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On the 19th, Huajie explicitly stated in an interview with Global Times that Jiangguo’s Customs and Border Protection had no legitimate reason to detain its drone products. The company is actively providing relevant documents to the U.S. authorities to prove that it strictly complied with UFLPA regulations in the drone manufacturing process and had no involvement in forced labor. Huajie emphasized that the allegations against its products were completely unfounded and entirely false.

The standard Mandarin pronunciation flowed from the speakers, while on the TV screen, a Global Financial News reporter stood in front of a Huajie-affiliated drone store in Europe, reporting the latest developments to viewers.

Zhou Chaosheng sat cross-legged on the sofa, a laptop resting in the bend of his knees. His neatly trimmed fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, producing a rhythmic clatter.

He multitasked effortlessly, listening to the news, typing code, and occasionally glancing at the phone placed beside his thigh.

Zhou Chaosheng had been in Luxembourg for nearly five weeks. In addition to inspecting Huajie’s offices in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and over a dozen other countries, he had also participated in forums on Smart Automobile Innovation Technology and Industry, Markets and Consumers, and The New Automotive Ecosystem.

As the founder of Huajie, Zhou Chaosheng along with representatives from Yuanqi Era, Zhichuang Technology, Yinen Smart Mobility, Yuanchuang Qixing, and several other enterprises, shared his forward-thinking perspectives on the industry and discussed research on key technological issues in the development of new energy vehicles.

However, after the conference, due to a journalist’s personal oversight, a photograph was accidentally leaked. Although the journalist quickly retracted it, some netizens had already taken screenshots and uploaded them to social media platforms.

Very soon, the person in the photo—Zhou Chaosheng went viral online.

For the past few days, the internet had been flooded with Zhou Chaosheng’s information and pictures. No matter how much was deleted, more continued to appear. The discussions surged abnormally high, with the news making its way back to China, not only dominating the trending lists of Weibo, Douyin, and other major public media platforms but also skyrocketing in elite forums associated with power and influence.

Various sensational headlines such as "Huajie's Best Poster Boy," "A Founder with Both Looks and Talent," and "The Privileged Heir's Entrepreneurial Journey" kept emerging.

The comment sections were flooded with fans screaming "husband!" and self-proclaimed "loyal subjects" joining the frenzy.

Originally, Zhou Chaosheng had planned to complete Huajie’s fifth round of financing within two months. But with this incident, he had no choice but to put aside his work and instruct the PR and legal teams to handle the situation. He also contacted social media platform administrators to delete posts, disable comments and shares, and curb the rapid spread of discussions.

Although his real name and images could no longer be posted, netizens' enthusiasm did not wane. Some creative users even devised coded references and nicknames to bypass system censorship.

After these alternative terms were published, other users quickly followed suit, widely spreading them across the internet.

Friends and acquaintances within his circle, upon hearing the news, called to "express concern," yet their words were often mixed with teasing and schadenfreude.

One of them was Jiang Yuanye.

Strangely enough, ever since that dramatic farewell, this guy had been acting like a full-blown drama king. Not only did he check in on Zhou Chaosheng’s meals—morning, noon, and night—but he also kept sending random messages and pictures.

For example: "Look! There's a bird outside my window." "Is this gecko asleep? Why isn't it moving when I poke it?" "Just one more bottle of coolant, and I can finally play games again."

Honestly, it felt like they were in a long-distance relationship, with Jiang Yuanye constantly checking in on him as if reporting his daily whereabouts.

After a few days, Jiang Yuanye was discharged from the hospital, and this behavior only became more apparent.

That morning, he had just sent Zhou Chaosheng a photo of his discharge paperwork. By the afternoon, he was already at Haigao, snapping pictures of the campus scenery. When visiting his teachers, he even video-called Zhou Chaosheng, insisting that he greet Mr. Zhao, who was about to retire.

That evening, while having dinner with old classmates, Jiang Yuanye sent a picture of the entire feast laid out on the table and asked, "Are you getting used to the food in Luxembourg?" Then, with a smug tone, he added, "Do you miss home-cooked meals?"

At that moment, the driver was taking him to the hotel. When he saw that near-taunting message, he immediately told the driver to turn around and head back to the commercial street they had passed a few minutes ago. Wrapped in his coat, he got out of the car and went looking for a restaurant that served hometown cuisine.

Once he found one, he took a picture of the storefront and sent it to Jiang Yuanye, replying: "I can eat it here too."

Jiang Yuanye: "Not the same, this doesn’t look authentic."

Unconvinced, he responded: "It’s made by fellow countrymen. How is it not authentic?"

Jiang Yuanye: "Yours is expensive."

He was speechless. Suddenly, he felt that braving the snow just to find a restaurant and prove he could eat hometown food here too was incredibly stupid.

Luxembourg's local time was seven hours behind Beijing. When Jiang Yuanye was having dinner, he had just finished his lunch.

On his way back to the hotel to rest, Jiang Yuanye sent him a video. He clicked on it, and the chaotic noise of a rowdy gathering filled the quiet room. The scene of people drinking wildly appeared on the screen. He frowned and closed the video before even finishing it.

