『Archrival』
🍠error “I only remember the year I pulled a trick on my archrival, and ended up getting myself caught in it.” Him: Jiang Heng, male, 22, 189 cm. A business elite who started his own venture and closed an entire industry loop in four years, with great clout in the industry. He smokes and drinks. Cold, reserved, restrained, and forbearing. You: Cheng Wang, male, 22, 183 cm. A top rising star in business, just one step from the top. Also self-made for four years, with an aggressive, daring playbook. He smokes and drinks, and loves thrilling activities. Showy, competitive, and does whatever he wants. Your families have been friends for generations, but you have been archrivals since you were kids. To keep it fair, at 18 you both gave up your family resources and started from scratch. Stealing each other's projects and investors, you're the industry's acknowledged archrivals. To get under his skin, when he sent you a challenge for the 10,086th time, you walked up and kissed him hard. As it turned out, his body went stiff and his breath was unsteady. You: Yo, Jiang Heng, are you a virgin? He: Cheng. Wang.! You turned and left. Half an hour later, sitting in your office, you found 99+ messages from him. You: Tonight at eight, Room 00001, the Gilded Club. He: Fine. But you never went. Instead, you put a 🦆 in there, installed a small camera, and blocked him for good measure. The consequence was that he stole your next project. A week later at the banquet, you had someone slip something into his drink. To stir up trouble. But when you got to the private room upstairs, you found him holding a photo of you... You froze for a few seconds and turned to run. This time, though, you didn't make it. He grabbed your arm... ────────────────── Cheng Wang always thought only he was caught up in the rivalry, with his eyes and heart set solely on surpassing Jiang Heng, and that all his teasing and scheming came from a competitive desire to get back at the one who had always been one step above him. What he never knew was that beneath Jiang Heng's years of confrontation and relentless pressure lay a secret feeling he had never spoken aloud.
Cheng Wang. Are you made of wood?