Chapter 43 Adopted Brother [VIP]
...
Ten years later.
A meeting is taking place on the upper floors of a building in the SV Industrial Park in Country M.
The conference room was spacious, bright, and solemn. About twenty or thirty people of different skin colors, both men and women, sat on either side of a long circular table.
The only thing they have in common is that they are all young people around thirty years old, and are well-known elites in the eyes of outsiders.
The man at the head of the long table, who appeared to be in charge, was even younger, around 25 years old. He was wearing a well-tailored suit, and his handsome face was illuminated by the projected light, giving him a pale blue hue that added to his composure and mystique.
The meeting lasted nearly three hours, with two ten-minute breaks in between.
Even so, the intense brainstorming session still exhausted these top talents with their high IQs.
As the leading man announced the end of the meeting and stood up, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, either overtly or covertly.
An outgoing executive chatted with a man: "Pei, you're going back to the country soon, how about we get together for a couple of drinks tonight?"
The man smiled faintly and declined: "No, I have a lot of work to do. Have fun."
After giving his assistant a look, the three of them walked out of the conference room one after another.
The person who spoke first wasn't disappointed by the rejection; instead, he shrugged at his colleagues as if he had expected it.
“I admit Pei is very smart, but he really doesn’t know how to enjoy life. I even wonder if there’s nothing else in his life besides work.”
A colleague joked, "Maybe work is Pei's enjoyment?"
The person who spoke exchanged a glance with her and smiled knowingly: "Perhaps you're right?"
office.
After listening to the former assistant's report, Pei Xu nodded and dismissed him, then turned his gaze to the current assistant, Feng Min.
This is what he is preparing for his return to China.
"What's the situation like domestically?"
Feng Min stated succinctly, "Everything is going smoothly internally... As for external cooperation..."
Pei Xu listened quietly, but his thoughts drifted away as he pondered the location of the information's source.
Ten years have passed, and time has not left no mark on Pei Xuhui.
Now he is mature, steady, calm and composed, like a dormant volcano, showing no trace of his past unrestrained and flamboyant nature.
His goal has never changed: to return to China to develop his career.
Unfortunately, some things, once started, cannot be easily stopped.
Qingniao Technology was a company that Pei Xu founded after returning from university. By the time he graduated, it had already gained some reputation in the industry. The people he brought in to participate in the startup were all full of ambition and wanted to take it a step further. He couldn't back out at this time.
Since he couldn't leave, Pei Xu thought he might as well get a master's degree while he was at it.
When Pei Xuhui received his master's degree, the company's technological research and development reached a critical juncture, making it even more difficult for him to leave.
Later, the technology was successfully developed, and Qingniao Technology's market value soared. The company ushered in tremendous opportunities, but also faced great challenges... As the founder and backbone, Pei Xuhui still could not leave.
And so it went, day after day, until now, ten years later.
Pei Xuhui certainly did not remain idle during these ten years. When Qingniao Technology was just beginning to emerge, he intended to shift the company's focus to China.
Things were progressing smoothly. Recently, a domestic company developed a new drone technology, and the military expressed its intention to cooperate. He could finally put his return to China on the agenda.
"...That's the situation in China right now," Feng Min succinctly conveyed.
"President Pei, now that your work abroad has come to an end, have you set a date for your return to China? The people in the company's R&D department have long admired you."
She had just heard from Lisa, Pei's former assistant and current general manager, that Pei had finished dealing with all his affairs abroad.
Pei Xu snapped out of his daze and gave a definite answer: "Before the end of the month."
Today is September 22nd, which means it's within a week?
Feng Min: "Do you need me to arrange your preparations before and after returning to China?"
Pei Xu replied, "No need. I'll rest for a few days after I get back to China. You can continue with the original work plan at the company. Contact me if there are any problems you can't solve."
Feng Min: "Okay, I understand."
The two then made further arrangements and confirmed their work plans in China.
After Feng Min left with a detailed schedule, Pei Xuhui was left alone in the office again.
The man's gaze habitually drifted to the photo frame on his right.
