Chapter 86
There was a gentle knock on the door of room 1206 of the hotel at midnight.
When Guan Ying heard a knock on the door in the bathroom, she suspected that she had misheard. This was the room she had just moved to, and no one should know her room number yet.
A bouquet of roses dangled, blocking the peephole.
This hotel wouldn't be so unscrupulous and acquiescing to the guests in the main suite!
"Daniel, let me go!" She was a little annoyed when she opened the door.
Like a prank, Zheng Juyong turned from the wall outside the door and suddenly appeared in front of her. Under her shocked and dazed gaze, he walked into the room recklessly and bravely, pushing her against the door as he closed it.
The rose petals in his hand trembled, making a small whimper in her ears, and then, accompanied by his impatient kiss, they fell impatiently at her feet. Her heart seemed to skip a beat as the bouquet fell.
She pushed him away with all her strength, frowning: "Why are you here?!"
She hadn't figured out the conclusion to the question Daniel brought back yet, and Zheng Juyong's appearance at this moment was like the exam bell ringing early, but she still had the last big question on the paper blank. This made her unwilling, impatient, and unwelcome.
"I can't help missing you. Don't you miss me at all?" After being pushed away by her, he leaned against the wall, looked at her with a smile, and spoke sweet words to her without reservation.
"I'm very busy. Don't you consider the time and occasion?" She passed him and went back to the bathroom to wash herself without cooperating with his mood.
"I just wanted to come over earlier to tell you that I live next to you, 1205." He smiled and leaned against the bathroom door frame, without any complaints about her resisting expression.
"You're following me?" She looked up from the mirror and glared at him.
"No. I was just waiting for you in the lobby when I overheard Daniel's men distributing room cards. They said there was an extra room card."
When she went to the front desk to change rooms, intending to book a new one, they simply handed her the key to room 1206. She realized that Mr. Li's secretary had thoughtfully prepared a double-edged sword for her. But if even she hadn't considered this, how could he have been so sure? Unless he'd been waiting downstairs...
"You've been waiting in the hall for me to come down?"
He smiled and said, "You will definitely come down."
"Zheng Juyong, are you testing me?"
"I'm waiting for you, waiting for you to make a decision, and then I'll bring flowers to thank you." He responded to her positively, with a smile on his face, frankly, overjoyed, simple and clear.
But the simpler he is, the more complicated she becomes: Why can he be so relaxed?
"If you need me, I'll be right by your side, available at your beck and call." He came in, provoked a few words, and then turned around to leave?
"Hey!" She felt that he was being irresponsible.
"Can I stay?" he asked, turning around to ask her.
He is so beautiful! Guan Ying wiped his face and said seriously: "You know what occasion this is, right?"
"Hotel, your room."
She glared at him. In the middle of the night, did he come all the way here just to piss her off?
But he thought she was adorable even when she was fierce: "I know, don't worry, I won't go out unless you call me. No one will know that I live here too."
She couldn't help but roll her eyes: "You have to go out for dinner eventually. Isn't it suffocating to stay in the room every day? Why don't you go back? What's the point of staying here? It's like having an affair, idiot..."
"A secret affair?" He raised his eyebrows, feeling fresh and exciting, and smiled even more: "Glad to help."
Before Guan Ying threw out the towel, he slipped away from 1206.
The room was filled with the scent of roses. He had placed the bouquet by her bedside without realizing it. Alas, how could it have fallen into his hands? Guan Ying sank headfirst into bed, filled with anguish, wishing it was all just a dream.
......
The next day, Guan Ying appeared early in Huagang's conference room.
Fortunately, Daniel did not break the appointment because of his unpleasantness last night. He not only showed up on time, but also showed much greater work enthusiasm than the day before, which made Guan Ying very lucky.
At noon, Mr. Li met Guan Ying for lunch alone:
"I heard that the situation in Jingxi has stabilized?"
"Yes, the aftermath of the accident has been dealt with, and Uncle Zheng has been transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. This is all thanks to the assistance of Mr. Wu and Mr. Li."
"Manager Guan, don't you blame us at Huagang for taking advantage of someone's misfortune? When you first arrived in Saudi Arabia, I was too impatient and didn't handle things well. I still owe you an apology."
