Chapter 142 Let's Get Together - Officially Starting Our Relationship, and the Third Production Line Also...
On the flight back from Munich, Shi Wan spent the entire time processing emails.
The global gold medal had a far greater ripple effect than they had anticipated.
In addition to the official launch of cooperation in Europe, there are also agency consultations from the US, Australia, and Japan, financing invitations from three international investment institutions, and interview requests from at least twenty media outlets.
Su Qing sat next to her, her tablet filled with to-do lists, so densely packed that Shi Wan's trypophobia was about to kick in.
"The print media interview is scheduled for Thursday, and a filming crew has also sent an invitation to make a documentary..." Su Qing muttered as she took notes, "President Shi, we should consider building a public relations team. I can hardly handle it all by myself."
Shi Wan looked up from the pile of emails, rubbing her sore eyes. "Confess when you get back, but before that..."
She looked at Xinglin on the other side of the aisle. He was intently reading a Japanese technical journal. "We need to get the third phase of the production line sorted out first. Roughly speaking, the order volume has increased fivefold, and the current production capacity won't last more than two months."
Xinglin overheard their conversation, looked up, and replied, "I've prepared a capacity expansion plan for the system. The new server cluster will be in place next Wednesday, and the database architecture optimization should be completed this weekend."
He's always like that, always prepared before she even needs him.
Shi Wan felt comforted and relieved. "Thank you for your hard work."
The plane landed in the evening.
As Shi Wan stepped out of the terminal, the early winter wind hit her face, and she instinctively wrapped her trench coat tighter.
Chen Xi was already waiting at the arrival gate, and immediately smiled when she saw them.
"Ms. Shi, welcome back to China," she said as she took the luggage. "The foundation for the third phase of the production line has already been poured, two days ahead of schedule."
"Well done," Shi Wan exclaimed sincerely.
Chen Xi's execution ability is something she never needs to worry about.
On the way back to the farm, Shi Wan looked at the scenery rushing past the window and felt an eager anticipation welling up inside her.
Receiving the award was an honor, but only when she returned here did she feel truly at ease.
It was completely dark when the car drove into the farm.
But the lights in the main house were on, and Tangyuan was squatting on the steps at the entrance of the main house. When she saw the car stop, she immediately jumped up and ran over.
"Wanwan! You're back!" He rubbed against Shi Wan's leg and acted coquettishly, "I missed you so much!"
Shi Wan squatted down and ruffled his hair. "I missed you too. Have you been good these past few days?"
"She's so good!" Tangyuan puffed out her chest. "She even helps Shanfeng watch over the factory and teaches Little Spot to climb trees!"
Shi Wan smiled, picked up Tangyuan and kissed her repeatedly before going into the house.
The room was warm and bright, with simple dishes laid out on the dining table.
Aunt Zhang must have prepared it in advance, and Chen Xi set it over.
"Let's eat." Chen Xi and Su Qing walked over from the parking lot together. "You must be hungry."
I'm really hungry.
These are all simple home-style dishes, but after traveling for several days in a foreign country, they taste especially delicious.
After the meal, Shi Wan told Su Qing and Chen Xi to rest, while she returned to her office to handle the remaining work.
She replied to emails one by one, confirmed cooperation details, approved purchase orders, and confirmed media interview times.
The night outside the window grew deeper, and the farm gradually quieted down.
After an unknown amount of time, a soft knock sounded on the door.
Shi Wan looked up and saw Xing Lin standing at the door, holding a mug with steam rising from it. Shi Wan sniffed and smelled the sweet and rich chocolate aroma in the air.
"Aren't you going to rest?" He walked in and placed the chocolate milk on the table.
"It'll be ready soon," Shi Wan said, taking the blanket from her palm. "Why aren't you asleep?"
“I was just looking at the system expansion logs,” Xinglin said, sitting down in the chair opposite her. “I also thought I’d come and see you.”
That sounds very auspicious.
Shi Wan stroked the cup, lost in thought.
Xinglin is always polite yet distant when dealing with others. He is neither cold-faced nor ignoring people. He always has a faint smile on his face. If you talk to him or ask for help, he will answer immediately, patiently and gently.
But Xinglin was different when he faced her.
Shi Wan didn't notice at first, but Lin Yao told her, so she secretly observed it as well.
Xinglin was just as gentle and patient with her, but his gentleness was tinged with frankness and sincerity. It was as if he was completely open with Shi Wan, speaking much more casually and occasionally even joking around.
