"Is the old man in good health?"
"Well, the operation was very successful. The situation has stabilized in the past few days, but I can't do without people."
Xiao Junyi's voice was hoarse, as if he was overworked. This is the first time Chen Yuanming has contacted someone in a few days, but just listening to the sound, his condition may be worse than expected.
"You should also pay attention to your body, don't the old man recover, you are broken again..."
"The family is busy. Big brother and father have to prepare for the October meeting. Mother is the only one left in the house. She is not too young. It's not a problem if she is tired, and..." Xiao Junyi After a pause, he took a deep breath, "If I don't stay in the ward, I'm really… uneasy."
The voice from the receiver was full of bitterness, like some kind of silent confession. Chen Yuanming tightened his fingers, this sudden funeral has changed more than a trajectory of life. With a sigh in his heart, he slowed his tone, "I'm always here if needed."
The voice on the phone stopped for a moment, "Thank you for accompanying me back..."
"I'd rather be by your side now."
Chen Yuanming's voice was firm and gentle, but also contained a hint of hidden pain that was difficult to detect. Xiao Junyi opened his mouth, but was unable to answer.
There was only a buzzing electronic sound on the phone.
In the end, Chen Yuanming spoke first, "Pay attention to your body, my phone will always be by your side, and you can contact me at any time. You go to sleep first, and everything will be discussed when you wake up."
"Ok."
"Good night."
"Good night."
They said good night to each other, but the phone did not hang up for a long time until Xiao Junyi pressed the end button two minutes later. The screen of the mobile phone went black, he held the mobile phone for a long time, and finally turned his body and lay down on the sofa.
Grief, remorse, numbness, burnout... One emotion after another swept through his body, and in the end what was left was a jailer named "guilt", who tortured his heart day and night. The trip to the United States was arranged by his mother and uncle, but no one knew better than himself what he experienced in the United States. Fantastic joy only makes the shadow of death thicker.
More deadly than this are the trivial details that have been slowly recalled recently. Why does an old lady who never asks her children about marriage suddenly think of urging marriage? Ask yourself again and again with a longing look. Whether it was in the dark or not, she had already realized that her life was about to come to an end, but she was worried that her grandson, who had grown up by her lap, couldn't wait to hope that he would get married, that he would be taken care of and be happy. However, he couldn't satisfy such a tiny desire, and chose to deceive it like a joke.
Thinking deeper, even if he knew about the funeral in advance, would he choose to fulfill his grandmother's wish? He does have a lover, but this person cannot be brought before his family.
Until this moment, unprecedented suffering surged up. It was like standing in the middle of a single-plank bridge, with his family on one side and his lover on the other, supported by a crumbling log. The problems that I once imagined are too superficial.
In order to get rid of such guilt and torment, he devoted all his attention to his grandfather, and almost exhausted all his energy. I thought it would be better to do this, but when the phone rang today, another pain hit my heart again.
Chen Yuanming said that he wanted to be by his side.
Reaching out to cover his eyes, Xiao Junyi closed his eyes wearily. What was once thought to be as solid as a rock is just a fragile soap bubble that will burst and shatter when you poke it. But he couldn't deceive himself, he missed Chen Yuanming, even if the pain was unbearable, even if the guilt was heavy, he missed his lover and wanted to draw warmth from him.
The palm felt a little wet, but Xiao Junyi didn't put down his hand. He took a long breath and breathed, and the tremors of his body slowly calmed down, as if falling into a comfortable doze...
Chen Yuanming kept his promise and never left Beijing for half a month, but their first reunion was at work. After preliminary negotiation, Netscape sent a special person to China to sign an agreement with Anxin. As the person in charge, Xiao Junyi naturally also attended.
Just seeing Xiao Junyi again, Chen Yuanming's heart trembled slightly. I haven't seen him for more than ten days, and the person seems to have lost weight. The energy that used to be full of self-confidence has turned into a kind of depressed calm, and the playfulness and enthusiasm of the past have also lost in his eyes. Personally.
Since it was a workplace, the two did not communicate much, but only held official meetings and consultations, paving the way for the cooperation between the two companies. The meeting went quite smoothly. After all, Netscape's intervention was a great help to the development of Anxin's mobile phone business, not to mention the tempting proposal to build a mobile phone system platform. Three days later, the prototype of the agreement was officially launched.
After signing the agreement, the preparations for the banquet began in full swing, but the two principals stayed in the office with the curtains closed, as if they were discussing something important.
"You look thinner." The fingertips slid across the other's sunken cheeks, and Chen Yuanming's eyes flashed a trace of reluctance.
