Mo Lian gestured to the vice president, "Continue."
Within minutes, the meeting room returned to normal, with discussions and even arguments continuing.
Mo Yushen rested his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on the screen in front of him. Whether he was actually looking at it or not, Secretary Ding couldn't tell.
The meeting ended more than two hours later.
Everyone was quick and efficient today. Less than two minutes after the meeting ended, only Mo Yushen, Mo Lian, and Secretary Ding remained in the meeting room.
Secretary Ding stood up and excused herself, saying, "Mr. Mo, I need to get a document from my car."
Mo Yu nodded deeply.
Secretary Ding closed the meeting room door.
Outside the door stood Mo Lian's assistant.
With someone guarding the place, Secretary Ding felt reassured and went downstairs.
Mo Lian lit a cigarette with an ordinary lighter and threw it on the table. With a 'snap,' the lighter slid a short distance across the surface.
Mo Yushen unscrewed the water glass, showing no intention of speaking.
The atmosphere was tense and confrontational.
Mo Lian broke the silence, "Mr. Mo, your presence is an honor, and you didn't even give me advance notice. I'm so sorry for not welcoming you properly."
The projector was still on. Mo Yushen pointed at the sand table on it and said, "If you don't understand, don't mess around."
Mo Lian suddenly laughed, "You can only grow by falling down, right?" The smoke from his fingertips dissipated instantly as he spoke.
Mo Yushen did not respond, his eyes sharp.
Mo Lian spoke again, "I heard you've been busy applying for R&D funding lately." He paused, then said, "If you need my help, maybe I'll do you a favor if I'm in a good mood."
Mo Yushen chuckled.
A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.
That laugh was disdainful and indifferent.
After leaving Mo's Real Estate, Mo Yushen instructed the driver to go to the airport.
Secretary Ding sat in the passenger seat, turning her head slightly to the back several times. Mo Yushen was in the same state, wearing headphones and not looking at his phone, so it was unclear what he was listening to.
If it were a phone call, it's impossible for him to remain silent for more than ten minutes.
When Secretary Ding turned around for the n+1th time, Mo Yushen noticed. He turned off the audio, took off his headphones, and asked, "What is it?"
Secretary Ding turned to the side and said, "Mr. Mo, the new real estate project looks poorly planned based on the model, which is affecting the reputation of Mo's Real Estate."
Mo Yushen naturally noticed this as well. Mo Lian now bypasses him on many projects, going directly to the chairman for signature. If he hadn't come to Shanghai today, he wouldn't have known that the situation was more serious than he imagined.
Mo Lian's actions resulted in a Pyrrhic victory, harming both himself and the enemy.
Around 10 p.m., Mo Yushen arrived in Beijing.
As soon as I got off the plane, I received a call from my grandfather.
Grandpa hasn't rested yet, so let him go back to the old house.
Mo Yushen guessed what it was about.
Regarding research and development expenses.
The first thing Grandpa said to Mo Yushen was, "You're so foolish!"
Mo Yushen closed the study door and smiled, "When have I ever been sober?"
Grandpa was so angry he couldn't speak, so he drank a few sips of tea to calm himself down.
Mo Yushen poured a glass of warm water and replaced the strong tea in his grandfather's hand. His grandfather already had trouble sleeping, and drinking strong tea would only make him sleepless all night.
Grandpa pointed to the sofa, gesturing for him to sit. "Where's Jiajia? How is she now?"
Mo Yushen: "She went to the mountains." Grandpa must know that Xi Jia was sick, so he no longer needed to hide it from her. He said, "She went there to recuperate."
Grandpa nodded.
Mo Yushen had previously said that Xi Jia's memory was declining because she was tired from writing scripts, and he felt that something was wrong; she really was sick.
Grandpa said earnestly, "Yushen, when doing business, you must not act on emotion. We'll find another way to get Jiajia's medicine. If you increase your R&D investment now, people will say you're using public office for private gain. At this critical juncture, we should seek stability."
Mo Yushen: "Why can't we think about this from a different perspective? Because of Xi Jia's illness, the R&D center has gained another business opportunity."
Grandpa: "Then you have to have the ability to convince others, not just based on your words. I'm not afraid to pour cold water on your idea, the board of directors is unlikely to approve your proposal."
Mo Yushen tapped his water glass lightly with his fingers, but did not reply.
Grandpa stopped there, showing concern for Xi Jia's condition and asking what would happen to her in the end.
Mo Yushen was also unsure, saying, "I've been taking medication for the past few years, so I can't have children." He added, "I've never liked children anyway."
