string of zeros.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a moment, Lin Jingzhe had difficulty breathing. He felt a heavy burden settling on his shoulders, almost crushing his body. For most people in this era, 500,000 yuan was an astronomical figure.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But he didn\u2019t reveal any abnormalities in front of Tian Dahua. After confirming the figure, he generously gave Tian Dahua 3,000 yuan in cash.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All Tian Dahua did was run about and speak with a few of his acquaintances, nothing too challenging. He felt that even without his help, it wouldn\u2019t be hard to borrow this sum with Lin Jingzhe\u2019s background, so he tried to give it back, embarrassed: \u201cThis\u2026 this is too much.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cJust consider this as me treating you to a drink, Mr. Tian,\u201d Lin Jingzhe blocked his hand. In a tone brooking no arguments, he continued, \u201cI\u2019ll bother you to take care of things when we go to the stock exchange anyway. Besides, we\u2019re friends already, this much money is nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tian Dahua ended up nodding and putting the money away. He planned to invite his \u201cacquaintances\u201d out for a meal as soon as possible and have a talk with them\u2014he didn\u2019t come across a customer as generous as Lin Jingzhe very often, so he was willing to put in 120% more effort to smooth the way and handle whatever Lin Jingzhe asked of him.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cac391 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"6cac391\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8829958 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8829958\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">500,000 yuan.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Lin Jingzhe got this money, he only had a few thousand of his original 20,000 left. He had calculated everything almost to the cent and would not spend any more money than what was absolutely necessary while he was on such a tight budget, just in case any unexpected situations occurred.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the half a million arrived, he promptly proceeded with the next stage of his plan: taking his buddies to buy a new wardrobe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deng Mai\u2019s clothes were passable, but Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang\u2019s were too worn-out. This wouldn\u2019t do for the role Lin Jingzhe wanted them to play.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He went to the mall, found a brand with clothes that were more reserved in style, and bought outfits for each of them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All three were tall, and muscular due to their love of sports. In addition, though Deng Mai\u2019s darker complexion didn\u2019t detract from his good looks, it made him look older than his actual age.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As soon as they put on the casual clothes Lin Jingzhe selected for them, the high school students disappeared without a trace\u2014in their place were three strapping young men. When they stood there, silent with their arms folded, they looked quite intimidating.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gao Sheng squinted at the mirror. He was shocked by the change; he never imagined that he could have this kind of aura.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhou Haitang belonged to a gang for a few days, so he had mastered the thuggish look. As he glanced around with slightly narrowed eyes, he seemed ready to knock people out at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Gao Sheng was the brains and Zhou Haitang was the muscle, then Deng Mai was the one who got rid of the corpses and eliminated evidence. The smile on his face was friendly but gave off a slightly sinister feeling that something unpleasant was likely to happen.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe was very satisfied. \u201cFrom now on, you can accompany me.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deng Mai had a flash of intuition: \u201cAre we going to act as your bodyguards, Big Bro?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBodyguards?\u201d Gao Sheng blinked, taken aback, then grabbed Lin Jingzhe\u2019s arm. \u201cAre you being bullied?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhou Haitang came up from behind, also looking angry\u2014no one was going to bully Lin Jingzhe on his watch!<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The shop clerks, scared by the situation which seemed to be turning violent, kept glancing over at the equally alarmed security guard.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d Lin Jingzhe pushed Gao Sheng\u2019s hand off, saying helplessly, \u201cNo, why would you think so?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It took him a lot of effort to convince them otherwise and Gao Sheng still confirmed it several times before he finally shut up, though it was obvious he didn\u2019t completely believe him. He\u2019d been Lin Jingzhe\u2019s protector since childhood, for more than a decade now, and it had already become second nature to him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the reasons Lin Jingzhe took his friends with him was to let them see a wider world and to not let opportunities they may encounter in this magical era pass them by due to ignorance and timidity. In their last life, Gao Sheng and Zhou Haitang were successfully accepted by a new gang after their first one collapsed and even climbed to positions important enough to learn many of its secrets. They were obviously capable.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe wanted to help them develop this potential. They didn\u2019t need to become rich and powerful, but he hoped that, at the very least, they wouldn\u2019t be as impoverished as they were now.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for Deng Mai\u2014this fellow was the all-round talent, with an ability to instinctively know what to say in different situations with different people; his EQ was so high that Lin Jingzhe, an ordinary person, was in awe. If he was cultivated early, his future achievements would be much greater than simply owning several bars in a few small cities.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe knew he was about to throw himself into battle.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Shen City of 1990, people from the light and dark side mingled together, and there were many speculators trying to fish in troubled waters. He was young, an outsider, and came to Shen City alone. Until now, he had acted low-key and might not have attracted anyone\u2019s attention yet, but after attending the opening of Shen City Stock Exchange, his safety would definitely become an issue.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, he had neither the connections nor the money to hire a bodyguard. He could ask Tian Dahua, but who knew if the person he found would be reliable? Although he cooperated with Tian Dahua, he didn\u2019t trust him, so he would never rely on him with issues concerning his personal safety. As such, the most logical choice was to have his friends accompany him. When these tall and fit young men stood together, they looked threatening enough to deter most people from messing with him.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The clothes Lin Jingzhe chose for himself were more casual, light-colored and loose. The dress shirt had traditional knot buttons, giving it a Chinese feel.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cotton and linen fabrics were breathable and comfortable to wear at the height of summer. When Lin Jingzhe left the fitting room, his friends\u2019 eyes opened wide. He looked in the mirror and suddenly wanted to laugh.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This outfit screamed that the person who wore this treated money as dirt. He looked like an immortal straight out of a cultivation novel.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enveloped in loose clothing, he cut a stunning figure. His waist was narrow, his legs were long, and his thin shoulders formed a graceful line. The clothes shifted slightly when he walked, as if a burst of fresh air was brushing against his body.