Soon enough, Zheng Tingqiang sent Zhu Bufan's information to Xiaoma's mobile phone.

Upon receiving Zheng Tingqiang's message, Xiaoma immediately rushed to the Sheraton Hotel.

Speaking of Xiaoma and Zheng Tingqiang's relationship, it goes back to when Zheng Tingqiang resigned from his university professor position.

After resigning from the university, Zheng Tingqiang started his own business. What he didn't expect was that just when he was about to earn his first pot of gold, he was tricked by the other party, leading to the failure of his first entrepreneurial endeavor.

The morning following his failure, he went to a small noodle shop with the last 20 yuan he had left, because he was very hungry. He hadn't eaten anything the day his venture failed, so he went to eat noodles the next morning.

At the time Zheng Tingqiang started his business, a bowl of noodles in Chongqing City cost three yuan.

Arriving at the noodle shop, Zheng Tingqiang had just started eating when the sound of a commotion rose from outside the noodle shop.

Zheng Tingqiang usually disliked joining in the hubbub and, with his mood at an all-time low and spirits drained after his business failure, he didn't bother to check what was happening outside.

Yet he vaguely overheard someone saying that just before Zheng Tingqiang entered the noodle shop, someone had eaten noodles and then ran off without paying. That person was now apprehended by the male owner of the noodle shop who was demanding money.

Most of the patrons had left their seats to watch the commotion outside, with only a few people, including Zheng Tingqiang, continuing to eat their noodles.

After eating a few more bites, Zheng Tingqiang suddenly heard from outside: "Boss, please have mercy! It was just a bowl of noodles, it won't cost you much. Why did you chase me all the way down the street? Look at me, if I hadn't gone without food for two days, would I have run away without paying for just a bowl of noodles?"

"No way, it's only right to pay for your meal. So today, you're either paying up or I'm beating you and sending you off to the police station."

At that moment, the onlookers also began to denounce the guy who hadn't paid for his meal.

"Ah, why are there such people? Eating noodles without paying."

"Right! Honestly, look at his clothes, you can tell he's from the countryside. If you can't afford it, don't eat! Really, country folks are unreliable."

"Indeed, indeed, people from the countryside are really hateful. Boss, I think you should just beat him up and send him to the police station!!!"

The crowd of onlookers unanimously shared their opinions with the male owner, but nobody offered to pay for the escapee.

"Boss, please be kind! I'm from the countryside, but I came out to start my own business. I'm not one of those dishonest people. It's just that a group of thugs robbed our stand and took my money, that's why I don't have money for food today. I just wanted to have a meal before going to work to earn money. Boss, could you give me a day, and I'll come and pay you back, is that okay?"

Zheng Tingqiang heard the voice, which still sounded young; perhaps the person who fled wasn't very old.

Hearing him say that he was also attempting to start a business, Zheng Tingqiang felt a flicker of empathy.

Wasn't he an entrepreneur himself?

Thinking it over, he realized his situation wasn't much different. The only difference was that the other person was robbed by thugs, whereas he himself was cheated by a client.

At the end of the day, it was a lack of experience that led to the failure of their ventures!

Thinking further, if he spent the last of his remaining 20 yuan, wouldn't he end up just like the person who ate and ran?

Although he was an intellectual, Zheng Tingqiang was a proud one at that.

It was the day when Zheng Tingqiang went to resign to his former principal, he remembered speaking with such righteous indignation!

"Principal, I'm resigning because I'm going to start a business. I aim to stand at the pinnacle of the business world within a year!!!"

"Xiaozheng, you already have a stable job, which is quite good, and the salary I give you is quite generous. So, Xiaozheng, don't listen to those old teachers at our school spouting nonsense, they have no idea how tough it is for entrepreneurs. Therefore, Xiaozheng, I won't approve your resignation."

"No, Principal, whether you approve or not, I'm leaving."

"You... why won't you listen?"

"Principal, please fulfill my heart filled with entrepreneurial spirit."

"Fine, Zheng Tingqiang, you won't heed my advice? Alright, I'll approve your resignation, but I must tell you, if you fail in your business, don't ever think about coming back to academia!"

"As long as you approve, even if I fail at starting a business, even if I, Zheng Tingqiang, have to beg, I will not return to academia."

"Good... good... good..."

The old principal had uttered three 'goods' and energetically wrote the word 'approved' on his resignation letter.

Then, Zheng Tingqiang took his savings from two years of being a professor and came to the lucrative Chongqing City, only to find himself failing right away.

Zheng Tingqiang felt some regrets, regretting not listening to his old principal.

But it was too late to go back. Having said those words, he couldn't return.

Reflecting on this, Zheng Tingqiang wanted to cry without tears, emotionally and mentally exhausted.

He finished the bowl of noodles in front of him with determination and then stood up:

"Boss, it's time to settle the bill!!!"

After taking his money, the female owner of the noodle shop quickly gave Zheng Tingqiang his change.

With money in hand, Zheng Tingqiang quickly left the noodle shop.

Once outside, Zheng Tingqiang noticed that the guy who had run off after eating was indeed young, looking to be around sixteen or seventeen, not yet an adult.

Zheng Tingqiang sighed again, how can someone so young not be studying, and instead think of starting a business?

But then he thought of himself, why didn't he stick to teaching instead of trying to start a business? If he hadn't done so, he'd probably be drinking tea in the principal's office by now.

The old principal was very kind to Zheng Tingqiang, who frequently took the liberty of visiting him in his office for tea.

"Kid, if you don't get someone to pay up, I'm really going to start hitting you, not only will I beat you, but I'll also send you to the police station!!!" the male owner threatened the runaway earnestly.

"Boss, let him go, I'll pay for him!!!" Zheng Tingqiang shook his head with a sigh and then stepped forward to speak to the male owner.

Everyone was startled; no one expected someone to step in to pay for the boy!

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