Chapter 14 (Part 2)
He slept so soundly that he woke up to bright daylight. He checked his phone and saw it was almost nine o'clock. Cheng Zhao quickly got out of bed and walked into the living room. He found breakfast already laid out on the table: rice porridge, steamed buns, boiled eggs and a plate of pickles. Cheng Zhao raised his eyebrows. He had given Gan Ling the key last night and Gan Ling hadn't refused. It turned out it was for this reason. There was a paper bag on the corner of the table. He opened it and took a look. Inside was a brand new set of clothes, from underwear to shirts. Gan Ling was so thoughtful. Cheng Zhao took another shower and changed into clean clothes. Then he whistled as he sat down at the table to eat breakfast and thanked Gan Ling on WeChat. Gan Ling was already busy in the bookstore. Although she wasn't as enthusiastic as Cheng Zhao, she had replied to all the replies she should have. Cheng Zhao felt at ease. The food and the new clothes in front of him were all evidence of last night, more solid evidence than those few strands of hair. My phone vibrated. It was Yu Huan calling. He'd called Cheng Zhao several times last night, but Cheng Zhao was so caught up in a sweet moment with Gan Ling that he didn't answer. Yu Huan was a hard worker, but a bit of a nerd, getting all worked up over the smallest of things. Cheng Zhao picked up the phone, and Yu Huan yelled, "Brother Cheng, where are you?" "Where else can I be? Of course I'm at home." "Really? I went to your house last night, but no one opened the door." "I'm a cunning rabbit with three burrows - tell me, what's wrong?" "Oh, I couldn't contact you last night. I was so worried, I thought something happened to you!" "Haha, what could have happened to me? What happened?" "Didn't you ask me to keep in touch with Wei Chi's subordinate Xiao Ding? Xiao Ding tipped me off last night and said that we were not on the candidate list!" "Isn't this normal! Wei Chi will definitely not let us on the list." "How can we win the bid if we can't be on the list?" Yu Huan said anxiously, "Didn't you say that we can definitely get this project?" Cheng Zhao said, "Don't worry, keep an eye on Wei Chi. You still have to find out what he does. I'll find a way to do the rest." "Brother Cheng, are you really sure?" "Who can be 100% sure in business?" "What if this order is lost?" "Then find the next one!" "...That's not what you said before. You said if I couldn't get it, I'd have to change positions." "Did I say that? Haha! I was just kidding. Don't take it seriously. We'll go to the company and have a meeting. Wait for me..." "But we've been keeping an eye on Wei Chi for so long, thinking he was a sure thing. Are we just going to give up like this?" "Yu Huan, I'm having breakfast. Can you wait until I finish and then we can talk in the company?"
He slept soundly, waking up to bright daylight. A glance at his phone revealed it was nearly nine o'clock. Cheng Zhao quickly jumped out of bed and walked into the living room, where he found breakfast already laid out on the dining table: rice porridge, steamed buns, a boiled egg, and a plate of pickles. Cheng Zhao raised an eyebrow. He had given Gan Ling the key last night, and Gan Ling hadn't refused. It turned out to be for this reason.
There was a paper bag on the corner of the table. He opened it and looked inside. Inside was a brand new change of clothes, from underwear to shirts. Gan Ling was really thoughtful.
Cheng Zhao took another shower and changed into clean clothes. Then he sat down at the table to eat breakfast, whistling, and thanked Gan Ling on WeChat.
Gan Ling was already busy in the bookstore. Although she wasn't as enthusiastic as Cheng Zhao, she had replied to all the messages she needed to. Cheng Zhao felt at ease. The food and the new clothes in front of him were all evidence of what happened last night, more solid evidence than those strands of hair.
My phone vibrated. It was Yu Huan calling. He'd called Cheng Zhao several times last night, but Cheng Zhao was so caught up in a sweet moment with Gan Ling that he didn't answer. Yu Huan was a hard worker, but a bit of a nerd, getting all worked up over the smallest of things.
Cheng Zhao picked up the phone, and Yu Huan yelled, "Brother Cheng, where are you?"
"Where else could it be? Home, of course."
