As the ceremony for Zhuomei’s name change approached, I passed by Zhuomei once again. The original two-story-high signboard had already been replaced. The brand-new Wansen Shopping Plaza stood in Suzhou with an unparalleled presence. The traces of Zhuomei would gradually fade away, and except for those of us who cherished them deeply, no one would remember it years later.
Perhaps I should have taken a photo to preserve the decades-old appearance of Zhuomei before its name changed, but in the end, I didn’t. If my heart were truly as unwilling to let go as Mi Cai’s, I should have halted the wheels of Wansen Group’s progress and prevented Zhuomei from vanishing into the river of history.
I opened the car door and stepped out, wearing sunglasses as I looked up at the last remaining Zhuomei logo in the corner that hadn’t yet been removed. I saw several installation workers from an advertising company approaching the logo, secured with safety ropes. Before long, there would be no trace of Zhuomei left. After tomorrow’s name-changing ceremony, history would be completely rewritten.
At some point, Zhang Yixi also got out of the car. He stood beside me, looking at the Wansen Building from the same angle. He smiled and said, “This doesn’t seem like such a good ending.”
“Not for me and Mi Cai.”
Zhang Yixi took off his sunglasses and asked me, “You scheduled the media launch of ‘The Path of Arts’ on the same day as their name-changing ceremony. You must have had something in mind, right?”
I nodded but didn’t elaborate on my thoughts because Zhang Yixi surely understood, which was why he asked.
Perhaps we had developed a good working rapport, and he didn’t pursue the topic further. Instead, he said, “By the way, I have some news to tell you. Anqi and I are getting married. The wedding will be held a week from now!”
“Congratulations… Wishing you both a happy marriage in advance.” I finally managed to smile, but unavoidably, I thought of the past when Mi Cai and I had once planned to attend their wedding together, and our own wedding that had been left unfinished. These feelings of sadness seemed to linger in my heart, easily stirred.
Zhang Yixi patted my shoulder, seemingly also regretful that Mi Cai wouldn’t be there for the wedding. Finally, I asked him, “Since Mi Cai went to America, has Anqi kept in touch with her?”
“I think not.”
This was an expected answer, but I still felt a sense of loss. I knew Anqi would attend our media launch tomorrow. If she had secretly remained in contact with Mi Cai, I had wanted to ask her about Mi Cai’s situation. Right now, the ways to get news about Mi Cai were really limited. I wondered what she had experienced during this time, whether she also missed our life together as much as I did.
The last remaining signboard of Zhuomei had already been removed by the advertising company staff. I finally took off my sunglasses and gazed silently for a long time. Just as I was about to leave, I saw the executives of Wansen Group arrive downstairs one by one. They were smiling and praising the momentum generated after Zhuomei’s name change.
I didn’t stay any longer and got into my car with Zhang Yixi. It was time for me to prepare for tomorrow’s media launch!
…
Today, I met with veteran entrepreneur Yang Congrong again. His company, Yirong Travel, was once one of the investors in “The Path of Literature and Art.” Unfortunately, disillusioned by the incident involving Jian Wei’s parents, he eventually accepted an acquisition offer from another group. He transferred ownership of Yirong Travel, a business he had painstakingly built over the years, and prepared to retire. This time, he made a special trip to Suzhou to attend tomorrow’s media launch event for “The Path of Literature and Art.”
I showed him around the new office building of Wenyi Zhilu. He was in a good mood and spoke highly of the marketing activities since the restart of Wenyi Zhilu. Then I took him to my office and had my assistant brew a pot of high-quality Pu’er tea. We sat on the sofa and continued our conversation.
After finishing the business-related topics, Yang Congrong took out a bank card from his briefcase and handed it to me, saying, “Before the incident involving Jian Wei’s parents, Xiaowei transferred five million to me. I know this money was meant to be her last resort for living expenses… although it was a bit difficult, I still followed her request and opened the bank card in my name, setting the password she specified… she suddenly encountered such an unfortunate event, and as her uncle who watched her grow up, my heart was filled with indescribable pain…” Pausing here, Yang Congrong sighed deeply and remained silent for a long time before continuing, “Now you’ve been staying by Xiaowei’s side to take care of her, and this is a time when money is needed. So I took the liberty to decide that this money should be entrusted to you. The bank card password is:…”
The password Yang Congrong revealed surprised me. The numbers in the password seemed to be the date when I first met Jian Wei, plus the last digit of our respective birthdays. Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind—could this password unlock that encrypted folder? Maybe it really could!
