Chapter 16.2

Leaning back in his chair, Chen Jubai finally allowed his tense body to relax.

After leaving Nan’an that morning and enduring a four-to-five-hour drive, he had spent the afternoon reviewing project details with Chu Qi and then the entire evening at a social event. Now, in the dead of night, he finally had time to process this marriage.

It wasn’t just outsiders who found it surprising; he himself hadn’t fully adjusted.

From childhood, Chen Jubai had never harbored fantasies about marriage. At every stage of his life, he had clear objectives—studying before, now earning money. Perhaps after achieving financial freedom and reaching a certain life milestone, he might consider marrying and having children with someone suitable.

Meeting Song Wei through a matchmaking arrangement had been a complete accident.

This accident shook the foundations of his life, leaving him indecisive. He couldn’t even untangle whether he liked her as a person or was simply drawn to a particular sense of comfort she provided. Yet, he couldn’t stop wanting to connect with her, to build a relationship.

He didn’t consider himself Song Wei’s best choice and wasn’t confident that this matchmaking would lead to anything. But then, everything had unfolded so unexpectedly and naturally—they had gotten their marriage certificate and become husband and wife. A new chapter of life had begun.

Today was their first day of marriage.

Chen Jubai couldn’t deny that, at this moment, he felt a joy deeper than any he’d experienced in the past decade.

He stared at the white ceiling, momentarily lost in thought, before opening her WeChat profile again.

The name “Song Wei” was deleted and replaced with “Wife.”

After hesitating for three or four seconds, he confirmed the change.

Then, he pinned the conversation to the top.

….

The next morning at 10 a.m., Chen Jubai and Chu Qi arrived at Zhirui’s office building.

Chu Qi was still grumbling about the previous night. “If it weren’t for our untapped market, Zhirui wouldn’t even matter.”

Chen Jubai said nothing as he stepped into the elevator.

“You know Bi Xuyao is going to pull something today,” Chu Qi continued earnestly. “I thought it over last night. He’s probably going to use Zhu Yuan’s company to pressure us on pricing. We can’t give in. If we back down even a little, they’ll think we’re easy targets.”

Finally, Chen Jubai spoke, his voice steady: “Chu Qi, you’re in charge of playing the victim card today. We won’t back down.”

It was exactly what Chu Qi had hoped for. “No problem, leave it to me,” he said confidently.

As expected, after the groundwork laid the previous night, Bi Xuyao demanded an additional five percentage points. Chu Qi, with his acting skills in full swing, lamented the hardships of Guangnian’s humble beginnings, the tough market conditions, and the constant financial struggles.

Eventually, Bi Xuyao agreed to settle for three additional points.

Receiving a subtle cue from the man beside him, Chu Qi decisively replied, “President Bi, we’ve already made concessions in the original contract. We really can’t accept these three points.”

Bi Xuyao’s expression darkened.

Finally, Chen Jubai, who had been observing quietly, spoke. “President Bi, let’s all take some time to think it over. You should reconsider too. The current proposal is mutually beneficial, but conceding another three points would make it unsustainable for us.”

The two men stood up to leave, prompting Bi Xuyao to grit his teeth before begrudgingly smiling. “Alright, let’s all think it over. I’ll have my project team re-evaluate. But tonight’s dinner is on me. President Chen, President Chu, you’ve come a long way, and I must host you properly.”

Chen Jubai responded calmly, “Apologies, President Bi, but I’ve already made plans to have dinner with an old friend in the area. Next time.”

“Fine, fine. Then we’ll celebrate after the contract is signed.”

As they left the Zhirui office building, Chu Qi was puzzled. “Are we really meeting an old friend tonight?”

Chen Jubai replied, “Yes—Changyan Tech. Go back and prepare the materials.”

It took Chu Qi a moment to process, and then he exclaimed, “Damn!”

Changyan Tech—the largest medical equipment company and an industry leader! Although Zhirui was a major player, it couldn’t compare to Changyan.

Guangnian’s medical technology was still in its infancy. They hadn’t even considered the possibility of collaborating with Changyan.

Chu Qi hurried after Chen Jubai, peppering him with questions.

Chen Jubai explained everything in detail.

Though Bi Xuyao appeared in control, his unease during work-related discussions the night before, along with his subsequent anxious moves, had tipped Chen Jubai off that something was amiss.

After returning to his hotel room the previous night, Chen Jubai contacted a junior alumnus working at Changyan. That was when he discovered that Changyan Tech was also preparing to bid for the “Pioneer Plan” project but had hit a deadlock in negotiations. They were now seeking new partners—a fact not widely known.

He then reached out to a well-connected professor, who helped him establish contact with Changyan’s management. This led to tonight’s rare opportunity for a self-introduction.

Guangnian was still a fledgling company, not even on Changyan’s radar for collaboration. The odds of success were slim, but the opportunity was worth pursuing.

Ironically, it was thanks to Bi Xuyao’s antics that they had avoided prematurely signing a deal with Zhirui, which could have caused them to miss this golden chance.

Chen Jubai had also prepared himself for the possibility of walking away from Zhirui altogether. Tonight’s meeting would be a high-stakes gamble.

