Xiang Mingzhang held the CT film in his hand, feeling hesitant. He checked the image over and over again, fearing that he had seen it wrong, so he took a photo with his mobile phone and sent it to Xiang Xingzhao's family doctor.
The other party responded quickly and confirmed that it was the appendix, and it would not appear if it had been removed.
Xiang Mingzhang became even more suspicious, thinking of the "tattoo" that did not exist on Chu Shichen. He did not investigate further because Qian Hua was nonchalant and what he said could not be trusted.
But Zhou Kesen was different. He went to the hospital and saw it with his own eyes after Chu Shichen had the operation. Chu Zhe and Mrs. Chu were both there, so it couldn't be fake.
But this picture is also real, it is indeed the image of Chu Shichen's body.
If two established facts contradict each other, there must be a problem.
But what exactly is the problem
Xiang Mingzhang's thoughts were complicated, but his professional habits did not allow him to ignore the fact that an event was like a complex system in which a module, a component, or a string of code, if there was any minor flaw, could affect the overall operation.
Xiang Mingzhang wanted to call Xu Liao, so he looked up the number, but his finger was hanging in the air but he didn't press the button.
The last time Chu Shichen was so angry in Yunjiao, he coaxed him into peace. Although he did not make a clear guarantee, it was tantamount to tacitly agreeing not to investigate Chu Shichen's past.
Xiang Mingzhang sneered to himself. He had never cared about being a gentleman. When did he become so trustworthy
However, he admitted that it felt good that the truth about the tender document had come to light and that he was not misunderstood by Chu Shichen.
In the end, Xiang Mingzhang did not call Xu Liao.
The screen flashed and a message was received. The apartment's private butler knew that Xiang Mingzhang had returned and asked whether the clothes he had changed needed to be cleaned and ironed.
Xiang Mingzhang asked the other party to come and get it. After replying, he picked up the suit on the changing bench and took out the pocket watch from his vest pocket.
When Chu Shichen was not around, Xiang Mingzhang wore it to work every day. Unexpectedly, he wore it when he went to Harbin.
In the taxi on the way to the hospital, Chu Shichen was so dizzy from the fever that he even noticed the watch chain hidden in his lapel.
Xiang Mingzhang never understood what the story behind this pocket watch was, and why Chu Shichen acted so abnormal when he first saw it
That night in the office, Chu Shichen almost robbed her and muttered two words - mine.
With Chu Shichen's reserved and dignified personality, he would never say such words under normal circumstances. He was drunk at the time, so was the word "mine" an unintentional remark, or was it something he said from the heart after drinking
Xiang Mingzhang suddenly had an idea. He didn't want to investigate Chu Shichen, but he could investigate the pocket watch.
This was his personal property, so it would be legal and reasonable to check it in any way after it was opened and broken into pieces. As for the inspection report, he put it into paper envelopes one by one and temporarily kept it in the study.
After a night, Xiang Mingzhang got up and swam a few laps, changed his clothes and went to the company. The sales department was very busy and all the conversation rooms were full before nine o'clock.
Passing by the secretary's office, Chu Shichen arrived earlier than usual, wearing a black suit and black hair, sitting behind his desk concentrating on his work. He had just recovered from an illness, his complexion was still a little pale, and he looked distant when he had no expression on his face.
After working at his desk for a long time, Chu Shichen opened a document and leaned back in his chair, slightly raising his chin. For a moment, his expression showed the arrogance of a superior, which he rarely showed in front of others.
Chu Shichen flipped a page and saw Xiang Mingzhang at the door. He put down the document, stood up, walked over to open the door, and said, "Mr. Xiang."
There were no extra names between the two people. Different scenes had different meanings. Xiang Mingzhang said, "Are you very busy? Take some rest."
"Not bad." Chu Shichen said, "I have to go to the marketing department later. Can I make you some coffee first?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "No, I've had breakfast."
They were guarding the door, one inside and one outside, half a meter apart. Chu Shichen was quick to notice that Xiang Mingzhang seemed to have something to say, or something he wanted to express. After waiting for a moment but seeing no movement, he said, "I sent someone to Harbin to help."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Well, you do it."
Chu Shichen had to go to the marketing department. A week's worth of work had kept him busy until the end of the day. He didn't remember or care where he had put the inspection report.
In fact, some of the work is beyond the scope of a secretary's duties. Chu Shichen previously participated in the Lixin Bank project, reorganized the Yisi Finance Department, and implemented a refund mechanism. His ability, authority, and popularity are difficult to hide.
This time Chu Shichen suddenly asked for leave, and within two days, Xiang Mingzhang also left. Today, the two of them returned at the same time, and everyone below speculated that something was going to happen.
After Zhou Kesen's return was confirmed, Chu Shichen went to Yisi to arrange an office and drafted an announcement with the Human Resources Department. Rumors also spread about personnel changes in the R&D department.
