“Familiar?” Ji Shu asked in confusion, “Have you seen him before?”
Tan Mo shook her head, “No, but I inexplicably feel like he looks very familiar…”
At that moment, Tan Mo couldn’t figure out why she had such a feeling, so she finally dismissed the thought and linked arms with Ji Shu, “Forget it. Let’s go eat.”
“Let’s go, go, go. I’m starving…”
The two walked into the restaurant’s indoor area, entered the reserved private room, and ordered their food. Ji Shu looked at Tan Mo across the table, who was smiling brightly while resting her cheek on her hand watching her place the order, and couldn’t help teasing, “You seem to be in a great mood lately. Radiant, in fact. It’s clear you’re thriving with love.”
The young girl couldn’t help but smile, “Really? I haven’t even noticed…”
“Oh, definitely! Remember when I last saw you, you looked like the sky had fallen after your breakup. You cried so much your face swelled up like a baozi, saying, ‘Ah Ji Shu, I’m so sad. Why do I feel even worse now than the day he left the country back then? I really like Xie Qichen, but I have to divorce him now, waaah…’”
Ji Shu mimicked her tone, and Tan Mo quickly covered her face in embarrassment, unable to hold back her laughter. “Okay, okay, stop imitating me! You’re just teasing me. I was really upset back then.”
“No worries, the bitterness has passed and sweetness has arrived. Xie Qichen must be spoiling you to the skies.”
Tan Mo smiled, “Not quite to the point of spoiling me to heaven, but he really treats me exceptionally well.”
“Exactly. After all, he’s loved you for so many years.”
Suddenly remembering something, Ji Shu changed the subject, “By the way, have you heard how Tan Zhiwan has been lately?”
It had been a while since she’d heard that name, so Tan Mo paused slightly, “Not really. Why?”
“Nothing much. It’s just that many girls in our circle know about how your father punished her. I heard from others that Tan Zhiwan used to love shopping for bags, shoes, and luxury goods with her friends, frequenting all sorts of high-end places. Now her bank card has been frozen, and she’s living very frugally. Only her boyfriend still spends on her.”
Tan Mo’s expression slightly shifted.
She hadn’t expected Tan Zhiwan’s father to stay angry for so long. She imagined that Tan Zhiwan must hate her to the core by now.
“Anyway, Tan Zhiwan isn’t as arrogant as she used to be. Many people are secretly laughing at her. She used to gossip about you with Chen Ningning and others, so it’s poetic justice. Now she’s finally tasted the bitterness herself. It’s so satisfying.”
Ji Shu smiled at Tan Mo, “Also, everyone knows that Xie Qichen intercepted Tan Zhiwan’s cooperation deal. Now they finally understand the consequences of bullying you. One day, I saw a few women in a group chat badmouthing you, so I immediately jumped in and said I was your best friend. I told them if they said anything else, I’d screenshot the chat and send it to Tan Mo, who would then tell Xie Qichen. Those girls were so scared they were shaking in their pants and kept apologizing, hahaha…”
Tan Mo laughed, feeling helpless yet warm inside.
Since she had Xie Qichen, he had truly become her pillar of support.
“Did Tan Zhiwan apologize to you?” Ji Shu asked.
“Do you think she would, given her personality?”
“Yeah, I guess not…”
Tan Mo’s expression was calm, “I don’t care whether she apologizes or not. I just hope she stays far away from my life and never disturbs me again.”
She simply wanted to be with Xie Qichen, undisturbed by outsiders.
“Exactly! Focus on living your own life well enough! The sweet and loving relationship between you and Xie Qichen is the biggest slap in the face to those people!”
Tan Mo smiled, “That’s right.”
……
That evening, during the meal with Ji Shu, Tan Mo went ahead and paid the bill.
Because Ji Shu had helped her and Xie Qichen before, Tan Mo had always wanted to treat her to dinner. After learning the reason, Ji Shu accepted the treat without hesitation.
