Before the plane took off, Qi Shi'an received a message from Zhang Yiming. Within three days, the company would officially issue the contract, and once Shen Duoyi signed it, he would become a part of Ming'an.

He contentedly fastened his seat belt, then covered himself with a blanket, preparing to sleep until Berlin.

Just as he closed his eyes, Zhang Yiming sent another message: "What's your relationship with him?"

Qi Shi'an replied: "He's my brother."

"No way, how come you never mentioned him before, is he really your brother?" Zhang Yiming didn't quite believe it.

Before turning off his phone, Qi Shi'an replied one last time: "All men are brothers within the four seas."

The sensation of tilting came, the plane had already taken off, and the business class cabin was so quiet it seemed like everyone was asleep. Qi Shi'an turned his head to the side, eyes half-closed as he gazed out the window. Many people like to watch the clouds while on a plane, but he was an exception.

The clouds drifted here and there, intangible and untouchable, and the more he looked at them, the more depressed he felt.

Qi Shi'an pondered gloomily, what was his relationship with Shen Duoyi?

All sorts of reasons plus a variety of excuses, rounded up and embellished a few times, still couldn't reach the level of "old flames".

"Sigh, even more depressing than watching clouds." Qi Shi'an completely closed his eyes, feeling that sleeping was more practical.

After the interview ended, Annie took Shen Duoyi on a tour to familiarize himself with the various departments of the company. When the elevator passed the 30th floor, it didn't stop.

Annie explained: "Mr. Qi and Mr. Zhang are senior partners of Ming'an. The 30th floor mainly consists of Mr. Qi's office and rest area. He likes to call people up for meetings, and several departments also have small offices for Mr. Qi. By the way, Mr. Qi is also a senior trader, and he has been spending a lot of time in the foreign exchange department recently."

Shen Duoyi made a mental note of everything and asked, "Shouldn't we go and say hello to Mr. Qi?"

"Not until next week," Annie replied. "Mr. Qi left for a business trip to Berlin this morning and won't be back for a week."

After touring the company's various departments, all that was left was to sign the contract. On the way home to pick up his car, Shen Duoyi remembered that Meng Liang still didn't know he had changed companies.

"Meng Liang, it's me. Are you busy today?"

Meng Liang said on the phone, "It's alright. I had a meeting with the head of the assurance department this morning, which went quite smoothly and ended early. Senior, did you pass the interview?"

"No, I was eliminated," Shen Duoyi stopped by the supermarket. "But I succeeded at another company, Ming'an Financial. Have you heard of it?"

Meng Liang's voice rose in pitch, "Ming'an is quite well-known in the financial industry. Once, when I had dinner with the boss, I heard that their boss is also quite a playboy with lots of gossip surrounding him."

Shen Duoyi wasn't much of a gossip lover, and he didn't know if "that boss" specifically referred to Mr. Qi or Mr. Zhang. After parking the car, he said, "I'm going to buy some groceries to celebrate with my old man. Do you want to come over for a ready-made meal?"

"Of course I'll come, I'll be your assistant," Meng Liang replied.

From his studies to his work, Shen Duoyi had always had good interpersonal relationships, but no particularly close friends, because he didn't talk much and didn't like to discuss family troubles. Most of the time, he maintained a sense of distance from others.

Actually, he had a childhood friend who grew up with him in the same alley, but they were both very busy with work and rarely contacted each other outside of holidays. Meng Liang was like a younger brother to him. From university to entering society, the two of them got along well. He had even introduced girlfriends to Meng Liang, although unsuccessfully.

Grandpa Shen wore reading glasses as he watched the news broadcast. The two younger men were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. Shen Duoyi was skilled at cooking. To prevent tears from flowing, he always looked up while cutting onions. As he chopped, he recalled, "The secretary who showed me around the company today was quite pretty and very generous. When I get to know her better, I'll see if she's single."

"You want to introduce someone to me again? You think about me too much," Meng Liang glanced at the living room and said softly, "Senior, consider your own lifelong happiness. Doesn't Grandpa urge you?"

