Jiang Chen was delighted. He acted calm and collected during the meeting, but he had a spring in his step as soon as he walked out of the door.
Ecstatic, was the only way he could describe his mood.
He managed to sell off several tons of gold, which was something he had never imagined.
His previous plan was to separate the gold into small amounts and sell it off to gold shops. Although it was inefficient and prone to be spotted by the local gangs, it was the safest way. A large amount would attract the attention of the authority, and they may force Jiang Chen to turn all of the gold in. They are always looking for ways to make money from regular people.
What? This is your gold? How do you prove this gold belongs to you?
Of course, Jiang Chen couldn't prove it since the gold really didn’t belong to him.
Jiang Chen was sure that the government would release a statement to say that even though the gold doesn’t belong to the government, it doesn’t belong to Jiang Chen either.
He thought he would be able to sell off a hundred million dollars worth of gold before getting found, but now it seems like it would no longer be an issue. If this foreign friend helped him to find the means to sell, everything would be easy. He just needed to create a Swedish Bank account, and the gold worth hundreds of millions would no longer be a problem.
Transporting gold was not difficult at all. A ton of gold was only 0.5 cubic meters which only would cost half a crystal in energy to store.
When he left the main hotel building, Jiang Chen chose to return to the mansion. Liu Yao was probably still waiting for him.
He got to the front of the mansion and saw Liu Yao under the shade of the trees.
Liu Yao wasn't wearing a bikini like the first time he saw her. Instead, she changed into a beige dress with a laced floppy hat. Her presence could be felt miles away.
She knew exactly how she attracted people, with the combination of her purity and seduction.
“Why did you take so long? I am starving,” Liu Yao gave him a coquetry as she swayed her slender waist. Her coquetry didn’t feel staged at all.
“Haha, I’ll take you out for food.” Jiang Chen opened the mansion door, and chivalrously took over Liu Yao’s bag. “What do you want to eat? Don’t be shy!”
“Yay! I want to eat at the Glacier Ocean Restaurant.” Liu Yao adorably clung onto Jiang Chen’s arm like a loving girlfriend.
“Ok! I’ll take you there.”
A bright smile appeared on her face as she was pleased with the way Jiang Chen responded. She hugged Jiang Chen’s arm as they walked towards the restaurant.
Perhaps she was acting, or maybe she was just following her heart.
The division between the two was too faint to distinguish.
Glacier Ocean Restaurant is a renowned restaurant in Sheraton and extending its influence to the rest of the Sanya.
The water-themed restaurant was surrounded by the mixture of the pristine sky and the mysterious sea. Arrays of palm and coconut trees showcased nature’s vibrant energy. The vast collection of wine displayed at the entrance of the hotel left all the diners dazed. Then the customers were quickly captivated by the sophistication and class of the restaurant.
The private room in the middle of the restaurant was even more intricate. The aquarium-like design transformed the dinner into a unique experience as if they were in the midst of the ocean. There was no need for extra decorations, as the reflection of the water's waves created the perfect atmosphere.
Jiang Chen and Liu Yao sat in the private room.
“I heard the view at night is even better, but the view at noon is also remarkable.” Jiang Chen savored the fresh taste of salmon meat and took a sip from the delicious Wen Chang chicken soup. Delicacies filled the table, and he was even dazzled by all the choices.
“This Boston lobster is delicious!” Liu Yao playfully stuck out her tongue. She skillfully used her graceful finger to dissect the lobster in front of her.
“Beauty is something one can truly enjoy.” Jiang Chen picked up a piece of clam. The way Liu Yao ate was extremely pleasing to the eyes.
“Hehe, pretty right?” She pouted as she continued to struggle with the lobster.
“I was talking about the lobster.” Liu Yao’s cute look didn’t stop Jiang Chen from teasing her.
“Screw you!”
Liu Yao didn’t have a big appetite, so she chose all the light but fine dishes. The majority of the food went into Jiang Chen’s stomach. He had an appetite comparable to two adult males.
“Looks like you are ecstatic today.” She rubbed the corner of her mouse with a napkin as she looked at Jiang Chen's lively eyes.
“Indeed, I signed a big deal.” He didn’t hide anything.
“Eh? I thought it was because of me.” She joked.
With a mischievous smile, Jiang Chen approached Liu Yao. “How big do you think the deal is?”
