Chapter 93: One Year
A year has passed quietly.
After Chu Yan entered his sophomore year, his major courses became more in-depth, and the accompanying field missions became more frequent and lengthy. He seemed captivated by the ancient rock formations and fossils, following his instructors and the exploration team into the deep mountains, ancient forests, and desolate Gobi deserts, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Each expedition could take a week or two, with intermittent signal transmission and harsh conditions, but he relished it.
Gu Ye couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd been able to physically touch Chu Yan. The video call window had become the most important link between them, but even this window was often unable to be opened due to the isolation of the other party's area.
That day, after finishing up a mountain of tedious business at Gu's, Gu Ye leaned back in his office chair and rubbed his swollen temples. Outside the window lay the bustling scenery of S City, yet it felt strangely empty. He picked up his phone, habitually clicked on the familiar profile picture, and dialed the video call. A long wait tone echoed through the receiver; he wasn't sure Chu Yan would be able to connect.
Just when he was about to give up, the video suddenly picked up. The screen flickered and blurred green before stabilizing. The background on the other side was a dense, humid tropical rainforest, with giant ferns and intertwined vines almost taking up the entire frame.
Chu Yan's face appeared in the center of the screen. He seemed darker than the last time they met, with a bit of dirt on his cheeks. His hair was wet with sweat, a few strands sticking to his forehead. But his eyes were surprisingly bright, gleaming with the light that only comes from someone immersed in a career they love.
"Aye?" Chu Yan's voice was a little breathless, as if he had just finished a journey. Faint birdsong and insect buzzing could be heard in the background. "Why did you suddenly call me on video? Did you miss me?" He smiled, revealing a row of white teeth, which were particularly eye-catching against his dark skin tone.
Gu Ye looked at the face on the screen that was covered in dust and sweat but full of vigor, and the empty feeling in his heart seemed to be filled a little.
He cleared his throat, suppressing the subtle longing that was creeping in, and spoke calmly about business: "Yes. Next week, Gu Hongyuan will hold a press conference to officially announce that I will be the heir to the Gu Group and the company's deputy general manager. After I graduate from university, I will take over the position of general manager."
Chu Yan raised his eyebrows upon hearing this and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. "Oh? Why is that old guy willing to give in so readily this time? It's not like his style."
Gu Ye pulled the corners of his mouth and showed a cold smile: "He is old, lacking energy, and the situation under him is a mess. His precious illegitimate children are either useless or have been suppressed by me. He has no one else to choose except me." There was a certainty in his words that belonged to a winner.
Chu Yan stroked his chin on the other side of the screen, a shrewd calculation flashing in his eyes: "Now that the overall situation has been decided, after you officially take office and stabilize the situation, Jinshi Investment can start to slowly acquire Gu's circulating shares from the secondary market."
He was well-versed in Gu's equity structure. After several rounds of financing and additional offerings, Gu Hongyuan and his main faction currently controlled approximately 29% of Gu's shares, with Gu Ye holding the 5% inherited from his mother. The Gu family's complex network of collateral branches held a combined stake of approximately 15%.
Chu Yan continued calmly, "Let's absorb 4.9% first, keeping it below the 5% mark to avoid alerting Gu Hongyuan and those old foxes too early."
Gu Ye nodded, clearly having a plan in mind. "I know. I'm privately contacting several representatives from the Gu family's side branches. They're quite ambitious. They've been suppressed by Gu Xu for so many years, and now they're being used as blood bags by Gu Hongyuan to be exploited at will. They've long harbored deep resentment and are disunited. Perhaps we can win them over."
Chu Yan snorted coldly and reminded: "Every one of these people in the Gu family is an old fox who puts profit above all else. You should be careful not to let them catch you in any way."
"Well, I know my limits," Gu Ye replied. After finishing the business, there was a moment of silence. Gu Ye's eyes involuntarily fell on the wrist in Chu Yan's shaking camera, and he suddenly asked without thinking, "Where's the bracelet?"
Chu Yan was stunned for a moment, then reacted, smiling as he pointed the camera at his wrist. The rustic wooden bracelet was still there, but years of wear and exposure to the elements had given it a warm, deep, antique patina. "I'm wearing it, and I won't lose it."
