Chapter 110 Hot Pot for Three
After a whole afternoon of ups and downs, the previous wariness and hostility towards Jiang Chuan seemed to have faded somewhat.
Lin Yu took the initiative to talk about her recent career difficulties, frankly stating that she did not want to be distracted by matters of the heart until her career was stable.
Jiang Chuan nodded, indicating his understanding.
When the topic of patents came up, he warned her not to be misled by promises from those in power, lest they simply make empty promises. After all, this is a fundamental skill for all leaders, including himself.
Lin Yu had considered this possibility, but she was not at a high enough level to see her own position clearly. She kept going back and forth between feeling that she had some weight and feeling that she was nothing.
"I joined this company right after graduation, and it was Dean Li who promoted me. He's a good person and has been very kind to me. He's taken good care of me over the years."
"Moreover, the company has indeed invested a lot of resources in my research and development projects, and I don't want to go too far."
"Plain, personal relationships are one thing, and interests are another," Jiang Chuan said bluntly. "You're able to sit at the negotiating table because of the technological leverage you have."
"Workplace relationships are essentially an exchange of value. Before doing anything, you must first find your own place."
When the topic of technology came up, Lin Yu became even more discouraged. "But the feedback from the market for this system is not ideal right now."
"Large, visionary companies want technological monopolies, while small companies are unwilling to spend money on optimization. That's why Chief Engineer Wang had been opposed to this project all along."
"If we want to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and improve recognition, we can only continue to invest money. I worry that without the company's support, these research results will be nothing more than a few pieces of waste paper."
Seeing Lin Yu's dejected look, Jiang Chuan changed the subject. "Actually, President Zhang contacted me privately. He's very interested in what you have and wants you to give their team some internal training. He asked if you'd be willing to take on the task."
Lin Yu always held the idea that it's good to take shelter under a big tree, and was used to staying in the existing framework. She never tried to examine problems from a manager's perspective, which kept her in a passive situation.
Jiang Chuan saw this and decided to give her a push, guiding Lin Yu down a path she dared not imagine, because he knew in his heart that this time, he would stand behind her.
Despite having some experience giving internal presentations, she was genuinely unsure about providing in-depth technical training to an external team. Moreover, she didn't want to rely on her ex-boyfriend's relationship for further benefits.
Jiang Chuan saw through her concerns and comforted her, saying, "If you spend your whole life focusing on technology, your path will inevitably become narrower and narrower. Why not boldly try new directions? It doesn't matter if you fail; at worst, you'll just be back to square one."
He stopped and observed Lin Yu's expression. "Help them solve a few practical problems, and next time they need work, they'll naturally think of you. At that time, you'll rely on your real skills, not anyone's connections."
"Even if you don't seek trouble, trouble may still find you. But opportunity and difficulty are like two sides of the same coin. Youth is the best capital and privilege to realize it."
"Are you trying to persuade me... to switch to management? Or..." Lin Yu looked up at him, her eyes filled with a pool of water ruffled by the wind, full of unfounded doubt.
"No rush." Jiang Chuan smiled. "You're still a sapling. Why not start as a technical consultant and use someone else's flowerpot to grow yourself first?"
"They have funding, space, and practical support to help you. Once you've established a firm foothold, then you can consider whether you want to build your own yard."
"My own courtyard?" Lin Yu's thoughts were not as profound as Jiang Chuan's, and her courage was also slightly inferior. She hesitated before speaking. "Me? Who do you think I am?" She almost burst out laughing inwardly.
Jiang Chuan did not directly answer her question, but instead advised, "Spending an extra ten minutes after the training to answer questions is more useful than you burying yourself in research and development for three days."
"Solving other people's problems is an opportunity for yourself, and it also helps you better understand the market."
Seeing Lin Yu frown in thought, he knew she had taken his words to heart, so he said no more and took a step back. "Banban, I don't want you to fall out with your old employer."
Jiang Chuan softened his tone. "Whether it's technology licensing or joint development, there are many win-win solutions in this world."
“But my research used the company’s data. Doesn’t that count as infringement?” Lin Yu had only a superficial understanding of the legal provisions.
“There are always loopholes in contracts that can be avoided. If you want to understand them, I can teach you slowly.”
Seeing her purse her lips, Jiang Chuan added, "You have solid technical achievements in your hands, so you'll have more confidence whether you're looking for a new job or going it alone in the future."
"If you hand it over easily, how different are you from those fresh graduates? There are few irreplaceable people in any industry."
