Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 68
Chapter 68 You want to control me?
2024-10-13 07:28 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
You Shulang took off his suit and put on his doctor’s coat. He looked at himself in the mirror. His appearance hadn’t changed much, but he no longer had the youthful naivety of a few years ago. His eyes had also lost some of their bright spirit, replaced by a calm and unwavering gaze, perhaps even a little gloomy.
Tuck a ballpoint pen into his breast pocket, You Shulang smiled at his reflection in the mirror, and turned to leave the dressing room.
The conference room at Changling Pharmaceutical was cluttered with miscellaneous items, which were only sorted out after You Shulang arrived at his post.
The clean and tidy conference room now awaits distinguished guests. Huang Qimin brought out the finest tea leaves, while the kettle in the corner gurgled and steamed.
You Shulang has been working at Changling Pharmaceutical for more than half a month, and today is his first meeting with the investors.
He always tries to know himself and his enemy, but this time he didn’t get any information about the investors. Huang Qimin kept it tightly under wraps, just smiling and saying that they were just rich people and there was no need to spend time studying them.
The conference room door was pushed open, and Huang Qimin’s loud and enthusiastic voice entered first, followed by his portly figure. He led the investors in, and several men and women in suits filed in, their appearances immediately suggesting a high level of professionalism.
You Shulang stood up, his professional smile about to appear, but then suddenly froze on his lips.
After a few people, another person slowly entered. Everyone spontaneously made way for him, allowing him to walk from behind to the front.
The grey suit with its peak lapel was crisp and well-fitting, and the diamond cufflinks gleamed in the early spring sunshine. His smile was just right—neither arrogant nor overbearing, making one feel warm and comfortable while also unconsciously inspiring a sense of apprehension.
It’s Fan Xiao!!
Suddenly clenching his fist, You Shulang was furious! Only then did he realize that he had once again fallen into Fan Xiao’s trap.
What ideal job or high-paying position? They are nothing but breadcrumbs placed in front of the bird, intended to lure it step by step into the inescapable net!
You Shulang felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart. The sunlight outside the window made him dizzy, and amidst the noise, he heard someone calling his name.
“Shulang,” Huang Qimin’s smile was somewhat awkward, “Is there any need to introduce President Fan to you again?”
“No need.” You Shulang raised his eyes and calmly extended his hand to Fan Xiao. “Hello, Mr. Fan.”
Fan Xiao grasped the hand with a slightly hurried air, pressing his palm firmly against the other’s. He rubbed his thumb against the back of You Shulang’s hand a few times before saying, “Long time no see, Director You.”
Seeing that the two were getting along well, Huang Qimin finally felt relieved: “Shulang, it turns out that President Fan said there was some misunderstanding between you and him. In order not to affect your onboarding, he didn’t want me to tell you that he is the investor in our honeysuckle drink project. Oh dear, I was quite worried, thinking that the two of you would meet… It seems that I was overthinking it.”
Huang Qimin patted You Shulang and Fan Xiao on the shoulders with both hands at the same time: “You young people are so hot-blooded. No matter what disagreements you had before, don’t hold grudges now that time has passed.”
You Shulang withdrew his hand quickly, and Fan Xiao rubbed his fingers, somewhat reluctant to leave the warmth of the touch. His gaze never left You Shulang, and as he observed the man’s expression, he said, “I was out of line before and offended Director You. I hope Director You will not hold it against me.”
You Shulang slowly raised his head to look directly at Fan Xiao, only then noticing a gauze pad on the left side of his forehead. Fan Xiao’s hair had grown quite a bit recently, partially covering the gauze; You Shulang hadn’t noticed it earlier due to the angle.
“No.” You Shulang’s professional smile was impeccable. “President Fan is overthinking it. How could you possibly lose your composure?”
“Please take your seats.” He turned his gaze to the crowd. “The meeting may begin.”
During a break in the meeting, You Shulang went to the restroom. Changling Pharmaceutical’s offices were located in an old teaching building, with two restrooms on each floor.
Instead of staying close by, You Shulang lit a cigarette in the restroom at the far end of the corridor. Just as he exhaled a puff, the old, peeling paint on the door was pushed open, and the creaking sound of the neglected door made one’s teeth ache.
The person who came in was undoubtedly Fan Xiao. He went to the inner room to run the water first, and then walked to You Shulang’s side and turned on the tap to wash his hands.
“Is Director You waiting for me?”
You Shulang exhaled a “hmm” as he took out his cigarette: “I was waiting for you.”
The mirror on the pool was mottled, casting a hazy reflection. Fan Xiao looked at You Shulang in the mirror, his gaze burning.
He didn’t respond to You Shulang’s words, but instead said, “Director You looks very good in a doctor’s coat too.”
You Shulang’s brow furrowed; he sensed a suppressed emotion in Fan Xiao’s words.
He rubbed his fingers together, wanting to punch someone.
Suppressing his anger, You Shulang flicked his cigarette ash, lowered his eyes, and asked, “Fan Xiao, do you want to control my life?”
He asked the question casually, as if he didn’t care much.
