Chapter 45 – Turns Out It Wasn’t You

The next morning, on his way to work, Li Tang received a call from his father, Li Yuanshan.

Li Yuanshan first asked about Li Tang’s recent life. Upon hearing that he was still staying at a hotel, he grumbled, “You have a perfectly good home, yet you insist on staying outside.”

He then inquired about the company’s operations. Li Yuanshan expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, “You’ve spent so much capital before even beginning to turn a profit. I wonder what kind of results you’ll achieve.”

Over the years, Li Tang had become accustomed to Li Yuanshan’s manner of lecturing him at any given moment, using words to undermine his confidence. He accepted that some parents were simply incapable of learning respect for their children, let alone communicating with them on equal footing.

Thus, Li Tang wasn’t fazed by the criticism and steered the conversation to another topic. “Did you interfere with the selection of these projects?”

Li Yuanshan replied, “You’re still too young, so of course, I need to help you vet them.”

Li Tang inwardly confirmed his suspicion.

With people’s increasing emphasis on health and the medical service burdens brought on by an aging population and chronic diseases, the entire AI healthcare industry chain was receiving more attention than ever. Li Yuanshan’s nursing home, which he co-owned with others, desperately needed such technology to build its infrastructure layer. If they found a suitable company, besides waiting for rapid development and dividends, it would be wise to consider fostering a high-tech enterprise capable of research and development. By putting it to use for themselves, they could create even more value.

Therefore, many of the remaining projects were related to healthcare.

Li Tang disliked others meddling in his affairs, but he understood that this wasn’t a significant issue. At worst, he could just hand over the selected projects to Li Yuanshan and let him manage them.

Of course, he still needed to select them carefully, considering the fate of the company depended on it.

With this thought in mind, upon arriving at the office, Li Tang opened a document on his computer and reviewed the information once again.

His gaze fell upon a company named ROJA, causing him to involuntarily curl his lips.

Nowadays, companies, big or small, tended to choose grandiose names. It had been a while since he had seen a company name as simple and auspicious as this.

Red, fiery red, everything goes well.

During the morning meeting, several companies were eliminated. The remaining ones were already sent to the operations department, and their representatives were notified to come to the company for detailed discussions within the week. This was essentially an interview to evaluate the companies and allow the investment department to make a final decision.

At noon, Li Tang didn’t feel particularly hungry, so he planned to have a cup of coffee instead of lunch.

Li Tang hadn’t hired a personal assistant, preferring to handle everything himself. Just as he picked up the mug on his desk, his phone vibrated.

It was Li Zichu, asking why he hadn’t come downstairs for lunch.

Li Tang replied, “I saw Huo Xichen arrive.”

“Because he’s here, you’re going to give us exclusive rights to every nearby restaurant?”

“…” Li Tang paused. “I’ll order takeout.”

“I don’t believe you,” said Li Zichu. “Come down for lunch; I have something good to show you.”

Reluctant to be a third wheel, Li Tang hesitated, finishing his coffee before heading downstairs.

He assumed they should be nearly finished eating at this hour, but he didn’t see anyone when he arrived.

However, he did spot another familiar face.

The man was very tall, dressed in a well-fitted suit.

He watched as Li Tang exited the elevator and smiled, saying, “Long time no see.”

After sitting down in the restaurant, Zhou Dongze learned that he was the “good thing” Li Zichu had mentioned. With a hint of helplessness, he said, “I originally wanted to contact you directly, but Li Zichu wouldn’t allow it. He said he wanted to give you a surprise.”

“It was quite surprising indeed,” said Li Tang, flipping through the menu. “I always thought you’d pursue a career related to sports. I never expected—”

To become a lawyer.

After graduating from the University of Political Science and Law, Zhou Dongze returned to Xucheng and now worked at a local law firm. He was in the capital on business today.