Grandpa kept staring at him, then waved his hand and said, "Go home and rest early."
After leaving the villa, Mo Yushen sat in the car for a long time.
The light was still on in the study upstairs.
Mo Yushen looked out the study window, lost in thought for a moment, then pulled himself together and drove away.
To get home, I have to pass through that sycamore-lined path; the leaves on the trunks are sparse, and most of them have already fallen.
All day today, Xi Jia only let him know she was safe when the plane landed, and then there was no further contact.
Now that they're far apart, she's not as affectionate with him anymore and stops bothering him.
——
The mountains are exceptionally quiet in the dead of night.
It was so quiet that you could faintly hear the chirping of insects from a cave far away.
Xi Jia turned over, but she could still hear it.
Later, when she was extremely sleepy and in her drowsy state, she felt something was wrong. It was winter, so where were the insects making noises?
Xi Jia woke up early in the mountains; around 5 a.m., she couldn't fall back asleep.
It was pitch black outside, without a single ray of light.
The air was humid and chilly in the morning.
Xi Jia, wearing a thick coat and using her phone flashlight, sat on a rattan chair in the corridor reading a novel.
Grandma got up early too. Seeing the light in the corridor, she was startled. She walked closer and saw clearly, "Jiajia, why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
"Good morning, Grandma. I slept well last night and I'm not sleepy." Xi Jia placed her phone face down on the book, and with the light from the main room, the corridor was no longer dark.
Grandma: "Come inside, it's cold outside. I'll make your medicine and cook for you."
Xi Jia put down her book and followed the old woman to the kitchen.
The kitchen is small and has an earthen stove.
Xi Jia offered to help, but the old woman refused, saying she didn't know how. So Xi Jia took a low stool and sat quietly watching the old woman bustling around.
The old woman began to decoct the medicine. The fire in the stove was very small, a warm yellow cluster, with the tip of the flame faintly blue.
The old woman said to Xi Jia, "I called Lao Yue. He was very happy to hear that you were coming. He said you can come whenever you want, and it would be best if you could come every day, so he would have someone to talk to."
Xi Jia was overjoyed.
The only problem with getting to Mr. Yue's house is the inconvenient transportation; you have to squeeze onto the scenic area bus.
After having breakfast, Xi Jia went to the nearest bus stop to wait for the first bus.
As she passed the shop at the entrance, Xi Jia glanced in that direction subconsciously, though she didn't know why she was looking there.
Even though I arrived early, there were already two long queues at the platform.
Xi Jia walked over quickly.
Most tourists travel light, carrying at most a small bag and some snacks. Only one person, carrying a suitcase, stands out conspicuously.
That person was the tallest in the group, and from behind, he exuded an extraordinary aura.
The man was standing in the line next to Xi Jia's, not far to her left and in front of her, only a few people away.
As if sensing something, the man suddenly turned around.
Xi Jia was slightly taken aback.
What a coincidence!
She didn't recognize the figure from behind, but she remembered the face.
Zhou Mingqian, the director she admires most.
Xi Jia assumed Zhou Mingqian didn't recognize him and didn't greet him.
It's not surprising that Zhou Mingqian saw Xi Jia here. She had mentioned that she had stayed in the mountains and even met Mr. Yue. This time, she was probably also going to see Mr. Yue.
"When did you arrive?" Zhou Mingqian asked, bored.
Xi Jia blinked. So he knew her. The voice even sounded somewhat familiar. She said, "Yesterday."
Zhou Mingqian nodded, then turned away without saying anything more.
Xi Jia took out her notebook from her bag and started looking for the name Zhou Mingqian. There were two entries: one was that he rejected her script, and the other was that he had fixed her car a few days ago.
Understanding dawned on her, and she put away her notebook.
Xi Jia thought she could ride in the same car as Zhou Mingqian, but when she got to the person in front of her, the first car was full, and she had to wait for the next one.
I saw Zhou Mingqian again in the courtyard of Mr. Yue's house.
As Xi Jia walked on the bluestone slabs and looked up, she saw that upright figure smoking.
Zhou Mingqian came here to show Mr. Yue the information on some of the tentative main actors so that Mr. Yue could make the final decision.
He arrived early; Mr. Yue was having breakfast, so he stayed in the courtyard for a while.
Xi Jia walked up and said, "What a coincidence."
Zhou Mingqian didn't reply, and just kept smoking.
Xi Jia stood by the stone platform and teased the bird. She had hoped to build a better relationship with Zhou Mingqian, but he seemed impatient, so she gave up.