Zhao Qiang frowned, and Xu Xiaoya asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I really doubt what these programmers are thinking. Why do they have to complicate simple problems? Aren't they just making trouble for no reason? Do you think Hu Qian might have deliberately brought me garbage source code to test me?"
Xu Xiaoya chuckled: "What seems simple to you is quite complicated to them. It might take a few detours to achieve. If it weren't for their contrast, how would your brilliance be shown? As for Hu Qian, don't worry, she won't play tricks on you right now. She's afraid you'll kick her to the curb, and then she'll have nowhere to cry."
Zhao Qiang laughed and said, "Am I that good?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "You're such a hot commodity. Aren't you lonely at home? Why don't I come over and keep you company? I'll come back before dawn."
Zhao Qiang was startled: "I wouldn't dare! How can I feel safe driving at night!"
Xu Xiaoya said coquettishly, "Why don't you come and keep me company? My dad mentioned you at dinner tonight."
Zhao Qiang asked, puzzled, "You mentioned me? What's wrong?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "You asked me why you're not in a hurry to take out a loan."
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "Do you think we still need a loan?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "If Qimingdeng Electronics builds a new factory and production line, our current funds are definitely not enough. In addition, I haven't seen the draft of your cooperation project with Yang Shiqi, and I don't know how much funding it will require, so I can't be sure."
Zhao Qiang assured him, "Don't worry. Yang Shiqi should be giving us an answer soon. I think he'll reiterate his sincerity, and then we won't need the money at all. We can spend it however we want!"
Xu Xiaoya suddenly stood up to grab something from the side, her chest pressed right in front of the camera. A large expanse of flesh-colored fabric burst into Zhao Qiang's view through the gap in her collar, giving him quite a jolt. However, Xu Xiaoya quickly sat back down, and the gap in her collar returned to normal. "I'm taking a call, it's Wei."
Xu Xiaoya's expression changed drastically after hearing just one sentence. She then held her phone between her shoulder and neck, tilted her head, and rapidly typed on the keyboard: "Something terrible has happened!"
Zhao Qiang quickly replied, "What's wrong?"
Panwei said she suddenly found 500 million RMB in the company account, and she was terrified. She asked me what to do and whether she should notify you.
Zhao Qiang pondered for a moment, "Five hundred million? Yang Shiqi isn't exactly generous. Forget it, I'll let it go for the sake of him helping me settle things in Hedian District. Don't worry, tell Wei to spend that money however she wants, without any heartache or fear."
While typing, Xu Xiaoya was on the phone with Luo Wei, saying, "What's going on, Qiang? You have to tell me."
Zhao Qiang replied, "Yang Shiqi must have confirmed the performance of the battery sample I gave him. This is yet another..."
"Five hundred million just to show their appreciation? My god, that's incredibly rich." Xu Xiaoya couldn't hide her astonishment, but Zhao Qiang scoffed, "Five hundred million? Compared to their own research and development, they couldn't even produce a prototype with a five billion investment! They're not even sure if they can achieve a theoretical breakthrough with a ten billion. I'd be impressed if they could produce a prototype with a five hundred billion. So this money is definitely not for investing in a production line; it's just a small reward for our research and development. Spend it with confidence; no one will dare to investigate."
Xu Xiaoya hung up the phone. "Okay, Wei said she can sleep tonight this way. Otherwise, she'd definitely have insomnia tonight. When will we be able to make a battery sample? Is it okay for us to chat like this?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't worry, I've encrypted the data between our two client applications. No one can crack it. I even lost dozens of pounds overnight to make that 'sample' for Yang Shiqi."
Xu Xiaoya suddenly realized: "I know, it's Tian Qiang! You're so amazing! When are you coming back? I want to reward you!"
"How will I be rewarded?" Zhao Qiang sent a suggestive emoji.
Xu Xiaoya replied with a charming smile, "What kind of reward do you want?"
Zhao Qiang almost drooled as he said, "I want you to hold me."
Xu Xiaoya blushed, but still replied, "Okay." Zhao Qiang added, "Hold each other all night."
