Chapter 50: A Friendship Beyond Generations

(1)

Just as Bian Xiaoqi led Qin Ke, Zheng Yutong, and their group of nine people to take their seats in the spacious conference room, Gu Zhengyang strode in briskly. Following closely behind him were Dong Minglou and Gu Weiliang, each carrying a cardboard box.

Catching sight of Gu Weiliang, the others could not help but recall the incident earlier that afternoon, and they quietly turned their gazes toward Bian Xiaoqi.

Sensing the meaning behind their looks, Bian Xiaoqi stood up, walked over to Gu Zhengyang, and said with a smile, "My friends, what happened this afternoon is already behind us. Reporter Tian Ge and Gu Weiliang have completely cleared the air. The elder beside me is Mr. Gu Zhengyang, the Chairman of our Zhenyang Group. Hearing that you were coming to view the properties, Mr. Gu expressed a desire to meet with all of you and hold an impromptu on-site meeting. He is eager to hear your thoughts and feedback. This is a rare opportunity, so I hope everyone will speak freely. Now, please join me in welcoming Mr. Gu to say a few words."

Following a round of warm applause, Gu Zhengyang looked at the vibrant and youthful faces before him and said with a smile, "Hello, my young friends! I am Gu Zhengyang. Welcome to the sales center of Zhenyang Real Estate. Seeing your high-spirited and vigorous demeanor, I can only guess that you must be the elites of your respective industries. Though I am getting quite old, I truly enjoy interacting with young people. I hope you won't mind an old man like me. Director Bian mentioned an on-site meeting, so today I am here to discuss and accomplish three things."

Noticing that the group of young people were all gazing at him with expectant eyes, eager for him to continue, Gu Zhengyang felt his spirits lift even further. He smiled and added, "Since you are all Director Bian's friends, please consider this old man your friend as well. Naturally, when friends meet for the first time, there must be welcoming gifts. Therefore, the very first thing I want to do is present each of you with a token of my regard. For the ladies, a set of cosmetics; for the gentlemen, a bottle of fine liquor. Are you satisfied with this?"

Hearing Gu Zhengyang speak, the group found him remarkably amiable and approachable, completely devoid of any grand airs of a wealthy tycoon. In unison, they called out, "Satisfied!"

At Bian Xiaoqi's prompt, they formed a queue and stepped forward one by one to shake hands with Gu Zhengyang and introduce themselves.

Gu Zhengyang accepted the gifts from the hands of Gu Weiliang and Dong Minglou, distributing them accordingly. The liquor was a bottle of Feitian Moutai, and the cosmetics were a full set of Estée Lauder products.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Zheng Yutong, Director of the Planning Department at Company C. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Zheng Yutong said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Zhang Fang, a teacher in the Philosophy Department at Peking University. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Zhang Fang said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Qin Ke, Technical Supervisor at Company C. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Qin Ke said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Tian Ge, a reporter for the Jinghua Times. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Tian Ge said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Fu Sichen, an engineer at Company C. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Fu Sichen said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Tao Jianmin, an engineer at Company C. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Tao Jianmin said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Jin Chen, an engineer at Company C. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Jin Chen said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Yu Chuan, a student in the Computer Science Department at Tsinghua University. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Yu Chuan said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Lin Haidong, Sales Supervisor at Company C. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Lin Haidong said with a smile.

Seeing that Bian Xiaoqi and Huang Qiong remained seated, Gu Zhengyang chuckled and said, "Director Bian, Manager Huang, come on over, there is a share for the two of you as well." Hearing this, the two women also stood up and walked over to Gu Zhengyang.

"Thank you, Mr. Gu!" Huang Qiong said with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Gu! I am Bian Xiaoqi from Zhenyang Real Estate. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you!" Bian Xiaoqi echoed the others playfully with a smile.

Gu Zhengyang was amused by Bian Xiaoqi's mischievousness and burst into hearty laughter.

Then, he continued, "Qinghe Gardens Phase One is the very first residential development undertaken by Zhenyang Real Estate in the capital. The fact that you came to view this property today means we share a genuine affinity. As long as any of you purchase a home in this development, I will grant you a five percent discount on the price. This is the second thing I wish to announce and do."

As soon as Gu Zhengyang's voice trailed off, Bian Xiaoqi initiated the applause. The rest of the group joined in enthusiastically, calling out together, "Thank you, Mr. Gu!"

