Lu Linshen had a habit of writing in a journal every day, but he rarely revisited or reread his entries. When their first-generation search engine was launched, it achieved good results. Their team was also invited to share their experience at an internet exchange conference in Jing City. On the first day, the team gave an overall introduction, and on the second day, the relevant leaders presented a more detailed and comprehensive project sharing. Lu Linshen did not go on stage for the team introduction; it was mainly Lao Qin and Lao Xu who presented. He wasn’t idle, though. He diligently took notes, absorbing new knowledge and lessons. That evening, he categorized and organized the content. While doing so, his elbow accidentally knocked over a water cup, and the water quickly soaked into the nearby journal. He quickly grabbed some paper to wipe it off and, still not at ease, checked each page one by one. It was during this inspection that he discovered she had written him a message, dated three months ago.

Lu Linshen, we once promised not to hide anything from each other, but I don’t know how to tell you this. Please forgive my timidity, my cowardice, and my helplessness. I can only tell you this way. Before, I thought completing the mission would allow me to go home, but I didn’t know the mission had a time limit. I still have two years left. If I don’t finish the mission in two years, I may disappear from this world completely. I’m reluctant, reluctant to leave the people and things here, and I’m reluctant to leave you. So I will do my best to protect, to chase, and to stay. If this were before, I would be fearful, uneasy, and unsure. But now, I’m not afraid. I’ve seen the determination in your eyes when you chase your dreams, your strong steps, and your body filled with strength and hope… I’ve decided to give my all to do what I want to do. I don’t know when you’ll see these words, but when you do, please don’t be startled, don’t blame yourself, and don’t be upset that I didn’t tell you sooner, because this is my choice after careful consideration, and it’s my persistence. I hope you can support me, trust me without hesitation, trust your wife, and believe I will stay and grow old with you.
Sweet, sour, bitter, salty.
Lu Linshen felt as if all these emotions suddenly gathered in his heart, a feeling he couldn’t quite describe—just that it was painful. He repeatedly stroked the writing on the page and, picking up his pen, wrote a response at the end. Even after doing all this, it still didn’t feel enough. Far from enough, he wanted to kiss her, hold her, and be with her. Finally, he booked a flight for 3 AM and flew back to Ning City that same night.

When he arrived home, he rushed into their bedroom right away, but slowed down at the door. He took off his cold outer jacket and changed into the fuzzy pajamas she had prepared for him. Only then did he quietly lie down next to her, waiting for his body to warm up before gently wrapping his arms around her. Feeling the warmth in his arms, he was warmed through and through. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, whispering, “Suisui, I believe in you. I will always believe in you.”

When he woke up, Meng Suihuan found herself face-to-face with another wall, and just like before, someone was tightly hugging her. This was Lu Linshen’s usual favorite position. Hmm? Wasn’t he in Jing City? They had talked on the phone last night for over an hour. How did he get here so quickly? Just as she was wondering, she felt warmth on her forehead.

“Good morning, Suisui.”

“Morning~”

She instinctively responded, and only after speaking did she realize that Lu Linshen had also woken up.

Filled with curiosity, she finally had the chance to get some answers. “Lu Linshen, how did you come back? What time did you return? Did I wake you up with all my movement?” When she was anxious, she always acted like a firecracker, talking nonstop. She was so cute.

Lu Linshen gently rubbed her head, showing no impatience, and answered all her questions one by one. “I had something urgent to deal with, so I flew back overnight.”

“I came back pretty late, the flight was at around one in the morning.”

“Don’t worry, you definitely didn’t wake me up. It was my alarm that went off.”

Meng Suihuan blinked. When she was daydreaming just now, she seemed to have heard some other sound, but she was so immersed in her own world that she didn’t really pay attention.

“Ah.” She softly responded, “Then what about your speech this afternoon? Will you be able to make it in time?” It was already 8 o’clock, and there wasn’t much time left before the 2 o’clock speech.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it. I booked a 10 o’clock flight, I’ll fly back soon.”

Hearing that there wouldn’t be any problem, she relaxed completely. “What time did you get back last night? Was it really late? Did I wake you up?” She urged him to hurry up and get up to wash up while she went to fry eggs for him.

Lu Linshen couldn’t help but lower his head to kiss her, a smile on his lips. “Okay.”

“I’ll listen to you, Suisui.”

Before getting on the plane, Lu Linshen received a call from Qin Yu. Upon hearing that Lu Linshen had flown back overnight to Ning City, Qin Yu went on and on about it.

“Lao Qin, it’s meaningless to talk about this now. I’m calling to go over the details with you one more time.”

When he arrived at the conference venue, Qin Yu didn’t stop talking.

