Chapter 35: Man, I Won’t Allow You to Say No
Eating a warm, steaming roasted sweet potato in winter warms the heart.
As Chi Wang ate, he asked, “Why did you only buy one?”
At the same time, he broke it in half and handed the bottom half, still with the skin, to Xie Sichen. “You try some too.”
Xie looked at Chi Wang, then at the sweet potato he wasn’t fond of, and reluctantly accepted it, taking a bite.
It was indeed quite sweet.
After sharing the sweet potato, Chi Wang forgot the earlier awkwardness and casually asked, “Have you been going to school these days? Didn’t you say there aren’t many classes in the senior year?”
Xie’s eyes flickered slightly. He replied, “I haven’t been going to school; I’ve been interning.”
Chi Wang said, “Oh, that explains it. Which company are you interning at?”
Xie answered, “Haisheng.”
Chi Wang frowned slightly, pondering, “Sounds familiar.”
Quickly, he remembered. Haisheng occupies an entire office building, with the company’s name boldly displayed outside. During his summer job at the startup, he’d pass by that building on his way to work.
What’s the full name again? Haisheng Biomedical?
Chi Wang asked, “Do you get paid for the internship?”
Xie said, “Yes, eighteen thousand yuan.”
Chi Wang’s eyes widened in shock. “Eighteen thousand for an internship? What about after you become a full-time employee? How much then?”
Xie paused. “After taxes, twenty-eight thousand.”
Chi Wang covered his mouth. “…We’re both college students; why is your salary so high? And isn’t your major physics? This job isn’t even related to your field.”
Xie retorted, “How many people work in their field of study after graduation?”
“…” Chi Wang conceded, “That’s true.”
Actually, Xie had been working for several days, leaving early and returning late. Chi Wang hadn’t asked about it, respecting boundaries.
But now, Chi Wang was a bit curious about Xie.
Seizing the opportunity, Xie’s gaze fell on Chi Wang before casually shifting away. He stood up, walked to the cabinet, and used Chi Wang’s cup to prepare a nutritional supplement for him.
When he handed it to Chi Wang, he said, “Do you want to come and see Haisheng?”
Chi Wang’s eyes lit up. “Can I?”
Whenever he encountered something interesting, his whole being seemed to glow.
Looking at Chi Wang’s face, Xie’s voice softened. “Of course.”
Chi Wang’s excitement soared again. “So I can just go like this? Is there a dress code? I see you wear suits and vests every day—so formal.”
Xie said, “No requirements. Come as you like. I dress formally because I have meetings and evening engagements.”
Chi Wang’s ears perked up, sensing something off. He couldn’t imagine Xie acting like someone’s subordinate. “Do interns have to attend social events too?”
Xie said, “…My internship position is Acting CEO.”
Chi Wang: “…”
Breaking into a cold sweat, Chi Wang said, “You can intern as a CEO? But even after becoming a full-time employee, your salary is only twenty-eight thousand after taxes? Isn’t that too little?”
Xie replied, “That’s just the salary for the position.”
Chi Wang understood. The official salary was that amount, but there were other forms of income.
Thinking it over, Chi Wang became excited. “You’re now my most influential connection.”
Xie hesitated but then decided not to say more.
—
Although they had agreed that Xie would take Chi Wang to see Haisheng, Xie had just taken over and was swamped with work; for now, it was just a promise.
Chi Wang wasn’t in a hurry; after all, the promises he made to Xie were still just on paper. Making mutual promises was quite reasonable.
Xie went to Haisheng, and Zuo Qianxing came over to help him out. Since he had free time, he took on the role of Resource Director.
Recently, Zuo could clearly feel that Xie’s condition was improving day by day; his mood was more tranquil.
He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but the dark circles under Xie’s eyes had faded significantly, and his gaze was brighter. Previously, his eyes were often half-closed. With his naturally long and narrow eyes, this made his gaze seem dark and gave off an impatient vibe.
Now, he looked somewhat radiant.
Zuo had his suspicions but didn’t ask; it was useless anyway. If Xie didn’t want to say something, he wouldn’t.
While holding a cushy position at Haisheng, Zuo didn’t forget to discuss collaborations with Xie.
Being the youngest in his family with two older brothers who doted on him, he didn’t have any hope of inheriting the family business. At most, they’d give him some shares and a fixed income to let him pass his days.
But Zuo had ambitions; he wanted to achieve something. Knowing he lacked ability, he decided to team up with Xie. He started his own company, relying entirely on the resources Xie provided.
Xie wasn’t stingy, and even his parents were generous, taking care of people like him. Without much effort, Zuo received a flurry of orders and projects.
So he became a hands-off boss, hiring a professional manager to run his company while he hung around at Xie’s company.
While hanging out, he also looked for suitable projects to collaborate on. Given their relationship, Zuo could always secure good opportunities. Whenever he asked, Xie would agree.
However, Zuo knew his limits. He wouldn’t randomly grab resources; he only took on what he could handle and do well. Xie was also clear about this—business was business, and personal matters were personal. If Zuo didn’t perform well, even if he asked again, Xie wouldn’t grant him more opportunities.
Zuo managed this balance well and lived comfortably. His two older brothers weren’t doing as well as he was.
Compared to him, others were far behind.
Xie’s mother, Chu Qing, liked people who were sweet-talking and cheerful. Many in their circle would bypass Xie to curry favor with Chu Qing, acting obedient and flattering in front of her to grab resources. Chu Qing was willing to let some opportunities slip, but most were squandered.