"Really? I went to your house last night, and no one opened the door."
"I have three burrows—tell me, what's wrong?"
"Oh, I couldn't get in touch with you last night. I was so worried. I thought something happened to you!"
"Haha, what could happen to me? What happened?"
"Didn't you ask me to keep in touch with Wei Chi's subordinate Xiao Ding? Xiao Ding tipped me off last night, saying we weren't on the candidate list!"
"Isn't this normal? Wei Chi will definitely not let us on the list."
"How can we win the bid if we're not on the list?" Yu Huan asked anxiously, "Didn't you say we were sure to get the project?"
Cheng Zhao said, "Don't worry, just keep an eye on Wei Chi. We need to find out what he's doing. I'll find a way to do the rest."
"Brother Cheng, are you really sure?"
“Who can be 100% sure when doing business?”
"What if this order is lost?"
"Then find the next order!"
"...That's not what you said before. You said if I couldn't get it, I would have to change my position."
"Did I say that? Haha! I was just kidding. Don't take it seriously. I'll go to the company later and we'll have a face-to-face meeting. Wait for me..."
"But we've been keeping an eye on Wei Chi for so long, and we thought he was safe and sound. Are we just going to give up like this?"
"Yu Huan, I'm having breakfast. Can you wait until I finish eating and come to the company so we can talk?"
"Ah? Oh, okay, fine. Go ahead and eat. I'll wait for you."
Cheng Zhao sighed, hung up the phone, and continued eating breakfast.
Compared to others, he wasn't particularly greedy in business. He'd work hard to earn what he could, but when he couldn't, he'd let it go with a smile. If the client representative for this project, Yu Huan was worried about, had it been someone else, he'd have lost, and it wouldn't have mattered much. But if it had been Wei Chi, the situation would have been different. He was determined to win, no matter the cost.
After breakfast and washing the dishes, Cheng Zhao gathered the garbage, changed his shoes and prepared to go to the company. When he came out and was about to lock the door, Aunt Kang came down from upstairs.
"Oh my! It's really Azhao who's back! I told Lao Chen that someone was at your house last night, but he didn't believe me and said there was something wrong with my ears!"
Cheng Zhao hurriedly greeted, "Aunt Kang!"
Aunt Kang approached mysteriously and asked, "You didn't sleep here alone last night, did you?"
Cheng Zhao quickly changed the subject, "Aunt Kang, are you going to buy groceries?"
"Old Chen, go buy the veggies. I'm going to the park for a walk. Did you bring your girlfriend back? I heard everything!"
"Uh, well, I have to go to the company, Aunt Kang, let's talk later."
He left immediately, but Aunt Kang followed him unwillingly, "Azhao, wait a minute! Gan Ling this morning——"
Cheng Zhao was shocked. Did everyone understand so quickly? It wasn't a big deal for him, but if Gan Ling couldn't handle it, she might blame him, and then... there would be no future for them.
He stopped at the stairs and listened to Aunt Kang continue talking.
"Gan Ling sent me a huge basket of loquats. Lao Chen and I have tasted them and they are so sweet. Wait a minute, I'll give you some to try. We both have weak stomachs and can't eat so much."
Cheng Zhao's face fell, "No! I don't want to eat this, give it to someone else - I'm leaving, Aunt Kang!"
After saying that, he almost rushed downstairs.
Cheng Zhao was rarely on time for work, so no one was surprised when he showed up at the company at 10:30.
"Good morning, Mr. Cheng!" Front desk receptionist Ge Xiaojia stood up and greeted Cheng Zhao.
"It's getting late."
Cheng Zhao smiled and winked. Just as he was about to walk over, an idea flashed through his mind. He stepped back and leaned over the reception desk. He stroked his chin and said to Ge Xiaojia, "Xiaojia, help me with something."
Ge Xiaojia perked up, "Just give me your orders!"
"Buy me a set of bedding, a four-piece set."
"ah?"
"I want something nice, or whatever you like."
