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Chen Rui was taken aback by Li Li's shamelessness and, imitating Li Li, swung the fishing rod forcefully forward. Although his hook flew farther than Li Li's, it lacked the same carefree spirit.
There was no way around it; Li Li had prepared for this from the start, while Chen Rui had only just realized that Li Li wasn't merely fishing on a whim.
"Well then, is there anything we can't discuss in front of them?" Chen Rui said, not looking at Li Li but gazing at the buoy quietly standing in the water, a habitual smile still on his face.
Li Li also looked ahead, but instead of focusing on the buoy, he stared at the distant horizon. The two seemed like strangers to each other. Li Li quietly asked, "What are you here for?"
"What do you mean 'what for'?" Chen Rui snapped back, irritated by Li Li's question. "Aren't you the ones who forced me to come out here to play? And now you're asking me what I'm doing here..."
Li Li was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected such a reaction from Chen Rui. After pondering for a moment, he smiled apologetically. "My bad. Forget it; let's not talk about that."
"Hmph..." Chen Rui shot a glance at Li Li and noticed the faint smile on his lips, which only fueled his annoyance. However, he couldn't express his anger directly and could only vent his feelings in this manner, hoping to let Li Li know he was upset.
"By the way, it's been a while, and I haven't heard you introduce your family yet," Li Li said as he shifted the topic directly.
Chen Rui replied sarcastically, "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first before asking someone else about their family background?"
Li Li chuckled wryly, pride evident in his tone. "You can find information about us online anytime, but I can't find anything about yours."
Chen Rui naturally understood that with Li Li's status, it was impossible for him not to be recorded in history:
At 19 years old and in his second year of college, he began participating in the operations of a leading publicly listed company. By age 20, he had fully taken over its management. At five years old, he successfully became the first private entity to sign a military weapons contract with the State Council and the Ministry of National Defense. He was awarded the country's first and currently only qualification for independently developing and exporting military weapons. By age seven, he had pushed this company onto the global stage, making it the only private organization capable of independently researching and producing strategic-level military weapons. Of course, these could not be exported; all strategic-level weapons produced were acquired by the state.
At this level of achievement, coupled with a large number of private mercenaries, it would be akin to a living replica of a private military company like Ubre11a. Even if the national government did not intervene, the United Nations would never allow a private organization capable of independently developing and producing strategic-level weapons to exist.
This legendary enterprise was Dawn Heavy Industries. To this day, it appeared to be under complete control by Li Li; however, in reality, it had been entirely taken over by the government due to its significant threat. If Li Li were ever to clash with the state, the consequences would be unimaginable. Preemptive strikes had always been a common tactic used by the government; they just never publicly acknowledged it.
"My family is quite ordinary—my parents and a younger sister," Chen Rui said lightly as pleasant memories played like a film in his mind.
"A sister?" Li Li asked curiously.
Chen Rui smiled and replied, "Yes, my sister is ten years younger than me and is about to take her college entrance exams. I believe she should have no problem getting into one of the top 11 or 985 universities with her grades."
"Do you have her picture?" Li Li asked eagerly.
Chen Rui took out his phone and after swiping the screen a few times, handed it to Li Li with a teasing smile. "Why are you so eager? Are you interested in my sister? Although you're a bit older, being rich does make you a viable option. Wait! Don't you already have a girlfriend? You flirtatious carrot head!"
The phone displayed a family photo, taken about two or three years ago with an antique film camera. Who knows how Chen Rui managed to digitize this picture?
Li Li ignored Chen Rui's banter, focusing on the family portrait on the screen. The daughter was at the front, the parents in the middle of the second row, and Chen Rui at the back, hands resting on his parents' shoulders, creating a joyful sense of reunion.
The saying "the son looks like his mother, and the daughter looks like her father" was well illustrated in this family photo. Chen Rui's resolute face showed a softness reminiscent of his mother, giving off a warm feeling; the daughter's cute face also bore a resemblance to her father's steadiness, instilling trust.
"Really beautiful," Li Li said with a smile as he returned the phone to Chen Rui.
Chen Rui took it back and asked, "Why did you call me here? Just to learn about my family? It can't be just that."
Li Li shook his head with a wry smile. "The main topic hasn't even started yet, so I just found an excuse. There's really nothing much going on; I'm mainly here to fish."
Hearing this, Chen Rui felt his temper flare up again. Fishing? Without any bait? Did he really think he was Jiang Taigong? Even if he were Jiang Ziya, would there really be fish that wanted to die?
Not wanting to waste time with this guy any longer, Chen Rui started to pack up his fishing line and prepare to leave when Li Li suddenly called out, "It's too big! Help me!"
Chen Rui was taken aback but couldn't deny the reality before him; the buoy on Li Li's fishing line was being pulled underwater, and the tip of the rod bent into a crescent shape.