Shen Duoyi shook his head, "He does, but it goes in one ear and out the other. Later, when we eat, don't you dare mention any sensitive topics."

Meng Liang was exceptionally obedient, burying his head in eating throughout the entire meal. Only after finishing did he open his mouth to talk. The two of them chatted, from how two-faced the head of the bancassurance department was, to the prospects of new life insurance products. The content of their conversation was like a heavenly book, making Grandpa Shen scratch his ears.

"Oh right, let me tell you about your new boss," Meng Liang said. "Ming'an's boss especially loves to play, frequently going to bars, getting massages, and the key is that he brings a different companion each time, including models and celebrities, all sorts of professions. The most amazing thing is—"

Shen Duoyi hugged a throw pillow, "Can you not keep me in suspense?"

Meng Liang lowered his voice, "The most amazing thing is, one day he goes to a bar with a female companion, and the next day he gets a massage with a male companion. He's simply a player with both men and women."

Gossip always gets more exaggerated as it spreads, so Shen Duoyi didn't plan on believing it, treating it as just an after-dinner joke. But he didn't completely disbelieve it either. Where there's smoke, there's fire; there must be a reason, he just didn't know which boss was so open-minded.

When he officially started work two days later, he probably guessed it.

The legal department had prepared the agreements and contracts that needed to be signed. Shen Duoyi sat on the sofa and finished an entire cup of coffee without seeing any sign of the boss. As the second cup was being filled, Zhang Yiming finally arrived unhurriedly.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting because of my personal reasons."

Shen Duoyi's nose was filled with the scent of disinfectant. He pushed the contract in front of the other party, "It's alright, I just arrived too."

Zhang Yiming signed and stamped the contract, saying, "Yesterday, my girlfriend got into a traffic accident and was hospitalized. I really couldn't get away, running back and forth between the police station and the hospital, and didn't even get any sleep."

Shen Duoyi comforted, "As long as she's okay, that's good. Well, I won't disturb your work then. But today is my first day at work, and I wanted to treat my colleagues in the department to lunch. If you have time, why don't you join us?"

Zhang Yiming considered for a moment, feeling that office workers having lunch could be listed as one of the top ten most boring events in the world. So, he seemingly suggested, but in fact ordered, "Let's have a welcome party in the evening. Annie hasn't had any work assigned by the boss these past two days, so let her arrange it."

Shen Duoyi asked doubtfully, "Didn't you say your girlfriend got into an accident? Won't it take up too much of your time?"

"That won't be a problem..." Zhang Yiming had already forgotten about that. "She's fine, just a bit frightened. I'll ask her to come along too, to relax and calm her nerves." Leaving the office and returning to his department, Shen Duoyi couldn't help but give an answer in his heart. This Mr. Zhang was very nervous about his girlfriend and shouldn't be the playboy Meng Liang had mentioned, so it could only be the other Mr. Qi.

"Achoo!"

Far away in Berlin, Germany, Qi Shi'an mustered up the strength to let out a sneeze. Several days of intensive meetings had left him feeling a bit breathless, and coupled with the jet lag, he felt his condition wasn't very good.

The short break ended, and before the coffee even had a chance to cool, he took the remote control and switched to a new page to continue the meeting: "The German Stock Exchange has issued new policies on establishing joint ventures, so the concept stocks of the China-Germany Free Trade Zone are very likely to usher in a bull market."

The coffee that didn't have time to cool had finally turned cold. Qi Shi'an's mouth was dry and his tongue was parched. He took the initiative to extend his right hand, wanting to end the applause around him as soon as possible. At this time, what he feared most was a colleague suddenly coming over to continue discussing with him, while he just wanted to finish that cup of coffee to moisten his throat and then hurry back to the hotel to sleep.

"Shi'an, let's get together tomorrow?"

Policies and overt market trends were to be discussed at the meeting, while interesting and scandalous gossip was to be left for idle chatter at the dinner table. The questioner was an old classmate. Qi Shi'an stretched his tie and smiled helplessly, "Let's see what time I wake up, and I've booked a train ticket to Munich."

Qi Shi'an took a car to the hotel, single-mindedly heading for the bed. The moment he hit the pillow after taking a shower, his eyes couldn't stay open at all, and then he had a dream in a daze.