In Lin Yao's words, it has become lively again.
“Xinglin,” Shi Wan suddenly spoke up, “I said before that once the third phase of the production line is stable, we will officially be together.”
She smiled slightly, her expression relaxed and lively. "But I thought about it, why wait? Life is so short, and there are so many unexpected things. Now that we've made up our minds, why waste time waiting?"
Xing Lin was slightly taken aback. What did this mean?
Shi Wan put down her cup and walked up to him.
Her heart was racing, but her voice was firm. "I don't need a grand confession or a romantic ceremony. I just want to know one thing: you'll always be here, facing all the challenges with me, building this farm together, and spending the rest of our lives together, right?"
Xinglin stood up.
“Yes.” He spoke, his voice a little hoarse, but every word was clear and strong. “I will always be here, to face all the challenges with you, to help you build the farm, and to be with you for every tomorrow I can have.”
Then Shi Wan reached out and gently touched his face.
“Then let’s be together,” she said softly. “From today onwards, let’s be officially together.”
Xinglin's hand trembled slightly as he covered her hand that had touched his cheek.
His palms were warm, the temperature was adjusted, but Shi Wan felt they were much hotter.
"Okay," he replied softly, then gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
A tender and precious kiss, without any aggression.
It's like making a promise.
Shi Wan closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the kiss.
It's very light, but also very heavy.
The weight made all her hesitation and unease disappear.
Perhaps they will face many problems in the future, but what matters is this moment, isn't it?
She has never been a hesitant or timid person; stopping because of concerns is not her style.
Let's leave the problems for the future.
As long as they are happy in this moment, that's enough.
Tangyuan had somehow squatted down by the door, blinked her heterochromatic eyes, and curiously craned her neck to look at the two of them.
Then, with a flick of its tail, it ran away like a little horse.
He was going to find the mountain wind and tell that serious-looking big dog that he would have two owners from now on.
The farm remained busy for the next few weeks.
Construction of the third-phase production line continued day and night, and Chen Xi practically lived on the construction site.
Su Qing assembled a public relations team to handle the constant stream of media inquiries and cooperation requests.
Lin Yao began designing special New Year limited edition packaging and merchandise for the farm's entire product line. She spent her days wandering around the farm with her tablet and even borrowed the tricycle that Shi Wan had bought a long time ago.
Shi Wan and Xing Lin, on the other hand, seemed to have activated some kind of tacit enhanced mode.
At work, the two cooperated even more seamlessly.
Shi Wan is in charge of overall strategy, while Xing Lin is in charge of technology and logistics. When Shi Wan discusses cooperation, Xing Lin can always provide timely technical details, and when Xing Lin optimizes the system, Shi Wan can also offer some suggestions.
In private, their relationship naturally became closer.
Shi Wan would take the coffee Xing Lin handed her while simultaneously launching into a complaining and ranting mode.
Xinglin would quietly stay by Shiwan's side while she stayed up late to work, and then prepare some small surprises, sometimes it was night market snacks that Shiwan really wanted to eat, and sometimes it was some newly designed mini-programs.
What remains unchanged is the daily companionship.
Xinglin also moved out of the guest room and into the room next to Shi Wan's.
Tangyuan was satisfied with this.
Now he can move freely between the two rooms and enjoy double the snacks and petting.
In early December, the farm welcomed its first snowfall.
When Shi Wan woke up in the morning, she saw a vast expanse of white outside her window.
Fine snowflakes were still falling, covering the fields and rooftops.
She put on her coat and went out onto the terrace, where a blast of cold air hit her face.
Xinglin was already downstairs.
He stood under the osmanthus tree, looking up at the falling snowflakes, his profile appearing exceptionally serene in the morning light.
Shi Wan walked down and went to his side.
"It finally snowed this year," she said softly.
"Hmm." Xinglin turned to look at her, took her hand and put it in his pocket. "Why are you dressed so lightly? Are you cold?"
"It's not cold." Shi Wan shook her head, letting him hold her hand.
"What if you get cold?" Shi Wan leaned against him, letting Xing Lin open his down jacket and wrap her in it, not forgetting to look up and joke.
Xinglin carefully wrapped her up tightly in his clothes, then wrapped his arms around her tightly. Hearing her words, he said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Cold? My current body temperature is 36.8 degrees Celsius. If you need a hand warmer, I can adjust it to 45 degrees..."
Shi Wan pretended to consider it seriously, "It sounds pretty good, but won't the high temperature burn out your CPU? What if it does?"