After dinner, Ji Shu still had unfinished work and needed to go home to continue. Tan Mo sent a message to Xie Qichen and learned that his business dinner hadn’t ended yet, so she told him to focus on his work and let Ji Shu drop her off first.
After arriving home, Tan Mo took a shower first, then grabbed her laptop and went to the first-floor living room, busying herself with work while waiting for Xie Qichen to come back.
Around nine in the evening, sounds finally came from the front door.
“You’re back——”
Tan Mo stood up and walked over, seeing the door open and Xie Qichen walk in.
The man was dressed neatly in a white shirt and black trousers, with his suit jacket folded over his arm. His tall and slender frame exuded a composed elegance. His dark eyes showed slight fatigue, but the moment he saw the girl and the warm glow of the lights at home, tenderness flooded his gaze.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Tan Mo walked over, took his jacket, and smiled warmly at him:
“No, I was editing a video. Mr. Xie, you’ve worked hard today.”
Xie Qichen smiled, wrapped an arm around her waist, and walked with her to the living room.
He sat down on the sofa, and Tan Mo brought over a cup of sobering soup, sitting beside him: “I was worried you might have drunk too much, so I made some sobering soup for you just now. Although you don’t seem drunk, you should still have a bit. Drinking always unsettles your stomach.”
Xie Qichen took the cup, “You’re getting more and more considerate?”
Tan Mo hummed softly, “That’s your good fortune…”
Xie Qichen chuckled and drank all the sobering soup. Tan Mo leaned against his shoulder, catching a whiff of cigarette smoke, “Did you smoke today?”
“No, it was others. They smoked,” Xie Qichen stood up, “Wait a moment.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll go change clothes.”
Knowing the girl disliked the smell of smoke, the man went upstairs to change into his loungewear. In truth, he didn’t smoke much, and had quit altogether after marrying her, except for that one time during their argument when he was so upset that he broke his rule.
Returning to the sofa, Xie Qichen pulled Tan Mo back into his arms. She nestled against his shoulder, smiling:
“Now there’s no smell anymore.”
Xie Qichen ruffled her hair, “How was your dinner with Ji Shu tonight?”
“It was great. We had some really delicious Japanese food.”
The man laughed, “I wanted to ask if you had a good time chatting, but of course, you only remember what you ate. You’re such a foodie.”
Tan Mo smiled, “Of course I had a good time. How about you? Did your business dinner go smoothly tonight?”
“No major issues. We should be able to sign the contract in a few days. But looking at the costs from the new product R&D, the company’s funds are still insufficient. New investments will have to be negotiated gradually.”
“Mm, there’s always a way when you reach the mountain. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
Thinking of something, Xie Qichen tightened his hold on her and spoke with a slightly gentler tone:
“Momo, I might be busier from now until May. The reform will require more of my time and energy. There will be many business dinners, and I’ll often be traveling, sometimes unable to come home for dinner with you, and even have little time to spend with you on weekends. I want to apologize in advance.”
Tan Mo was taken aback, quickly protesting, “Why be so formal? I’m not blaming you at all. Now that Dad has entrusted you with such a big responsibility, I understand that you’re busy. I won’t overthink things, and we can always communicate and discuss anything when needed.”
She pouted, “It’s fine if you’re busy for now. Once the new product is successfully launched, you’ll have to make it up to me properly, like taking me on a graduation trip or something.”
A smile appeared in the man’s eyes, “Alright, I’ll find some time to take you for a romantic getaway.”
Tan Mo’s dimples deepened as she wrapped her arms around Xie Qichen’s waist, gazing at him warmly: “Anyway, you can feel at ease to do whatever you want. No matter what happens, I’ll always support you from behind. Even if no one stands by your side, I’ll always be your solid backing.”
Xie Qichen met her gaze and smiled, “Alright.”
Now that they were married, no matter if the road ahead was filled with flowers or thorns, they would face it together.
He cupped her chin, and his kiss fell along with his gentle, flowing voice:
“Now that I have Momo, I’m not alone anymore.”
—
The clock’s hands kept spinning ceaselessly, as if Aochuang was running a grueling marathon.
