I am not Ximen Qing.

For some reason, I always felt that the company dormitories in the university apartments in Shangdi were similar to the large dormitories during my university years—lively and bustling, where you could flirt with the goddesses of the world through just a door, filled with the romantic sentiment of Faustian studies. Thinking about it, love is actually hidden in the world of bars, big and small. The other brothers I hung out with lived, ate, and played together. During the day, I became an IT sales maniac with Zhang Sheng in the mall. The reason I didn't end up like Willie was because Puter was Adam, a creation of humankind. It was the free, inclusive, and open spirit of innovation and high technology in Zhongguancun Silicon Valley that saved everything and changed the fate of those who strived for success.

At the end of the day, the business was still fairly good, so he would often go to a roadside stall near the university dorms for barbecue and a few small bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). He'd also chat at his friends' apartments, catching up on everything from gossip to stories about beautiful women. But lately, things haven't been going well for Xia Jinshi. His business is in chaos, and he's realized he's really not cut out for entrepreneurship. While others make money as bosses, he loses money, and loses a fortune.

Chen Guangyuan also rented a small 10-square-meter space for the convenience of dating, and even boasted that it was to cultivate his "qi" (vital energy). "You know what? A large space can't retain yang energy," Chen Guangyuan said.

Wang Xiaolin has been busy submitting resumes lately. He also wants to earn some money to pursue an MBA at Shanghai Jiao Tong University to improve his personal qualities. According to Wang Xiaolin's career plan, he has gained valuable practical experience in Zhongguancun. After further theoretical studies at the MBA program, he can then look for opportunities in some high-tech companies and large enterprises in Shangdi.

Zhang Sheng advised him to be more realistic, but Wang Xiaolin was determined. His stubbornness, typical of southerners, was a reflection of his years of quiet, unseen efforts. A real man should always strive to achieve great things. His ex-girlfriend's betrayal also fueled his strong motivation to change his circumstances and destiny.

"I really want to have a proper relationship."

"Manager, have you never been in a relationship?"

"I've been in love, I've had unrequited love, both in high school and college."

"We're in the same boat; I've also broken up with my boyfriend."

"I haven't seen you pursue anyone?"

"The hairdresser is a girl from the South, the girl from the South who works in my sister's shop."

"Why would I look down on you?"

"That's right, she won't look at someone if they don't have money."

"You're a true Beijing man."

"So what if they're Beijing men? They still get rejected."

"Let's go meet that girl in a bit. Is there a disco nearby?"

"There's Nana Disco, and dancing girls."

"real……"

"I've been there, and the lead dancer was quite nice."

Shameless and timid, he used to be too shy to even greet people. His mother's sisters all said he was like a shy girl. As a child, Zhang Sheng was reluctant to speak and had long forgotten his sordid affair with Feng Jie in the storeroom. He vaguely saw Feng Jie in his dreams, sitting on the kang (heated brick bed) knitting. Zhang Sheng walked in; he was already thirteen or fourteen. Feng Jie blushed and smiled broadly at him, and he naturally still called her "sister." Childhood forgetfulness often leads to recollections later in life. He frequently dreams of Feng Jie's gentleness. Whether his early romantic experiences were a shadow or a ray of sunshine, Zhang Sheng still had that problem.

Lin Xiaoqing, with her full breasts and fair skin, was a girl from the Sichuan region. She was a good girl, but he wondered if she understood Zhang Sheng's feelings. Zhang Sheng was interested, but he was still a little afraid. It reminded him of Jane Eyre and the time at the university reunion when the boys teased him, and he impulsively grabbed some flowers and fooled the dorm supervisor, knocking loudly on her door. When he saw her, he even shouted, "I love you!"

"What is this? Is this indecent assault?"

The other boys in the dormitory jeered through the perforated curtain, their faces contorted in shame. They were utterly humiliated, the world seeming to darken. They had forgotten the unbearable embarrassment they felt, being brutally and mercilessly berated by her. This was, naturally, an indelible shadow of heartbreak for Zhang Sheng. Perhaps, adding another wound to the already deep scars of Jane Eyre, his heart-wrenching dreams of love would end there, leaving him with no confidence to pursue any girl.

