The warning light on the internal line had been flashing for a long time, and we had already missed many calls.
Seeing that she had given in, Bill sighed, turned around and sat back on the sofa, beginning to examine the layout of the office.
He seemed to remember something, so he took out the new stomach medicine he had brought from his bag and looked around for a place to put it. Seeing Song Qing talking on the phone with Wu Peng, he opened her desk without a second thought. Sure enough, the medicine he had packed for her before returning to China was basically untouched. She was still the same, so incapable of taking care of herself.
"Yes, Manager Wu, I'm sorry, I've been too busy since I got back and haven't had a proper get-together with you all yet."
"Bill is coming over. He needs your help. Yes, I won't be coming over for now. I'll teach him the other things."
Seeing that her phone call was going on and on, Bill simply squeezed into her huge office, put his arm around her with one arm, and casually flipped through the documents on her desk with the other.
"Yes, it's preparing for an IPO."
She turned her head and smiled at Bill, then said, "He has a great responsibility this time and may have to travel between the two places. During this time, you will still have to take charge of Haotian's affairs. From now on, you can give the reports and other materials directly to Bill, and we will discuss them together."
"OK, I'll contact you again if anything comes up."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she hung up. Wu Peng, on the other end of the line, beamed. He had finally received a call from the renowned General Manager Song. No, it was a normal, respectful call, and it would put him in a very good mood all day. He hoped this new boss would be easy to get along with.
In high-level meetings, he often heard comments about Bill and Song Qing. Before Song Qing officially took over Haotian, it was said that Bill and she worked together seamlessly and had excellent chemistry. It was only after Song Qing officially took over two years ago that he gradually withdrew, and it was said that he returned to the school sports team to pick up his forte—swimming.
It's now obvious that Song Qing wants Bill to return to China to take over Haotian. This is all the news about her lately; everyone in Linchuan knows. It seems Bill's purpose in coming is very clear: after a two-year hiatus, he needs to work with Song Qing again to better adapt to the responsibilities of Haotian.
However, the prevailing rumor is that the two of them were Song Keren's chosen marriage partners long ago. Now, it's clear that Song Qing's future belongs to someone else, and this speculation isn't limited to just one person. Coincidentally, at the height of this controversy, Bill arrives in Linchuan. It seems this romantic entanglement alone is quite a lively and entertaining drama.
Song Qing didn't stop him, letting Bill flip through the proposal on the table. He looked at it intently, his smile fading, and only then did he seem to be in work mode. It seemed that after two years of lazy living, he would immediately return to his old ways when he encountered something that interested him.
Bill has a unique talent in finance and investment. If he puts his heart into it, he will definitely become a business prodigy. It's just a pity that his ambitions lie elsewhere. Otherwise, why would his aunt have entrusted Haotian with such a heavy responsibility? This British boy, who grew up with his aunt since childhood, is just like her son. Although he was adopted from an orphanage, it does not affect his intelligence and ability.
She glanced at the time, leaned over, and snapped the document he was engrossed in shut.
"The car is almost downstairs. I'll discuss this with you at another time."
Bill shrugged and got up, adopting his usual nonchalant attitude.
"Lianxin, are you sure you don't want me to meet my future father-in-law first?" He turned to face her, stroking his chin, looking thoughtful, as if he really meant it.
She resigned herself to her fate and gave him a slight salute.
"Bill, I'll take you to meet my dad. But right now, you need to go back to your hotel and get a good night's sleep. Get yourself together. I bet if you were in England right now, you'd already be wearing a suit and tie, sitting at your desk."
"Oh, Lianxin, you're so clueless about romance." Bill shrugged, but agreed with Song Qing's assessment.
She smiled, answered the call, and quickly hung up, gesturing with a smile.
Bill blinked, bent down to grab his gym bag, slung it over his shoulder, and swaggered out the door. As he closed the door, he leaned back and said, "Remember to take your medicine. Don't make me carry you to the hospital again."