“Lu Ge, what’s so important that you had to fly back overnight? Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“No.”

“This is your data, I’ve checked it several times, there’s no problem. You’re about to go on stage, are you sure you’re ready?”

“Mm.”

Lu Linshen nodded lightly and turned to ask him, “How much longer until it’s our turn?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“I’ll nap for ten minutes, wake me up when it’s time.”

Qin Yu replied irritably. Thankfully, everything went smoothly. Even though Lu Ge had traveled overnight with little rest, when it came to talking about the engine, he was still flawless, delivering his presentation perfectly.

After getting off stage, several industry professionals extended olive branches, and Lu Ge smiled and accepted them.

After the exchange meeting ended, there was one hour of free exchange where everyone could ask questions to the relevant teams about things they didn’t understand earlier. It was a way to encourage further communication.

But after Lu Ge’s speech, he left with a casual remark: “I’m going to take a nap, someone will handle the rest for you.”

Qin Yu shouted from behind, “Lu Ge, there’s still the free exchange session! Most of the people came for you, what are Old Xu and I supposed to do?”

Lu Linshen turned around and corrected him with righteous words, “They came for the engine, not for me.”

“The engine isn’t just something I researched alone, you all know just as much as I do. You have to believe in yourselves. You can answer all the questions they ask.”

Unfortunately, Lu Ge left without even looking back.

Qin Yu: “…”

What can be done? Just endure it with tears and carry on.

While Qin Yu wasn’t paying attention, Lu Linshen quietly took a photo with his phone. It was a picture of the two of them confidently sharing and exchanging ideas on stage, with their presentation topic visible in the background: “Search Engine Exploration Sharing Session” — Wu Hai Net. After leaving the hotel, he sent this photo to an old friend on the other side of the ocean.

After leaving the hotel, Lu Linshen looked at the bustling crowd coming and going and took a photo with his phone. He sent it to his old friend across the ocean.

With a 21st-century vision, the movies and TV shows Meng Suihuan invested in were profitable, and in the financial sector, Jiang Chengxuan also didn’t disappoint. In just half a year, he had made a name for himself in the industry. This year, Qingcheng also discovered a cultural relic, and during the excavation, they found an incredible piece with rich research value. As one of the unpaid donors, she also received certain national resources and assistance, and with Mayor Sun’s favor, she secured various projects such as roads and parks. With all these resources, her progress was rapidly advancing, reaching 99%, with just a 1% gap to 100%. On the day she reached 99%, she opened a bottle of red wine, decorated their home to create a special atmosphere, and secretly held a celebration at home with Lu Linshen. After enjoying the celebration, she couldn’t help but touch her belly and start complaining, “Lu Linshen, why hasn’t our baby come yet?” They had been seriously preparing for pregnancy for four months. But her belly showed no signs of change. At first, she thought there might be something wrong with her body, so she secretly went to the hospital for a full checkup. Everything was normal, she was perfectly healthy. Later, she started to suspect it might be Lu Linshen’s issue, as such problems weren’t uncommon in the 21st century. She subtly brought it up, and their relationship was somewhat affected. In the end, Lu Linshen was fine. Both of them were healthy, so why hadn’t she gotten pregnant yet?

“Maybe the timing just hasn’t arrived,” Lu Linshen comforted her. “There are two professors at our school in the same situation. Both are healthy, but they couldn’t conceive for a long time. They tried every method and folk remedy, and it took years before they got pregnant.”

“So, Suisui, don’t rush. Maybe our fate with the baby just hasn’t come yet.”

The year was 2001. They didn’t go back to their hometown for the New Year this year because they had moved to a new house. According to custom, they would celebrate the New Year in the new house. Just before the New Year, Xiuhe Jie found out she was pregnant. The family decided to celebrate the New Year together in Ning City. The house Lu Linshen bought had four bedrooms and two living rooms, and it was a bit crowded for the whole family. After discussing it, they decided to move to a courtyard house they had prepared in advance, choosing an auspicious time to relocate. This was the first time Lu’s parents had come to Ning City, and everything was new and fascinating to them. They took the two elderly parents around, showing them all over Ning City, and bought them several new sets of clothes. As for Lu Miaomiao, the mischievous girl, she came to Ning City every summer vacation and had already seen all the sights, so she wasn’t interested in any of this. Fortunately, she was still as passionate as ever about fashion design, and Meng Suihuan indulged her by taking her to several international fashion shows, making her so happy she couldn’t stop smiling. She would have liked to spend every day revolving around her.