In large classes, he was still listening to the lecture with her. She was so beautiful; he would steal glances at her every now and then, making the boys in her class extremely jealous. When Zhang Sheng walked along the crowded path to the school dormitory, it felt as if countless angry eyes were shooting burning flames at him. The handsome middle-aged teacher in his political class even praised her beautiful handwriting. To make matters worse, she became close friends with the class monitor, a poet, and published love poems in the school journal. They even shared a dormitory, and their roommates would occasionally joke that the poet had stolen Zhang Sheng's woman—it was like a love dream. Why was love so unattainable for him?

Lin Xiaoqing often dreamt of being in love with him, but it seemed as if her soul was possessed by Jane Eyre, and the thought of that scene made her afraid to continue pursuing him. Furthermore, Lin Xiaoqing was often surrounded by gentlemen who helped her sell CD burners, adding to her reputation as the "LG Beauty." Liu Jinxia and her husband, Ren Chuandi, would occasionally tease her, "Xiaoqing is a good girl, do you want us to be her matchmaker? Don't be shy."

Liu Laohu's wife, Ren Susu, would occasionally mock him. Why? It was too obvious. She laughed at his unrequited love, which couldn't win Lin Xiaoqing's heart. He was always worried that Lin Xiaoqing had found a boyfriend, and he practically wanted to buy dozens of LG DVD burners every day just to please her. He even booked LG's service, afraid of causing her any trouble. He always blushed when he saw Lin Xiaoqing, like a husband who had cheated on his wife and was embarrassed. However, ever since he met Jinghua's sister-in-law in Wudaokou, he had gained a sense of revenge. He was never short of love; he had love with beautiful women everywhere, and women with amazing figures. Afterwards, he felt lightheaded, smug, and arrogant.

Seeking lost self-esteem and satisfaction in the romance with girls, like the ancient Greek god of wine, after a few drinks, the dreamlike feeling of love returns, and he wants to find a girl to date. Hearing Sangkun talk about Nana's girls, he felt an inexplicable urge.

"Let's go to Nana Disco now."

Which disco?

"Nana Disco".

"this late."

"What does it matter? Don't you want to date some girls from the South? I'll treat you to some fruit and cocktails at Nana Disco to boost your confidence."

"Really?"

"Of course, you all go back to sleep. Sangkun and I are going clubbing."

In a drunken stupor, fearlessness reigns. Alcohol acts like a fuse igniting a nuclear weapon within; the burning energy within unleashed by the drink, like a divine possession, grants courage. Nothing matters anymore, as if the world ceases to exist. Staggering and swaying, like Wu Song fighting the tiger, he's brimming with power after drinking, often carrying a few thousand dollars in his pocket. Rich and daring, he's the kind of man who thrives in bars and nightclubs, overflowing with extravagance and love at first sight. He's a middle-aged man willing to spend money and drink, his business entirely dependent on alcohol and meat. He may not be old, but he's hopelessly infatuated, trapped in the whirlpool of love, his breath reeking of alcohol. The taxi driver seemed a little uncomfortable, but it didn't matter. He first slipped the driver a hundred-yuan tip, then told him to keep the change, as driving into the Second Ring Road was quite profitable. Money makes you carefree, but the driver knew this guy was an older man looking for love, and that drinking a little was all about indulging in romantic fantasies. So he put on some music, smiled, and said, "We're good people."

"No need to say anything more, you're a gentleman, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Okay, let's be happy together."

Whenever I'm full and the beauty of love comes to mind, a pent-up desire surges within me like molten lava, threatening to overwhelm reason. My emotions are turbulent, like a lion on the African savanna, its eyes blazing with the allure of blues. Outside the taxi window, the summer night heat intensifies, a warm breeze blowing, and the alcohol, now converted into heat, leaves me drenched in sweat. Beijing's nights are incredibly alluring, brightly lit, and lined with bars of all kinds.

