At the international airport, the flight from Zurich arrived on time. Xiang Mingzhang took off his coat and draped it over his forearm, then strode out of the airport reception passage with his long legs.
The waiting area was full of people. The driver came up, took the suitcase and said, "Mr. Xiang, I'll take it."
Xiang Mingzhang looked around and asked, "Where is Secretary Chu?"
The driver replied: "Secretary Chu is in the car."
Xiang Mingzhang complained in his heart, what a high-handed person he was.
At the entrance of the terminal, a car was parked in the sunset. In the rear window, Chu Shichen lowered his head, revealing half of his profile. The car was covered with sunset glow. People were coming and going beside it, and the square window looked like a colorful painting screen with hazy shadows.
Xiang Mingzhang walked over and looked down into the car. Chu Shichen felt the shadow and raised his head, putting the tablet in his hand aside. Dense bold words flashed across the screen.
The door opened, Chu Shichen moved in and said, "Mr. Xiang."
Xiang Mingzhang straddled his legs and sat in: "Is the novel good?"
Chu Shichen said: "It's just for fun."
Xiang Mingzhang threw his coat between them and asked, "Is it boring to come to the airport to pick you up?"
Chu Shichen replied: "It's not bad, it's definitely not as exciting as catching someone at the airport."
The scene of the two people confronting each other in the hall emerged in his mind. Xiang Mingzhang was choked. The driver put away the luggage and got in the car, interrupting their conversation.
The car drove away from the airport. At dusk, the city was severely congested and there was no time to go home, so we had to go directly to the banquet.
Chu Shichen made preparations and went to the company in advance, bringing with him a spare suit from the president's office. The temperature in Switzerland was low, and the clothes Xiang Mingzhang brought might not be suitable.
He asked, "Can you change in the hotel bathroom?"
Xiang Mingzhang felt hot as soon as he got off the plane and said, "Let's change in the car."
Chu Shichen took the suit bag from the passenger seat and unzipped it. Xiang Mingzhang had just taken off his knitted top, and his trousers were of similar style, so he didn't plan to change them. However, the color of his belt didn't match his suit, so he unbuckled the metal buckle and pulled it out.
Chu Shichen thought Xiang Mingzhang was going to take off his pants, so he stared at the window in an inappropriate manner.
Xiang Mingzhang put on his shirt, buttoned it with one hand, and fiddled with his bag with the other hand. He asked, "Tie?"
Chu Shichen turned around: "No?"
Xiang Mingzhang thought about it and realized that the office didn't seem to have any ties ready. The driver asked with a hint of intent, "Do you want to take a detour and buy one?"
There might not be enough time, so Chu Shichen raised his chin slightly, untied the tie around his neck, took it off, handed it over and said, "Use mine first."
Xiang Mingzhang leaned against the seat to button his clothes, nodded slightly, looked up, and indicated "I have no hands free". Chu Shichen was stunned for a second, frowned, leaned over and put the tie around Xiang Mingzhang's neck.
The smooth fabric still had some residual warmth, and Xiang Mingzhang cooperated by raising his head to make it easier for Chu Shichen to turn over his collar and press down. The face so close to him became more serious, and his movements were a little rough.
Chu Shichen tied a knot perfunctorily: "Okay."
Xiang Mingzhang felt like putting a yoke on a prisoner and said, "Do you want to strangle me?"
Chu Shichen let go of his hand: "Then save yourself."
Turning back and sitting back, Chu Shichen was almost leaning against the car door. He would not admit that his displeasure at the moment was not only because of doing such trivial things to serve others, but also because of the inexplicable awkwardness.
Xiang Mingzhang put on his shirt and pressed his palm on his stomach while straightening out the wrinkles.
When they arrived at the hotel, Chu Shichen looked calm and followed Xiang Mingzhang into the box.
There were two tables in total, and almost all the invited directors were present, except for seven or eight people less than on the day of the birthday party. Looking closely, there were three or four new faces that had not been seen that day.
There are still three Buddha statues in the small temple. The company is full of factions, and the teams in secret are clearly divided. I guess most of the people who came today are Xiang Mingzhang's supporters.
The directors were not young. Xiang Mingzhang took the lead in greeting the ones in front of him, smiling and calling out, "Uncle Fang, Uncle Tang, Uncle Lun."
Seeing his friendly attitude, the leaders called him "Ming Zhang".
Everyone took their seats and Chu Shichen sat next to Xiang Mingzhang.
The executive chef brought the waiters to serve the dishes. The cold dishes included tangerine peel and lychee jelly, tangerine peel and sweet plum pickled sea cucumber, and tangerine peel duck with green lemon. The hot dishes included pigeon stewed in tangerine peel and sweet wine, tangerine peel pumpkin soup in a golden bowl, and tangerine peel and red bean pastry. There were more than a dozen dishes in total, and the room was filled with sweet aroma.
