Wu Jianwei was a man of action. Lin Yao only understood why he had lost so much weight in such a short time after arriving at Kangqi Pharmaceutical Factory. The facilities and resettlement housing added by Kangqi Pharmaceutical Factory were all very well done, and Shen Ruohua, who had arrived earlier, was very satisfied. Of course, this was related to the fact that all the arrangements and modifications were carried out entirely according to his opinions, but it also showed that Wu Jianwei's workload had been really heavy recently.
After settling the workers into their rest rooms and positions, Lin Yao also joined the group to visit Kangqi Pharmaceutical Factory. The formalities had been completed, and the production base of Minhong Pharmaceutical Company could be officially established the next day. He heard that the vice mayor in charge of culture, education, and health would also attend in person. That vice mayor turned out to be Xia Yuwen's uncle, Duan Qing, which made Lin Yao hesitate for a moment about whether or not to attend the unveiling ceremony.
The highest-ranking government official attending the unveiling ceremony wasn't Vice Mayor Duan; he was merely one of them, ranking fifth or sixth. Among those present were the Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and the Governor, as well as the Municipal Party Secretary and the Mayor. There were numerous officials at the vice-mayor level like Duan Qing, who only qualified to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony because he was in charge of this particular area of work.
Minhong Pharmaceutical's disaster relief efforts are expanding, and the drought in western China is worsening. In addition to Yunnan Province, which is severely affected, Guizhou is also a major disaster area, and parts of Guangxi and Sichuan are also in serious condition. This is putting even more pressure on Minhong Pharmaceutical, with losses increasing daily. While Lin Hongmei is feeling a sense of accomplishment, she is also heartbroken every day. She worries that if the funding provided by Lin Yao breaks down, the company will face financial difficulties.
The gathering was arranged at "Chongqing Kongliang Hot Pot" in Guanghua Village, not far from Kangqi Pharmaceutical Factory. The entire hall of Kongliang Hot Pot was booked in advance, and hundreds of former employees of Xinglin Pharmaceutical Factory and Kangqi Pharmaceutical Factory gathered together, creating a lively atmosphere. Everyone wore happy and proud smiles. Although they hadn't gone to the front lines, every employee's work was contributing to the disaster relief cause.
Little Guli and Nannan were quite the attention-seekers, running between the tables in the lobby, constantly screaming and occasionally knocking over the food racks next to each table, causing a clattering noise. Fortunately, the plates in the hot pot restaurant were made of hard plastic, so the food wouldn't break; the only loss was some fresh meat and vegetables. Everyone was lenient with these two little princesses and princes from Minhong Pharmaceutical, offering no reprimands, only worrying that the two little ones might fall. This indulgence emboldened them, and Lin Yao and Ruan Lingling chased after the little ones non-stop, barely getting to eat any food themselves.
The result of the chase was that all the employees of the two pharmaceutical factories knew Lin Yao, the young master. People would greet Lin Yao and Ruan Lingling warmly all the time, and the two of them could only respond enthusiastically. When the little ones got tired and quieted down, Lin Yao could only keep rubbing his face to relieve the facial muscles that were sore from laughing. Ruan Lingling was also tired, but she was too embarrassed to rub her face, so she could only force herself to endure it. Her stiff muscles would twitch from time to time, which looked very strange.
"Dad, I think I'll skip the ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow. There are too many leaders, and I'll feel uncomfortable." Lin Yao was still worried about running into Duan Qing and being recognized. These shrewd people have a sharp eye for people, and it would be embarrassing if he were recognized. Who knows, it might even attract Old Man Xia's attention later. Just thinking about that old man's violent tendencies filled Lin Yao with fear.
“How can that be? You’re the main character tomorrow, and you deserve the most credit for these things.” Luo Jimin directly rejected his son’s suggestion. Even though it was his own son, he was too embarrassed to take credit for him. Even if he agreed to Lin Yao’s request not to reveal his identity, he would never allow such an important event to happen without the participation of the greatest contributor.
"Alright then," Lin Yao said helplessly. "Tomorrow I'll hide in a corner, I can't let anyone take a picture of my face, otherwise it'll cause trouble. You know how hard it is for me to earn money, it would be terrible if someone saw me."
