When Xiao Yuanmu received the call from Huaguo, he was in a meeting, discussing future acquisition cooperation directions with shareholders and senior executives, as well as the letter of intent for cooperation from the US government.
This meeting was very important. Before the secretary knocked on the door of the conference room with a mobile phone, the meeting had lasted for nearly five hours. It was mainly about the plan for the next acquisition. Everyone had their own opinions and argued endlessly.
When someone knocked and opened the door of the conference room, the people who were still arguing straightened up and turned to look at the blonde secretary who walked in with a phone, and the man at the top who had not said anything major since the beginning of this topic.
They were thinking at the same time: Oh no, this sexy secretary in front of them will be the fifth secretary fired by Mu.
The graceful female secretary walked up to Xiao Yuanmu step by step. She leaned forward slightly, revealing her proud cleavage that absolutely attracted everyone's attention. She whispered something in Xiao Yuanmu's ear. Then they saw that the eyes of their "supreme commander" who never had any expression lit up.
This subtle change in expression is usually hard to detect, but for Xiao Yuanmu, who usually never shows his emotions, even such a small change was noticed and shocked by the people who had been observing this place early on - after all, before this, the man in front of them always looked calm and composed, and he looked as if everything was under control no matter how noisy they were.
Everyone at the round table wanted to know what the secretary whispered into the Supreme Commander's ear - "Supreme Commander" was the nickname given to Xiao Yuanmu by the RE top brass.
In fact, RE was co-founded by Xiao Yuanmu and Louis. The two founders had equal status, but Xiao Yuanmu held the most shares in RE, and was dictatorial, decisive and ruthless. He often used his veto power to deny plans jointly launched by multiple people, and Louis also obeyed him without complaint, so at first, everyone privately nicknamed him "dictator".
The nickname "dictator" was gradually no longer mentioned because Xiao Yuanmu's dictatorship had made them realize time and again the correctness of every decision he made. All the projects that he vetoed or affirmed eventually developed in the direction that he had once denied or affirmed, without exception.
With one miraculous and accurate judgment after another, he led RE to reach heights that countless companies had been unable to reach in decades in less than a year. Not only that, Xiao Yuanmu also personally cultivated RE's most expensive new energy research and development team. During the research process, he even proposed many ideas that surprised and convinced everyone in the research institute, allowing the process of creating and extracting new energy to be completed smoothly.
Those who strongly opposed the development of new energy and believed that the research team was spending too much money at the time shut up after the new energy was released and RE's market value increased by tens of billions.
From then on, Xiao Yuanmu's nickname unknowingly changed from "dictator" to "supreme commander".
No one knew who first uttered the nickname "Supreme Commander", but everyone thought that the nickname couldn't be more appropriate for Xiao Yuanmu, so the nickname spread.
Compared to Xiao Yuanmu's astonishingly accurate judgment and his dictatorship that made people occasionally complain, the gossip that others discussed the most was his eyes that seemed to remain calm and unperturbed no matter what, as if they could see through people in an instant.
Sixty percent of RE's senior executives and shareholders are white men, in addition there are blacks and yellow people. In the eyes of whites and blacks, Asian men are unlikely to pose a threat to them due to their physical shape. Moreover, compared to Europe and America, which advocate individuality, Asia is more inclined to the idea of moderation and humility. Most of the humble and gentle temperaments are not aggressive, which makes it even more difficult to say that they are overly powerful.
What's more, those who can sit here are all the best in the same industry. The aura brought by the confidence of successful people will not be too bad. Coupled with their naturally tall frames, the Asians they meet in the business world, no matter how strong their aura is, are just equals in their eyes. Of course, they are only comparing in the business world. Soldiers and people with special identities cannot be compared.
This idea has nothing to do with racial discrimination. It is just a common idea brought about by visual reality. Just like when people see a tall and strong man fighting with a thin and slender man at the same time, they all think that the tall and strong man will win. This is a subjective judgment before understanding the two people.
However, they felt the real strength in Xiao Yuanmu, not because Xiao Yuanmu was as tall as them, but because of the powerful composure and convincing feeling he exuded from the inside out.
This feeling is difficult to describe in words, but it brings them together as one. No matter how fiercely they argue or how much they insist on their own judgment, at critical moments they will all assume that Xiao Yuanmu's decision is the best option - they trust his judgment from the bottom of their hearts.
Therefore, even when the US government proposed cooperation, no one among RE's top executives made rash suggestions. Instead, they calmly continued with the topic that was supposed to be discussed at today's meeting - the direction of future acquisitions.