A lot of effort went into today's "Chenpi Banquet". Xiang Mingzhang said, "We used 20-year-old tangerine peels to regulate qi, remove dryness, and reduce liver fire."
This was an explanation for the farce at the birthday banquet. At least the thought was commendable. When the banquet started, Xiang Mingzhang said, "Everyone, please try the food."
Everyone started eating and praised the taste. Chu Shichen washed his hands with a hot towel, picked up a lychee and put it in his mouth. It was cool and sweet. He dug out the pit and filled his mouth with jelly made from tangerine peel.
The discussion at the table was about last week's routine business. Although Xiang Mingzhang did not show up, he was following the company's affairs very closely and was obviously very concerned.
After chatting about business for a while, Xiang Mingzhang did not shy away from the embarrassment of the birthday banquet. He raised his glass and said, "I was wrong to make the elders laugh at me last time. Please bear with me."
Uncle Fang said, "Actually, we just talked a lot that day, so it can't be considered Mingzhang's fault."
"Yes." Uncle Lun agreed, "Every family has its own problems. We outsiders have no right to comment. As long as Director Xiang is fine, that's all."
Xiang Mingzhang admitted: "I lost my temper that day. I shouldn't have mentioned Xiang Long in front of Grandpa."
Everyone at the table was silent for a few seconds after hearing this name. Uncle Fang asked, "Still no news in the past two years?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Maybe he decided not to come back when he left."
Someone at another table advised, "Mingzhang, don't worry about it. There are gains and losses in life. Mr. Xiang has given you the blood relationship of two generations."
Xiang Mingzhang looked dejected: "But Xiang Long is my father after all."
Chu Shichen remained silent, but couldn't help but glance sideways when he heard the words. Xiang Mingzhang spoke with his eyelashes drooping, his voice hoarse, and a bit of frustration on his handsome face.
But when he peeked at Xiang Mingzhang's eyes, he was shocked to find that they were cold and without a trace of warmth.
Uncle Lun said: "You are old enough to start a family and build a career. Once you get married, you won't be entangled in the feelings of the previous generation."
Uncle Tang livened up the atmosphere: "Yes, when are you going to get married?"
Xiang Mingzhang laughed and joked, "It's too late this year, maybe next year."
Everyone laughed it off and the birthday banquet was over. Xiang Mingzhang toasted everyone and drank it all in one gulp. The wine flowed into his stomach and veins appeared faintly on his forehead.
Chu Shichen picked up another lychee, ate it, and turned away. He saw that Xiang Mingzhang's hair on his temples was a little damp, and he pursed his thin lips and didn't speak for a long time.
The atmosphere at the table was about to become dull, so Chu Shichen looked at a director and said, "Vice President Wang, congratulations on the birth of your granddaughter."
Vice President Wang was in a good mood and said with a smile, "Thank you. Are you Mingzhang's assistant? You are really handsome and calm."
Chu Shichen replied: "You are too kind. My last name is Chu and I am Mr. Xiang's secretary."
Uncle Lun asked, "Is your father Chu Zhe?"
Chu Shichen nodded and continued, "Mr. Xiang has been upset that the birthday banquet for Mr. Xiang was not well organized. Next time, we must make it 'happy and peaceful' and do our best to be thoughtful."
Uncle Lun's eyes lit up: "Xiqiaxianghe, are you listening to opera?"
Chu Shichen used this word deliberately. When they were counting the gifts after the birthday banquet that day, Uncle Lun gave Xiang Xingzhao an out-of-print opera score. Xiang Xingzhao couldn't even recognize the words on it, so he probably gave it to Xiang Xingzhao because he liked it.
Uncle Lun’s full name is “Hao Lun”. He is a Manchu and is said to be a descendant of the Eight Banners. He must know that “Xiqia Xianghe” is the play performed to celebrate birthdays in the palace.
Chu Shichen took the opportunity to ask for advice, and the topic at the table began again.
Gradually, the conversation shifted from casual to business. Someone asked about Xiang Yue's recent situation, and Chu Shichen mentioned the Lixin Bank project.
No company can do without cooperation with banks. Old Xiang Yue is a trader who made his fortune from ferry shipping and has been dealing with banks for several lifetimes.
Uncle Fang, who has the longest seniority, recalled a time when there was a cash flow problem and joked that he wanted to rob a bank at the time.
There was a burst of laughter, and someone said, "We are now developed, but in the past, banks didn't have electronic systems, so how did people get here?"
Chu Shichen replied lightly: "It's done manually. The system is also made by humans now."
"Oh, yes." Someone else said, "But there was no way to transfer money at that time. It was really troublesome to withdraw cash back and forth. Do you have a transfer check?"
