Chapter 92: Chapter 44 (part 1)

Fu Zheng ate free Michelin, watched a free movie, and even experienced the supreme VIP couple movie-watching experience for the first time ever. Although his partner was Chen Shuo, it was still a very pleasant overall experience.

The next day at work he was even more refreshed, but Chen Shuo this time no longer showed obvious hostility toward him. Instead, he seemed to compose himself. His emotions no longer showed on his face, and for several days in a row, not only did he not secretly compete with Fu Zheng at work, but even the verbal provocation and glaring was gone.

Fu Zheng had thought that the more defeats he went through the more courageous he would be. He hadn't expected Chen Shuo to suddenly give up. It was as if Fu Zheng's had mobilized his entire army and waited for the other side to attack, only to have them unexpected surrender.

It seems that his feelings for Ning Wan weren't that deep after all. After only a slight counterattack on his part against Chen Shuo's exclusion and enmity, the man had shrunk into a ball and disappeared. Fu Zheng couldn't help but sigh. Young people really had no determination or persistence.

He felt happy on Ning Wan's behalf. After all, he had gotten rid of an irresolute suitor for her. It was his good deed for the day.

"Anyway, I think it's better to negotiate a settlement for this case. If it goes to court..."

It was a rare weekend, and Fu Zheng had once again asked Gao Yuan to meet up for tea in an upscale private club.

Gao Yuan didn't generally concern himself much with the details of Fu Zheng's private life, but judging from his slight smile as they drank tea, Fu Zheng was in a good mood today. However, he was also a little absent-minded, because this was the third time his mind had wandered off somewhere as they discussed this case.

"Are you even listening?" Gao Yuan demanded helplessly, "You're not taking this seriously at all! Is there something you're worried about?"

Fu Zheng put down his teacup and said calmly, "What could I possibly be worried about?" He smiled. "There's nothing on my mind. Things have been going well recently."

"Then when are you going to go back to the main office as a senior partner?" Gao Yuan grumbled, "Didn't you originally say you'd be going back next month? Won't you please join early? I'm bored to death by all the rest of the other partners pressuring me every day. Hurry join so you can pick up clients for me, generate income for me, and shut those other partners up."

Fu Zheng said almost without thinking, "In a while."

Gao Yuan raised his voice crossly, "Aren't you done with your cases in the community? You've also learnt how to connect with regular people, and you've experienced what you need to experience. What else is keeping you there?"

Fu Zheng glanced at Gao Yuan and said solemnly, "Oh, I feel like there're still plenty of details in the community worth studying and discussing. Besides, if I'm here, I can help Ning Wan with all the backlogs."

"But I sent Chen Shuo over recently. There shouldn't be too much of a backlog with him there..." But right at that moment, Gao Yuan backtracked as if he had come to a rude awakening. "Wait no, Chen Shuo must be too busy courting and falling in love, so his mind probably isn't on work. Young people especially, once they're in love, and what's more seeing each other every day, he's probably just watching his sweetheart and not caring about tea or rice, much less work. All he's probably got in his heart right now is love."

Fu Zheng smiled a small smile. "No, a young man's love comes and goes quickly. I don't think he's thinking about love anymore. He's actually been working quite well recently."

Admiration bloomed on Gao Yuan's face. "Who would have thought that that young man would be quite stable? For his heart to have no influence on his work, he has quite the willpower." He couldn't help but sigh, "It seems like Chen Shuo has good boundaries between work and his private life, and courting belongs to his private life..."

Fu Zheng's mind had been wandering a little, and when he heard this, he felt a little surprised. He looked at Gao Yuan, frowning. "Courting in his private life? What do you mean? What did you hear?"

Gao Yuan nodded. "The kid is quite a cautious one. I heard that he specially put together a basketball match today and invited Ning Wan over to cheer for him... I saw him recruiting players when I was in the office yesterday, and especially found a few who are good at ball games to accompany him. He's not a bad guy either, he first invited them to dinner first, and I'm guessing he's going to ask them all to make him look good during the game."