Since there were so many people, they moved again, this time to the courtyard house they had already set up. During the New Year, the whole family gathered in the courtyard house, happily enjoying their reunion dinner, watching the Spring Festival Gala, and fireworks, all while smiling and saying “Happy New Year.”

In March, Zhao Chen called her and said that Lao Zhou had encountered some problems and was now in the hospital.

She rushed to the scene immediately. At the hospital, there were many people—Zhao Chen, Xiuhe Jie, and other colleagues working on the project together. She quickly asked, “Lao Zhao, what’s going on with Lao Zhou? Is he alright?”

Zhao Chen handed her a report, his face serious. “This is Lao Zhou’s test result. The doctor said his condition has been dragging on for too long, and it’s getting worse. Two of his organs have already failed, and he needs surgery immediately. If it’s delayed further, it could be life-threatening.”

“Why is it still being delayed? Let the doctor arrange the surgery right away!”

Zhao Chen was silent for a couple of seconds before responding, “…Lao Zhou doesn’t want to.”

“His son had a car accident last year, and his wife’s mental health fluctuates. All the family’s money has gone towards them, and there’s no extra money for the surgery. I offered to lend him money, but he refused. He said he couldn’t pay back the medical fees and didn’t want to add any burden to us or his wife and children.”

Meng Suihuan only felt a buzzing in her head. How could this person be so stubborn? But was it really Lao Zhou’s fault? No, it was because he had exhausted all his options. After a brief silence, she asked Zhao Chen, “Where is Lao Zhou now? I’ll go talk to him.”

Zhao Chen pointed to a location, and she walked in to see Lao Zhou. The face she remembered was still there, the smile was close, but now it was weathered and looked more than ten years older. In reality, Lao Zhou was only 36, still very young. She spoke in a choked voice, “Lao Zhou…”

“President Meng, you’re here.”

Lao Zhou’s eyes were still bright, and the first thing he did upon seeing her was sit up and smile to talk to her. Despite his condition, when Meng Suihuan saw him, her eyes involuntarily filled with tears. She choked up and gently pressed him back onto the bed, “The doctor said you need to rest properly. Don’t move around.”

Lao Zhou gave a thick, apologetic smile, “President Meng, I’ve caused trouble for you and Boss Zhao…” He was well aware of the importance of the Changning Airport project, but now he felt like he was holding them back.

“We’re all friends, no need for such polite words.”

“The doctor has already told me about your situation. You need surgery now. If it’s delayed, your health will deteriorate. I’ll handle the money, you just need to follow the doctor’s instructions and get the surgery, okay?”

Before she could finish speaking, Lao Zhou suddenly reacted as if triggered, stubbornly lifting his neck. “President Meng, I’m just a worthless life. There’s no need for surgery. It’ll be in vain. It’ll just waste money and burden my family… President Meng, I know I’m not fit to work like this, but I hope you’ll give me a chance. I want to continue and finish the Changning Airport project…”

Lao Zhou slowly closed his eyes, his voice full of helplessness, “My family needs this money more than I do. Please, give me a chance.”

“Alright.” She answered without hesitation, “I’ll fulfill your request, but I also have a condition.”

“You must have surgery.”

“I really don’t need it, President Meng. I’m perfectly fine…”

“Lao Zhou, you’ve been with me for so many years, you know my character. Don’t think I’m making an exception for you. I’m doing this for the company and for the development of other employees. From now on, everyone in our company must go to the hospital for a check-up every year. If they’re sick, they’ll get treatment. They must be healthy and meet the relevant standards before they can work. Not just you, everyone—Boss Zhao, Lao He, Lao Liu, Lao Li, all of them, without exception! They all must have check-ups!”

Lao Zhou couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh my God, how much will that cost…”

Meng Suihuan laughed along, “Don’t worry about the money. The government has recently introduced related policies and support. The cost will be covered jointly by the company and the government, as a welfare guarantee for all our employees.”

Lao Zhou, moved to tears, said emotionally, “The country is so good, the company is so good, and President Meng, you’re a good person…”

Meng Suihuan responded to him, “Lao Zhou, you don’t need to belittle yourself. You’re a very good person. Have the surgery and recover your health. The Changning Airport is not finished yet, and you still need to help me.”

Lao Zhou replied firmly, “Okay.”

After everything was settled, Meng Suihuan and Zhao Chen immediately arranged the surgery for Lao Zhou. The surgery was successful, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Using this opportunity, Meng Suihuan also fully implemented the national healthcare guarantee and improved various welfare benefits. She even planned to build a welfare building to ensure the living and safety of employees and their families. She had discussed this with Lu Linshen, who not only verbally supported her idea but also actively participated, even asking her to help do the same for their company. Meng Suihuan naturally agreed without hesitation.

