Having made the decision, Chu Shichen didn't explain anything further and stayed in the room all night.
For Yisi, for Chuzhe, or perhaps to atone for the sins committed by this identity, he had to make a trip before he could feel at ease.
The next morning, Chu Shichen went to Xiangyue Park. Because it was Sunday, the office building was empty and only a few colleagues in the sales department were working overtime.
Chu Shichen finished handling the routine official business for next week in advance, handled all the notifications and replies that needed to be made in the system, and then tidied up the secretary's office.
After locking the door, Chu Shichen left quickly, but he did not leave directly. After going downstairs, he turned and went to the lake.
The fried fish fillet for breakfast smelled delicious. Chu Shichen checked and found out that it could be fed to cats, so he packed a small box. He opened the box and whistled towards the bushes.
Not long after, the pure white wild cat jumped out, as if it had been waiting for him nearby.
Chu Shichen stood beside the bench and watched the wild cat feasting on its food. He stretched out his hand unwillingly, and the cat did not dodge. After two meals, it let him touch it.
"Is it delicious?" Chu Shichen asked, "Lingtuan'er?"
The wild cat thought to himself, my name is Mimi.
Chu Shichen called out again: "How did you get here? Are you Lingtuaner?"
The cat didn't respond, but someone behind him said, "What did you call it?"
Chu Shichen turned around and saw Xiang Mingzhang walking towards him on the lakeside bridge, holding the car keys. He was still wearing casual clothes. After they parted ways at Jiang'an Avenue yesterday, he came to the R&D center and was busy all night.
At dawn, I dozed off for a while, and when I woke up, I saw the message from Chu Shichen. Xiang Mingzhang walked over and said, "Are you really going to Harbin?"
"Yes." Chu Shichen said solemnly, "Thank you for telling me about Zhou Kesen. I must go there."
Xiang Mingzhang had experienced Zhou Kesen's stubborn temper and had been rejected several times when he extended an olive branch. Even Zhai Feng had failed as a lobbyist, not to mention that Chu Shichen was the instigator who made Zhou Kesen leave.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "If you want to invite him back, it may not be that easy."
Chu Shichen was mentally prepared. Mrs. Chu told him that Zhou Kesen cut off all ties with the Chu family after he left.
This is the truth of the world: when a person who has done his best is deeply hurt, the best way to heal his wounds is to never see each other again until death.
Chu Shichen saw it clearly and was determined: "Everything depends on human effort. I will try my best."
Xiang Mingzhang was in a complicated mood. When he first learned about Zhou Kesen's experience, he felt sorry for Liangcai and thought that Yisi deserved his downfall. If he were Zhou Kesen, not taking revenge would be a great concession, and he would never care about Chu Shichen's life or death.
But now Chu Shichen is going to Harbin, and Xiang Mingzhang hopes that things will go more smoothly. Is it because he has become unable to distinguish right from wrong, or is it because Chu Shichen’s ability to deceive people is too great
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Have you submitted your leave application?"
"I handed it in." Chu Shichen said, "I asked my family to keep it a secret. Just say that my friend is coming back from abroad and I'm going out to play for a few days."
Only he himself knew that he was not the "Chu Shichen" who had let Zhou Kesen down. For him, he was going to find a stranger he had never met before.
Rather than asking for forgiveness by carrying a thorn stick on his back, he was more inclined to visit Zhuge Liang three times.
Chu Shichen didn't want to be too pessimistic, so he said confidently, "I need to make it clear again, as long as I invite Zhou Kesen back, will you agree to let Yisi participate in this project?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond."
Chu Shichen frowned without giving face: "You are not a gentleman."
Xiang Mingzhang smiled and said, "So the four horses are useless. You, Master Chu, go and chase her."
There were floating clouds in the sky. Chu Shichen glanced upwards and rolled his eyes dignifiedly.
