Chapter 2#
Chapter 2#
New Year’s Day was approaching, and there was a pre-holiday social engagement in the evening. Zhang Xingchuan and Vice President Sun, who was in charge of the Finance Division, were going to a dinner party together.
At 6:30 PM, the two entered the elevator together.
Zhang Xingchuan mentioned to Vice President Sun that there was a PhD intern from the Finance Department of Tsinghua University who would be a good fit for the Finance Division.
Vice President Sun, however, said that there was a lot to do before the end of the year and no one had the leisure time to lead an intern; it would be better to wait until after the Spring Festival.
The reason was reasonable. It was also reasonable for the CEO to be slightly unhappy about being politely refused.
For a moment, no one spoke in the elevator.
The elevator, which was supposed to go directly from the top floor to the underground garage, stopped on the ninth floor, the Marketing Department.
The elevator doors slowly opened. Before seeing the person, a whistle was heard—the whistling intro to “Titoli” from A Fistful of Dollars.
Tan Xiao was absent-mindedly whistling while waiting for the elevator. When the doors opened, he didn’t see the people inside clearly and walked straight in.
The assistants of Zhang Xingchuan and Vice President Sun looked at each other, each thinking the other would stop him, but in the end, no one did.
Tan Xiao stopped whistling and single-mindedly leaned over to press the button for the first floor, still not noticing the leaders.
Zhang Xingchuan’s junior assistant: “Cough.”
Tan Xiao turned his head, was surprised for a second, and greeted politely: “Hello, Mr. Zhang. Hello, Mr. Sun.”
Zhang Xingchuan said: “Off work?”
The assistants were expressionless but tense inside. Getting off work at just past six? Looking at the color of his ID badge, he’s an intern. Is he really here to “rectify the workplace”?
Vice President Sun was also puzzled. This was an unfamiliar face. From Zhang Xingchuan’s tone, did he know him?
“I’ve finished all my work,” Tan Xiao said. “A friend came back from abroad and asked to meet. It’s not good to be late.”
Zhang Xingchuan’s question didn’t have any special meaning; it was just a casual inquiry. After asking, he also felt it was inappropriate, like he was making things difficult for the young man.
Some people might panic in this situation, either acting deaf and dumb or speaking without thinking.
Tan Xiao didn’t. He was relaxed and natural, leaving work openly and answering the leader’s question courteously.
Truly a young man “strictly selected” by the CEO.
Zhang Xingchuan introduced him to Vice President Sun: “This is the intern I mentioned just now, Tan Xiao from our school. He’s currently pursuing a PhD in Finance.”
After hearing this, Vice President Sun immediately put on an appreciative smile.
Tan Xiao said: “I’m an operations intern in the Marketing Department.”
To give face to Zhang Xingchuan, Vice President Sun also asked Tan Xiao two or three questions related to operations with apparent concern.
Tan Xiao answered fluently and expressed himself appropriately. The appreciation on Vice President Sun’s face turned from fake to a bit more genuine.
Zhang Xingchuan sized up Tan Xiao from the side. Tan Xiao himself was taller than he remembered. Zhang Xingchuan was 1.87 meters tall; by visual estimation, Tan Xiao was of a similar height, with broad shoulders and long legs—a decent clothes horse. He wore a dark green shirt that made his skin look extremely fair. His black hair was a bit shorter than when they first met. His aura had changed from a sunny college guy to a workplace rookie with a vital spark.
This prospective PhD in finance also looked very good.
Feeling Zhang Xingchuan’s gaze, Tan Xiao also quietly observed him.
When they met at school last time, Zhang Xingchuan was dressed like an elite scholar. Today, he had changed to silver-rimmed glasses, and his hairstyle and clothing were in a casual business style, like a model about to shoot a CEO OOTD poster.
Being good-looking was useless. To Tan Xiao, he now looked like a “big villain” who was outwardly beautiful and harmless but actually sinister at heart.
How could those 38-degree lips utter such a cynical and cold question as “Off work?” just past six?
Tan Xiao was a majestic intern, not a pathetic permanent employee. He hadn’t even signed a deed of sale with Wencheng. What’s wrong with getting off work at past six?
Wencheng is an online travel service platform. Tan Xiao is a high-level member of the Wencheng app, but Wencheng was definitely not an internship company he was very interested in.
All of this was because he and Zhang Xingchuan had got along excessively well on the day of the alumni forum, giving rise to a “love me, love my dog” mentality and a good feeling towards the Wencheng Group. He wanted to intern here, thinking that with such an interesting CEO, the company should also be somewhat interesting.
Unexpectedly, he was sent to the Marketing Department as an operator. HR even said it was specifically instructed by the CEO’s office that he should be well-trained—“thousand-fold tempering produces true gold”!
Tan Xiao: Go to hell.
He also had a slight resentment towards Zhang Xingchuan, though his politeness and upbringing wouldn’t allow him to show it on his face.