Each day felt like precious seconds on the track, and no one could relax until the finish line was reached.
In early April, half a year after Xie Wenzong’s leave, Aochuang finally completed the initial prototype of Air Play 3.0.
One morning, the head of the technical department, Wen Hao, presented the new product to Xie Qichen for review.
After examining it, the man’s expression remained serious:
“You’ve all worked hard, but this Air Play 3.0 still hasn’t met our expectations. It’s still far from sufficient.”
With Yuntong’s cooperation, the new product’s wing design and some functions had improved compared to the previous generation, but when measured against TOC’s S6, it still couldn’t compete.
Wen Hao, looking worried, said, “Our technology is limited, like feeling an elephant in the dark. Right now, we can only grasp about sixty to seventy percent. Many technological patents are held by foreign drone brands, which already have mature supply chains. We’re essentially starting from scratch, facing countless difficulties.”
In the afternoon’s regular meeting, Wen Hao reported the progress of the new product design. Naturally, such a prototype drew much dissatisfaction from those present.
The first to speak out was naturally Li Jin, who sneered, “It’s been two months since the reform started at the beginning of the year. The group has invested hundreds of millions, and this is the new product we’ve come up with? You say it’s supposed to rival TOC’s S6? Can it even compare?”
Others chimed in, “I say we should just continue importing foreign components. Why rush to develop our own products? Our current capabilities are clearly insufficient. What are we trying to prove? It’s like playing house as kids.”
Wen Hao was frustrated and retorted, “Director Zhang, our technology has achieved major breakthroughs. How can you call it just kids playing house?”
“Major breakthroughs? This is your major breakthrough? Director Wen, I’m a results-oriented person. All I see is that after such a long reform period, the group has invested a massive amount of manpower, material resources, and financial capital. The new product’s launch is imminent, and this is the result your technical department has given us. Tell me, is there even enough time left?”
“I say, this third generation is indeed a significant improvement over the second, but it’s still far from achieving a qualitative leap. Why are we creating difficulties for ourselves?”
“Exactly,” someone turned to Xie Qichen and said more tactfully,
“Mr. Xie, with our current capabilities, the Air Play 3.0 we’ve developed might struggle to satisfy consumers.”
In the meeting room, discussions and arguments continued.
Eventually, Rong Qi looked toward Xie Qichen, who had remained silent all along, and respectfully asked,
“Mr. Xie… what are your thoughts now?”
Upon hearing this, everyone gradually quieted down and turned their eyes to him.
All were eagerly awaiting his stance.
A few seconds later, Xie Qichen put down his pen, lifted his eyelids, looked at Wen Hao, and in the ensuing silence, spoke calmly:
“How much confidence do you have in finalizing the design within a month?”
Wen Hao, who for the first time felt lost and lacked confidence, looked up and met Xie Qichen’s deep gaze like the ocean.
As if after a long period of contemplation, Wen Hao finally spoke:
“About… fifty percent.”
The pen lightly tapped the table, like a pebble gently hitting the water’s surface.
Then Xie Qichen turned his gaze to him and said steadily, “Alright, then continue.”
It was like a gambler at the table adding another heavy bet.
Xie Qichen stood up, fastened the button of his suit jacket, his eyes calm and undisturbed, “Meeting adjourned.”
……
Eventually, the meeting ended, and several executives gradually left.
Along the way, murmurs and complaints continued.
“It’s obvious the reform is difficult to push forward, yet he insists on going his own way. Mr. Xie said he was capable, but I think he’s just putting on a brave face!”
“Exactly, who knows what chaos the group will fall into when Mr. Xie returns from leave!”
Li Jin turned to Xie Wenzong, who was walking beside him, and said angrily, “Mr. Xie, you’re Xie Qichen’s uncle. He must have some respect for you. Don’t you think you should persuade him at this point?!”
Upon hearing this, Xie Wenzong’s eyes flickered with emotion, and he shook his head helplessly:
“That kid Qichen is stubborn and ambitious. Now that I’m an old man, how can I possibly persuade him?”