Countless times, Zhang Sheng made judgments based solely on intuition, without any clear purpose. His chosen targets were never wrong. There's a language called seductive gaze; the glint of desire escapes the mind's grasp, a kind of sudden enlightenment. The waiter's smile, "Brother," his eyes slightly closed, head tilted back in his chair—what a leisurely and comfortable life! He didn't need to think about anything, only about the romance of the girls, arms around each other, whispering sweet nothings, without a trace of shyness. It was truly another reborn self, a split personality, capable of possessing many different devilish incarnations at any time. From human to devil, it was only a fleeting moment. The devil once again filled his carnal body. Sometimes he would regret whether he was a devil or an angel that night; if neither, it would be best to become Faust.

The party opens the door to the soul, and Mr. Devil will take over this physical body, his courage as fanatical as Caesar's—of course, this is a metaphor. Caesar in his debauchery is another King Zhou of Shang; anyway, people change, greatly change, to the point that you can't imagine how many absurd things, like those drawn lines, can be done under the devil's temptation.

The moonlight, infinitely gentle, evokes the longing for Juliet's boudoir. Romeo's romantic journey begins—a love journey through hell. The ghouls and sirens appear in the night; the bars and nightclubs are the ghouls' islands. Eves know Adam will inexplicably fall for them, without reason or explanation. This is the temptation of Paris and Helen, planted deep within the souls of humankind by the Creator—the allure of the Trojan Horse, the temptation of Paris and Helen's love.

"Kid, this is our manager."

Zhang Sheng sat at a marble round table under the colorful lights of the music venue.

"Brother, you really weren't lying, you're here to patronize my business again." A waiter, speaking with a Shandong accent, looked to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

"Manager, please make your order. How is it, manager?"

Sang Kun brought his mouth close to Zhang Sheng's ear; Diba's voice was too loud. Ten meters away was a circular stage, where she was constantly shaking her hips and tossing her hair. Zhang Sheng, already possessing feline vision, could see the mist and smoke sprayed into the air—artificial smoke often used on stage to create the most mesmerizing sonic atmosphere when dancers reached a state of extreme excitement. It couldn't conceal the curvaceous figure of the perfect girl; she wore only a bra that barely covered her firm, prominent breasts, an outfit resembling that of a bikini-clad woman walking on a rooftop. Oh, her long legs were almost perfectly proportioned, one straight line clad in crystal sandals, even her toenails painted rose-colored. Her bouncy, pert buttocks resembled two white, translucent, undulating shapes. With her movements, her hands trembled as she raised them, constantly shaking her head, her hair flowing. Suddenly turning around, her handsome, round face revealed a porcelain doll-like figure—a wild little mermaid in the throes of youth, her entire body shimmering with golden light. She was covered in golden powder, fragments of gold leaf that had fallen from the sky. Her skin and sweat absorbed the shimmering powder, and her eyes were the perfect Barbie doll eyes, big eyes that Zhang Sheng had never seen before, eyes that were full of affection and had a mesmerizing, electric light that made Zhang Sheng feel weak all over like an electric current.

"Manager, please order some."

"A large fruit platter, thirty bottles of Heineken, and I want to give her a bouquet of roses."

"manager!"

"What? Speak louder, Sangkun, I can't hear you."

"I'll go ask my girlfriend."

"Go ahead, come right back. That dancing girl is really sexy."

"You can offer her a drink later."

"Okay, what if she refuses?"

"No, don't worry, I'll go and invite her in a bit. Don't take them too seriously."

"Okay, go ahead."

Sang Kun went to the barbershop in the alley opposite Nana Disco to find the southern girl he was pursuing.

"Wait a minute, let's go together, and I'll also give you some encouragement."

"Thank you very much. You are just like our factory manager."

"Why are we talking about your factory manager again? Just how many different jobs have you done?"

"Not much. I started out as a lobby waiter in a karaoke bar."

"Then why didn't you continue working as a lobby server?"

"Hey manager, my mom was sick, wasn't she? I had to take care of her. After she passed away, I started working for our factory manager."

