Chapter 30 Chapter 30 What are you touching?
Wen Yu took Ye Yinuo's car home. Perhaps because Wen Yu looked so pale, she remained silent. Ye Yinuo was also tactful enough not to pepper her with questions. But Ye Yinuo had a lot of questions. What exactly was going on tonight? What was going on between Pan Xianchen and the woman across the street? What was their relationship? Judging by their conversation, it didn't sound like they were familiar with each other. Was Pan Xianchen on a blind date with that woman?
What about Wen Yu?
While driving, Ye Yinuo carefully glanced at Wen Yu.
Wen Yu, strapped to the passenger seat, lay motionless, her face tilted to the side, staring out the window. The neon lights on the roadside reflected on her face like a revolving lantern, tinting it red and yellow, making it difficult to discern her expression.
But Ye Yinuo could still feel Wen Yu's depressed mood.
Ye Yinuo was very gossipy, but also very distressed. She was a fan of the Wen Pan couple, and tonight's incident had really tormented her.
Ye Yinuo didn't ask a single question about Pan Xianchen until they reached the gate of Wenyu's residential complex. She said goodbye to Wenyu and told her to take a hot bath when she got home, and then to get a good night's sleep without thinking about anything else.
Wen Yu wanted to do as Ye Yinuo suggested, but the face of the woman who had sat across from Pan Xianchen tonight was like an indelible plaster, etched firmly in her mind. Was that woman's name Cheng Lin? Wen Yu couldn't help but recall it. Cheng Lin's hair, Cheng Lin's eyebrows, Cheng Lin's eyes, Cheng Lin's nose, Cheng Lin's mouth... She remembered everything about Cheng Lin clearly.
After breaking up with her, he immediately started looking for the next one, right?
Wen Yu suddenly felt very sad.
It was clearly she and Pan Xianchen who proposed to keep their distance, and they maintained the distance very well tonight, without any behavior that crossed the line, but why did she feel sad?
Wen Yu felt unhappy when she thought about Pan Xianchen taking Cheng Lin to visit the gym and Cheng Lin seeing him working out on the equipment. She wanted to send Pan Xianchen a WeChat message to ask what he was doing, but she had no ID. She held back.
It was a little after nine in the evening when WeChat rang.
Her wandering mind stopped and she quickly rushed to look at her phone.
The wild goose left its voice: Something happened. Starting tomorrow, prepare for the battle.
The next day at work, Peng Yan explained the situation in detail to Wen Yu. The leadership team had convened an emergency meeting the previous night. Peng Yan arrived at the meeting room at 7:00 this morning, an hour and a half before normal working hours. After a brief ten-minute meeting, the leadership explained the situation clearly, and everyone dispersed. Peng Yan then convened a department meeting to convey the leadership's instructions to all colleagues.
After the meeting, Peng Yan instructed Wen Yu to immediately retrieve Trafigura's purchasing data. Wen Yu pointed to WeChat and said, "Sister Yan, I've already sent it to you."
Peng Yan looked at her in surprise and asked, "When did you find it?"
"I was just looking for it while I was in a meeting," Wen Yu said. "You told me to bring my laptop to meetings. The matter was made very clear in the meeting. I feel it's important to respond quickly to this matter. I'm afraid we'll miss the opportunity."
Peng Yan nodded and looked away. She opened the file Wen Yu had sent her, which contained all of Trafigura's purchasing data for the past three years. Nearly 80% of the goods purchased came from the group's offline markets.
Wen Yu said, "I just contacted Meng Meng and asked her to send me details about several key areas that Trafigura Trade is purchasing. She's looking for them now, and I'll forward them to you as soon as I receive them." Meng Meng was a colleague from the operations department whom she and Peng Yan had met during a previous market inspection. Liao Shihui had casually introduced her to them. The group is large, and colleagues across branches often use DingTalk to communicate with each other. After that inspection, Wen Yu and Meng Meng added each other on WeChat, which fostered a closer communication experience.
Peng Yan once again looked at Wen Yu in surprise, praising her swift response to the crisis before adding, "Just that market isn't enough. We need to thoroughly investigate all the markets under the group. I'll leave this to you. I'll give you the contact information of the relevant persons in charge of each market, and you can go and ask them for the relevant information one by one."
