Chapter 36 You are in New York...is...

In the year or so since joining Tianxing Fanglue, Xia Zhiyao has almost never truly stopped. Like a perfectly functioning gear in a precision machine, she is calm, restrained, and efficient to the point of being demanding, as if she were born for battle.

She doesn't talk much, but she can always clarify the situation and set the pace in the shortest amount of time, pushing the project forward flawlessly. From the initial industry research, financial modeling, and due diligence interviews to the later strategic optimization and capital operation plan implementation, she personally oversees almost every step.

In just over a year, this startup, which was initially considered "impossible to succeed," has managed to break into the high-end consulting field that was originally monopolized by international giants.

The name "Tianxing Fanglue" has begun to appear frequently in in-depth reports in industry journals, featured in key recommendations in capital briefings, and on the list of public roadshow guests that were previously only qualified for top consulting firms.

Their client list includes listed companies with market capitalizations in the tens of billions, the China branches of multinational giants, and tech upstarts preparing for IPOs. In the eyes of ordinary consulting firms, these are all unattainable targets.

At a mid-term meeting for a new energy company acquisition, Xia Zhiyao dissected and compared three different valuation models submitted by the other party, pointing out the overestimation of key parameters. Even the other party's CFO remained silent for a few seconds before admitting it. After the project was completed, the CEO commented in an interview that she was "as calm as a machine."

Even the monthly analysis reports of several established consulting giants have added a special note, highlighting their continued attention to this new company and warning of its rapid penetration into emerging industries.

Her boss, Zheng Xiaotian, came from a prominent family, had a respectable education, and maintained a respectable demeanor, yet he was once casually categorized as a "second-generation rich kid dabbling in this."

When Tianxing Fanglue was just starting out, many people thought he was just a representative of the investors who occasionally showed up, a nominal person in charge sent by the investors to build up their resumes.

However, six months later, reality slapped them in the face. This person who was "dabbling" in the field had made precise and steady moves in the capital market. Every time he injected capital, negotiated mergers and acquisitions, or hedged risks at key project junctures, he filled the gaps perfectly.

He kept a low profile but proceeded cautiously, and his reputation gradually shifted from "a rich second-generation who relies on connections" to "having vision," "being able to stay calm," and "truly understanding management."

Meanwhile, in the core battlefield of Tianxing Fanglue, in the conference room of the strategy department, the PPT on the large screen jumped to the next page, the slight hum of the projector and the sound of keyboard typing rose and fell, and the air was filled with a tense and focused atmosphere of rehearsal.

The documents spread out on the conference table were covered with various colored annotations on almost every page.

Xia Zhiyao stood at the front, and her voice instantly silenced the previously quiet discussion in the conference room: "The logical order of this page is not clear enough. Risk assessment should immediately follow data prediction. If the process is not smooth, the conclusion will not be consistent."

She paused briefly, her tone unhurried: "Let's redo it."

As she spoke, she approached the projection screen, her fingertips resting steadily on a particular paragraph of the draft. Her tone remained calm, yet it was as sharp as a blade slicing through paper, so sharp that it could not be ignored.

“And here, the word ‘opportunity’ is not enough to support a decision. We’re not selling dreams, nor are we piling up empty visions.” She paused for a moment, glanced around at the group of people, and said in a clear and firm voice, “We’re talking about evidence, about certainty that can be implemented and has consequences that can be borne.”

Her logical thinking is as precise as an anatomist's, requiring every strategic node to be interconnected and form a closed chain; she can spot any superfluous words in a proposal at a glance and cross them out without hesitation. She has no patience for ambiguity and zero tolerance for taking chances.

This is precisely why Xia Zhiyao possesses an almost absolute level of credibility within the team. Her use of "redo" is never a top-down, oppressive order, but rather a declaration of self-imposed requirements.

At 10 p.m. in the office, neon lights and traffic flowed outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She led everyone to stay up late, rolling up their sleeves and diving into piles of data and copywriting. During the short breaks at noon, she would order coffee for the whole team, and late at night she would order a round of late-night snacks, checking every detail with the team while going through the documents.

She didn't say "I'll lead you," she simply fought alongside them, showing everyone through her actions that they were not fighting alone.

