Reply to Keats - Chap 38
Chap 38
: Planting Grapes
The day when the bidding results come out.
After Chen Wan and Ming Long had initial negotiations, the assistant suggested that they could contact their headquarters.
Chen Wan finally made the call with good reason. He set a rule for himself that he could only make the call after doing this.
The line was almost disconnected when the other party answered.
Zhao Shengge said: “Chen Wan.”
“Mr. Zhao.”
Zhao Shengge seemed to chuckle: “Congratulations.”
Chen Wan wasn’t sure if there was any sense of relief in this, so he smiled generously and accepted the other party’s congratulations.
The two were speechless, and Zhao Shengge said, “I heard that the bid is very good.”
The fatigue and exhaustion from working overtime day and night without sleep and food were completely eliminated at this moment.
Chen Wan doesn’t ask for any reward here at Zhao Shengge, neither material nor emotional. He is satisfied if he can really help. Extra praise and recognition are unexpected surprises.
It is impossible for Chen Wan to mention that she had worked hard and only modestly said that the evaluators were too kind to her.
When talking about cooperation, Zhao Shengge said it was difficult to explain over the phone and asked him to come to Minglong to talk in person.
“Okay, Mr. Zhao, I’ll visit your company whenever it’s convenient for you.”
Zhao Shengge said, “I’ve finished the meeting.”
Chen Wan reacted for a moment, then turned around, impressed by the efficiency and execution of the industry giant, and said, “Then I’ll be there in about 40 minutes.”
The partner happened to be in his office and asked Chen Wan, “Are you leaving now? I’m going out and I’ll take you there.”
Before Chen Wan could answer, Zhao Shengge said on the phone: “I’ll ask someone to pick you up.”
Chen Wan said: “It’s okay, I can drive myself.”
“You won’t be able to pass the security check in the core area on your first visit, and,” Zhao Shengge said without any modesty, “you might get lost and won’t be able to find a place to park.”
Chen Wan suddenly realized that he really didn’t know the other party’s exact location. Minglong occupied half of the park, and several buildings were only office buildings for employees. Zhao Shengge’s office location was confidential and had layers of security checks. He had no choice but to say, “Then thank you for your help.”
The people sent by Zhao Shengge arrived quickly and took Chen Wan from the west side of the Taizi section, around a section of the Central elevated road, and entered the underground parking lot from a non-open passage.
After getting off the car, the rumored second assistant who had talked to Chen Wan on the phone was already waiting.
The bright-looking urban beauty smiled and said, “Mr. Chen, my name is He Yun, you can just call me He Zhu.”
“Assistant He, nice to meet you.”
Assistant He selected an elevator from among many identical ones, pressed the button, and made a please-in gesture to him.
When Chen Wan walked in, she used her fingerprint to unlock the elevator and it slowly rose.
Chen Wan thought the assistant would take him to the conference room, but they seemed to go to Zhao Shengge’s office.
The office is on the 72nd floor. It is neither ostentatious nor extravagant. There are not many things in it, but it is spacious and elegant. Outside the window is a shallow bay with a flat and wide sea and an excellent view.
“Mr. Zhao.” Chen Wan hadn’t seen him for several days. When he saw him suddenly, he felt a little nervous, but he didn’t show it.
Zhao Shengge stood up from his office chair. He was wearing a black country shirt today, which looked neat and crisp, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His arms, with their sleeves rolled up, showed faint blue veins.
Chen Wan had never seen anyone who wore black so imposingly, with a gentle, low-key majesty.
Behind him is the valuable landmark of Hai City, the very blue sea and the extremely high and distant sky.
“Coffee or tea?”
“Tea, please.”
Assistant He closed the door when he went out. Somehow, neither of them spoke and the office became quiet.
They hadn’t seen each other for a long time. They looked at each other for a while from a distance of two meters. The relationship that was originally a little familiar seemed to become a little unfamiliar again.
You may not feel it when you just hear the voice on the phone, but the unfamiliarity will be apparent when you actually meet in person.
It’s inevitable.
In fact, their friendship was shallow and their relationship was fragile. As long as one of them was not so proactive, everything would return to the starting point.
Although they all tried to act natural, they were aware of the change in their hearts and were therefore very polite. However, the change was not entirely unfamiliar, as it was mixed with something very subtle and unspeakable.
It was Zhao Shengge who spoke first: “Sit down.”
He walked to the reception sofa and said, “This is the first version of the contract drafted by the Ministry of Law. Take a look.”
Chen Wan agreed, but his pace slowed down a little.
The reception sofa was a structure consisting of a wide single main seat and a row of slightly longer guest seats. Zhao Shengge did not sit on the main seat, he sat directly on the guest seat.