“One million? USD?” With her red lips open, she took a sip of wine. She didn’t care how much Jiang Chen made as it had nothing to do with her. However, she understood a male’s ego as Jiang Chen wasn’t keeping this from her. She pretended to be curious.
“One million? That’s pocket change.” With his back leaned against the chair, Jiang Chen smiled.
“Pocket change?” Liu Yao shockingly stared at Jiang Chen.
“At least one hundred million,” Jiang Chen replied. He pretended it was not a big deal.
“Ahem.” Liu Yao covered her chest as she ruefully looked at Jiang Chen. She accidentally spat out her wine out.
“I can’t believe you are so skillful, this is such a pity.” Liu Yao pouted as she took another sip of wine. Jiang Chen knew what she meant by pity, but he would not change his mind.
“No way, I remember I used my real skill last night.” Jiang Chen emphasized the words “skill” as he smirkingly looked at Liu Yao’s facial expression.
Liu Yao paused slightly before she understood the meaning behind Jiang Chen’s words. Her face turned burning red like the sky at dawn.
“Pervert.”
Her gentle fist striking Jiang Chen's did not bother him at all.
After the meal, Jiang Chen took Liu Yao’s hand and strolled along the swimming pool. It was a beautifully decorated pool of water. The palm trees along the side added a sense of nature to the swimming pool. Under the white umbrella were deck chair of the same color for the tourists that needed rest.
“I thought you don’t like crowded places?” Liu Yao accompanied Jiang Chen as her crystal eyes observed his face.
“You are right, but it would be disappointing if we just stayed at the mansion. This swimming pool is a famous attraction at Sanya.”
“Oh? I thought you were someone who was always busy,” Liu Yao asked curiously.
“Busy people may not like crowded places, but I am quite pleased with this scene. For example, the blonde European beauty right there.” Jiang Chen changed the topic with a smirk.
“Does my bikini not look attractive?” Liu Yao defiantly raised her D cup chest.
“It’s not the same. Everyone is different.” Jiang Chen tried to explain his reasoning. If it were his girlfriend, he would not praise other women, but since that was not the case, it didn’t matter.
Jiang Chen’s playboy look made Liu Yao want to yell and laugh at the same time. She pouted like an attached girlfriend, as she used her finger to squeeze his waist. She controlled the force just enough so that Jiang Chen would not get hurt.
“I am a D cup Don’t you think I am bigger compared to that woman?” After teasing Jiang Chen for a moment, Liu Yao fixed her hair as she lifted her chest up again with a seductive look.
“Who knows if these are real or not?” Jiang Chen ridiculed as he sneakily touched her chest.
“Then how do you know mine are fake, and hers are real?” Liu Yao persisted the question.
“Hmm? So they are real.” Jiang Chen pretended to be happy.
In this day and age, everything could be fake. So, Jiang Chen didn’t think it was real.
“Fool. You didn’t notice it after touching it for so long?” Liu Yao blushed as she vexed him with her eyes rolled.
The coquettish look made Jiang Chen hard.
Liu Yao became flushed as she noticed Jiang Chen’s invasive stare. Although Jiang Chen’s techniques were still lacking, with some guidance and his long lasting stamina and recovery time, it was easy to enjoy the heaven like feeling.
Liu Yao, of course, didn’t reject Jiang Chen’s intimate invitatio.
She defiantly stared at Jiang Chen as she used a finger to hook onto his collar. Then they walked towards a secluded washroom on the first floor.
“Here?” Although it was a question, Jiang Chen’s hands already grasped onto Liu Yao’s thin waist.
“Pervert, I’ll scream for help.” She seemingly blamed Jiang Chen with her words but then swiftly locked the door behind her.
There was not a lot of traffic in the area. Most of the people were either in their rooms or on the beach. Since it was the washroom, there were no cameras as well.
The unique environment made Jiang Chen feel a particular kind of sensation. Liu Yao’s blushing face indicated that she probably felt the same thing.
“You’ll have to keep quiet,” Jiang Chen smirked as he whispered into Liu Yao’s ear. He grabbed her smooth legs and entered into her.
Two hours later, the two of them came out of the washroom. Liu Yao's legs felt weak as she half hanged onto Jiang Chen’s shoulder.
“You pervert, couldn’t you have been more gentle.”
“Haha, the way you held onto the wall and covered your mouth was quite cute.” Jiang Chen laughed as he dodged and grabbed onto the hands coming at him.