Zhou Dongze said, “Before the college entrance exam, I also considered pursuing sports as a specialty. But then I thought about it. I didn’t have enough talent to become a professional athlete, and I was getting older. In the future, I might only be able to become a physical education teacher. It was better to focus on my studies and choose a proper major.”

“Is the bar exam difficult?”

“Well, the amount of practice questions I’ve done is taller than me.”

Li Tang laughed. “Why push yourself so hard? Doesn’t your family have a coffee shop called—”

He couldn’t recall the name immediately, but Zhou Dongze filled in, “Tree House. Business has been average in recent years, especially after I went out of town for school.”

“So your family’s main customers were your classmates?”

“Yes, we used to spend weekends there, copying homework, playing board games…”

“Don’t lump us together. I never copied homework.”

“Yes, yes, President Li never copies homework.”

“I suspect you’re mocking me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

…

They chatted happily.

Once all the dishes were served, before they started eating, Li Tang poured tea into both of their cups. When he looked up, he noticed the person across from him staring at him.

“What’s wrong?” Li Tang asked. “Do I have something stuck on my face?”

Zhou Dongze stared for a moment and said, “You’ve changed.”

Li Tang was taken aback, then smiled. “Really? Have I become more talkative, or more worldly?”

Zhou Dongze shook his head.

He hadn’t missed the string of beads on Li Tang’s wrist, nor had he failed to ponder what sort of experiences could have led to such a change.

Afraid of touching a sore spot, he decided to ask indirectly.

“How have the past few years been?”

“Like yours—school, meals, sleep.”

“Alone?”

“Otherwise?” Li Tang put a green bean in his mouth. “You’re all in the country. I can’t expect you to fly over to play with me.”

Zhou Dongze subtly pushed the stir-fried green beans closer to Li Tang. “You abandoned WeChat and your phone number. You had no intention of finding us.”

“But I contacted Li Zichu myself.”

“I’m talking about the seven years before that… Didn’t you think of us even once?”

There was a noticeable pause between “I” and “us,” which Li Tang didn’t think was an illusion.

Biting the tip of his chopsticks, Li Tang focused on the dishes. “I did think of you guys. Every time I went out for a run, I’d remember how Li Zichu injured his leg during the three-thousand-meter race at the sports meet.”

Seeing that Li Tang didn’t want to elaborate, Zhou Dongze didn’t press further.

He responded, “Did you forget that when we first started running exercises, you also fell on the track?”

Li Tang was silent for a moment before smiling. “Yes, why would I remember such an embarrassing thing? I’ve long forgotten it.”

Perhaps discussing the past required careful screening and cautious probing to determine whether certain topics could be mentioned. Chatting under these conditions was exhausting, so soon enough, the conversation shifted back to current events.

Li Tang asked, “What about you? How many relationships have you had in these years?”

Zhou Dongze said he had two. One was in university, but that person went abroad for further studies. The other was someone he met at a negotiation table, who later pursued their career overseas as well.

Li Tang joked, “Is your place a dock? Everyone who comes here runs away?”

“Pretty much,” Zhou Dongze laughed. “You’re the same. You leave after a short stay, leaving me to find you myself.”

“You’ve made your grievance clear. Here’s the deal: whenever you come to the capital, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Mm, if worse comes to worst, I’ll just expense the meal at the company.”

“Indeed, a capitalist knows how to manage accounts.”

Laughing and chatting, they finished their meal, approaching the time to return to work.

Li Tang settled the bill, muttering, “Capitalists can’t be late,” as he quickly headed out of the restaurant.

Zhou Dongze followed behind him and suddenly said, “On the day you left, I went to the airport.”

Li Tang’s steps halted.

“Unfortunately, I arrived too late and didn’t get to see you.”

As Zhou Dongze spoke, he took out his phone. “Can you give me a way to contact you? I don’t want to miss you again next time.”

Li Tang could guess the reason why Zhou Dongze insisted on getting his contact information directly, rather than taking it from Li Zichu. It seemed to announce, “I’m going to re-enter your world.”