“But surely you can get the chairman to talk to Xie Qichen?”
Xie Wenzong smiled, “I do want to persuade, but it’s not up to me to speak here. I even overheard Qichen talking with the chairman the other day. Qichen said he was prepared for the reform to fail, and the chairman told him to go ahead and do as he pleased. Even if it fails, it’s okay. It seems like he won’t give up until he hits the wall.”
“What does that mean, that failing is okay?!”
This remark instantly stirred up the crowd: “So Xie Qichen himself isn’t even confident?! Then he’s gambling with the company! When he finally hits the wall, can we afford the cost we’ve paid?!”
Xie Wenzong’s tone was calm, “Chairman Xie is willing to let Qichen take over the group, but I think the kid is still too young and not yet ready to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.”
“Exactly! We can’t afford to play along with him. He keeps saying he’s doing it for Aochuang, but in reality, he’s rash, impulsive, and utterly incapable,” someone turned their attention to Xie Shao, who was following Xie Wenzong, “In my opinion, Xie Shao is much more capable. He’s been in the company for five or six years, working diligently and earnestly. He’s far more reliable than Xie Qichen.”
The handsome man glanced at Xie Wenzong, then lifted his hand to adjust the thin-rimmed glasses on his nose. A smile appeared behind the lenses as he modestly said,
“Uncle Zhang, you flatter me. I still have many shortcomings and am not as bold and decisive as Ah Chen.”
“Come on, how can he be decisive? He’s just arrogant! To be honest, you and Xie Qichen are cousins, but his personality and capability are far behind yours. You will definitely achieve great things in the future.”
Xie Wenkang’s eyes rippled with emotion: “I just hope that in the future, Xie Shao will have a place to demonstrate his talent within the group.”
Of course, it would be even better if that place was the president of Aochuang.
Everyone departed, and finally Xie Shao followed Xie Wenkang to the office.
After closing the door, Xie Wenkang’s face could no longer hide his icy smile. He took a sip from the teacup on the desk and looked at Xie Shao: “Have you seen it? This is the result of Xie Qichen’s reform after all this time. I see that now, except for Chairman Xie, few people in the entire group trust him.”
Xie Shao lowered his eyes and chuckled softly: “I really thought that Xie Qichen, as the new official, could bring something new to the table. I overestimated him.”
“It’s not that you overestimated him; it’s that a few years ago Aochuang tried to reform, but it was vetoed by the board before it even started. Our domestic technology simply wasn’t capable of reform. How could Xie Qichen possibly achieve what his father couldn’t?”
Xie Wenkang thought of something, his face turning icy: “Back then, your grandfather personally supported Xie Wenzong in establishing Aochuang, giving almost all his savings to Xie Wenzong. What about our family? Your grandfather insisted that my ability was inferior to Xie Wenzong’s and made me obediently follow Xie Wenzong. Why did we lose to them from the very beginning?!”
Xie Wenkang had long coveted Xie Wenzong’s position as chairman. He never believed his abilities were weaker than Xie Wenzong’s.
But both he and Xie Shao were oppressed by the Xie Wenzong family. Originally, they thought that with Xie Wenzong’s poor health and old age, and Xie Siyuan having become a vegetative patient, Xie Wenzong would surely hand over the group to him for management. However, who knew that Xie Wenzong had summoned Xie Qichen, who was abroad, back!
“Xie Qichen still wants to take over Aochuang? Dream on! Even if his father is willing, the senior management and the board beneath won’t agree.”
Xie Wenkang looked at Xie Shao: “This time, we absolutely cannot let Xie Qichen’s reform succeed or let him settle into his position. Only when Xie Qichen steps down will you have hope.”
Even if Xie Wenzong could somehow return to manage the group, with his current physical condition, he wouldn’t last for many years. Eventually, the group would rightfully fall into their father and son’s hands.
“Dad, so what do we do next?”