Lao He and others increasingly admired Meng Suihuan. The government had issued related policies, and they were still figuring out how to get entrepreneurs to respond. But then Meng Suihuan emerged, boldly adjusting the welfare system in her own company. Lao He couldn’t help but smile, thinking that Meng Suihuan was truly his little lucky star—every time something happened, she would help him a lot. This time was no exception.

Seizing this opportunity, Lao He wrote a short article praising Meng Suihuan, which was published on an official platform. On the surface, it praised her actions, but in a subtle way, it also urged other companies to follow suit.

Yang Xun saw the article and couldn’t help but curse, “I knew it—flattering and pretending to be sweet, a hypocritical woman.” He didn’t know how many projects she had stolen from him using such despicable means. While he scorned her, he asked his subordinate, “Make sure to implement the employees’ welfare, and do it quickly. Don’t let this woman show off too long.”

“Oh, by the way, did you get any news about the movie I asked you to contact last time?”

“Make sure you understand everything clearly this time, don’t let that woman Meng Suihuan fool you again.”

For years, Yang Xun had been closely watching Meng Suihuan. Whenever she invested in something, he would follow suit, and he had managed to get a share of the profits. But it seemed like she always knew about his little tricks and often managed to dodge him, making him fall. He thought, “Does she really think I have no brains?” With a wave of his hand, he had invested in several film and television projects, but none of them were profitable.

The subordinate nodded, “Alright, Young Master Yang, I’ll arrange everything immediately.”

After hesitating for two seconds, the subordinate continued, “Young Master Yang, I just found out that Xuyu Group is planning to build dormitories for its employees and also a workers’ hospital… Should we learn from this?”

The subordinate used a subtle yet precise word, but he was feeling uneasy. He had an agenda, hoping that Yang Xun would go head-to-head with Meng Suihuan over this matter, securing more welfare for his own family and other colleagues.

Yang Xun glanced at him sideways, and the subordinate immediately broke into a cold sweat, trying to cover up, “Young Master Yang, I was just mentioning it casually. You don’t have to take it seriously. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now…”

“Come back.” Yang Xun scolded, giving him a sidelong glance and raising his chin. “Is the news accurate?”

“When are they starting construction?”

The subordinate thought for a moment and replied, “I’m not sure about the exact time, but I heard it’s soon…”

Upon hearing this, Yang Xun grinned widely, his excitement evident as he ordered, “Get this sorted out quickly. Remember, speed is key. Make sure we build the building before Xuyu Group!”

This time, he wanted to see how she would try to show off!

Meng Suihuan was completely unaware of all this. Even if she did know, she would probably just say one word: “Childish!”

Right now, her focus was on two things: one was when she would get pregnant with a baby. The other was the 99% progress bar—when would it finally be full?

Since the progress bar had reached 99%, she had been checking it almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Occasionally, she would complain to Lu Linshen, asking why it hadn’t reached 100% yet, even after so long. Lu Linshen would comfort her as usual, saying it might be just a little bit more and that it would be successful soon.

Meng Suihuan found comfort in his words and felt reassured. She thought, well, the money from these projects wasn’t much, maybe it would succeed once the Changning Airport construction was completed.

At the end of June, Changning Airport officially opened, but the progress bar didn’t budge. She tried to comfort herself, thinking maybe the funds hadn’t all been transferred to the company account yet, and the system hadn’t settled everything.

In the next month, when Changning Airport officially began operations, all the project funds had been paid into the company account. But still, the progress bar didn’t move.

She started to panic, feeling anxious and uncomfortable. In a hurry, she contacted the system.

“System, system, are you there? Please check for me—how come I haven’t reached 100% after all this time? Is there a malfunction?”

“Hello, host. The check has been completed, and everything is normal.”

She was about to lose her mind, “Normal? How is this normal? It’s been several months, and the company is making a profit. Most of the invested projects are making money. There’s no way there’s not a single change!”

“Host, I cannot answer this question for you.”

Meng Suihuan: “…”

Meng Suihuan: “So how did the people who succeeded before succeed? Do you know that?”

“Sorry, host, due to the system’s limitations, I can only retrieve whether they succeeded, but I don’t know how they succeeded. You may need to explore this on your own.”

“Explore on my own?! What nonsense is that! This system is useless, this task is unreliable! Boohoo… boohoohoo…”

After asking for so long and getting such a frustrating answer, Meng Suihuan completely broke down. She was so distraught that she called Lu Linshen, and when he picked up, she didn’t say anything. She just cried and said to him, “Lu Linshen, I might have to break my promise.”

“I won’t be able to complete the task.”