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deng Mai stammered, \u201cIt looks good, very good, it looks\u2026 it looks\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He didn\u2019t quite know how to describe it, but he felt that the Lin Jingzhe, who had been different from them since the very beginning, after changing his clothes, suddenly seemed even further away, too high to be reached.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee8dbe3 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"ee8dbe3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-430b6c6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"430b6c6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a fine, cloudless day. The heat was still bearable as the sun had yet to reach its zenith. Tian Dahua had to stand in front of the hotel\u2019s entrance for a while before the person he was waiting for appeared.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe seemed to bring with him a cool, refreshing breeze. Tian Dahua almost felt the wind hit his face; it took him a moment to snap out of the daze. He promptly stepped forward to greet him, exclaiming, \u201cMr. Lin, you\u2026 you look very different from usual!\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He took a closer look at Lin Jingzhe\u2019s appearance. The young man had visited the hairdresser\u2014his hair was barely an inch long now, revealing his exquisite facial features and the elegant shape of his skull.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From their first encounter, Lin Jingzhe\u2019s manner was so imposing that Tian Dahua had never paid close attention to his looks. It was only at this moment, that he truly noticed his appearance.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe\u2019s beautiful peach blossom eyes narrowed when he smiled. His eyelashes were long enough to cast a shadow on his cheeks, his lips were rosy, and his teeth were pearly white. His chin was rather pointy, but when combined with a bit of baby fat still left on his cheeks, it made him look like a little innocent white rabbit.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cToday is the grand opening of the stock exchange, so it\u2019s only natural to pay a little more attention to my looks, no?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo, that wasn\u2019t what I meant,\u201d Tian Dahua rushed to explain, smiling obsequiously. \u201cIt\u2019s just that you look even better than usual when you dress up, Mr. Lin. Your temperament doesn\u2019t seem like that of a businessman at all, more like a celestial being.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lin Jingzhe laughed as if he was flattered. He clapped the man on the shoulder. \u201cCelestial being, huh? Then I guess my blessing will let you earn a fortune.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tian Dahua smiled and bowed with clasped hands, jokingly paying respect to him. His eyes fell behind the youth. \u201cThey are\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three friends had been trained by Lin Jingzhe these past few days. Now, they didn\u2019t even glance at Tian Dahua, standing still with their hands behind their backs.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWell, when going out, one must always stay safe, right?\u201d Lin Jingzhe replied with a smile. \u201cIt\u2019s hot outside, shall we go in?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As expected of the truly rich\u2014one bodyguard is not enough!<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amazed, Tian Dahua couldn\u2019t help looking the three young men up and down. As he did, his eyes met the gaze of the darker-skinned one. The bodyguard squinted but didn\u2019t speak, only revealing a shallow smile.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As if a chilly wind had suddenly blown in, Tian Dahua got goosebumps. He quickly averted his gaze and led Lin Jingzhe into the building, afraid of being even the least bit neglectful.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a59bd5f elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"a59bd5f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-30da3a7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"30da3a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>The author has something to say:<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deng Mai: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This big brother looks rich. Hello, big brother! <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">*smile*<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-042c569 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"042c569\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea0a5c4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ea0a5c4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Translator&#8217;s Notes:<\/strong><\/h3><ol><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>&#8220;Although the popular, hard to obtain stock warrants hadn\u2019t appeared yet&#8230;&#8221;<\/strong> &#8211; in China, first stock warrants were issued in 1992, in Shanghai. Paper stock warrants were used for a short period of time, until 1995 &#8211; people had to queue to buy them, sometimes for days (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.institutionalinvestor.com\/article\/b150nrhxtt131m\/chinas-warrants-and-options\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>China&#8217;s Warrants and Options<\/strong><\/em><\/a>; shout-out to Velvet who researched this).<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>&#8220;This fellow was the all-round talent, with an ability to instinctively know what to say in different situations with different people&#8221;<\/strong> &#8211; idiom <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E8%A6%8B%E4%BA%BA%E8%AA%AA%E4%BA%BA%E8%A9%B1%EF%BC%8C%E8%A6%8B%E9%AC%BC%E8%AA%AA%E9%AC%BC%E8%A9%B1#Chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u898b\u4eba\u8aaa\u4eba\u8a71\uff0c\u898b\u9b3c\u8aaa\u9b3c\u8a71<\/a><\/strong>; literally: \u201cspeaking the language of humans when seeing a human, and speaking the language of devils when seeing a devil\u201d.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>&#8220;People from the light and dark side mingled together&#8221;<\/strong> &#8211; idiom <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E9%BE%8D%E8%9B%87%E6%B7%B7%E9%9B%9C#Chinese\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>\u9f8d\u86c7\u6df7\u96dc<\/strong><\/a>; literally: \u201cdragons and snakes jumbled together\u201d; fig. good and bad people mixed up.<br \/><\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3d76eae5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3d76eae5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-38674ce8\" data-id=\"38674ce8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50b5930 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"50b5930\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cd91a0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cd91a0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Translator: Eques<\/em><br \/><em>Editor: Luoshenhua<br \/><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2d65fd52 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"2d65fd52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c14d728 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c14d728\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7544ad7c\" data-id=\"7544ad7c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47abfc44 elementor-button-info elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"47abfc44\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-22-1\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-left\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Previous<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1f737a4a\" data-id=\"1f737a4a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-339fa6f elementor-button-info elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"339fa6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Project Page<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f12f416\" data-id=\"4f12f416\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70cf5ebc elementor-align-right elementor-button-info elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"70cf5ebc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-xs\" href=\"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-23\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-angle-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span 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