Chapter 32 32. Alcohol is often used in practice
Xu Chang sat at an outdoor table in the restaurant, his breakfast untouched, his fingers resting on the screen, occasionally tapping.
We agreed to leave for the Yangzhou branch at 8 o'clock, and there are still 25 minutes left.
He couldn't send the edited greeting, so he thought for a moment and waved to the waiter.
"Please pack me a breakfast to go, Chinese style."
The other party smiled and said yes. Just as he had half moved away, he saw a slim figure hurriedly coming from the entrance.
She was the only one.
Xu Chang promptly stopped the waiter who was about to leave and apologized, saying that he didn't need it anymore.
After saying this, he looked at the buffet table again. Mi Yanyan was holding a white porcelain plate and carefully examining each dish.
When someone approached him, he smiled and stood up, pulling out the chair opposite him. Glancing at the two scattered dishes on his plate, he asked, "You ate so little. Didn't you get enough rest last night?"
The dark circles that she tried to hide and the tired, sleepy eyes appeared on her fair face, which was now flushed with panic.
Xu Chang silently drank a sip of black tea. The tea bag was astringent and tasted burnt and bitter.
Both of them knew that this topic was not suitable for further discussion.
There were clearly only two of them at the table, but it gave the illusion of a crowded space with three of them.
"The dean is here. We'll go over after we finish eating." Xu Chang took the initiative to resolve the awkwardness, and Mi Yanyan replied okay.
Due to the grand opening event and severe staff shortage, Mi Yanyan didn't have a seat until noon.
Xu Chang, who is usually good-tempered, frowned several times and was at a loss. Jianuo's operation procedures for the new store were not rigorous enough, and he urgently wanted to talk to Li Xun.
Ruisi is also in a tense situation.
Shi Jingzhou pushed open the office door, carefully avoiding the broken tea sets on the floor.
Neither Shi Zekai nor his father Shi Ye dared to sit down. They heard Shi Huaizhi snort coldly at him, "It's harder than climbing to heaven to see you now."
Shi Jingzhou remained silent, leaning aside with his hands behind his back. The focus of today's conflict was not on him.
Shi Huaizhi threw the report aside, and a stack of papers fluttered down at Shi Ye's feet. "This messed-up account will be put to the test in no time when they come to investigate."
In the past three years, Ruisi has invested a total of tens of billions of yuan in sales, with marketing and promotion expenses accounting for more than three-quarters of the total.
The sales part was fully handed over to Shi Ye. The eldest son of the Shi family had decades of connections under him and thousands of sales staff under him, with annual expenses of nearly 2 million per person. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that this unclear money was called maintenance in a nice way, or pharmaceutical public relations in a more vague way. If you look into it in detail, the Shi family would lose face.
Shi Ye's management of Ruisi was not a one-time thing. He picked up the paper calmly, dusted it off, and replied, "Dad, there are so many every year."
He knew in his heart that his son Shi Zekai was traditional and conservative in his work and was not worthy of the ruthlessness that the old man wanted.
Shi Jingzhou apparently focuses on R&D innovation and developing new sectors.
But the most important companies of Ruisi were in his hands, and he could easily take away the hearts and minds of the people and the power.
He will be retiring soon, and before that he must make plans for his son.
Besides, what has he gained in return for all the years he has devoted to the Shi family except money and power?
His wife was forced to die early, and the father and son became estranged. The old man never stopped doubting his intentions.
If that’s the case, why worry about losing?
"Even in this situation, my father still doesn't believe in my loyalty." Shi Ye said to himself.
The growth rate of Ruisi's operating performance has slowed down significantly in recent years, but the proportion of sales to operating income has remained stable, as if it had been fixed.
Shi Huaizhi sighed, "Once the investigation reaches my doorstep, what's the point of me trusting you?"
Even though Shi Huaizhi was well-versed in worldly affairs, he had already decided not to interfere after he retired to recuperate. However, it happened to be a turbulent time and the storm had come to his doorstep. If he didn't deal with it, there would be big mistakes.
