Chapter 6 Seemingly Close, Actually Far Away
Sometimes people are just naturally incompatible with each other. For example, Gao Xing and Shen Xingjian, whenever they meet, they will start arguing after just a few words.
For example, right now, this morning, Gao Xing was about to go out. When Shen Xingjian saw her coming down the stairs dressed neatly for the first time, he immediately asked warily, "Are you going out?"
Gao Xing didn't even bother to glance at her and walked straight out with his canvas bag.
Shen Xingjian didn't give up, and operated the wheelchair to chase after him and asked again: "Are you going out? Where are you going?"
Shen Xingjian's original intention was to remind her that the folding of time and space must not be discovered by others, but the meaning changed as soon as the words came out.
Gao Xing thought he was meddling in other people's business, so she stopped and glanced at him: "Keep your distance and don't interfere with each other, understand?"
This is what he said on the first day he moved in, and now is a good time to give it to him.
Gao Xing is going to the publishing house. The new editor asked her to go there this morning to discuss the publication of "Feng Yue" in detail.
The building of Xinghai Media is located on the most magnificent street in the southern part of Beijing, where tall buildings stand in rows. Every few steps you can see urban elites in suits and ties walking quickly among them.
Gao Xing stopped in front of the door, looked up at the towering building in front of him, calmed his nervous mood, grabbed his canvas bag and walked in.
After registering at the front desk, she successfully arrived at the floor where the publishing house was located. As soon as she entered, the big words "Xinghai Media" on the wall caught her attention.
After getting off the elevator, a girl came to greet me through the open door on the right. She said with a smile, "Hello, are you Teacher Gao Xing?"
The girl who was talking was not tall, had bangs, and was wearing a blue shirt and a denim overalls skirt. It should be a souvenir of the previous phone call she made.
"I am happy," she said a little uncomfortably.
Hearing her answer, the girl extended her hand enthusiastically: "Hello, Teacher Gao Xing, I will be your editor from now on. My name is Ji Nian. Let's chat here."
Ji Nian led her to a small meeting room. In the not-so-spacious room, the two sat opposite each other, each with a bottle of mineral water in front of them.
They didn't know that today's negotiation was a first for both parties.
For Gao Xing, this was her first time meeting with an editor face-to-face at a publishing house. Her previous editor had told her that all publishing processes could be handled online, and that she didn't need to come. She didn't even know what her previous editor looked like.
For Jinian, this was the first author she was fully responsible for after joining the company. Although he was a young author who was thrown to her because other editors didn't want him, people always attach great importance to the first project they are responsible for in their careers, so she also tried her best to do a good job on Gao Xing's work.
After a few seconds of silence, Ji Nian pulled out a stack of bound papers and spoke first, "I read the novel 'Feng Yue' carefully a few days ago. I thought it was brilliantly written, especially the tension between the hero and heroine. It's exactly what readers love and can't stop reading these days..."
Like all critics, Ji Nian first praised her novel but quickly raised a "but".
"However, the standards of online literature and traditional print media are different after all, especially in terms of scale, this..."
Jinian seemed to be thinking about how to word it more tactfully, but Gao Xing immediately understood what she meant and said directly, "I can change it."
Jinian had called her over today to give her suggestions for revisions. Seeing that she was so straightforward, he didn't hide anything and pointed to the contents on the pile of printed papers and began to list them one by one.
I happily accepted all the suggestions made by Jinian without any complaints, and even agreed immediately when it was mentioned that the manuscript should be submitted in two weeks.
As for Gao Xing, she can change anything as long as she is paid, even if she is asked to rewrite it, because her current situation does not allow her to argue about creative freedom. She needs money, very much!
Jinian didn't expect that his first independent communication would go so smoothly, and his confidence in his career increased instantly.
She checked her watch and was surprised to see it was already past noon.
"I got so engrossed in the conversation that I forgot the time!" Jinian offered enthusiastically, "Let me treat you to lunch! Our company cafeteria is so delicious!"
Gao Xing pursed her lips uncomfortably. She had never been good at making friends at work, and she was even less willing to accept other people's kindness for nothing. She said, "Thank you, but I have something else to do later. Sorry."
Ji Nian didn't force it, he just stood up and said with a smile, "Then I'll take you to the elevator."
Xinghai Media is very large, with many subsidiaries and departments, and the publishing house only occupies one floor of the building.
Like the workplace in TV dramas, the publishing house's areas are divided by glass, allowing for clear vision. If the blinds are opened, people outside the corridor can also see the scene inside the office.
Gao Xing followed behind Ji Nian. As soon as he stepped out of the conference room door, he saw a tall man sitting in the office at the corner of the corridor.
The man wore a simple white shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up, revealing soft muscle lines on his arms.
He was holding a draft of a picture album, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, as if he was thinking about something.
After seeing this scene, Jinian's eyes suddenly lit up, and he whispered to Gaoxing, "Oh my God! I'm so lucky! I actually got to meet Mr. Shixu in such a beautiful way!!"
She excitedly calmed herself down, "You know Mr. Shixu, right? He's the one who drew the viral 'Pictures of All Living Beings' from the online novel 'Three Realms' by Taishan! Oh my god! They said yesterday that Mr. Shixu was coming, and I didn't believe it!"
Gao Xing was pulled all over the place by her. After he finally stood up and saw the man's face clearly, he was shocked.
Is it... him?
She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, took a deep breath, and tried her best to appear calm.
She knew him, but not by the name Shixu, but by the name Zhou Jinkai.
