Chapter 19, Follow Me Upstairs

On Friday afternoon, Chen Jiashu, along with his assistant Wang and his personal assistant Lao Song, flew to Beijing.

The plane landed on time at 5:00. The three of them collected their luggage and walked to the exit, where the business vehicle arranged by the organizer was already waiting by the roadside. The black body of the vehicle shone with a calm and understated light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

A high-level roundtable meeting will be held at 7 PM, organized by the Electrical Appliance Manufacturers Association, bringing together twelve leading companies in the domestic electrical appliance industry for consultation and exchange. This year, Qiaoshu Group is honored to be invited to participate for the first time.

Dinner was held on the eighth floor of the conference center. When Chen Jiashu arrived, there were already seven senior executives at the table. Assistant Zhang leaned close to him and whispered their identities in his ear.

Chen Jiashu nodded slightly, indicating that they could proceed.

Assistant Zhang then led him over, stopping first beside Chairman Huo of Chenyang Home Furnishings. Chen Jiashu leaned down slightly and extended his hand, saying, "Chairman Huo, it's an honor to see you again."

Chairman Huo, who was over sixty years old, immediately stood up, turned halfway around, and grasped his hand: "Oh~ Chen Jiashu! I presented you with an award three years ago." He patted the back of Chen Jiashu's hand with his other hand before letting go.

Chen Jiashu solemnly said, "I have always remembered the encouragement I received from you back then."

The other six chairmen looked over; they were all in the home appliance industry. Although Chen Jiashu was a junior, they had all heard of him, especially his title of "blind chairman."

Chairman Li of Jinsheng Group stepped forward with a smile: "Chairman Chen, do you still remember me?"

He had met the young leader at an industry summit six months ago and was deeply impressed by his clear thinking.

"I saw in the financial news this morning that Jinsheng's stock price rose 6% against the trend last month." Chen Jiashu turned slightly to the side and extended his right hand: "Chairman Li, I often mention your statement that 'the home appliance industry must be able to withstand the off-season' to the team."

Chairman Li shook hands with him and said, "Chairman Chen's hearing is amazing." He then turned to the others and said, "You may not know, but Chairman Chen's prediction about high-end appliances six months ago has now come true."

"Chairman Li, you flatter me." Chen Jiashu lowered his eyebrows slightly, very modestly. "Qiao Shu's achievements in the high-end electrical appliance field are also based on the experience of your predecessors."

The old Dongs gathered around, laughing heartily.

Chen Jiashu raised his hand, and Assistant Wang immediately placed the business card in his hand. Holding the edge of the card with both hands, he handed it over, saying, "If there is an opportunity, I hope to invite Chairman Li to Qiaoshu to provide guidance. We are very interested in Jinsheng's supply chain model and hope to learn a thing or two from them."

Under Chairman Li's introduction, Chen Jiashu shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the other directors one by one.

Just as he was about to turn back, a footstep stopped to his left. It was very close, and then a particularly familiar, gentle and mellow male voice rang in his ears: "Eight years have passed. Do you still remember your old friend?"

Chen Jiashu turned around, tapped the ground with his cane, and looked at the man who was about the same height as him. Chen Jiashu immediately called out, "Teacher Gu," his voice rising slightly at the end, his surprise barely concealed.

At that time, Qin Qiao always addressed Gu Xu as "Teacher Gu," and Chen Jiashu followed suit.

The man was wearing a dark suit, with his maroon tie being the most striking feature. Moving his gaze upwards, Chen Jiashu's eyes settled on Gu Xu's face. He couldn't discern Gu Xu's current appearance, but his physique hadn't changed much, and the refined composure he exuded remained undiminished.

Having studied abroad for over ten years, Gu Xu was accustomed to Western customs. He stepped forward and gave Chen Jiashu a firm hug without saying a word, then took a step back: "Chairman Chen, how have you been?"

After being transferred to the National Radio and Television Administration, Gu Xu was busy with behind-the-scenes work. Three years ago, when Chen Jiashu's group went public, he had seen the news about it and, to be honest, he admired this man who was eight years younger than him from the bottom of his heart. If it weren't for his eye disease delaying Chen Jiashu's career, his achievements would certainly be much greater.

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Xu still remembers clearly the earthquake in Hongqu County fourteen years ago. When he and Qin Qiao were driving to the next location to carry out work, the earthquake struck again, and the car overturned down the hillside and was buried by mud and rocks.