She's not the kind of warm-hearted leader who's good at soothing emotions, yet she inexplicably gives people a sense of security. Calm and restrained, she makes people willing to entrust their backs to her in the most crucial moments, carving out her own niche in this complex and noisy industry.

"She fights the war, I raise the army." This is what Zheng Xiaotian said at a company dinner, half-jokingly, with his usual nonchalant and playful tone.

But as he said this, he raised his wine glass, but his gaze didn't look at anyone else; it was fixed on the woman across from him who was still looking down at the plan.

Xia Zhiyao sat in the far corner, where the light couldn't reach. Her shadow overlapped with the edge of the table, and her expression was half-hidden. Only the constant marking with the tip of her pen could be seen. The noise of the dinner party, the clinking of glasses, and the laughter from the next table seemed to have nothing to do with her.

In fact, although Xia Zhiyao may seem cold, almost aloof, those who truly know her understand that she is extremely adept at navigating social situations.

She can defuse awkward situations with a concise and logical retort when a client gets angry, and she can extinguish undercurrents within the team before they even take shape; her words are sharp, but never hurtful. She has an innate sense of propriety, and she doesn't use flattery as a means, yet she commands respect.

Zheng Xiaotian, this seemingly witty and charming "young master" who is loved by everyone, always appears to outsiders as someone who is adept at navigating social situations and handling things with ease.

Those who know him well understand that he has a strong sense of boundaries, is used to being in control of the overall situation, dislikes being questioned, and does not easily let people into his true defensive line.

He could chat and laugh with investors at the dinner table, and make a decision with a single sentence in a meeting; but in front of Xia Zhiyao, he rarely put away his sharp edge, and even shielded her from a lot of unnecessary risks in places where others could not see.

On one occasion, a client made an unreasonable demand for a price increase after a meeting. He immediately called the chairman from behind the scenes and pushed the demand back, allowing Xia Zhiyao to maintain a calm and composed demeanor at the negotiating table the next day.

They are like two generals fighting side by side, one clearing the way forward and the other securing the rear. Tianxing Fanglue's client list ranges from overseas energy giants and emerging consumer brands to leading companies in manufacturing transformation and even cross-border financial mergers and acquisitions, all of which they have successfully secured.

Every client is a heavyweight, every solution is logically sound and strategically feasible, and the PPTs delivered on the day of delivery are exemplary enough to be used in business school classes. The debriefing documents are even circulated among peers for study.

Once jokingly referred to as a "testing ground," these small companies have now become industry benchmarks. Without overwhelming public relations hype, they have won the most discerning applause in the most demanding market with their sharp and assertive approach.

Xia Zhiyao finished working overtime all night and sat alone in the corner of the office. The whole night had passed, and the surroundings were so quiet that even the sound of turning over paper seemed abrupt.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a bang, and Zheng Xiaotian stood in the doorway, holding two steaming cups of coffee. He raised an eyebrow, glanced at the scattered documents on her desk, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Looking at the mess you're making, if I weren't smart, I would have thought you had a terminal illness."

Xia Zhiyao was startled by his voice, looked up and smiled: "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm fine. Are you working as a deliveryman again?"

"Really?" Zheng Xiaotian walked in and placed the coffee cup in front of her, its aroma filling the air. He looked at her face, his expression indifferent: "Are you still upset because of that idiot Zhang Luyuan?... He contacted you again?"

Xia Zhiyao shook her head: "No, he hasn't contacted me since that phone call you made."

Zheng Xiaotian sat down opposite her, still in a lazy posture, his arm draped over the back of the chair, his smile nonchalant: "Love that can't be obtained, isn't that normal? Who doesn't have a white moonlight? Some people can take it, some people can't let it go, and the rest... just take it easy."

He spoke as if telling someone else's story: "There aren't that many two-way trips. Most people are destined to meet but not to be together, just passing by each other, and in the end, they still have to accept their fate and live their lives well."

He spoke softly, yet with sincerity. He had never believed in fairy tales, nor did he like to wallow in self-pity, but at this moment, his tone was tinged with a rare earnestness.