Wen Yu said, "Okay."
She sat back down and soon received a contact list from Peng Yan. It was a densely packed list, and it was too inefficient for her to handle it alone. Wen Yu called Ye Yinuo and two other colleagues she was more familiar with to help.
It wasn't until noon that they finally finished compiling the massive amount of data. Wen Yu compiled the data into a document, saved the electronic version, and printed out a paper copy for Peng Yan. Peng Yan was surprised by her speed. Wen Yu explained, "Several colleagues worked on this." She listed their names one by one, and Peng Yan nodded in understanding.
"It's commendable that colleagues don't take credit for their work." Peng Yan took the summary from Wen Yu and quickly glanced through it while instructing, "Print out another copy and come with me to see Mr. Pan later."
Pan Xianchen invited them to sit down. There was only one reception chair across from the desk, and Wen Yu offered it to Peng Yan. She stood beside her and handed Pan Xianchen the newly printed data. Pan Xianchen took it and examined it carefully.
Wen Yu noticed he looked tired, and couldn't help but think of last night's events. Last night's dinner, last night's Cheng Lin. He looked so sleepy, like he hadn't slept well, and there was a faint blue under his eye. Why? Was it because of work? Or was it related to Cheng Lin?
She bit her lip, trying not to let her thoughts run wild.
Pan Xianchen read it carefully, but his years of work experience had honed his ability to read quickly. He quickly finished scanning and said, "What are you going to do next?"
Peng Yan said: "Then we must first understand the real purpose of Trafigura Trade."
Trafigura Trading, registered in Dubai, UAE, specializes in cross-border commodity sourcing and distribution, primarily active in the Middle East, North Africa, and European markets. Trafigura's primary product range aligns with the market of our city's group. Led by the government and coordinated by various departments including the Bureau of Commerce, Trafigura and our city's group have collaborated for many years. However, this year's sudden announcement of their withdrawal from the city's market was highly surprising and raises questions about the underlying reasons.
Pan Xianchen gestured for Peng Yan to continue. Peng Yan, however, turned to look at Wen Yu. Peng Yan and his colleagues had briefly discussed this point in a department meeting. Wen Yu thought for a moment and said, "Trade has pointed out that our city's market is plagued by severe homogeneous competition, slow product updates, and high logistics costs. They also accused some merchants of mismatching goods."
She paused, briefly pondering again. Then she looked at Pan Xianchen, who was also staring at her intently. But their gaze was devoid of any lingering thoughts; they were both completely professional. Wen Yu calmed herself and continued, "We all suspect this is Trafigura's excuse. The true reason will only be revealed through an on-site investigation."
Pan Xianchen asked her, "How do you conduct a field investigation?"
Wen Yu replied, "We'll split into two groups. One group will stay in this city and conduct research in the core areas where Trafigura Trade procures goods. The other group will go to Guangzhou. Isn't Trafigura Trade planning to defect to Guangzhou? Then we'll go to Guangzhou and see what advantages the market there has."
Pan Xianchen nodded and said, "Okay, let's do it."
Peng Yan looked at Wen Yu with satisfaction and smiled. Then, turning to Pan Xianchen, he asked, "Mr. Pan, how will the specific personnel be allocated?"
Pan Xianchen tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the air. His fingers played the piano on the table, tap-da-da. Wen Yu couldn't help but be drawn to the sound. She saw Pan Xianchen's slender fingers suddenly stop, and his thoughts also stopped.
"I can't leave and have to stay in the city for the next few days. Peng Yan, I have to trouble you to take the right person to Guangzhou," said Pan Xianchen.
Peng Yan said, "Okay." She looked at Wen Yu, then at Pan Xianchen, and said with a smile, "Mr. Pan, I really want to take Wen Yu with me because she's very practical. But the city research is also very important. I'm leaving Wen Yu with you. I think she'll be able to help you a lot."
Wen Yu: “…”
Wen Yu glanced at Peng Yan in surprise. Peng Yan had always taken her on business trips, and their collaboration had become a tacit understanding. She didn't know what Peng Yan meant by suddenly pushing her to Pan Xianchen. At this moment, she felt her heartbeat quicken.