This time, he wouldn’t sneak around or be timid. Instead, he’d be open and direct, straightforward and bold.

Naturally, there was no reason not to give him the contact information.

While saving the number, Zhou Dongze said, “Actually, I’ve already received an offer from a law firm here. Once I finish wrapping up my work in Xucheng, I’ll start working here.”

“When that happens, President Li hopes you’ll provide ample guidance.”

In the afternoon, after reconciling with his boyfriend, the radiant Li Zichu returned to the office. Seeing Li Tang’s serious expression, he asked, “What’s wrong? Was there a problem with the data organized this morning?”

“There’s no problem,” Li Tang said, looking at the computer screen. “It was done exceptionally well.”

“Then smile?”

Li Tang grinned, revealing a fake smile that moved skin but not muscle.

Li Zichu shuddered. “Don’t force me to replace the expression pack of the boy with the fake smile with you.”

Still curious about Li Tang’s meeting with Zhou Dongze, Li Zichu inquired, “How did it go?”

“What do you mean?”

“The feeling of being reunited after seven years, when an old classmate who once harbored feelings for you still remembers you fondly.”

“It was alright. We chatted quite happily.”

“That’s good. Speaking of which, how did I not notice Old Zhou’s feelings for you back then?”

“Because you were busy fooling around with your brother back then.”

Li Zichu widened his eyes. “Brother? We have no blood relation.”

Saying that, he flipped through the files on his desk, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Should I analyze first or organize information?”

Li Tang picked up several glass bowls with lids from under the table and placed them on the desk. “Wash the bowls first.”

Upon closer inspection, they were the soup bowls Aunt Zhang had brought yesterday. Li Zichu protested, “I’m not a personal assistant!”

Li Tang typed on his keyboard and found a chance to respond, “I think you have more power than a personal assistant, daring to overstep your bounds.”

Li Zichu instantly felt guilty. “Ever since I joined you, Aunt Zhang has been coming over to deliver meals every now and then. After all, she’s an elder, and I couldn’t refuse her…”

Li Zichu knew little about the complicated dynamics between the Li family members. His matchmaking of Li Tang and Zhou Dongze was merely a hope for more people to care about Li Tang.

People needed connections to prevent them from going to extremes or losing the will to live.

Li Tang, of course, knew he meant well, so he didn’t intend to blame him. He only wanted to scare him a bit.

“You couldn’t refuse her? You’re just a glutton.” Li Tang deliberately lowered his voice and said sternly, “In the company, we follow the rules. Whoever eats washes, and whoever receives sends back.”

Li Zichu was stunned for a moment before realizing what was happening.

“You’re quite devious, Li Tang! Society truly is a melting pot, turning even someone as innocent as you into a cunning person…”

Li Tang frowned. “Can you call the president by his name?”

Li Zichu cried for help. “Please stop lowering your voice. I’m having trouble breathing along with you!”

In the afternoon, the attempt of President Li, who had tried to transform into a real domineering CEO, failed. Heeding his assistant’s advice to be both strict and caring, he descended to the “grassroots” level to observe the situation and drank afternoon tea with the employees. He tasted the new snacks purchased by the general affairs department and openly listened to everyone’s conversations.

It seemed as if someone had added a stimulant to the coffee today. Qi Sixian from the marketing department had her eyes shining brightly, her tone raised several octaves. “It was absolutely amazing. I’ve never seen such a handsome man in real life. Unfortunately, he came and went in a hurry. Otherwise, I would have taken a couple of photos of him and posted them in the group chat.”

She was referring to one of the partners of the company that had come to the company to deliver the revised Business Plan. Rumor had it that he was not only young but also had great looks and physique, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall. His face was comparable to that of a popular male celebrity.

Female colleagues from other departments were curious. “How handsome could he be?”