After listening, Xia Zhiyao gave a soft "humph," glanced at him with a hint of mockery in her eyes, and said, "So you just play around with life?"

"Heaven and earth bear witness!" Zheng Xiaotian raised his right hand, looking completely wronged. "You were working overtime, and I was working overtime with you. How could I not know what was more important?"

Xia Zhiyao lowered her head and took a sip of coffee. The bitterness spread on her tongue, but the warmth couldn't dispel the slight chill that quietly crept into her heart.

“President Xia,” Zheng Xiaotian smiled slightly, “you’re not a savior. Let bygones be bygones. Didn’t we agree to start over?”

As he said this, he tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice, as if he had mustered up his courage for a long time, and his tone softened: "Actually... I have a question that I've wanted to ask since the first day you came back."

He turned his head, his gaze no longer superficial, but carrying a long-lost seriousness: "You're in New York... did something happen to you?"

He paused, then added, his voice even softer, yet each word carrying weight: "And then? Why did you come back alone again?"

Xia Zhiyao did not respond immediately, but turned her head to look out the window. The half-open blinds were gently moved by the wind, and a hazy street light shone through the gap.

She did meet someone who, on a snowy night, held her tightly and pulled her out of the abyss with all his might. His embrace was cold, but it made her think of "staying where she was" for the first time.

At that moment, she even seriously considered whether she should give up all her plans and stop for him.

But in the end, she still came back.

She lost her gamble; he didn't chase after her, didn't explain, and didn't question her.

What she didn't know was that Zhou Yue had also stood there for a long time. He was afraid that she would ignore him, afraid that even the last bit of dignity would be exhausted, and he also felt a strange anger, thinking that since she had chosen to leave, she shouldn't look back.

So he suppressed all his impulse to chase after them and forced himself to say, "Never mind."

That silence was like an end for her, but for him, it was a kind of loss intertwined with repression and stubbornness.

Zheng Xiaotian looked at her, but didn't ask any more questions. He pursed his lips slightly, as if he had put his curiosity into his heart. He was about to change the subject to ease the heavy atmosphere when, at an inopportune moment, his stomach rumbled.

Xia Zhiyao laughed first, a laugh carrying a long-lost lightness. Zheng Xiaotian couldn't help but shake his head and laugh as well, stretching and pulling himself out of the silent emotional tug-of-war: "Let's go, let's have breakfast."

He stood up, picked up his coat, and his tone returned to its usual nonchalant manner: "After we finish eating, we still have to go back to the battlefield and fight. This afternoon, we'll wrap up the project and then everyone can go home and get some sleep."

As the project meeting finally came to a close, the last slide of the PPT slowly faded out on the screen, the projector lights went out, and only a soft white ring of overhead light remained in the room.

Xia Zhiyao leaned back in her chair, her fingertips still resting on the cover of her notebook, and exhaled almost imperceptibly.

For three whole hours, she didn't lose focus for even a second. Her speech was steady and accurate. She broke down the strategies, financial models, and merger and acquisition terms one by one, layer by layer. Every page turn was like a heavy drumbeat, keeping the rhythm firmly in her own hands.

Zheng Xiaotian, who was standing next to him, also became serious for once, putting away his usual cynical attitude.

When facing clients, he is full of insightful and sharp remarks, his pen moving slowly and deliberately across the meeting minutes; when she presents a key solution, he provides just the right amount of supporting data; when she points out potential risks, he can turn them into opportunities for a "market window," his tone steady and his logic meticulous, seamlessly switching between offense and defense.

The client across the conference table initially entered with apprehension and doubt, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his eyes.

As the question-and-answer session and the back-and-forth progressed, their brows gradually relaxed, and they slowed down their movements as they flipped through the documents in their hands. In the final stage, they not only nodded frequently but also took the initiative to concede on several key clauses.

The handshake, the photo session, and the final confirmation—the whole process concluded swiftly, carrying a certain confidence and composure befitting a victor.

Tianxing's strategy has won another round.

The two walked out of the conference room side by side. Sunlight streamed into the corridor through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making people squint slightly.

“I hereby declare,” Zheng Xiaotian loosened his tie, like a general who had fought all night, “that I am going home to collapse until tomorrow morning.”