"Look at the fellow!" Gao Yuan heaved a sigh. "What a brilliant mind. When is a man most handsome? When he's attracting a lot of attention during basketball! Asking our Ning Wan over to cheer him on while he gallops all over the court and shines brilliantly against the backdrop of everyone else. If I were a woman, I'd definitely be instantly caught up in all the sweat and hormones! Young men are so active in their thinking nowadays... "

"Now that I think about it, it's nice to be young. That feeling of first love, the moments of heartache, the times of figuring out for yourself how to look good in front of girls..."

His words were meant casually, but the listener took it to heart. Before Gao Yuan could finish his line of thought, Fu Zheng interrupted, "Where is it? When? "

"What?"

Fu Zheng kept his tone calm and pretended to look away naturally. "Where and when will Chen Shuo be playing basketball?"

Gao Yuan answered subconsciously, "I think I heard it was at three o'clock in the afternoon. What stadium was the basketball court in again? I forget if it's Xinfeng Gymnasium or Zhenhe Gymnasium..."

He thought that Fu Zheng was just asking casually, but the man didn't seem satisfied with his answer at all. He wouldn't let the subject go and insisted, "Which gymnasium?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Gao Yuan yawned. "I was just listening to gossip."

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"Besides Chen Shuo, who else from the firm is participating?"

"I think Lin Sheng is. He's from my team, and he spoke to me about it last week after work, if I remember right."

"Beat it out of him."

?

Gao Yuan looked at Fu Zheng in disbelief. "What?"

Fu Zheng cleared his throat and looked away. "Call Lin Sheng and find out where the game is to be held." Without waiting for an answer, Fu Zheng hastily patched up his explanation. "I haven't played basketball for quite a while, and I really want to play. Ask where it is, there's still time for me to get there and play with them."

? ? ?

Question marks appeared over Gao Yuan's head. "You're a pretty decent basketball player, but when have you ever liked playing basketball? Didn't you dislike this sort of exercise because being all sweaty afterwards was too tasteless? You said that only young and inexperienced people choose to play basketball. Didn't you get into golf instead because you said that all successful people play golf? "

Fu Zheng licked his lips. "I'm young, too." He sounded a little resentful. Pausing for a moment, he then stressed, "Which is why playing basketball isn't inconsistent with my temperament. Anyway, basketball is a team sport, which makes it easy to cultivate tacit understanding with your team members. I've been thinking about it, and all the young lawyers who are there playing with Chen Shuo are from the firm. Getting involved with them now and getting to know each of their personalities will be helpful for me when I select team members and manage personnel in the future."

It sounded reasonable, but Gao Yuan still felt like it was a little strange...

But he wasn't given the time to think about it. At Fu Zheng's urging, he called Lin Cheng and then gave Fu Zheng the answer--

"Zhenhe Gymnasium at three o'clock."

Fu Zheng looked at his watch. Zhenhe Gymnasium was some distance away from the private club. He would have to hurry to catch the game.

Today, Gao Yuan had given him a ride. At the moment Gao Yuan picked up his coat and said, "Shall we go? Don't just stand there, we don't have a lot of time."

Fu Zheng didn't follow after him, but reached out instead. "Keys."

"You're driving me?"

"No, I'm driving and you'll stay here."

Gao Yuan's jaw fell open. "Are you saying you'll drive my car while I sit here in the club? Shouldn't I be asked to go to the basketball game with you? I'm not very good at sports, but I can at least cheer you on!"

"No need." Fu Zheng smiled and put a formal lid on their plastic friendship. "Your identity is as a partner. It would make people uncomfortable if you went to watch the young lawyers from the firm play basketball. Besides, if Ning Wan saw you appear with me, she wouldn't think it would be a good influence."

The first reason was understandable. But what the hell was with the second? Why would Ning Wan see him as a bad influence when he appeared with Fu Zheng?

It wasn't until Fu Zheng left with his car keys that Gao Yuan finally reacted. "Hey! If you take my car then how am I supposed to get home?!”

"Take a taxi." The only answer he got was Fu Zheng's heartlessness. "I'll reimburse you for the fare."

“……”

Gao Yuan watched his car exhaust disappearing into the distance and sighed. If he hadn't known that Fu Zheng was running off to play basketball, he would have thought that he was rushing to a hundred million dollar court case. Who knew when he had gone and fallen in love with basketball...