It must be said that Xiao Yuanmu's expression did not change at all when he received the news, which calmed down their originally excited, nervous or vigilant moods, because they were calm and composed because of his composure.
However!
Xiao Yuanmu, who had remained calm when receiving the cooperation news from the US government, suddenly changed his expression after hearing a whisper from his secretary!
How could they not be curious!
What's more, the next moment after the secretary finished speaking, Xiao Yuanmu stood up and said to them: "Take a break for half an hour, eat something and then continue." After that, he took the mobile phone from the secretary and left in a hurry. This was an unprecedented situation!
When Xiao Yuanmu's footsteps faded away, everyone's eyes became burning as they looked at the only two people in front of them who might know the truth - Louis and Yang Jie.
"I have to call my baby." Louis got up lazily, stretched his hands on his phone, and walked out slowly: "See you after dinner."
Yang Jie also stood up. He certainly knew who had caused Xiao Yuanmu to interrupt the meeting, but he didn't want to share it with these people. He left the meeting room quickly without saying a word.
This leaves a group of people who know there is a big gossip but cannot find out the specific content of the gossip and are very sad.
After leaving the meeting room, Xiao Yuanmu took his mobile phone into his office. The caller had hung up due to the secretary's delay, so he was about to call back.
There are only two people who know this mobile phone number, one is the dean and the other is Song Xuanhe.
The dean has always been frugal and would never take the initiative to make overseas calls. Even if he called, he would hang up at the right time, so the possibility that it was the dean was very low. Moreover, he had just contacted the dean two days ago, so the possibility was even lower. So Xiao Yuanmu didn't need to think much to know who would call him at this time.
Listening to the mechanical sounds from the other end of the phone, Xiao Yuanmu's mouth corners slowly curled up, his calm eyes were clear and bright, with a hint of expectation and joy.
Xiao Yuanmu walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window. After a few steps, he suddenly felt that the slight, negligible sound of his leather shoes stepping on the carpet might affect his ability to hear the sound coming from the receiver in the first place. So he stopped where he was and stood there in a daze. His drooping eyelids covered his clear eyes, but the light from the tall buildings outside the window illuminated his soft facial features.
The phone rang several times but was not connected. Xiao Yuanmu did not move and waited quietly.
When "Fortune" was published, Xiao Yuanmu was waiting for Song Xuanhe's call. Song Xuanhe did call him that day, but he seemed to be unaware of these things. He just chatted with him quickly and then hung up. He knew that Song Xuanhe was busy at that time. In fact, that time was also his busiest time, so he didn't call back to inform him of the news.
Later, when the "Global Ranking" was released, Xiao Yuanmu knew that Song Xuanhe might have learned about him, so he began to wait for his call again. However, after waiting for a long time, until the online version of the magazine was sent out, he still did not receive Song Xuanhe's call.
Xiao Yuanmu was a little angry, and even felt a sense of inexplicable loss, but he did not call Song Xuanhe first. He knew very well that this was a childish contest, and rational judgment would tell him that it would not produce any beneficial results, but he still did it.
Before leaving China and leaving Song Xuanhe, he thought that perhaps he was too much influenced by his previous memories, which made his feelings for Song Xuanhe a little difficult to control. This difficulty in control might disappear after they separated. He even separated himself before and after rebirth, thinking that although his self before rebirth liked Song Xuanhe, his self after rebirth only developed a liking for Song Xuanhe that did not reach the level of love under the influence of memories.
However, the increasingly intense work in the United States could not stop him from missing Song Xuan more and more. Sometimes, his thoughts would even affect his thinking, causing his brain, which was originally working at high speed while thinking about work, to suddenly recall every little detail of their time together without any connection.
Those images included both those before and after his rebirth. They kept creeping into his mind, interrupting his work and making him recall them. No matter how he tried to force his thoughts back to his work, they would appear before his eyes in the rare moment when he slacked off.
Xiao Yuanmu knew that Song Xuanhe could not bring any benefits to his future plans, and his appearance might even disrupt his plans, so his reason had been forcing himself to cut off his feelings for Song Xuanhe.
However, all this broke down on the tenth day of the first lunar month.
On the tenth day, Xiao Yuanmu had stomach cramps for the second time since his rebirth.
At that time, his new energy had already attracted attention from many parties, and several branches of the eight major financial groups had already contacted him, and as expected, people from the Xiao family also came.
Xiao Yuanmu had some impression of the visitor from the Xiao family in his memory, so he was able to deal with him with ease. He did not make any promises, nor did he even show any intention. Perhaps he was too calm, which made the visitor from the Xiao family show some urgency. He described the blueprint of benefits that the Xiao family could bring to him in a very moving way.