He was knocked unconscious by the force of the airbag deployment and remained in a daze for seven or eight hours. When Chen Jiashu arrived to rescue Qin Qiao, he learned that Qin Qiao was also in the car, so he dug him out as well.

Aftershocks could occur at any time, but Chen Jiashu and Qin Qiao never gave up on him.

So strictly speaking, he still owes Chen Jiashu a life.

This man is not only a kind-hearted person, but also a businessman who combines wisdom, gentleness, and pragmatism. Such people are rare in society, and the depth of his character is even more precious.

"It's been many years, but I can tell from your voice that you haven't changed at all."

Chen Jiashu's light and cheerful voice pulled Gu Xu back from her wandering thoughts.

The man made no attempt to hide his eye condition, and Gu Xu curled the corners of her lips: "There's fresh tea in the lounge next door. If there aren't any arrangements after the meeting, would you like to stay a while?"

Chen Jiashu gripped his white cane tightly and nodded, saying, "I don't have anything urgent to deal with after the meeting, so I'd like to borrow this cup of tea and hear about your experiences over the years."

Gu Xu was the specially invited host of this roundtable meeting, and only his reputation in the media industry could keep these business leaders in check.

Two hours later, the meeting ended, and the old members left one after another, leaving only Chen Jiashu and Gu Xu in the meeting room.

Chen Jiashu asked his assistant Zhang to wait outside. The waiter opened the two doors of the lounge, and Chen Jiashu and Gu Xu walked into the lounge side by side.

Chen Jiashu hesitated slightly as his cane touched the corner of the sofa, unsure if it was a sofa. Just as his fingertip was about to reach down, Gu Xu behind him said naturally, "Chairman Chen, please sit on this single sofa."

Gu Xu unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down, mouthing "serve tea" to the female waitress who came in.

As the waiter closed the door and left, Gu Xu turned around to see Chen Jiashu already seated, putting away his white cane and placing it beside him.

“Half a month ago, I went back to Lanchuan and saw Qin Qiao.” Gu Xu smiled as Chen Jiashu turned his face and said, “Actually… I met her in England two years ago, and she told me that you two had already divorced.”

Gu Xu attended Qin Qiao and Chen Jiashu's wedding. This was entirely because Qin Qiao, who wanted a low-key wedding, had to send him an invitation after saying, "Remember to invite me when you get married in the future."

Throughout the wedding, all he remembered was that the two were truly in love, and that Qin Qiao's parents were very open-minded.

Gu Xu knew that Chen Jiashu had an eye disease when he was in Hongqu County.

It was already dark when Chen Jiashu rescued him from the car that day. Seeing that he was alright, Qin Qiao turned around and helped Chen Jiashu walk up the hillside.

The mountain road was uneven with potholes, and aftershocks continued intermittently, causing the ground to shake every now and then.

Chen Jiashu staggered noticeably, a stark contrast to his steady walk during the day, and Qin Qiao was also swayed from side to side by him.

Having worked in journalism for so many years, he immediately diagnosed him with night blindness.

The little girl was thin and weak, so it was inconvenient for the two of them to walk together like this, as they would both be holding each other's hands.

Gu Xu stepped forward and asked if he needed any help. Chen Jiashu turned his head and said "Thank you for your help." Gu Xu immediately stepped forward to take Qin Qiao's place, supporting his elbow and continuing to walk forward.

They walked for more than three hours without abandoning each other amidst the earthquake, finally reaching a safe area. It could be said that they had shared life and death together.

He was shocked to learn from Qin Qiao that they had already divorced. Even as an outsider, he felt that their relationship was very deep.

"We've been divorced for over six years," Chen Jiashu said calmly.

“When Qin Qiao was still working under me, I asked her a question: why did you decide to stay in Lanchuan? She told me it was because it's a first-tier city, and because her teachers and friends are here…”

Chen Jiashu was puzzled by his questioning, a hint of confusion on his face. Gu Xu glanced at him, his eyes crinkling into a smile, and continued, "She also told me that this is her 'second hometown'... That's an interesting statement. What kind of person would consider their workplace their hometown?"

After a pause, Gu Xu said with considerable emotion, "You have no idea how much I value this student... The other day I asked her if she would like to come to CCTV, a place that so many people would kill to get into, and she actually told me she couldn't keep up! What would someone who has won several international awards want to stay in a local media outlet? It can't be because... the milk tea here tastes better, can it?"

Qin Qiao used to love milk tea. So many years have passed, I wonder if her taste has changed? Gu Xu guessed that it probably still has.