From a bystander, the two looked like a couple displaying affection without a care in the world.
She didn’t know why, but she felt tears in her eyes.
“If I…”
“What? Why don’t you tell me about it?” Jiang Chen smiled at Liu Yao who wanted to stay something but stopped.
“It’s okay.” Liu Yao turned his face around as she flashed him a smile. The cheerful smile even dazzled Jiang Chen for a moment.
It was not because of her beauty.
That smile reminded him of his high school time.
At the naïve age, free of trouble. A time where studying hard would deserve recognition. A time where being good at basketball would receive praise.
Jiang Chen remembered that smile belonged to Chen Lele in the movie; the careless and free girl. The smile left the supporting actress with an endless amount of regret and despair.
Am I sinking into the plot? What am I thinking?
“I am a woman who loves money, and I know men like you dislike woman like me. One with no self-respect.” Liu Yao faintly opened her mouth. She still held onto Jiang Chen’s hand but walked one step ahead of him so he couldn't see her expression.
“This is only a life choice, I never disliked you.” Jiang Chen gently answered. He didn’t lie.
“But unable to accept right?” Liu Yao suddenly turned around.
Jiang Chen noticed her eyes were slightly red.
Is she acting?
However, Jiang Chen was unwilling to change his opinion. He sighed wanting to explain himself.
“You don’t have to say anything.” Liu Yao turned around with a bright smile and pecked him on the lips. After seeing Jiang Chen’s confused look, she jumped in front of him and began walking by herself. “I know, and I understand. A girl like me is not good enough for you. I just haven’t completely given up yet.”
With her back towards him, Jiang Chen couldn’t see her expression. Liu Yao had to force a smile before she spoke again.
“What if, I mean, what if we met two years earlier? When I didn’t debut yet. Would you have fallen in love with me?”
“If I fell in love with you at that time, would you have chosen me?” Jiang Chen thought about the person who watched <That year> with him.
Too similar.
Jiang Chen's calm and direct rhetoric question made Liu Yao feel his uncertainty. She turned around as she forced another smile.
She understood what Jiang Chen meant.
“Probably not.”
An honest response.
Liu Yao somehow remembered her university time. She remembered the boy that used 99 candles to write out “Liu Yao I love you” under her dorm room window. She was moved for a brief second but still rejected him because he couldn’t provide the life she wanted. Liu Yao gave her first time to a director whose name she didn't even want to remember. She did it in exchange for the supporting actress role. She had no regrets because she received eighty thousand dollars in pay along with a ticket into the entertainment industry.
However, at this moment, she regretted.
For some reason, in her eyes, Jiang Chen began to coincide with the boy she rejected.
If the poor Jiang Chen asked her out two years ago, she would probably not even look at him.
It was not a question of right or wrong, but only a matter of choice.
“Since this is a hard earned vacation, why think about these bothersome questions?” Jiang Chen said faintly as it disrupted Liu Yao’s thoughts.
“Mhmm you are right, let’s enjoy the bench.”
A relieved smile bloomed on Liu Yao’s face.
The smile was beautiful.
Except for a bright jewel hanging at the corner of her eye. Silently, it rolled down and mixed in with the sand.
Among the waves and tides of the southern county, it was negligible and minuscule.
Over the last five days, the two spent every moment in joy.
Liu Yao took Jiang Chen to all the famous attractions. They did everything from surfing at Wuzhizhou Island, enjoying the sunlight at Yalong Bay, wandering along the beach, to leaving names on a couple lock. Liu Yao engraved Jiang Chen’s name, but Jiang Chen left Chen Lele’s name.
The happiest time was always the briefest, but it was pleasant.
Until they went their separate ways, Jiang Chen didn’t see any more sorrows or tears.
"Sir, would you like a cup of coffee?" The flight attendant's gentle voice disrupted Jiang Chen’s thought.
"I’ll have one please."
"Ok, please wait a moment."
A cup of steamy coffee was soon in front of Jiang Chen. He stared at the rising steam and smiled.
[That was a pleasant trip after all. I wonder if I will ever meet her again.]
He thought about it some more, and an even bigger smile appeared on his face. He didn’t know why he wanted to smile.
He glanced at the pristine cloud outside the window and the middle-aged professional sleeping beside him. Jiang Chen finished the still steamy cup of coffee.