As I was lost in thought, Yang Congrong continued, “Zhaoyang, Xiaowei once told me that a heart that never gives up is more precious than a diamond. Despite her family suffering such a major setback, she still struggled hard to keep this project going. I really hope her spirit can pass on to you, so you can properly develop and manage this project, never giving up easily, and not letting yourself be defeated in spirit and willpower by a woman!”
Thinking about Jian Wei’s perseverance, my face burned with emotion. After a long pause, I nodded solemnly and said, “Uncle Yang, I understand… I will spend my entire life making this project a success!”
Yang Congrong, like a tolerant elder, patted my shoulder and said, “Yes, work hard. I hope you can truly carve out a path for idealism in this realistic world. I have always seen in you the quality of gaining support through virtue, but I also hope that in your future entrepreneurial endeavors, you will be cautious in dealing with people and not allow those with ill intentions to take advantage of your kindness… Actually, these were also the words Xiaowei once told me about you!”
I raised my head, closed my eyes, and felt a complex mix of emotions in my heart. If there was anything that concerned me more than Mi Cai’s return, it was Jian Wei’s awakening. I really wanted to see her smile again, just like in the past, and have a few casual conversations with her… Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to visit her in Shanghai tonight.
…
In the afternoon, Tongzi also returned from abroad. This time, he didn’t come alone—he brought back a game development team. Since I had already been informed beforehand, I had already prepared a small studio for this development team. My discussions with Zhou Zhaokun regarding investment had reached a stage of implementation, and soon we would officially launch this project.
My conversation with Tongzi still took place in my office. His biggest concern was also about Jian Wei’s recovery. He had a special emotional connection with her. His transformation from a naive student still in university to a capable young man today was largely due to Jian Wei’s support. Even Xiaojun, whom he deeply loved, had received great help from Jian Wei. Jian Wei’s misfortune deeply pained them both.
In the somber atmosphere, Tongzi finally looked up and said to me, “Brother Yang, I’ve already applied to take a one-year leave of absence from school. This time, I don’t plan to go back. I want to stay by your side and help build this gaming company together.”
I didn’t object but asked, “Have you thought this through carefully?”
Tongzi nodded without hesitation and replied, “Yes… Education is important to me, but without you, Brother Yang, I might still be wandering aimlessly without direction. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to develop so much… What I have now is already more than enough for me! In the future, staying in China will also give me more time with Xiaojun. I also want to get married to her sooner rather than later, so she won’t feel insecure anymore.”
“If this is a decision you’ve made after serious consideration, of course I welcome your return to China, giving us brothers another chance to start a business together.” I said, extending my hand to him. Finally, he smiled and shook my hand. At that moment, I saw the diversity of human nature—there are those who are willing to support you, not everyone takes advantage of your kindness. Some, like Tongzi and Leyao, respond to your help with sincere gratitude.
…
In the evening, I invited friends who were coming to attend the media launch to dinner at a hotel. As I left the hotel, I couldn’t help thinking again about the encrypted folder password. I felt that this password might very well be the one Yang Congrong had given me for the bank card. I hesitated over whether I should try it once. In the end, I decided to put this matter on hold for now. This was a crucial period for my entrepreneurial journey, and I didn’t want my mood to be disturbed by these external factors. Moreover, this was no longer a few years ago—many things had already passed the point of no return. If I were smart enough, I shouldn’t investigate further or go against Jian Wei’s wishes. If she had wanted me to know, she would have told me in person a year ago.
On my way to Shanghai, I received a call from Leyao. She informed me that the influential figures she had invited were gradually promoting the “Path of Literature and Art” on platforms similar to Weibo. Tomorrow’s media launch of the “Path of Literature and Art” would undoubtedly attract widespread attention. She also mentioned that she would try to wrap up her filming in South Korea earlier and return in time for the next public event of the “Path of Literature and Art” to personally support me.
I was truly grateful to her, but there was no need for us to say any more words of thanks. What I could do now was to give my all—120 percent—to face every challenge ahead, not betraying myself or the trust of my friends!
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