“How do I describe it?” Qi Sixian pondered. “Let’s say he would have been a campus legend in his youth. Every girl in the school would send him love letters.”

A chorus of “tsks” arose, with everyone expressing disbelief. “Have you been watching too many idol dramas?”

Qi Sixian, who had seen countless handsome men, didn’t mind. She shrugged. “When he comes to the company for negotiations next time, you’ll see for yourselves.”

Yang Baichuan from the research department confirmed, “I also saw that person. He’s indeed handsome.”

It was common knowledge that due to the instinctive competitive spirit ingrained in men, they rarely admitted that someone else was superior to them.

Thus, Yang Baichuan’s acknowledgment significantly increased credibility.

He also said, “That person is responsible for the algorithm part in the team. He’s pretty impressive.”

Everyone sighed, “An IT expert, huh.”

Qi Sixian took the lead in representing the female employees and petitioned, “President Li must invest in this company that combines beauty and intelligence.”

After listening to gossip for a while, Li Tang chuckled. “What if he has a girlfriend?”

“Are you suggesting I’m interested in handsome men for romantic pursuits?” Qi Sixian candidly said, “I just appreciate beautiful things. Let me look at a handsome man a couple more times, and I’ll have the energy to work.”

“Oh.” Li Tang pretended to have a sudden realization. “I’ll pay close attention then. What’s the name of this company?”

“I remember it’s four letters, something like RO…what was it again…”

Someone interjected, “RO reverse osmosis membrane?”

“Go away, they’re in artificial intelligence, not water purification systems.”

“ROJA?” Li Tang read it aloud.

Qi Sixian snapped her fingers. “Yes, yes, that’s it. R-O-J-A.”

Li Tang’s eyebrows slightly arched. Again, this red company?

Frequently appearing in Li Tang’s life was also the keyword “Xucheng.”

On Friday, the day of the interview, the temperature in the capital plummeted sharply. When Li Tang left, the ground was covered with thick layers of fallen leaves.

In his memory, only the capital’s autumn was so grand and magnificent. Xucheng’s autumn arrived quietly. The leaves gradually turned yellow from the edges to the veins and slowly detached from the branches, unable to resist gravity as they gently fell.

For no apparent reason, he recalled a ginkgo leaf silently landing on his head at the edge of the school playground, away from the noisy crowd during the sports meet. And the warm hand that removed the withered leaf for him.

Coming back to his senses, Li Tang lightly furrowed his brows.

Indeed, hometowns easily stirred memories.

He hadn’t thought about it for the previous seven years.

Even though he warned himself to remain impartial, when interviewing the company named ROJA, Li Tang couldn’t help but pay slight attention to the appearance of the legal representative.

He was handsome, with a handsome and upright appearance, but he didn’t seem as breathtakingly attractive as Qi Sixian described.

He didn’t look like an IT expert either. He wasn’t familiar with the Business Plan and struggled to find answers to questions regarding medical databases. After flipping through the materials for a long time, he finally found what he was looking for but was too lazy to read it, allowing everyone present to look at it themselves.

“This plan has gone through more than ten revisions. Everything that should be written is in there. In the company, I’m just a figurehead leader. They said it wouldn’t be sincere if I didn’t come, so I reluctantly made this trip.” The legal representative of ROJA smiled. “If you think it’s good after reading it and are willing to invest, I’ll send our technicians to your company to explain it to you in detail.”

Rough words, but the logic was sound. His rare honesty made people feel genuine.

Li Tang nodded in understanding, but he was thinking, oh, it wasn’t you.

He scribbled notes on the evaluation form, suddenly hearing “President Li.”

Looking up, he saw Pei Hao, the legal representative of ROJA, smiling at him. “We haven’t seen each other for years. How have you been?”

Not until the interview ended did Li Tang remember who President Pei Hao of ROJA was.

Was he a business partner he had shared a drink with at a dinner party? No, he didn’t suffer from face blindness. There was no reason he wouldn’t remember.

