In this late night, the only person besides Mi Cai and me was a shop owner who was boiling soy milk. There was no one else around. Therefore, I believed this private conversation was her way of opening her heart to me, and through this, I saw the woman from that city. My mood alternated between relaxation and tension. After a while, I finally confirmed with her, “Do you truly hope that I will continue operating the company Lu Ku?”
Mi Cai nodded and said, “That’s true. I hope you can realize your dreams, on the condition that you still feel you have dreams and aspirations.”
I imagined: indeed, there was a time when I hoped my “literary and artistic path” could change others, giving life a positive and upward force. And tonight, that young couple from Xining made me realize the significance of doing this. Perhaps, if I persist, there will be more people in the future who succeed because they were changed by this effort. This positive force will break through the taboos of reality and be passed on endlessly.
Then, could I therefore use Jian Wei and Yang Congrong’s resources to realize this dream?… Perhaps, I couldn’t accept it with a clear conscience, but I really needed to. I realized: if I truly withdrew from Lu Ku, this dream would become increasingly distant, because once I left this commercial warship, my individual strength was simply too small, and I couldn’t even be sure whether I could manage well the stores under my name like “Fifth Season” and “Empty City.”
Mi Cai kept looking at me, perhaps waiting for me to express my stance, or maybe she was just used to looking at me. I drank the remaining soy milk in my cup, turned my head to look outside the snack shop, and only noticed the coolness and withering scenery of the late autumn night. Therefore, I felt this was a city that needed tidying up, even the entire life and world. I should be like a cleaner, using the broom given by Jian Wei and Yang Congrong to gather the scattered dead leaves, ignite them, and contribute some light to this world.
Finally, I said to Mi Cai, “I understand. I will manage the company Lu Ku well.”
Mi Cai looked at me with no impurity in her eyes. After a while, she smiled and said, “Mm, you will definitely become more mature. Moreover, hastily withdrawing from Lu Ku, even from a business perspective, is a very irresponsible decision. You should be responsible to your investors. Just imagine, as the operator, if you suddenly withdraw, how would outsiders view Lu Ku, a brand that has just been born? Probably many potential partner companies would choose to abandon the possibility of cooperation because of Lu Ku’s instability?… Therefore, when you make a choice, you still need to consider various aspects.”
I exhaled deeply and reflected. I realized that compared to Mi Cai, I wasn’t someone who would be thorough because of a sense of responsibility. Therefore, even if she was alone, she still upheld the once precarious Zhuo Mei, and continues to work tirelessly for Zhuo Mei’s improvement. In comparison, as a man, I was constantly dragged down by my petty personal emotions and walked hesitantly in the business world, which had already fallen into an inferior position. I should give myself a heart of tolerance and understanding responsibility… At this moment, I urgently hoped to grow up in the river of life, and in terms of spiritual realm, match this woman I love the most deeply… Perhaps, this was the greatest gain from this Lu Ku withdrawal incident.
The night grew deeper. Mi Cai leaned on my shoulder. We walked on the gradually quiet street, having already buried two originally lonely souls under the soil of this city, waiting for the spring blossoms next year. There would certainly be a blooming result. And my tenant, also my landlord, would eventually become the wife who accompanies me through life because of this result… I firmly believed… deeply believed!
…
The next day, I arrived at the company early, held a routine morning meeting, and then went to Jian Wei’s advertising company. My proactive visit even surprised the front desk receptionist. In fact, since the establishment of Lu Ku, we should have had close communication due to our cooperative relationship, yet I had never visited Jian Wei’s company, even though it was only a few steps away.
I asked the receptionist, “Good morning, may I ask if your CEO Jian is here yet?”
The receptionist quickly replied, “Good morning, CEO Zhao. CEO Jian hasn’t arrived yet…” She glanced at the time and added, “But she should be here soon. Unless she’s on a business trip, she usually arrives at the company before ten o’clock.”
I nodded and decided to wait for her in the client reception area. Just as I turned around, I saw Jian Wei carrying her handbag. However, she was wearing sunglasses. Instinctively, I looked out the window but saw no sun, and the hazy fog had not completely dissipated. Therefore, the sunglasses seemed quite puzzling!
Despite last night’s extremely failed communication, even mutual threats, Jian Wei still didn’t lose her professional demeanor. She said to me, “CEO Zhao, if you have something important, let’s discuss it in my office.”
I nodded and followed Jian Wei through the curious glances of everyone into her office. And even until now, Jian Wei still hadn’t removed her sunglasses. The moment the door closed, her tone immediately turned cold, “Zhao Yang… I’m telling you, if you want to give up Lu Ku, then just do it. I’m not interested in continuing my investment either. I’ll just consider myself having been blind, misjudging the person and the investment project…”
I looked at her and after a while said, “Is that why you’re wearing sunglasses?”
This somewhat absurd guess made Jian Wei very unwilling to respond. She took out the breakfast she had already bought from her handbag, and began opening her computer while eating… Well, in her mind, I had already made up my mind to quit Lu Ku, so what else was there to talk about between us!
I spoke to her again, “The lighting in this room is already poor. Can you please take off your sunglasses? It’s not only bad for your eyes, but it also makes me feel uncomfortable!”
Jian Wei still didn’t respond. After her computer started up, she began looking at reports… I watched her like that, watching her unfinished simple breakfast, and suddenly felt some sympathy in my heart, sympathy for her lifestyle, sympathy for her somewhat extreme stubbornness… Couldn’t she live better? Doesn’t she really understand that the sharpness of the business world can wear away a woman’s most perfect youth?… Originally, she wasn’t an ordinary woman, originally she had a fiancé willing to give her the best life, but even so, she still refused to abandon the intrigues of the business world and live elegantly.
I sighed softly and finally said to her, “Please take off your sunglasses. Let’s talk about something serious… It’s about Lu Ku. I have some new ideas!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage