As soon as Xu Ji arrived, Chen Xiaochen quickly followed. His adoptive parents recognized Xu Ji and came over to greet him.
Originally, no elders came to Wen Zheng's table, but there were still many parents of the other team members, especially the team members who were selected for training.
After all, according to the tradition of the Xia Kingdom, the Spring Festival is a time for family reunions in one's hometown.
However, Xu Ji was very busy with work at the research institute. In previous years, when Wen Zheng was not at the base, he usually spent New Year's Eve alone. This time, when he was notified in advance, he sent a message to ask his master, but his master did not reply. He naturally assumed that the other party was busy and could not come.
Unexpectedly, although he was late, his master still came during this Spring Festival when he no longer felt lonely.
Wen Zheng couldn't quite describe his feelings.
He used to rely on his master a lot, after all, he was raised by him in a sense. But since he was frequently urged to get married in the past two years, he has gradually stopped contacting him. He would just send him a message during holidays and that would be it.
But if we ignore these unpleasant things, Wen Zheng is still happy when elders come over.
"Happy New Year, Master." He took the cup from Bei Sining, clinked it with his master's, and took a sip, almost spitting it out—but looking down, what was this? Sweet fermented rice balls with kumquat soup?
"Happy New Year to you too." Xu Ji glanced at Bei Sining, his smile unchanged. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
Wen Zheng suddenly felt uneasy. Logically speaking, she should have told her family about her boyfriend first, but they couldn't even say when they would officially confirm their relationship, and Wen Zheng couldn't think of telling her master either.
"He is my boyfriend, his name is Bei Sining."
"Boyfriend?" Xu Ji paused, his smile vanishing. "Xiao Zheng, why are you being so disobedient? Why didn't you discuss it with me beforehand?" He glanced at Bei Sining again. "Is he even a man?"
The group at the table gradually quieted down, with everyone choosing to remain silent and keep their eyes down.
Deng Puyue was about to smooth things over when Bai Shuang pulled her back, forcing her to shut up.
Although Bei Sining is handsome, he doesn't have any feminine features; his bone structure and facial features are those of a well-defined male. The first impression of him is breathtaking, but most people would never mistake his gender—except for a simpleton like Sun Duoyu.
Is Xu Ji Sun Duoyu? Obviously not. So he said that on purpose.
Even from the moment he sat down, every word he uttered was barbed.
The atmosphere became tense. Suddenly, Wen Zheng pushed the bowl on the table inward, making a slight clinking sound against the cups and plates.
“He is a man.” Wen Zheng closed his eyes and looked coldly at most of his relatives, his eyes devoid of any smile or teasing: “You may disagree, but please have at least some respect for him.”
Xu Ji's expression changed.
"Xiao Zheng, what's wrong with girls? I've introduced you to so many, haven't you liked any of them?"
“This has nothing to do with conditions. I love him. No matter how good other people’s conditions are, they are not him.” Wen Zheng didn’t want to continue the argument, so he made a stop gesture: “Master, there are so many people watching. Let’s talk about this in private.”
This was indeed a very inappropriate occasion to discuss such family matters; everyone else looked somewhat embarrassed and worried. Xu Ji knew this, but he couldn't help himself. Wen Zheng's words brought him back to his senses, and he smiled again, saying, "Excuse me, please eat some more."
Deng Puyue was the first to stand up: "Hey, Uncle, I'm Zheng Ge's good friend! Um, I wish you a Happy New Year?"
Xu Ji stood up and amiably toasted him. When he sat down, he sighed and looked at Wen Zheng, saying, "Why did you have to be gay? It's so abnormal. When did I ever teach you to be like that..."
The feeling of oppression surged in like a tide, leaving my heart feeling cold and empty.
It was supposed to be the happiest night, but the joy vanished because of a few words from someone I care about.
Seeing that Wen Zheng remained silent, Xu Ji said nothing more and served him food. After another round of eating, and having wandered around to other tables a couple of times, Xu Ji sat back down and asked kindly, "Xiao Zheng, how have you been lately?"
"fine."
"Are you free tomorrow? Our research has made some new progress recently, but we don't have enough samples because we've been using your blood. Could you please help us out if you have time..."
Bei Sining suddenly stood up, causing the chair to creak, and everyone looked at him.
