I am not Ximen Qing.

"I'd like to ask who you are?"

"How forgetful! I am your goddess Athena!"

"Ah, Athena is such a beautiful name."

"How can you thank me? I saved you from the goddess Gilk."

"I can't remember at all."

"Yes, you confused Apollo's mind and spirit. If it weren't for me, you might have become a pig or a dog, or at best a cat."

"Where is this place?"

"It's a palace on Mount Venus, do you believe it?"

"Athena, you are so cultured and imaginative. Is Athena really your name? You have such an imaginative mind."

Have you had enough of Jin Ping Mei?

"Am I encountering ghosts? Three female ghosts."

"You got too caught up in it. You should watch less Korean and Japanese art films in the future; they're too mentally taxing."

"Don't worry, I'm not like Jia Rui, who gets haunted by ghosts just by looking in a mirror."

"How could you possibly meet Pan Jinlian, Li Ping'er, and Pang Chunmei? Do those three really think you're the reincarnation of Ximen Qing?"

"Athena, you must be a top student in literature. You must have come here to experience life and find some material and inspiration for your creation, 'I Am Not Ximen Qing,' right? I am not one to fawn over foreign things. Chinese works like 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and 'Jin Ping Mei' are such great works of art. When I was young and didn't understand, my uncle Huang Yumin told me that the greatest man in China must actually be Ximen Qing, because he had too many extraordinary women around him. So some people were jealous of him and wrote him into the Avici Hell, never to be reincarnated." After watching the art film about Ximen Qing, I finally understood. If Ximen Qing hadn't met Pan Jinlian, he would definitely have been the most loyal and righteous man in his life. Since ancient times, adultery has led to death, but Ximen Qing's encounter with this adultery is a bit too illogical. Wu Song isn't playing the role of a younger brother; he's clearly playing the role of the King of Hell, the one who decides life and death. And if it weren't for Wang Ganning's wicked advice, Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian wouldn't have ended up in this deadly situation, right? Therefore, the blame lies with the matchmaker, Wang Ganning.”

"But you really hurt Pan Jinlian, Li Ping'er, and Pang Chunmei's feelings yesterday."

"I had completely forgotten that I was drunk."

"We mustn't forget."

"Athena, your place is so cultured! You can even enjoy the artistic film 'Jin Ping Mei' here."

"The film is not an art film called 'Jin Ping Mei,' it should be called 'Ximen Xue.'"

"It seems I'm out of touch with the times and culturally backward. Isn't watching poorly made-up art films a desecration of culture? I need to go to the library and borrow this greatest novel in Chinese history."

There are so many different kinds of things here, so imaginative! It seems there really are some mystical, supernatural powers in this world. We can't dismiss all tales of ghosts and spirits, can we? When I was little, my second aunt and I knew a sorceress, who was also her best friend. Zhang Sheng's mouth was crooked. The doctors at the big hospital couldn't tell if it was a neurological or psychiatric issue. My second aunt, at her wits' end, had to ask my mother for help, like Su Qin did, relying on female friendship. Even though the sorceress had undergone major craniotomy and one side of her head was collapsed, it didn't stop her from chanting incantations and drawing talismans. She applied a plaster to Zhang Sheng's face, and a month later, Zhang Sheng's face was completely healed. Actually, the true secrets of ancient cultivation methods are often due to advanced technology and human self-destruction. For the sake of myths and legends, even fantasy novels are the most popular. Think about Ge Hong cultivating immortality on Mount Luofu—even now, how many people reading *Baopuzi* would believe it? It seems that he encountered not only Pan Jinlian, Pang Chunmei, and Li Ping'er, but also Meng Yulou, Wu Yueniang, Li Jiao'er, Li Guijie, Han Aiyue, Han Liu'er, Yingchun, Xiuchun, Ruyi, Qiuju, and so many others, but he never met Lin Daiyu.

Lin Xiaoqing, the Green Snake, the Crimson Pearl Flower. Lin Xiaoqing possesses both Daiyu's nature and the allure of a snake. When will I be able to break through Lin Xiaoqing's fence of love? Look, just strolling around, and so many beauties have barged in. I'm a little tired. While chatting with Athena, we were testing each other's limits, blurring the lines between men and women.

"You know what? This place used to be a real mess."

"This is my first time here, how chaotic is it?"

"You hypocrite, don't you know what 'chaos' means?"

"I swear, this is my first time here. I wanted to take a hot spring bath and listen to the opera 'Phantom of the Opera,' which is so beautiful. The contrast between ugliness and beauty is so Hugo-esque. I'd even be willing to become a bell ringer or a face changer, as long as I can be with the Queen and the bohemian Esmeralda. I believe Boss must be a Hugo fan. This place is full of comedic sublimation under a tragic tone. If you just want to take a bath and soak in a hot spring, it feels like the Huaqing Pool."

"We're too late. There used to be a bath and sauna here, but not anymore."

"What else?"

"You can tell you've never been in a relationship."

"No, not really."

"When?"

Does "vague and ambiguous" count?