"Dean Li is taking care of you, but he can't protect you forever. The only person you can truly rely on is yourself."
He said seriously, "True human kindness is never obtained by giving up one's own value."
"Once you've built this system, it will bring you cooperation opportunities. The friendships you build then will be much more valuable than these empty promises now."
At work, Jiang Chuan always stands tall and sees further, sharing his knowledge without reservation and never hesitating to share his experience. He sincerely hopes that Lin Yu can follow behind him, grow step by step, and one day be able to stand on his own.
Lin Yu suddenly remembered that when he was cleaning the house a few days ago, he found the career plan he had written when he first graduated. One of the points was to get his professional certification before the age of 28 and to reach a management position by the age of 30.
Jiang Chuan's words reminded her of the passion she had when she first entered the workforce. After a moment's thought, she accepted his suggestion to become a technical consultant at General Manager Zhang's company, and secretly set a new direction for her future career planning.
The two parted ways at the hotel entrance, agreeing to return to Shanghai together after the wedding.
......
Exhausted from the long journey and the river breeze that blew all night, Lin Yu developed a high fever the day after returning from Hong Kong, with his temperature soaring to 39.6 degrees Celsius.
She hadn't been this sick in a long time since graduating from university. She couldn't help but laugh at herself: "I'm getting old; I really can't withstand the storms of life anymore. I should be a hothouse flower, retiring early and enjoying my twilight years."
She forced herself to get up, moved to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of hot water, wrapped herself in a thick cotton nightgown, turned the air conditioner to its highest setting, then crossed her legs and curled up back on the sofa in the bedroom.
It felt like two forces were pulling back and forth inside my body, making me feel hot and cold all at once, and my head was spinning like a washing machine was constantly turning.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Lin Yu was too exhausted to deal with it, but the person outside seemed to be competing with her, pressing the doorbell button over and over again as if it were some kind of percussion instrument.
"Who is it?" she called out weakly in her hoarse voice, but there was no response, and the doorbell continued to ring stubbornly. She had no choice but to get up and reluctantly move to the door.
Looking through the peephole, Lin Yu saw Chen Guang waiting outside the door with a paper bag. He took a deep breath, leaned against the wall to calm himself down, and then reluctantly reached out to open the door.
"I went home for New Year's Day and brought you some food."
He held up the bag and waved it at her with a sincere smile, without mentioning a word about Jiang Chuan answering her phone without permission a few days ago.
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed something was wrong with her. "Why do you look so pale? Do you have a fever?"
Chen Guang subconsciously reached out to touch her forehead, but Lin Yu turned her face away, her cool fingertips brushing against her burning skin.
"Hmm, a little." She sniffed, her throat making a whooshing sound, as if there was phlegm stuck there, causing inexplicable annoyance.
"Did you take your medicine?"
"I haven't eaten yet, so I ordered takeout. It should be delivered soon."
Lin Yu recalled the last time she took medicine on an empty stomach and vomited uncontrollably, clinging to the toilet. She thought to herself, "Truly, once is enough." From then on, she made sure to carefully read the instructions before taking any medicine.
"Stop ordering takeout, come to my place! I just made hot pot, let's sweat it out while we eat." Chen Guang said, reaching over to grab Lin Yu's keys from the entryway and pushing him out the door without a word.
"Hey, hey, don't push me away, I didn't say I wasn't going..." Lin Yu leaned against the wall, holding his head, thinking that hot pot did sound a bit better than the fried rice he had ordered. He was already this sick, so what was there to avoid?
But then she looked down at her Kapibala onesie and hesitated. "Maybe... I should change?"
"Stop messing around. If you take your clothes off and put them on, and things get worse, I've seen all sorts of things about you." Chen Guang's attitude was straightforward.
"Okay then." She decided to stop arguing, pulled the hood of her pajamas over her head, took the bag from Chen Guang's hand and placed it in the entryway, then turned and locked the door. "Walk slowly, I feel a little nauseous."
Chen Guang belatedly nodded, slowed his pace, and half-supported, half-carried her downstairs.
He settled Lin Yu at the table, poured her a glass of hot water, and told her to drink more to avoid electrolyte imbalance. Then he turned around and started rummaging through the first-aid kit next to the entryway cabinet.
After drinking half a cup of warm water, Lin Yu felt a little warmer in his stomach and seemed to feel a bit more relaxed. Seeing Chen Guang still engrossed in searching, he couldn't help but advise, "If you can't find it, forget it. It's just a fever. Eat something and take a nap, and you'll be fine."
