Chapter 18 Lucky Bag
◎“He doesn’t like other people eating smelly food in their car or bedroom.”◎
In the morning, the blinding white light was completely blocked by the curtains.
Only when a gentle breeze lifts the corner of the curtain will slivers of pale, blurry, dappled light sneak in.
The person, trapped in a nightmare, had beads of sweat on their forehead.
Tearing, the terrifying gaze of death, and the stench of blood enveloped her.
Lin Yujing felt herself floating in mid-air, but the blood gushing from the ground spread little by little, its scarlet color carrying a chilling sense of impending doom.
The blood was hot and viscous, first flowing over her feet, then quickly staining her plain white dress red.
Until her entire body was enveloped in blood plasma, the suffocating feeling of being unable to struggle was an irresistible invasion of death.
"Jingjing?"
Finally, someone called her name, and a hand reached into the blood. She grasped at a straw and sat up abruptly, breathing heavily.
"Jingjing, what's wrong?" Qi Woxue looked at her arm, which was red from being scratched, with a horrified expression. "Did you have that nightmare again?"
Lin Yujing's forehead was covered in sweat, and her eyes were bloodshot.
Seeing Qi Woxue standing in front of him, he finally breathed a long sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "I've been under a lot of pressure lately."
Since her meeting with JING Capital, the Hundred Schools Alliance has seen a glimmer of hope, and people have been asking her about the progress every day.
However, her response was always the same: no one has replied yet.
Watching everyone go from expectant to disappointed as they left, she had been suffering from insomnia for several days, and last night she didn't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. At this moment, she felt like her brain was about to collapse.
"Should we ask someone from Jing Capital?" Qi Woxue suggested after hearing her explanation.
Lin Yujing slumped over, looking utterly defeated. “How could I dare to ask Chen Jingshu directly? Director Ren is very optimistic about us, but I’m afraid that if I say something wrong, we’ll lose even our last hope.”
Qi Woxue knew all too well the depth and complexity of her past grievances and entanglements with Chen Jingshu.
After some thought, I realized that waiting silently and alone is indeed the best way at present.
"Hey, relax. You've already done your best." Qi Woxue gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Are you going to continue revising your thesis today?"
"I have a commercial draft that's just one step away from completion. I went over this morning to finish up and pack it, and I need to deliver it to the client this afternoon."
"Okay, then remember to bring a warm coat, it's getting cold."
As November arrives, Beijing is completely enveloped in winter.
Inside the JING Capital meeting room, coughs could be heard everywhere.
"The merger and acquisition will proceed according to Director Ren's plan. That concludes today's meeting. Everyone has been working hard lately. There's ginger and black tea prepared in the break room," Chen Jingshu said wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Amidst expressions of gratitude, everyone left the meeting room one after another.
"Director Ren, could you stay for a moment?" Chen Jingshu, momentarily distracted, called out to Ren Moyin, who was about to leave.
"Is Mr. Chen asking about the Hoh Xil Tibetan Antelope Project of the Hundred Schools Alliance?"
"How's it going?"
Ren Moyin opened his computer and placed it in front of Chen Jingshu. "The initial draft of the materials has been prepared. I've been looking at the website they founded in the past two days. I have to say, they are truly a group of passionate and ambitious young people."
Ren Moyin did a meticulous job, listing out almost everything Chen Jingshu wanted to see.
"Director Ren seems to have a particularly high opinion of this project."
"After being in society for a while, I don't deny that I've been inspired by these passionate young people. Especially Lin Yujing, you can see her photography and painting works on her official website, and you can tell that she is a warm and kind girl."
Chen Jingshu frowned slightly, a flood of memories rushing to his mind. He looked up at Ren Moyin and asked, "Oh? How did Director Ren come to see that she is warm and kind? It's not because she's pretty, is it?"
Ren Moyin paused for a moment and said, "She is indeed very beautiful, but as a business partner, that is the one thing I care about least of all her strengths."
Regarding Lin Yujing's strengths, Chen Jingshu could quickly list that she was beautiful, intelligent, talented, and always had her own firm goals, which she would not give up or change course because of any obstacles.
Therefore, for those who are partners in a collaboration, the attribute of being beautiful is indeed the least worth mentioning.
Chen Jingshu's brows finally relaxed, and then Ren Moyin added, "But if I were to look at women as a man, I would be very willing to get to know Ms. Lin after the project is over. I can't resist the instinctive attraction to a beautiful and talented girl."
Chen Jingshu narrowed his eyes, his face involuntarily darkening as he stared at Ren Moyin, his tone full of warning: "Director Ren, aren't you afraid I'll suspect you're abusing your position for personal gain by saying these things?"