"Have you been reading too much Dream of the Red Chamber and Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils? Now dramas are all the rage."

"Ah, I've remembered it a little better now."

"Great, who have you dated?"

"I slept with Sister Feng."

"Will Jia Rui, who died from exhaustion, be resurrected? That woman's ruthlessness, stop stealing other people's creations."

"This is a true story. The Sister Feng I'm talking about is Xiao Feng. Is Sister Feng a patent?"

"That's called sophistry, it doesn't count when we were kids."

"Why not?"

"Playing house with girls doesn't count."

Of course, Zhang Sheng was grateful to Athena for rescuing him from the clutches of the goddess Gilgamesh; otherwise, he would have been reduced to being eaten like a pig, dog, cow, or sheep. It seems Chen Shizhong also faces many risks, like those in One Thousand and One Nights. Athena said she hadn't been here long and had been deceived in love by her boyfriend, so she had long since become indifferent to matters between men and women. Athena was not only voluptuous and alluring, with a fair and captivating figure, a true blend of devil and angel, but her eyes also possessed the dark, inky eyes of Pan Jinlian, and the exquisite beauty of a Chinese landscape painting. There was no way around it; names of ancient Greek goddesses were popular now—they sounded pleasant and fashionable, like goddesses descended from Mount Olympus.

Athena's massage technique was absolutely professional, typical of traditional Chinese medicine. Fan Shengzhang didn't dare to move at all; that was the charm of Athena. He almost fell asleep, experiencing a deep sleep.

"It's time."

"Why am I still not feeling better even though it's time?"

"That……"

"Keep pressing, I almost fell asleep."

"I used so much baby oil."

"I can't take a shower, I'm covered in baby oil."

"Baby oil is for you to use for skin care and maintenance."

Now that things are more relaxed, both of them are bolder. Athena started boasting that she was actually an admirer of French female behavioral pioneers, similar to Zhang Sheng. Zhang Sheng asked if she admired Simone de Beauvoir or Sartre in the same way. Athena got angry and made him order her a Flame Bomb cocktail, saying that Zhang Sheng's massage therapy had exhausted her energy, which she considered low-level physical labor. She also mentioned that the massage therapy major at a Chinese medicine university was too unserious in the market, and that Zhang Sheng was a good comrade who respected women. And there's more! Athena is also a top model and an art studio model. After drinking the Flame Bomb, Athena became more unrestrained, pulling out her art collection for Zhang Sheng to admire.

"Isn't this an erotic picture?"

"What nonsense! This is the beauty of human body art."

"Anyway, I've never seen anything so beautiful in the human world."

"really?"

"Of course, Athena, I'd like to buy a copy."

What do you need it for?

"I want to be an oil painter."

"Aren't you a public businessman?"

"Computer dealers, actually I, Athena, have more faith in artists and art market businessmen."

"Forget about being a businessman. This is my soul. Being a businessman won't help you."

“I once painted an oil painting of my sister Li Ping and Li Feng, Athena, a forest fairy on a swing, yes, it was called Forest Fairy's Swing.”

"You're more like an artist."

“Athena, my father is a great painter. He studied with a famous painter in Shanghai for several years.”

"The son of an artist, what a load of bull."

"Look at Athena, I've painted oil paintings of my two older sisters, Li Ping and Li Feng, and my father is a great painter. If you don't believe me, then how can you believe that what I'm saying is true?"

"Paint an oil painting of me, one that captures my soul. Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course it's beautiful!"

What kind of beauty?

"The beauty of Jack and Rose? I am that Jack, except I didn't meet you on the ship, I met you here."

Athena lay beside him. To elicit her temporary sympathy, Zhang Sheng quickly took a sip, adding to the romantic atmosphere, and then feigned pain, talking about love and romance, claiming that he and Lin Xiaoqing had no love at all. Athena was too sentimental; seemingly moved by Zhang Sheng's persistent love, she seemed to be reminded of him by the sight of an object. Did this absurd love truly exist or not? Only Cervantes' Don Quixote seemed to know. Was Dulcinea, the village woman, a beauty or a goddess? In any case, Lin Xiaoqing wasn't Yingying, nor was she the daughter of Cui Xiangguo, nor Lin Ruhai. Finally, she understood: Zhang Sheng wasn't as lucky as Ximen Qing or Zhang Junrui, who had the help of Wang Po and Hongniang. Of course, Liu Jinxia had said many kind words, but they weren't enough to influence Lin Xiaoqing's judgment. Lin Xiaoqing seemed to have a bit of the personality of that Jiutai female poet from Changchun. Zhang Sheng had once been captivated by the female poet in the university's campus magazine; the poet's love poems and willow catkins had mesmerized him, plunging him into a labyrinth of love. Ah, this is practically a college campus upgraded version of Jane Eyre. Zhang Sheng suddenly thought of Zhao Yongmei. He couldn't afford to offend her; she was Zhang Sheng's goddess of wisdom in high school. Offending Athena would surely have dire consequences. Remember Priam's old queen, The Last Lament? The price of Troy's destruction was devastating, similar to the imperial sheep-leading ceremony of Emperors Huizong and Qinzong of the Song Dynasty in China. Because he offended Athena in high school, he suffered not only heartbreak in love, but also heartbreak in college.