Xie Wenkang’s eyes shifted to look out the window, a cold smile spreading from his lips to his eyes:
“You continue negotiating cooperation with TOC. As for the group, we don’t need to do anything deliberately; we just need to ride the wave and stir up a storm of public opinion. Xie Qichen will bear the consequences for himself.”
Xie Wenkang took a sip of tea and spoke leisurely:
“Qichen, your downfall can’t be blamed on us. This is your own choice to jump into the fire pit.”
–
April marked the plum rain season in Licheng.
Several drizzling rains fell, casting a layer of oppressive gray over the city.
For two consecutive weeks, the technology department of Aochuang Group was almost constantly illuminated by lights day and night.
All employees in the technology department were pouring their full efforts into the design of new products and the innovation of key technologies.
Meanwhile, Xie Qichen was never idle in his office.
He was running around to several university research centers established by Aochuang, seeking talents and jointly developing technologies, leaving almost no personal time for himself.
Since the reform began, Aochuang had invested as much as 300 million yuan in new product development.
The biggest problem still facing them now was technology.
Many members of the new product development department and the technology department had been sleeping on the floor of the office for over a week, working day and night, just to design a satisfactory new product as soon as possible.
Many people were watching the technology department closely.
Within the group, various kinds of public opinions and voices were like a flood, with the conservatives and reformists becoming increasingly fierce in their struggle.
More and more people began to hold pessimistic views about the reform, questioning whether the new product could be successfully launched and doubting Xie Qichen’s capabilities. Even rumors began to spread within the group that due to financial strain, there might be layoffs and wage cuts, causing anxiety among the employees.
Although the matter was clarified, people’s hearts remained uneasy.
Originally, Aochuang wanted to follow a marketing-focused development path. Recently, someone proposed that compared to TOC, Aochuang’s technology had some gaps, but the bigger gap was in market visibility. Therefore, the group originally planned to invest more money in product promotion and publicity.
However, after Xie Qichen took office, he rejected this proposal.
He believed that if Aochuang truly wanted to reach the pinnacle of drone brands, in the long run, it couldn’t rely solely on marketing without technology.
Only with technological advancement could the effects of marketing be better. Therefore, during this period, Aochuang redirected funds originally allocated for market promotion to technology research, causing a decline in market visibility for Aochuang.
Conversely, recently, TOC successfully launched the Pro version of the S6 generation with the help of several waves of endorsements, and its stock price continued to rise with the popularity.
At this moment, Aochuang was like suddenly submerged in the sea, silent and invisible. Many of their loyal consumers were eagerly anticipating the third generation of Air Play, but many others lamented that the domestic drone market could no longer compete with TOC.
At this moment, Aochuang was just like Licheng, trapped in April rains—oppressive and difficult, not knowing when it would see the light of day.
By late April, the technology department presented the 2.0 prototype of the drone.
The good news was that this prototype achieved many technological innovations compared to the second generation.
However, the bad news was that there was still a very difficult field that had not been conquered—the drone’s battery life issue.
The drone’s various functions had improved, but this also meant that the drone would consume more power during use, requiring a larger battery capacity and stronger power supply capability. Battery life had always been the area where TOC surpassed them.
Now, the new product’s battery life couldn’t keep up, making it impossible to operate for extended periods. If the battery capacity was increased, the drone’s weight would inevitably increase, exceeding the maximum takeoff weight for civilian drones regulated by the Civil Aviation Administration, making production impossible.
Without sufficient battery life, all previous efforts were essentially destroyed.
At present, Aochuang couldn’t break through battery life technology in the short term. Yun Hao and Xie Qichen proposed that there was once a tech company in China specializing in drone battery life called Dune Technology. Their technology was strong, but they were a startup by college students.
Xie Qichen contacted the owner of Dune Technology, who said they were very willing to cooperate with Aochuang. They had been trying to solve this problem for the past two years, but their company was already facing bankruptcy due to financial strain. Several of their original entrepreneurial friends had left, and they were willing but powerless.
Yun Hao was anxious: “It’s almost impossible to ask for their help now. We can barely take care of ourselves.”