Ren Mo's laughter was candid. "Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I won't let my personal feelings interfere with my work. If I were to rush into pursuing Ms. Lin, I would definitely inform you in advance and withdraw from this project."
The words were so frank and straightforward that it was impossible to find any flaws, yet they also left people breathless.
Ren Moyin: "I plan to meet with Ms. Lin today. The data she provided last time was not comprehensive, so we need to have a second meeting."
Chen Jingshu closed his laptop, tapped the desktop with his knuckles, and said, "Then let's invite him to the company and listen together."
Ren Moyin nodded, then looked at him with an ambiguous smile, "President Chen, you should be the one in JING Capital who appreciates Miss Lin the most."
"..."
“I’ve never seen you so interested in this kind of project before.”
Chen Jingshu suddenly felt as if his true colors had been exposed, and frowned as he changed the subject, "You should hurry up and ask her to come over."
Ren Mo shrugged. "Then I'll go out and make a call to arrange a time and let you know in advance."
"Didn't you plan to meet today?" Chen Jingshu's tone was cold, but there was a hint of impatience in his voice. "Let's fight here. I'm not an outsider."
Ren Moyin smiled wryly, dialed Lin Yujing's WeChat number, and held the speakerphone between the two of them.
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Lin Yujing had just packed her bag and was about to go to the art studio when her phone rang. Seeing that the contact name was Director Ren from JING Capital, she hurriedly grabbed Qi Woxue, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement, "Director Ren, is there any progress on the project?"
"Yes, do you have time today? We need you to come to JING Capital for another meeting," Ren Moyin said gently.
Before Lin Yujing could even think, a cold voice came from the other end, full of pressure and leaving no room for resistance, "Tell her to come in an hour."
Ren Moyin was stunned for a moment, and then fell silent.
Lin Yujing and Qi Woxue exchanged a glance and asked, "Can I bring the core founders and members of the alliance?"
“That would be even better, as it would give us a more comprehensive understanding,” Ren Moyin replied directly.
"Okay, see you in an hour then." After saying that, Lin Yujing hung up the phone immediately, fearing that there might be any further changes on the other end.
The fragrant and brightly lit girls' dormitory was silent for a moment, then burst into joyful screams, "Senior, our hope has arrived!"
"Are you still going to the art studio?" Qi Woxue asked.
Lin Yujing first obtained Ren Moyin's consent, and then pulled him into the Hundred Schools Alliance group. "I still want to go to the art studio. If you and Senior Brother Xu take a few core members there, it will only be more effective than me."
In fact, Lin Yujing is usually more responsible for photography and website maintenance. This is the first time she has met with clients in person.
"Okay, trust us, we won't let your previous efforts go to waste."
After they hit it off immediately, Lin Yujing went to the art studio.
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As soon as Qi Woxue and Xu Jibai arrived at the front desk of JING Capital, an assistant from Group A was waiting there.
After five or six people arrived at the conference room, Qi Woxue first went to Ren Moyin to explain why Lin Yujing couldn't come. She originally thought he would be slightly dissatisfied, but Ren Moyin immediately expressed his understanding, "It's okay. Communicating with the founder and core members will surely allow you to understand a lot of the situation."
As soon as she sat down, Qi Woxue called Lin Yujing to let her know she was safe: 【Oh my god! This Director Ren is so gentle and easy to talk to. Just relax in the studio!】
Lin Yujing: [Okay, thank you for your hard work!]
After sending the message, Qi Woxue patted Xu Jibai next to her and asked, "Where's Zhang Jiale's little dog?"
"Of course, I chased after your Lin Yujing to the art studio, and I couldn't drag her away." Xu Jibai waved his phone. "I just called him, and President Chen overheard it."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Jingshu pushed the door open and came in, bringing with him a cold and oppressive aura. He first scanned the crowd and asked, "It seems like not everyone is here. Didn't Lin Yujing come?"
"Didn't he hear everything just now outside in the corridor?" Xu Jibai covered his mouth with his hand and muttered in a voice that only he and Qi Woxue could hear.
Qi Woxue cursed inwardly, "What a nemesis!" and then quickly explained, "President Chen, Lin has some important business documents to hand over today, so she asked us to come and communicate with you. Xu Jibai, myself, and several other students here are all co-founders of the Hundred Schools Alliance, and we believe we will not let you down."
Fortunately, Chen Jingshu didn't say anything, only gave a soft "hmm", and said, "Let's begin."
