stonecrandall Chapter 33: Other Services?
Chapter 33: Other Services?
The hotel doorbell rang again.
Yu Chen frowned and glanced at the time on the computer.
It's almost 10 o'clock, who could it be at this hour?
He walked quickly to the door and looked out through the peephole. Ye Rong was standing outside the door, looking awkward and embarrassed.
He would also nervously glance to his left and right every now and then.
What is she doing here again?
Yu Chen opened the door, didn't say anything, just silently looked at her.
"Mr. Yu, I'm sorry."
Ye Rong's voice was soft, and her makeup couldn't hide the blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I forgot my coat in the room."
Yu Chen then noticed that Ye Rong was only wearing that beige business suit.
He stepped aside to make room for him: "Come in and get it yourself."
Ye Rong lowered her head and quickly walked into the room, heading straight to the coat rack to take down her coat.
Just as she turned to leave, a small silver bag slipped out of the side pocket of her coat and fluttered down onto the dark carpet.
Yu Chen and she both looked at that thing at the same time.
It was an individually packaged burp bag.
The air froze instantly.
Ye Rong's face turned deathly pale in an instant. She froze on the spot, as if she had been nailed to the spot.
Yu Chen stared at the bag on the ground, his gaze gradually turning cold.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Ye Rong's face. There was no anger in his eyes, only a coldness.
At the same time, it carried an undisguised contempt.
"Miss Ye," Yu Chen said, his voice eerily calm, "you've made quite a thorough preparation."
"No... I..." Ye Rong stammered, bending down to pick it up, but her hands were trembling violently.
Yu Chen picked it up with her hand before she could.
Then I looked at the information on the packaging bag.
"Ultra-thin design, and it even contains hyaluronic acid."
Yu Chen read it out casually, but it was full of humiliation.
"It seems that Sheng Xingjie's task for you includes not only winning you over, but also... other services?"
"Mr. Yu, you've misunderstood!" Ye Rong's voice was already trembling with tears. "I just... just to be on the safe side..."
"Just in case what?" Yu Chen interrupted her, taking half a step forward. "Just in case I really am a man who gets lustful at first sight? Just in case I need you to prove your sincerity with your body?"
Yu Chen laughed, but the laugh was devoid of warmth: "Ye Rong, you think too highly of yourself and too little of me."
Ye Rong bit her lip tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Take your things," Yu Chen threw the burp bag on the ground, took a step back to distance himself from her, and said, "Get lost."
Ye Rong suddenly squatted down, grabbed the small package and stuffed it into her coat pocket, then almost staggered out of the room.
The door slammed shut.
Yu Chen stood there, staring at the door, without moving for a long time.
---
At 7:30 a.m., Yu Chen drove Nie Xiguang's Porsche to her apartment building.
Nie Xiguang was already waiting at the door, wearing the same beige coat as yesterday, but with a light pink scarf, and dragging a small suitcase.
Upon seeing Yu Chen, she smiled and waved.
Good morning, Mr. Yu.
"Good morning, Ms. Nie. Please get in the car; it's cold outside."
Yu Chen got out of the car to help her with her luggage.
As the car drove onto the elevated highway, the morning view of Shanghai unfolded outside the window.
The car was unusually quiet.
Nie Xiguang would steal glances at Yu Chen from time to time. He had just confessed his feelings yesterday, so why was he acting like a block of wood today, not saying a word?
"Yu Chen," Nie Xiguang suddenly asked, unable to hold back any longer, "Are you nervous about the seminar this afternoon?"
"Yes, but being nervous won't help. I've prepared everything I need to; the rest is up to them to decide whether they'll accept it or not."
"They'll definitely admit it," Nie Xiguang said confidently, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration. "You're so amazing."
Yu Chen laughed: "You trust me that much?"
"Yes." Nie Xiguang nodded and said very seriously, "You are the most amazing person I have ever met."
She spoke bluntly, and after saying it, she blushed and turned to look out the window.
Yu Chen felt a warmth in his heart and didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and gently squeezed her hand.
"Hey, drive carefully, don't touch me!"
Nie Xiguang tried to pull his hand away, but found he couldn't break free, so he simply gave up struggling.
Her little face was so red it looked like it could bleed.
At 8:20, the car drove into the high-speed rail station parking lot.
Yu Chen took her luggage and accompanied her into the waiting hall.
