"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that now. Your brother's factory has made a lot of money recently, thanks to Zhengwei. Please convey our family's gratitude to him. We originally wanted to thank him in person..."
Shen Xing lowered her thick, dark eyelashes and gave a soft "hmm." After exchanging pleasantries with her mother, Shen Xing hung up the phone dejectedly.
Life is like walking on colorful clouds; it's beautiful and the scenery is wonderful, but you never know when you might suddenly step into the void.
Chapter Seven: Taking Action
"This is not the behavior of a major bank."
-Song Qing
Song Qing's return didn't guarantee her many leisurely days. After spending a day visiting some old friends and going back to school, Song Jingmo couldn't wait to drive her to the research lab in the northern suburbs.
As soon as they arrived at the gate, Xu Zhihan waved to them from the doorway.
"Dad, don't you let people rest on Sundays?"
"What, you tease your dad whenever you have a spare moment?" Song Jingmo said, trying to ease the tension by noticing her daughter's tired expression.
The moment he entered the laboratory, he was like a different person, full of energy. Over the years, without his perseverance and determination, Fuhua could not have achieved what it is today.
"Xiaoqing, you haven't rested well, have you? That's how teachers are; they treat their research lab like a treasure. I guessed he would definitely bring you here for a visit today," Xu Zhihan said considerately, handing you a mask.
Song Qing nodded and took it. Looking at her father's back, she was still a little worried. She felt that her father was holding on by his last breath, and she suddenly felt anxious.
"Your teacher will give you a wonderful gift on your birthday," Xu Zhihan said with a mysterious smile.
"Well?"
He touched his lips with his index finger, chuckled, and shook his head, completely shattering his usual refined image.
Looking at him, Song Qing covered her mouth and laughed out loud, her eyebrows curving as if water was about to well up in her eyes.
"Qing'er, come here." Song Jingmo's cheerful voice came from the laboratory.
"Xiaoqing, this is the result of our two years of work, and it will be launched on the market soon." Xu Zhihan pointed to the huge battery on the experimental table.
"This is……"
"Don't underestimate it. Used in a car, it can replace oil for at least a thousand kilometers," Song Jingmo said confidently, her expression like that of a child begging for candy. It's said that the older people get, the more childlike they become, and that's absolutely true.
Having spent two years in the business world, Song Qing naturally knew about the business opportunities this product presented, and couldn't help but lower his head to observe it carefully.
"Xiaoqing, this is nothing. The teacher is about to finish..."
"Zhihan!"
Song Qing looked at her angry father and Zhihan, who looked enlightened, with a puzzled expression, which made them burst into laughter.
This experiment pollutes the environment, so the laboratory is located in a remote northern suburb. At night, it's like a desolate mountain, but even in such a place, Song Jingmo can stay for one or two months, conducting experiments day and night. His cough is caused by the constant pollution from the toxic fumes. Only Xu Zhihan knows this best.
The three of them continued their discussion about the market plan for power batteries, and it wasn't until nightfall that they headed to Linchuan.
"Dad, drive slowly, this road is not easy to drive on."
"It's alright, I'm used to walking this route every day. Dad is relieved to see you back." Song Jingmo turned the corner familiarly from time to time.
The car fell silent. Song Qing was well aware of his purpose in relentlessly researching new products over the past two years, despite his rapidly deteriorating health. Moreover, he had even arranged the funding for the new products, hoping that once she took over, she would have a solid foundation and be able to immediately propel the company to a new level.
But when and how should Preston begin this conversation?
Xu Zhihan gently patted her slender shoulder from the back seat. Could she bear such a heavy burden?
"Zhihan, report the progress of the new product work to Xiaoqing. I think you've developed a talent for business over the years, so why don't you transfer to Fuhua?" He had barely finished speaking when he coughed rapidly.
Song Qing quickly steadied the steering wheel. "Dad, you sit in the back, I'll drive."
Xu Zhihan nodded and, as he helped Song Jingmo out of the car, secretly gave her a meaningful look. She nodded calmly; she absolutely could not utter a word of rebuttal.
※
Overwhelmed with excitement on Sunday, Song Jingmo lay down to rest in bed, but then the company called home.
Wang Ma handed the phone to Mrs. Song.
"What? You said the bank said the proposal was rejected?"
Mrs. Song was speechless for a moment. Her husband had been very confident about the loan, and everything had gone very smoothly until yesterday. How could this be...?
She didn't want to add insult to injury to Song Jingmo with such a serious matter. After some hesitation, she quickly picked up the phone and knocked on her eldest daughter's door.
"Mom." Song Qing opened the door groggily, and immediately woke up when she saw her anxious mother.
"Hello, where is this?" She hesitantly answered the phone.
"Oh, yes, yes... Miss?" Secretary Liu asked tentatively.
"Hmm. Aunt Liu, what happened?" Song Qing pulled her mother inside and deftly poured her a glass of water, handing it to her.
Secretary Liu breathed a sigh of relief, "You're finally back. The chairman is so happy..."
"..."
"Here's the thing, the investment bank sent a fax this morning saying that our proposal didn't pass the evaluation and has to be put on hold for now."
"How many?"