Xu Xiaoya blushed even more, "Then you have to come to my house on the third day of the Lunar New Year, otherwise I won't agree."
"Ah, it's the third day of the Lunar New Year. I'm going to my maternal grandmother's house to pay my respects."
"You can't stay at your grandma's house tonight, can you? Leave at four in the evening. I'll wait for you at the high exit, otherwise you can forget about your reward."
Zhao Qiang said, "It seems I have no choice but to go. But the third day of the Lunar New Year is for visiting the mother-in-law. What status would I have to go to your house?"
Xu Xiaoya looked thoughtful. "What do you think? I'd like to hear your opinion."
"Classmate?" Zhao Qiang typed two words, but Xu Xiaoya pulled down her pajamas, which were still unbuttoned, turned her face away, and ignored Zhao Qiang completely.
"Friend?" Xu Xiaoya glanced at the screen upon hearing the message notification and her face darkened with anger.
"Boyfriend?" Zhao Qiang added an extra word. If he hadn't considered that Xu Xiaoya was bisexual, he would have just said that he was going to visit his future mother-in-law.
Xu Xiaoya finally smiled, loosened her grip on her collar, and typed a few words: "You better be smart and don't provoke me, or I'll teach you a lesson."
"What should I bring?"
Xu Xiaoya was in a great mood. "Don't worry about it. I'll buy you all the things and wait for you at the high exit. Wear the New Year's clothes I bought you, and the new shoes I bought you—leather shoes, understand? Don't wear those sneakers you've never worn in a hundred years. And absolutely no suit with sneakers!"
Zhao Qiang said, "I can't do it. I don't plan to part with those sneakers for the rest of my life."
Xu Xiaoya made a prostration gesture: "I give up. Alright, you can wear whatever you want. I still have a lot of documents to complete. You can rest now."
Zhao Qiang said, "You should go to bed early too, don't stay up late."
Xu Xiaoya sighed. Poor icon. "Got it. I'll definitely be asleep before midnight."
The tens of thousands of lines of code were actually finished long ago, but Zhao Qiang was so busy chatting that he forgot about Hu Qian. He repackaged the code and sent it to Hu Qian. At this moment, Su Su came online, and Zhao Qiang immediately went offline. Currently, his two most concerned women were Xu Xiaoya and Su Su. So, everyone else had to take a backseat. As for choosing between Xu Xiaoya and Su Su in the future, Zhao Qiang had no clue. One was bisexual and he didn't know how long she would like men; the other was too old and he didn't know if she would like him forever. So, he would just take whatever came his way for now.
"Have you been waiting for me for quite a while?" Eggplant Su asked.
Zhao Qiang said, "No, I just helped a friend modify a program."
Su Su: "Are you done with your work? I hope it won't affect your work."
Zhao Qiang: "No."
The video call request came through immediately, and Zhao Qiang accepted. Soon, Su Su appeared in the frame, her cute ponytail tied high, bouncing up and down with the movement of her head, exuding youthful energy. A tight-fitting low-cut top revealed a large expanse of Su Su's fair and delicate skin. Her not-too-full breasts had a cleavage, not deep, but exquisitely defined. Her face wore light makeup, which didn't look gaudy at all, but rather gave her a cute and shy look. Her large, expressive eyes blinked at Zhao Qiang, and her moist lips glistened under the light, reminding Zhao Qiang of the sudden kiss in the car that afternoon. The Su Su before him possessed a pure yet sexy charm, incredibly alluring.
"What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?" Su Su glared at Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang chuckled and replied, "I almost didn't recognize you. Who has ever seen you like this before?"
Su Su held up her index finger, "Just you alone."
"
"Did your parents say anything during dinner?"
Su Su shook her head and replied, "No, but I know my dad won't make it through tonight. He'll definitely come to check up on me and ask me questions later, so you'd better tell me the truth first, otherwise I won't know what to say later."
"What should I confess?"
Su Su said, "For example, name, place of origin, family members."