The station was bustling with people, and the sounds of announcements, footsteps, and conversations mingled together.
"I'll leave you here." Nie Xiguang stopped at the security checkpoint. "Didn't you have something to do this morning?"
"Yeah, I have an appointment with a client." Yu Chen handed her the suitcase. "Be careful on the road, and remember to text me when you arrive."
"Okay." Nie Xiguang took the box, but didn't leave immediately.
She looked up at Yu Chen, her eyes showing some hesitation.
"What's wrong?" Yu Chen asked.
"That's right," Nie Xiguang pursed his lips, "I actually... want to go see the seminar this afternoon."
"Come whenever you want, but it's really boring, all technical parameters and data analysis."
"I'm not afraid of being bored." Nie Xiguang winked at him. "I just want to see with my own eyes how you convince them."
"That might disappoint you." Yu Chen patted her head. "At technical demonstration meetings, arguing is the norm."
The announcement began broadcasting the boarding notice for Nie Xiguang's train.
"I should go now," Nie Xiguang said.
"Mm." Yu Chen nodded.
Nie Xiguang dragged his suitcase forward a couple of steps, then suddenly turned around and jogged back, tiptoed, and quickly kissed Yu Chen on the cheek.
"Go for it!" she said, her face turning as red as a boiled shrimp, and rushed into the security checkpoint without looking back.
Yu Chen stood there, raised his hand and touched the spot where she had kissed him, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
He only turned and left after Nie Xiguang's figure disappeared into the crowd.
---
At 10 a.m., Yu Chen sat in a coffee shop in an industrial park on the outskirts of Shanghai, opposite a middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses.
"Mr. Yu, we tried the passivation solution you mentioned last time in our lab, and it did improve the results." The man adjusted his glasses. "But the cost is too high, and mass production is difficult."
"The cost can be optimized." Yu Chen took out his tablet and pulled up a set of data. "Switching to domestically produced precursors can reduce the price by 30%. These are sample test data; the performance loss is within an acceptable range."
The man examined the data carefully, his brow gradually relaxing. "That's a good approach. Engineer Yu, you always manage to surprise me."
"It's a win-win situation." Yu Chen put away his tablet. "You reduce costs, and I'll take the technical consulting fee."
The two talked for another half hour about the details and finalized a preliminary cooperation agreement.
After seeing the client off, Yu Chen glanced at the time.
11:30.
There are still three hours until the 2:30 pm demonstration meeting.
He made a phone call to Hua Xiangyang.
"Hua Zong, are all the meeting materials for this afternoon ready?"
"Ready!" Hua Xiangyang's voice was filled with excitement. "Engineer Yu, I just heard that besides Chief Engineer Zhao, Sheng Yuan has also sent a vice president-level person!"
"Vice President? Who?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know the people at Shengyuan very well, but they're all high-ranking." Hua Xiangyang lowered his voice and whispered, "Engineer Yu, I'm thinking that this setup... is more than just a technical demonstration."
Yu Chen's tone softened, "If you take it too seriously, your expectations will be too high, and what if you can't meet them..."
"You can definitely achieve it!" Hua Xiangyang was full of confidence in him. "Engineer Yu, I have a good eye for technical skills. Your layered design is absolutely cutting-edge. They came here today to broaden their horizons."
Yu Chen smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words."
After hanging up the phone, he returned to his car, but instead of starting the engine, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
Images flashed through my mind.
The technical information package displayed on the system interface, the official seal on the patent acceptance receipt, Sheng Xianmin's sharp eyes, Lin Yusen's cold scrutiny, Sheng Xingjie's enthusiastic attempts to win him over...
And then there were those bright, sparkling eyes when Nie Xiguang said, "You are the most amazing person I have ever met."
Although the Sheng family is powerful, Yu Chen wants more than just a small share of Shuangyuan.
The layout is small.
Yu Chen opened his eyes and started the car.
The car headed towards Suzhou.
The afternoon sun shone through the car window, making it feel warm and cozy.
He knew that today's symposium would determine many things.
It's not just about the technical feasibility, but also his position on the chessboard.
As the car entered the Shuangyuan factory area, Yu Chen glanced at his phone. Nie Xiguang had sent a message ten minutes earlier: "Keep it up!"
He replied, "Okay."
Then he put away his phone and opened the car door.
Ahead, the office building stands quietly in the winter sun.
Yu Chen straightened his suit and strode forward.