These two days have been busy. Chu Shichen and Xiang Mingzhang had an argument, went into a cold war, and then broke the ice. Before they could catch their breath, new developments occurred in the project.
They ran to the hospital at night and intercepted the client. They cooperated well with each other but also had disagreements. The atmosphere between the two people was unpredictable, with a different pattern every day.
Chu Shichen could sort out the twists and turns in official business, but he dared not conclude how he and Xiang Mingzhang get along in private... How much is due to duty and how much is due to friendship.
"Meow… "
The wild cat didn't leave after eating. It jumped off the chair and rubbed against Chu Shichen's calves. Chu Shichen knelt on one knee, stroked the cat's head without feeling dirty, and said, "Mr. Xiang, can you feed it for me while I'm not around?"
Xiang Mingzhang didn't have the word "decline" in his dictionary, so he said, "I'm busy."
Chu Shichen would not force it: "Forget it, I'll ask Ling Qi for help."
Xiang Mingzhang questioned: "Your sister is interning at the company, wouldn't it be better to find a direct relative?"
Chu Shichen said: "Xiao Hui and my mom are both afraid of cats, otherwise I would like to take it home. It and I get along well."
Xiang Mingzhang thought to himself, is it fate that I scratched you the first time we met
Xiang Mingzhang had never kept any pets. He lowered his eyes and looked at the white cat, as if he was examining whether a bait was up to standard, and said, "Maybe someone will be caught in the company someday. Keeping one is indeed safe for both the cat and the people."
Chu Shichen asked: "But where can I raise it?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Manzhuang."
Chu Shichen paused. Manzhuang was a good place with good environment and people taking care of it. He raised his head and said, "But that's your territory. Is it you who raised it or me?"
"We raised them together." Xiang Mingzhang said, "So, are you wronging it or you?"
After discussing it, Chu Shichen took off his coat and wrapped the cat, then waited for Xiang Mingzhang to drive the car and kidnapped the cat out of the park together.
We first found a pet hospital. The cat was inexplicably bathed and given an injection, and had a physical examination. The two owners were quite wealthy and generous, so they bought a lot of things for the cat.
Later, they went to Man Manor. Chu Shichen was fortunate to see the scenery of the manor during the day. The deep green gradually faded, the autumn was in full swing, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air over the courtyard wall.
Xiang Mingzhang hadn't come for some time. Although Bai Yongti didn't contact him, she was worried about him. When she heard the engine noise, she came out to see what was going on, and she looked happier than last time.
Chu Shichen always came uninvited, feeling very ashamed, and greeted, "Aunt, I am bothering you again."
Bai Yongti said kindly: "Ming Zhang asked you to work overtime again?"
Chu Shichen said: "No, it was me who troubled Mr. Xiang to take care of the cat."
Bai Yongti believes in Buddhism and is kind to all living things, so Chu Shichen doesn't need to be embarrassed. After entering the reception room, Xiang Mingzhang said, "Mom, let it play here first. If you get bored, just put it in the south area."
Bai Yongti saw that he had dark circles under his eyes and asked, "Are you busy with work recently?"
Xiang Mingzhang is a person who is too lazy to report his joys or sorrows. He won't complain to others until the sky falls, and there is no need to waste his breath if the sky does fall.
But he had worked all night last night and had driven for nearly two hours, so he was a little hungry: "You came here without telling me, is there any food for us?"
Sister Qing brought tea and snacks and said with a smile, "Of course, Miss Bai asks the kitchen to prepare them every day."
Bai Yongti asked: "Xiao Chu, do you like sweet food?"
Chu Shichen replied: "I love to eat."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "He likes to eat lychees and desserts."
Bai Yongti smiled in surprise. She had never seen Xiang Mingzhang care about anyone's details, not his friends, and certainly not his subordinates.
Chu Shichen mistakenly thought Bai Yongti was laughing at him, and added: "I'm not picky about food."
As a result, Xiang Mingzhang said again: "I have an appetite as big as sesame seeds. I was full before I even picked the food."
