After leaving Zhang Yan’s sick ward, Xu Tingsheng told Old Wai, “Call Linlin over later. Let’s have dinner together tonight.”


  The motive behind this meal actually could not be any more obvious.

  Inside a private room of a normal restaurant at the town of Xishan, after ordering the dishes.

  Old Wai asked, “Bro Xu, how about we have a bit of wine today?”


  Xu Tingsheng thought for a moment before smiling, “Won’t that feel like relieving a general’s military power through a banquet of wine? That’s bad, right?”


  Old Wai laughed, after which he was overwhelmed by emotions as he eventually said, his eyes moist, “Bro Xu, this is something that we’ve never had the chance to say to you before. Still, the two of us hope that you can believe us when we say this. At any time, for any decision that you make, Linlin and I will never feel any bit of resentment at all, much less blame you in the least.”


  “For the two of us, everything that we have was given by you, even our lives.”


  “Lu Zhixin already mentioned to us what you want to talk about today. After she had mentioned it, the sole thing we were worried about was you not coming to look for us. If you did, that would mean that you still treat us like family. We would be able to rest assured then.”


  Xu Tingsheng patted Old Wai’s shoulder, telling the waiter, “Bring us wine.”


  The waiter asked, “How much?”


  Xu Tingsheng turned and asked Li Linlin, “You drinking, Linlin?”


  Li Linlin nodded, “Yes.”


  Xu Tingsheng told the waiter, “A carton first then.”


  Xu Tingsheng had still yet to raise the first glass and speak when Li Linlin first spoke, “Bro Xu, what happened in our first year is actually something that I never want to mention again. Still, I feel like mentioning it today. I’ll always remember those words Old Wai said to me back then. It’s okay, Xu Tingsheng is here. I’ll never forget this throughout my entire lifetime.”


  They downed the first glass.

  On the second glass, Old Wai said, “Don’t feel like you’re in a difficult position, Bro Xu. Actually, even without Lu Zhixin mentioning this, the two of us have thought about it ourselves before. We cannot become burdens on Hucheng as it develops. Stepping down temporarily is a necessary step. Of course, I believe that we will definitely have the ability to continue helping you in the future. We will definitely work hard for that.”


  “Of course I believe you,” Xu Tingsheng said, “Though, you’ve still got to help me now! Just through a different method. The two of you are still shareholders of Hucheng; you can’t just leave me all alone. There actually aren’t that many people I can trust.”


  Old Wai and Li Linlin nodded earnestly.

  On the third glass, Xu Tingsheng simply said two words, “Thank you.”


  With these three glasses, the atmosphere had become much less sombre than before.

  The three drank while chatting about the initial Hucheng which had consisted of just the three of them. Back then, Old Wai had done programming throughout the night and into the mornings, Li Linlin too sacrificing her sleep to check the information registered on the platform……

  They talked about their joy when the first parent had registered.

  They talked about the difficulties when Zhang Xingke had driven them into a corner.

  They talked about the current Hucheng……

  Old Wai said that everything had been like a dream.

  Li Linlin said that not even in her wildest dreams could she have imagined such a dramatic turn of events.

  For Li Linlin, it was far from just her own fate that Xu Tingsheng had changed. He had even enabled her entire family to be freed from poverty as a result, living a life they wouldn’t even have dreamt of initially.

  After this meal, Old Wai and Li Linlin would be officially leaving their management positions at Hucheng. For the time being, amidst their studies, they would merely be continuing to help out at Hucheng and participating in some important meetings with their identities as shareholders.

  Nearing the end, the two were overwhelmed by emotion as they happily expressed that they would finally be able to date each other properly now, properly enjoying their university lives.

  Xu Tingsheng envied this from the very bottom of his heart.

  Leaving the restaurant, the three were all somewhat tipsy. Li Linlin walked at the front, while Old Wai intentionally slowed his footsteps and waited for Xu Tingsheng.

  Seeing his hesitant expression, Xu Tingsheng directly asked, “You have something you want to say to me, Old Wai?”


  Old Wai hesitated for a moment before asking, “Bro Xu, actually, do you like Lu Zhixin? About that……how do you intend to handle her?”


  Xu Tingsheng could only feign stupidity as he smiled, “We’re partners! What’s there to handle?”