He watched Shi Zekai and his son go out one after another and shook his head several times.
It is better to discover the problem in time than to make up for it later. Shi Ye’s temperament cannot be persuaded in a few words. It takes time to mend the intertwined interests and make things right.
After the alarm bell rang, Shi Jingzhou stayed behind, guessing that the old man was going to take action against him, and was waiting.
I only heard a deep voice saying, "Enough is enough."
Shi Jingzhou crossed his hands and raised his index finger. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he replied sincerely, "I'll do as you say."
"Yan Ge is coming back, please make time for our two families to get together."
After the old man finished speaking, he turned around. Shi Jingzhou looked up at the wall of honors behind him, which recorded Ruisi's contributions to Nancheng. It could be regarded as the vicissitudes of the development history of the Shi family, which was impenetrable and unimpeded.
However, the veterans in the industry all know that several years ago, the Shi family was just a small factory in Nancheng that sold health products. They made oral liquids that were advertised to have effects far exceeding their actual effects. The reason they were able to become a key enterprise today was because of Shi Huaizhi's courage and means to be the first to seize and plunder.
And there was the support of the Yan family back then.
This kindness is greater than the sky in Shi Huaizhi's eyes.
If there is anyone in this world who can make him bow down and bend over, it must be the Yan family.
Shi Jingzhou sat at the table with his legs crossed, his posture casual, but his tone was unquestionable as he replied, "Grandpa, I'm married."
At this point, Shi Huaizhi's anger surged again. With nothing to throw at him, he slumped down on the corner of the table and angrily said, "Don't you know why you paired Mi Yanyan with your eldest brother? Yan Ge will be back in six months, and you can't even wait?"
"Whether I return to my country or not, I will not marry her."
The crystal ashtray on the corner of the table finally came crashing down on him. It brushed past his jaw with a dull sound, slid over his shoulder, and fell to the ground with a clang. It was so hard that it didn't break at all, only a corner was chipped off.
Shi Huaizhi frowned and saw that Shi Jingzhou was still leaning back on the sofa with his hands clasped, motionless.
The stubbornness in his eyes and brows was very similar to Shi Ting decades ago, and his unrepentant look was deeply engraved in my heart.
He would not allow Shi Jingzhou to become the second Shi Ting.
Shi Huaizhi thought for a moment. Mi Yanyan and Shi Jingzhou had no connection. They were complete strangers. They got married by accident and it has only been a few months. They can no longer be said to be in love. It doesn't make much sense to hurt the relationship between grandfather and grandson.
We need to prioritize now, so he waved his hand and said, "It's up to you. We need to resolve the Ruisi sales expenses issue as soon as possible. This is the top priority."
==
When Yu Wan arrived at Yichuan's door, the receptionist hurried to greet him and said with a wry smile that Mr. Xiao had something urgent to do today, and the venue had been reserved and was waiting for Yu Wan to inspect it.
She dialed the phone in a bad mood. Xiao Yichi knew he was in the wrong for standing her up, so he apologized twice in a servile manner.
"Wanwan, my mom forced me to go on a blind date. Now she and my aunt are blocking me in the restaurant. I can't leave."
"As soon as we got to the bar, she complained to Xiaoyan, saying you were deserting her birthday party and not taking it seriously. You should just leave the group, you bastard."
Xiao Yichi covered his mouth and hid in the bathroom for help: "Why don't you come and help me? Anyway, we are old actors, just say we are in love."
After returning to China, his parents kept a close eye on his marriage. Xiao Yichi suffered greatly from this and was afraid to go back home. He had to find a permanent solution to completely escape from the sea of suffering.
The thought that flashed through his mind was now extremely reliable. He continued, "My partner is in Yichuan. Ask him to take you around the venue and come over as soon as you're done."
"Dream on..." Before he could finish his words, a figure stood up from the bar. He was tall and strong. He smiled when he met Yu Wan's gaze and walked straight towards him with big strides.
