Chapter 120: The World is Too Small

In Li Dong's eyes, Beijing, the capital under the emperor's feet, seemed peaceful. However, when they accidentally wandered into a narrow alley, Li Dong quickly realized that there are always things you can't see, no matter where you are.

In the small alley, three non-mainstream youths with brightly colored hair were surrounding a man, beating him up. The man was curled up on the ground with his hands covering his head, silently enduring their punches and kicks.

One of the non-mainstream youths, who had green hair, shouted, "Still dare to resist? Believe it or not, I'll kill you!"

Noticing Li Dong and the others entering the alley, the three youths panicked. The green-haired youth stopped shouting, gave the man on the ground a hard kick, and then quickly fled with the other two.

Zhou Haidong glanced at Li Dong, who slightly shook his head. Being unfamiliar with Beijing, there was no need to get involved in unnecessary trouble.

Just as they were about to help the man on the ground, he slowly got up on his own. The man looked a bit disheveled, his face bruised and battered, with blood still dripping from his nose.

Seeing Li Dong approach, the man said in a low voice, "Thanks."

"No problem. Do you want to call the police?" Li Dong asked.

The man shook his head and wiped the blood from his nose, mumbling, "Forget it, just a few punks. Even if they get caught, it would be more trouble when they're released."

This is a common mindset among many people—better to avoid trouble than to deal with it. These punks, even if caught, wouldn't be locked up for long. If they seek revenge later, the situation could become even more troublesome, as they tend to act recklessly.

Li Dong didn't push further. Everyone has their own way of surviving; there's no right or wrong. Seeing that the man's injuries were only superficial, Li Dong was about to leave.

As he was about to go, the man, having wiped off the blood from his nose, looked up at Li Dong. In the dimly lit alley, Li Dong also saw the man's face clearly, and then exclaimed in surprise, "Lin Yang?"

---

In one's lifetime, there are always a few friends. Over the course of his two lives, Li Dong had very few people he could truly call friends. Lin Yang could be considered one of them. In fact, Li Dong had to call him "Master."

In his previous life, after graduating from university, Li Dong worked in sales. It was Lin Yang who brought him into the field, and Lin Yang had helped Li Dong a lot.

But Li Dong never expected to run into Lin Yang in Beijing. When he recognized Lin Yang, Li Dong could only marvel at how small the world is and how fate brings people together in unexpected places.

Li Dong knew Lin Yang, but Lin Yang didn't recognize Li Dong. Seeing this stranger call out his name, Lin Yang was puzzled and asked, "Do you know me?"

Li Dong nodded but didn't explain further. Since they were friends, he couldn't just leave him like this.

Li Dong said, "You should go to the hospital and get checked out. Those guys didn't hold back, and it could be serious if you have internal injuries."

Lin Yang shook his head, somewhat embarrassed, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Li Dong!"

Seeing that Lin Yang was still confused, Li Dong smiled and teased, "I'm your classmate from middle school. Don't you remember me?"

"Oh! Now I remember! Li Dong! What a coincidence to run into you here!" Lin Yang suddenly pretended to realize.

Li Dong nearly burst out laughing. Could it be that you actually have a classmate named Li Dong? 

But he knew that was impossible. Seeing Lin Yang's expression, Li Dong knew he was just pretending. This is a common mistake many people make—when someone recognizes you, but you don't recognize them, you pretend to suddenly remember to avoid awkwardness.

Li Dong didn't expose him, as it was difficult to explain why he knew Lin Yang in the first place. It was better to let him continue misunderstanding. 

Seeing that Lin Yang was still bleeding, Li Dong said, "You really should go to the hospital. You look seriously injured."

Lin Yang wiped his nose again and shook his head, saying, "Forget it, hospitals in Beijing charge an arm and a leg, and it's just a minor injury that'll heal soon."

Then, with a self-deprecating smile, he added, "What a shame to run into an old classmate and make you see me like this."

Li Dong didn't push further. He said, "I'll take you back. At least put some antiseptic on it and rest for a couple of days."

Lin Yang quickly shook his head. 

As if afraid of being misunderstood, Lin Yang said somewhat sheepishly, "My girlfriend is at home. If she sees me like this, she'll be worried."

Li Dong was surprised, "You have a girlfriend?"

Lin Yang felt a bit offended—I'm already twenty-three; why wouldn't I have a girlfriend? 

He had started working right after high school graduation, so he had been in the workforce for five years now. Was it really that surprising to have a girlfriend?

Realizing his reaction was a bit off, Li Dong quickly forced a laugh and said, "Just surprised. Where's your girlfriend from?"

But inwardly, he was cursing Lin Yang for being such a liar! 

In his previous life, when Li Dong met Lin Yang, Lin Yang was twenty-six or twenty-seven. At that time, Lin Yang told Li Dong he was a pure-hearted virgin who had never dated. 

When Lin Yang finally started dating, Li Dong genuinely thought it was his first time and gave him lots of questionable advice. 

Now it seemed clear that Lin Yang must have been laughing at him back then. How shameless!

Unaware of Li Dong's thoughts, Lin Yang casually replied, "She's from Jiangbei. By the way, old classmate, are you here in Beijing to make your fortune?"

"No, I'm still in Pingchuan. I'm just in Beijing for some business and will be heading back in a few days."

"Pingchuan is a good place! It's tough being away from home. No matter how much wealth there is in Beijing, it's not ours. We're lucky to even make a living here," Lin Yang sighed.

Then he looked at Zhou Haidong and the other guy behind Li Dong and asked, "Are they your friends?"

Li Dong nodded without giving much of an introduction and asked, "Why don't you come to my place to rest for a bit? At least change your clothes. You can't go back looking like that."

Lin Yang didn't refuse and gratefully said, "You're a real pal. Thanks for the help."

Li Dong felt his scalp tingle at the repeated "old classmate." This guy was too enthusiastic. He regretted joking with him earlier—now it was too late to explain. If he tried to clarify now, Lin Yang might think he had ulterior motives.

---

Back at the hotel, Li Dong found a set of his own clothes for Lin Yang to change into.

Lin Yang didn't care much about the clothes. Instead, he sat on the sofa and marveled, "Old classmate, looks like you're doing well. Staying in a five-star hotel, no less."

"Heh, it's on the company's tab, so I might as well take advantage of it."

Lin Yang gave him a thumbs up and said, "Pingchuan really is a great place. Here in Beijing, someone like me with just a high school diploma is no different from an illiterate. I haven't saved much money in these past years, but I've definitely taken a lot of crap. I really want to go back to Pingchuan."

"Then why don't you?"

Li Dong was genuinely curious, as Lin Yang had never mentioned working in Beijing in his previous life.

When Li Dong graduated, Lin Yang was already the company's top salesman, and Li Dong always thought he had worked in Pingchuan all along.

If not for this chance encounter, Li Dong would never have known that Lin Yang had been in Beijing.

"Ah, it's a long story," Lin Yang sighed, reluctant to go into details.

Although he called Li Dong an "old classmate," Lin Yang didn't actually remember him. Understanding the principle of not revealing too much to someone you barely know, Lin Yang kept his thoughts to himself.