Listen to the "experts"
The "Galaxy" project is nearing completion.
Mass production plans were quickly put on the agenda and advanced at a high speed.
Cui Yu was extremely busy, negotiating, coordinating resources, and planning the market; Meng Yihe, on the other hand, devoted herself to production transformation and technology iteration, ensuring that the laboratory's brilliant achievements could be perfectly replicated on the large-scale production line.
The two remain the best partners.
They engage in heated debates in the conference room and engage in focused discussions on the production line.
Only occasionally, when working overtime late at night, Cui Yu would "casually" bring a suitable late-night snack, or Meng Yihe would very naturally push the technical briefing she had finished reading to Cui Yu.
That afternoon.
A brief technical coordination meeting has ended, with a half-hour break before the next meeting.
Meng Yihe sat in his office, rubbing his temples, and subconsciously picked up his phone, hoping to briefly relax his tense nerves. He rarely used social media, but the algorithm still pushed some local news to him based on his location.
A message scrolls across the screen.
Invitation to the "City of the Future" Creative Building Competition, Junior High School, Linzhou No.1 Middle School! Parents and children are welcome to participate!
The four characters “Linzhou No.1 Middle School” made his finger pause.
This is Cui Xuyue's school.
Meng Yihe clicked on it anyway.
The activity, organized by the school to stimulate students' innovative thinking and hands-on skills, is a creative building competition for families. Participants will design and build a module of an imagined future city using environmentally friendly materials, emphasizing parent-child collaboration and creative expression.
Meng Yihe quickly glanced through the photos from previous years.
Seeing the students and their parents intently cutting materials and building models, he could almost picture the expectant look in Cui Xuyue's eyes.
Given how much Cui Yu values his younger brother, he will most likely try to participate. However, with the "Galaxy" project nearing mass production, both sides are extremely busy, and their schedules will likely clash significantly.
Meng Yihe put down her phone and just then saw Cui Yu passing by the door with a document in her hand.
"Director Cui," Meng Yihe called out to him.
Cui Yu stopped and peeked in: "Hmm? What instructions does Director Meng have?"
"I just saw that Linzhou No.1 Middle School has a 'City of the Future' creative building activity, which requires parents and students to participate together. Your brother's grade is also participating, and it seems to be next week."
Cui Yu was clearly taken aback for a moment, then a look of realization and a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment appeared on his face. He had obviously also remembered the notice that he had temporarily put aside.
“Oh, right, that’s right. Xuyue mentioned it a few days ago.” He rubbed his temples. “I almost forgot. The timing… tsk, it seems to clash with our crucial negotiations with Guangxia Precision?” He looked at Meng Yihe with a hint of helplessness in his voice.
Meng Yihe nodded: "Yes, the same afternoon."
Cui Yu leaned against the door frame and sighed, "This is difficult. I promised that kid..." The smile on his face faded, revealing his true trouble.
Meng Yihe looked at him, her tone still flat, simply stating the facts: "The negotiations in Guangxia are very important, you can't be absent. The event is short, perhaps we can coordinate something?" His reminder sounded very businesslike, but it pointed out the key contradiction and offered a solution.
Upon hearing this, Cui Yu immediately took out his phone to check the schedule: "Oh right, the negotiation starts at 2 PM, and the event starts at 3:30 PM. If the negotiation is more efficient..."
He quickly did mental calculations, his fingers sliding across the screen.
"Theoretically, maybe it's still possible?" He looked up at Meng Yihe.
"Director Meng is indeed meticulous. It seems we need to have Zhao Lei 'communicate' with Guangxia in advance and speed up the pace of the negotiations."
Meng Yihe met his gaze and replied indifferently, "Yes, I've informed you. How you arrange things is your business." After saying that, she lowered her head again to look at the documents on the table, giving the impression that "this matter is settled, please do not disturb me further."
Seeing his expression, Cui Yu's smile deepened. She didn't say anything more, but instead waved her phone in a good mood and turned to study his time management plan.
Meng Yihe signed her name on the document, her pen pausing slightly.
He suddenly realized why he had notified Cui Yu.
He probably doesn't care how Cui Yu ultimately coordinates the time.
I just felt that... since he knew about this, it was only natural for him to mention it.
That's all.
The afternoon's negotiations with Guangxia Precision were crucial, as they concerned whether the mass production supply chain for the core components of the "Galaxy" project could be established as scheduled.
Cui Yu demonstrated exceptional control of the situation and negotiation skills, while Meng Yihe provided irrefutable data support and quality requirements from a technical perspective.
