The meeting was held in a five-star hotel. There were many people from Party A, who took up more than half of the meeting room. The Japanese representative was in his forties and brought two translators and an assistant.
The time of both parties is very precious, so there were no unnecessary greetings. They just shook hands and got down to business.
The company's CRM system was developed by Xiang Yue, who has an absolute market share in the financial industry. This makes it much easier to reach cooperation for subsequent business upgrades or expansions.
The moment the projector lit up, Chu Shichen slightly opened his eyes.
Every day he would marvel at the advanced gadgets of modern society and could not help but imagine that if there had been computers back then, the work efficiency of Fuhua Bank would have been greatly improved. If there had been mobile phones, he would not have to wait for months for a letter from home that had traveled across the ocean.
At the front, the technical backbone began to give a speech.
Chu Shichen hadn't attended a meeting for a long time. When he was three years old, his father carried him into the meeting room of the Qianye Guild Hall, where he didn't cry or make a fuss for several hours. After learning to read, he learned shorthand and was responsible for recording the minutes of the meeting for his father.
The pen was turning, and Chu Shichen was greedy for the feeling of this moment.
Today's communication aims to solve problems. After the technical backbone finishes the first part of the PPT, questions will be answered immediately to avoid omissions.
The questions from Party A mainly revolved around business needs. Chu Shichen understood the financial aspect. During this period, he was not only learning, but also catching up on what he had mastered before. Comparing the old with the new, the essence remained unchanged.
Afterwards, the Japanese representative started to ask questions, using very polite words. Chu Shichen thought it was too long-winded, so he leaned over and translated it concisely for Xiang Mingzhang to think more clearly.
After listening to this, Xiang Mingzhang raised his hand and pressed the remote control pen, and the projection screen returned to a set of path demonstration diagrams. He smiled gentlemanly and began to answer the other party's questions.
Chu Shichen couldn't help but glance sideways. When socializing in private, Xiang Mingzhang was able to get along with everyone. When he was in charge of the company, he was serious and meticulous. Now when he was at work, all his temperament was gathered into professionalism.
After Xiang Mingzhang finished answering the question, he proposed some new ideas about "user experience", which surprised Party A's decision-making team.
Several lectures and question-and-answer sessions were conducted in an orderly manner and the meeting ended successfully.
It was getting late, and Party A invited us to dinner at the hotel's restaurant to celebrate the project's advancement to the next step.
Chu Shichen followed closely and when he arrived at the restaurant, he found that the decoration was Japanese style and the food he was going to eat was Japanese.
There was a tatami mat in the private room, and everyone went in one after another. Chu Shichen stood at the door in a trance, uncontrollably falling into some memories.
Xiang Mingzhang was about to sit down when he turned around and saw that Chu Shichen had not come in yet. He called out, "Secretary Chu?"
Chu Shichen responded hesitantly and was brought back to reality. He took off his leather shoes, walked in, and leaned over to sit next to Xiang Mingzhang.
The fresh sashimi was tempting in color and laid out lavishly on the table, but Chu Shichen had no appetite at all. The waiter poured him a glass of sake, but he quietly pushed it aside.
The vice president of the financial company was very happy and invited everyone to raise their glasses. Chu Shichen had no choice but to raise his glass in a show of pretending, only wetting his lips.
Xiang Mingzhang noticed it, but didn't care. He thought it would be better not to drink in case he got drunk and delayed his work.
The atmosphere at the table was pleasant, and both parties were relaxed and engaged in the conversation. Gradually, the topic shifted away from business. The Japanese representative praised the city for its spring scenery and asked if there were any recommendations for places to visit.
The temperature in the room was a little high. Xiang Mingzhang took off his suit jacket and accidentally touched Chu Shichen with his elbow. He subconsciously turned his head to apologize, but saw Chu Shichen looking at him, his eyes seemed to be full of... vigilance
While others were clinking glasses, picking up food and drinking soup, Chu Shichen pressed his hands on his thighs so hard that blue veins appeared on the backs of his white hands.
Xiang Mingzhang found that Chu Shichen was in an abnormally tense state, like a stressed cat.
Not fully recovered
Are you tired because the work intensity is too high
Across the long table, the vice president of a financial company said, “Mr. Xiang, don’t just stand there,” when he didn’t get a response.
Xiang Mingzhang stopped looking at Chu Shichen and said "I'm sorry" to the other person. While he was talking to other people with a smile, he reached back and pressed Chu Shichen's back gently.
He did not stroke or slide, but his palm with well-defined muscles pressed on Chu Shichen's spine, like a support.
Chu Shichen's stiff body gradually relaxed.
It was enough for one person to discover this gaffe. He was afraid that someone would hear him, so he leaned close to Xiang Mingzhang's ear and said, "Thank you, I'm fine."