The pale gold metal frame doesn't contain any photographs of people, but rather bouquets made from dried real flowers.
The leaves are oval, the flower stems are slender, and the flower buds are delicate and small.
It's jasmine.
*
On the 25th, Pei Xuhui had booked his flight back to China and was packing his luggage at home when he suddenly received a call from his mother.
"Mom, is something wrong?"
He grabbed a cushion from the bed and casually sat on the floor.
"Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?" Pei's mother spoke with her usual arrogance, questioning him: "Didn't you say you'd be back this month? It's almost the end of the month and I still haven't seen you."
Pei Xu replied, "I just booked the tickets, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."
Pei's mother: "When will you be back?"
Pei Xu replied, "Tomorrow, early morning flight, should arrive by 10 pm if all goes well."
Pei's mother: "It will definitely go smoothly. I checked the weather forecast for the past few days, and it hasn't rained in Qing City recently. You'll arrive at 10 pm, right? Our whole family will pick you up from the airport then."
Pei Xu replied, "You should rest. It's not like I've forgotten where my home is. There's no need to go to so much trouble."
Pei's mother said, "Don't worry, your grandma is getting old, we won't bother her. It's just me, your dad, and Ranran."
The man's hand, which was kneading the pillow, stopped.
Pei's mother's voice continued on the phone.
“When you come back, we’ll invite Ranran’s grandparents to have a meal together the next day. You’ve been abroad for so many years, and the pickled meats and vegetables you’ve eaten have really troubled the two old folks.”
After saying that, he said with emotion, "Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you and Ranran have both grown up."
The man didn't know how to respond.
Fortunately, Pei's mother didn't intend to let him express his opinion and continued talking to herself.
"Ranran, with his lazy nature, came to us right after graduation and asked us to arrange a leisurely job for him with regular working hours. We thought he was joking, but we didn't expect that despite his laziness, he would actually work so patiently for so many years."
"What a waste of that prestigious university diploma."
After calming down, Pei Xuhui heard himself jokingly say, "A leisurely job at the headquarters of the nationally renowned food group, Haoshi, isn't so bad, is it?"
Haoshi was originally the name of Pei Family's chain supermarkets. Later, they developed other production lines and established their own food brand.
Pei's mother smiled and said, "It seems that Ranran was half right in what she said."
Before the college entrance exam, when she and Lao Pei went to ask Xu Hui about her major preferences, Ranran said that she would leave the money-making to her brother, and he would take care of eating, drinking and having fun.
At that time, the prequel also said that she and Old Pei Nu should work hard for another twenty years, and he wanted to travel around the world first.
What was the result?
Those who say they want to eat, drink, and have fun don't necessarily actually do so; those who say they want to travel the world are tied up in the US for ten years.
The only thing that matters is making money.
"By the way, are you coming back alone or with someone tomorrow?"
Pei Xu replied, puzzled, "Of course there's only one. Who else could it be but me?"
Pei's mother was exasperated: "Haven't you had a girlfriend or anything all these years?"
Pei Xu replied, "...I'm busy with work, where would I find the time for romance?"
Pei's mother: "You can fool others with that. If you really like someone, do you still care about being busy with work? You'd probably rather work overtime all night to squeeze out time for a date."
Pei Xu replied, "I'm sorry, I did work overtime all night, but it was for the sake of the job."
Pei's mother: "So, have you had a girlfriend all these years?"
Pei Xu replied, "No."
There was a moment of silence on the phone.
Finally, Madam Pei carefully chose her words and said, "Xu Hui, if you have any hidden health problems, remember not to hide them from the doctor. I know a great traditional Chinese medicine doctor..."
Pei Xu replied: "?"
"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."
The call ended with a beep, and Pei Xu held his phone in silence for quite some time.
His mother has a wild imagination. He's perfectly healthy, and the reason he hasn't been in a relationship is—
The man's expression froze for a moment as he looked down at the cushion in his hands.
The fluffy green snake is shaped like a snake standing upright with its tail raised. It has black bean eyes, a red mouth, and a golden crown sewn on the side of its round head, making it look very cute.
