Out Of Control All The Way - Chapter 2

That bike of yours was worth it, even if you crashed into a Rolls-Royce.

Gu Yubai, with his dark skin and a build full of taut muscles, was holding a set of tools as he inspected the injured motorcycle.

Gu Yubai was Jiang Muzhou’s college classmate. The two of them had a great relationship, often renting motorcycles during their school days to ride routes spanning hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. It was precisely around that time that Gu Yubai fell in love with motorcycles.

After graduation, Gu Yubai didn’t pursue work related to his major. Instead, he opened this specialized motorcycle shop. In his own words, a man’s dream was to fly across the open road, and his dream was to help others achieve their dreams while making some money on the side.

As for Jiang Muzhou, he had tried interviewing for regular jobs. After interning for a short period, he discovered that he simply wasn’t someone who enjoyed sitting in an office cubicle. He loved freedom, so he started his own business venture in game development.

The lighting the other night hadn’t been very clear, but seeing it in broad daylight now, aside from the headlight and the side panel, the front fairing and front fender had also suffered quite a bit of damage.

Not only was the bike broken, but he hadn’t escaped unscathed either. He hadn’t felt any pain at the time, but when taking a shower that evening, he noticed his arms and thighs were covered in bruises.

Jiang Muzhou stood nearby and said, Help me write up a receipt.

Gu Yubai looked up. Write it for a bit more?

Just the actual amount, Jiang Muzhou replied.

Gu Yubai motioned to a nearby mechanic, telling him to get to work on the repairs.

Expecting to watch Gu Yubai showcase his personal handiwork, Jiang Muzhou raised an eyebrow and smiled. The great Boss Gu isn’t going to fix it himself?

Gu Yubai took off his gloves, chuckled sheepishly, and said, With my level of skill, if I fixed it, would you dare ride it?

Following Gu Yubai into the lounge, Jiang Muzhou asked, Any upcoming riding trips planned?

Looking to go out for a spin?

These past two weeks have been too full of bad luck. I want to go out, clear my head, and change my mood.

Gu Yubai shook his head. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t recommend heading out. At least here in Beijing you have people to lean on, but trying to find someone to help you out out there would be tough.

It was true; given his current state of mind, going anywhere wouldn’t be ideal.

Gu Yubai added, I know a second-generation heir. I talked to him about your game, and he’s quite interested. I’ll take you to meet him in a few days.

Thanks.

Just call me daddy.

Get lost.

Once the bike was repaired and the receipt sent over, the transfer came through very quickly.

The other party acted efficiently, and the money for the repairs was deposited into his account in no time.

Jiang Muzhou couldn’t help but recall the cold, stern expression of that man from the other night. He didn’t even know the other guy’s name; he had only glanced at him once yet somehow etched his appearance into his memory.

With that matter concluded and time passing, Jiang Muzhou soon put the incident behind him and began focusing on preparing his game documentation.

Learning from his previous failure, this time he made sure to have all the game design documents, prototypes, and framework fully prepared. He compiled a very thick stack of materials, also putting together a video presentation for easy reading, and then simply waited for the date he and Gu Yubai had agreed upon.

Because his motorcycle was sent in for repairs, Shang Shixu had switched to driving a G-Wagon for the past few days.

An off-road vehicle, hardly business-oriented.

The accident from that night was just a minor interlude. His heavy workload left him no time to dwell on other matters, but he hadn’t expected to run into that motorcycle rider again so soon.

His social circle was basically confined to Beijing, and most of his friends were peers he had grown up with since childhood.

People often said that the starting line for certain individuals was the ultimate finish line that countless others could only dream of reaching.

Shang Shixu belonged squarely to that group of certain individuals.

He was part of the crowd often labeled as the offspring of officials or elite families. Aside from a lack of familial warmth, his life had been relatively smooth sailing.

His education and career had always progressed without a hitch, running into practically no major setbacks.

From a young age, he knew what he wanted and understood what his background and identity could bring him. Most importantly, he possessed a clear self-awareness, refusing to let such a privileged environment make him lose his footing, which was why he worked exceptionally hard.

His academic record had to be the most stellar, securing admission to the top schools, and his career had to reach the highest peaks. Zhongshi Group was founded back when he was still a student, and it had developed into a fairly sizable enterprise by now.

Because of these achievements, compared to those spoiled playboys, he was the classic neighbor’s kid often praised by the elders in their circle.

This time, he ran into Jiang Muzhou at the birthday banquet of his childhood friend, Zhang Ning.