Pan Xianchen didn't react much to Peng Yan's decision. He simply stood up and said, "Okay, then let's go our separate ways."
Peng Yan walked out of Pan Xianchen's office. Wen Yu twisted her body, wanting to follow her out. She was used to following behind Peng Yan. Pan Xianchen reminded her from behind her ear: "Didn't Peng Yan give you to me? Why are you moving?"
Wen Yu: “…”
Then she turned back quietly.
"Mr. Pan, shall we go directly to the market next?"
Pan Xianchen picked up his car keys and left, motioning for Wen Yu to follow. He said, "Start with the core area and survey each household."
"OK."
They were waiting in the elevator lobby for the elevator to go up. The numbers on the elevator display ticked up little by little, and Wen Yu looked up and stared. Suddenly, Pan Xianchen asked her, "Is your foot okay?"
Wen Yu subconsciously looked at her right foot and replied, "It's almost healed. Starting tomorrow I plan to drive to and from get off work by myself."
Her car had been repaired a long time ago and had been sitting in the basement garage gathering dust. Now that her legs were more mobile, and the distance from home to work wasn't far, her right foot should be able to handle it.
"Then you drive today." Pan Xianchen threw the keys into her arms.
The elevator made a "ding" sound and arrived.
Wen Yu followed Pan Xianchen in, holding his car keys, and asked stupidly, "Should I drive?"
"Yeah." Pan Xianchen put his hands empty in his pockets, happy to be idle, and said, "How about I drive? You let the boss drive for you?"
Wen Yu: “…”
That's right...
But—Wen Yu exposed him in her heart: It's not like he hasn't driven for her before. She's sat in the passenger seat of his Maybach and Range Rover.
Pan Xianchen didn't look at her, and she didn't make a sound, but he knew what she was thinking, like a worm in her stomach. He said, "I drove for you before because our status was different from now. Why should I drive for you now?"
Wen Yu: “…”
OK. Got it, Mr. Pan.
Wen Yu gripped the car keys tightly. The elevator dinged again and she stepped out first, looking around for Pan Xianchen's car.
Pan Xianchen took a long step and walked to the left: "This way."
Wen Yu got into the driver's seat, and Pan Xianchen got in the passenger seat. The car was silent for six or seven seconds.
"Who are you waiting for?" Pan Xianchen glanced sideways at Wen Yu and said sarcastically, "There's no one else here, just the two of us. Let's go."
Wen Yu, of course, knew it was just the two of them. She was just getting acquainted with the Maybach. The driver's seat was spacious, so she had to maneuver forward. Where should she go? She looked left and right. Pan Xianchen reached out and pressed the button for her.
"How is it? Is it okay?" he asked.
"Hmm...it seems to be a little further forward." Wen Yu used his feet to feel.
"How about this?"
"Still ahead."
"Is this enough? Are you comfortable now?"
"Hmm... seems about right?" Wen Yu stretched his legs, making sure he could accurately touch the brake and accelerator. He nodded and said, "Just right. Comfortable."
Pan Xianchen withdrew his hand. The car was silent for another six or seven seconds. Wen Yu and Pan Xianchen stared at each other.
Pan Xianchen: “…”
Wen Yu: “…”
Suddenly, Wen Yu reacted sharply, and she recalled the incident in the parking lot where they had scraped together, the ambiguous scene, the double entendre conversation. Now it seemed to be replaying.
Pan Xianchen looked ahead and ordered her, "Let's go."
After waiting for a while, the car didn't move.
When Pan Xianchen went to see her, she was tapping away on her phone. She said, "Hold on a minute, Mr. Pan. I'll use the navigation. There are a few markets I'm not familiar with."
Pan Xianchen took her phone, stuffed it into the central control cabinet, and said, "I say, you drive."
"……OK."
After waiting a while, the car still hadn't started. Pan Xianchen closed his eyes and sighed inwardly. His left hand casually rested on the center console, and Wen Yu's right hand moved up. Their hands touched.
Pan Xianchen asked, "What are you touching?"
Wen Yu: “…”
She looked at Pan Xianchen innocently and explained, "Your car has a manual transmission, and I'm not used to it. I always think the gear lever is on the center console."
Pan Xianchen ignored her.
Wen Yu was sweating. Driving was tiring.
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