Chapter 48
Gu Chen nodded and said, "Okay, let's eat then." The young man Jiashu finally understood the situation for once. His brain, which had been chattering all the time, could finally rest here with President Li.
He then said to Li Tingqin, "It's too late to make other dishes now, so I'll ask Master Xu to make hot pot. You should be able to eat it, right?"
Because they came back without saying hello in advance, Chef Xu, whom Li Tingqin had hired specially for Gu Chen, although he was very skilled, was unable to make any elaborate dishes.
"Didn't you say last time that you would wait for me to come back to eat hot pot?" Li Tingqin pulled out a chair for Gu Chen and sat down opposite him. "But, Chen, is your fitness meal over?"
As he said this, Li Tingqin couldn't help but look at Gu Chen again, and suddenly remembered the muscle lines on Gu Chen's abdomen that he felt when their bodies were pressed against each other on the sofa.
In early summer, the weather was getting hotter day by day. Gu Chen had already taken off his suit jacket, leaving only Li Tingqin's white shirt. The shirt was slightly fitted, and one could measure his thin waist with one's eyes. Even if he had abdominal muscles from working out, they should be thin and graceful. Two buttons were unbuttoned on the collar of the shirt, and his neck was slender, and his collarbone was also very clear.
Li Tingqin restrained his gaze and had to say that Ah Chen's health management was really perfect, and his demeanor and temperament were as graceful as pine and jade.
Gu Chen said: "It's not over yet. We still need to stick to a healthy diet on a daily basis, but when it is suitable to eat hot pot, we should still eat hot pot." I have been working overtime for three consecutive days and I have spent so much time talking today. I really need this kind of thing now.
Although time was tight, the villa had a full stock of ingredients, and Chef Xu lived up to his high salary. The red pot was made with freshly fried beef oil, with spices such as cardamom, fennel, bay leaves, etc., which was spicy, numbing and fragrant; the white pot did not have any broth, so the mushroom pot was not fresh enough, so fresh tomatoes were used to make a tomato base, and hand-beaten beef balls were added, which smelled sweet and sour and was appetizing.
Li Jiashu was outside, smelling the aroma of freshly fried hot pot wafting from the kitchen and swallowing his saliva. Then, he received a basket of sandwiches from Zhang Ma.
Li Jiashu: "= =Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
He was about to be driven crazy by the smell of the hot pot, and hurriedly said, "Let's go, let's go quickly."
The car finally left the villa and drove down the mountain. Li Jiashu felt extremely hungry. He took a bite of the sandwich indignantly to fill his stomach, but almost choked. He took a sip of water: "Cough cough cough!" How could someone make something as simple as a sandwich so unpalatable!
He sighed, "Didn't I hear that the chef Xu my brother invited to the annex is a descendant of the imperial chef? Why didn't he make sandwiches for us?" If we can't have hot pot, it's good to have a sandwich made by the imperial chef. It's not that he dislikes Aunt Zhang, but his brother asked the cleaner to make sandwiches, which is really not professional enough.
Driver: “…” Second Master, can you guess why?
Li Jiashu thought about it and realized that when his sister-in-law lived in the old house, his grandfather had nothing to eat, so it would be balanced if he had nothing to eat.
However, the smell of hot pot just now really aroused his appetite, and he said, "Well, let's go, Master Xu, let's go down the mountain to eat hot pot too."
Master Xu refused, "Second Master, I can't. I'm going home to eat. My wife left some food for me."
Li Jiashu: “…” You guys who have wives are really amazing!!!
Perhaps because he saw Li Jiashu's expression in the rearview mirror, Master Xu sincerely suggested, "Why don't you go to Haidilao? That way, they can put a doll opposite you to keep you company."
Li Jiashu: “…”Okay, okay, you guys who have wives are really amazing.
goodbye!
…
The round beef meatballs kept floating up from the bottom of the tomato pot. Li Tingqin scooped two spoonfuls of soup and two meatballs for Gu Chen, and asked, "Would you like some chopped green onions and coriander?"
Gu Chen enjoyed Mr. Li's service and said, "Eat it all."
Li Tingqin placed the soup in front of Gu Chen. The white porcelain bowl made it look particularly good. Besides, when people are hungry, smelling this kind of sweet and sour soup is very appetizing. Gu Chen stirred it twice with a spoon and drank two sips slowly. I have to say that it is really comfortable to get along with people like Mr. Li.
Seeing the sesame sauce dish prepared by Li Tingqin, Gu Chen shook his head and sighed: "Mr. Li is indeed a northerner. Eating hot pot with sesame oil sauce is the essence."