Ge Xiaojia was caught off guard and her face turned red. Her eyes darted back and forth between Cheng Zhao and Cheng Zhao. Cheng Zhao turned around and saw two cleaners and a security guard pretending to be busy nearby. They all looked very strange and it was obvious that they had heard it.
Cheng Zhao hurriedly explained, "I'm giving it to someone."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone returned to normal.
Ge Xiaojia asked, "So, what size bed should I buy? Is it 1.5 meters, 1.8 meters, or 2 meters?"
"Buy it according to the 1.80 meter mark! I want it today."
"Okay! I've selected some and will send them to you on WeChat."
"Don't bother. I trust your judgment."
Cheng Zhao snapped his fingers, and just as he was about to take a step, he thought of something. He leaned his head closer to Ge Xiaojia and whispered, "By the way, please take it to the laundry room and wash it for me."
Ge Xiaojia was surprised. Cheng Zhao turned his head and saw that those pretending to be busy also had strange expressions on their faces again. It was because the surroundings were too quiet and the employees were too enthusiastic. It was useless for him to lower his voice.
"Mr. Cheng, it's not a good idea to wash this gift before giving it away. Haha, isn't it?"
Cheng Zhao almost wanted to say "I'll use it myself", but since there were too many ears around, he waved his hand and said, "Forget it, buy it for yourself first!"
As soon as he entered the office and even sat down, several managers came knocking on the door to discuss something with him.
"Come one by one!"
"Me first!" Yu Huan rushed in, "I've been waiting all morning."
Cheng Zhao frowned. "Don't worry, wait for my call—Old Zheng, come in, let's talk about the Huili Project first..."
Old Zheng walked in proudly, turned around, said "sorry" to the others at the door, closed the door, and sat down opposite Cheng Zhao.
Cheng Zhao asked, "Have you taken care of that matter?"
"Everything is as planned, absolutely fine."
Cheng Zhao nodded, "Okay! Then let's talk about Huili's progress..."
The series of meetings finally came to an end. Ding Lou invited Cheng Zhao to go out for dinner. Their company was located in an office building and there was no cafeteria. All employees went to the nearby commercial street to have lunch, which was subsidized by the company.
Cheng Zhao nodded at Ding Lou, "You guys go first, I'll make a call and arrive a few minutes later."
Ding Lou said, "We're having Cantonese hotpot today. It's at the end of Block B on the third floor. Brother Cheng, do you remember it?"
"I know."
After everyone left, Cheng Zhao locked the office door, took out his cell phone and dialed a number. It rang several times before the other party answered.
"Mr. Hu, is it convenient for us to talk?"
"Wait a minute, I'll be in the office soon." Hu Fei said in a low voice.
"OK."
Cheng Zhao waited patiently, and after more than a minute, Hu Fei's voice returned to normal.
"I'm here, you say."
"I've got everything set up here, and it'll be in the next two days. Call Mr. Hu and tell him."
"Can you make sure it's okay?"
"It should be no problem, but nothing is 100% certain in this world. I'm 90% sure, and the other 10% depends on luck."
Hu Fei said nothing.
"Mr. Hu, you don't need to be nervous. If it doesn't work out, you won't be dragged into this. I can guarantee that. You just have to wait for a new opportunity."
"I believe you."
"Thank you. If it works out, remember what you promised me."
"You don't have to tell me. As long as I take over, I will definitely give it to you. It's not that I'm afraid you'll bite me back. I've read your information. You're quite capable. You can even handle a difficult company like XX Company, and do it so well. I have confidence in you."
"Haha, small companies are more flexible in all aspects, and my quote is lower than others. If it weren't for someone's obstruction, I wouldn't..."
"That guy is bad because he's too greedy. If he doesn't choose you as his partner, there's only one possibility: you haven't given him enough."
Cheng Zhao smiled but said nothing.
"Okay, let's wait and see. Although we can't meet for the time being, if you have any questions, remember to contact me at any time."
"good!"
In the restaurant, Ding Lou was the first to notice Cheng Zhao's clothes.
"Brother Cheng, I've never seen this shirt before. Is this the first time you're wearing it?"
"Isn't it handsome?"
"He's handsome, but the shirt is a bit, uh..."