Chen Guang sighed and turned around. "No, a persistent high fever can easily damage the central nervous system."
"You rest first, I'll go out and buy you some medicine that's right for your symptoms, I'll be right back."
It turned out they were worried she'd become mentally impaired from the fever. Lin Yu was both amused and exasperated, thinking it really couldn't be that bad. She'd managed to get through it all alone before; she wasn't that delicate.
But upon closer inspection, he felt that every word contained an unwarranted bitterness and resentment. After hesitating for a moment, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out. "Alright, then thank you for your help."
Chen Guang took out an induction cooker from the cupboard and placed it in the center of the table. He turned it on, pressed the switch, and put the frying pan with bone broth on it.
With everything prepared, he timed it perfectly so that when he returned with the medicine, it would be just the right time to start dinner.
He had barely left when Lin Yu's phone rang. Glancing at the name on the screen, she frowned and answered the call.
"Why aren't you home?" Jiang Chuan's voice came from the other end of the receiver.
Lin Yu was taken aback and asked in confusion, "You installed surveillance cameras in my house?"
"If you don't mind, this is a good idea." Jiang Chuan chuckled on the other end of the phone, no longer beating around the bush. "I'm at your door! I've knocked until my hands are raw, but no one opens the door."
Lin Yu couldn't help but grumble to herself: What kind of auspicious day is today? It's like they all made a pact to come here in groups to check in? Are they trying to take advantage of her illness and kill her?
Right now, she didn't have the energy to delve into this "life-or-death" issue; she was only hesitating about whether or not to tell Jiang Chuan that she was at Chen Guang's house.
After thinking it over, they realized it wasn't a big deal, since the two had never met and didn't know each other's identities.
Based on the principle of "better to avoid trouble than to cause trouble," it's better to just say you're having hot pot at a colleague's house and send them away through the door.
As it turned out, Lin Yu had underestimated men, especially the two lurking around her. One was feigning an attack while the other was secretly plotting something, and neither of them were easy to deal with.
A short while later, the doorbell rang again. Lin Yu moved to the door and opened it to see Jiang Chuan standing outside, holding a bag of medicine and a takeout package.
"You looked off yesterday." He glanced at her flushed cheeks, his tone concerned. "Did you take your medicine?"
Even their lines were exactly the same, leading Lin Yu to suspect that the two of them might have shared the same script. "Not yet, we need to eat something first."
Jiang Chuan nodded, his gaze passing over her and looking into the empty house. "Where's your colleague?"
"I went to buy medicine."
“Perfect timing, I brought some medicine with me, one of which needs to be taken with meals.” He raised his chin, his gaze sweeping over the two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, and the bubbling hot pot broth in the middle. “Shall we go inside and talk?”
Lin Yu leaned weakly against the doorframe, hesitatingly saying, "The master isn't here, it's not appropriate for me to just let anyone in, is it?"
Jiang Chuan remained noncommittal, took a long stride, and walked straight into the house. He placed the bag on the table, took off his coat and hung it in the entryway, his expression calm and his movements fluid, as if he had returned to his own home.
He sat down next to Lin Yu and took the medicine out of the bag. "Is your fever high? I brought a thermometer."
"I'm alright." Lin Yu had a high fever, which made him less wary of Jiang Chuan, and he even joked along with him. "I feel dizzy and comfortable, like I'm about to ascend to heaven."
"Take your medicine first." He chuckled, handing the unwrapped medicine to Lin Yu while glancing at the greasy bottom of the pot. "Eating something so greasy when you're this sick? Looks like your colleague hasn't been taking care of anyone much."
Lin Yu felt dizzy and swallowed the medicine with the warm water beside him, subconsciously explaining, "How would I know? He's just a regular colleague."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Chuan had already casually taken the clean bowls and plates next to him and placed them in front of him and Lin Yu. "It's good for colleagues to look out for each other."
He spoke calmly, picked up a piece of steaming mutton from the plate, dipped it into the pot to cook, and then put it in Lin Yu's bowl. "Eat more protein to boost your immunity."
Lin Yu stared blankly at the extra slices of meat in the bowl, then looked up at Jiang Chuan, who had rolled up his sleeves and was sitting firmly in his chair, acting like the master of the house.
She opened her mouth, unsure what to say. A direct refusal seemed too deliberate, while acceptance felt strangely awkward.
As I was pondering this, the door lock turned, and the room's owner returned carrying a bag of medicine.
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