Lin Haidong smiled and said, "Mr. Gu, having so many wonderful things fall into my lap all at once makes me wonder what auspicious day today actually is. I'm feeling a bit dizzy right now and need to check whether the sun is still up outside." With that, he feigned dizziness, walked over to the window, and looked up at the sky.

Lin Haidong's humor once again set everyone laughing merrily.

Tian Ge smiled and remarked, "I remember reading in my childhood textbooks that landlords and the wealthy were always portrayed as stingy, miserly, and tightfisted. Today, Mr. Gu's generosity has completely shattered my preconceived notions of the rich. I truly wish all wealthy people in this world could be just like you; how could our society fail to be harmonious then? If that were the case, I'd willingly let every reporter in the world lose their jobs."

The others resonated deeply with Tian Ge's sentiment.

Qin Ke spoke up: "I imagine that when Mr. Gu was young, he must have endured the bitter trials of poverty. After decades of relentless striving, you have finally made it to the top. While I cannot yet fully comprehend the bittersweet hardships you tasted during your entrepreneurial journey, your consideration for the younger generation is something I will firmly keep in mind. As the old saying goes: give them a little sunshine and they will blossom, give them a little rain and they will grow. I have learned a great deal today. Thank you, Mr. Gu."

Qin Ke's words struck a chord deep within Gu Zhengyang's heart. He stared intently at Qin Ke for a long moment. Pondering Qin Ke's statement, Bian Xiaoqi immediately grasped the underlying thoughts. The rest of the company also savored Qin Ke's remarks, though the flavors they tasted varied, shaped by their individual backgrounds and life experiences.

(2)

Observing that they were all lost in silent contemplation, Gu Zhengyang smiled and said, "Let's call it a day for now. Shall we head out together?"

Zheng Yutong asked, "Mr. Gu, earlier you mentioned three things. You've already stated and done two—what is the third?"

"Saying 'let's head out together' is the third thing," Gu Zhengyang replied with a smile, looking at the slightly bewildered Zheng Yutong.

Bian Xiaoqi smiled and added, "Mr. Gu is inviting everyone to dinner. Director Zheng, wouldn't you say that counts as an action? At this hour, dining is a matter of paramount importance."

Only then did Zheng Yutong comprehend Gu Zhengyang's intent. Blushing slightly, she smiled and said, "Mr. Gu, you are truly humorous. I have learned yet another lesson today."

Fu Sichen laughed and said, "Today I've eaten, received gifts, and saved tens of thousands of yuan to boot. Director Bian, the warmth radiating from Mr. Gu is about to melt me away, making me feel the scorching heat of midsummer right here in the middle of autumn."

Once again, Fu Sichen's words sent the group into fits of laughter.

Looking toward Zhang Fang and Yu Chuan, Bian Xiaoqi smiled and said, "Mr. Gu loves interacting with young people. Tonight, everyone must speak without reservation and share everything on your minds. Especially our brilliant talents from Peking University and Tsinghua University—you must all express yourselves freely."

Upon stepping out of the sales center's main entrance, Bian Xiaoqi instructed Huang Qiong to lead the group to wait for her in the minibus. She then walked briskly over to Feng Gaocheng's car.

After arriving at the sales center, Feng Gaocheng had not dared to leave his post for even a second without Gu Zhengyang's command. Seeing Bian Xiaoqi approach from inside the car, he hurriedly stepped out, opened the trunk, and smiled as he said, "Director Bian, there is another case of red wine here, along with an extra case of Moutai."

Bian Xiaoqi had only asked Feng Gaocheng for four sets of Estée Lauder cosmetics, yet he had brought six, alongside an extra case of red wine. Such thoughtfulness deeply impressed her, and she praised with a smile, "Director Feng, you truly are an exemplary steward."

Flattered by the compliment, Feng Gaocheng beamed and said, "Director Bian, you are being too formal. Providing excellent service to all of you is my duty. Please let me know if there is anything else you need."

"Director Feng, this is more than enough. You should join us for the banquet as well," Bian Xiaoqi said with a smile.

Knowing his own status and educational background, Feng Gaocheng realized he was not suited to be seated at tonight's dining table. He smiled and replied, "Thank you for the invitation, Director Bian. I'll be fine with a casual bite anywhere. I'll wait outside the private dining room so I can run errands for you. Just call on me whenever you have further instructions."

Without pressing him further, Bian Xiaoqi told him to wait in the car a little longer. She then led Dong Minglou and Gu Weiliang over to Gu Zhengyang's car and said, "Mr. Gu, Director Dong and Gu Weiliang will also be joining tonight's banquet. Would it be alright for them to ride in your car?"