The elevator reached the first floor. Tan Xiao said goodbye to everyone. His eyes met Zhang Xingchuan’s, and they nodded to each other before Tan Xiao walked out of the elevator.
Zhang Xingchuan stood there like Bo Le looking at a horse, secretly sighing in admiration. This “little thousand-mile horse” was truly not bad.
Little did he know that the “little thousand-mile horse” not only wanted to hang him from a streetlight but also wanted to lash him with a horsewhip.
Tan Xiao had an appointment to eat with a friend. By the time he arrived at the restaurant, the friend who invited him had already arrived.
The friend’s name was Zhou Ruofei, a Chinese American who was in Beijing on business for a few days. His family was very familiar with Tan Xiao’s family. He himself was a few years older than Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao had no older brother, and Zhou Ruofei loved to consider himself Tan Xiao’s big brother.
Zhou Ruofei hugged Tan Xiao and asked, “Is it that cold? You’re wrapped up like a zongzi.”
He had lived in China when he was a child, and his Mandarin was very good; one couldn’t tell he was a “little American.”
Tan Xiao said, “Beijing just has too much wind. I came by subway, and I had to walk more than two hundred meters after coming out of the station. My head almost blew off.”
He took off his down jacket. A waiter quietly came over to take it, hung it up, and then quietly exited the private room.
“How many years have you been in Beijing, and you haven’t gotten a car?” Zhou Ruofei said. “It would be fine to ship a car from the family in Europe. If it’s inconvenient, I’ll arrange it for you?”
Tan Xiao said, “I have a car, but I don’t usually drive it. I live in the school dormitory, and there’s no suitable place to park. It’s not good if teachers and classmates see it.”
Zhou Ruofei asked in disbelief, “Why are you still living at school? Isn’t the student dormitory noisy?”
“I’m doing my PhD. I live in a single room now,” Tan Xiao said. “Have you ordered? Let me see if there’s anything good to eat.”
Zhou Ruofei pushed the tablet for ordering to him.
“Today Kevin was chatting with me online. He was shocked when he heard me say you were doing your PhD at Tsinghua in China,” Zhou Ruofei said. “He was screaming over there like a boiling kettle. They all thought your absence these past few years was because you went to travel the world. Some said you were opening a zoo in Peru, some said you went to Japan to be a manga artist under a pseudonym, and some said you built a personal scientific research station in Antarctica.”
Tan Xiao was speechless: “…What a load of rubbish.”
Zhou Ruofei said, “Who would have thought that instead of inheriting the family business and living a stable life, you would actually take the Gaokao in China? Not to mention getting into Tsinghua, you’ve even studied all the way to a PhD.”
Tan Xiao couldn’t recall the person mentioned just now and asked, “Who is ‘Boiling Kettle’? The name sounds familiar, but I have no impression of the person.”
Zhou Ruofei said, “That Kevin Wu. His grandfather is a Justice of the Peace, and his father is a member of the House of Commons. You said the faces of the three generations of their family all look like the Mercedes-Benz logo, evenly cut into three pieces.”
Tan Xiao immediately remembered and said, “Why are you hanging out with him? I remember you used to say this person was very annoying.”
Zhou Ruofei said, “Just for fun. Who told you to insist on studying hard in China? I can only find some annoying people to hang out with.”
Tan Xiao asked, “What’s your business trip this time? You’re actually working?”
“It’s boring to just play all the time. I’m helping the family with some things. This time it’s for my uncle,” Zhou Ruofei said. “He went skiing in Finland last month and accidentally had an asthma attack. The doctor advised him not to take long-distance flights in the near future. It just so happened that there was business in Beijing, so he asked me to do it for him.”
Zhou Ruofei’s family was in the semiconductor business, with their base in North America.
Tan Xiao said, “Then how is your uncle’s health now? Is he stranded in Europe?”
“It’s nothing major. He’s just taking the opportunity to rest in Europe for a while,” Zhou Ruofei said. “A few days ago, he was riding horses with your dad. He told me that your dad’s current wife is pregnant, very likely with twins.”
“That’s great,” Tan Xiao said coldly. “Wish him to keep having them until he can’t anymore.”
“When do you graduate?” Zhou Ruofei changed the subject. “I’m planning to buy a small island in the Pacific to give to you as a PhD graduation gift, okay? Then you can go to that island to open a zoo, draw manga, and build a research station.”
“Don’t jinx me, brother,” Tan Xiao said. “It’s not certain if I can graduate smoothly yet. If you insist on giving it to me, that’s fine, but if your jinxing causes me to delay graduation, I’ll go blow your island up like fireworks.”
He flipped through the menu, ordered a few dishes at random, and asked, “Since you’re here at this time, do you plan to spend the New Year in Beijing?”
Zhou Ruofei said, “No, I’ll head back to North America the day after tomorrow at the latest. Everyone in the family is over there this year. I’ve already applied for a flight route, but the takeoff time hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
Tan Xiao could only say, “Smoothly then, have a safe trip.”
