Four-Faced Buddha [To My Shore] - Chap 7
Chapter 7 Comparing Sizes
2024-10-13 07:09 Category: Four-Faced BuddhaTurn off the lights
Because of his familiarity with Fan Xiao, You Shulang’s seat in the meeting room was moved from one of the last few to next to the factory director, which made him, who was not involved in the main business, feel very uncomfortable.
Fan Xiao frequently interacted with him during the meeting, making him seem like a key figure who could influence Fan Xiao’s investment decisions. You Shulang had a headache, and his calm and composed demeanor was merely a forced agreement.
He finally made it to the end of the meeting, but his predicament only worsened. At the banquet, he was seated next to Fan Xiao, with the deputy factory directors in charge of various affairs sitting to his left and right. You Shulang knew all too well how difficult these old factory reformers were to deal with, so he felt extremely uncomfortable.
“President Fan, our Bohai Pharmaceutical was originally a state-owned enterprise, but it was just restructured into a limited liability company last year. Bohai holds a lot of drug approval numbers, but we just can’t turn them into real money. In the end, it’s because of insufficient capital investment and outdated sales methods.”
Fan Xiao twirled the glass in front of him with his long fingers and said slowly, “I am not interested in your company’s prescription drug distribution. What I am interested in are non-prescription drugs with health benefits, that is, OTC drugs.”
He took out Bohai Pharmaceutical’s project proposal and turned to the last page: “Among the drug approval numbers you listed, is this Acanthopanax senticosus oral liquid currently in production or dormant?”
“This has not yet been put into production,” said Factory Director Liu.
Fan Xiao put the proposal aside and smiled regretfully, “Everyone here is an industry professional. You should know how much Anxin Oral Liquid sells in a year, and how much it boosts the sales of other products of the pharmaceutical company. To put it bluntly, Director Liu, you are holding a golden rice bowl but begging for food.”
Factory Director Liu’s expression went blank for a moment, then he slapped his forehead, his eyes shining brightly, and hurriedly instructed You Shulang to pour wine for Fan Xiao.
“Mr. Fan, if you’re interested in this OTC drug, we can go back and redo the project proposal for you to review, would that be alright?”
Fan Xiao didn’t respond to Director Liu’s words, nor did he put on airs as a patron. He said, half-jokingly, “Usually I’m the one who pours wine for Shu Lang. How could I dare to trouble him today?”
You Shulang was taken aback. Fan Xiao’s words were not a gesture of respect for him, but rather a way of putting him in a very difficult position.
Sure enough, the next moment he heard the sour and malicious voices of others.
“Why didn’t Director You introduce us to such an exceptionally capable friend sooner?”
“This collaboration between Pinfeng Venture Capital and Bohai Pharmaceutical owes its success to Director You.”
“I suggest that Director You take the lead on the OTC project. He is a medical graduate, and it would be a waste of his talents to be the office director.”
Every word is a compliment, and every word is also a taunt.
You Shulang’s back sank deep into the chair, yet he remained composed and elegant, bowing his head with a self-deprecating smile and saying, “I don’t have that much ability.”
It was supposed to be a casual remark, a perfect way to end the previous topic, but unfortunately, Fan Xiao couldn’t resist chiming in: “How will Director You know it won’t work if he doesn’t try?”
“…”
Taking a deep breath, You Shulang slowly raised his eyelids and picked up the wine on the table with his slender fingers. The glasses were quite large, exactly three glasses for a bottle. You Shulang clinked glasses with Fan Xiao’s and said with a touch of solemnity, “Regarding the investment, I would appreciate Mr. Fan’s favor towards Bohai.”
“No problem.” Fan Xiao picked up his cup and drank it all in one gulp.
You Shulang left his seat and went to the restroom. He had just unzipped his pants when someone stood beside him. A quick glance revealed it was Fan Xiao. He too had unzipped his pants, but his gaze didn’t fall on the white wall as usual; instead… he looked down at You Shulang.
After looking at it, he whistled and said with a smile, “Quite impressive.”
The perfectly smooth line jerked slightly, and You Shulang’s teeth brushed against his lips. He didn’t retaliate by looking back; instead, he zipped up his pants and left the inner room without a word.