Zhao Qiang said, “Zhao Qiang. My surname is Zhao, my given name is Qiang, I am 12 years old, and I am from Rangtou Village, Zaolin Town, Hedian District, Dongyang City. My family consists of my parents and grandfather. We farm in this village, and my father goes to town to load and unload cement in his spare time.”
Su Su was a little surprised: "Oh, you're not short of money. Why do you make your dad do that kind of job?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Would you believe me if I told you that just a few months ago I was struggling to get enough to eat?"
Su Su shook her head: "I don't believe you. In my eyes, you're a dashing and wealthy tycoon."
Zhao Qiang gave a wry smile. He turned on the microphone, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "Su, actually, there's a reason why your sister looks down on me. If I were so poor that I had to beg on the streets, how much of a place would I hold in your heart?"
Su Su was a little angry. "Zhao Qiang, let me tell you. I, Su Su, am not a vain person! I admit that if you were in a different situation, we might not have met or our relationship might not have developed. But I can tell you clearly now, even if you suddenly become penniless and beg on the streets, I will still follow you! You have no idea how much you mean to me. You appeared when I needed help the most, and you saved me and my family. If one day I have to sacrifice myself to save you, I will not hesitate. You can take it as me talking big, but as my teacher said, time will tell. I will prove that I am not the kind of girl you imagine!"
Volume 2 [184] A Conservative and Classical Male Student
Erwei was sweating profusely. "Yi Su, you misunderstood me. I just wanted to talk about my past. Actually, I know you still have feelings for me, otherwise you wouldn't care so much about my every word and action."
Su Su slumped onto the table, looking somewhat aggrieved: "You know that's good. If you really push me too far, I'll run away from home."
Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "Remember to run away from home and come to Donghai City to find me. I'll treat you to a warm welcome. Food, lodging, and accommodation will all be provided."
Su Su rolled her eyes at Zhao Qiang: "I'm not going to sleep with you. Keep up the topic you were talking about." Zhao Qiang said: "Actually, it's a history of suffering. In other people's eyes, I'm a loser who can never keep up with the times. I don't have trendy clothes or a stylish look, let alone a cell phone. I don't even have a decent set of clothes to show off. I didn't have a single peaceful day in my four years of college. Every day I was shuttling between school and my part-time job. I didn't dare to take the bus back to my hometown to save a few dollars. After eating today's meal, I had to worry about where my buns would be for tomorrow. I had to endure being scolded by my boss and bullied by my colleagues, otherwise I would be fired. At the end of the month, I had to give tens or even hundreds of dollars to my mentor or class monitor as a token of respect. During holidays, others would get benefits while I could only watch. While others counted their generous bonuses, I could only swallow my tears and hold onto my few hundred dollars a month. The best holiday meal was a hearty meat bun, and then I would secretly cry while listening to the firecrackers. Forget about finding a girlfriend, I couldn't even support myself and had to start raising tuition fees six months in advance. Living like this is a tragedy in itself... I curse it."
Zhao Qiang was pouring out his grievances, as if he were holding a venting session, recounting the hardships of his years of university life. Su Su listened quietly without saying a word. She slowly sat up from her slumped position on the table, her eyes moist, her fingers biting into her mouth. Although her family wasn't wealthy, they were certainly well-off. She had never experienced the hardships Zhao Qiang described since birth.
"I didn't want to accept this kind of life, but sometimes fate forces you to submit to it time and time again. So I became disappointed in myself, depressed and listless, wanting to avoid everyone. Not only did people like your sister, who lived a carefree life, look down on me, but even my classmates from the same rural area thought I wasn't worthy of their company because I had lost all sense of shame; being friends with me would be beneath their dignity. That's why your sister was so angry when she heard that I had a crush on her; she didn't think I could compare to her."
"Brother Qiang!" Su Su burst into tears, interrupting Zhao Qiang's continued venting. "Don't say anymore. No matter what others say about you or think about you, I still think you are the best person in the world!"
Zhao Qiang threw away his cigarette butt and lit another one. "Alright, the venting session is over. My life is about to turn from bitter to sweet. All the suffering I've endured will eventually lead to all the happiness I've had. I think you know that without me saying it. I'm not short of money now."
