Xiang Mingzhang drove very fast and almost exceeded the speed limit.
Chu Shichen did not look alarmed, but he crossed his arms in front of his chest in a defensive posture. He arrived outside the Chu family's gate and did not let go of his hands until the car stopped.
The silent journey was quite torturous. He unbuckled his seat belt and said, "Thank you for giving me a ride."
Xiang Mingzhang said, "Go in, your mother is very worried. Please tell her that Xiang Yue is not a kindergarten, and I am not a life teacher, so I have no obligation to help her take care of the child."
Chu Shichen could sense great dissatisfaction from the sarcastic tone and replied, "I understand. Anything else to say?"
Xiang Mingzhang pressed the button to open the passenger door, waited for Chu Shichen to get out of the car, and said, "We are in an employment relationship. I am your boss. I ask you to do things, not to cause trouble. I hope you can remember this clearly."
Chu Shichen maintained his composure and accepted everything: "Okay, I'll remember that."
As soon as he finished speaking, the car made a humming sound, Xiang Mingzhang stepped on the accelerator, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the misty exhaust, Chu Shichen came to his senses. His bag was left on the back seat and he hadn't taken it yet...
Hearing the engine, Mrs. Chu ran out of the door. She hadn't had a good night's rest, and her feet were burning from walking around the house.
Seeing the figure at the door, she shouted, "Chu Shichen, you're back. Mom was so worried!"
Chu Shichen apologized and made assurances, calming Mrs. Chu's emotions.
Mrs. Chu had a keen sense of smell. She could smell the alcohol and perfume on him and asked, "Where did you spend the night?"
Chu Shichen told her about his meeting with Qian Hua, only saying that they reminisced about the past but not where they went. Based on Xiang Mingzhang's reaction to the nightclub, he thought it was not appropriate to publicize it.
Unfortunately, when Mrs. Chu heard that he was with Qian Hua, she automatically imagined it all. She changed Chu Shichen's cell phone number, thinking that she could cut off contact with those bad friends while he was losing his memory, but she didn't expect to meet him again.
Mrs. Chu asked politely, "You're going to be with him so soon. Can your body handle spending a night with him?"
Chu Shichen didn't think much about it: "I'm a little tired."
Entering the villa, he put his fist to his lips to stifle a yawn, then went upstairs to rest.
Mrs. Chu sighed, went to the kitchen and told Sister Xiu to stop working, and complained: "Don't cook breakfast, stew something to nourish the body, this brat."
Sister Xiu was surprised: "So soon..."
Mrs. Chu said in annoyance: "Forget it, this is the nature of men. If you can hold it in, a beggar will become the richest man!"
Chu Shichen was completely unaware. He returned to his room and locked himself in the bathroom to take a careful shower. He only came out after making sure that there was no smell of alcohol from head to toe.
He felt extremely tired, not only because he didn't get enough rest last night, but also because of the mental tension in the Japanese restaurant. Now that he relaxed, his limbs felt a little heavy.
After lighting a piece of Canaan incense in a small incense burner, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Chu Shichen dreamed about old things.
Also in the evening, he was invited to a banquet that he could not refuse, in an old house decorated in Japanese style. The room was covered with tatami and there was a half-person-high samurai sword rack against the wall.
The tea table was filled with aroma. The officer, who was usually fully armed, changed into a kimono and knelt opposite Chu Shichen, performing the tea ceremony while praising China's "The Classic of Tea".
Chu Shichen remained silent, waiting for a cup of prepared tea to be placed in front of him. He reached out and picked it up, shaking it as if afraid of being burned, and wet the "Savings Certificate" issuance consent form that was spread out beside him.
The national economy has suffered a severe blow. Once the savings certificates are issued, major newspapers and periodicals will release news of appreciation several times. Once a large amount of funds have been collected, these savings certificates will depreciate to the point of being invalid and become a pile of waste paper.
Once Fuhua Bank signs, it will mean becoming a running dog that deceives the people.
A few drops of tea splashed on the back of his hand, turning it red. Chu Shichen forgot the whole process and only remembered that every minute and every second seemed extremely long.
When the black muzzle of the gun hit his temple, he closed his eyes.
Bang!
Suddenly, Chu Shichen woke up with a start.
The cold sweat on his forehead flowed onto the pillow, wetting a spot. He stared at the ceiling with his body stiff, breathing heavily, and no longer wanted to sleep.