Old Zheng said frankly, "It's a bit rustic."
Everyone laughed.
Cheng Zhao drank his drink nonchalantly, "You don't understand, this shirt has historical significance."
"Will wearing it make you rich?"
"Which master gave it to you?"
Everyone was talking and laughing. Yu Huan came back from the bathroom and immediately grabbed Cheng Zhao to talk about the project bidding that Wei Chi was working on. He looked very anxious, and Cheng Zhao didn't bother to explain any more.
"If you really can't wait, then find another opportunity and talk if there's anything you can talk about. Stop pestering me, okay?"
Yu Huan ate with a pout, and Ding Lou, Lao Zheng, and the others all stole glances at him with smirks. Cheng Zhao knew that in Lao Zheng's eyes, Yu Huan, a nerd, was somewhat of a vase, but Cheng Zhao didn't want his company to be filled with only unsophisticated people. Since his clients were diverse, his employees needed to be diverse too.
As soon as the dishes were served, Cheng Zhao received a call. There was a problem with a project and the customer's quality inspection party caught him and questioned him. The project manager couldn't handle it. Cheng Zhao hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of food and rushed to the scene to deal with it. Fortunately, the problem was not serious and was quickly resolved.
After leaving the client company, Cheng Zhao went straight back to the office. As soon as he entered, he saw a large paper box on the table. It was a set of bedding that Ge Xiaojia bought for him. There was also a note on the box: Mr. Cheng, they have been washed and dried according to your requirements.
Cheng Zhao opened the box and was greeted by the delicate fragrance of laundry detergent. The four-piece set was neatly folded. He couldn't quite place the color, a pale green, faintly luminous and softly soothing. Cheng Zhao glanced at the label; it was called dark celadon. He imagined it spread out on the bed and was pleased. He thought Gan Ling would like it, too.
Cheng Zhao picked up the phone and dialed the front desk number. Ge Xiaojia answered immediately.
"Mr. Cheng, I've put the gift on the table for you."
"I saw that. Good job! I'll give you a raise when I get a chance."
Ge Xiaojia giggled, "Thank you, Mr. Cheng!"
Cheng Zhao packed the bedding back into the box and stuffed it into his tote bag. He checked the time: it was only half past three. He checked his schedule again: there was nothing urgent waiting for him to attend to. Feeling a little impatient, he simply grabbed his tote bag and prepared to leave work.
When he reached the stairs, he ran into Lao Zheng head-on. Lao Zheng gave him a look, leaned over and whispered, "Let's do it tonight."
Cheng Zhao pursed his lips and thought for a moment, "Okay, keep a close eye on it. Send me a message if there's any progress."
Lao Zheng looked down at the bag he was carrying, a little surprised, but said nothing.
Cheng Zhao rushed to the second-hand bookstore excitedly. Of course, he was not stupid enough to show the bedding to Gan Ling right now. She would definitely be scared to death or angry to death. He just hoped that he would not be disappointed and Gan Ling would run away somewhere else.
As soon as he entered, three faces turned towards him like sunflowers. Gan Ling stood up from his seat, his expression surprised, and his cheeks seemed to blush quickly. "Why are you here?"
Cheng Zhao's smile was brighter than the sunshine outside. "Didn't we agree to have dinner together?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that the two little ones next to him immediately exchanged glances.
Gan Ling remained calm and asked, "What time is it now?"
"I'm fine anyway."
Gan Ling was speechless, but it was inconvenient for her to scold him in public. "Then sit down for a while!"
Cheng Zhao dragged a stool and sat down beside Gan Ling.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"OK!"
Han Xi jumped out immediately, "Let Sanshui do it - Brother Cheng, I'll make you something delicious!"
Tian Miao sat motionless on the bench, head down, petting the cat. Marco felt very comfortable being petted, and a purring sound came from his mouth. Han Xi walked over, gently kicked Marco away, and tapped Tian Miao's shoulder with his finger.
"Go quickly!"
Tian Miao reluctantly stood up and shuffled to the back of the tea table. Cheng Zhao stared at him with interest, then suddenly realized that Gan Ling and he were the only two people around, so they could have a private conversation.