Xiao Junyi smiled, "During this period of time, day and night have been turned upside down. It's good to go back and support it."
The smile did not reach his eyes. Chen Yuanming sighed softly, "Has the old man been discharged from the hospital?"
"Well, I just don't want to go back to the sanatorium, because I'm afraid of touching the situation." Speaking of his grandfather, Xiao Junyi's eyes were a little dim, "No one thought that the old man would collapse so completely, and the old lady almost didn't get through it when she passed away. It’s okay in front of people, she looks out the window and weeps when no one is there, and she told me many times that it was because of him that the old lady suffered so much and walked ahead.”
There are only a few words, but there are endless bitterness. This is still the old man with immortal style, the high-spirited father of the Republic, just an ordinary old man who lost his wife.
Chen Yuanming didn't speak, and hugged his lover's shoulders. Now it's July, the two of them don't wear thick clothes, and the heat of the skin passes through the thin shirt, snuggling together. As if infected by heat, Xiao Junyi slowly lowered his head, leaned on Chen Yuanming's shoulder, and tightened his arms, like a drowning person hugging the driftwood beside him.
A low hoarse voice came from my ear, "I completely forgot about your existence that day, and it wasn't until the next day that I found out that you were not around. Then I wanted to forget those days in the United States, I wanted to deceive myself, and I wanted to eliminate the The pain and guilt that go with you...I didn't realize I couldn't do it until I heard your voice."
Every word contains pain, but it is very clear.
"It's like a dilemma, there is no standard or correct answer. After thinking about it for a long time, I can only see a little bit clearly. If I cheat and hide for a moment's comfort, I will only lose more, and it will be irreparable. Situation…”
Chen Yuanming's body was shocked and he wanted to raise his head, but Xiao Junyi held him tightly in his arms and could hardly move.
"So, I don't want to struggle any more. Rather than linger, I'd rather choose something more real." There was a power in that flat voice, the deeper the chisel, the stronger the pressure, " The things I didn’t take into account—friends’ blessings, family approvals, marriages and vows—like the lifelong bond between an old man and an old lady, like the half-life companionship between my parents.”
Like a thunderous explosion in his ears, Chen Yuanming found that his body was so stiff that he couldn't even move a knuckle. He imagined that this death would change Xiao Junyi, and even the relationship between the two, but he never thought that it would become what it is now.
"I've already found the person I'm looking for in my life, so I shouldn't let go and miss it. Chen Yuanming, I want to bring you to my family with another identity and another way."
"You..." Chen Yuanming's throat seemed to be choked, and he couldn't make a sound no matter how hard he tried. He has become accustomed to being sneaky and struggling to live, and is ready to repeat this process in this life. Today's happiness has long been beyond imagination, and he does not intend to rashly shatter this wonderful illusion.
What about the family's opinion? What about social opinion? What about the business impact? How could he easily take this step...
The hug around him loosened a little, but it was still tight. Chen Yuanming saw the pair of peach blossom eyes that were close at hand. Those eyes no longer looked like a carefree young man. With pain, responsibility, and the temper brought by growth, they also had indescribable seriousness and compassion. Decisive.
"Maybe not now, maybe it will have to wait until the old man recovers, until the dust of the conference settles, until your little brother comes to the world, until both of us and our family are ready. Then, I want to lead Your hand, stand upright in front of the family and tell them that I have a lover who I want to spend my life with."
Xiao Junyi raised the corners of his lips, revealing a small but real smile. "Chen Yuanming, I love you. Are you willing to change your identity and stand in front of those who I also love?"
Like a clay-body woodcarving, Chen Yuanming was unable to move for a long time. His nostrils seemed to be blocked by something, and the corners of his eyes rolled with uncontrollable enthusiasm. If he hadn't clenched his teeth, his teeth might have been rattling, like his trembling body.
Does he need to take this step? Do you need to get out of this safe narrow cabinet for a name and an identity, to declare your "morbidity" to the world, and to bear endless accusations and discrimination? However, looking at Xiao Junyi's serious expression, those fears, those unease, those things that made him stagnate are slowly melting, like encountering thin snow on a warm spring day.
In the end, his throat trembled, and he reached out and held Xiao Junyi's hand firmly, the scorching body temperature blending in each other's palms.
"good."
—————
After completing the agreement with Netscape, Chen Yuanming finally did not choose to stay this time, but flew directly to Australia. After more than a month of negotiations, the agreement between Yuanyang Group and the two mining companies came to an end. Yuanyang continued to invest 80 million US dollars in North Mining, and acquired 45% of the shares of North Mining with a total of 200 million US dollars.