"What are you standing there for? Help!" Li Li was sweating profusely; the fish's strength in the water was not to be underestimated, especially since he was standing.
"No way... Seriously? Awesome, Brother RD!" Chen Rui exclaimed as he stepped forward to help pull on the fishing rod. The combined strength of both quickly began to reel in the fish.
"Hold steady." Li Xue released one hand and started winding in the line. The veins popping on his forehead indicated that this fish was indeed something else.
As they neared reeling in the line completely, Chen Rui and Li Li exchanged glances. "Pull!" they shouted simultaneously, and together they yanked up a shimmering silver fish from the water.
This scene quickly attracted nearby anglers: after all, this was a beach where many people came to relax while fishing, but someone actually caught something—now that was impressive!
It turned out to be a giant ribbonfish about seventy centimeters long. No one knew why it had come near the beach or why it had bitten Li Li's hook.
After taking several photos with the fish laid out on the ground, under Chen Rui's suggestion, Li Li decided to release it back into the water. This act earned applause from those present. After gaining enough face from this catch, Li Li finally agreed to leave the pier.
Walking on the wooden planks of the dock, Chen Rui grew increasingly curious. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He reached out and grabbed Li Li's fishing line, slowly taking hold of the fishhook. He brought it to his nose and sniffed, instantly inhaling a delightful aroma.
"Ah... I can't hide anything from you," Li Li said with a wry smile as he took back the fishing line from Chen Rui, ignoring the middle finger and eye roll directed at him.
"Big brother! This isn't fair! You're cheating!" Chen Rui complained, feeling disgruntled. His own fishhook had not been coated with any bait; it was just a plain hook. In contrast, Li Li's fragrant hook was far more likely to attract fish.
"I can't help it; I never expected to catch anything here anyway," Li Li replied, patting Chen Rui on the shoulder. "And besides, I never told you I wasn't using bait... That was just your assumption, wasn't it? I've never mentioned anything about that..."
"You have such a talent for excuses; your skill in nonsense is truly impressive," Chen Rui said as he took a step back and performed a fist salute toward Li Li.
"Get lost..."
They returned to their original spot, where the others had already taken turns driving under the 'coach's' guidance. In reality, driving the speedboat wasn't particularly difficult; one only needed to control the steering wheel, making it more of a recreational activity.
"Ahhhhhhhhh! One more round!" Zhou Yan's cheers could be heard from afar. This guy was so excited that he completely disregarded any semblance of ladylike behavior. Looking at Li Xue beside him, she appeared utterly captivated... Turns out they were quite similar!
"Now that you all have had your turn, would you two like to give it a try?" the coach asked with a smile directed at Li Li.
"No need; I know how," Li Li replied with a wave of his hand. The coach smiled and turned his attention to Chen Rui.
"I've driven before; what do you say we have a little competition, Mr. Li?" Chen Rui challenged.
Li Li immediately shot back, "A competition sounds good, but if we're going to compete, there should be some stakes to make it interesting."
"I'm just a poor guy; I can't match Mr. Li's big bets," Chen Rui quickly declined the suggestion. He had no capital to gamble with this group of wealthy individuals...
Li Li shook his head. "Gambling money is too vulgar. Let's bet on something more interesting. How about this: have you ever played Truth or Dare?"
"Of course..."
"The loser has to choose three truths or three dares. How does that sound?" The corners of Li Li's mouth lifted slightly, clearly imagining scenarios that would leave Chen Rui in distress.
Chen Rui hesitated for a moment. Although he didn't think he would lose, he still wanted to leave himself an out. "How about this: we take turns with three requests—one at a time—and each person can choose whether it's truth or dare."
"Do as you wish; anyway, you're definitely going to lose," Li Li casually waved his hand, his nonchalant demeanor suggesting that he had already defeated Chen Rui.
Chen Rui knew this was a tactic to provoke him, but he was determined to rise to the challenge. He refused to believe in such nonsense!
"Alright! It's settled then!" Chen Rui agreed to the match.
"Come on, come on, place your bets! Truth or Dare, Chen Rui vs. Li Li, everyone bet freely!" Zhou Yan shouted with a smile. Zhou Zhi, Qin Xin, and Wang Xinzhuo immediately raised their hands in unison, declaring "Li Li!"
Li Xue looked at Chen Rui and smiled lightly, saying "Chen Rui!"
"Great! All buyers, once you've placed your bets, please step back!"
"Then I’ll go with this lady to set up the checkpoints at both ends. You can pass through from either side, but you can't go over! Once the speedboats are parked, I'll give you a call!" The beautiful 'coach' hopped onto a speedboat and sped off towards the north.
Chen Rui stared at the woman's retreating figure, momentarily stunned. He took a deep breath and helplessly muttered, "I've fallen for it!!!"
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This book is about to be renamed. "Dream World Project" will soon be changed to "Dream Guardian."
Of course, the connections and updates will remain unchanged. I hope all readers will continue to show their support!
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