Su Su wiped away her tears: "Zhao Qiang, how did you change your life?"
Zhao Qiang took a drag of his cigarette, enveloping himself in smoke. "It was a magical encounter, like two lines destined to intersect. No matter where they were in the first half, they would eventually meet and collide, and then the fate of both lines would change."
Su Su said, "I don't understand."
Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "I don't understand it myself, so it's impossible for me to explain it to you. Right now, I have four projects with extremely broad development prospects in operation. Each one will bring me immeasurable profits. I own a technology company called Shunfeng Technology, which mainly sells and repairs computers and consumables. My main task is repair. Before, I mainly repaired computers and electrical appliances. After the Spring Festival, I will expand my business to repair all broken non-living things."
Su Su said, "You're really bold, but I believe you, hehe. I wasn't sure before. Now I can say with certainty that you fixed the watch my sister left in my room one night, right? Don't deny it, okay? You have to be honest."
Zhao Qiang nodded. "Don't tell anyone else for now."
Su Su patted her chest and said, "Of course not. You only told me this because you trust me. How could I tell anyone else, let alone that Su Su you hate? She even extorted a 2,000 yuan gas card from me today."
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "Let her be. We're not short of money. She's still your sister, so let her take advantage of us."
Su Su asked Zhao Qiang with some concern, "Do you still like her?"
Zhao Qiang shook his head. He was already being fair to Su Su by not punching her away.
Su Su pointed at herself and said, "Zhao Qiang, from today onwards, forget about her and only think about me. I can completely replace my sister, and I will make up for the harm she caused you, okay?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay."
Su Su was delighted with Zhao Qiang's promise and was eager to satisfy his desire to explore a woman's body. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a key turning in the security door. Su Su stuck her tongue out at the video camera, "My dad's checking up on me. Don't make a sound, listen to what he has to say."
Zhao Qiang turned off his microphone, plugged in his headphones, and turned up the volume. A moment later, Su Heqian appeared in the video feed, but disappeared in a flash. Then, his voice was heard asking Su Su, "Are you alright?"
Su Su said, "It's okay. That jerk from our school was scared off last night."
"
Su Heqian asked, "Should we notify the school?"
Su Su shook her head: "It's no use. If he doesn't admit it later, there's nothing we can do about it."
Su Heqian nodded briefly without saying anything. After a while, he asked, "What's Zhao Qiang's background?"
Su Su said, "He's from Zaolin Town, and his family was quite poor. But recently he started a technology company in Donghai City, and now his income is good. He's the kind of person who started from scratch. Uh, he's conservative in his thinking, a pretty old-fashioned guy. He wouldn't easily be noticed by girls these days."
Su Heqian said, "You've done quite a bit of research on him. How long have you known each other?"
Su Su said, "We met by chance at the train station on New Year's Day. He helped me deliver goods back to the pharmacy."
Su Heqian said, "The relationship is developing quite quickly. What stage are we at now?"
Su Su said, "He's a good friend, but he's conservative in his thinking. So our relationship is pretty innocent, Dad. Can you please stop interrogating me? I'll be eighteen after the New Year, and I should have my own freedom."
Su Heqian was probably about to give his daughter a few more words of instruction when a loud clattering sound came through the earpiece, followed by Su Heqian shouting, "Who's there?" Then came hurried footsteps as she ran out, and Su Su also hurriedly left the camera's view. Zhao Qiang, who had been feeling ashamed of Su Su's words, "He's conservative in his thinking, so our relationship is quite innocent," didn't even have time to think about finding a time to properly discipline Su Su. He immediately pulled out his phone and called Su Su back.
"What happened?"
Su Su's voice was panicked, "I don't know, there's a figure darting around on our roof." "Ah!" With Su Su's scream, there was another crash, probably another pane of glass shattered. "Call the police immediately, stay inside and don't come out, I'm on my way!" Zhao Qiang hung up the phone and rushed out of the room.