Last night, Brian Carter chatted with William Clark about old times until midnight. In the end, William Clark got drunk and passed out, and he, unable to resist his own fatigue, fell asleep as well.

His phone had run out of battery and shut off. Early in the morning, a hotel staff member came to deliver hangover soup and breakfast, helped Brian Carter charge his phone, and as soon as it turned on, countless missed calls popped up. Immediately after, Samuel Bennett called.

William Clark was still asleep. Brian Carter left a note and left the room.

The nightclub’s neon sign was still lit, but in the dawn light, its colors looked a bit faded. Once the men and women in their flashy outfits had left, the dance floor became as deserted as the street.

Brian Carter braced himself and stood at the entrance, worried about his appearance, so he straightened his tie.

Fifteen minutes later, a long-wheelbase Phantom sped over and screeched to a halt by the roadside.

Samuel Bennett unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Brian Carter was neatly dressed, not as disheveled as he’d imagined, but the dark circles under his eyes showed he’d clearly been up all night.

"Young Master Chu," he said, "I don’t care how you mess around, but making your parents call your boss several times is a mistake only a grade-schooler would make."

Brian Carter admitted his fault: "Sorry, I’ll go home right away."

Samuel Bennett was worried that Brian Carter would pretend to comply but then disappear for another day and night. If that happened, the Chu family might end up hanging banners at Henry Bennett’s door demanding their son back.

Forget it, Samuel Bennett couldn’t be bothered to say more. He said, "Get in the car."

Brian Carter felt embarrassed to trouble him and asked, "You’re giving me a ride?"

Samuel Bennett replied, "I’m escorting you."

Brian Carter walked to the car. Having been a young master, a general manager, and a bank president, his habits were ingrained. He headed straight for the back seat and politely said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Samuel Bennett finally couldn’t hold back his temper: "Where do you get that bossy attitude?"

Brian Carter paused. What now?

Samuel Bennett ordered, "Come here, sit in the front!"

Author’s note:

A quick reply: The client has two professional translators who are in charge. Xiang’s translation was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so Chu is just assisting, mainly recording content for future review. I didn’t write this in enough detail; I’ll revise the details another day.

Chapter 7

Samuel Bennett drove the car at breakneck speed, nearly going over the limit.

Brian Carter kept a calm face, but his arms were crossed defensively over his chest. Only when they arrived outside the Chu family’s gate and the car came to a stop did he relax his grip.

The silent ride was rather torturous. He unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "Thank you for the ride."

Samuel Bennett said, "Go on in. Your mother is very worried. Please tell her that Henry Bennett is not a kindergarten, and I’m not a life skills teacher. I have no obligation to look after her child."

From the sarcastic tone, Brian Carter could tell he was very annoyed. He replied, "Got it. Anything else?"

Samuel Bennett pressed a button to open the passenger door. After Brian Carter got out, he said, "We have an employment relationship. I’m your boss. I want you to work, not cause trouble. I hope you remember that."

Brian Carter maintained his composure and accepted it all: "Alright, I’ll remember."

As soon as he finished speaking, the car roared, and Samuel Bennett floored the gas pedal, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Staring at the lingering exhaust, Brian Carter realized he’d left his bag on the back seat...

Hearing the engine, Mrs. Chu ran out from the main gate. She hadn’t slept all night, pacing around the house until her feet were practically on fire.

Seeing the figure at the gate, she called out, "Brian Carter, you’re finally back! You nearly worried your mother to death!"

Brian Carter apologized and reassured her, calming Mrs. Chu down.

Mrs. Chu had a keen sense of smell. She caught the scent of alcohol and perfume on him and asked, "Where did you spend the night?"

Brian Carter told her about running into William Clark, just saying they caught up, without mentioning where they went. Judging by Samuel Bennett’s reaction to the nightclub, he figured it wasn’t something to broadcast.

Unfortunately, as soon as Mrs. Chu heard he’d been with William Clark, she filled in the blanks herself. She’d even changed Brian Carter’s phone number, hoping that after his amnesia he’d lose touch with those bad influences, but now they’d met again.

Mrs. Chu asked tactfully, "You got together with him so soon—can your body handle a whole night out?"

Brian Carter didn’t think much of it: "I’m just a bit tired."

He walked into the villa, pressed a fist to his lips to stifle a yawn, and went upstairs to rest.

Mrs. Chu sighed and went to the kitchen to tell Sister Xiu to stop what she was doing, complaining as she went: "Don’t bother making breakfast, just stew something nourishing. That rascal..."

Sister Xiu was surprised: "So soon..."

Mrs. Chu grumbled, "Forget it, that’s just how men are. If they could hold back, beggars would be billionaires!"

Brian Carter was completely unaware. After returning to his room, he locked himself in the bathroom and took a thorough shower, making sure there was no trace of alcohol on him before coming out.

He felt unusually exhausted—not just from lack of sleep, but also from the mental strain at the Japanese restaurant. Now that he could finally relax, his limbs felt heavy.

He lit a piece of Canaan incense in a small burner, lay down on the bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Brian Carter dreamed of the past.

It was also at dusk. He’d been invited to a banquet he couldn’t refuse, held in an old house decorated in Japanese style. The floor was covered with tatami mats, and by the wall stood a sword rack half as tall as a person.

Fragrant smoke curled up from the tea table. The officer, usually dressed in full military gear, was now wearing a kimono, kneeling across from Brian Carter, performing a tea ceremony while praising China’s "Classic of Tea."