  Old Wai grit his teeth, saying, “Let me put it this way then. Bro Xu, whatever you intend to do in the future, whether you will be together with Lu Zhixin or you want to marry Apple, even if you intend to marry a princess……get in bed with Lu Zhixin……best get a child out. Otherwise, you……”


  Old Wai did not finish his sentence.

  Still, Xu Tingsheng actually understood what he meant. The current importance and authority that Lu Zhixin possessed in Hucheng actually far surpassed what she should actually have at this point in time. Meanwhile, her personality and methods were also so forceful. Coupled with her familial background……it would be very difficult for someone not to be worried in the slightest.

  That Old Wai had voiced this outright showed that he was not trying to get revenge on Lu Zhixin, not scheming for power behind the scenes.

  “I understand. I’ll think about it,” Xu Tingsheng told Old Wai.

  Old Wai immediately grew excited as he said, “Don’t go back to our dorm tonight then. Making use of when you’re drunk……”


  Xu Tingsheng forced a smile, “That’s not what I’m talking about. I’ll think of some other method.”


  Old Wai hesitated for a moment, only able to change the topic as he said, “Well, you go back to our dorm first then. I……I’ll try not to go back to our dorm, making use when I’m drunk……cough……”


  Xu Tingsheng was thinking throughout his return journey, “The hell, won’t I be the only virgin left in Room 602 soon then?”
……

  The next day, two abundantly experienced graduates from famous universities selected by Lu Zhixin officially and enthusiastically assumed their roles as Hucheng’s new department heads.

  As Hucheng began expanding and recruiting on a greater scale, Xu Tingsheng specifically requested Lu Zhixin to set aside a team for him in preparation for upcoming work on a new project. As for what this new project was, he temporarily mentioned it to no one.

  On the Xu Family’s side, the final batch of Happy Shoppers’ employees returned from their tour of Hainan.

  Mr Xu made a trip to Hainan as well, staying there for five days. Upon his return, he gave Xu Tingsheng a call, saying that someone had recommended him to build some seaview flats in Hainan and asking for his opinion on it.

  Xu Tingsheng rejected this proposition straight out. He knew that Hainan’s seaview flats would only be popular for a while. In the end, however, many villas and mansions could only be used to rear pigs.

  On 16th September, Cen Xiyu flew for New York in the US.

  Just like they had previously agreed upon, Xu Tingsheng did not go to the airport to send her off. Instead, they exchanged simple goodbyes over the phone. The current Apple, Cen Xiyu, would no longer feel all suspicious and uneasy over minor matters such as this.

  Actually, Xu Tingsheng should have gone to send her off, because just a single day later, he received a call from Zhang Xingke.

  Zhang Xingke succinctly told Xu Tingsheng that the time was ripe, that Hucheng’s acquisition of Dexin Training Institute could take place right away. This also entailed that the cooperation between these two former enemies and current friends was about to draw to a close.

  They would thus be tied together no more, their relationship as friend or foe uncertain thereon.

  This time, Lu Zhixin accompanied Xu Tingsheng in travelling to Shenghai.

  There was already no difficulty at all in the acquisition whatsoever, Zhang Xingke and Yu Xinlan having arranged everything for them. That pitiful principal-cum-boss of Dexin Training Institute had been thoroughly played……by an uneducated woman and a youth who’d never graduated.

  On Hucheng’s side, because Lu Zhixin was present this time, the entire acquisition process was handled in a methodical, businesslike manner.

  Xu Tingsheng was even unable to properly say his farewells to Zhang Xingke when giving him his money at the end.

  This was because what was to be discussed soon afterwards was the matter of recruitment for Zhang Xingke’s new training institute, this being something that Lu Zhixin adamantly refused to let Xu Tingsheng participate in, especially after she had seen Yu Xinlan.

  Zhang Xingke and Yu Xinlan named the training institute ‘Xingxin’, just so brazenly taking a character from each of their names even as Yu Xinlan’s husband and family members were soon to be working in Xingxin as well.

  Three days later, Hucheng’s team descended upon Dexin Training Institute in Shenghai City, beginning to carry out some full-scale adjustments.

  Thereon, Hucheng was to officially possess its own ‘stronghold’ in the largest city of the nation.