"Whatever you want." Xia Zhiyao's voice wasn't loud, but there was a barely perceptible curve at the corner of her mouth. "Don't you dare say halfway there that you have a drinking party to come and save me."

“I swear,” he raised his right hand dramatically, “tonight, I belong to the bed and the blankets.”

Just as the elevator doors opened and he was about to take out his keys to drive, his other phone in his pocket vibrated. He looked down and saw a familiar name pop up on the screen.

【Zheng Yaotian】

“My brother,” he said in a low voice, gesturing to Xia Zhiyao that he was taking a call, then turned and walked to the side.

After the call connected, Zheng Yaotian's voice was as concise as ever: "I heard you just won the T Group case?"

Zheng Xiaotian was taken aback: "You found out so quickly?"

“A friend from the company across the street just sent me a message saying that you guys acted like two activated Tomahawk missiles today.”

Zheng Xiaotian chuckled, a hint of smugness in his voice: "I like this new nickname. From now on, call me War Axe Brother."

"Are you free tonight? I'd like to discuss a new project in person." Zheng Yaotian said gently. "It's an AI startup from abroad that's planning to set up a branch in Asia. The investor is an old acquaintance."

Zheng Xiaotian's eyes lit up slightly: "Do you need us to coordinate?"

"You and Xia Zhiyao together." Zheng Yaotian paused, his tone becoming more confident. "I trust you."

"You choose the location, and I'll bring the person there." After hanging up the phone, Zheng Xiaotian put away his phone, turned to look at Xia Zhiyao, and smiled enigmatically: "You're lucky. You were just about to take a vacation when my brother specifically asked you to work overtime."

"What project?" Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, the weariness in her eyes instantly replaced by fighting spirit.

"Overseas AI companies are entering the Asian Games, and their valuations are ridiculously high." He glanced at her, his tone light. "Zheng Yaotian personally selected the two of us to come and talk."

He raised his hand and glanced at his watch, "I have an appointment with him to have dinner at 6:30 to discuss the project."

He paused, then winked at her: "We still have a full five hours before we can go home and sleep."

"Send me your location, I'll be there at six o'clock sharp." She picked up her bag. "If you disturb my sleep before then, we're done."

“I swear,” Zheng Xiaotian held up three fingers, “I will never call you except in the event of an earthquake, fire, or my brother changing the time at the last minute.”

Xia Zhiyao glanced at him, said nothing, simply put the folder in her arm, and turned to walk towards the elevator.

The elevator doors opened with a "ding," revealing two figures side by side. The silence that followed the meeting seemed to linger in the air, only to be slowly diluted by the sounds of breathing in the small space.

As I stepped out of the office building, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the city's steel structure, casting a tranquil and bright golden patch on the sidewalk.

The leaves on the trees along the street swayed gently in the late autumn breeze, carrying a slightly dry fragrance, as if the next gust of wind would push the season into winter.

Zheng Xiaotian stretched, took a deep breath, tilted his head back to bask in the sunlight for a second, and couldn't help but let out an exaggerated, relieved sigh: "Ah... it feels so good to be alive."

"You've only just come back to life," Xia Zhiyao said casually, yet with a hint of subtle teasing.

“You’re right.” He shrugged, his usual nonchalant attitude returning. “I need to go home, take a shower, and get some sleep. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll pass out before my brother’s deadpan face even shows up tonight.”

She didn't reply, but just chuckled softly. The smile wasn't as sharp as it had been at the conference table; it was faint and serene, like a gentle warmth seeping from weariness.

She opened the car door and got in. Sunlight streamed through the windshield, casting a soft, serene glow on her eyelashes. At that moment, she was no longer the calculating strategy director she had been moments before, but simply someone utterly exhausted, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Zheng Xiaotian turned and got into his car, not forgetting to shout back before closing the door, "Remember to set your alarm, the battle starts in five hours!"

The two cars drove out of the underground parking lot one after the other, like two armies retreating from battle, temporarily falling silent along their respective routes on this sunny afternoon.

The street scene slowly recedes, dappled with light and shadow, as they each rush to catch their breath for a brief five hours in the concrete jungle of this city.