As he moved, Gu Ye keenly noticed the Möbius ring on his other finger, still faintly gleaming in the dim light of the rainforest. He felt as if a tiny needle had pricked his heart, aching and swollen. He couldn't help but hum a few times at the screen, like a big dog whose favorite toy had been snatched away, expressing silent protest and possessiveness.
Chu Yan naturally understood his little emotion. Just as he was about to say something, the screen suddenly started to freeze, the picture was broken, and the sound turned into intermittent noise.
"Hello? Aye? Can you hear me?... It seems like the signal... is not very..." Chu Yan's voice was stretched and distorted, and finally completely interrupted, and the video call was forced to end.
The screen returned to the chat interface. Gu Ye looked at the "Call Ended" notification, sighed helplessly, and threw the phone back on the table. Although he couldn't say a few more tender words, knowing that Chu Yan was fine and still paying attention to his every step, the lingering loneliness in his heart was greatly dispelled.
On this side of the rainforest, Chu Yan looked at his phone, which had suddenly lost signal, and smiled helplessly. He put away his phone and turned around to see his senior from the same team, Wu Huai, winking at him with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Hey, Chu Yan, are you reporting your itinerary to your partner again?" Wu Huai came over, holding the box containing the collected samples. "We lost contact as soon as we entered the mountains, and you were already urging me to video chat as soon as you got a signal. Your partner is checking up on you pretty closely, isn't he? Afraid you'd been kidnapped by some wild creature in these deep mountains and forests?"
Chu Yan was amused by his teasing. He dusted himself off and said with a smile, "Yeah, my family is strict, there's nothing I can do." He couldn't say that there were not one but two "creditors" checking on him.
Wu Huai clicked his tongue twice, with an expression that said "I understand, I understand everything". He shook his head and took out his cell phone: "Oh, seeing this makes me miss my girlfriend. I have to find a place with signal and send her a message for comfort!" As he said this, he held the phone and complained while looking for a signal.
Chu Yan watched Wu Huai walk away, then looked down at his phone again, noticing the signal bar in the upper right corner flickering slightly. He thought, while there was still a weak signal, he should quickly call his other "creditor" to let them know he was safe.
He held up his cell phone and slowly circled around like a mine detector, looking for a location with a stronger signal. After finally seeing an extra signal bar, he immediately called Gu Xu.
Video requests are answered almost instantly.
Gu Xu seemed to have just showered. He was wearing dark silk pajamas, the collar slightly open, revealing a small part of his collarbone. He wore a pair of rimless glasses and leaned against the headboard, a book in hand. The soft light cast a shadow on him, stripping away his usual business-like sharpness, making him look particularly homely and lazy.
"Shanshan," Chu Yan called him with a smile, using the more intimate name they used in private. "What are you reading? You're studying so hard."
Hearing this name, Gu Xu raised his eyes from the page and looked through his glasses at the dusty but brightly smiling Chu Yan on the screen. His eyes softened. He pointed the book cover towards the camera: "Klingsol's Last Summer."
Chu Yan was a little surprised. He rarely saw Gu Shi reading literary works like this; his bedside reading materials were mostly financial magazines or management books. "Why did you suddenly think of reading Hesse? This is not like Mr. Gu's style."
Gu Xu adjusted his glasses and explained calmly, "A potential client I recently met is a loyal reader of Hesse. I'm catering to his interests and reading a bit myself."
Ever since Ruichuang Technology's development entered a stable period, its biggest competitor Chu Yu also seemed to have withdrawn from the competition for Chu Yan. The uneasiness and anxiety deep in Gu Xu's heart caused by past experiences have gradually been soothed, and his sense of security has increased day by day.
His relationship with Chu Yan also entered a more stable stage. Without too many words, just a glance could make them feel the flow of each other's thoughts.
The two chatted for a few more casual moments, and the signal began to falter again. After a brief goodbye, Chu Yan hung up, stuffed his phone back into his backpack, and returned to his scientific expedition. On the other end, Gu Xu removed his glasses, gently stroked the pages of a book, a faint smile playing on his lips, as he continued to immerse himself in the writer's summer dream.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