As if afraid of being misunderstood, Jiang Yuanye quickly followed up with a message: "Don’t worry, I didn’t touch a drop of alcohol. I only drank fruit and vegetable juice the whole time."

Seeing that message, he lost his temper: "...Who even asked you that?"

Jiang Yuanye sent an angry puppy sticker: "You didn’t ask, but can’t I tell you?"

He typed: "Why bring this up?"

Jiang Yuanye: "No reason, just wanted to prove to you that I heard what you said back then."

He paused, unsure how to respond, so he simply replied with an "oh" to acknowledge it.

But that single word made Jiang Yuanye angry. After that, he completely stopped messaging him. Normally, Jiang Yuanye could ramble endlessly about a single topic, but now, he was dead silent. Anyone would find that sudden shift unsettling.

Two hours and five minutes passed, and still, no response. Finally, unable to bear the "silent treatment" any longer, he took the initiative to send his first message to Jiang Yuanye in days: "What’s wrong with you?"

Jiang Yuanye seemed like he had been staring at his phone screen the whole time, instantly replying: "Nothing. Just don’t feel like talking to you."

He sent a period, then exposed him: "If you don’t want to talk, why reply to me?"

Jiang Yuanye: "None of your business."

Even through the screen, he could feel the other person’s attitude. Out of nowhere, he, who had been ignored for two hours, got irritated too. "Fine, I won’t bother. Don’t send me messages again in the future."

The moment he sent it, he regretted it.

Just as he was about to retract the message, Jiang Yuanye shot back: "Not sending then. Who cares about chatting with you anyway?"

Seeing that reply, he stopped regretting. Pressing his tongue against his molars, he locked his phone screen and tossed it onto the sofa in frustration.

Heh.

Was he the one begging Jiang Yuanye to message him?

The way he put it, it was as if he wanted to see his messages. For the past half-month, it was Jiang Yuanye who kept messaging him non-stop. He hadn’t even felt like replying. Seriously...

So ridiculous!

They didn’t talk for five days. During those five days, everything went on as usual or at least, that’s what he thought.

But after a meeting, Wiesen cautiously asked him, "Boss, are you in a bad mood?"

He took off his suit jacket and hung it on the rack, replying indifferently, "Why do you ask? I haven’t scolded anyone."

Wiesen pulled a bitter face: "You didn’t scold anyone, but this is scarier than scolding..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really! You don’t even realize you've been looking cold these past few days. Everyone’s been so scared they don’t even dare to breathe too loudly. Just now, during the meeting, didn’t you notice the team leaders’ voices were shaking when they reported to you?"

He honestly hadn’t noticed. He just thought their German pronunciation was a bit off.

Turning his head, he saw Wiesen’s face written all over with: "Which blind fool pissed off the boss this time?"

At this moment, he finally realized although he never said it out loud, deep down, he actually cared quite a lot.

But even if he cared, he had no intention of taking the initiative to admit it, because he felt he wasn’t in the wrong, let alone the fact that they weren’t even a real couple.

Just as he planned to maintain his personal cold war until the scheduled trip to Mizushima, Jiang Yuanye suddenly sent him a racing video.

He refreshed the page several times, switching between different interfaces, but still didn’t see Jiang Yuanye saying anything. The only thing sent over was that one video.

Childish, he thought.

Forget it. He wouldn't argue with a childish person.

So, he took the initiative to ask: "Where is this?"

The other side instantly replied: "Haishi Racing Circuit. All my friends are here."

He, of course, knew where that was. Famous for its challenging curves and high-level tracks, it was the best playground for many second- and third-generation rich kids who enjoyed racing.

Back in the day, he had gone there with friends a few times. But unlike those obsessed with racing, he simply watched without participating. In recent years, due to his family's disapproval, he had almost stopped getting involved in anything related to racing.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t do it.

While he never participated in professional competitions, he would still occasionally race with friends.

He clicked on the video. The roaring engines and the deafening cheers of the crowd burst through the speakers, the energy almost tangible through the screen. Countless frenzied shouts and cheers filled his ears.

The person recording was clearly not very skilled. In less than a minute of footage, the camera shook more than ten times.

He endured the strain on his eyes, focusing on the familiar red silhouette flashing across the track like a roaring beast, exuding raw power and brilliance against the dark night.

The driver executed a precise late braking maneuver, using the standard racing line to gain an advantageous position on the inside before the leading car could even start turning, forcing it off the optimal trajectory and speed.

At the right-hand curve, the red Ferrari overtook the modified Bugatti Veyron ahead. While passing, the driver turned the wheel, stepped on the accelerator, and flawlessly drifted through the final, highly difficult double-S curve.

The moment the red Ferrari crossed the finish line, the entire venue erupted in explosive cheers.

In the final few seconds of the video, the driver got out of the car and removed his helmet, revealing a dazzlingly handsome, roguish face.

The falling light from the track illuminated the young man’s lean waist and tall figure beneath the red racing suit. His pant legs were tucked into a pair of black Martin boots, accentuating his long, straight legs.

As the video ended, that familiar face brimming with an untamed, mischievous arrogance suddenly lodged itself in his mind, refusing to fade away.

His phone vibrated.

A new message popped up from the sender.

"Cool, right? I got first place."

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