"Hey." Cheng Zhao stretched his shirt. "Where did you get this?"
"My dad's."
“…”
"Why didn't you change it?"
"You gave it to me, I'm not willing to give it away."
Gan Ling was reading an old book, her expression focused. She wore rimless glasses, and her long hair was tied into a ponytail, with a few strands of hair floating in front of her forehead. Seeing her made Cheng Zhao's heart itch. He dragged the stool closer to Gan Ling, then moved it again. Of course, Gan Ling noticed.
"What are you doing?"
Cheng Zhao slung his arms across the table and practically whispered in Gan Ling's ear, "Are we still in that kind of relationship?"
Gan Ling straightened up and moved away from him, "Don't be crazy."
"You won't default on your debt, will you?"
"You're the one who's defaulting on your debt!"
Cheng Zhao was satisfied, "I won't default on my debts, especially yours."
Han Xi strode over with a plate of freshly washed loquats and caught a small one. "Who's defaulting on their debt?"
Cheng Zhao smiled and said, "No one is refusing to pay, Xiao Han, don't worry."
As soon as he saw that she brought out loquats, his face immediately fell. Han Xi was in high spirits. He placed the loquats in front of Cheng Zhao and said, "Sister Ling brought them this morning. They are so sweet! I washed some specially for Brother Cheng..."
"I don't eat loquats."
Han Xi was stunned. "Huh?"
"allergy."
"Are there people who are allergic to loquats? I've only heard of people who are allergic to mangoes."
"There are so many allergies! Some people are allergic to peanuts, some are allergic to soy milk."
“Is that so?”
Han Xi was a little disappointed, but soon his expression brightened up again. He brought the loquats to his desk, made some space on it, sat down and peeled them, "Fortunately, I'm not allergic to loquats."
Cheng Zhao glanced at the eye-catching plate of loquats and felt particularly uncomfortable when he saw Han Xi eating them with relish as if they were treasures.
"What's so delicious about loquats? Wait, I'll get you something really delicious!"
He strolled to Ah Fang's fruit shop. Ah Fang was directing her husband to peel and dickens fruit for a fruit plate. Turning back, she saw Cheng Zhao, a smile spreading across her face. "Boss Cheng! Are you here to see Gan Ling again?"
Cheng Zhao smiled and said, "What good fruits can you recommend? I want fresh ones."
Ah Fang immediately pointed to the durians on the shelf in the corner and said, "Just arrived the day before yesterday! They're so fresh!"
"Is it sweet?"
"I'm telling you the truth, the 25 yuan a pound one isn't good. The one next door that's 66 yuan is sweet! It's just expensive! But Boss Cheng must be rich. Do you want one?"
"Then open one!"
"Okay!"
Cheng Zhao returned to the bookstore carrying the opened durian. Han Xi had already finished eating the loquats and was doing handicrafts, while Gan Ling was still busy studying.
"Come on! I'll treat everyone to durian!"
Han Xi pinched his nose and said, "I'm allergic to durian!"
Gan Ling also frowned, "What a strong smell, take it out quickly!"
Cheng Zhao's good mood immediately disappeared. "This thing is expensive! I spent more than 200 yuan to peel off this little thing."
"But it stinks so much that all the customers are driven away."
There weren't any customers anyway! Cheng Zhao complained in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. He circled at the door and said, "Hey, Sanshui, do you want some durian?"
Tian Miao said in a muffled voice from behind the tea table, "I'm allergic too."
"Fuck! I bought it for nothing."
Cheng Zhao walked out in a dejected manner, not because he felt sorry for the money, but because he thought that his durian was defeated by someone else's loquat, which did not seem like a good sign.
He walked out of the bookstore with a durian in his hand, feeling a little dazed, but only for a few seconds. The grocery store owner, Ju Ming, was smoking at the door. When he saw Cheng Zhao, he casually started a conversation with him.
"Boss Cheng, what good stuff do you have?"
In the end, the bag of durians was bought cheaply by Ju Ming and the barber shop boy Awei, who was picking out an aluminum pot in Ju Ming's shop.
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