In the small restaurant, the kitchen staff came to serve the dishes in advance, including an eight-treasure winter melon soup, a yellow apricot snow-flake chicken slices, a pure vegetarian dish of late autumn cabbage, and a seasonal dessert of osmanthus honey pear for each person.
Last time Chu Shichen praised the steamed dumplings for being delicious, Bai Yongti asked the kitchen to add a serving of cod and crab dumplings to change the taste a little.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "This meal will serve as a starting point for your practice."
Chu Shichen was very full: "Well, then I will definitely succeed immediately."
After dinner, Xiang Mingzhang took Chu Shichen for a walk in the west courtyard. A few hawthorn trees shaded a transparent lounge, and the four-square floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the green and red of half-ripe fruits.
The two men sat down on the sofa. Xiang Mingzhang took out his cell phone and sent the information he had about Zhou Kesen to Chu Shichen.
In recent years, Zhou Kesen has worked in a small private company. He and his boss were high school classmates. Chu Shichen looked at the company's qualifications and said, "It's really a waste of talent. He shouldn't have fallen to this point."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Li Zangqiu has a wide network of contacts in the industry, and Zhou Kesen was falsely accused and left. No big company was willing to hire him, so he had no choice but to run so far."
Chu Shichen thought of Ren Meng. From the very beginning, Ren Meng decided to resign and go abroad because he had seen the consequences of offending Li Zangqiu and understood that there would be no good future if he stayed in the country.
Chu Shichen browsed to the end and saw a photo of Zhou Kesen. He was not sure in which year it was taken. He was tall and slightly fat, with a resolute square face.
Unlike Li Cangqiu's thin and elegant appearance, people who don't know them well would think that Li Cangqiu is a scholar and Zhou Kesen is a soldier just by looking at their appearance.
During the debate yesterday, Xiang Mingzhang said something that Chu Shichen remembered in his heart - the foundation of the plan is technology.
Yisi's R&D department has been badly damaged in recent years. The refund mechanism is the first step. Only by regaining the backbone and implementing major reforms can it be revitalized.
Zhou Kesen has solid skills, rich experience, and a group of loyal old subordinates who have been wasted by the company. Inviting him back means a lot to Yisi, and it is also an explanation to Chu Zhe.
Chu Shichen saved all the information. When he looked up, Xiang Mingzhang was holding his head with his hands up, feeling sleepy. He must be very tired after working all night. He coughed lightly and said, "Mr. Xiang, I should go now. You should go and have some rest."
Xiang Mingzhang perked up a little and asked, "When do we leave tomorrow?"
Chu Shichen said: "The flight is at nine in the morning."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Then we have to go out at 7:30 at the latest."
Chu Shichen said "hmm" and had an inexplicable premonition in his heart. He waited for a moment, but Xiang Mingzhang did not react.
Chu Shichen was secretly embarrassed and changed the subject: "By the way, the kitten's name is Ling Tuan'er."
Xiang Mingzhang: "Surname Ling?"
Chu Shichen said: "Skillful Ling."
After eating and drinking, Chu Shichen felt it would be impolite to stay any longer, so he said goodbye to Bai Yongti and went home.
We are leaving early tomorrow morning and our luggage hasn’t been packed yet, so the four golden flowers are here to help again.
Chu Shichen was talking about a business trip. Aunt Tang said, "Nanjing, Beijing, and Harbin are farther and farther each time. Your company's business is quite extensive. Next time you have to go to Moscow."
Sister Xiu searched the cloakroom and said, "There are only thin down jackets. Isn't that enough?"
"Buy them first when you get there," Aunt Tang reminded. "And cotton shoes. If your feet get frostbitten, you'll suffer for the rest of your life."
Chu Shichen said: "It's not winter yet, so it won't be that cold."
"What do you know?" Aunt Tang said, "The temperature will drop in one night. You have been in the sea, so you must not catch a cold. Remember!"