"Ah...it's also my fault for not staying calm. Actually, that's a great recognition. I should be grateful to my seniors for their support."
Mr. Li smiled as he poured her a cup of tea. He then said meaningfully, "You don't have to make excuses for me. I've been having trouble sleeping lately, and I've been thinking about finding an opportunity to sincerely apologize to you. For the sake of public service, I've been a bit unscrupulous; for my own sake, I shouldn't have wronged a girl like you like this. You treat me like a senior, but I'm truly ashamed!"
Guan Ying hadn't expected Mr. Li to condescend to apologize to a young woman like her in person. Accepting the teacup, she felt a touch of admiration. "Mr. Li, you're too kind. Publicly, we're all Chinese companies. When one side is in trouble, all should come to its aid. It was my narrow-mindedness at the time. Personally, you offered the most sincere terms and didn't put me in any difficult position. It was my refusal that was so unkind. Huagang has borne the greatest pressure in this anti-dumping investigation, but it's providing convenience and serving as a model for all of us domestic steel companies trading in the Middle East. I'm honored to be a part of it."
Mr. Li was greatly relieved and nodded, saying, "I was right about you! For Chinese companies to expand overseas, it takes the joint efforts of generations. We are competitors, but we are also brothers and sisters. Beyond commercial tactics and the temptation of profit, we must also uphold integrity, conscience, and fairness. I've wronged you during this time, and there's not much I can do to make amends. I just hope this doesn't make you too disappointed in the business world, and that you won't only see the worst. I, Li, don't want to destroy a promising seedling with my own hands."
Even in the face of adversity, he remained true to his principles, constantly self-reflecting and thoughtful. Those who had taken on the responsibilities of large companies overseas truly relied on more than just shrewdness. Guan Ying suddenly felt that he had found his future direction, and his respect for Mr. Li grew even greater.
Lunch was almost over, but there was still a lot of food left.
The secretary drove over to pick them up, but Guan Ying and Mr. Li did not come out together.
After Mr. Li got in the car, he said with a smile, "Eating alone with an uncle like me, I don't think she'll be full. Let's go home first!"
......
Room 1205.
"You packed so much?" Zheng Juyong took the food and stood at the door in a daze: "Are you asking me to do some hard labor?"
Guan Ying brushed past him and glared at him: "What are you thinking about!"
"I miss you." I never thought that Zheng Juyong would be so frank when talking about love.
"Eat and listen to me. We need to have a serious talk!"
"Do you want to have a love relationship?" He unpacked the lunch boxes one by one and flirted with her shamelessly.
"no!"
The more Guan Ying raged and dodged, the more he relished his reckless charge. Clearly confident of victory, he feigned an air of a lowly, ready opponent... With the opportunity within his grasp, yet demanding patience and restraint, Guan Ying's defenses were practically crumbling under his wily tactics!
"Oh, if you don't want to be in a relationship, then have an affair with me?" He held the chopsticks in front of her and continued to tease her.
Guan Ying picked up her chopsticks and poked him in the forehead: "Control yourself!"
If this goes on, I'm afraid he will take advantage of me again. Young people are really dangerous... Guan Ying made a decision at this moment: this time, he must be driven away no matter what!
"Zheng Juyong, when do you plan to return home? Things are going well at Huagang, and it's time for you to return to Jingxi and contribute!"
He tilted his head, moved a chair, and sat next to her: "I have already booked a flight back home for the day after tomorrow, so we should cherish the time we spend together."
"the day after tomorrow?"
"Well, they were getting divorced before and separated for a long time for unknown reasons. My dad had an operation and my mom was taking care of him day and night. They had a chance to thaw. It's better for me to go back two days later." As he spoke, he peeled a shrimp and put it to her mouth.
"I can do it myself." She leaned back in her chair.
"Ah." He simply stuffed it into her mouth and asked her to open her mouth like a child.
She had no choice but to open her mouth and eat it. He smiled and picked up another shrimp and peeled it slowly.