Upon hearing this, Chu Qi felt a surge of adrenaline. “That’s fantastic! I’ve been fed up with Zhirui anyway!”

The two returned to their hotel and had lunch delivered to their rooms.

To know your enemy, you must prepare well.

….

On Saturday, a make-up workday, the office grew increasingly restless as the end of the day approached.

On the seventh floor, in her private office, Song Wei skimmed through the documents in front of her. Her brows furrowed deeper with each page. Finally, unable to bear it, she closed the folder.

Normally composed and patient, she rarely lost her temper with her team. Even now, she restrained herself. “This report is a bit chaotic, lacking clear focus. I’ll send you an outline shortly. Follow it to revise the report. There’s no rush—good work takes time.”

Yao Miaoxuan frowned. “This is how I’ve always done competitive analysis. Manager Li Cheng never had an issue with it.”

Suppressing her irritation, Song Wei patiently explained, “Manager Li and I have different working styles. I emphasize understanding competitors’ market performance to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop differentiated strategies. This is the foundation for a product’s success in the market. Miaoxuan, I recall you once said that smart education is oversaturated, but your report doesn’t provide any data to support that conclusion.”

“Here’s the deal: if you can show me data proving it’s oversaturated, I’ll scrap the project, and you won’t need to work on it anymore.”

Miaoxuan perked up immediately, her eyes shining. “Really?”

Song Wei nodded. “Really.”

“Deal,” Miaoxuan declared confidently, clutching her files as she left, her chin held high.

Watching the young girl walk away with such confidence, Song Wei didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.

She remembered her own early days in the workforce—timid, self-effacing, and eager to please. She certainly hadn’t been this bold.

Shaking her head, she smiled wryly. Youthful fearlessness.

As soon as the clock struck the end of the workday, a head peeked into her office. Zhu Qingfei, looking cheerful, said, “Manager Song, let’s grab dinner after work!”

Today was likely the day Chen Jubai would return. However, since he hadn’t replied to her messages that afternoon, Song Wei decided not to dwell on it. She packed her things and left.

The two headed to a new Southeast Asian restaurant in a nearby mall.

Once they ordered, Zhu Qingfei sighed dramatically. “It’s been days since I’ve seen Chu Qi. I miss him so much!”

Song Wei replied, “He’s in Shenzhen.”

“You know that too?”

“He was in a meeting the other day—virtually.”

Zhu Qingfei nodded. “Right, I heard from the tech team that he and President Chen went to discuss a project. They left right after the New Year holiday, on the sixth.”

Song Wei quietly sipped her tea.

“Honestly,” Zhu Qingfei continued, “I think President Chen is incredibly hardworking. I’ve seen the lights on in his top-floor office so many times when I’ve worked late. With all the money he has, why does he still push himself so hard? Is this some kind of game to them?”

Song Wei glanced at her. “Would you ever complain about having too much money?”

“Not really, but if I were that wealthy, I’d focus on enjoying a higher quality of life instead of working myself to the bone.” Zhu Qingfei shook her head. “Maybe I’m just not ambitious enough. My biggest dream in life is to retire early.”

Song Wei thought about the bold mission statement she had seen during her interview: “Creating a dream world within everyone’s reach.” Guangnian—so this was his dream?

Meanwhile, Zhu Qingfei had moved on to another topic. “But seriously, the bond between those higher-ups is remarkable.”

Song Wei lifted her gaze, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“President Chen and Chu Qi were college classmates. They’re two years ahead of me. Back then, they were so dazzling—legends in the computer science department. They dominated competitions, taking first place everywhere. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing their names. Later, they started a business together.”

“As for our Vice President Ling Yaozhi, he’s a shareholder and the oldest among the senior executives. Don’t be fooled by his laid-back demeanor—he’s sharp and meticulous. Every product, operation, and business decision passes through him. I heard he was quite the powerhouse back in the day.”

“Then there’s another Vice President, Zhuo Wan. She oversees human resources, administration, and public relations. President Chen personally recruited her. I’m not sure how he managed it, but she left a Fortune 500^[1]The Fortune 500 is a list of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. ranked by revenue, known for their success and influence. Referring to someone as coming from a Fortune 500 company highlights their … Continue reading company to join us.”

“Our company also has a major investor—a big player in the capital world. But they’re just a silent partner and rarely visit. I haven’t even seen them.”

“That’s why President Chen and Chu Qi can go out so boldly. Over the years, they’ve built the company’s structure layer by layer. Directors, managers, supervisors—every position is meticulously organized.” Zhu Qingfei suddenly sighed. “Weiwei, I feel like President Chen is building a kingdom, expanding territories bit by bit, continuously exploring and pushing forward. So, when I said Guangnian has a bright future, I wasn’t exaggerating.”

Song Wei didn’t know how to respond. She was still somewhat an outsider, but she was beginning to agree—Guangnian was indeed expanding its territory.

“So, Weiwei, work hard and snag President Chen already. That way, I can live the good life alongside you!”

Song Wei was curious about what made Chu Qi so appealing. “You didn’t happen to have a crush on him back in college, did you?”

The woman across from her froze, and Song Wei realized she’d hit the mark. “You did?”