"Why did you quit again?"

"The factory went bankrupt, leaving only the factory manager as an employee. There was nothing we could do. So I stayed at home for more than a year before coming here. Don't say anymore, it's all tears."

"What tears? There's love and girls everywhere here."

"It's boring."

"You are quite elegant."

"Not the manager. Back when I was in the karaoke bar, I had several girls with me every day, and they all rebelled."

"I never expected you to be such a romantic young man."

"That's not what I meant. If you had worked as a waiter/waitress, you would have done the same thing as me."

Standing in front of the trendy hair salon, Sang Kun went inside and exchanged pleasantries for quite a while. The girl was rather reserved; she was indeed a hairdresser at Tongmei Shangli, and female hairdressers were still very rare. In the city, hairdressers were all men; getting a haircut was a concept, but this wasn't a shady salon; it was a legitimate hair salon. Strictly speaking, getting a haircut didn't earn them any money from gentlemen.

Zhang Sheng had his hair done once. He idolized Elvis Presley, and under the guidance or instigation of a male barber and shampooman, he had his only artistic makeover. Thinking back, it was vivid in his mind. It was on Zhongguancun Street before the demolition, a place filled with the clanging of music—it was hard to tell if it was a barbershop or a disco—but anyway, Zhang Sheng had Elvis's hairstyle on his head. At that time, Zhang Sheng had the Adidas perfume that Song Yu had given him; he smelled wonderful, like he was in heat, exuding a passionate, peach-scented aura. Perhaps it was to attract Lin Xiaoqing's attention, but disappointingly, she seemed completely uninterested in his wavy hair and the rosemary perfume. Instead, she attracted the concerned inquiries of Liu Jinxia and her sister-in-law, Ren Susu.

"So, you've found your dream girl? Is it Xiaoqing?"

"No, it's not even close to happening yet."

Then, with a sigh, Xiaoqing, a gentle, capable, and beautiful girl, happened to be there to help her and her sister-in-law with their merchandise—a form of consignment sales. Merchants, to boost sales, would choose reputable, established shops with good relationships to help promote their products; naturally, the more they sold, the more rebates they received from the general agent.

Lin Xiaoqing blushed deeply after hearing their flirtatious banter; her youthful face, flushed like a blooming peach blossom, turned to look at Zhang Sheng, unsure of his meaning. He still lacked confidence that Xiaoqing would fall in love with him and dared not take the next step. Xiaoqing refused his invitations to dinner and movies. She was overly conservative and reserved. Later, he learned that she shared a similar family background with Jane Eyre; Xiaoqing's mother was also a teacher. This was revealed unintentionally during Xiaoqing's self-revelation.

The woman lit a cigarette, her face still serious. Sang Kun, after trying for a long time, looked disappointed. She was unsmiling, her face clouded with gloom. The terrible manager had arrived, and she wasn't giving him any face at all.

"Alright, she's tired. I'll go to the bar with you for a drink." A weathered woman in her mid-thirties saw Sang Kun to the door.

"Manager, this is my old friend."

"Sisters"

"Yes, my old girlfriends from the karaoke bar."

"I used to be the public relations manager." The older woman walked up to Zhang Sheng and introduced herself. The lobby manager and the public relations manager were the right-hand men of the karaoke bar. They cooperated and helped each other so that the singers could find customers who wanted to sing as quickly as possible.

Sang Kun was utterly dejected, having lost all face. The once-famous figure in the nightclub was now utterly forlorn. His old friend personally stepped in to comfort her former business partner.

"Hello, Public Relations Manager."

"Manager, she's no longer the public relations manager."

"I know, let's go for a few drinks together."

"Your manager is quite young."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Zhang Sheng was undoubtedly in high spirits, dressed quite handsomely, especially in a white shirt, and his face was quite fair. Fair skin hides a hundred flaws, and being fair-skinned is a good thing. He looked good no matter what when he was in high spirits. He sat at a marble round table filled with Heineken beer and a large fruit platter.

"cheers!"

"cheers!"