Seeing that Xiao Yuanmu was unmoved, probably wanting to shock him with the Xiao family's vast financial resources, the man from the Xiao family talked about the coming-of-age ceremony of Xiao Baicong, the heir of the Xiao family, who was about to begin that day, and how the intelligence and talent Xiao Baicong had shown since childhood would lead the Xiao family to a higher position in the future. He also said that the future would belong to the young, and if Xiao Yuanmu cooperated with the Xiao family, he would have the opportunity to work with that gifted heir.
Xiao Yuanmu still did not express any attitude. He calmly and politely sent away the people from the Xiao family. There was no mistake in the subsequent work. As usual, he worked overtime until late at night before leaving the company. After washing up, he had a brief meeting with Louis before going to bed.
However, when he arrived at the company the next day and received another call from the man from the Xiao family and heard him mention Xiao Bacong's coming-of-age ceremony that day, Xiao Yuanmu suffered a stomach cramp.
At first it was just a slight pain, which might be considered severe for ordinary people, but in Xiao Yuanmu's opinion, it was mild as long as it did not affect any of his activities, so he worked as usual and even presided over a two-hour meeting. After returning to the empty and large office, the scene of him and Song Xuanhe getting along in the equally empty and large apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows suddenly appeared in his mind.
Song Xuanhe looked up at him, and the confused look on his face a moment ago changed. Although he looked harmless sitting on the sofa, he showed a nonchalant expression as if he was playing with the world. He asked him, "Don't you know your identity?"
In the memory, his voice was filled with coldness and disgust, and he replied: "What does my identity require?"
Song Xuanhe stood up with all his might and raised his chin in an ambiguous tone: "What do you say? Wash up and wait for me in the room."
He looked very imposing standing on the sofa, but his back as he ran away after finishing speaking gave off a hint of a desperate escape.
At that time, he was thinking that the Second Young Master Song might not be as philandering as the rumors said. After all, no playboy would say such words with clear eyes without any trace of desire.
But he also thought, what does that have to do with him? One day he will return all the humiliation that Song Xuanhe has inflicted on him.
Xiao Yuanmu pursed his lips slightly, turned his foot towards the desk, and walked towards the sofa.
When he sat down, the image of Song Xuanhe splashing in the water and swimming towards him appeared clearly in his mind. He was obviously not very good at swimming, and Xiao Yuanmu could even see that he was a little scared, but Song Xuanhe swam towards him unwaveringly and stretched out his hand...
The scene in his memory was as clear as if it were just yesterday. Xiao Yuanmu's stomach pain suddenly became severe. He couldn't help but bend his straight back a little, staring at the mobile phone on the coffee table without blinking.
Xiao Yuanmu knew that he should and could be patient, but he couldn't help but called Song Xuanhe.
Perhaps it was because talking could divert his attention, when Xiao Yuanmu heard Song Xuanhe's voice chatting with him, he felt that the pain in his stomach was relieved a lot. This relief was faster and more effective than analgesics, so he didn't want to hang up the phone. Instead, he talked about what he had encountered during this period.
At the end, he asked Song Xuanhe: "Are you feeling better?"
Song Xuanhe asked him back, "What about you?"
Across the vast Pacific Ocean, in the mechanically filtered voice, they were the first to notice each other's unusual mood, an experience he had never had before.
At that moment, Xiao Yuanmu couldn't tell what he was feeling. Only his rapidly beating heart and surging longing made him sure that he really fell in love with Song Xuanhe.
It was also at that moment that he suddenly realized that his stomach had stopped hurting for some reason.
For the rest of the afternoon, Xiao Yuanmu forgot about the Xiao family, Xiao Baicong, and his work for the first time, and thought about everything between him and Song Xuanhe. After carefully recalling his memories before his rebirth, he realized how stupid he was for suppressing his memories and emotions before his rebirth.
He forgot at that time that no matter whether the trajectory before rebirth in the memory was the same, they were the same person from beginning to end.
Therefore, the person he fell in love with before his rebirth, he will definitely fall in love with after his rebirth.
Lewis said that liking is the most greedy and unbridled emotion. Once you get a little, you will want more. Reason and restraint will be defeated by many inexplicable little things.
Xiao Yuanmu originally thought that the first half of the sentence was barely acceptable, but when he heard the phone call continue without anyone answering until it was hung up, he began to agree with the second half of the sentence, which he had originally sneered at.
Reason told him that Song Xuanhe might be busy with something at the moment. After all, he had just called him. Although it was not the number he had always used, it at least proved that he still cared about him and contacted him after hearing the news about him.