Zhou Ruofei realized and said, “Are you going to spend the New Year in Beijing again?”
No one from the Tan family was in Beijing. To stay in Beijing for the New Year, Tan Xiao could only be by himself.
“Why not come back with me?” Zhou Ruofei invited. “My family has many people; it’s lively.”
Tan Xiao didn’t want to go to North America, nor did he want to go to his house. He said, “No, it happens that the company isn’t giving time off either.”
Zhou Ruofei knew he had been interning at various companies since his undergraduate days. Although he didn’t understand this behavior, he could barely respect it. He complained slightly: “What kind of rubbish company is it this time? No time off even for the New Year.”
Tan Xiao said, “This winter break, I’m interning at Wencheng.”
Zhou Ruofei had heard of the name and knew it was a travel app. He asked in confusion, “You’re studying finance, why go work at a travel agency?”
“It’s a long story.” Tan Xiao couldn’t explain why he was temporarily possessed by a ghost. Blaming a certain CEO for being too good at playing the good guy, he said, “Because I have nothing better to do.”
Zhou Ruofei was on a business trip to Beijing and was staying in the hotel upstairs. The local branch had hosted him for a banquet in the restaurant yesterday. He thought the dishes were good and it was close to his room, so when he asked to meet Tan Xiao today, he also made the appointment here.
This place was truly very suitable for business banquets.
Zhang Xingchuan’s social dinner tonight was also in this same place.
The dinner was nearing its end. Everyone at the table had drunk some wine, and the conversation was heading in a vulgar direction—who had past grudges with whom in the industry, who was having a secret affair with whom, and who had made a “peach-colored” (scandalous) deal with whom.
Zhang Xingchuan used the excuse of going to the restroom, but in fact, he wanted to come out for some fresh air.
In the sink area outside the restroom, Tan Xiao was rinsing off the soap bubbles on his hands. Zhou Ruofei had already washed his hands, discarded the towel, and was standing by, looking at Tan Xiao in the mirror.
“Are you in a hurry to go back?” Zhou Ruofei said. “Come to my room to hang out for a while before you leave.”
Tan Xiao said, “What are you planning now?”
Zhou Ruofei said, “Just come and hang out. I’ll show you my luminous big watch.”
Tan Xiao said mockingly, “Why don’t you say your ‘ding-ding’ (penis) is luminous?”
Zhou Ruofei said, “You can see it if you want.”
He made a gesture as if to unbutton his pants.
Tan Xiao didn’t move either, staring at his movements, knowing he wouldn’t actually unbutton them.
Zhou Ruofei said, “I didn’t expect you to really be coveting my body.”
Tan Xiao said, “I knew your purpose for inviting me to dinner wasn’t pure.”
Zhou Ruofei said, “I’ve raised an Ultraman in my room. Don’t you want to see the light?”
Tan Xiao wiped his hands. Zhou Ruofei helped him throw the towel aside and took the opportunity to hold his hand, wanting to pull him up to hang out.
As soon as Zhang Xingchuan came out of the restroom, he saw Tan Xiao and a young man holding hands.
Inside, he had already heard the “ambiguous” dialogue between the two male voices. He thought one of the voices sounded a bit familiar and didn’t expect it to be Tan Xiao.
Tan Xiao knew what Zhou Ruofei wanted him to do in his room—he definitely wanted him to call his older sister, Tan Yun. It would be even better if it could be a video call so Zhou Ruofei could eavesdrop on a few lines or catch a few frames of video.
Zhou Ruofei had been a “licking dog” (devoted admirer) of Tan Xiao’s sister, Tan Yun, since they were children.
Tan Xiao also knew that his sister looked down on Zhou Ruofei. This was destined to be an unrequited love without a result.
He was just feeling helpless because of this affectionate American licking dog. Turning his head, he saw Zhang Xingchuan.
Zhang Xingchuan was full of confusion and bewilderment, looking at the two male guests holding hands.
Tan Xiao was, of course, as elegant as a jade tree, with a tall stature and a handsome face.
Zhou Ruofei was also quite beautiful, with deep eyes and thick lashes, and naturally curly hair—a gender-neutral beauty with a distinct style. Part of the reason Tan Yun didn’t like him was that she thought his face was too beautiful and that he lacked masculinity.
Tan Xiao and Zhou Ruofei standing together holding hands was truly a pleasing couple to look at.
Tan Xiao also didn’t expect to meet Zhang Xingchuan here.
When meeting a leader in a public restroom, the most urgent thing is—run fast.
Tan Xiao said: “Hello, CEO. Goodbye, CEO.”
Then, dragging Zhou Ruofei, he left like the wind.
The smell of Zhou Ruofei’s men’s cologne still lingered in the air.
Otherwise, Zhang Xingchuan would have doubted whether he had too much alcohol just now and his eyes had played tricks on him, and that he hadn’t seen the intern Tan Xiao holding hands and flirting with a beautiful man at the entrance of a restroom with quite a French mood in a top luxury hotel.