CH 23

TL: Hua

Shen Boyan had already informed his assistant in advance of what happened last night. As soon as he arrived at the company, Assistant Lin quickly stepped forward and said, “President Shen, Director Gu from Gu’s Medicinal Materials has come over and is in meeting room No. 3. Director Ji from Youli Electric Appliance also called to express his desire to meet with you.”

Shen Boyan: “Go see Gu Jiakang first, and I’ll call Youli back later.”

In the meeting room, Gu Jiakang and his son had been waiting for a long time. When he received the call from his assistant last night, he knew that this matter couldn’t be simple and forced Gu’s second child to come to the company early the next morning.

Gu Jiakang had scheming intentions and deliberately didn’t allow Gu’s second child to be medicated. The wound on his face hadn’t healed yet. After a night of fermentation, he looked a bit pitiful, with a bruised nose and swollen face.

Shen Boyan had a smile on his lips when he pushed open the meeting room door and stepped forward enthusiastically: “Director Gu.”

“Director Shen!”

Gu Jiakang firmly held Shen Boyan’s palm, with a guilty expression on his face: “Director Shen, I brought my dog son here today to apologize to you. My son was spoiled by his mother and doesn’t know what’s important or what’s not. That’s why he was corrupted into doing bad things. Today, I, I… bastard, hurry up and apologize to Director Shen!”

Gu’s second child, with a forced expression, bowed 90° to Shen Boyan and apologized: “I’m sorry, Director Shen, I was wrong yesterday!”

Shen Boyan coldly watched the father and son duo act out the script, and only after Gu’s second child bowed and apologized as procedure, he smiled and said: “Second Young Master didn’t need to apologize to me for what happened last night. I was just venting the anger for my friend. As Director Gu knows, I hate bullies the most in my life because I’m of humble origin. I don’t know what would have happened if I had met your son a few years earlier.”

“Yes, yes. I will teach him well when I go back.”

“Oh, how will he be taught?”

Director Gu’s expression froze, knowing that Shen Boyan was determined to pursue this matter today. He gritted his teeth and said sincerely, “Our company has a research laboratory in Changdu Mountain, where it is basically under closed management. He is not young anymore and should learn to understand family affairs. I’ll make him go there and study for a year or so.”

Mt. Changdu is a barren mountain with no cities around. There is only a small town 50 kilometers away. It’s also known for its “simple folk customs,” and the best entertainment facility available there is the chest and card parlor. If Gu’s second child, who used to lead a life of indulgence, goes there for half a year, he will probably go crazy.

Sure enough, he immediately screamed, “Dad!”

“Shut up!”

Shen Boyan smiled and said, “This is also for the second young master’s benefit. I think he will understand in the future. It just so happens that I also have a small company over there. I can also visit the second young master, and we can take care of each other.”

He’s not even allowing him to fake this vacation.

Gu’s second child’s face turned pale, but because of his father’s repeated emphasis before departure, he ultimately did not dare to say anything.

Gu Jiakang smoothed his breath, and the green and white face was replaced with a smile: “This dog son did something wrong and should be punished. Thanks to Direct Shen’s righteous action, he was prevented from making a big mistake.”

Shen Boyan smiled hypocritically: “Director Gu is too polite.”

Gu Jiakang seemed to think that this matter was over and had a friendly conversation with Shen Boyan, discussing several projects that the two families were currently collaborating on. By afternoon, he left with his son.

Shen Boyan watched the two leave, then turned to Assistant Lin and said, “Put me through Ji Youli’s call.”

Not long after Ji Jiayin entered the hospital, the police notified her parents. Ji Youli and his wife rushed to the hospital that night. After learning about the general situation from the policewoman, Mother Ji scolded Gu’s second child and even beat Ji Youli, saying that he was really crazy to want to marry their daughter to this kind of person.

Ji Youli also regretted it very much. He was originally not very positive about the marriage between the two families, but after this incident, he completely cut off this idea. Later, he received a call from Assistant Lin, and only then did he know that Shen Boyan was involved in this matter.

He had to express his gratitude to Shen Boyan, both publicly and privately.

Ji Youli answered the phone very quickly, and within two seconds of it ringing, a middle-aged man’s voice came from the other end: “Director Shen…”

“Is your daughter’s health okay?”

Regardless of whether Shen Boyan was doing it superficially or out of sincerity, Ji Youli’s heart warmed: “She has been discharged from the hospital. It’s all thanks to you, Director Shen.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I’m doing it because your daughter is Shu’an’s friend. He’s hell-bent on protecting your daughter, and I’m also not going to let anyone hurt him.”

Ji Youli also heard about Xia Shu’an from his daughter. He was very surprised at the time. He also knew about the sudden turnaround in the Xia family, but he didn’t know what was going on. Thinking of Assistant Lin’s phone number, he roughly guessed what was going on.