On the weekend morning, the Chu family went to the airport to pick up the plane.
Zhou Kesen pushed the luggage out. Chu Shihui was the most excited. She shouted "Uncle Sen" and rushed up to hug him.
Zhou Kesen has no children and placed all his hopes on the brothers and sisters of the Chu family. Before coming, he pretended not to care, but when he saw Chu Shihui, he couldn't help himself. He asked about her professional grades, internship situation, and technical direction, and scared Chu Shihui.
Mrs. Chu stood aside shyly, feeling ashamed. After thinking for a long time, she called out "Old Zhou."
Since Zhou Kesen agreed to come back, he had already put aside his past grudges. He agreed and said, "Xiao Yang, I want to go see Chu Zhe."
Driving from the airport to the cemetery, Chu Shichen bought a bunch of white chrysanthemums on the way.
Chu Zhe's tomb is on a sunny lawn. It is Chu Shichen's first time here. He looks at the photo on the tombstone. Chu Zhe is similar to what he imagined, wise and gentle.
Zhou Kesen reached out and wiped the photo, muttering in high and low voices the inner thoughts that had accumulated over the past four years between the old friends.
Mrs. Chu apologized to Zhou Kesen in front of the tombstone and told Chu Zhe not to worry. Chu Shihui told her some bits and pieces of her life.
Chu Shichen kept silent. What should he say
Chu Zhe's spirit in heaven must know that he is a thief who stole an identity and had the courage to visit the owner's father.
The other three were waiting for him to say something. He put down the bouquet, feeling guilty and not daring to say anything. After a long while, he said to Chu Zhe, "There is still a long way to go, so let's wait and see."
After leaving the cemetery, the family welcomed Zhou Kesen. Chu Shichen arranged everything in advance and accompanied Zhou Kesen to his residence in the afternoon. The two sat down and discussed Yisi's current situation in detail.
During the time it took to make three pots of tea, Chu Shichen gave instructions according to their priorities, and everything was done appropriately.
After the chat, Zhou Kesen couldn't help but sigh: "You are so different from before."
Chu Shichen smiled and said, "Just don't let Uncle Sen down."
On Monday, Zhou Kesen officially took office at Yisi.
The company system issued an announcement, and all departments knew about it in an instant. Waves of turmoil arose within Yisi. As soon as Zhou Kesen showed up, all his former subordinates came running, and everyone was very excited.
Zhou Kesen was dressed simply but had a strong aura. He asked everyone with a smile if he looked old.
As he was speaking, Li Zangqiu appeared. He received the letter on the way, and it was indeed true. He didn't expect that Zhou Kesen would come back one day.
As he approached, Li Zangqiu first glanced at Chu Shichen.
Chu Shichen said: "Mr. Li."
Li Zangqiu nodded and said with a gentle smile: "Vice President Zhou, we haven't seen each other for a long time."
Zhou Kesen was very calm, his old hatreds hidden in the wrinkles carved by time: "I'm afraid we'll have to see each other every day in the future."
Li Zangqiu asked, "You kept it a secret so well, when did you decide to come back?"
Chu Shichen said frankly: "I went to Harbin to admit my mistake to Uncle Sen and asked him to come back."
Zhou Kesen said: "The first time I entered Yisi, it was Chu Zhe who approached me, and the second time it was Chu Zhe's son who approached me. I accidentally became a veteran of two dynasties."
The name "Chu Zhe" had not been mentioned by Yisi for a long time. Everyone was stunned for a moment, as if they had returned to Yisi's most glorious time.
At this time, two security guards brought up a box and said, "Secretary Chu, your package."
Chu Shichen opened the box himself. Inside was Chu Zhe's favorite statue. He said, "Uncle Sen, this is a gift from the Chu family for you. It will be placed in the meeting room of the R&D department."
Zhou Kesen was stunned, raised his hand and touched the statue: "...Okay, I'll do as you say."
From going to Harbin alone to Zhou Kesen taking office today, Chu Shichen has successfully completed every step. He is not satisfied and it is time to take the next step.
The phone rang, and Chu Shichen walked to a less crowded place to answer it: "Mr. Xiang?"
Xiang Mingzhang went to the old Xiang Yue for a meeting this morning and couldn't come. He ordered a flower basket to congratulate Zhou Kesen on his appointment and said, "I'm going back to the company. How are you doing?"
Chu Shichen said: "It went very smoothly and met expectations."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "That's good."
Standing at the door was the flower basket sent by Xiang Mingzhang. It was a huge bunch of silver fan leaves, solid and dense. Unfortunately, the slender branches and leaves were a little fragile, and a few of them broke during transportation.
Chu Shichen pulled it out, gathered a handful, and said, "How long will it take? Should the meeting at the R&D center be brought forward?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Secretary Chu, are you afraid that I will take a break?"