"Are you Wen Zheng's adoptive father?" Before he could answer, Bei Sining continued, "Senior Researcher, Xia Guo's Special Talent, Xu Ji?"
Xu Ji frowned unhappily: "Hmm?"
"You don't like me, do you? You need your adopted son to find a woman you approve of to carry on the family line? And you want him to come all the way over for the holidays to donate blood and cooperate with your work?"
Xu Ji's brows furrowed even more as he explained, "Where did you hear this? Shouldn't you keep your unmarried partner a secret? The situation is urgent; our research institute has been working overtime until this afternoon. This is a major issue. You may not realize how serious it is, but all departments are cooperating with us..."
"Ha," Bei Sining didn't answer, but dialed a number, which was answered a few seconds later.
"Zhang Jincheng? Transfer me to your top boss, the really high-ranking one. Tell him I have something urgent to discuss, or I'm quitting." He was furious, and his words were chilling. Zhang Jincheng immediately took his phone and went outside to make an emergency call through an internal line.
Just a dozen seconds later, Bei Sining's phone rang again.
He asked Wen Zheng to put him on speakerphone so that "everyone could hear," and an old man's voice came through the phone.
"Mr. Bei, Happy New Year! Is there anything you need from this old man?"
Bei Sining asked, "Liu Anshi?"
The entire audience was astonished!
What's going on? Old Liu is the leader of their leader's leader's leader. Everyone here is already in that position, yet they've only met him once and haven't even exchanged a single word with him.
What's the situation with Wen Zheng's partner? Why was he able to make a phone call to an elderly person's cell phone at this time?
Xu Ji's expression changed drastically. He looked at Bei Sining in disbelief, then at his phone.
“I do need your help. My partner, Wen Zheng, has a simple-minded adoptive father who is some kind of researcher in your so-called system. He pointed at me and said he didn't approve of my marriage to Wen Zheng, and even demanded that Wen Zheng go to his research institute to donate blood on New Year's Day. Is this how you mistreat him? And does my marriage to him even need this person's approval?”
Wang Weina, who had a weaker ability to process information, was almost fainting. The others had different expressions, with the most excited one almost taking out his phone to take pictures.
Xu Ji stared intently at the phone, while Old Liu on the other end of the line burst into laughter after hearing what he heard.
"How could we disagree? The organization has made it very clear that they fully approve of you two being together. Young people's love is so beautiful and should be blessed by everyone... As for the research institute, I wasn't in charge of the specific projects, and such a big oversight occurred. It was our negligence... Tell me, what do you want to do? The organization will try its best to accommodate you."
The old man spoke slowly and deliberately, without even asking about the cause and effect, and decisively stood on Bei Sining's side.
Xu Ji's face turned ashen as he heard Bei Sining say, "I want him to stop this project immediately and never have anything to do with Wen Zheng again."
Xu Ji suddenly stood up: "No way!"
Bei Sining didn't give him a look; everyone was focused on the phone, wanting to hear what Old Liu had to say.
It's a small matter who gets married, but would he really stop such a big project just because of Bei Sining's casual request? What exactly happened?
"no problem."
The old man said slowly, "Don't be angry, anger is bad for your health. If you need anything, contact the organization. Happy New Year, hahaha."
Bei Sining hung up the call and proudly waved her phone.
As if waking from a dream, everyone at the table stood up and frantically offered New Year's greetings: "Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Mr. Bei, Happy New Year! Wishing you and the captain a long and happy marriage!"
"Yes, yes, yes, may you have a long and happy marriage, and many children! Hahaha!"
"May you have a long and happy marriage, and may you have twins, a boy and a girl!"
"That's right, there's no way she can escape!"
Wen Zheng was given a cup of sweet fermented rice soup by someone, and in the confusion, he blushed and gulped it down in one go.
Author's Note: Ningning: Anyone who dares to disagree, stand up and speak.
Zhengzheng: This story does not include childbirth, thank you.
(Today is sweet!! I'm also asking for white nutrient solution today!! Mua!)
Chapter 89
Wen Zheng had no idea that sweet fermented rice balls could also get him drunk.
The chef had put in an unknown amount of sugar; it was so sweet that he felt sticky all over. He drank it all in a daze and was so full and dizzy that he couldn't walk.