The father and son spoke in hushed tones, only audible to Lin Hongmei, who was peeking over from the side. Hearing Lin Yao mention making money, Lin Hongmei chuckled, imagining the endless stream of huge sums of money flowing into their account. She knew then how ruthlessly her son could fleece wealthy clients.
The weather was great the next day; the Chengdu sky was unusually bright with sunshine, adding even more glory to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The governor and the deputy secretary of the provincial party committee both took the stage to speak, praising Minhong Pharmaceutical's sense of national responsibility and noble patriotism. Subsequently, the municipal party secretary and the market also spoke, representing the Party and the government to commend patriotic enterprises and advocating that all national enterprises should not forget the people and keep in mind the fine traditions of the Chinese nation while developing.
Various departments presented flower baskets, and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry in Sichuan Province also sent congratulatory flower baskets. Even relevant agencies stationed in Chengdu from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi sent congratulatory flower baskets. There were so many colorful flower baskets that they lined up from the factory gate all the way to the office building, and even filled the entrance to the production workshop, demonstrating the recognition and praise of Minhong Pharmaceutical from the whole society.
Lin Yao carefully avoided all the cameras, only watching the excitement from afar. The two little ones were also kept by his side, preventing them from indulging in their talent for joining in the fun. Their pouting lips could practically hold two soy sauce bottles.
"Lin Yao, you really are here." A pleasant exclamation rang out from beside him.
"Beautiful sister Wenwen, beautiful sister Qingqing, hug me!" Little Guli was the first to react and immediately reached out to hug her, which surprised Lin Yao.
Xia Yuwen and Lan Xiaoqing were incredibly resourceful; they walked over from the direction of the factory workshop, catching Lin Yao, who was keeping an eye on the factory gate, completely unnoticed.
"Lin Yao, is Minhong Pharmaceutical really owned by your family? I didn't believe it when Xiaowen told me." Lan Xiaoqing stared exaggeratedly into Lin Yao's eyes, her bright eyes sparkling.
Xia Yuwen had taken Xiao Guli from Lin Yao's arms. The heavy little guy was difficult for her to hold, and her posture clearly showed that she had never held a child before.
Nannan is very proud and did not ask any strangers to hold her. She clearly distinguishes between her own people and outsiders. She can talk to them, but she cannot be held. At this moment, she only holds Lan Xiaoqing's hand and stands to the side.
Xiao Guli twisted his body to get down, so Xia Yuwen had to put him down. As a result, Nannan immediately rushed over, grabbed Xiao Guli's hand, and ran towards the ribbon-cutting direction. The ball games and inflatable arches there were so beautiful. The little guy had been holding back for a long time and finally got a chance to escape Lin Yao's control.
Alina and Ruan Lingling were startled by the two little ones' actions. They dared not let them go and cause trouble. Although the ribbon-cutting ceremony was over, the leaders were still having friendly conversations and greetings, and they could not let the unruly little ones disturb them.
Lin Yao didn't chase after them, worried that Duan Qing would recognize him. He turned to look at Xia Yuwen and Lan Xiaoqing, feeling his heart race a little. "Hi, long time no see."
"It's been a long time. I called so many times but you ignored me. You didn't give me any face at all." Lan Xiaoqing spoke quickly, looking very aggrieved, completely unaware that Lin Yao's voice sounded dry when he greeted her.
"Long time no see." Xia Yuwen lowered her head slightly, her voice soft, and her face turned a little red.
Lan Xiaoqing walked over and patted Lin Yao on the shoulder, appearing very generous, "But I only found out today that you were busy with something, so I forgive you. You can't refuse our dates in the future, you have to come out and keep us company whenever you have time."
Lan Xiaoqing emphasized the word "date" and drew out the sound, causing Lin Yao and Xia Yuwen to pause, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.
"Hey, what if we want to buy a few drinks from you?" Lan Xiaoqing whispered as she leaned closer, her expression a bit like a thief. "But we can't buy them at the new market price, you know. At most, I'll pay ten times the price in the disaster area, 20 yuan a bottle, how about that?"
"Uh, this..." Lin Yao was a little confused, unable to understand Lan Xiaoqing's true meaning, and wondered if she was joking.
"I'll give each of you a bottle later. You don't need to buy them; we don't sell to the public." Lin Yao hesitated for a moment, but still made up his mind to say it. He couldn't set a precedent.