What was unexpected to him was that Shen Boyan attached so much importance to Xia Shu’an, as if they had common interests.

Ji Youli’s thoughts changed, and he said, “Yes, I will apologize to Xiao Xia in person some other day. His father and I are also old comrades who fought together in Rongchuan, and I will go to see him.”

Shen Boyan’s tone was a bit milder. “That’d be best.”

“…”

The gentle atmosphere between the two business leaders had not been maintained for three seconds before Shen Boyan changed his attitude and said sharply: “I heard that Director Ji’s company’s operating conditions have not been good in the past two years, and its finances have been greatly reduced. Many physical stores on the street have also been closed.”

“Sigh, I feel ashamed toward the ancestors of the Ji family. I’m always scrimping and saving so that I won’t lose the foundation left by my ancestors.”

“The Ji family has a century-old foundation in Rongchuan. Even if it encounters difficulties for a while, I believe the local government will not sit idly by and let the Ji family, which accommodates thousands of employees, decline.”

Ji Youli was keenly aware of something: “Director Shen might as well speak up if you have something to say.”

Shen Boyan laughed silently.

“Alright, I’ll get straight to the point. Director Ji, although I have a bit of luck to get me to the current position, my foundation is too shallow. I could have squeezed the Gu family out of Rongchuan’s market in one fell swoop, but because the Gu family has a deep connection with the local dignitaries and the government, I’m afraid that it would be difficult to achieve even if I had the hard power to do so. That’s why I had no choice but to cooperate with the Gu family.”

“If I can have better connections, I believe my career can reach another level.”

“Director Ji, I lack someone who can act as a liaison for me in Rongchuan, and what Director Ji lacks is a strong inflow of capital and a more modern business model. I believe that if we join forces, we can both achieve the desired result.”

What Shen Boyan said left Ji Youli speechless.

After a long time, he said, “Let me think about it.”

“Of course, this is just an invitation from me. Director Ji can make his own choice.”

“I just hope that Shu’an’s friends can have a free choice.”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Boyan let out a long breath and leaned back on the back of his chair.

“President Shen.”

Assistant Lin knocked on the door and put a lunch box on the table in front of the sofa.

Shen Boyan walked over, opened the lunch box, and frowned.

[It looks so unpalatable. ]

But Shen Boyan is not a person who can’t bear hardships. He picked up the chopsticks and was about to start eating. Suddenly, he remembered something and picked up the mobile phone on the table to take a photo.

[Shen Boyan: [Picture]]

[Shen Boyan: Lunch.]

Heh, I’ll let you see what kind of trouble your kindness has caused me.

After sending the message, Shen Boyan was about to move his chopsticks again when suddenly, a voice invitation came from the opposite side.

Shen Boyan raised his eyebrows and pressed the answer button.

The sound processed by the circuit is a bit distorted, but the young man’s voice is still gentle: “Are you still busy?”

“There’s still time to answer Mr. Xia’s call.”

Xia Shu’an, on the other end, frowned. What kind of sarcastic tone is this? Who made him unhappy again?

Xia Shu’an felt that it was not him, but when she thought of the girl who just came over, he became unsure.

He coughed lightly and asked, “How was your day?”

“Gu Jiakang forced his son to come over, and Ji Youli also called and asked me to thank you on his behalf.”

“That’s not necessary. I’m just doing what’s right, what any person would do in a situation like this.”

“Oh, is that so?” The man’s tone was mocking: “I didn’t realize there were so many good people in the world.”

“Maybe you can look at the world with a broader perspective.”

Xia Shu’an said softly word by word, for example, don’t always think about plundering, let alone tie people to your belt all the time.

Shen Boyan narrowed his eyes. “Xia Shu’an—”

Seeing that he had reached the warning line, Xia Shu’an retracted the topic in time.

“I just saw that you posted a photo of takeaway food. Have you eaten it yet?”

Shen Boyan looked down at the lunch box that he hadn’t touched yet.

“Yes.”

“Is it delicious?”

“What do you think?”

He’s really being sarcastic today.

Xia Shu’an suppressed the desire to beat him and was about to speak when an idea popped up in his mind: “I’ll cook for you tonight.”

Shen Boyan was taken aback for a moment: “What?”

Xia Shu’an, however, seems to have found the light of day. This matter was indeed in favor of Shen Boyan, and it was understandable for him to want to repay him. What he had now was what Shen Boyan gave him, and the only way he could express his gratitude was with sincerity.

He let out a long breath and said briskly: “Come back early in the evening. I’ll make dinner for you.”

“You……”

“I’ll ask the two aunties where to buy groceries, so I’ll hang up first.” After finishing speaking, he hung up the phone.

Shen Boyan looked at the screen that had returned to the WeChat homepage and was silent for a while.

Cooking huh?