I waited on the sofa in the reception room. Knowing I hadn't eaten, Liu Yuan had thoughtfully prepared afternoon tea and pastries from the company for me.

Around four in the afternoon, Liu Wei finished his meeting.

Liu Wei immediately returned Liu Yuan's call. He was especially excited when he learned I was there and even asked Liu Yuan to give me the phone so he could hear my voice and confirm Liu Yuan wasn't lying to him.

"It really is you, Chenguang! Oh my, where have you disappeared to for the past year?"

Liu Wei's excited voice came through the receiver. Hearing his voice, I felt a mix of emotions and nostalgia.

"Haha, that's a long story."

"Alright, I'm pushing back all my engagements for today. We brothers will get together and catch up. Now that I've said it, you're not allowed to refuse. Give the phone to Liu Yuan; I'll have him make the arrangements."

"I..." Liu Wei didn't give me a chance to refuse. It was too much to decline his enthusiasm, so I tacitly agreed to Liu Wei's plan and returned the phone to Liu Yuan.

...

Liu Yuan and a few of the other guys from our original startup left work half an hour early. Liu Yuan had arranged a car in advance, and we set off for the agreed-upon restaurant in the car Liu Yuan had arranged.

Liu Yuan was chatty and cheerful on the way. After work, he was no longer so reserved and spoke much more casually.

Before long, we arrived at the agreed location. Liu Wei was personally waiting at the entrance to greet us. As soon as I got out of the car, he walked up to me, grabbed my arm, and said excitedly, "Chenguang, it's been so long! You haven't changed much. You've been gone for over a year, and so much work has fallen on my shoulders. I've been swamped! Do you know how much I've missed you?"

Liu Wei's words were a little embarrassing. He could really say such "ambiguous" things in front of his subordinates.

However, as Liu Wei's most trusted friend and partner, my silent disappearance for a year, followed by my sudden return, was indeed enough to fill him with emotion.

It had only been a year since I last saw Liu Wei, but now Liu Wei's hair was even thinner. He was visibly balding. Not only had he gained weight all over, but he had also developed a beer belly, stretching his shirt into an irregular semicircle. He had become much greasier, and the twenty-six or seven-year-old looked like a man in his thirties.

"Come, come, come." Liu Wei pulled me toward the restaurant. "Today, the brothers are giving you a welcome-back feast."

I was ushered into the restaurant surrounded by a group of people.

Calling it a restaurant was an understatement; it was actually a high-end private club. The cost was not low. Just the service fee for a private room for a dozen or so people was four figures, not to mention the dishes inside. Keep in mind that the average salary in Tianjing was only around three thousand. Liu Wei was definitely going all out to treat me.

I knew about this club because I had once hosted a major client here and landed a contract worth more than a million. Eating here at that time cost eighteen thousand for six people, so it left a particularly deep impression on me.

Liu Wei led me to the seat of honor, and Liu Wei sat next to me. The others sat down after seeing Liu Wei and me take our seats.

The food was served quickly. We had only been sitting and chatting for a couple of minutes when dish after dish was brought out. The high-end dishes included abalone, lobster, shark fin, king crab, and dishes made with precious sturgeon caviar. Even ordinary beef and lamb ribs were prepared in a very sophisticated way.

Liu Wei also specially took out a case of treasured Maotai, opened it in front of everyone, and said to the crowd, "Today, let's drink to our heart's content! We also have foreign wine. After we finish the Maotai, we'll move on to XO!"

Liu Wei's extravagant gesture was met with applause and cheers from his subordinates.

As Liu Wei spoke, he poured wine for me. He Qiang was quick to act. After Liu Wei poured wine for me, he took the bottle and poured wine for Liu Wei and the others.

"For the first drink, let's all raise a glass to my good brother, Zhao Chenguang, to welcome him back and to cleanse away the dust from his journey, and to welcome him back to our big family!"

Liu Wei was beaming as he gave the toast.

Everyone happily raised their glasses together. I was moved by the atmosphere before me, and tears involuntarily welled up in my eyes.

Actually, the reason I came to find Liu Wei wasn't to return to our old team, nor was it to start a new life. The real reason I came back was...

In the joyful atmosphere, I found it difficult to speak for a moment.

As I drank with them, I thought about how to bring up the matter, at least without spoiling their mood at its peak.

After a few drinks, Liu Wei started to get tipsy. He put his arm around my shoulder and told me about the company's progress over the past year, telling me about the company's acquisition process, their current work, and future plans one by one.

I could hear the meaning in Liu Wei's words: he wanted me to come back quickly and fight alongside him to recreate our past glory.

Liu Wei also quietly told me that we both had shares in the company, and that the market value of the company shares I held now added up to ten million, with a bright future and development ahead. I was a veritable millionaire in Tianjing, with houses, money, and cars—everything I could want.

Liu Yuan also curiously asked me what I had been doing during the year I disappeared. Of course, I couldn't tell them the truth.

I smiled and said to them, "I went exploring, searching for the meaning of life on my journey."