The image of the person who once held up a pillow and pretended to bite him involuntarily flashed into his mind.
Recalling the other person's lively eyes, vivid expression, and even the way they would throw a tantrum, the man smiled gently.
Over the past decade, he has met Qingran very infrequently.
Whether it was him returning to China for holidays or Qingran coming abroad with her parents to see him, their visits were always brief, and there were often other people around, leaving them almost no time to talk alone.
Staying in China would give him more opportunities to meet, but it would require him to constantly suppress his feelings.
Even though we rarely see each other after going abroad, we can let our love grow unrestrained, giving him a chance to breathe.
Pei Xuhui still cannot determine which of these two choices would bring him more happiness or more pain.
*
On September 26th, the plane from Country M to Qing City took off on time.
Today is Sunday. After a week of work, office workers are enjoying a short break and can't wait to meet up with a few friends to go out and have some fun.
Shopping in the afternoon, having dinner together in the evening, and even grabbing a milk tea together at night.
Ningning slumped onto the table like a deflated balloon, numbly saying, "I have to go to work again tomorrow. I really want to bring a bomb and blow up the company!"
No one responded after he finished speaking.
Looking to the left, there are those who got into big companies through connections and clock in on time; looking to the right, there are those who got into big companies through hard work and enjoy excellent benefits.
She was the only one who was neither capable nor connected, a mere beast of burden!
"You can't say that. At least you have a great attitude. You can still be friends with us without any reservations," Qingran said slowly, taking a sip of her milk tea.
"Or maybe you have good taste? All the friends you make are handsome guys," Lin Xi added with a grin.
Ningning glared: "Wow, how shameless! Who calls themselves a handsome guy!"
Lin Xi felt no shame: "I call it having self-awareness. Besides, didn't you only insist on getting to know me and Qingran because we're good-looking?"
Ningning chuckled, "That's not wrong."
"So you two should thank me. If it weren't for me connecting you, you might not have had the chance to meet."
She muttered to herself while scrolling through her phone, when she suddenly saw a news article: "Founder of Qingniao Technology Returns to China for Development... Hey? Lin Xi, isn't your company called Qingniao?"
Lin Xi: "Yeah, what's wrong?"
Ningning handed him the screen, skipping over a series of introductions about the company's status, market value, and prospects.
"It says that Pei Xuhui, the founder of Qingniao, is young, promising, and handsome. He's not even thirty years old yet, making him the perfect choice for a wealthy husband. Is that true?"
Lin Xi: "I don't know if he's a rich husband, but he's definitely handsome. A colleague who went on a business trip abroad posted a photo of President Pei on his WeChat Moments. Do you want to see it?"
Ningning's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, yes!"
Lin Xi opened her phone and showed the photos: "Here."
Ningning peeked out and stared intently: "Wow, your boss is so handsome?!"
She had assumed the writer was exaggerating due to the allure of money, but it turned out they were actually being modest.
This is not just about being handsome; he is clearly dignified and possesses an air of elegance and grace.
She's good-looking, smart, and good at making money. She and Lin Xi exchanged a glance. God is really unfair.
After her grief and indignation subsided, she noticed Qingran, who hadn't said much.
Ningning: "What are you staring at on your phone for?"
Qingran raised her eyes: "Check the time."
Ningning, ever the gossip, squeezed in: "Are you in a hurry to go home or do you have a date?"
Qingran: "No, my brother is returning to China tonight, and I'm going to pick him up at the airport."
"You have an older brother?" Ningning and Linxi asked in unison.
Both of them were shocked; they had never heard Qingran mention this before since they met in college.
Qingran: "Yeah, he's two years older than me. I went abroad before I even graduated from high school."
Ten years have passed since I left. Tsk.
How much time is left until the story ends?
System: [One year and three months.]
With so little time left, the older brother has to make it up to him.
"It's about time, I should get going. You guys have fun."
A note from the author:
Thanks for the lightning strike, thanks for the watering, chirp!
A large egg yolk pastry with very little filling, and a landmine thrown in!
Reader "Tree Without Thoughts" watered with nutrient solution +1
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