Gu Zhengyang gave no verbal reply, which she took as tacit approval. Lowering her voice slightly, she added, "Mr. Gu, I didn't introduce them earlier, but Dr. Yu Chuan is the secretary to Vice President Fan of Tsinghua University, and Dr. Zhang Fang is the secretary to Vice President Li of Peking University."

Gu Zhengyang immediately caught her drift and remarked, "Xiaoqi, your arrangements for tonight's banquet are spot on. Here is what we'll do: tell Feng Gaocheng to arrange for karaoke after the meal. Find the largest private room available so they can sing, dance, and thoroughly enjoy themselves for the evening. If there aren't enough young women, pick a few from the sales center to join."

"Understood, Mr. Gu. Your car and Director Feng's car can set off first. I'll take the minibus and go along with the rest of them."

Turning back, Bian Xiaoqi instructed Feng Gaocheng to organize the karaoke session following the dinner. Acknowledging the command, Feng Gaocheng took the lead and drove toward the Kunlun Hotel.

(3)

Stepping aboard the minibus, Bian Xiaoqi told the driver to head toward the Kunlun Hotel as well.

Catching sight of Bian Xiaoqi, Lin Haidong smiled and said, "Director Bian, we are all basking in your reflected glory today. Whenever there's such a windfall in the future, please make sure not to leave me out."

Bian Xiaoqi smiled and replied, "It's our Mr. Gu who is generous; I certainly wouldn't dare be this extravagant. By the way, all of you must help our company spread the word and encourage more people to come view and purchase properties—just make sure not to leak the special discount Mr. Gu has given you."

"Director Bian, I will personally make sure all my aunts and uncles come knocking," Lin Haidong promised readily.

"Xiaoqi, tell me honestly: should I buy a property or not? And how many units should I get?" Zheng Yutong asked.

"Oh, my dearest Director Zheng, you really are a little tycoon. Stop flaunting your wealth in front of us impoverished souls. You shouldn't be consulting me about how many units to buy anyway—you ought to be discussing that with a certain someone. Still, my advice is for everyone to buy independently. Men and women are equal, aren't they?" Bian Xiaoqi teased.

Zheng Yutong's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. Today, she was acting remarkably like a naive, worldly-inexperienced young maiden.

"Sister Director, I haven't even graduated yet. Am I eligible to buy a home?" Tian Ge asked, hugging Bian Xiaoqi's arm.

"Reporter little sister, absolutely. First, persuade your parents to help you cover the mortgage payments. Once you start earning your own salary, you can take over the payments yourself. It's an investment that can't possibly lose money; I guarantee your parents will agree. Opportunities like this slip away once missed. Once this village is passed, there won't be another shop in sight," Bian Xiaoqi spoke with such conviction one would think she had known Tian Ge's parents for years.

"Ah, that reminds me," Bian Xiaoqi continued with a smile. "At noon today, I asked all of you to evaluate the new employees at our company. How did they perform today? Do share your impressions with me."

"Director Bian, you witnessed that fellow named Gu Weiliang's performance from start to finish—need I say anything more?" Tian Ge chimed in first.

"Director Bian, I thought the one named Ruan Zongkai performed quite well," Qin Ke said thoughtfully. "His thinking was clear, his verbal expression logical, his professional knowledge solid, his attitude sincere, and his appearance neat and polished. He is entirely suited for the position of a sales representative."

"Director Bian, the receptionist who attended to me, Meng Changxue, did a wonderful job. She is quite attractive, speaks eloquently, and her eloquence could easily rival yours, Director Bian. She truly understands a customer's mindset; in any case, she won me over, and I instantly felt the urge to buy a property." Just as Lin Haidong said this, he let out a sharp cry of pain. Bian Xiaoqi noticed that Fu Sichen, seated right beside him, was pinching his arm hard enough to make him wince.

Bian Xiaoqi chuckled and asked, "Even without Mr. Gu's special discount, you were already thinking of buying a place with our company?"

"Yes." No sooner had Lin Haidong uttered the word than he hastily corrected himself, "Ouch! No, wait, no." It turned out Fu Sichen had increased the pressure of her grip.

"What if you were a female customer?" Bian Xiaoqi probed further.

"I'm not a woman, so how would I know? Wait, you should ask Fu Sichen instead," Lin Haidong stammered.

The group burst into laughter at the exchange between Lin Haidong and Fu Sichen.