The two sides engaged in a heated debate, arguing fiercely over price, delivery time, and quality standards.
Ultimately, with Cui Yu's deliberate push, the negotiations proceeded at a rapid pace.
A preliminary framework agreement was reached within the originally scheduled time. Details will be finalized by the team later. When the meeting ended, there was less than half an hour left before the start of the event at Linzhou No.1 Middle School Junior High School.
"The rest is up to you."
Cui Yu gave Zhao Lei and the legal team some instructions, then quickly walked out of the conference room. Glancing at her watch, she said to Meng Yihe beside her, "I have to head to school. What about you? Going back to the company or going straight home? I can give you a ride if it's on my way."
He didn't stop walking, seemingly not expecting any particular answer.
As they reached the elevator, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned his head and added, his tone a mix of joke and serious teasing: "Or... if Director Meng is really curious about what high school students are up to these days, you could condescend to come and inspect it with me? Anyway, today's main task is already accomplished."
He pressed the elevator button, calmly awaiting the expected cold rejection.
However, Meng Yihe stopped beside him, remained silent for two seconds, and then unexpectedly gave a bland response.
"Can."
The elevator doors opened with a "ding".
Cui Yu paused almost imperceptibly as he was about to step inside, before continuing into the elevator. He turned his head and gave Meng Yihe a careful look, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
"Oh?" Cui Yu said with a smile.
"Director Meng, you seem to have a lot of free time today? It seems the people from Guangxia aren't difficult enough to deal with you and haven't exhausted your energy."
Meng Yihe simply watched the numbers on the elevator descend calmly: "There are no urgent arrangements next."
“Sure.” Cui Yu nodded readily. “That’s perfect, it saves me the trouble of finding a parking space. You can take care of the navigation.” He naturally justified Meng Yihe’s companionship and even casually assigned him a “task.”
The elevator arrives at the underground parking garage.
Meng Yihe sat in the passenger seat, took out her phone and started setting the navigation. Her profile appeared as cold and aloof as ever in the dim light of the garage.
The car drove smoothly toward Linzhou No.1 Middle School.
The closer they got to the school, the more congested the roads became, filled with vehicles belonging to students leaving school and parents coming to participate in activities. Cui Yu skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel, weaving through the traffic.
Meng Yihe sat in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed on the bustling crowds and various vehicles outside the window, a stark contrast to the cold, data-driven world he usually inhabited.
The navigation indicated that the destination was just ahead on the right, but the school gate was already completely blocked.
"Looks like we'll have to park further away." Cui Yu sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.
"Director Meng, you wouldn't mind experiencing the hardships of ordinary people, would you?"
Meng Yihe remained silent, indicating her agreement.
Finally, they found a parking space one block away from the school.
The two got out of the car and walked side by side toward the school gate. A young man in a suit and tie, with an outstanding demeanor, and a handsome man dressed formally with a cold expression, walked among the crowd of students and parents.
It appeared particularly abrupt and eye-catching.
Curious glances were frequently cast their way.
Cui Yu seemed completely unconcerned, even occasionally flashing a gentle smile at students who glanced at her. Meng Yihe, on the other hand, frowned slightly, instinctively trying to avoid being touched by the crowd, her aura growing even colder.
“Relax, Director Meng.” Cui Yu turned to look at him and chuckled in a low voice. “You look like you’re here to buy out a school, not to participate in a parent-child activity.”
Meng Yihe glanced at him but didn't reply. She simply slowed her pace slightly, trying to blend into her surroundings, but with little effect.
After finally getting through the crowd and entering the school gate, I found the gymnasium where the event was being held by following the signs.
Inside, it was bustling with noise and excitement.
Each class was divided into areas, and everywhere there were busy students, parents helping out, and all sorts of imaginative, eco-friendly material model prototypes.
Cui Yu's gaze swept quickly across the venue, soon locking onto the area where Cui Xuyue's class was located. He immediately spotted his younger brother squatting on the ground, struggling with a pile of cardboard and wooden sticks, his little face smeared with paint, his expression focused yet a little anxious.
"Over there." Cui Yu gestured and walked over first.
Cui Xuyue was troubled by a "future energy tower" that just wouldn't stand up.
Sensing someone approaching, she looked up and her eyes lit up the moment she saw Cui Yu: "Brother! You're here!"
He jumped up excitedly, then saw Meng Yihe standing a step behind Cui Yu, and froze, a look of surprise flashing across his face.
"Brother Meng... Brother Meng? You're here too?"
Cui Xuyue clearly did not expect Meng Yihe to appear.