"Yu Wan?" Qin Muchuan's parents are both national-level voice actors, and he was born with a good voice. The sound of these two words coming out of his mouth was so beautiful that it made your ears pregnant.
She put away her phone and also restrained her ecstatic expression. It was so touching that the only good thing Xiao Yichi had done in his life was to bring such a handsome man to her.
She responded with a calm smile: "It's me, thank you for your help."
"As I should." He raised his hand and pointed at the debris on the ground. "The fire department inspected some things outside today. Watch your step."
A burst of pine fragrance filled Yu Wan's nose, and her high heels almost fell into them. She held her skirt to steady herself, and did not let the man's outstretched wrist miss, and she quietly took hold of it.
I've practiced this feeling a lot.
Following the man into the two private rooms, she looked around and asked, "Which room did Xiao Yichi stay in?"
"He said it's up to you. The three rooms are basically the same in size and layout. It's up to you to decide." The corridor was dimly lit and music was lingering in the ears. After the man finished speaking, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. His unrestrained posture made Yu Wan speechless for a moment.
"Let's go with this one. The stage is bigger." Xiao Yichi has always given Mi Yanyan his first priority. From childhood to adulthood, he has been so eager to take out his heart and put it in her arms for fear that it would get cold. There are still ten days left before her birthday, and he has already started preparing, as he has done every year.
"Okay," Qin Muchuan instructed the front desk to register everyone and arrange for the venue to be ready on time. He then asked, "Is there anything else we need to do?"
“No,” Yu Wan left the private room, her eyes following the man’s slender knuckles as he locked the door.
When their eyes met, she spoke again, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Qin Muchuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Shouldn't Miss Yu Wan ask my name first?"
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what you call your girlfriend."
Her cunning eyes were innocent and she attacked him without any concealment. The second time Qin Muchuan saw her, he was indeed more impressed than the first time.
"No," Qin Muchuan raised the corners of his lips slightly, "but Xiao Yichi asked me to take his girlfriend to the Qinshui Club after I finish my work."
Without waiting for an explanation, Yu Wan took out her phone and called Xiao Yichi. The sneaky voice on the other end started a barrage of insults: "Are you mentally ill? Who is your girlfriend?"
The speaker was silent for two seconds before Xiao Yichi replied, "Auntie, my mom is right next to me so there's nothing I can do. Please be a good person and come and save me."
"I can't help you." Yu Wan quickly hung up after saying that, and glanced at the bar's wine cabinet, which was still closed. "Anything to drink? I'm thirsty."
Qin Muchuan gestured for invitation, and Yu Wan sat at the bar and watched the employees prepare for the opening.
Yichuan’s signboard is hanging on the glass. I guess his name must contain the word “Chuan”.
The man didn't call the bartender. He took a few bottles of foreign liquor and started to work smoothly.
He rolled up his sleeves and gently wiped the countertop. The splashing water droplets gathered on his wheat-colored skin. The amber liquid flowed along the wall of the glass. The ice ball spun against the long silver bar spoon. Yu Wan followed, his thoughts wandering urgently.
The orange peel is twisted, the aroma is released, and the wine glass is pushed in front of you. Negroni is commonly known as the coming-of-age ceremony. It is a mixture of strong bitterness and rich sweetness. It is difficult to control but hard to put down.
At the same time, a can of Coke was also handed to him. It was also ice-cold but without alcohol, and seemed mild and pleasant.
"What would you like to drink?" the bartender asked unexpectedly.
Yu Wan's fingertips slid across the Coke, then he picked up the wine glass, took a sip of the rich and spicy wine, and said with a smile, "My cooking skills are not bad."
"I learned it from Xiao Yichi," Qin Muchuan said, raising an eyebrow as he recalled the scene of him putting away his pride and meticulously caring for his subordinates. "You have a very good relationship with him."
Yu Wan smiled knowingly and replied, "Of course, he likes Xiaoyan."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: I’m here to update!
Thank you all for your support! Thank you so much!!!
Tomorrow is still 12 noon! Welcome to cultivate Wenzai seedlings!!!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