After teasing him until he almost lost his temper, Fan Xiao finally lowered his gaze and muttered a soft “gay.” As he relieved himself, he savored the memory of You Shulang’s somewhat embarrassed and indignant expression until he thought of a difficult question and slowly frowned.
How do you use something that’s so big? Won’t it hurt?
He went to the sink to wash his hands after leaving the inner room, and when he looked up, he could see You Shulang in the mirror. He was sitting next to a gleaming standing trash can, smoking, and his hair was still a little damp, so he must have just washed his face.
After drying his hands, Fan Xiao turned around and leaned against the table, also taking out a cigarette and biting it between his teeth. He lit a match with his hands half-closed, leaned slightly forward, and took a deep drag from the flame.
As he exhaled the white mist, he glanced at You Shulang through the wisps of smoke, his gaze lingering on his lower body before returning to his own.
“What, never seen one this big before?” You Shulang’s voice was a little hoarse, probably from the effects of strong liquor.
These words were crude and impolite, unlike Director You’s usual style. However, those who knew him also knew that Director You was merely gentle and polite, and by no means weak or easily bullied.
Fan Xiao smiled, his slumped back lifted from the table, and walked step by step toward You Shulang.
Although the luxurious bathroom was spacious, Fan Xiao was only a few steps away from You Shulang. Their toes almost touched, but the man didn’t stop. He took another small step forward, almost pressing himself against You Shulang.
You Shulang instinctively leaned back, his face already showing a wary expression. Fan Xiao loosely put his arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Don’t move, be careful not to fall.”
A faint aroma of wine wafted through the air. In the warm breath of Fan Xiao, You Shulang caught a whiff of his own breath, a scent that seemed to have intertwined with his own through some peculiar means—chaotic and ambiguous. You Shulang couldn’t understand why he had such strange and amorous thoughts, ultimately attributing it to the fact that he hadn’t seen Lu Zhen for half a month and hadn’t been able to satisfy his longing.
His eyelashes fluttered twice, he took the cigarette out of his mouth, and intended to push away the man who had already covered half of his body.
*Snap!* A faint sound reached You Shulang’s ears. The volume, usually almost inaudible, was unusually clear at this moment. You Shulang turned his head slightly and looked down, spotting a burnt matchstick in the cigarette butt collector on the trash can behind him.
“…”
You Shulang suddenly realized he was being overly sensitive. Because of his sexual orientation, he had always been reluctant to have physical contact with others that went beyond a social level. That was why Fan Xiao’s actions had just caused him to react so strongly. Fortunately, he managed to pull his hand away from the man in time.
Surprisingly, Fan Xiao didn’t immediately distance himself from You Shulang after throwing the match; the height difference between them meant his lips were right next to You Shulang’s ear.
“I’ve seen bigger ones.” The aroma of alcohol mingled with the scent of tobacco, and a masculine scent invaded You Shulang’s senses. “Mine.”
“!”
You Shulang suddenly looked up at Fan Xiao. Because they were so close, his lips almost brushed against the man’s chin.
He was certain that Fan Xiao was not gay, but how could he explain this obviously provocative remark?
The man in sight slowly smiled, pulled away from her, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said softly and casually, “I’ve already praised you, but you haven’t even praised me back.”
“Compare sizes?” You Shulang felt a surge of frustration welling up inside, but on the surface, he made a mature-sounding joke: “I’ll give you a thumbs up next time.”
Knowing You Shulang’s sexual orientation, Fan Xiao raised an eyebrow, marveling at how skillfully he could portray a straight man.
“Are you angry about what I said at the dinner table?” Fan Xiao changed the subject.
You Shulang was mature and shrewd; even if he was angry, he couldn’t tell the truth in that situation. He stubbed out his cigarette, looked away, and said calmly, “President Fan has elevated my status; why would I be angry?”
“Since I’m going to invest anyway, why not boost Director You’s net worth significantly?”
Hearing this, You Shulang looked at Fan Xiao with some surprise: “You really want to invest?”
“Yes, Shuxin Oral Liquid has a promising future.”
“so……”
“So, when we get back to Director You, we’ll get some Qiao’s money to shut those clueless bastards up!”
“You really are…”
You Shulang shook his head amidst the smoke carrying the scent of rouge, and smiled silently…