Song Qing smiled gratefully, recalling the terrifying stomach pain she had experienced.
Late at night, she suddenly started writhing on the floor in stomach pain, scaring Bill half to death. He scooped her up and ran to the hospital, so frantic that he forgot to hail a taxi. They ran all the way there, leaving her, sweating profusely from the pain, unsure whether to be touched or scold him. At that moment, she had no strength left to tell him to find a way to get around.
If it weren't for everything in Linchuan now, perhaps she really would have married Bill as her aunt wished. Besides, sometimes she could even find traces of Yan Xunan in Bill. If it wasn't him, but someone else, then who it was, and what did it matter?
※
During this period, Yi Zhengwei was so busy with the new project cooperation and Fuhua's listing that he was already overwhelmed. He had already delegated his other work, so he spent almost every day with Song Qing.
There are some things that require him to stay at headquarters; otherwise, he could have packed up and gone to Fuhua to finish this task, which would have been much more efficient.
Although Banking Holdings will only receive a small portion of the profits from the collaboration, it has pledged its full support, so its marketing department will be involved in every step of Fu Hwa's progress.
Xu Zhihan's convoy is about to return, and once it arrives, negotiations with those who had initial contact will begin. The IPO plan is also in its mid-term stage; what was originally a six-month preparation period is expected to be completed within three months thanks to the combined efforts of everyone involved. This is thanks to the ongoing preparatory work done by Fuhua's subsidiaries and the intensive, full cooperation of the banking group.
In any case, just as Yi Zhengwei had guessed, Song Qing's debt to Yi Zhengwei was still unpayable, and in fact, it was gradually piling up.
Yi Mantian and Song Jingmo became like brothers in misfortune, enjoying a carefree life in the hospital. Their son and daughter worked together seamlessly in the business world, complementing each other perfectly, and they were happy to recuperate. However, Song Jingmo was rather annoyed by Yi Mantian's constant hints about a marriage alliance, but despite her resentment, their friendship continued to grow. They spent their days watching the news, playing Go, and discussing life, and the days flew by.
Xu Heng called Song Qing several times to say that Song Jingmo's recovery was progressing well, and that if things continued like this, there was still hope. He said that as long as the current situation was maintained, a miracle might happen.
In his conversation, he was telling Song Qing to continue running Fuhua well so that he wouldn't have any worries. Song Jingmo was very fortunate to have such a confidant.
If it weren't for Xu Heng's phone call, who knows what situation this father and daughter would be in.
※
"Zhengwei." Yi Mantian turned off the TV and made a phone call to his son.
"Dad, how's it going?" Yi Zhengwei put down what he was holding, got up and leaned against the window. In the pitch-black night, the clear glass reflected his face, black and white, faint and indistinct.
"Song Jingmo is very stubborn. She treats the issue of marriage as seriously as she would a job."
"No, Dad, it's even more important than work," Yi Zhengwei corrected.
"Ahem." Yi Mantian waved his hand and coughed.
"There haven't been any news reports about you and that woman lately, which is good. I believe it's only a matter of time before things come to a head. They've all seen how much you've helped the Song family. However, no matter how much you flirt with Song Qing in the media, he still won't budge. I think Xu Zhihan is coming back soon, so you'd better hurry up."
Yi Zhengwei smiled silently and gently tapped the glass with his hand.
"Dad, you don't need to worry about that. He'll agree soon."
When Yi Mantian saw his son speaking with such confidence, he was a little skeptical. He had been hanging around Song Jingmo every day without making any progress, so how could his son be so certain?
"Dad, I can't tell you why yet, but I believe the answer will be revealed soon. Our positions will be crucial, and then it won't be his place to say no." He turned back to the table, his tone meaningful yet confident, as if he had everything under control.
Yi Mantian was a smart man and knew that Yi Zhengwei must have some backup plan to say such confident words. He hung up the phone in a very pleasant mood.
Yi Zhengwei's eyes dimmed, revealing a distant and tranquil light.