Xu Tingsheng gave Lu Zhixin a call. No one answered.

  More than ten minutes later, Lu Zhixin returned the call.

  She said, “I was at that parent’s house just now, where it wasn’t convenient to answer.”


  Xu Tingsheng replied, “It’s fine. How are things?”


  “It’s been resolved,” Lu Zhixin said, “How did you know about it? I told them that there’s no need to inform you.”


  Xu Tingsheng joked, “Wah, Lu Zhixin, not letting me know about such a major matter, you must be trying to usurp me, right!”


  After a moment’s pause, he then told her earnestly, “It’s been tough on you. You’ve suffered.”


  Lu Zhixin was silent for a while before she said in a calm tone, “This is how it should be between partners. I can’t have taken ten percent of Hucheng’s shares from you for nothing. Since you’ve gone to Shenghai to handle the matter of Dexin’s acquisition, I should help you to take care of everything back here, not adding on trouble for you.”


  Xu Tingsheng suddenly didn’t know what he should say. He had actually come to Shenghai to handle Apple’s matter, for personal reasons rather than for Hucheng.

  Now that Lu Zhixin had said this, had done this, bearing all this responsibility, he could not help but feel somewhat guilty and at a loss.

  “There’s only your girlfriend who would be able to rely on you, able to act spoiled to the point of even insisting that you pour a glass of water for her,” Lu Zhixin said, “Actually, I can act spoiled too. I’m not her, though.”


  Perhaps knowing that Xu Tingsheng would definitely be unable to reply, she quickly changed the topic, continuing, “Has Zhang Xingke given you a precise time estimate for Dexin’s matter? This is a crucial step in Hucheng establishing a chain of training institutes. You’ve got to keep a close eye on it. Even if it costs a bit more, fast is better than slow, lest something crops up.”


  “I’ll be meeting with Zhang Xingke again soon. Don’t worry,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “Right. I’m preparing the necessary funds for this, and Uncle Xu has also called and communicated with me on this. If it is 12 million, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Lu Zhixin said.

  Having wrapped up this topic for the time being, Xu Tingsheng thought for a moment before still saying rather guiltily in the end, “It was Apple who did the checks.”


  Lu Zhixin hesitated for a moment before saying, “I know. I can basically guess that it was her. The others all have fixed working hours, computers as well as management accounts. There’s only Apple who is rather more casual, coming whenever she wants to and sitting wherever’s unoccupied.”


  “From an emotional standpoint, I know that Apple is already working very hard. She’s still in her recovery period, and my relationship with her is really quite alright. I rather like her and interact plenty fine with her as well. Still, I’ve got to be rational in this matter, and I hope that you can be the same. Hucheng’s getting bigger and bigger. Our discipline and organisational structure cannot be wholly compromised just for the sake of Apple alone.”


  “Therefore, I had to criticise what I had to criticise. Not pointing out names this morning was already the greatest show of my tolerance and care. You should think of a way to get her to give up on continuing to participate in Hucheng’s work on her own accord. Otherwise, even if you are against it, I will still insist on firing her. This is a definite thing.”


  Xu Tingsheng smiled rather awkwardly, knowing that Lu Zhixin was right.

  “Apple’s currently on her way to Shenghai. I will take care of this,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “That’s good then,” Lu Zhixin said, “Speaking of this, if not for Hucheng always having had the reputation of helping students, I would consider asking all the part-time students working in the company to resign, only using full-time employees.”


  Xu Tingsheng did not reply to that.

  Lu Zhixin continued, “This matter can be delayed; it won’t affect anything much. Still, Wa Aiyi and Li Linlin have to leave Management, or at least let go of some authority. They aren’t quite capable enough.”


  “We have enough candidates who can replace them. Our company has recruited quite a few qualified talents. We’ve got to give these people sufficient room to exhibit their talents as well as the space to rise up through the ranks. We wouldn’t be able to keep them with us otherwise.”


  Xu Tingsheng said hesitantly, “But they founded Hucheng together with me.”


  “I know, they even have shares. Because of that, it’s even more so that they should be aware that this would be beneficial to Hucheng’s development.”


  Lu Zhixin continued in a serious, businesslike manner, “I’ve already communicated with the two of them regarding this, asking them to temporarily focus primarily on their studies while mainly focusing on acquiring more skills in Hucheng. After they have grown sufficiently and become capable enough, that’s when they can return to Management.”