Qi Woxue and Xu Jibai breathed a sigh of relief and went on stage to begin their reports and speeches.
After more than an hour of speeches, compared to Lin Yujing's more fairytale-like style, Qi Woxue and Xu Jibai were more straightforward and clear, filling in the data information that Ren Moyin needed.
After Group A asked a few more questions, Chen Jingshu picked up the conversation and asked, "Lin Yujing mentioned earlier that you use offline art exhibitions to expand your operating funds and promote your work simultaneously. I'd like to know more about that."
The Hundred Schools Alliance has always had a clear division of labor, and Qi Woxue explained somewhat awkwardly, "This part is Lin Yujing's responsibility, but unfortunately, she's not here today..."
Chen Jingshu and Chu Yan exchanged a glance, and Chen Jingshu said frankly, "Although charity is the focus of this project, I am a businessman, and I want both money and reputation. Huaren Charity has been operating quietly before, and we need a way to make our name known to the public. Don't you agree, Mr. Chu?"
Sitting to the side, Chu Yan immediately chimed in: "Yes. Moreover, the Hundred Schools Alliance is a self-organized team of college students, so we also need to consider many details."
Xu Jibai understood the unspoken meaning between the two, leaned close to Qi Woxue's ear and whispered, "Then I'll call Lin now and see if we can communicate online."
Chen Jingshu did not reply, but continued to look down at the PPT slides they had given him.
Chu Yan said, "Or you could confirm with Lin Yujing again. Missing another meeting means going through another round of consultation. We don't mind, but we don't know if it will affect you."
-
Lin Yujing had just finished packing up her artwork in her studio when the phone rang.
"Jingjing, are you done with your work over there? You might need to come to JING Capital." Qi Woxue leaned close to the receiver and whispered, "President Chen has some details he wants to know about the offline art exhibition."
Lin Yujing put down the masking tape and casually replied, "I knew it. Director Ren is easy to talk to, but President Chen won't let me off so easily."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Lin Yujing had already sensed that something was wrong. Before she could smooth things over, a deep, cold voice came from the receiver, "Miss Lin, it makes it seem like we have a conflict."
Lin Yujing slapped her forehead and immediately flattered him in a fawning tone, "President Chen, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I'll go to JING Capital right now and talk to you in person."
After hanging up the phone, Qi Woxue quickly caught a glimpse of the smug look on Chen Jingshu's lips.
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Those who are employees are like that; even if it's raining knives from the sky, they will go through fire and water because of a single word from their boss.
When Lin Yujing rushed over, the meeting room had already returned to a harmonious atmosphere, with everyone chatting enthusiastically about their fun trip to the panda base in Shu City.
"I'm sorry I'm late." Lin Yujing received Qi Woxue's message on the way, which implied that her ex-boyfriend was clearly after her, leaving her wondering about his true intentions. So as soon as she entered the conference room, she smiled and apologized to Chen Jingshu, "President Chen, please forgive me."
Lin Yujing even put on light makeup in the taxi, which added another point to her already stunning looks.
Looking at Chen Jingshu with eyes that seemed to hold a galaxy, the man, who had been looking unhappy, relaxed considerably.
"You've really gotten to it, using your charm to seduce President Chen." Lin Yujing sat down next to Qi Woxue and immediately leaned over to say.
The victorious man picked up his laptop and muttered, "So what? It works, doesn't it!"
It was incredibly effective, like a cat with its back arched and fur standing on end, instantly calmed down.
“I just asked you to come, but you didn’t. Now you’re following me here all over the place,” Xu Jibai said, glaring at Zhang Jiale.
Qi Woxue, being mischievous, deliberately replied in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for Chen Jingshu to hear, "You're not like our pure-hearted puppy Lele, who only has eyes for Jingjing. You can't bear to see your sister suffer even the slightest grievance, otherwise why do you think our little biology genius would suddenly change his mind and join the alliance?"
When the alliance members were introduced, Zhang Jiale immediately attracted everyone's attention. He was the youngest member of the group.
He was only 15 years old when he was admitted to the Department of Biology at Tsinghua University for his undergraduate studies, and he is still a first-year graduate student and hasn't even turned 20 yet. He's a real younger, more adorable guy.
“Mr. Chen, I’m mainly responsible for website maintenance and art promotion. What would you like to know about?” Lin Yujing looked at Chen Jingshu, who was distracted and frowning as he sized up Zhang Jiale. Only when she spoke did he return his attention to her.
After briefly gathering his thoughts, Chen Jingshu first confirmed the copyright issues of the photography and painting with her.