"Hmm... If it's burned, just stuff it in the snow, water it, and wait until next spring when a tree of Starfall will grow," Starfall offered a solution, pretending to be serious.
"Sounds good, I'll make a profit." Shi Wan was actually a little tempted.
The two of them chatted back and forth, exchanging witty remarks and banter, mainly talking about whatever came to mind.
Snowflakes fell slowly, transforming the farm into a silver-clad wonderland.
“I remember when we were in Beiping, the first snow was always a big event.” Xinglin looked at the falling snowflakes, her voice filled with nostalgia. “Children would have snowball fights in the alleys, adults would be busy shoveling snow, and my mother would have the kitchen cook a big pot of hot ginger soup, which would then be shared with the neighbors.”
“That sounds so heartwarming.” Shi Wan leaned on his shoulder. “Now that it’s snowing on the farm, let’s make ginger soup and share it with all the staff, and…”
She paused, then couldn't help but laugh, "Prepare one for Jin Dian too. He comes every day, and it's so cold outside, he should have something hot to drink."
Xinglin laughed, "That's true. I hope he doesn't dislike the taste of ginger."
At this moment, Tangyuan rushed out of the house, rolled around in the snow, and its white fur was covered with snowflakes, making it look like a little snowman cat.
He meowed excitedly and chased his own tail in circles.
The mountain wind also came out of the doghouse, walking steadily on the snow, leaving a string of neat footprints.
Upon seeing Shi Wan and Xing Lin not far away, he immediately walked over and nuzzled Xing Lin's leg with his head.
This is her way of showing affection.
Chen Xi walked over from the construction site, wearing a military overcoat over her work clothes, with some snowflakes falling on her short hair. "President Shi, the main building of the third-phase production line was topped out today. Would you like to go take a look?"
"Go ahead." Shi Wan nodded. "I'll go change my clothes and be right back. You guys sit in the living room for a bit and warm up."
After a quick wash, Shi Wan neatly put on her down jacket and followed Chen Xi to the construction site with Xing Lin.
The snow was still falling, but the construction site was bustling with activity.
The massive steel structure factory building is taking shape, and workers are doing the final welding work.
Upon seeing Shi Wan approach, foreman Lao Li quickly came to greet her.
"Mr. Shi, what brings you here? It's cold in here, please come inside and sit down."
"No need, I just came to see everyone." Shi Wan looked around. "It's so cold, everyone must be tired. Chen Xi, tell the cafeteria to have extra food for lunch today, mutton soup, so everyone can warm up."
The workers cheered.
Old Li rubbed his hands together and smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Shi! Actually, it wasn't hard work. The factory construction went smoothly, and it was even two days ahead of schedule!"
Shi Wan gave a few more safety instructions before leaving the construction site with Xing Lin.
On the way back, the snow gradually subsided, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, casting dappled light and shadow on the snow.
“Once the third production line is operational, the capacity issue will be resolved,” Shi Wan calculated. “Orders from Europe can be delivered on time, and we can confidently negotiate with agents in the US, Australia, and Japan.”
“But the management pressure will be greater,” Xinglin cautioned. “With more production lines, there will be more people, and the amount of data that the system needs to manage will also increase. I suggest that we upgrade the management architecture before the new production lines go into operation.”
"you mean?"
“Introducing a new system integrates all the data into one platform,” Xinglin said. “The data system is embedded as the core technology, which not only makes it more efficient, but also prevents many potential management risks.”
Shi Wan thought about it seriously, "It sounds like it would require a considerable investment."
“But it’s worth it,” Xinglin squeezed her hand. “The farm is now a world-class enterprise, and management needs to keep up with its development. And…”
He paused for a moment, then said, "I will be responsible for the system's setup and integration."
Shi Wan looked at him and said, "You always consider things more comprehensively."
“Because I want to make your journey easier,” Xinglin said gently. “You already have a heavy burden on your shoulders, and I want to share whatever I can with you.”
These words were spoken so gently that Shi Wan felt a warmth in her heart.
She stopped and turned to face him earnestly, saying, "Xinglin, with you by my side, I feel that I can overcome any difficulty."
The sunlight after the snow fell on her face, and the snowflakes on her eyelashes melted into tiny water droplets. Xinglin looked at her with eyes so gentle that they seemed to want to envelop her completely.
"I will always be here," he whispered his promise. "No matter how many challenges lie ahead, I will be by your side and face them together."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Snowflakes began to fall again, delicate and gentle, as if the sky itself was blessing them.
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