He eventually escaped the Hongmen Banquet, but in his occasional nightmares, he would always be awakened by the sound of gunfire.
Beep, the cell phone rings.
Chu Shichen collected his thoughts, opened his phone and saw the WeChat message from Qian Hua, asking when they could meet again.
He stared at the screen of his mobile phone in a daze. Last night, he listened to Qian Hua talk about many things about "Chu Shichen". It was absurd, but also vivid. Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable and more unexpected than a nightmare.
Colleagues who were on the yacht at the time said that "Chu Shichen" was drunk that night and was carried into the room. No one cared about him when everyone fled.
When Peng Xin heard in the ward that "Chu Shichen" was dying, he didn't think he was drowning, but thought he was seriously injured in the explosion.
It is very likely that the real "Chu Shichen" died in the fire and could not be rescued at all.
Chu Shichen got out of bed and walked to the desk, turned on his computer and searched for cemeteries around the city. He wanted to prepare a place for the soul of that lost life to rest in peace.
After writing down the processing information, Chu Shichen sat in the room until the incense in the censer burned out.
At dusk, a small transport truck drove into the gate and the deliveryman carried down a wooden box half a person's height. Mrs. Chu was worried in the yard, not knowing where to put the things.
Chu Shichen went downstairs to take a look, and after removing the nails from the wooden box, he discovered a pure white art statue inside.
He asked, “Did you buy this?”
Mrs. Chu replied: "It belongs to your father."
Chu Zhe liked to collect statues during his lifetime, and almost all of his collections were donated after his death. This one was Chu Zhe's favorite and has been placed in Yisi's conference center.
The founder's beloved item is most suitable as a souvenir. Chu Shichen asked: "Why send it back home?"
Mrs. Chu said, "It seems that Yisi is going to move into Xiangyue's campus. Some people will go there first. Your uncle Li said that it is not convenient to put it in Xiangyue, so he sent it back."
Chu Shichen was excited and wanted to move in with Xiang Yue
The pure white statue turns orange in the sunset, sacred and beautiful.
Without it, Yisi's people would no longer have to see the object, so how long would it take to forget Chu Zhe
Once it moves into Xiangyue and becomes a subsidiary, how long can the name "Yisi" survive in the industry
Chu Shichen stood in the corridor and dialed Xiang Mingzhang's cell phone number.
The phone rang seven or eight times, and then Chu Shichen answered it and said, "Mr. Xiang, my bag is in your car."
Xiang Mingzhang: “I know.”
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I'll give it to you at work next week."
There are many inconveniences in the company. Chu Shichen restrained his tone and sounded particularly serious: "I can't wait. There are important things in my bag. Please."
Xiang Mingzhang paused for a few seconds and said, "Come to my apartment at eight o'clock."
After hanging up, Chu Shichen received the address sent by Xiang Mingzhang. He saved it and went into the house, but was called to the kitchen by Sister Xiu.
As soon as the fire was turned off for a bowl of fragrant soup, Sister Xiu said it was an old recipe that worked quickly and would allow one to have a warm sleep at night after drinking it.
Chu Shichen didn't understand why it was effective. His old butler was a Buddhist and said he had a connection with Zen. After he turned eighteen, he started eating vegetarian food four days a week and had maintained this practice for many years.
The soup was made mainly of meat, which was delicate and expensive. Chu Shichen could not afford it. Then he thought it would be rude to go empty-handed, so he asked Sister Xiu to put the soup in a thermos and had other plans.
At five minutes to eight, Chu Shichen got off the car in front of the "Bomanjia" apartment building. He had no time to look at the prosperity and chaos around him, and followed the resident's private butler to the 40th floor.
Xiang Mingzhang lived in Room A. He opened the door, his anger from the morning almost gone, and said calmly, "Come in."
Chu Shichen nodded and walked in. The spacious flat was exquisitely designed in every detail. The colorful chandelier in the living room made everything clear. He raised the thermos and said, "I don't know what to bring. I'll make soup in the evening as a midnight snack."
There are four or five restaurants with different flavors in the apartment, providing 24-hour food delivery service. Xiang Mingzhang doesn't cook on a daily basis and almost forgot what home-cooked meals taste like.
He accepted Chu Shichen's advances and said, "Put it on the coffee table."
There was a stack of information on the marble coffee table. Chu Shichen walked over to put the thermos bottle down and saw words such as "admission recommendation letter" printed on the paper.
As far as he knew, Xiang Mingzhang was unmarried and had no children.