"Haha, I was just kidding." Lan Xiaoqing laughed loudly, pleased to see Lin Yao's embarrassed expression. "Of course we wouldn't do such a thing, but you have to keep your word about giving each of us a bottle. I've never had this drink before. I heard it has a special flavor that you can't replicate no matter how you try."
"Xiao Qing, this is not good." Xia Yuwen was finally able to speak fluently and began to scold Lan Xiao Qing.
After learning about Lin Yao's identity from her father, Xia Yuwen had a strange feeling and always wanted to see him. She deliberately brought up Lin Yao several times when she was with Lan Xiaoqing, hoping Lan Xiaoqing would call him and ask him out, but she was never successful; she didn't know if he was genuinely busy or deliberately avoiding them. This time, hearing that her uncle was attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Minhong Pharmaceutical, she came along, wanting to see the family's grandeur.
"I said I was just joking." Lan Xiaoqing glanced at Xia Yuwen and raised her chin. "But I'm going to take that drink Lin Yao gave me. I want to take it back so my parents can try it. Xiaowen, if you don't want yours, you can give it to me. I'll treat you to Häagen-Dazs another day."
"Get lost!" Xia Yuwen spat at Lan Xiaoqing, feigning anger. "Don't even think about hitting on me."
“Your uncle will definitely give you some later, and who knows how many bottles it will be. Why are you being so stingy?” Lan Xiaoqing stared at Xia Yuwen without backing down. “I heard this drink can help with acne. Your skin is so good, you don’t need to drink it. I got some acne yesterday, so it’s only right that you give it to me.”
"Get rid of acne?" Lin Yao was a little surprised. "Who said this drink could get rid of acne? How come I didn't know that?"
"Tch, it's already spread online." Lan Xiaoqing gave Lin Yao a disdainful look. "Many consumers in Shanghai and Beijing bought the drink and posted their experiences online. You don't actually know about this function, do you? Surely not!"
"Hehe, I really don't know, they might be making things up." Lin Yao found it amusing that drought-resistant drinks had become beauty and skincare products; the power of the people was indeed strong.
“That should be the case.” Xia Yuwen regained her composure and interjected, “I heard that some armed police officers and soldiers who were doing disaster relief in the disaster area were also given this drink as a fixed amount. They said it does have an effect on clearing up acne, and many soldiers in their teens have seen their acne disappear.”
Is that really the case? Lin Yao immediately believed Xia Yuwen's words. He knew Xia Yuwen's identity, and it was normal for her to know this kind of internal information from the military.
Seeing that Lin Yao didn't speak, Xia Yuwen hesitated for a moment, then mustered up her courage and said, "Have you been busy lately? When are you going to get together? I miss Lili and Nannan."
The perceptive Lan Xiaoqing glanced at Xia Yuwen with disdain, thinking that this sister was too unsophisticated. She actually used a child as a cover. She clearly wanted to see Lin Yao, but she insisted on bringing up a child. She had never seen any talent in being a nanny or kindergarten teacher all these years.
"Uh... well, sometimes I'm busy, sometimes I'm not, it's hard to say." Lin Yao hesitated. On one hand, he wanted to avoid Xia Yuwen, but on the other hand, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He still really wanted to see this pink-clad girl, and his heart started racing again.
“Then call me when you’re not busy. My number is 135XXXXXXXX.” Xia Yuwen’s face turned red instantly after she finished speaking. The blush on her crystal-clear skin made Lin Yao’s throat go dry. He noticed that her little ears were also bright red, and the sunlight shining from behind her ears made the color look dreamlike and charming.
"Oh, okay." Lin Yao managed to say those two words with difficulty. He felt like drinking a beverage, a 2000 yuan bottle of beverage, to cool down. He wondered if this beverage had any cooling effect.
"Let's call you instead," Lan Xiaoqing said readily. "Who knows when we'll get your call? And who knows if you'll even think of us when you have time. I'll call you three times a day from now on, so you'll always have some free time. I doubt you even remember Xiaowen's number."
"135XXXXXXX." Lin Yao unconsciously recited the number etched in his mind. He regretted telling Lan Xiaoqing his usual number before, thinking that this guy might actually make three calls a day.
"Not bad, not bad, you've got a good idea." Lan Xiaoqing gave Lin Yao's right arm a loud slap, which startled him awake and brought his mind back to normal.