It was a quick, short sentence, and it dissipated before the breath had time to linger.
Xiang Mingzhang took his hand away from Chu Shichen's back, picked up a glass of sake with the remaining warmth on his fingertips, and drank it all.
After the dinner, it was already past get off work time and the other two colleagues took a taxi and left.
The driver was waiting by the door. Xiang Mingzhang got in and waved. The driver bent over to listen, then turned around and asked, "Mr. Chu, do you need a ride?"
Chu Shichen felt stuffy in his chest and said, "No, I want to walk for some fresh air."
The car carrying Xiang Mingzhang drove away, and Chu Shichen walked slowly along the street alone. The cool spring night breeze was just right to blow away his dizzy head.
This neighborhood is quite prosperous, and many people come out to shop at night. Chu Shichen walked past a high-end department store. The huge LED screen on the exterior wall was playing the latest advertising blockbuster.
He stopped to watch and was amazed again.
A young man walked out of the main entrance of the mall, wearing all branded clothes. He walked down the steps and suddenly stopped. He raised his hand to hook down his sunglasses, confirmed that he was not mistaken, and shouted: "Chu Shichen!"
Chu Shichen looked in the direction of the voice.
The young man quickly ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders: "It's really you! I thought you disappeared from the earth!"
Chu Shichen was defensive: "Sir, who are you?"
"I'm Qian Hua, the one who knows how to spend money!"
Chu Shichen naturally didn't recognize him and said, "I have lost my memory, please forgive me."
"Are you serious?" Qian Hua asked in surprise. "I heard that something went wrong at the party you organized. I thought you were pretending to be mentally ill to avoid legal punishment. You actually lost your memory? Is your head exploded?"
Chu Shichen broke free from Qian Hua’s hands: “It’s a long story, let’s talk about it again when we have a chance, it’s getting late today—”
"It's getting late!" Qian Hua was a little shorter, so she stood on tiptoe to hook him up. "If you don't start your nightlife, it will be dawn. Let's go! You've been gone for so long, don't even think about running away today!"
Chu Shichen was "kidnapped" by Qian Hua to a nightclub.
Qian Hua said that they frequented this nightclub. The huge dance floor on the first floor was filled with twisting bodies, the lights were dazzling, and the deafening sound waves came one after another. The second floor was a booth, and the third floor was a private area for senior members, which did not accept ordinary customers.
Qian Hua took Chu Shichen to the top floor of the fourth floor. There were fewer people there, and there was a separate bar. A room was reserved for platinum members all year round, which provided excellent privacy.
Chu Shichen asked: "What is this place?"
Qian Hua said: "Our happy hometown."
Chu Shichen said with a headache: "I don't like to play so much now."
Various drinks were served. Chu Shichen held the glass in silence, listening to Qian Hua's chattering stand-up performance.
He finally understood that Qian Hua and the real "Chu Shichen" had studied together abroad for two years and got along very well. For example, they had smoked both legal and illegal drugs, recruited both pure and sexy women, and had both expensive and painful experiences together. When they were together, they had similar interests, but when they were apart, they kept in touch... so that they could get together again next time.
He was simply shocked by this sordid friendship.
Qian Hua was so thirsty from chatting that he gulped down a large glass of foreign wine: "Don't just talk to me, you don't remember anything at all? Doesn't it affect your life?"
Chu Shichen said: "Not bad."
"What are you doing at the entrance of the mall?" Qian Hua laughed maliciously, "Tsk, you're wearing a formal suit, are you role-playing or doing a mission?"
Chu Shichen thought it referred to "work assignment" and said, "I just finished the assignment."
Qian Hua: "You tried something new without telling me! Are you a master or a slave?"
Chu Shichen was unhappy. How could there still be "slaves" in the new era? He replied, "I'm just hanging out after get off work. I work at Xiangyue Communications."
Qian Hua almost burst out laughing: "You sold your shares to Xiang Yue, and then turned around to work for Xiang Mingzhang. You must have hurt your brain!"
Chu Shichen asked sharply: "Do you know Xiang Mingzhang?"
"I'm not familiar with him. I've heard a little bit about him. He's an extremely sophisticated egoist." Qian Hua snorted, "Since you have to go to work, why don't you come to my mall? Wouldn't it be great if we hang out together?"
Chu Shichen thought to himself that at the Chu family gathering that day, Li Zangqiu mentioned Xiang Mingzhang but didn't finish what he said, but it could be heard from his tone that it was not a good evaluation, and Qian Hua also had a negative attitude just now.
What kind of person is Xiang Mingzhang
The wine in the glass had become warm, so Chu Shichen put it down, indicating that it was time to go.