Of course Chen Wan couldn’t sit in the main seat, but sitting in the guest seat next to Zhao Shengge seemed a little too intimate and too distant.
Zhao Shengge looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”
After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Wan pretended nothing had happened and walked over to sit next to him, but kept an appropriate social distance.
Zhao Shengge seemed unaware and went straight to the point about official business.
Chen Wan prides himself on being a responsible and professional person, but today Zhao Shengge makes him a little distracted. Even though they are not very close, Chen Wan can feel the heat from his arms. Zhao Shengge’s arms must be very strong.
He couldn’t help but think.
Chen Wan’s eyes gradually moved to Zhao Shengge’s lips and Adam’s apple. Every part of the other person was filled with sexy hormones.
It must be because he hasn’t seen Zhao Shengge for too long.
Zhao Shengge leaned over and pointed to the sixth line on page 12 and asked for his opinion.
Chen Wan’s breathing became lighter. He realized it a little late and didn’t understand why Party A and Party B needed to read the same contract for such a big company as Minglong.
Communication between smart people is very efficient, and few people can keep up with Zhao Shengge’s thinking and logic.
He is a natural negotiator who has been immersed in the world of fame and fortune for a long time and knows well how to defeat his opponents.
But Chen Wan possesses an altruistic character that is rare among modern businessmen, which makes Zhao Shengge want to treat him more generously.
Zhao Shengge pointed out: “You don’t have to make concessions everywhere. You should make the demands that need to be made, because I will make the same demands.”
Chen Wan smiled: “The price Minglong offered is already very sincere.”
“Do you have any questions?”
Chen Wan looked at the column for person in charge: “Excuse me, who will be in charge of this project in Minglong?”
Zhao Shengge raised his eyebrows, looked at him and said, “Me.”
Chen Wan opened his mouth. He thought the other party was just a figurehead and that once the contract was signed it would be handed over to the vice president to execute.
“I have always been personally in charge of the Baoli Bay project.”
Zhao Shengge looked at him blankly, and threatened him seriously: “I have a lot of things to do. If the project requires it, I may call you or send you a message to ask about the progress from time to time.”
“Of course,” Chen Wan is a very dedicated partner, “Of course, this is what I should do.”
After the two of them finalized the details, it was already time for dinner after get off work. Logically, Chen Wan should have invited the prospective party to dinner. If it were someone else, Chen Wan would have asked for it long ago.
But this is Zhao Shengge. Today’s meeting has already exceeded expectations by a lot. It would be a bit too much to invite him again.
He has never had dinner with Zhao Shengge alone, and this may be the only chance. This project does not only involve Kexiang and Minglong. The Shen family and the Tan family only invest but do not participate in the actual operation. There is also the Xu family and a team of engineers. Xu Zhiying and the chief engineering designer will join later.
When Chen Wan was about to speak, Zhao Shengge stamped the contract and said, “Chen Wan.”
Chen Wan looked up.
“Are you free tonight?”
Chen Wan’s brain exploded for a moment, and he said, “Yes.”
Zhao Shengge stamped the contract, stood up, and naturally extended his hand and said, “Then I will treat the prospective partners to a meal.”
Chen Wan smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, and shook hands with him in an official manner: “Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Zhao.”
Zhao Shengge drove the car himself, and Chen Wan sat in the passenger seat. It felt unreal. His hand, hidden at his side, touched the leather seat secretly and tenderly. The car aromatherapy was very faint, but extremely alluring. His nose twitched and he even wanted to get closer to smell it.
This is too inappropriate. Fasten your seat belt, Chen Wan lowered her eyes and thought.
If only this were a kidnapping, he might be the only hostage in the world who loved the kidnapper so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself.
As dusk fell and the lights came on, Zhao Shengge drove Chen Wan through the red lights and sunset, from the Central Interchange into the undersea tunnel, where the urban forest connected to the blue sky and sea.
The carriage was unusually quiet, and a strange and restless atmosphere spread. Zhao Shengge turned on the radio and said, “Pick one.”
Chen Wan casually turned to an old Cantonese song and was stunned.
“When do grapes first ripen?
You have to wait, and wait again,
Even if the harvest fails, we must always keep it.”
Zhao Shengge dodged to the right and asked, “What are you singing?”
Chen Wan thought for a moment and said, “Sing…plant grapes?”
“…” Zhao Shengge turned back to look at the road conditions, suppressed the corners of his mouth, and turned the steering wheel, “Really?”
Chen Wan straightened his body and nodded: “I think so. I don’t really understand it either.”
These few small talk did help to alleviate some of the unfamiliarity and strangeness we felt when we first met.
The author has something to say:
Hong Kong Radio Today’s Golden Song “When the Grapes Ripen”