Rio Tinto's situation is more complicated, and its main controlling shareholders are from Japan and Europe and the United States. Due to the huge fluctuation of copper in this period, some scattered investors have begun to retreat. The Sumitomo Group, which holds up to 15% of Rio Tinto's shares, is experiencing the most severe internal turmoil in the past decade. It has lost more than 5 billion US dollars in assets in the copper futures alone. Even for this behemoth, this mouthful The pain was a little too slow.
With this opportunity, Yuanyang Group did not hesitate, and after several rounds of tug-of-war negotiations, it finally won a 5% stake in Rio Tinto at a price of US$600 million. This can be regarded as the largest investment of Yuanyang since its establishment, but Chen Yuanming is very satisfied with this huge expenditure. You must know that in 2008, Chinalco spent 14 billion US dollars to get a 12% stake in Rio Tinto, and it also set off a wave of soaring metal prices. Now, if not for the collapse of copper prices, China's monster steel throughput capacity will also At the moment when he was not making a fortune, it is simply whimsical to want to invest in Rio Tinto at this price. When Rio Tinto chooses to annex Northern Mining in a few years, it will be his second chance to set foot in Rio Tinto.
After resolving the mergers and acquisitions in mining, he did not stay in Australia for too long. Recently, the Henan Molybdenum Mine under his command is negotiating a long-term agreement with Baosteel. In fact, Baosteel originally had an agreement with the Molybdenum Mine in Shaanxi. To develop his own mining industry, cooperation with large steel mills is always indispensable. The recent layout of Australia has also formed new capital, giving him the opportunity to pry open the teeth of this steel giant.
Negotiating with state-owned enterprises naturally requires various meetings and working meals, but Chen Yuanming is surprisingly not tired of it. These days, his heart has been unusually calm, and his energy and enthusiasm have been mobilized to the best state. It seems that just because of Xiao Junyi's words, he has undergone an earth-shaking change. Although fearful and apprehensive, it is also full of motivation and courage, like a spark of hope ignited.
And this kind of change, when it comes to work, is to be more sensitive and talkative, which has simply made the bosses of state-owned enterprises a headache. Although Western Henan Kuangye is a young and young mine, anyone can perceive the potential it contains. The most important thing now is how to maximize one's own interests.
Negotiations are in full swing. Apart from discussing the cooperation agreement, the Deputy Director Xue, who is in charge of foreign affairs, always likes to talk to Chen Yuanming about metal futures and the recent Shanghai Commercial Exchange. He seems to want to drag him into the Shanghai-Shenzhen war. Miquan, together with several other mining companies, cheered for Shanghai's non-ferrous and rare metal markets.
In the face of such an invitation, Chen Yuanming was naturally not interested. Even Director Song, who was by his side, had been instructed by him and would not let go easily. However, after all, it is on other people's land. If you have the heart, you will naturally be able to find some space. Therefore, at a standardized banquet, several unfamiliar figures appeared.
"I heard that Director Li and Director Xue are here to entertain distinguished guests. It's been a long time since I've seen you. My brother is coming to ask for a glass of water and wine..."
With hearty laughter, a burly man with a smile on his face walked into the private room, with a casual attitude as if he was the invited guest of honor. However, the several factory managers present were not surprised. Director Xue pointed at the man with a smile, "Xiao Guo, you are hiding far away, you haven't seen anyone for so long, you should be fined three drinks!"
"Three bottles are all right!" The man laughed, "It's just that the factory directors didn't introduce the distinguished guests first?"
"I know you don't mean to drink alcohol!" Several people laughed, one of them pointed at the man and laughed at Chen Yuanming, "Xiao Chen, this is Director Guo Yang Guo of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, who has just been assigned to The metal trading port is also a comrade-in-arms in our system, and we have to rely on this dear friend to help deliver goods."
"Hey~ I don't dare to dare to be!" Director Guo waved his hands again and again, but his face was smiling happily, "Come on, Xiao Shen, pour the wine to the leaders, the so-called invitation is worse than a chance encounter, I have to have a drink with you first and then talk about it. !"
In the laughter of this room, Chen Yuanming's eyes were fixed behind the man, hidden by the fat figure, in the shadow by the door, stood an old friend...
(End of this chapter)
The author has something to say: I finished writing at 9 o'clock, and I didn't update it for an hour and a half. I went to sleep for a while and got up to update it. I don't want to say anything...
It will be very busy from Sunday to next Wednesday, and the website will smoke again. Can you be more resigned to fate