"Fortunately, Master Xu prepared both." Li Tingqin just felt that the two of them really needed to eat together more often to understand what the other liked to eat.
Li Tingqin boiled the mushrooms first, then blanched some meat, and after a few seconds he picked up the beef tripe and other ingredients and put them in Gu Chen's bowl.
Mr. Li was really considerate, so Gu Chen still reached out and picked up a piece of beef for him as a token of his appreciation.
The hot pot was bubbling, and the spicy food, paired with the fruit wine made from wild raspberries and mulberries that Gu Chen picked when he went up the mountain every spring, made people feel particularly soothing.
The restaurant is also elegantly designed. There is a floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the dining table. Outside the window, in the yard besides lush green bamboos, there is a tall cherry tree. The white petals have begun to fall, and some tender green buds have sprouted on the branches. In another month or two, the cherries will be ripe.
Sitting opposite Ah Chen, eating hot pot, drinking fruit wine, feeling the tranquility and leisure in the mountains, watching the falling flowers, this is what life outside of work should be like.
No wonder Achen likes living here so much.
Gu Chen ate the hot pot leisurely and chatted with Li Tingqin leisurely: "Boss Li, you are in such a hurry to return home this time, is there something important?"
Li Tingqin said: "There is indeed an important matter that has been connected with the country, but it has not been completed yet and may still be dangerous."
Li Tingqin is not the kind of person who would hide things from his partner in secret if there is danger, fearing that his partner would worry. It is precisely because of the danger that he has to make things clear and let people be prepared. Being responsible for yourself is also responsible for the safety of your partner.
"The details of the matter are quite professional, so I won't go into detail with you. But you should also pay attention to your safety recently. Although not many people know about our relationship, you should still be prepared for any eventuality."
It seems that Mr. Li is doing something important in Country A? Gu Chen nodded and said, "I see." It's really good that Mr. Li can explain it clearly. After all, he can no longer accept communicating with the Riddler in this state.
After the matter was made clear, Li Tingqin did not mention it any more to spoil the atmosphere, but said: "Once this matter is resolved, I will live in the country permanently. Then we can move to the villa in the suburbs and rest in the villa on weekends. How about it?"
Li Tingqin added: "This is my main residence in China. I expanded the pond and landscape. Except for not being able to climb mountains, it should be similar to your current living environment, Ah Chen."
Gu Chen understood. This might not just be a villa. It might be a garden. President Li really... understood him too well.
Li Tingqin had said this, and Gu Chen had no intention of refusing, so he said, "Okay."
Then he noticed that the corners of Li Tingqin's lips curled up slightly.
Gu Chen: "..." He seemed to have come to his senses. Before, Mr. Li fell into his trap step by step. Now, he was also falling into Mr. Li's trap step by step. Mr. Li was really a patient hunter who remained calm and composed.
Li Tingqin saw that Gu Chen had discovered it, but his eyes did not hide his thoughts.
When the two people's eyes met, there was an undercurrent of confrontation, but more of it was a subtle meaning that was difficult to explain.
After eating hot pot, Li Tingqin was thinking about whether he could digest the food with Achen and then take a nap, but after a few minutes, his phone rang.
After he answered the phone, his expression became serious. He said, "Sorry, Ah Chen, there's something wrong over there and I need to rush over to deal with it. I can't accompany you today."
Gu Chen said: "It doesn't matter, just deal with it as soon as possible and return home as soon as possible, you can go."
Li Tingqin said: "Okay, when I come back, we will..."
Gu Chen interrupted him at the right time: "Well, okay." Don't set flags casually.
He thought back to the original plot, which he had almost forgotten, and it didn't seem to be mentioned there. But since Xiao Du in the original plot didn't jump up and down and laugh, it should have gone smoothly, right?
Of course, if it doesn’t go well, it has to go well.
Assistant Chen and the driver were having dinner with Master Xu, Aunt Zhang and the others in the kitchen wing. Li Tingqin said, "Let's go. Xiao Chen will make arrangements and fly to Country A right away."
The group quickly got in the car and went down the mountain. In the car, Li Tingqin ordered again: "Strengthen the security around Mr. Gu."
Now, Li Tingqin no longer wanted to persuade Gu Chen to go out to work. The hurt in the past needed time to heal. Since Ah Chen now longed for a leisurely and comfortable life, he would protect him. When he returned to China, it would be good for Ah Chen to be by his side quietly and leisurely.
The business community in H City was completely unaware of the commotion caused by Li Tingqin's brief return to China.
Since the second round of negotiations, because the initial tone was set and they were wary of "Mr. Gu", the attitudes of these companies changed 180 degrees. It also became much easier for Li Jiashu to connect with them, and the full-area integration business began to advance steadily.