But beyond reason, there will be many other things that disrupt Xiao Yuanmu's absolute rationality. He would think that if Song Xuanhe really cared about him, then she should give him a second call. Even if not, at least she would keep the phone with her because she would call back as soon as she saw the incoming call.
Xiao Yuanmu dialed again and heard the mechanical sound of waiting for the call to be connected getting longer and longer. The corners of his mouth that had been raised slowly pursed up. When no one answered and the call was automatically hung up, his eyes were already dark.
He pursed his lips and dialed the number again. There was still a mechanical beeping sound from the other end, which was repeated several times until more than ten minutes later, when the call was picked up.
"Hello? Is this Mr. Xiao?"
Xiao Yuanmu's expression, which had improved after the call was connected, darkened again when a strange voice came out of the phone. His angry voice seemed to contain ice chips: "Who are you?"
"Are you Mr. Xiao? RE's Xiao Yuanmu?" Song Jiabao's father asked in surprise.
At that time, Song Xuanhe randomly gave him a number, but no one answered after he dialed it. When the call was automatically disconnected, he suddenly thought of Song Xuanhe's meaningful smile when he reported the number. Song Jiabao's father thought that this number must be fake. It must be Song Xuan and that little bastard who were fooling him. After all, everyone knows how popular the president of RE is now. How could he give him Xiao Yuanmu's phone number just because he was told to.
Moreover, since Song Xuanhe said that they had broken up, maybe he didn't have Xiao Yuanmu's phone number in the United States.
Song Jiabao's father became angrier and angrier as he thought about it. He threw his cell phone on the chair next to him and went to look for Song Xuanhe. Unexpectedly, he overheard the conversation between Song Xuan and the two brothers.
Seeing that Song Xuanlin was certain that Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu still liked each other, Song Jiabao's father hesitated. He didn't believe Song Xuanhe, but Song Xuanlin had been calm since he was a child and never said anything he was not sure of. Usually, what he said was most likely true.
If it is true, then he must not offend Song Xuanhe at this time.
Song Jiabao's father thought so but did not leave. After all, he was very interested in the questions asked by Song Xuanlin. Song Xuanlin had Xiao Yuanmu as his helper and the old man's preference, so it would be effortless for him to inherit the Song family.
But in this family, probably except the old man, no one wants Song Xuanhe to inherit the family business, and Song Xuanhe and Song Jiabao do not have a good relationship. If Song Xuanhe inherits the Song family, it will not benefit their family at all.
So he pricked up his ears and eavesdropped behind a tree, and then he heard Song Xuanhe firmly express that he was unwilling to inherit the Song family, and asked Song Xuanlin what he thought of the Song family.
Originally, Song Jiabao's father wanted to listen more, but Li Nian'an walked over here, so he had to leave from the other side. As soon as he returned to the swimming pool and wanted to take back the phone on the chair, he saw that there were more than a dozen missed calls on the lit screen. The caller ID was the number that Song Xuanhe had just given him, and the most recent one had just hung up.
Song Jiabao's father hesitated for a moment, and before he had time to think about whether the number Song Xuanhe gave him was a real number, the caller ID of that phone number occupied the screen again.
He quickly picked up the phone and carefully asked if it was Xiao Yuanmu. When he heard the young and cold voice on the other end, he realized that the number Song Xuanhe gave him might be real.
"Don't make me ask you again, who are you and where did you get this number?"
"I'm Song Guohua, Song Xuanhe's uncle." Song Jiabao's father flattered, "Mr. Xiao is young and promising, I just wanted to give him a call to make some friends. This number was given to me by Xuanhe. After all, we are also a family. He gave me the number when he knew that my company was very eager to cooperate with you, and wanted me to talk to you about your new energy cooperation."
Thinking of how Song Xuanhe didn't contact him and gave his number to someone else, Xiao Yuanmu's eyes turned cold, but his voice was extremely calm: "Are you Song Jiabao's father?"
Song Guohua's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated for a long time before saying, "Yes, it's all because of my son's ignorance. He offended Mr. Xiao before. I'm here to apologize on his behalf. I can agree to any compensation you want."
"Agree to any condition?" Xiao Yuanmu's eyes became even colder. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the vehicles that were like ants on the three-hundred-meter-long street. His voice was indifferent without any emotion.
However, after hearing what Xiao Yuanmu said, Song Guohua shuddered for some reason in Mayday. He swallowed his saliva and said, "If you can put aside your past grudges and cooperate with me, I will try my best to agree to all your conditions."
Not knowing what he was thinking of, Xiao Yuanmu raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said, "In that case, please help me do something first."
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