“Teacher Gu…” Chen Jiashu’s slightly furrowed brows relaxed inch by inch: “What do you mean?”

"In my eyes, you're a particularly smart person. Don't make a mistake like this." Hearing the door open, Gu Xu looked over with a smile.

In the brief silence, the waiter brought in fresh tea, the steam rising gently. Gu Xu chuckled, "Let's not talk about that now. The tea is here. You wanted to hear about my experiences over the years, so I'll tell you slowly."

*

After tossing and turning for three nights, Qin Qiao decided to personally visit Chen Jiashu to express her gratitude.

She arrived at Qiaoshu Group carrying a box of premium tea. She hesitated outside the gate, undecided for ten minutes, unsure whether to go in or not.

After saying such harsh and resolute things that day, what kind of behavior is it to go see Chen Jiashu again? But... he helped me again. Should I pretend I didn't know?

"Chairman Ling, thank you for your trust. We will certainly live up to your expectations."

"Reporter Qin, you've come at the perfect time. Chairman Chen of Qiaoshu is here. Your words moved Chairman Chen, and he explained to me the importance of corporate stories. He's young and forward-thinking; I was touched by his words."

Eh...

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the two are enemies now. If she were to see him again, not only would she feel uncomfortable, but Chen Jiashu would probably feel as well.

Never mind, let's just pretend we don't know.

She turned around, only to see Chen Jiashu's Bentley driving by on that road.

My heart pounded with fear.

Qin Qiao ran into the building in a panic. Under the scrutinizing and suspicious gazes of the two receptionists, she ran to the lounge area and randomly found a sofa to sit down.

Then, take out your phone to reply to messages, pretending to be very busy.

"Good morning, Mr. Chen." The two receptionists bowed and smiled as usual.

Chen Jiashu, who is usually very approachable to his employees, had an unusually cold expression, leaving the two receptionists somewhat at a loss.

Chen Jiashu hummed in agreement, turned left and walked towards the elevator. Zhang, his assistant on his left, kept his eyes downcast, while Tian Jiayue on his right leaned closer and said, "Your sister-in-law might have something important to discuss with you, right?"

The man clenched his jaw tighter, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the cane were prominent, but he remained silent.

The three stepped into the elevator.

Qin Qiao waited for a while, and when she was sure that Chen Jiashu wouldn't come out, she immediately picked up the tea leaves and ran outside.

But just as they reached the door, Chen Jiashu's sharp and loud voice suddenly rang out:

"Qiaoqiao!"

The sound was like a summons, and she turned around uncontrollably.

There were many people in the lobby who were frozen in place, just like her, with countless pairs of eyes fixed on them.

Time seemed to stand still, and the noise was cut off.

Standing more than ten meters away, Qin Qiao could hardly make out his features, but the anxiety that suddenly appeared on the man's face was completely different from his indifference that day.

So, could he see her from such a distance? It seemed like his line of sight was off, so how could he tell she was still there?

He almost forgot about his assistants, which means that Chen Jiashu already knew she was coming while he was in the car.

Chen Jiashu waved his white cane and walked towards her; he was alone. For a moment, Qin Qiao wanted to run away, but her feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch.

Like Qin Qiao, Tian Jiayue was also standing still. She turned her head and gave a look to the onlookers, who immediately scattered like birds and beasts, even the two receptionists lowered their heads.

After everyone left, Tian Jiayue also left.

The man approached her, stopped half a meter away, lowered his eyes, and asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Qin Qiao gestured with the tea leaves in her hand: "I just came to thank you for your help and bought a box of tea."

"Thank you?" Chen Jiashu suddenly realized, and lowered his voice: "You're here to repay a favor again."

"Yes." A simple response.

Chen Jiashu pursed his lips: "Come upstairs with me."

"No, since we've met Chairman Chen, here's a box of tea for you." Qin Qiao handed over the tea gift box with both hands, waiting for him to reach for it.

Chen Jiashu lowered his eyes, then looked up again. He chose to turn his back on the tea leaves, deciding between accepting or not accepting: "I don't need your thanks. My speech that day wasn't for you. Take the tea leaves back with you."

The high heels clicked against the marble floor with a crisp, clear "tap-tap-tap" sound, which faded into the distance.

Chen Jiashu turned around abruptly, but she was nowhere to be seen. He quickly walked to the door with his white cane, the sound of wind carrying car horns and voices... but he couldn't hear the familiar sound of high heels.

A note from the author:

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