"That..." She was chewing a shrimp and her words were a little incoherent. "Okay. After you go back... don't quarrel with Uncle Zheng anymore... Also, although Boss Wu is in charge, he is an external aid after all. We often rely on outsiders to stabilize the morale of the troops, which is already lacking on our own... After you go back, you should step in on Uncle Zheng as soon as possible, properly compensate the families of the employees who died and injured in the accident, organize the workers of the steel plant to regain their spirits, plan and build the park, and promote the technical line... And Lao Zhao, Engineer Li, Engineer Chen, and the backbone of the production line, thanks to them for taking up the responsibility this time, you, as a junior, should be grateful..."
"Yeah." He nodded and stuffed another peeled shrimp into her mouth and fed it to her.
She had just swallowed a mouthful when she passively chewed again, still speaking incoherently, "Don't think you're the boss... We're the youngest in the factory, so we should be humble, grateful, and learn... Also, I've been reading a lot of materials in the Huagang office these past two days. There's a lot of management experience in there that's worth learning from. I'll tell you more about it when I find the right time... I talked a lot with Mr. Li today, and I found him to be a very remarkable senior. If you have the chance to return to Saudi Arabia in the future, you might want to bring Dong Zhiqiao with you and interact more with Mr. Li's people. I think you'll definitely gain something."
"Yeah." He continued to stuff shrimp into her mouth.
She quickly seemed to get used to it and started eating.
"Also, you have a more important mission when you return this time: we at Xicheng Steel must quickly improve the quality of our new product line! I used to think Uncle Zheng's reckless pursuit of high-end product lines was too risky, but now I believe he's truly far-sighted and courageous. Now that he's injured and can't continue to stay at the steel mill, progress has undoubtedly been slowed. This burden must fall on you, and you must take it! I've always felt that the anti-dumping investigation is just the beginning. Even with Huagang's strength, it's still a struggle. We private enterprises should be preparing early. The Middle Eastern countries are imposing tariffs on our Chinese steel not only because the local steel unions are retaliating against our market, but also because local governments are trying to shift the pressure of trade tariffs imposed by Europe and the United States in their Middle Eastern regions. This is a problem within the world trade system, and we can't avoid it. The only way out is to improve our product technology and competitiveness. Only by shedding the label of low price and low quality and becoming the most powerful party in the supply chain can we withstand these risks."
It seemed as if the day of his departure was just around the corner, and Guan Ying wished he could tell him all his suggestions for the development of Xicheng Steel.
It was only when he heard her insights on corporate management and business structure for the first time that he truly felt her vision and ability. He now accepted them carefully and felt ashamed of himself.
He was so engrossed in listening that he forgot about the half-peeled shrimp in his hand.
"Ah." She swallowed what was in her mouth and opened her mouth for the next one.
"Oh!" He came back to his senses, quickly peeled the shrimp in his hand and stuffed it into her mouth in time. He was not as good as her at doing business, but when it came to taking care of people, he was better than her.
"These shrimps taste good. Did you remember everything I said?" She said this earnestly, fearing that his mind would be filled with love.
"I'll remember that." He peeled all the shrimp for her and didn't eat any himself. "But, Guan Ying, do you think I can do it?"
Guan Ying sighed: "Hey, the old you definitely couldn't do that."
He put down his chopsticks dejectedly and lowered his head.
“But now, I think I can give it a try.”
He raised his head again, his eyes sparkling, and looked at her.
Guan Ying gave him a shrimp and encouraged him, "As a man, don't just say you can't do it. If you really can't do it, call me."
She just couldn't bear to see him so depressed, so she encouraged him out of kindness.
He was so impressed that he hugged her face, pressed it hard and kissed her, then squeezed her mouth into his favorite shape: "Guan Ying, if one day, I do all these things you said, will there be a reward?"
Guan Ying pouted like a steamed bun: "These are what you should do!"
He couldn't help but bit her lips lightly: "But, without rewards, I have no motivation."
The warmth of his skin, the scent of his body... her heartbeat was uncontrollably racing, and her mind kept replaying the moments of passionate indulgence she had shared with him not long ago. God knew how she had restrained herself, how she had resolutely pushed him away with her knee and rushed out the door.
He had always been patient with her since they were little. Knowing that lunchtime was limited, he had only been teasing her, trying to relax her mind. Who knew he'd scare her off? After all, the former West City Bully was only good at scaring people off!
Holding his belly that was hurt by her collision, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her change from serious to panic in front of him. He felt that he had fallen into a vortex of happiness and beauty.
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