"Don't worry about that. All the photographs and paintings are my own work. After deducting the cost of paint, all the profits will be used for the internal operation of the alliance."
Chen Jingshu: "You mentioned before that the events you organized were all small-scale offline events, and the revenue wasn't ideal. If I could give you a large platform, could you guarantee the quality and success of your work?"
Lin Yujing initially thought he was deliberately making things difficult for her, but now it seems she was being narrow-minded. "Sure! I've participated in many competitions and won numerous awards and trophies. Previously, the limited venue and imprecise target customer positioning led to slow revenue and promotional progress."
Chen Jingshu nodded and said, "Huaren Wanxiang has plans to prepare an art museum, and we at JING Capital also hope to have a way to quickly gain recognition. If we can combine it with wildlife charity, it should be a viable approach."
The man sitting at the head of the long office table is definitely in a superior position.
Wearing a dark, bespoke suit, even with a relaxed posture, he still exudes a mature and elite aura.
Lin Yujing admitted that Chen Jingshu was indeed a business genius. His choice of the Hundred Schools Alliance was by no means out of selfishness.
A group of passionate college students and a group of animals full of stories—they don't need to bother with public opinion campaigns; they can generate plenty of buzz for Huaren on their own.
Just last night, she saw Chen Rongqing among the popular candidates being actively elected by a certain bureau.
Suddenly, that stark class difference, like the collision of earth's crust, stirred up an earthquake and tsunami in Lin Yujing's heart once again.
“If Mr. Chen is willing to give me the opportunity to place some of my works in Huaren’s art gallery, it would be my honor,” Lin Yujing said softly.
Chen Jingshu looked at her and chuckled softly, "Miss Lin misunderstands. What I meant was that only your work will be exhibited... a joint exhibition between you, the Hundred Schools Alliance, and JING Capital."
Holding their own solo art exhibition is the goal of every art school student and even artists.
Tears welled up in Lin Yujing's eyes, but she nodded firmly, "I can do it!"
At that moment, she was confident, the projector light shining on her, making her gleam.
"So confident?"
"I never doubt my professional abilities."
Chen Jingshu looked at her, and after a long while, he chuckled, "Indeed, I only dare to trust Miss Lin's professional abilities at the moment."
That concludes the discussion, and all questions regarding the topics Lin Yujing was responsible for have been asked.
Afterwards, the administration brought tea, and everyone sat together and chatted.
Lin Yujing lowered her head, looking somewhat dejected.
"What is that student responsible for?" Chu Yan asked, looking at Zhang Jiale.
Qi Woxue: "That's a biological genius in our team, responsible for providing medical assistance. He once saved a wild baby macaque that was about to die from premature birth with just one dose of medicine."
"A young genius, worthy of admiration."
“Yes! Don’t underestimate Lele just because he’s young. He’s the culinary god of our alliance. When we were on a business trip in the wasteland, it was all thanks to him that we were able to turn the rotten into the magical.” Qi Woxue became more and more excited as she spoke. “Jingjing should understand this the most. She is the only person the culinary god has personally selected to supply her.”
Ren Moyin said, "Hmm~ It sounds a bit gossipy."
Zhang Jiale didn't hide anything, pulling his chair closer to Lin Yujing. "It's not gossip. My pursuit of my senior is perfectly legitimate; everyone in the league knows it."
Lin Yujing scratched her head, and under the oppressive gaze of a certain person, her stomach growled.
"Senior, are you hungry?" Zhang Jiale asked in a low voice.
Lin Yujing nodded, "Talking about your cooking makes me a little hungry."
Zhang Jiale glanced at the time; there was still more than an hour until lunchtime. "Then I'll go downstairs to the convenience store and buy you some oden. You can make an excuse to go to the bathroom and come out to eat."
"No, thank you."
"Senior, have you forgotten about the time you fainted due to low blood sugar from being hungry?"
Before she could answer, Zhang Jiale had already run out of the meeting room.
Shortly after Zhang Jiale left, as she was about to make an excuse to go out, Chen Jingshu glanced at his wrist and said, "It's already noon, everyone must be hungry. I'll treat you to lunch today!"
The fact that our patron treated us to dinner was truly overwhelming; we felt incredibly honored and said, "We can't possibly accept this."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Once we've established a partnership, we'll probably be having frequent meetings and working meals," Chen Jingshu said. "Besides, Professor Xu just shared a lot of interesting stories about your field trips, and I still want more."
Chu Yan and Ren Moyin agreed to finalize the lunch, and the group went downstairs chatting and laughing.
Qi Woxue looked around and asked Lin Yujing, "Where's your puppy Lele?"