He dreamed that when he returned from his business trip, the moment the elevator door opened, he saw Shen Duoyi standing outside. Shen Duoyi's eyes were no longer gentle. After glaring at him for a moment, he turned and ran away.

Outside, it was unknown whether it was night or day. The thick curtains were like adding another wall to the room. Qi Shi'an lay on the bed in a deep sleep, his brows furrowed and his face never looking good.

This sleep lasted too long, completely missing the gathering with old classmates. Fortunately, he had set an alarm, otherwise he might have even missed the train.

Qi Shi'an changed into casual clothes and was about to leave. Before leaving, he made a phone call to Zhang Yiming. After getting through, he asked in a very time-saving manner, "Did you sign the contract with Shen Duoyi?"

"Signed, and officially started work." Zhang Yiming glanced at his watch, "There are still five minutes before officially getting off work. We're going to have a welcome party in the evening to have some fun."

Qi Shi'an's brows twitched, "To hell with the party, don't meddle."

Zhang Yiming immediately laughed, "Actually saying dirty words, it's not like they're a junior employee. What's wrong with the company showing some appreciation? But I'm hesitating whether to invite a few beautiful women to accompany him. He looks so gentle, I don't know if he can have fun with them."

"No, you can call people to have a group revelry around you all you want, but stay away from him." Qi Shi'an completed the check-out procedures, "Also, Director Wang from the stock exchange is back from his business trip. I suggest you treat him to a meal."

Hanging up the phone, he had just walked to the hotel lobby. Qi Shi'an looked at the reflective floor, the complex chandelier, the leather sofa beside the revolving door, and the floor vase, and couldn't help but think of the building in the city.

While the phone was still lit, he dialed the secretary's number.

In the last two minutes before getting off work, Shen Duoyi received a notice from Zhang Yiming about his absence from the welcome party. Actually, he was secretly relieved, because dealing with the boss was tiring. Although dealing with anyone in society was tiring, if colleagues were treated as teammates, the sense of connections would weaken, and getting along would be much more relaxed.

Shen Duoyi put away the few department data books on the desk and made a work outline for tomorrow on a sticky note. At this time, Annie knocked on the door and asked, "Are you ready to get off work?"

"No hurry, I'm still writing the work outline." The boss's secretary wouldn't come over for no reason. Shen Duoyi understood, "Does Mr. Qi have any instructions?"

Annie smiled apologetically, "Mr. Qi wants you to make an analysis report on the development trend of foreign exchange."

Shen Duoyi jotted it down, "Anything else?"

"That's all. Mr. Qi said he hopes you can send it to him tomorrow morning." Annie's smile seemed even more apologetic, "The time is a bit tight. You can retrieve data from the company's public archives. Sorry for the trouble."

The last four words made Shen Duoyi feel like a people's teacher. After the office door closed, he looked at the topic he had just written down and pondered. The requirements were vague and couldn't even withstand scrutiny. Rather than assessing his abilities, it was more like forcibly finding him something to do, and stingily not giving him much time.

The welcome party fizzled out amid sighs from colleagues. Shen Duoyi treated everyone to a meal as originally planned, then hurried back to the company to work overtime. The public archives were rarely visited, and the temperature was a bit lower than other floors. He made a cup of green tea to refresh himself. Before starting work, he received a notice from Annie.

"Mr. Qi said you can ask him if you have any questions."

The company had three investment departments: stocks, futures, and foreign exchange. Foreign exchange was much more complex than the first two. Shen Duoyi retrieved data for analysis and comparison. He was a senior actuary, most adept at quantifying various uncertainties and estimating situations and unseen losses.

At eleven o'clock in the evening, the green tea was already running low. He sent the first email to Qi Shi'an.

"Hello, Mr. Qi. I'm Shen Duoyi." Qi Shi'an was feeding birds in Marienplatz. Halfway through, he read the email on his phone, laughing, "...It is expected that next year's market will experience deflation, the central bank will cut interest rates, and introduce rescue measures in stages."

He replied, "How do you think we should get through the crisis?"