Fan Xiao turned off the tap, but couldn’t find a towel to dry his hands, so he could only shake the water off his hands.
“Why does Master You say that?” He took a cigarette from the cigarette box with his wet hands, put it in his mouth, and brought it close to You Shulang, saying indistinctly, “Can I borrow a light?”
You Shulang clearly stepped back, distancing himself from Fan Xiao, and stubbed out his cigarette on the dark cement platform.
“Sorry, the fire is out,” he said.
Fan Xiao felt he was really crazy. Even the aloof and distant You Shulang made him feel restless and wanted to push him into a corner and kiss him fiercely.
“Didn’t it hurt when I beat you up last time?” You Shulang asked Fan Xiao, rolling his eyes.
“It hurts,” Fan Xiao told the truth. “I was in the hospital for half a month, and I brought my work to the hospital every day.”
You Shulang nodded: “Then why did you come to provoke me? Are you looking for revenge?”
Fan Xiao swallowed his crazy words and changed the subject, saying, “It’s not revenge. Shu Lang, there might be a misunderstanding between us.”
You Shulang looked incredulous: “Now that things have come to this, Fan Xiao, are you still going to make things up? Are you still going to lie?”
“I did all those things, I admit it.” Fan Xiao instinctively reached out to hug You Shulang’s shoulder, but lowered his arm under the other’s sharp gaze. “But I can explain.”
You Shulang chuckled: “Your explanation is that you used Teacher Huang to lure me to Changling and continue to manipulate me, is that right?”
You Shulang took a step forward, getting closer to Fan Xiao: “Let me guess why you did this?”
“Because Bohai is, after all, a pharmaceutical factory, and with your abilities, Fan Xiao, you can’t just manipulate it at will. But Changling is different. It’s just a research team, with no money, no people, and no ability to compete with you. Can’t you just do whatever you want with it?”
You Shulang suddenly grabbed Fan Xiao by the collar and slammed him against the wall: “You’re not trying to control Changling, Fan Xiao, you just want to control me!”
“Am I really that incompetent in your eyes?” You Shulang stared intently at Fan Xiao. “Can’t I, You Shulang, survive without Bohai or Changling? I don’t believe that your influence can reach every corner of China!”
Fan Xiao had been letting You Shulang hold him back until he heard these words. Suddenly, his hand, which had been hanging by his side, gripped You Shulang’s wrist, and his expression turned fierce: “You want to leave Changling? Isn’t this your ideal job? Didn’t you once tell me that you wanted to return to the front line of drug research and development?”
“Yes, I want to go back to the research team, but I’d rather give up my dream than see you.” You Shulang broke free of Fan Xiao’s restraints. “Don’t even mention seeing you, just thinking about you makes me feel disgusted! Fan Xiao, you’re trash. Please stay where trash belongs and don’t pollute the environment! Get out of my world, get as far away as possible!!”
You Shulang straightened up, his eyes wide with disgust, and walked toward the door.
“You can leave Changling, then Changling will have no meaning for me, and it will have no reason to exist.”
You Shulang suddenly turned around: “What do you mean?”
Fan Xiao relaxed his back and leaned lazily against the wall, tossing the cigarette he had just lit into his mouth: “What I mean is, if you leave Changling and leave me, then your teacher’s life’s work will all go up in smoke.”
You Shulang suddenly turned cold and stern: “Nonsense, even if you withdraw your investment, Changling can find other partners.”
Fan Xiao lit a cigarette with a match, extinguished the flame, and then said, “How about Director You goes back and takes a look at the contract we signed? If Changling doesn’t complete the process optimization within 20 days, it will be considered a unilateral breach of contract. As for the penalty, I think even if your teacher risked the entire Changling, he couldn’t afford to pay it.”
“20 days? How could the process optimization be completed in such a short time?! Why would the teacher sign such an absurd contract with you?”
Fan Xiao smiled and said, “I simply complained to your teacher that my father needs to see a good contract before he will support my continued development in the mainland. I also assured your teacher that no matter what the contract says, I will give him a 6-month research and development period.”
Fan Xiao took out his cigarette and exhaled smoke: “Don’t think I lied to your teacher. If he hadn’t wanted to keep me as a cash cow, he wouldn’t have taken such a risk.”
“So, if you leave Changling, Changling will really be finished.”
You Shulang’s fists clenched tightly beneath his sleeves, cracking as he said, “You think I care whether Changling lives or dies?”
“You would. If you didn’t care about Changling’s life or death, you would have turned against me the moment we met.” Fan Xiao lowered his eyes. “You care about everyone else, but you don’t care about me.”
You Shulang gritted his teeth: “So you used to play dirty tricks on me, but now you’re openly playing dirty tricks?”
Fan Xiao was silent for a moment, then replied, “If you say so, then so be it.”
“Damn it!” You Shulang cursed, then turned and stormed out.
Fan Xiao subconsciously followed. The bathroom spring door was pushed open forcefully by You Shulang, and then released just in time. The door rebounded and slammed into Fan Xiao’s face as he followed behind.
“Hmm!”
My nose bridge was sore and painful, and a warm current slowly flowed out…
