“I remember,” said Nan Chen in a softer and kinder voice, “hello.”
Jiang Zhe was moved to tears. How many years had it been since he last heard his employer speak that softly and nicely? No, wait, it hadn’t been years because Nan Chen had never spoken that way before.
In all his years working for Nan Chen, Jiang Zhe had only ever heard Nan Chen use cold and emotionless tones to talk to, yell at, and even diss others, but he had NEVER heard Nan Chen being so sweet.
Was that what the ancient wise men meant when they say that everyone can change for even metallic rods can be turned soft? Seriously, who was the amazing human being on the other side of the line?
“Yay! Uncle Nan Chen remembers me! Hah! I knew it! I’m too cute to be forgotten, but do you remember what you promised me?” asked the owner of the cute voice.
“Remind me,” said Nan Chen in an even sweeter voice.
“You promised you’d take me out for a meal. I waited and waited, but you never called me so I decided to call you.” “I understand you’re busy, but I’m busy too! I have to go to school and get up early to make mommy breakfast. Very busy indeed.”
Nan Chen wondered who the kid’s mother was and thought of that woman as despicably lazy for letting a kid make her breakfast.
“So?” Nan Chen asked with a grin.
“So I took some time off today to invite you to have a meal together. I even put on a pretty dress just for you!”
“Today? Today’s a little….”
“I knew it! You’re going to reject my offer. I’m so sad. Top executives are so difficult. I’m going to invite someone else!” said the child who hadn’t even outgrown her baby voice yet.
Nan Chen didn’t know how to respond to that. He couldn’t explain how important that banquet was to a child, and he didn’t need to either.
Nan Chen rarely gave any explanation as to why he did what he did because it didn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. All it mattered was whether he was happy with it or not. Besides, he believed that nothing was ever right or wrong; it was all just a matter of perspectives.
However, in that particular instance, Nan Chen wanted to explain himself, but he didn’t know how to do so.
Should he tell her that this banquet could decide the fate of a massive project? Or that everyone at that banquet was important politicians and business tycoons? Or that refusing to attend that banquet would mean being impolite to a royal family?
None of that mattered to a child because she only cared about why he refused to spend time with her.
“It’s okay, Uncle Nan Chen, you work. I won’t bother you.”
Nan Chen could hear the child’s disappointment through the phone so out of the blue, he said, “Where are you right now? I’ll go pick you up and we’ll have a meal together.
Jiang Zhe turned his head around to face Nan Chen then pointed at his watch to remind Nan Chen that it’s almost time for the plane to depart.
Nan Chen ignored Jiang Zhe’s warning.
“Really?” said Erbao happily through the phone, “You’re really going to come to get me? And we’ll go have a meal together?”
“Yes, really,” said Nan Chen who was relieved to hear that the kid was delighted.
“Then I’ll add your number to my WeChat contact list and send my location to you. What’s your WeChat number?”
Nan Chen rarely used the WeChat app, and the app wasn’t installed in the emergency phone so Nan Chen signaled Jiang Zhe.
Jiang Zhe took out his phone and quickly entered a series of numbers on the screen. That was the WeChat number that the company had registered for Nan Chen, and the profile picture was the logo of the corporation.
“My WeChat number is……” said Nan Chen who soon received and accepted Erbao’s friend request. Upon confirmation, Erbao sent him her coordinates.
“Mr. Chen, we can’t afford to…”
“Cancel it,” said Nan Chen.
“But didn’t you just promise……”
“Cancel Europe Trip.”
So Nan Chen wasn’t ordering Jiang Zhe to cancel the deal he just made, but to cancel the trip to Europe?
Jiang Zhe was utterly stunned. Nan Chen was aware of just how important that banquet was. Yet, he would rather cancel the whole trip than to break his promise.
“Mr. Chen, if we cancel it now, we would look bad and upset the royal family…” Jiang Zhe said cautiously.
“Have Nan Lei attended the party in my place,” said Nan Chen.
Nan Lei was the CEO of the Nanshi Corporation branch in Europe and was one of the key players in the corporation.
“Mr. Lei may not be able to go in your place. After all, you are the face of the Nanshi Corporation and this banquet is too important. The royal family even had someone personally deliver the invitation over….”
Nan Chen waved his hand and closed his eyes.
Jiang Zhe stopped talking because Nan Chen’s gesture was a sign that Nan Chen was busy coming up with a strategy.
Nan Chen was the head of the Nanshi Corporation and was well aware of the dire consequences of not attending that banquet. He needed a good plan.
A few seconds later, Nan Chen’s eyes flung open and he said, “critical illness.”
Jiang Zhe knew what Nan Chen was saying even though Nan Chen’s response was extremely short and to the point.
The royal family would not be upset if they were told that Nan Chen was sick because it’d mean that Nan Chen wasn’t unwilling to attend the banquet, he was simply too sick to do so. That was a perfectly normal and acceptable reason.
However, there was another problem. The royal family won’t believe in that excuse unless the news of Nan Chen being sick was made public. That would, in turn, cause the share price of the company to drop drastically.
How far would the share price fall? And for how long? The financial market had always been difficult to navigate, not even Warren Buffet could navigate it perfectly. The resulting loss was utterly unpredictable.
Therefore, one must ask themselves. Was the meal so important that it was worth risking the share price?
“Mr. Chen, are you sure you want to do this?” asked Jiang Zhe to confirm his orders.
Nan Chen didn’t speak which was his way of saying, “Shut up and do what I say!”
Jiang Zhe didn’t say anything else and gestured the driver to take them to the coordinates sent by the WeChat app. After that, he called the secretary to draft a public notice that Nan Chen had fallen ill.
Everyone in the office was worried and in a frenzy. Mr. Chen looked fine just a moment ago, how did he suddenly get so ill?
……
The small neighborhood Cheng Xiangyun lived in had never had a Rolls-Royce stopped by before.
That day, one stopped by while being escorted by two luxurious SUVs which were used by Nan Chen’s security details and employees.
Jiang Zhe scanned the house then the surrounding and wondered how someone like Mr. Chen, who had always been picky about his surroundings, was willing to come to a place like this?
Just how beautiful is the lady that made his employer forgo a royal banquet?
Nan Chen personally made the call, and the beautiful lady in question made her appearance moments later.
What an immensely beautiful person! Her beauty could destroy cities and topple empires.
A pair of identical faces with perfect facial features came running. Black and shiny hair, dark brown eyes, cute and round noses, soft pink lips… They were flawless like the sculptures in the museums.
Behind those perfect duo was a woman who was a little rough around the edges. She was thin and had short hair, but her shoulders were broad and she lacked feminine beauty.
She was, for sure, a beautiful woman but her masculine aura was too intense.
Jiang Zhe couldn’t help but frown. It’s normal for children to have perfect facial features, but their mom seemed a little… manly. Plus, she looked familiar.
Although they’ve seen each other a couple of times on the set, Jiang Zhe didn’t remember that Cheng Xiangyun was Ning Ran’s manager.
Cheng Xiangyun remembered Jiang Zhe though because, at the time, Nan Chen was basically mute and had Jiang Zhe do all the talking in his place.
“Hello,” said Cheng Xiangyun nervously. Even someone as strong as Cheng Xiangyun would get nervous around one of the most important people in the Nanshi Corporation.