Chu Shichen said: "I can give you some time for a cup of coffee."
Xiang Mingzhang compromised: "Please order me a cup of espresso. See you later."
There is a rooftop cafe on the roof of the office building. It’s cold, so not many people go up there.
Chu Shichen had previously asked Ren Meng to come to the rooftop for a meeting, but they left after the meeting without taking the time to appreciate the scenery. There is an astronomical telescope on the semicircular observation deck, from which one can observe the stars and overlook the scenery of the entire park.
It was a cloudy day today, and the picture was not very clear. Chu Shichen lowered his head and fiddled with the eyepiece, not noticing the footsteps behind him.
Xiang Mingzhang went to Harbin and learned to tolerate the cold. He felt hot while driving, so he took off his coat and put it on his elbows. He walked over and touched the back of Chu Shichen's head and asked, "Does it look good?"
Chu Shichen raised his head: "You're back."
The wind on the rooftop was strong, Xiang Mingzhang was afraid that Chu Shichen would catch a cold, so he spread out his coat and put it on his shoulders, saying, "It just so happens that I'm too lazy to take it."
The two stood in front of the railing with a wide view. Chu Shichen said, "Mr. Zhou is back. Would you consider letting Yisi participate in the cultural tourism project?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "We will hold a meeting at the R&D center this afternoon to discuss this formally."
Chu Shichen did this not only for Yisi, but also for Xiang Yue: "Once the decision is made, we must give feedback to Party A as soon as possible, and internally, we must ask some people to avoid suspicion."
Before he could even take a sip of his coffee, Xiang Mingzhang said, "You are sometimes really decisive. You don't seem like a secretary with a boss above you, but more like a leader who is used to making decisions."
Chu Shichen did not deny it directly. He was trying his best to be a secretary, but as a mortal, he was bound to make mistakes. He tried to guess Xiang Mingzhang's mood and asked, "Are you hitting me?"
Xiang Mingzhang pulled his coat tighter around him and said, "How dare I? I'm afraid you'll get cold if the wind gets strong."
Another gust of wind blew, and the pocket watch chain on Xiang Mingzhang's chest slipped off, hanging and shaking. Chu Shichen raised his index finger and hooked it, twisting the top of the watch chain to help Xiang Mingzhang fasten the button.
The flying hair brushed across his cheek, and Xiang Mingzhang endured the itch: "It fell off once during the regular meeting."
Chu Shichen fiddled with it carefully and said, "The buttons before were not so delicate, and they fit perfectly when fastened. Now the chain is a bit big, and it will slip off easily if it is loose."
Xiang Mingzhang repeated: "Before?"
Chu Shichen paused and said, "Isn't this an antique watch?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I have looked at some other antique pocket watches, but I have never seen a watch chain with twisted wire like this."
After tying it, Chu Shichen said, "It looks like a modified lady's necklace."
Xiang Mingzhang was puzzled: "You want to make a custom pocket watch but not a matching watch chain?"
Chu Shichen replied: "Maybe there is a special meaning to doing this."
Xiang Mingzhang lowered his eyes and stared at Chu Shichen, and hypothetically asked, "Could it be the necklace of the lover of the owner of the pocket watch?"
Chu Shichen immediately said, "It might be my mother's." After he finished speaking, Fang Jue added hastily, "I guessed."
"That's right." Xiang Mingzhang said, "There are Buddhist patterns engraved on it. The former owner of the pocket watch must have believed in Buddhism and was a pure-hearted person."
Chu Shichen was indeed pure and unselfish before, but now... He was secretly ashamed when Xiang Mingzhang said, "It suits me very well."
Chu Shichen: "Do you believe in Buddhism?"
Xiang Mingzhang: “I don’t believe it.”
Chu Shichen: "So you are pure-hearted and have few desires?"
Xiang Mingzhang replied: "I don't like women."
Chu Shichen: “…”
After drinking coffee, it was time for a meeting. When Chu Shichen left, he took the small bunch of silver fan leaves. After the orchids in the secretary's office withered and there were no green plants left, he planned to put some up for display.
Xiang Mingzhang took a glance and said, "What is this thing? It looks like plain potato chips."
Chu Shichen said: "You ordered the flowers."
Xiang Mingzhang smiled. The flower shop said the silver fan leaves meant to attract wealth, so he ordered it. But it turned out to be like this. He said, "It's too vulgar and doesn't suit you."
Chu Shichen said: "What suits me?"
Xiang Mingzhang thought for a moment and said, "Gladiolus."
Chu Shichen asked: "Why?"
Xiang Mingzhang replied: "Gladiolus is elegant and beautiful, and it blooms every season, which means you will rise step by step."
Chu Shichen smiled: "Isn't this a good idea?"
Xiang Mingzhang looked at him: "Because I know you won't be just a secretary forever."
(End of this chapter)