As if things couldn’t get worse, in the following days, many people learned that four engineers from the technology department had successively submitted their resignations, choosing to leave Aochuang.
Perhaps they were lured away by high salaries, but under such difficult circumstances, the technology department faced a shortage of technical personnel.
Aochuang seemed to have reached a dead end.
At a certain meeting, Xie Wenkang finally lost his previously amiable smile, slowly turning to Xie Qichen and saying:
“President Xie, to be frank, you have brought the group into such a difficult situation. Your reform is a complete failure from start to finish.”
“Yeah, how should we proceed now…”
Many people, hearing even Xie Wenkang say this, completely turned against the reformists.
The man sitting at the front said nothing, allowing the overwhelming criticism and doubt to drown him.
The man was like being pushed to the forefront of a storm, becoming the target of everyone’s arrows.
By now, the entire group had fallen into a serious crisis, like a storm about to break, teetering on the brink, with unrest among the people.
To everyone’s surprise, even under such difficult circumstances, Xie Qichen still did not halt the new product development.
He was like a person going against the wind, whether out of stubbornness or ambition, many people behind his back laughed at his single-mindedness, mocking his naivety.
As May arrived, the worst news came—Aochuang’s capital chain had broken.
From the previous quarter’s financial report, Aochuang’s sales and profits had seriously declined compared to before, and its stock price was also falling.
The group was completely plunged into crisis.
At the monthly meeting at the beginning of May, Xie Wenkang’s faction directly threw out a bombshell—proposing a motion to remove Xie Qichen from his position as president.
“Those who are capable should hold the position, and those who are not should step aside. The position of Aochuang’s president is not something just anyone can hold. President Xie, it’s time for you to step down and make way for someone more capable.”
“Yeah, President Xie, Aochuang has reached this point thanks to your ‘great achievements’?”
“President Xie, you should step down immediately and let the group cut its losses!”
Xie Wenkang smiled at everyone and said: “I’ve already contacted the chairman beforehand. Although you are my nephew, Xie President, I must be fair and impartial in group affairs and take responsibility for everyone, so I can only propose this solution.”
In the end, the conservatives held the majority and agreed to submit the proposal to remove Xie Qichen’s position to the board of directors.
A week later, Chairman Xie was called back for a meeting to vote.
After the meeting, Xie Qichen returned to the president’s office.
Upon entering, the man walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, his dark gaze falling on the gray sky outside.
His expression was calm and unreadable, giving no hint of his inner emotions.
After a long silence, Xie Qichen finally spoke: “Go book a flight ticket to London tomorrow.”
The man standing behind, Wen Cheng, hesitated for a moment, guessing the purpose, and nodded:
“Okay.”
Then the man said: “You can go out first.”
“Yes.”
Wen Cheng knew the reason Xie Qichen was going to London was to meet Xie Wenzong.
This news also reached Xie Wenkang’s ears. Two days later, Xie Wenkang received a call from a party member within the group:
“Today I heard that Xie Qichen flew to London to meet Chairman Xie yesterday.”
“Oh? No wonder he’s not in the group. What did they say?”
“That’s unclear. I only know that Xie Qichen and Chairman Xie talked alone for an hour. Anyway, when he left, Xie Qichen looked very serious.”
Xie Wenkang was sitting in the backyard of his villa, leisurely drinking tea:
“I guess Xie Qichen knows he’s made a big mess and can’t cover it up, so he ran to his father for help.”
“Will Chairman Xie support him?”
“This time, even if my older brother wants to help him, he probably can’t. Now, over seventy percent of the board members are dissatisfied with Xie Qichen. Do you think my brother would go against the majority’s will to protect Xie Qichen? Now, Xie Qichen stepping down is what everyone expects. No one can save him.”
Since April, he had already sent people within the group to subtly lead many trends and had started to rally some people, expanding his influence.
Now, to Xie Wenkang, Xie Qichen was just an ant under his foot.