Chu Shichen said: "At that time, it was called 'account transfer', which was essentially the same. The two parties did not use cash for the transaction. They signed a bill at Bank A and wrote down the amount. Bank A and Bank B checked the accounts and found they were correct, and the transaction was done."
Xiang Mingzhang was like a tired lion. He retracted his claws and fangs and stood quietly aside, listening to Chu Shichen entertaining people for him.
Although it was the first face-to-face contact, Chu Shichen knew the name of each director, understood their preferences, and even knew which family had just given birth to a baby.
Chu Shichen sat at the table and chatted and laughed. He could easily cite allusions and his words were well-chosen. He greeted politely, and each sentence was measured and his attitude was not humble. He changed the subject several times, but he always controlled the topic and his thoughts were not confused.
Xiang Mingzhang was originally just "listening", then gradually turned his head to the side. In his sight, Chu Shichen was talking and laughing, and seemed to be at ease. The only shortcoming was that he had no time to eat.
There was a small piece of white juice and tangerine peel and lychee jelly on the plate. Chu Shichen picked up the chopsticks. At this time, someone asked a question and he missed it while answering.
Xiang Mingzhang moved his hand away from his stomach, feeling a surge of pain. He reached out and turned the crystal plate back.
Chu Shichen didn't notice and took a bite of it. Next to him, Xiang Mingzhang asked in a deep voice, "Do you like lychees?"
Chu Shichen turned his head. This was the only conversation they had after entering the box. He said "hmm".
The tangerine peel banquet was a great pleasure for both the guests and the hosts. After it ended, Xiang Mingzhang saw the directors off. When almost everyone had left, he stood at the door of the hotel. When the wind blew, cold sweat soaked the back of his shirt.
After Chu Shichen signed the bill and came out, he noticed that Xiang Mingzhang was not feeling well at the dinner table and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Xiang Mingzhang's face was pale, which was rare after drinking, but his expression was calm. When the car came, he said, "It's okay, get in first."
Chu Shichen walked around to the other side and got into the car. The space was closed and narrow, and Xiang Mingzhang's heavy breathing was extremely clear. Even the driver couldn't help but turn around to observe.
Xiang Mingzhang was used to pretending. He stroked his hair and put on a cheeky smile: "Let's go."
The driver had seen similar situations before, so he asked, "Mr. Xiang, are you having a stomachache?"
Xiang Mingzhang rushed back from Switzerland. He didn't get enough rest, and due to jet lag and the long flight, he had no appetite for more than ten hours. After drinking white wine in the evening, the pain in his stomach became more and more intense.
He urged, “Drive.”
The driver asked, "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
Xiang Mingzhang lost his patience: "Stop talking nonsense, go back to the apartment."
Chu Shichen didn't say a word all the way to Bomanjia Apartment. He spread out his coat and put it on Xiang Mingzhang to cover the sweat on his back. He asked, "Do you need me to take you upstairs?"
He was used to being polite, but given Xiang Mingzhang's stubborn personality, he would definitely pretend to refuse calmly.
Unexpectedly, Xiang Mingzhang said, "Use it."
Chu Shichen: “…”
The driver winked and asked for help: "Secretary Chu, please accompany Mr. Xiang up first, I will go and move the suitcases."
Chu Shichen followed Xiang Mingzhang out of the car and went to the 40th floor. When Xiang Mingzhang got out of the elevator, he swayed a little. Chu Shichen held on with one hand and asked as he walked, "Where is the door card?"
Xiang Mingzhang took out a card from his coat pocket and accidentally brought out a box, which rolled to the ground.
Chu Shichen bent down to pick it up and brushed off the dust on the surface. It was a palm-sized black jewelry box, flat and square, made of genuine leather.
Tick, the door opened, Xiang Mingzhang came in and turned on the light in the entrance hall.
Chu Shichen followed in, handed over the box and said, "It's better to put your valuables away first and don't drop them again."
Xiang Mingzhang stood under the lamp with his hands hanging down. He did not answer. A shadow on his neck covered the movement of his Adam's apple. He asked, "Is anything inside broken?"
Chu Shichen didn't know and opened the box after hearing that.
A slender silver twisted wire chain cascaded down, hanging in the air, swaying for a long time. The bead clasp was connected to a silver round dial. The watch cover had faint scratches and was engraved with a "swastika" pattern that symbolized Buddhism.
Chu Shichen was completely unable to move.
How can this be?!
He opened the watch cover with trembling hands. It had hollowed-out fancy hands and a double-tone gong to tell time. This was the pocket watch he had worn for many years and which eventually disappeared into the sea!
The time on the dial and the perpetual calendar were already confused, and he forgot what day it was for a moment.
Xiang Mingzhang was secretly surprised: "What's wrong with you?"
Chu Shichen looked up anxiously, his eyes already red.
(End of this chapter)