Slowly, my thoughts returned, and I happily looked at the handsome figure behind the glass not far away. Four years had passed, and he was still the same as before, seemingly close yet actually far away.
When he returned to the villa, the sun had already set. As soon as Gao Xing entered the yard, he saw Shen Xingjian sitting in a wheelchair and turning the soil in the yard with a shovel.
She came closer and asked, "What are you doing?"
Shen Xingjian turned a deaf ear and continued digging. Gao Xing had no choice but to walk up to him and asked again in a louder voice: "What are you doing?"
Shen Xingjian then stopped, patted his palms covered with mud, and glanced at her sideways: “Keep your distance and don’t interfere with each other, understand?”
Gao Xing: “…” His heart is smaller than a needle.
Gao Xing simply ignored him, rolled his eyes and went into the house.
Seeing her gone, Shen Xingjian put down the shovel and looked at the holes in the ground that he had dug like mole holes, muttering, "It's really gone..."
When he was a child, he and his parents buried a time capsule in the yard, agreeing to dig it out when he turned eighteen. Unfortunately, later...
With a gloomy look, he took out a sealed iron can and carefully placed it into the newly dug pit.
Since time and space can fold, it means that everything is carried out synchronously, whether in the past, present or future, just like he is burying a reminder here at this moment, and perhaps at some point in the past or future, someone will discover it.
He hoped that in a parallel time and space, his eighteen-year-old self would keep the promise and see the reminder he had buried.
After burying the tin can, Shen Xingjian was about to go back to the house when the phone in his pocket rang. He looked at the name on the caller ID and hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button: "What's the matter?"
Thirty kilometers away, outside the Science and Technology Building, Xu Jiakai stood in the square with his head slightly lowered. The loose hair on his forehead blocked his eyes, making it impossible to see the hidden emotions in them.
"Nothing, I'm just busy with graduation season lately, and I thought we haven't been in touch for a while..." He said casually.
Shen Xingjian glanced at his phone and scoffed lightly: "Xu Jiakai, I've told you before that you're not very good at lying, right?"
Being exposed, Xu Jiakai's face turned slightly unnatural. He subconsciously clenched his phone, smiled bitterly, and admitted, "I do have something to discuss with you..."
He took a deep breath and said, "Someone from Guanya Technology came to me recently and said they were willing to pay Wanhe twice the price..."
A few years ago, Shen Xingjian and Xu Jiakai co-founded a small company - Zhongyue Technology. Shen Xingjian was responsible for software programming and data development, and Xu Jiakai was responsible for hardware docking and project docking.
Half a year ago, they developed an intelligent travel application for smart cars. It was originally just a test, but unexpectedly it received widespread acclaim as soon as it was launched.
As an emerging industry, the research and development of smart cars and their supporting products has always been a battleground for major manufacturers. After their applications achieved initial success, some companies soon came to them to acquire them, but Shen Xingjian refused.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see how big the market for smart cars will be in the future. If they can seize this opportunity, they may be able to gain a foothold in the industry in the future, which is by no means comparable to the immediate gains and losses.
As a result, he had a disagreement with Xu Jiakai.
“You should know that whether it’s Wanhe or Guanya, what they want is not just a piece of software.” Shen Xingjian said in a deep voice.
"Of course I know, but what difference does it make to us? What we make is a commodity. Since it's a commodity, does it matter who the buyer is or why they buy it?"
Xu Jiakai's voice tightened. "I know you're optimistic about the future of the smart car market, but we must first address the current problem! We've run out of money in our company account due to this project. We'll even have to figure out how to pay for rent, utilities, and other expenses next month. If we don't see any more money coming in, we'll be out of business soon!"
Shen Xingjian was startled when he heard this: "Songling Capital..."
Xu Jiakai held his forehead and interrupted him, "The people from Wanhe Group have already informed them. It's not just Song Ling. Several companies that were interested in investing in us are now avoiding us. Isn't this obvious enough?"
He sighed: “Shen Xingjian, we are just small people, our arms can’t twist the thighs, we can’t afford to waste time…”
The cruelty of capital lies not only in its bloody primitive accumulation, but also in its tendency to utterly destroy anything that stands in its way.
Shen Xingjian lowered his eyelashes, a deep frown forming between his eyebrows: "Give me some more time, I'll figure out a way to deal with the money..."
Xu Jiakai wanted to say something more, but in the end, no words came out. After a long while, he muttered to himself, "...Forget it."
Silence stretched between the two of them for a long time before Xu Jiakai spoke hesitantly, "Has she... contacted you recently?"
Suddenly hearing this code name that no one had mentioned for a long time, Shen Xingjian froze while rubbing his eyebrows. In his mind, those past memories surged up, covering his eyes with a layer of frost and snow.
"I heard that she returned to China, I thought she would contact you..." Xu Jiakai hesitated to speak.
"I said, her affairs have nothing to do with me." Shen Xingjian closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was back to normal.
The evening breeze blew, and the hot wind carrying the summer heat slowly lifted the curtains, rustling the leaves. In the twilight, his figure was stretched in the yard.
In front of the glass window of the second-floor balcony, Gao Xing watched the scene quietly.
Shen Xingjian might not know that during this period of time, she had seen him sitting alone in a wheelchair in a daze several times, just like now.
He seemed to have a lot of secrets, but no one to tell them to. It was as if the wheelchair restricted not only his legs, but also his world.
He seemed to be an island like himself.
Fate seemed to have an invisible thread, pulling their eyes through the barrier of light and shadow, and meeting in the light and darkness...
The author has something to say:
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It seems so close, but in fact it is so far away, and you are no different. [Heart]
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