Xie Wenkang laughed: “The time is near. The good show we’ve been waiting for is about to begin.”
Xie Wenkang and his faction members were thinking about overthrowing Xie Qichen and were particularly happy these days.
On the other side, after flying abroad to meet Xie Wenzong, Xie Qichen did not fly back to Licheng immediately upon returning but instead went to another province. Rumors spread that he seemed to be trying to struggle a bit more with the new product design.
Within the group, rumors were rampant.
And these words would also reach Tan Mo’s ears.
This past month, Tan Mo had also felt like time was dragging.
Even though Xie Qichen intentionally concealed some things, not wanting the girl to know the immense pressure he was facing, since Yuntong was deeply cooperating with Aochuang, she could learn many things from her father.
She knew the situation Aochuang was facing and the pressure Xie Qichen was under.
She also knew that someone had proposed to remove Xie Qichen.
Recently, just as Xie Qichen said, he was so busy he barely had time to rest, rarely going home, often working overtime at the group or traveling on business trips. The two were practically in a long-distance relationship.
Everyone was worried about the group’s development, but as his wife, she was more concerned about him.
She worried whether he had eaten properly, slept well, or was too tired and stressed.
She feared affecting his work, so even though she was worried, she dared not easily go to the group to find him because she knew that once she appeared, the man would definitely have to spend time and energy on her. She didn’t want him to become even more exhausted because of her.
Even when Xie Qichen was on business trips, he still tried his best to care for her.
Tan Mo focused on doing her own work well, busily preparing for the final planning of the school celebration, getting ready for her graduation project, and living her life well so he wouldn’t worry.
During the week when someone proposed to remove Xie Qichen, Xie Qichen was on a business trip. Adding to that, Tan Mo and he hadn’t seen each other for about half a month.
Tan Mo knew he was under a lot of pressure this week. She didn’t dare disturb him during the day, and only before going to bed at night could the two have a video call.
One night, after the video call ended, Tan Mo couldn’t help but cry.
Perhaps it was because she missed him too much, worried about his future, and suddenly couldn’t bear the pressure anymore, she burst into tears.
She really wanted to share his burdens, but she couldn’t do anything…
Early Monday morning, just before the board meeting, at around five o’clock in the morning, Tan Mo was sleeping in her room.
Drowsily, she suddenly felt someone gently wrap their arms around her from behind.
Tan Mo panicked for a moment, but then the familiar scent of sandalwood drifted to her nose. She opened her eyes and found herself gazing into a pair of familiar, tender eyes.
“Xie Qichen…”
Before she could fully register, she was pulled into the man’s arms. “Did I wake you up?”
“When did you come back…”
“I landed half an hour ago.”
He had flown back to Licheng from another province overnight, and upon landing, had come straight home.
He wanted to return to her side.
Tan Mo looked at the man before her and felt the warmth of his embrace—so real. Resting against him, the suppressed longing she had felt surged into her throat, and tears welled up in her eyes. “Xie Qichen, I missed you so much…”
Her voice trembled. The next moment, the man’s hot, tender kiss rained down on her like a storm.
Xie Qichen rolled over, pulling her tightly into his arms, as if trying to merge her into himself completely. Without a word, he poured all his love and longing into that kiss.
Tan Mo wrapped her arms around his neck, passionately responding.
She was embraced by Xie Qichen as if she were his most precious treasure.
The kiss lasted a long time before finally breaking.
Xie Qichen leaned his forehead against hers, gazing at her intensely, his eyes slightly red, his voice hoarse as he spoke:
“I love you.”
All the longing they had felt was contained in that one word—love.
Neither felt sleepy anymore, so they lay in each other’s arms, chatting.
Tan Mo leaned against Xie Qichen’s chest and looked at him. “What are you going to do about the board meeting today…”
As he spoke, she finally took his hand. “Xie Qichen, I believe in you. No matter what the outcome is, I will face it with you.”
Tan Mo turned her gaze toward the rising sun outside the floor-to-ceiling window, smiling gently.