The birthday gathering wasn’t held on a massive scale. Most attendees were friends from their circle, and Shang Shixu recognized the majority of them.

Even those he didn’t know personally were familiar faces he had crossed paths with at some point.

Yet this particular person was the most unfamiliar face among them all.

His arrival had naturally caught everyone’s attention, primarily because his formal suit clashed completely with the relaxed atmosphere of the venue, and on top of that, they were late.

The person who brought him along looked vaguely familiar to Shang Shixu. He had met him briefly as a child; back then, that person seemed to hang around Zhang Ning quite a bit. Later on, it seemed something happened with his family, and he had simply vanished from their lives.

Sorry we’re late, we’ll punish ourselves with three cups. Gu Yubai pulled Jiang Muzhou right over to today’s birthday host, Zhang Ning.

Without waiting to exchange further pleasantries, he grabbed an empty glass, filled it with alcohol, and downed three drinks in a row.

Cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd. Zhang Ning didn’t even have time to stop him, pressing a hand onto Gu Yubai’s arm. I’m already happy enough that you could make it.

With that, he looked toward Jiang Muzhou standing beside him. And this is?

Gu Yubai pulled his hand back, wiped his lips, and tugged Jiang Muzhou forward. This is Jiang Muzhou, the one I mentioned to you who’s doing the game development project.

Oh. Zhang Ning gave Jiang Muzhou, who was dressed in formal attire and still holding a folder of documents, a couple of appraising looks, then turned back to smile at Gu Yubai. We can talk about that matter later, easy enough. Let’s not talk about any work stuff today, let’s just make friends first and have a drink.

Jiang Muzhou hadn’t known this was the kind of setting he was walking into before he arrived, but since he was already caught in the middle of it, there was no point in acting overly reserved.

He took a seat at Zhang Ning’s invitation, glancing around the table to find about fourteen or fifteen people present.

The moment he turned his head, his gaze collided directly with Shang Shixu’s.

Gu Yubai had mentioned that everyone present today came from wealthy backgrounds.

Jiang Muzhou felt both surprised and unsurprised that Shang Shixu would show up here.

In Beijing, people who achieved this level of success all possessed backgrounds blessed with unique advantages.

During the meal, through the conversations of everyone present, he finally learned the man’s name.

Shang Shixu, a rather uncommon surname.

Once everyone had arrived, the group started getting rowdy and pushing drinks, turning the entire banquet into a chaotic, noisy affair.

Throughout the dinner, even though it was Zhang Ning’s birthday celebration, Jiang Muzhou vaguely sensed that everyone seemed to maintain a certain subtle distance from Shang Shixu.

Yet at the same time, they didn’t leave him out; the dining table never lacked people keeping the atmosphere lively, making the overall dinner gathering quite harmonious.

Shang Shixu didn’t drink, and no one around him tried to pressure him into it, as if his abstinence from alcohol was an unspoken rule.

He, however, as a complete stranger to the group, had ended up drinking quite a bit.

Gu Yubai had claimed that Zhang Ning was easy to talk to, but Jiang Muzhou hadn’t felt that at all. Throughout the meal, it almost felt like he was being deliberately targeted, with toasts continuously directed his way.

Jiang Muzhou’s alcohol tolerance was actually quite decent; polishing off a half-liter of hard liquor was a breeze for him.

By the time the meal was winding down, the host of the birthday party was already completely plastered. Zhang Ning had already downed a few cups earlier before repeatedly dragging Jiang Muzhou and Gu Yubai into drinking more with him.

Now, he was draped limply over Gu Yubai’s back in a daze, loudly demanding that Gu Yubai carry him home.

Eventually, Shang Shixu suggested that they call it a night and disperse.

Gu Yubai supported the half-asleep Zhang Ning, looking helplessly at Jiang Muzhou. A-Zhou, you head back first. I’ll help you talk about that project again later.

Hearing some commotion near his ear, Zhang Ning reached out and clamped a hand over Gu Yubai’s mouth.

Gu Yubai pressed down on his hand, and Zhang Ning quickly quieted back down.

Jiang Muzhou wanted to step forward and lend a hand. Need any help?

Gu Yubai shook his head. No worries, I can handle it.

Watching them leave, Jiang Muzhou gave a faint shake of his head.

He glanced down at the document folder resting on his seat, another dead end.

Just as he picked up his belongings and prepared to leave, a voice suddenly called out from beside him.

Is your bike fixed?

Jiang Muzhou turned his head. It was Shang Shixu.

He was standing at the private room’s doorway, biting down on a cigarette as he looked straight at him.