It is precisely this bond, which transcends mere material interest, that allows seemingly foolish choices to shine with the brilliance of human nature.
This brings to mind O. Henry’s *The Gift of the Magi*: a wife cuts her waist-length hair to buy a chain for her husband’s watch, while the husband sells his heirloom pocket watch to buy her tortoise-shell combs. Behind such seemingly absurd exchanges lies a sincere heart that defies cold, material calculation.
The business world is like a battlefield, but the sense of brotherhood upheld by the Jiutian Group mirrors that couple’s echo across time. When Wang Bao set his debt trap, Zhang Zhongyi could have easily resolved the crisis had he possessed even a shred of selfishness. Yet, it is this "foolish" sense of responsibility that keeps the ember of warmth alive within a cold commercial empire.
Chapter 213