  Actually, it was not that Xu Tingsheng hadn’t noticed this problem. As Hucheng expanded, it definitely couldn’t rely on a management board consisting mainly of students to survive and prosper. It was just that due to his soft-heartedness towards those close to him, that weak indecisiveness, he still felt hesitant regarding this.

  In doing so, Lu Zhixin was acting as the ‘villain’ for Xu Tingsheng on her own accord, bearing all possible ‘resentment’ and ‘tensions’. With her intelligence, she would definitely be aware of this. Yet, she had still chosen to do so.

  She had always been pushing Xu Tingsheng and Hucheng forward on a path of development.

  The one pushing a car would often be more easily splattered thoroughly with mud.

  “What did they say then? Were they able to accept it?” Xu Tingsheng asked.

  Lu Zhixin said, “In truth, they had the same realisation themselves. They have shares, and it’s also not like I asked them to leave Hucheng for good. It’s just a changing of roles. They also understand you, knowing that no one will toss them aside. So, they could accept it easily.”


  “Okay,” Xu Tingsheng said, “I’ll officially discuss this with them after I’ve returned. Right, have you any suitable candidates in mind?”


  “Yeah, I’ve been watching over the employees and searching for talent all along,” Lu Zhixin said, “Modern companies emphasise on organisation and discipline. I hope that Hucheng will be able to eventually advance to the point where even if a professional manager comes into the picture one day, it still wouldn’t affect our control of the company as well as its development.”


  If these words had come from Xu Tingsheng, it would have been because he was 31 years old, and had experienced all this before. Coming from Lu Zhixin, it was because……she was a genius.

  “We’ll do as you say,” Xu Tingsheng said with a tone of finality.

  “So, you don’t blame me for acting on my own without consulting you like this?”


  These words could also have been said in a joking tone, but such was not the case with Lu Zhixin here.

  Xu Tingsheng adopted a joking tone as he asked, “I’d have to dare to blame you first, right? Dare I? No! I feel like I’ve long become subordinate to you. The person in this world who’s the fiercest to me and minds my business the most, apart from my mother, is none other than you.”


  Lu Zhixin didn’t play along with him at all, still saying earnestly, “There’s something that I only realised recently. I’d always thought your personality to be a detriment previously, being your greatest flaw. Only recently did I suddenly discover that it’s really quite advantageous as well.”


  “There are many people, such as Zhang Xingke, such as me, for whom a great many of our choices and trust actually stem from our judgment and approval of your personality. You are able to leave people feeling greatly at ease.”


  “It’s rare to hear a word of praise from you,” Xu Tingsheng laughed, “I’ll praise you too then, a very serious line of praise.”


  “Hmm?”


  “Lu Zhixin, one of a kind.”


  In terms of one’s approval towards another, this statement might just have reached an extreme.

  Lu Zhixin said, “Thank you.”


  A short silence descended after which Xu Tingsheng spoke, “Zhixin.”


  Lu Zhixin asked, “Huh?”


  “Don’t let yourself get too tense. You’re still a girl, and youth is seriously short. If there’s anything that you can just toss aside, just do it. Set aside more time to do those things that you like to do. Being wilful once in a while is really fine.”


  Lu Zhixin’s attitude had remained incomparably earnest throughout the course of their phone conversation up till now, when Xu Tingsheng said this.

  Lu Zhixin finally spoke in a bright, cheerful tone, “Great! Then, can I be wilful towards you?”


  Xu Tingsheng smiled, “What else can I do? Speak and it shall be done. I still owe you, after all.”


  Lu Zhixin smiled, “Wanting to repay your debt just like that? Xu Tingsheng, dream on! Those accrued debts from you can’t be used on such small matters! I’ve saving them up for bigger.”


  “Fine,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  After hanging up, Xu Tingsheng dialled Fang Yuqing’s number.

  Fang Yuqing jabbered noisily, “Heck, you finally remember me? So, having fun in Shenghai?”


  “Let’s not talk about this first,” Xu Tingsheng replied solemnly, “I want you to do me a favour. Think of a way to investigate for me the current situation and movements of Lu Zhixin’s father. He seems to be away from Yanzhou most of the time. Check if there’s been anything abnormal with her family recently as well.”


  Fang Yuqing asked quizzically, “Don’t you already know all this? Also, what’s up with Lu Zhixin?”


  “She’s fine, nothing’s wrong. Some thought just sprang up in my mind all of a sudden, causing me to feel kind of curious about her family, her father’s situation included,” Xu Tingsheng said.

  “Alright, I’ll give it a go then. I’ll call you if I find something,” Fang Yuqing said.