“Look, the rain has stopped, and the sun will rise gloriously in the east.”
Xie Qichen pulled her closer and looked out the window with her.
Hope that after the rain, the sky would truly clear.
–
In the morning, Xie Qichen stayed with Tan Mo for two more hours. Around seven o’clock, he woke up again.
After freshening up, as he was about to leave, Tan Mo also woke up. She smiled at him and said, “I have a meeting at school today. I’ll wait for you.”
Xie Qichen ruffled her hair lightly.
“Okay.”
Half an hour later, Xie Qichen arrived at the group company.
Xie Wenzong had also returned. Originally, he had planned to take two months off, but with the sudden crisis in the company, as chairman, he had no choice but to return for the board meeting.
Around nine-thirty in the morning, all executives and board members headed toward the meeting room.
On his way to the meeting room, Xie Qichen met Xie Wenko and Xie Shao.
Xie Wenko looked at Xie Qichen and smiled.
“Qichen, don’t blame your second uncle. Although I trust your ability, I can’t stand by your side this time—I have to consider the interests of others.”
Seeing Xie Wenko’s insincere expression, Xie Qichen smiled slightly after a few seconds.
“Of course, I understand your good intentions, second uncle.”
“I will definitely—keep it in mind forever.”
After saying that, Xie Qichen continued walking forward. Xie Wenko watched him leave, snorting softly.
Once he gets removed today, let’s see if he can still smile!
At 9:30 a.m., all board members and senior executives gathered in the meeting room.
The last one to enter was Xie Wenzong, wheeled in and pushed into the room.
Once everyone was present, Xie Wenzong looked at the crowd, his expression cold and weary.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
Xie Wenko stood up. “Recently, I think everyone has seen the situation the group is in. Due to the wrong reforms, the group has fallen into a serious crisis. The facts have proven that General Manager Xie has failed to lead Aochuang to better development. For the benefit of everyone, we are here today to vote on whether to remove Xie Qichen from his position as CEO.”
Xie Wenko paused, then shifted tone with a smile.
“However, before the vote, there is something I need to share with everyone.”
Xie Wenko looked at Xie Shao, who stood up, a slight smirk on his face.
“Everyone, actually, I have already represented Aochuang in negotiations with TOC recently. TOC has proposed cooperation with us.”
Hearing this, the crowd murmured in surprise. “Cooperation with TOC?!”
“Yes. I personally have a proposal that can solve all the problems we are currently facing with our new product—joint product development with TOC. If we meet their conditions, they will provide us with partial technical support.”
“I think instead of competing with TOC, we should become partners and progress together. This proposal of mine can secure more benefits and promote the development of Aochuang.”
As Xie Shao finished speaking, a heated discussion immediately broke out.
Just as Xie Wenko and Xie Shao were about to proudly introduce their cooperation plan, Xie Wenzong suddenly raised his hand to stop them.
“Wait a moment.”
“This can wait.”
Everyone looked at him in confusion. Then they saw Xie Wenzong’s eyes flicker with a smile as he turned to Xie Qichen.
“Qichen, why don’t you speak first about what you wanted to announce?”
Xie Wenko’s eyebrows twitched slightly. He, along with the others, turned to look at Xie Qichen.
Everyone was puzzled.
What else did he have to announce?!
As if the clown had finally finished his performance, the next moment, Xie Qichen raised his hand, signaling Wen Cheng. Then Wen Cheng handed out a file to each person.
At the same time, the electronic big screen in the meeting room lit up, displaying clearly in big letters—
Air Play 3.0 Product Introduction.
“Product introduction…”
“Didn’t we fail in developing the new product…”
Xie Wenko and Xie Shao were stunned.
Xie Qichen crossed his legs, his gaze sweeping over the shocked crowd before finally locking eyes with Xie Wenzong. As if he no longer needed to pretend, he finally allowed a slight smirk to curve his lips.
His voice rang out, like a drumbeat striking everyone’s heart—
“Next, please enjoy together the final prototype of Air Play Generation 3.”
“We have completed it.”
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