One cannot possess youth and the feeling of youth at the same time.

Lin Chu felt as though the health bar of his youth had been slashed in half by the endless barrage of exams from elementary through high school;

then slashed in half again in college by the rich, handsome male classmates he could never compete with and the female classmates he could never win over;

and after graduation, it was slashed in half once more by the endlessly packed subways, the endless cheap takeout, the endless overtime, and the endless stream of "Got it" messages.

Cut after cut, with no end in sight—and every single damn hit was percentage-based damage.

More brutal than a gacha game.

If you didn’t have money, chances were your health bar would hit zero before you even turned thirty, maybe even earlier, and you’d become just another docile, castrated beast of burden.

But now, he was slowly regenerating his health, bit by bit. He found it in many places: in the hedonism of spending money like water, in the alcohol of the glittering nightlife, in the sea breeze and the sandy beaches, and in the company of the eighteen-year-old girl.

Of course, this might not be the true essence of youth, but for a worldly man like him, this taste of success was the best little blue pill there was.

Fang Yichun felt like she had just experienced a complete storm. It started as a gentle breeze, which turned into a drizzling rain. Leaves rustled, and raindrops began to fall, turning the ground wet and muddy. Then the rain grew heavier, becoming a tempestuous downpour with thunder and lightning that soaked her to the bone. It was a deluge that swept over everything like a mudslide, then a tornado that lifted her into the sky, leaving her floating among the clouds.

Finally, she fell back to earth and sank into a deep sleep, curled up in a warm embrace.

She felt like a homeless stray cat that had finally found an owner, able to live a life free from worry from then on.

...

Just as Gu Jiayan had warned, a torrential storm descended upon Yang City the next day. The sky was gloomy from early morning, with thunderclaps that sounded like the striking of a giant’s hammer, painting a scene straight out of the apocalypse.

The hotel room from last night was on the 84th floor, practically in the clouds. Lin Chu didn’t even dare go near the window, terrified that a bolt of lightning would strike him dead.

After all...

’Er, I’ve done a few things that weigh on my conscience.’

"You awake, Boss? There’s no way to go out in this weather. Damn, you think it’s a bad omen?"

A DING from his phone announced a message from Hou Chengjin. As a self-proclaimed member of the "Oceanic Race" and a man who kept a Guan Gong’s Portrait in his home, he had a healthy respect for celestial phenomena.

Lin Chu laughed and casually typed back, "Even if Heaven were sending a message, it wouldn’t be for you. Who do you think you are? We’re taking the day off. Rest up."

Hou Chengjin: "Fine by me. What are you up to? Where are you staying? I’ll come find you. We can talk more about business."

’I left first last night, so I don’t know where he’s staying. And I don’t want him to know where I am.’

’Zhao Rong had a good sense of boundaries in this regard, too. For a first meeting, you treat them to dinner, treat them to drinks, but you don’t arrange their accommodations. That’s basic business etiquette. Otherwise, who knows if the host has installed hidden cameras in the room?’

Lin Chu: "Why talk business on a day off? Let’s wait until the rain stops. You can handle the company registration stuff yourself. I guarantee the money will arrive. And don’t forget Zhao Rong’s six million."

’I figured that’s what this was about.’

’The guy is really ambitious.’

’Until the money is in the company account, nothing is truly settled. There could still be unexpected twists. It’s a paranoia common to every boss.’

Hearing this, Hou Chengjin relented. "Alright, alright, I won’t bother you. Be safe, Boss. (Grinning)"

Lin Chu tossed his phone aside. ’Safe my ass. I’m never safe.’

’After all, I’m long past my clubbing days.’

’This kind of weather is perfect for sleeping in. Especially with a little kitten curled up in bed.’

The rain kept falling.

But the mood was cozy.

Except for the phone, which rang from time to time. Calls from his buddies and women back in Peng City, all reminding him about the storm in Yang City and telling him to be careful and stay indoors.

And this "careful" was the literal kind.

At first, Lin Chu felt a little touched by the concern, but it gradually became annoying. He simply switched his phone to voicemail.

Waking up later with nothing to do, Lin Chu scrolled through some short videos and watched a few livestreams. Suddenly, he remembered something: the Island Lord alliance group chat.

’I already have the contact information.’

The island owner community was a very niche one. Like many niche groups, they didn’t want too much attention from outsiders, but at the same time, they were eager for new blood.

Lin Chu found the name Li Dong, an Island Lord, in the files Gu Jiayan had sent him and dialed the number.

’The caller ID showed Capital City.’

’Tsk.’

’A Master Jing.’

’Leave it to the masters from the Capital to know how to live it up.’

’This guy was hailed as the number one Chinese island owner over twenty years ago. Hell, I probably wasn’t even born when he started. Damn, now that was a truly colorful and surreal era.’

The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

"Hello, this is the secretariat of the Chinese Island Lord Alliance. Who are you looking for?" a sweet female voice asked.

’Not bad,’ Lin Chu thought approvingly. ’A non-profit organization that’s basically just a glorified WeChat group actually has a secretariat.’ "Hello, I recently purchased an island. I heard from an agency in Xiangjiang called Islets that there was an organization like this in the country, so I thought I’d try calling."

"Of course, welcome. Let me add you on WeChat. I’ll need to verify the information on the island you purchased first."

After hanging up, Lin Chu added her on WeChat and sent her the files from his chat history with Gu Jiayan.

’It was a necessary barrier to entry.’

’That’s how these circles work, after all.’

He was approved quickly and added to a group chat named "Island Lords."

The group wasn’t large—only twenty-six people, including one secretary.

Upon joining, he saw a long list of group rules.

The most important rule was: No private borrowing, private meetings, private dealings, or adding friends privately.

Lin Chu was slightly taken aback but quickly understood why.

’An island... it’s an island, after all. For example, if someone invites you to their island and you just go without a second thought, you’re entering what is effectively a lawless land. If a dispute breaks out and you get killed, no one would ever know. Even if it was just an "accident," it would still be a huge mess.’

’Although such incidents were extremely unlikely, a private island truly operated under different rules than civilized society.’

’If you want to enjoy absolute freedom and the convenience of making friends from all over the world, you have to stay vigilant at all times.’

Aside from that core rule, the rest were mostly related to ancillary services for island development: designers, civil engineering contractors, professional utility providers, aircraft and boat rentals and sales, security firms, financiers, and even second-hand dealers.

’This...’

’They say where there are people, there’s conflict. But here, it seemed where there are people, there’s business.’

Lin Chu smiled slightly and sent a message: "Hello everyone. New member checking in. I just bought a small island in the Philippines and found my way here."

...

...