An old classmate? That didn’t seem right either. He didn’t have any classmates surnamed Pei.

Could it be during the time in Xucheng… Realizing his thoughts were drifting toward a direction they shouldn’t, Li Tang promptly stopped himself from continuing.

Holding the documents, he walked out of the meeting room. He saw a few colleagues peering out from the doorway, discussing the same thing he had just been thinking about.

“He’s not that handsome. In an idol drama, he’d only play a supporting role.”

“Yeah, he’s not as handsome as our President Li.”

The marketing department was responsible for hosting guests, so naturally, they handled reception and seeing guests off. Qi Sixian clicked her tongue. “It’s not him, it’s the other one. Their company has three partners, right? Today, only one of them came.”

“Really? Are you just trying to tease me?”

“Why would I lie to you? The handsome one doesn’t look like this, and his dressing style is different. He wears a hearing aid in one ear.”

“A hearing aid? Not headphones?”

“It’s a hearing aid. My aunt has poor hearing and usually wears this type of behind-the-ear hearing aid. One end is inserted into the ear, and the other end hangs outside, connected by a thin wire…”

“Left or right ear?”

Li Tang’s sudden question startled Qi Sixian.

She turned around. “President Li…”

Li Tang repeated, “His hearing aid, was it in his left or right ear?”

Qi Sixian was somewhat confused but still carefully recalled. “It should be the left ear. My desk faces south, and the door faces east. When he came in to deliver the plan, he wore a hearing aid on the side closer to me.”

That evening, Li Tang spent time thoroughly reviewing the Business Plan, but he found no clues.

Taking off his glasses, he gently pinched the bridge of his nose. Li Tang felt he was making a big fuss over nothing. So what if he had single-sided hearing loss? It wasn’t a rare condition.

Last month, when he went to the hospital for a follow-up appointment, he encountered a fellow patient waiting outside the clinic. This patient had lost his hearing in both ears due to high fever as a child. He had spent his childhood in a school for the deaf and mute, where there were plenty of students with congenital deficiencies or hearing loss caused by accidents. Most of them didn’t wear hearing aids or have cochlear implants, yet they grew up steadily and found good jobs.

The fellow patient typed on his phone, telling him, “In fact, what we most hope for is not to be treated differently. Others’ sympathetic gazes make us feel embarrassed.”

As he thought about it, drowsiness washed over him. Li Tang put his glasses aside, bowed his head on the table, and buried his face in his arms.

Doctors had said that the best way to combat insomnia was to let nature take its course. When drowsiness struck, one shouldn’t hesitate and immediately close their eyes.

The mental barriers in his mind gradually relaxed.

In the fleeting moment before consciousness faded, Li Tang couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t worn a hearing aid back then for the same reason of not wanting to be treated differently.

On Monday, after passing a rigorous assessment, the company named ROJA successfully made the cut.

The next step was to conduct field investigations to explore the feasibility of the company’s technology and products, as well as to determine if their management and operations had their own system.

In short, it was to confirm whether the company could enter a period of rapid development after obtaining financing, thus driving the growth of the investment.

This was the responsibility of the research department. The department’s general manager was occupied with other tasks, and Deputy Manager Li Zichu was already prepared for a business trip. Coincidentally, the destination of this business trip was his hometown, Xucheng, and he planned to visit his mother while he was there.

He hadn’t thought about inviting Li Tang along.

“I see you’re not busy in the next few days. You can let other department managers host the regular meetings. Would you like to take a trip to Xucheng with me and have a meal with Old Zhou?”

Li Tang’s hand, which was signing documents, couldn’t help but pause.

“I won’t go,” he said.

“Why not?” Li Zichu asked.

Li Tang thought about it but couldn’t come up with a reason. He could only say seriously, “The CEO’s affairs are none of your concern.”

Author’s Note:

Li Zichu: Fine, you’re noble!