Shen Duoyi replied quickly, "This is not my view. It's an analysis report from two years ago that I saw in the database. My view is the opposite. Now that the country is in control, the trend is very good, and the possibility of a crisis is small."

Qi Shi'an asked, "So you want to hear my opinion?"

"Yes." Shen Duoyi couldn't help but smile, gently typing the reply, "Because that analysis report was written by you."

Qi Shi'an stood among a group of birds, trying to recall the report he had written two years ago. His shirt fluttered slightly in the wind. In the end, he really couldn't remember and replied, "Just provide me with your views, never mind the rest."

Shen Duoyi didn't reply again, focusing on the work at hand, and only completed a third of it by working late into the night. Tea leaves accumulated in the cup. He got up to get water and stretched his sore shoulders from sitting for a long time.

When he returned to the office, there was another unread email.

"Sending you a picture of a roasted chestnut stand on the streets of Munich. You can submit the report after I get back. Get some rest early."

The beautiful picture eased the soreness in his eyes. Shen Duoyi thought of the candied chestnuts sold near his home and had the urge to bribe his boss with them, but worried the other person might find it shabby.

Two days later, when the plane landed, Qi Shi'an returned from his business trip. Without even going home, he picked up his large bag and went straight to the company.

From the lobby on the first floor to the office on the 30th floor, Annie hadn't even finished reporting last week's work. The files stacked on the desk were like several small mountains, with steaming coffee hidden between them, as if the mountains were on fire.

Qi Shi'an casually put down his bag, then took out a bag of roasted chestnuts and tossed a couple to Annie, saying, "Try them, kept warm all the way from Munich. Don't say it if they taste bad."

Annie replied, "I'll wipe off my lipstick and eat them later. By the way, I informed all the departments in advance that you're back today. Do you want to confirm the meeting time?"

"In the afternoon," Qi Shi'an leaned back in his chair, his thoughts already flying to the consulting department. "Has Team Leader Shen's report been written?"

Before Annie could answer, he changed his words, "No need to ask, don't rush him."

Shen Duoyi's report had long been completed. At this moment, he was also hesitating whether to take it to Qi Shi'an. He was worried that the other person would be exhausted from the journey and not in the mood to deal with work as soon as he got off the plane. The candied chestnuts in the drawer gave off bursts of fragrance, still warm to the touch. He had bought three bags, with the other two given to colleagues as snacks.

They won't taste good if they cool down. Better go.

30th floor, the same as the floor number at home. Shen Duoyi took the analysis report and candied chestnuts out of the elevator, then first gave Annie a few. Annie happily said, "What a coincidence, Mr. Qi also gave me two. Is this the season for eating chestnuts?"

Shen Duoyi laughed along, finding it a bit amusing to buy a bag of roasted chestnuts back from Germany. He walked to the door and composed himself, wearing only a polite smile.

Qi Shi'an's signing hand paused, hearing the knock on the door and a pleasant "Mr. Qi".

"Please come in."

Shen Duoyi pushed the door and entered, naturally looking towards the person behind the desk, but unfortunately a stack of documents blocked his view. He gradually approached, and just as he stood in front of the desk, the other person looked up.

Brows, eyes, nose, mouth corners - the scattered cobwebs in his memory re-adhered and pieced together, pouring down the old events from many years ago, paired with this familiar yet unfamiliar face.

The aromas from the two bags of roasted chestnuts mixed together, the sweet fragrance burning away all the oxygen. The arc at the corner of Shen Duoyi's mouth disappeared, and the smiling eyes were left with only astonishment.

Qi Shi'an capped his pen and stood up, saying, "Looks like you still remember me."

Shen Duoyi's fingers loosened and the chestnuts fell, rolling all over the floor.

Qi Shi'an stared at the other's face greedily yet gently, "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Qi Shi'an, a senior partner here."

Actuaries are adept at quantifying various uncertain things. Shen Duoyi had also formed this kind of professional thinking, making everything proceed in an orderly manner. But Qi Shi'an's reappearance was an uncertain event he had not considered.

No, actually he had considered it, in some fleeting moment during these years.