Qian Hua rushed over and chattered drunkenly: "I sent you so many messages, but you didn't reply to any of them. Are you going to end our friendship because you have lost your memory? Don't even think about leaving. I'll tell you about the past, maybe it can help you remember. There's a TV show about finding memories this way..."
Chu Shichen saw that Qian Hua's sadness did not seem to be fake, and he guessed that they were not just drinking buddies. He could not let his old friend be sad by taking the place of someone else, and it was not reasonable for him to do so.
He had no choice but to stay and said, "Let me tell you more about my past."
Xiang Mingzhang returned to the apartment. Before going to bed, Mrs. Chu called and said that Chu Shichen had not returned home, and the phone was turned off. She asked whether the company had arranged overtime for him.
Xiang Mingzhang told Chu Shichen that he had a social event in the evening. After it ended, Chu Shichen left on his own, probably going shopping. He then said a few perfunctory words of comfort and hung up.
A night passed and the next day was a rest day. Xiang Mingzhang did not have the habit of sleeping in, so he got up in the morning and swam a few laps in the rooftop swimming pool.
The cell phone rang. It was Mrs. Chu calling again.
Xiang Mingzhang pressed the hands-free button and wiped the water droplets off his body with a towel. Mrs. Chu's anxious voice echoed in the air: "Mingzhang, I'm sorry to bother you again. Which street did you separate last night?"
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "He hasn't come home yet?"
Mrs. Chu said: "If he doesn't come back all night, I will go find him, otherwise I will have to call the police."
Xiang Mingzhang threw the towel away and said in a suppressed tone, "Aunt, don't worry, I'll send someone to look for it."
After hanging up the phone, Xiang Mingzhang ordered his men to look for Chu Shichen near yesterday's hotel. Chu Shichen is now Xiang Yue's employee and disappeared after finishing work for the company. If anything goes wrong, no one can blame him.
After returning to the apartment and changing clothes, Xiang Mingzhang tried to call Chu Shichen's cell phone, and it actually went through.
"Hello?"
Xiang Mingzhang asked in a bad tone: "Where are you?"
Chu Shichen gave the address, which was a well-known nightclub in the city.
Xiang Mingzhang sneered, thinking that he was a stubborn person and said, "You are not allowed to go anywhere. Wait at the door."
He didn't ask the person he sent to pick him up. If the people under him knew about Chu Shichen's behavior and exaggerated the news to the company, his employment would be inappropriate in the first place, and his colleagues would be even more dissatisfied.
Last night, Chu Shichen listened to Qian Hua reminiscing about the past until midnight. In the end, Qian Hua got drunk and he couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell asleep.
The phone was turned off due to lack of battery. In the early morning, the waiter came to bring sobering soup and breakfast and helped Chu Shichen charge the phone. As soon as he turned on the phone, countless missed calls popped up, and then Xiang Mingzhang called.
Qian Hua was still asleep when Chu Shichen left a note and left the room.
The nightclub's sign was still on, and the colors seemed a little lighter in the morning light. Once the young men and women left, the dance floor became as deserted as the street.
Chu Shichen stood at the door, trying to stay alert. He straightened his tie for fear of looking unpresentable.
Fifteen minutes later, a long-axle Phantom came speeding and stopped on the side of the road.
Xiang Mingzhang unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. Chu Shichen was dressed neatly, not as shabby as he imagined, but his eyes were blue, which showed that he must have been partying all night and not slept.
"Mr. Chu," he said, "I don't care how you fool around, but having your parents call your boss several times is a mistake only an elementary school student would make."
Chu Shichen admitted that he was in the wrong: "Sorry, I'll go home right away."
Xiang Mingzhang was afraid that Chu Shichen would pretend to obey but actually disobey, and if he ran off somewhere to hang out for a day and a night, the Chu family might put up a banner at Xiang Yue's door to demand his release.
Never mind. Xiang Mingzhang didn't bother to talk nonsense and said, "Get in the car."
Chu Shichen was embarrassed to bother you, so he asked, "Will you take me there?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It's an escort."
Chu Shichen walked to the car. As a young master, general manager, and president, he had grown accustomed to it. He went straight to the back seat of the car and said politely, "Thank you."
Xiang Mingzhang finally couldn't help but get angry: "Where do you get the leadership airs from?"
Chu Shichen paused. What happened
Xiang Mingzhang ordered: "Come here and sit in the passenger seat!"
The author has something to say:
A reply: Party A has two professional translators who are the leaders, and Xiangdai's translation was a spur-of-the-moment idea, so Chu is just an auxiliary, more inclined to record the content for future review. I didn't write it in enough detail, I will modify the details another day.
(End of this chapter)