Chu Shichen didn't feel annoyed at all when he heard them nagging, but only felt caring. Mrs. Chu was hesitant, and he said, "Mom, don't worry."
Mrs. Chu said, "The Chu family owes Lao Zhou a debt. But given his temper, I'm afraid he will embarrass you."
Chu Shichen said: "No matter how difficult it is, it can't offset the grievances that the other party suffered in the first place."
Chu Shihui said, "Mom, stop making trouble. I should have apologized to Uncle Sen a long time ago."
Chu Shichen nodded: "Xiao Hui, don't tell Li Heng that I went to Harbin."
Chu Shihui said: "Don't worry, say hello to Uncle Sen for me."
After packing his luggage, Chu Shichen went to bed early in the evening. Before falling asleep, he opened WeChat and scrolled through the chat list for a long time before finally finding Zhai Feng.
After the bid incident, they never contacted each other again, nor did they delete each other.
What kind of mood was Zhai Feng in when he faced him and took care of him
Chu Shichen sighed and stopped thinking about it for the time being. He slept soundly. The next morning, the whole family had breakfast together. Mrs. Chu and Chu Shihui were going to accompany him to the airport.
The driver sent the car for maintenance yesterday and promised to pick him up on time this morning. Mrs. Chu sprayed perfume in the entrance hall and said, "Why haven't you come yet? Maybe you overslept."
As soon as he finished speaking, the driver called and said that he had arrived, but the gate of the villa was blocked by a car.
Everyone went out to see immediately. When the garden gate opened, they saw a business car parked across the door. When the door opened, Xiang Mingzhang was inside.
Chu Shichen was a little surprised, Mrs. Chu was even more surprised, and Chu Shihui was the most surprised. She was now Xiang Yue's temporary worker, and it was simply terrifying to see the president blocking her door early in the morning.
Xiang Mingzhang said naturally: "I just happened to be passing by, so I can pick up Secretary Chu and take him to the airport."
Mrs. Chu said, "That's so embarrassing."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It doesn't matter. There are plenty of seats anyway. Aunt and Miss Chu can go together."
If they didn't leave now, they would be late. Chu Shichen got in the car and sat in a row with Xiang Mingzhang. He asked in just the right voice, "You should be in a regular meeting at this time. May I ask which way you passed by?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I was passing by the river enjoying the scenery."
Chu Shichen smiled silently. His mother and sister were both there. He walked in silence all the way. Xiang Mingzhang also didn't say a word. Occasionally, they would bump into each other's sleeves when they were rubbing against each other.
After arriving at the airport, Chu Shichen exchanged his boarding pass and hugged Mrs. Chu and Chu Shihui before leaving.
Xiang Mingzhang stood aside. Chu Shichen took two steps and asked, "Mr. Xiang, is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Call me if there is any news, whether it is good news or bad news."
Chu Shichen asked, "Can we call if there is no news?"
Xiang Mingzhang pretended to be nonchalant and said, "If the secretary is not here, I will be very busy and I am afraid I will not have time to chat."
Chu Shichen: "Oh, okay then."
Xiang Mingzhang was afraid that he would take it seriously: "You know I was joking."
Chu Shichen took a step back, waved his hand, and turned away.
The terminal hall was bustling with people, and when Chu Shichen was about to reach the security check area, he suddenly stopped.
Xiang Mingzhang looked across the crowd at Chu Shichen's back. Did something go wrong? Did he forget to bring his ID? Or did he remember the wrong flight time
Chu Shichen picked up the phone and stood there, not knowing who he called.
His pocket was buzzing, and Xiang Mingzhang took a few seconds to pull out his phone. He answered the call, "What's wrong?"
The broadcast in the air echoed, Chu Shichen turned around while holding the fuselage, he was so serious that he seemed to be whispering in Xiang Mingzhang's ear: "I haven't said goodbye to you yet."
(End of this chapter)