The phrases "May you have a long and happy marriage" and "May you have many children" kept echoing in my ears. I didn't even realize when the crowd dispersed. When I came to my senses, all I saw was a table littered with cups and plates, and the surroundings were empty.
A sudden feeling of weightlessness washed over him; his body felt light, and his arms twitched but didn't move. His sluggish brain processed for a moment, then uttered a few words—"He's hugging me."
An unfamiliar, subtle fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, and Wen Zheng subconsciously sniffed it. The fabric that brushed against his cheek felt soft and slightly cool, not as stiff as it looked.
"What time is it..." Wen Zheng seemed to have returned to the relaxed state he was in when he was bored and leaning against the wall to sleep while waiting in the game, and asked in a daze.
"It's almost midnight." Bei Sining's voice came through her chest, deeper than usual, as she explained, "Everyone else went out to watch the fireworks. I waited for a while, but I couldn't wake you up."
Where is Master?
"He left, saying he needed to go back and study it."
Bei Sining carried him out of the hall with ease. The cold winter wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed onto their faces.
"It's snowing." Wen Zheng was fully awakened by the wind, his face flushed, and he pushed Bei Sining away, jumping out of his arms.
Looking around, I saw that everyone was gathered in front, which was good.
In the final seconds of New Year's Eve, the snowflakes fell more and more heavily, and the night sky was so dark that it was hard to breathe.
However, holographic projection technology can overcome all obstacles, and simulated electronic fireworks suddenly explode in the high school, dazzling and colorful.
The golden and silver light flowed down like cascading waterfalls, then gathered into traditional scattered fireworks. The trainees mingled with others, bursting into lively laughter. Even the staff who hadn't gone home for the New Year came out to join in the fun, wrapped in thick coats.
Wen Zheng kept his head up, watching intently.
Before long, snow fell all over his head.
“It’s the same every year,” Wen Zheng said. “At the base, they set off fireworks like this. We have nowhere to go home, so we just watch them here. I always thought this was common. The first time I celebrated the New Year in Wutong Garden, I found it strange that Rongcheng didn’t set off fireworks.”
The alcohol made his cheeks slightly warm, and the fireworks reflected in his eyes, each one a fleeting flower.
"Later I learned that large-scale holographic projection equipment is priced according to the coverage area. The advertising projection outside the Galaxy Group building that you've seen only has an image area of five to seven cubic meters, and the price is about five million. But such virtual fireworks have a coverage area of about thirty cubic meters, and the price is multiplied by many..." Wen Zheng continued, "I heard it costs about 1.5 billion."
Bei Sining already had a good understanding of the world's currencies, and nodded upon hearing this.
"A 1.5 billion yuan fireworks simulation device, just to put on a fake fireworks display to create an atmosphere for a few hundred people to watch." Wen Zheng looked at Bei Sining: "This means that we are valued and have high expectations placed on us, but it also means pressure and that we need to give more."
They distanced themselves from the crowd, neither jumping nor shouting, appearing overly rational in this lively snowy night.
"So, are you really sure?" Wen Zheng asked. "Once you take on the responsibility, you can't back out halfway. Think about it again, think it over carefully."
Wen Zheng's last two words trembled slightly as the worries he had been suppressing quietly surfaced.
He thought he couldn't be blamed for being hesitant and indecisive. Looking back on his short life, everything had revolved around this responsibility. He knew how hot the pit of fire was and how deep it was. He was both happy that Bei Sining was participating in such an open and aboveboard way, and worried that he would regret it.
Wen Zheng had already made up his mind. If Bei Sining was acting impulsively just to get into the base, he would plead with the higher-ups on his behalf, no matter the cost. He didn't care if he spent his whole life here, or even forever.
"You look down on me?" Bei Sining was unhappy.
Wen Zheng was stunned for a moment, wanting to laugh but also feeling annoyed: "Who said that?"
"You know I'm very strong. How could you think I can't handle such a trivial matter? You're making it sound so serious, you even cried. Is it really that bad?" Bei Sining felt uncomfortable.
"Who's crying!?" Wen Zheng's ability to grasp the key points was just as good as Wai's. He subconsciously wiped his face with the heel of his hand. It was dry!