Ning Zhiheng invited everyone upstairs to Kuroki Yueyi's office. Kuroki Yueyi looked at the office furnishings and found them exactly the same as before he left. He couldn't help but nod and marvel.
"Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. These two are my closest friends, Hiroki Ito and Kazushi Okazaki. Hiroki is a well-known calligrapher and painter in the country, and Kazushi Okazaki is a famous musician. We have known each other for many years and have a deep friendship!"
Ning Zhiheng quickly greeted them, and Kuroki Yueyi introduced him to his two friends: "This is Fujiwara Tomohito, a member of the Fujiwara family in Kyoto, and a close friend of mine despite the age difference. Don't let his young age fool you; he is incredibly talented. Not only is he highly literate, but he also has excellent calligraphy skills, haha, no less than Ito-kun's!"
The two men were taken aback upon hearing this. They knew Kuroki Takeichi's character well; he would never normally praise a young man like this. For him to say such a thing, he must greatly admire Fujiwara Tomohito.
Moreover, Hiroki Ito is famous for his calligraphy and painting skills. Kuroki Takeichi even made no attempt to hide his opinion that Tomohito Fujiwara's calligraphy was no less than Hiroki Ito's. He always speaks with evidence and never boasts, so it is likely that Tomohito Fujiwara's calligraphy must also be excellent.
More importantly, this person was a member of the Fujiwara family in Kyoto, which gave him a natural advantage in terms of social status. In Japan, there is a clear social hierarchy, which applies to all social classes, and even artists must abide by these rules.
"This is my friend Takeshita Shinya, who also loves literature. Please take good care of him." Ning Zhiheng also stepped forward to introduce He Siming, who was behind him, to everyone. Everyone greeted him and then took their seats in the room.
"Fujiwara-kun, what exactly is going on?" Kuroki Takeichi sat in his seat, carefully considered the situation, and couldn't help but ask again.
Ning Zhiheng smiled faintly and replied, "Sir, please don't be surprised. This is a gift I specially prepared for you."
Fukui Yuuma, who was standing to the side, explained, “Sir, the Minami Library was destroyed after the war and razed to the ground by artillery fire. The library was rebuilt by Chairman Fujiwara six months ago. He specifically requested that everything be done in the original style, even the interior decorations, so that you would not feel unfamiliar. This is Chairman Fujiwara’s good intention!”
Upon hearing this, Kuroki Yue and the other two were all greatly surprised. Kuroki Yue had not expected that this library was actually rebuilt by Ning Zhiheng specially for him. What was even more commendable was that he had gone to great lengths to rebuild the library exactly as before. The effort required to do this was immense. Not to mention anything else, just the pair of peony-shaped vases that he had just seen—how much effort and money would it take to find the same pair as before? This favor was truly enormous!
Even Hiroki Ito and Kazushi Okazaki, who were standing nearby, were secretly amazed. This young man's generosity was truly astounding; he had actually rebuilt the Minamiya Library just for Takeichi Kuroki and then handed it over to him.
Kuroki Yueyi grasped Ning Zhiheng's hand, remaining silent for a long while. Finally, he sighed and said, "Fujiwara-kun, thank you, but I am unworthy of such kindness and cannot accept it!"
Ning Zhiheng had long known that someone like Kuroki Yueyi would never accept such a generous gift for nothing. He had prepared his words in advance and began to persuade him, "Sir, this library is rightfully yours. Do you remember the money you gave me when we parted?"
Kuroki Yueyi nodded blankly. At that time, he dismissed the library staff and gave each of them a severance payment. Of course, Ning Zhiheng's gift was the most generous. After all, Ning Zhiheng was his close friend despite the age difference. He was not only talented but also a member of the Fujiwara family, whose status was far higher than others.
"That money became my start-up capital. When I left the library, I was lost and didn't know where to hide. I didn't want to go back to China, so I ended up in Hong Kong, which was the best port with thriving trade. I used the money to buy some medicine and sold it in Guangzhou, China. I didn't expect to make such a profit. After that, I went into business and even established the Fujiwara Company in Hong Kong. It wasn't until I became successful in business that I returned to Shanghai. At that time, I thought that I must repay Mr. Fujiwara many times over. Unfortunately, I couldn't find him. I saw that the library had also been destroyed by the war, so I rebuilt the Nanwu Library and gave it to Mr. Fujiwara as a way of repaying him. So, Fujiwara's success today is all thanks to Mr. Fujiwara!"
"I see," everyone nodded in agreement. Ito Hiroki couldn't help but admire and exclaim, "In ancient times, people would repay even the smallest kindness with great generosity. Now, Fujiwara-kun is so loyal and righteous, which is quite in line with ancient values. He is truly admirable. Kuroki-kun, you shouldn't refuse. You should help make this a beautiful story!"
Kazushi Okazaki also spoke up to persuade him: "Kuroki-kun, Fujiwara-kun's kindness is rare. He has spent a lot to thank you. If you insist on refusing, wouldn't you be letting down your friendship? We should not be too concerned about money. When I was in trouble, wasn't it because of your help that I am where I am today!"
Ning Zhiheng also spoke up, saying, "Sir, I put a lot of effort into this library. To ensure it matches the original, I even contacted the original designer, Mr. Fukunaga Jiro. When he heard that I was rebuilding the library for you, he didn't charge me a penny and immediately gave me the original blueprints. After the construction, Mr. Fukui and Mr. Harada put in so much effort to ensure that the interior decoration was exactly the same as before. All of this was to make you feel that this is your home, that nothing has changed, and that everything is the same as before. I hope that our hard work has not been in vain!"
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