Lin Yujing clicked her tongue lightly, "What kind of puppy is he? He went to buy me oden."
"Oh, so you're protecting him now." Qi Woxue glanced at Chen Jingshu standing not far away and said with a grin, "Call him quickly, President Chen is treating us to dinner, no need to buy anything."
Before Lin Yujing could even dial the number, Zhang Jiale had already run over with a full cup of oden. "Senior, these are all your favorites."
"Little brother, Mr. Chen wants to treat us to dinner." Qi Woxue was determined to stir things up and ignite the conflict.
"It's a business dinner, probably another Western meal or something. The plate is huge, but the food is only the size of a fingernail. Senior, you should have something to eat first." Lin Yujing was dragged here at the last minute today, and Zhang Jiale's impression of Chen Jingshu has completely plummeted.
“I won’t treat everyone to Western food. Last time, Lin recommended a seafood restaurant in Pengzhen. The taste and portions were pretty good.” Chen Jingshu said, one hand in his pocket, looking directly at Zhang Jiale.
"Mr. Chen must be referring to Aunt Zhang's Seafood Restaurant. Jingjing is practically their living advertisement; there's no one in the alliance who doesn't know her." Someone immediately chimed in, "We all love it. Thank you, Mr. Chen, for arranging this."
At this moment, Ren Mo drove over, and Chu Yan opened the back door for Chen Jingshu and sat in the passenger seat himself.
At the same time, Xu Jibai drove over, Qi Woxue opened the passenger door, and Zhang Jiale hurriedly ran to open the back door for Lin Yujing.
"Lin Yujing, I have something I'd like to discuss with you about the art exhibition. Please get in my car." Chen Jingshu placed his hand in front of the car door and leaned out to look at Lin Yujing, who was about to get in.
Zhang Jiale muttered indignantly, "They still force people to work overtime after get off work."
Lin Yujing sighed inwardly and had no choice but to walk towards him with the oden. "Okay, Mr. Chen."
"No eating in my car." Chen Jingshu's gaze fell on her hand, his expression not very pleasant.
Lin Yujing's stomach growled again; she was truly hungry. "Then I'll quickly eat two while standing outside."
Since Zhang Jiale had bought it out of kindness, she couldn't just throw it away and hurt the child's feelings, so she picked out a fish roe lucky bag and ate it.
However, the lucky bags, which had just boiled out of the pot, were still very hot, and Lin Yujing accidentally burned the corner of her mouth.
Zhang Jiale rushed forward with concern, "President Chen, do we have to talk now? My senior has severe hypoglycemia; she'll faint if she doesn't eat something."
Lin Yujing didn't want Chen Jingshu to know about her past. Those days were too gloomy, enough for him to use as a laughingstock that could kill without drawing blood. So she hurriedly tried to explain, but ended up swallowing the entire lucky bag, her mouth steaming from the heat. "Zhang Jiale, I'm not eating anymore. Take these to the car and share them with everyone."
"Do you often faint?" Chen Jingshu wasn't in a hurry to urge Lin Yujing anymore, and instead asked Zhang Jiale.
Zhang Jiale didn't take the oden cup she handed him, and met Chen Jingshu's gaze as he replied, "Yes, the worst time was in the dead of winter when my senior almost fell into an icy lake."
Chen Jingshu sighed silently, his gaze falling on Lin Yujing's slightly pale face, and his tone softened, "Take it and eat it in the car."
Lin Yujing, who is known for her unpredictable temper, didn't actually hand the oden over. Instead, she shoved it into Zhang Jiale's hands, saying, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Zhang Jiale hesitated, "Senior sister."
Lin Yujing pursed her lips, then suddenly said absentmindedly, "He doesn't like other people eating smelly food in the car or bedroom."
After saying that, before Zhang Jiale could recover from his surprise, Lin Yujing turned and walked towards the Rolls-Royce with the three license plates.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Chu Yan glanced at Chen Jingshu, both amused and exasperated. "Are you satisfied now, Young Master Chen?"
A note from the author:
Too Clever
Singer: Young Master Chen
[Heartache] [Suppressed] [Holding the microphone] [I'm always hot and cold, hiding my feelings, just because I'm afraid you'll see through my love for you.]
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Xiao Chen: Do you have any regret pills? Please prepare a few boxes for me. I already have a feeling that I'm about to face the nightmare of trying to win back my wife!
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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:47:30 on September 8, 2023 and 23:56:29 on September 9, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 44672274 (1 landmine);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: zjzzzz (10 bottles); Sangyan (3 bottles); Xingchen (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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