Cui Yu smiled and ruffled his younger brother's hair: "Well, I happened to run into Director Meng on the way, so he stopped by to take a look." He explained Meng Yihe's appearance casually, then squatted down to look at the pile of materials.
"What's wrong? Where's it stuck?"
“This tower keeps collapsing!” Cui Xuyue complained, pointing to the crooked structure. “The glue won’t hold it together, and the design seems to have problems too…”
Meng Yihe stood aside, looking at the chaotic yet vibrant scene before her, feeling somewhat lost.
His presence seemed out of place here.
Several nearby students and parents stared at him curiously, making him even more uncomfortable. He watched as Cui Yu squatted there naturally, listening to his younger brother's complaints, picking up the materials to examine them carefully, and then beginning to offer suggestions for revision, his movements so practiced as if it were second nature.
At this moment, Cui Yu shed his shrewdness and calculation in the business world, appearing exceptionally real and ordinary.
"The load-bearing structure design is unreasonable; the bottom support area is too small, and the center of gravity is too high." A cold voice suddenly intervened. Meng Yihe had squatted down at some point, pointing at the model, his tone as usual as when he was analyzing problems, only now the object of his analysis had changed from precision instruments to a pile of cardboard.
“We need to add weight to the bottom or change the structure. Using triangular supports would be more stable. The adhesive you’re using isn’t strong enough. Try hot melt adhesive instead.” As he spoke, he even reached out and measured the model’s proportions with his fingers, as if he were assessing a major technical flaw.
Cui Xuyue's eyes widened, and she looked at him with admiration: "Triangle... triangle support?"
He clearly didn't fully understand, but he thought it was very impressive.
Cui Yu looked at Meng Yihe's profile, which seemed to be tackling a world problem, and was first taken aback. Then, an uncontrollable smile and an indescribable tenderness welled up in his eyes.
He tried to suppress the upturned corners of his mouth, coughed lightly, and agreed, "Yes, Brother Meng is right. Listen to him, he's the expert."
He also emphasized the word "expert".
Meng Yihe's attention was completely drawn to this illogical structure. She even grabbed a pen and a scrap of paper and began sketching a simple force analysis diagram: "Look, here, and here, it needs strengthening..."
Cui Xuyue stared in disbelief, nodding repeatedly.
Cui Yu watched this scene unfold. He saw the cold and aloof Director Meng squatting on the gymnasium floor, patiently explaining to his younger brother how to build a sturdier tower out of cardboard.
He smiled and rolled up his sleeves.
"Alright, the expert's guidance is complete, let's get started. Director Meng, would you like to demonstrate what a triangular support is?"
Meng Yihe was caught off guard by Cui Yu's "personally demonstrate" statement.
He looked at the pile of colorful cardboard, sticks, and plastic sheets in front of him, then at Cui Xuyue's expectant eyes. He could easily handle intricate data and complex formulas, but doing handicrafts...
This touches on a blind spot in his knowledge.
But Meng Yihe is never one to shy away from difficulties, especially when it comes to technical issues, no matter how "insignificant" the technology may be.
He silently took the hot glue gun from Cui Xuyue and studied how to use it. Then he picked up a few wooden sticks and, according to the sketch he had just drawn, began to build the basic triangular support structure. His movements were somewhat clumsy, even awkward, a stark contrast to the smooth and effortless way he usually operated precision instruments.
Cui Yu, watching from the side, almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He forced a straight face, took out his phone, pretended to check a message, but actually quickly snapped a picture of Meng Yihe carefully dealing with the hot glue and wooden stick.
"Yes! That's it! Brother Meng is amazing!"
Cui Xuyue watched with shining eyes, showering Meng Yihe with praise as if he had accomplished some incredible engineering marvel.
With Meng Yihe's "technical guidance" and Cui Yu's hands-on assistance, the shaky "future energy tower" finally stood firmly up.
Cui Xuyue clapped her hands excitedly and couldn't wait to start adding other decorative parts.
Although Meng Yihe still doesn't talk much, he no longer stands there like an outsider. He points out structural problems and occasionally raises very practical questions about some of Cui Xuyue's wild "designs".
For example: "This transparent dome design does not conform to fluid dynamics and has poor wind resistance."
"At this angle, the energy reception efficiency of the solar panel is too low."
Cui Xuyue listened, completely bewildered.
But he became even more enthusiastic, trying to persuade this meticulous "expert" with his "creativity".
Cui Yu was happy to have some peace and quiet.
While helping out, I watched as these two people from completely different worlds, one big and one small, engaged in a strangely harmonious exchange that was both nonsensical and hilarious.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