Zuo placed a proposal on Xie’s desk, wearing a flattering smile. “Take a look at this proposal when you have time. If you think it’s good, assign me that project at Port C. I guarantee I’ll do it well for you.”
Without even looking up, Xie carefully read through Zuo’s proposal but didn’t comment on it.
He set down the proposal and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t tired; there was just too much work, and he couldn’t keep up.
After pressing his nose, he said to Zuo, “Leave it here. I’ll have someone evaluate this proposal.”
Zuo happily exclaimed, “Great!” Since Xie didn’t refuse, it meant there was hope, but he still needed to go through the proper procedures.
Although Xie had been diligently studying these past few years, he was still involved in various company affairs, attending banquets and parties, and maintaining his exposure and social connections as an heir.
At this moment, Assistant Li came in to report to Xie.
In the past half-month, Haisheng and its subsidiaries had encountered many issues, with a frequency that clearly indicated someone was targeting them.
Xie had been busy dealing with these matters recently. A few days ago, he discovered that it was Xiao Fu’s doing, which didn’t surprise him.
He calmly arranged corresponding countermeasures, and before long, everything was resolved one by one.
But that wasn’t enough; Xie wasn’t someone to be pushed around and naturally wanted to retaliate.
Their struggle had been ongoing for many years, with neither thinking much of the other.
Xie’s counterattack against Xiao Fu involved leaking bidding information, provoking Xiao Fu to spend an extra twenty million yuan to win a project. He also deliberately leaked plans to Xiao Fu, causing him to go from smug to angry; it was said he went home and smashed an antique.
Assistant Li was reporting this matter.
After hearing it, Xie showed no particular reaction.
After the assistant left, Zuo chatted with Xie, “Based on what I know about Xiao Fu, he must think you’re working just to challenge him.”
Xie began pressing the bridge of his nose again.
Observing his expression, Zuo said, “Want to hear some juicy gossip? It’s related to Chi Wang.”
Xie lifted his eyelids to look at him, his gaze somewhat deep and a bit stern, his voice tense. “What gossip?”
Zuo said, “I heard from Xiao Chengfeng that Xiao Fu asked him to investigate that caddie. Xiao Chengfeng spent over a hundred thousand yuan to hire a private detective.”
Xie: “…”
Zuo continued, “The caddie connected to Xiao Fu must be Chi Wang, right? Probably no other caddie. Why is Xiao Fu investigating him out of the blue? Does he want to steal him from you?”
Xie glanced at him. “He can’t.”
Zuo: “…”
He was startled; this was the first time he’d successfully gotten information out of Xie.
Given that Xie was familiar with his tactics and shouldn’t have been caught off guard, the reason he was now was probably that he didn’t want to hide it anymore.
Xie asked, “When did this happen?”
Zuo thought for a moment. “Quite a while ago. I asked why he was investigating, but Xiao Chengfeng said he didn’t know.”
Xie said nothing more.
He closed the file and prepared to leave work early.
Zuo reached out his hand. “Wait, the proposal—”
Xie said, “We’ll talk about it later.”
With that, he picked up his long coat and walked out.
Zuo: “…”
Alright then.
*
In the evening, as Chi Wang finished classes and reached the school gate, he saw Xie’s tall figure waiting for him.
Chi Wang walked over. “What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re here to pick me up from school like some parent.”
Xie: “…”
Xie said, “I just got off work and was passing by.”
Chi Wang said, “Really? I don’t believe you.”
Xie: “…”
He looked down at Chi Wang’s mischievous smile, his eyes softening, and his tone gentler. “I was also waiting for you to finish school.”
Chi Wang laughed, “Haha.”
Xie said, “You can ride the electric scooter to and from school; it’s a bit far.”
Chi Wang nonchalantly said, “I’m already not getting much exercise. I weighed myself and gained five pounds.”
Xie asked, “Where did you gain weight?”
He couldn’t tell.
Chi Wang patted his stomach. “My belly’s bigger; the baby is too fat.”
Xie: “…”
How big could a twelve-week-old baby be?
Seeing Xie’s skeptical look, Chi Wang became annoyed. “A twelve-week-old baby is already as big as a fist. It’s heavy, okay?”
Xie stared at his stomach.
Up until now, Xie hadn’t really seen Chi Wang’s belly.
Chi Wang always wore loose clothing, covering himself thoroughly. Now that it’s winter, he wore even more clothes, making it impossible to tell.
As for at night…
Chi Wang always avoided letting him touch his belly, most of the time sleeping with his back to him.
Xie didn’t know what Chi Wang’s belly looked like now.
Noticing his gaze, Chi Wang instinctively shifted to the side, avoiding Xie’s eyes.
Xie looked away and asked, “Do you want to eat something? I can go buy it for you.”
Chi Wang smacked his lips and, following his lead, began to think. “I want to eat spicy strips.”
Xie said, “Junk food. You can’t eat that.”
Chi Wang said, “Or instant noodles.”
“No.”
Chi Wang glanced at him and couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “Fine, I want to eat spicy strips and instant noodles now. Go buy them for me.”
Xie said, “You can’t—”
Before he could finish, Chi Wang interrupted confidently, “Man, I won’t allow you to say no.”
Xie: “…”
In his cold tone, there was a special undertone. “Let’s compromise and have a sweet potato.”
Chi Wang thought: That’s not a compromise at all.