"Director Bian, that young woman named Zhang Qinqin is attractive, well-mannered, and exceedingly amiable," Zheng Yutong said. "Her smile is sweet and effortlessly inspires trust. She is earnest, avoids exaggeration, and presents all the data with absolute clarity. She made me feel that not buying a property from her would be doing her a disservice."

"Since she managed to impress even our proud Director Zheng, I certainly need to keep an eye on her," Bian Xiaoqi said with a smile.

Zhang Fang offered her assessment: "Director Bian, the one named Peng Juan is definitely not a new employee. She isn't particularly pretty, but she is smooth-talking and calculating. At first, I purposely claimed I was just a student, then mentioned I was a doctoral candidate at Peking University, and finally revealed I was a teacher there. You could distinctly sense the shifts in her attitude and psychological demeanor. She is suited for sales, but one shouldn't rely on her too heavily. She will stop at nothing to serve her own interests. One might call her a textbook example of a 'snob'."

Zhang Fang's sharp observational skills drew Bian Xiaoqi's admiration. Smiling, she said, "Dr. Zhang, you truly live up to being a top student from the Philosophy Department. Your judgment of people is exceptionally accurate."

Yu Chuan spoke next: "Director Bian, that Luo Aimei isn't a new employee either. She isn't as calculating as the Peng Juan that Dr. Zhang mentioned; rather, she's quite blunt and straightforward. She is very clear about her objective and is eager to work hard. She has a very sweet mouth—the kind of sweet that starts to grate on your nerves. She's simply too clingy."

"Dr. Yu also has piercing vision," Bian Xiaoqi smiled. "But what if you had been received by Meng Changxue instead?"

"I honestly wouldn't know. As classmate Lin Haidong just mentioned, my experience might have turned out quite differently," Yu Chuan replied candidly with a smile.

"Director Bian, that Ran Xiaoping fellow is rather conventional and even a bit shy. He is honest and dutiful, unlikely to cause trouble or deceive anyone. However, I felt his working capability was somewhat weak," Fu Sichen commented.

"Sichen, you're so formidable that ordinary guys are terrified of you. Did you end up lecturing him again today?" Lin Haidong interjected.

"Not at all. I was the epitome of ladylike and modest today," Fu Sichen retorted.

"Sichen, that just goes to show that the sharp edge embedded in your bones simply cannot be concealed," Bian Xiaoqi teased.

Turning her gaze toward Jin Chen, Bian Xiaoqi smiled and said, "Let's hear what our gentle Jin Chen thought of her experience."

In a soft, melodious voice, Jin Chen said, "Director Bian, the girl named Guo Jiangping was extremely enthusiastic toward me at first and explained everything lucidly. But once she asked about my income, her enthusiasm seemed to wane. I'm not sure what caused her attitude to shift so abruptly."

"High education, high颜值, coupled with high income—classmate Jin Chen is a textbook 'triple-high' individual; it's hard not to feel a twinge of jealousy around you. Especially for girls your own age, you tend to throw their psychological equilibrium off balance," Bian Xiaoqi said with an amused smile.

Tao Jianmin shared his thoughts: "Director Bian, the young man named Ye Wanglin was enthusiastic, but he seemed rather unfamiliar with the business and couldn't answer all my questions. He strikes me as the kind of employee who isn't inherently clever, but is willing to put in the hard work."

"Everyone's observations are insightful and fair—thank you all. Tonight, we must all raise a glass and drink heartily. After dinner, I've arranged for karaoke, and I hope everyone will let loose and enjoy themselves to the fullest," Bian Xiaoqi concluded with a smile.

Half an hour later, the minibus arrived at the Kunlun Hotel.

Situated in the heart of Haidian District, the Kunlun Hotel stood as an 18-story structure combining guest rooms, dining, entertainment, shopping, and office spaces into a five-star business hotel. Renowned for its luxurious interior decoration, elegant ambiance, comprehensive facilities, warm service, and prime geographic location, it had become the premier business hotel of choice for the IT professionals of Zhongguancun.

Feng Gaocheng was already waiting for them in the hotel lobby. Catching sight of Bian Xiaoqi entering through the main doors, he hurried forward and said with a smile, "Director Bian, Mr. Gu is already in the private room. I've ordered Huaiyang cuisine. Allow me to lead you upstairs."

"Director Feng, make sure to have the minibus driver join you for a meal. We'll need him to drive the guests home later tonight," Bian Xiaoqi instructed with a smile.