Chu Shichen stood up and threw his bag on the sofa. Xiang Mingzhang sat down and picked it up. The buttons of the brand-name bag were useless and opened with a touch, and half of the notebook fell out.
Xiang Mingzhang picked it up and pretended to turn it over.
Chu Shichen spoke up to stop him—“Don’t.”
Xiang Mingzhang raised his eyes but did not loosen his hand. Chu Shichen's reaction made him curious and asked, "Are you nervous?"
Chu Shichen said: "This is my personal belongings."
"This is a company-designed, distributed document specifically for meetings, not for you to write in your personal diary." Xiang Mingzhang retorted, "Did you write anything shameful?"
Chu Shichen said seriously: "Of course not, it's all official business."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Then I have to take a closer look. What if you have smuggled the company's trade secrets?"
Chu Shichen had been isolated for a week, and he had digested all the unhappiness by himself. At this moment, he was ignited by Xiang Mingzhang's words and hit back: "Mr. Xiang, have you forgotten? I still don't have an employee account, and I can't even enter the company's internal system."
Xiang Mingzhang could hear the restrained emotion: "You have been as still as a mountain these days. I thought you didn't care. It seems that you are very dissatisfied."
Chu Shichen said: "I am just a temporary worker. I am just a translator when there is nothing to do. What qualifications do I have to be dissatisfied?"
Xiang Mingzhang suddenly laughed and said mercilessly: "Don't forget, you were the one who surrendered voluntarily, but I am not someone who is polite and humble. If you feel wronged, you can leave."
"I won't leave unless I make a mistake." Chu Shichen suppressed his anger and changed the subject, "I heard that Yisi is going to move into the park. Is that true?"
Xiang Mingzhang understood that taking the bag was a cover, and Chu Shichen came here overnight just to confirm this matter. He affirmed, "You are well-informed."
Chu Shichen asked: "If Yisi moves in, can I work with her?"
Xiang Mingzhang asked back: "If I open the notebook, will you rush over and hit me?"
Chu Shichen choked. When you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. He is now a deer and can only obey this big-tailed wolf.
"Please sit down. I'm slow at reading." Xiang Mingzhang said as he opened the book.
The notebook was very thick, and Chu Shichen had actually used up half of it during a week of leisure, so Xiang Mingzhang wanted to take a look at it at first to confirm that the name column on the cover page was the other person's name.
And when he opened it now, he was even more hesitant.
The words on the paper are clearly written in black and white, with iron-like strokes and silver-like hooks, which shows the strong calligraphy skills.
What’s special is… all characters are in traditional Chinese.
Xiang Mingzhang looked at the content carefully. Chu Shichen recorded the department's priorities, division of responsibilities, project details, and a "superior evaluation" for him.
To sum it up in one sentence: Be mean in temperament, be patient in adjustment, be tolerant, and the sky is high and the sea is vast.
No wonder he didn't let me see it. Xiang Mingzhang asked, "Is this your evaluation of me?"
Chu Shichen sat on the single sofa and said coldly: "There is another sentence behind it."
Xiang Mingzhang flipped through it and found a sentence: He is a professional and has real talent. If he handles things in the right way, he can be a good teacher and friend.
Xiang Mingzhang really wanted to ask Chu Shichen, did his attitude just now mean that he treated him as a mentor or a good friend
When I looked up, Chu Shichen was sitting upright, serious and stern, probably because he was very angry.
Xiang Mingzhang's mood suddenly improved a lot. He stuffed the notebook back into his bag and said, "There's still room for a file."
Chu Shichen's expression changed: "What do you mean?"
Xiang Mingzhang went to the study and took out a file, saying, "This is the project that Yisi just took over. When you move in, you will work on it. If you don't know how to do it, just read it and don't make trouble."
Chu Shichen was stunned for a moment, took it and put it in his bag. It seemed hypocritical to thank him after he had argued back.
He pursed his lips and said nothing. After struggling for a while, he said implicitly, "The soup should still be hot. Remember to drink it."
Xiang Mingzhang said “hmm”. Adults are best at settling accounts and turning the page.
After seeing Chu Shichen off, Xiang Mingzhang went to the kitchen, opened the thermos, and poured a full bowl of water.
After drinking, he went to bed to rest.
Not long after, Xiang Mingzhang felt so hot and uncomfortable that he got up and took a cold shower three times during the night.
He seriously suspected that Chu Shichen had drugged him.
(End of this chapter)