On the other hand, the 13 companies that were eliminated in seconds were extremely anxious. They kept coming to meet with Li Jiashu, trying to negotiate again, and they kept lowering their bottom price. Their mentality had changed. Before, they had united to put pressure on Li Jiashu, but now they had become a mess, just hoping to get as much money as they could before they were eliminated.
The Gu family was originally investigating the "mysterious Gu family" who they didn't know whether or not they had any connection with them. After searching for a long time, they couldn't find any clues about Mr. Gu or Professor Gu. Unexpectedly, a young Mr. Gu appeared in this Gu family.
Now, each of the three generations of the Gu family has emerged as a promising talent, which shows how many talented people this family has and how successful the family is in cultivating its members.
This is exactly what Gu Zhongmao envied. He always hoped to turn the Gu family into a large family with a heritage like the Li family. He found three wives with high education and gave birth to four sons. He also provided "elite education" to his sons. In the end, except for Gu Chen, the waste born by Qi Yajun, the sons also had some outstanding qualities.
But compared to this mysterious Gu family and its extremely talented family members, his sons were all excellent but lacked talent, and all of them pale in comparison.
However, these numbers can only be trained to this extent. He still has some self-awareness in some aspects. At his age, if he finds a woman to have a child, the quality of his sperm will not be good enough.
In his hometown in the south, clan relations are the most important. Now that he thinks about it, if he wants to make the Gu family a prominent family during his lifetime, he probably can only find this "mysterious Gu family" to form a clan alliance.
Gu Zhongmao sighed and said, "Ah Kang, go check again. Only the Li family has seen Mr. Gu, and Professor Gu is busy with academics and has never shown up. But this young Mr. Gu has been seen by so many people at the negotiation meeting, so it should be easy to find him."
Gu Kang nodded and said, "Okay, father." Gu Kang didn't have any feelings about Mr. Gu and Professor Gu before, because they were not of the same age. But when this young Mr. Gu, who was of the same generation as him, showed up, his father praised him highly and seemed to look down on him. Gu Kang felt a little sad, because he had always wanted to be the best son in his father's eyes.
After leaving Gu Zhongmao's office, Gu Kang found Gu Heng and said, "Ah Heng, I remember that you visited a lot of garbage disposal companies last time. Li Jiashu asked that young General Manager Gu to participate in this negotiation this time. The CEOs you know should have met Young General Manager Gu. Go ask and see if you can find out more about him."
"Okay, brother, I'll try my best." Gu Heng agreed on the surface, but felt a little guilty inside.
Last time, he was blinded by jealousy and "instructed" General Manager Wang to report the Li family. In the first round of negotiations, he gave Li Jiashu a warning, but in the second round of negotiations, Li Jiashu invited this young General Manager Gu to come out and directly defeated 13 companies including General Manager Wang. Now it is still unknown what General Manager Wang's attitude is.
However, his half-brother was like his father and he could not be disobeyed, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to contact Mr. Wang.
After receiving his call and hearing his intention, Mr. Wang's attitude was also very cold: "Young Master Heng, we could have had a good talk with Huanyu, but you provoked us like this. We are afraid that we might have offended the second young master of the Li family, so we invited such a capable person to come out and give us a warning. Now, Huanyu and those 11 companies have won a lot, and we don't know what to do."
Gu Heng quickly explained, "That's why I came to ask you about Mr. Gu, so that I can help you think of a way to deal with them next."
"Still trying to deal with it? You still don't understand the situation?" Mr. Wang had been defeated by the extremely oppressive Mr. Gu, and he also realized his own strength. The 13 companies combined were not enough, and fighting alone was impossible. "What we are thinking about now is how to cut off the tail and survive."
"As for the photos you mentioned, the negotiation site materials are all internal materials of each company and will not be released for the time being."
This meeting was actually an informal industry forum, which was not publicly reported. There were more than 20 companies at the venue, and some people might have taken photos, but they were all CEOs or senior executives, so even if they took photos, they would not be so bored as to post them on public platforms.
Gu Heng also understood that if the relationship was not good, the other party would not show you the photos. However, since the photos were available, he could get them even if it took some twists and turns.
Gu Heng smiled and said, "Boss Wang, what is our relationship... I was distracted by what I thought before, I apologize. I will just show you a photo now, don't think too much..."
"Don't... our relationship is: I don't want to lose money collecting your hazardous waste." Mr. Wang stopped him from saying anything further.
He said in a gloomy tone: "You and Mr. Gu both have the surname Gu, how come there is such a big difference between you..." Then he hung up the phone.
Gu Heng: "Hello? Hello?! Mr. Wang?"
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