Thinking back to the pretty cafeteria girl who once gave Zhang Sheng a seductive wink, he finally understood that it was Athena punishing him for his disrespect. The poetess's shadow lingered in the library, in the lecture hall, on the way to the cafeteria, and on the way to the school buildings. In summer, she wore simple, light-colored dresses; in winter, she favored bright red down jackets reminiscent of Xue Baoqin. Her eyebrows were delicate, her cheeks rosy; and most importantly, she was a pioneering female poet with a literary and artistic flair. It was the goddess Athena who knew Zhang Sheng's fragile heart; she comforted him, telling him not to be so sad.

"Ah, Athena, are you Liu Yongmei? Liu Yongmei?"

"Alright, hurry up and draw properly. It would be best if you could draw Liu Yongmei's painting soul from my Athena's physical body and soul."

Athena was so beautiful; you could imagine her as a poetess or Lin Xiaoqing. She truly embodied Goya's most famous painting, the most beautiful "Nude Maja." Athena lay there, reveling in the pleasure and excitement of beauty's birth. Physical beauty isn't eternal, but once it's painted in an oil painting, it can remain forever young. At least Athena saw her own beauty; she was moved by the painting's soul. Her upper body was completely naked, trembling and bouncing with each breath. The young girl's breasts were like springs. She couldn't control her emotions; it seemed the Athena before her was Lin Xiaoqing, all her feelings buried in this girl from the Bashan region. Then Athena was startled, hearing Zhang Sheng shout, "I love Yongmei! Yongmei, where are you?"

"Who do you love more, Xiaoqing or Yongmei?"

"Athena, I don't know either. Love is such a tormenting thing."

When Zhang Sheng woke up in the morning, Athena must have been scared away by his madness. It seems that Zhang Sheng didn't return to the apartment all night.

I wonder how Lin Xiaoqing is doing. It seems that when she came to the market, Wang Xiaolin also came to the market—pure friendship, brotherly affection. Zhang Sheng comforted him, saying that Lao Feng used to deliver computer cases and power supplies by tricycle, but now Huaqi Information downstairs has a full range of products, from Hailong, Dinghao, E-World, Ke Mao to Bainao Hui. The whole of Zhongguancun is Huaqi; there are branches everywhere. The charm of Zhongguancun lies in giving people the opportunity for self-redemption.

"Big brother, we need to hurry, or we'll be eliminated."

There exists a force that defies comprehension. In the development of Zhongguancun, the typical "Mr. Rende" (a pseudonym) chose to work behind the scenes early on, but his protégés quickly occupied the best showrooms and locations in major markets. If they had chosen to represent a single product like IBM, HP, Dell, or even Lenovo, they could have grown into private companies with hundreds of employees. Choosing the wrong direction truly determines destiny. Some companies emulate Silicon Valley, developing into high-tech chip companies, but the birth of a high-tech enterprise requires a strong DNA. The only advantage here is actually the stickiness of the products; otherwise, it's no different from a fruit wholesale market.

In the early days, many customers in Zhongguancun were from businesses. Managers would come to the market with checks to select various products. Back then, CPUs were still scarce. Buying a CPU or a memory stick was akin to going to the opera to support a male lead – it was a cultural phenomenon, somewhat like antique art. This wasn't just a computer market; it was more like the ancient Chinese glass market. Not only did you need knowledge and experience, but most importantly, you needed wealthy enthusiasts. Sometimes, a customer would get carried away and upgrade everything, waiting for a brand new CPU to be born – this was also part of the Zhongguancun culture.

The decision-makers made a good point by placing the high-tech computer market in Zhongguancun, Haidian District, with its famous hills and gardens. There's a growing sense that Moore's Law isn't the only factor in the computer industry; Zhongguancun is also embracing this pace and speed of change. Sometimes customers mention how well the Buynow Computer Market in the southern part of the city is doing. Baoyu often says that the merchants at Buynow seem to be making a lot of money; their new neighbors, a family who own a shop there, seem to have bought both a house and a car. They bought a house in a neighborhood near the Communication University of China. Baoyu wondered if they could go to the south of the city to take a look. It seems easier to make money there; otherwise, how could their neighbors buy a house and a car in just one year? Zhang Sheng also promised her aunt that she would visit her sister-in-law and Baoyu's son when she had time. Her sister-in-law now works for a European medical device company. Working for a foreign company requires almost monthly business trips; she's traveled to several European countries, covering almost all of the EU. The company offers high salaries and benefits, and she can earn money while traveling. European companies probably offer the best benefits in the world. They are relaxed, harmonious, and stress-free. Their products are sold all over the world. For example, IBM and HP in the Chinese market don't need to be marketed at all; customers choose to buy them on their own initiative, and the more expensive they are, the more people will buy them.