It was bitter, but a little sweet.
The brief Sanya vacation came to an end. Jiang Chen walked out of the Wanghai airport with his luggage.
The noisy metropolitan.
He took in a deep breath of the smog-filled air and flagged down a taxi.
"To Bailian."
Sitting on the passenger side, Jiang Chen took out his almost outdated Samsung phone. He was about to call Xia Shiyu when he noticed a message popped up.
Weibo?
He opened the Weibo app that he hasn't opened for a while. He was surprised to find out someone @ him.
<A pleasant trip, thank you for your company @Jiang Chen>
Along the text was also a picture of an airplane taking off. Jiang Chen noticed that it was his flight.
[This girl, she went to my terminal without telling me.] Jiang Chen smiled. They said goodbye at the airport, but he didn’t expect her to be there to watch him depart.
With a bit of narcissism, Jiang Chen swiped the screen up with his finger. The comments on the bottom consisted primarily of people wondering who Jiang Chen was. To begin with, she was not a famous actress, so there were only a few comments.
He thought about for a moment before half-joking replied.
<Haha, I really enjoy your superb acting skill. How about I invest in a movie and ask you to be the female lead? : )>
<Deal. You said it!>
[Instant reply.]
"Hey man, are you on Weibo?"
"Oh? Do you have Weibo as well?" Jiang Chen asked the taxi driver.
"Of course, it is pretty fun watching people make memes online. You are looking at a celebrity’s Weibo right?"
"Hehe, yes, how do you know?" Jiang Chen curiously asked.
"There is a special symbol beside their name. Look closely." The taxi driver skillfully guided Jiang Chen, "Though to be honest, these celebrities’ Weibo are boring. They are too busy to reply to you. You must be new on here."
Jiang Chen smiled in agreement.
He wanted to reply <There is no way you believe my joke right?>, but that post was gone.
"What happens if a post is gone?"
"They deleted it, it's common." The taxi driver rolled his eyes as if he was an expert.
Deleted?
[This girl.] Jiang Chen sighed. The situation was funny to him.
It’s only a movie after all, how much would it even cost?
Inside the Jade Restaurant, Jiang Chen quietly waited at the table. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw a graceful figure approach him. He signaled for the person to come over.
"You finally appeared. You don’t even pick up your phone." Xia Shiyu gave him a hard stare. The grin on his face made Xia Shiyu irate.
She has been taking care of the company in the past few days. She even used her own money to make sure everything could be finished on time. To ensure she completed Jiang Chen’s task, she had to find lawyers, bureaus, and banks. She even went to their future office.
However, he was nowhere to be seen. Jiang Chen left all the dirty work to her and went on a vacation by himself.
She took in a deep breath to stop an almost inevitable emotional explosion.
"Don’t be so emotional, I’ll bring you next time. Sanya is a beautiful place." Jiang Chen grinned with no signs of guilt.
"This is your company. You have to at least show up to something. You should come with me to the bureau this afternoon. I have all the documents here. Take a look." She placed the bag on the table and ignored Jiang Chen’s invitation.
"Thank you so much." Jiang Chen didn’t pick up the documents. Instead, he genuinely stared at Xia Shiyu’s emotionless face.
"At least you have some conscience," she hissed at him. Although her face still looked cold, Jiang Chen felt she was no longer angry.
"I’ll go with you in the afternoon. Let’s not talk about work. Order whatever you want, this one is on me. Oh, you paid for the fees right? The company will reimburse you for it."
Xia Shiyu was not humble and immediately ordered a few dishes. She glanced at Jiang Chen but did not even see a slight change in his grinning face. She was frustrated.
[That was ineffective.] She thought as she didn’t manage to vent her anger.
Jiang Chen didn’t notice her intention.
He still had one hundred thousand dollars left which far exceeded his expectation.
"Is there something bothering you?" Although she kept a stern face, Jiang Chen still noticed she was slightly distracted.
"Yes, I am worried about the company’s future." Xia Shiyu dived straight into the problem, "If our strategy is to use advanced technology, we have no way of gaining a competitive advantage as a newcomer."
"But don’t new company have more growth opportunities?" With her concern in his mind, Jiang Chen replied.
"That’s for a company with a strong core competitive advantage." Xia Shiyu stared at Jiang Chen, who showed no sign of concern, with a look of defeat. "Do you know technology? You probably don’t even remember calculus."
"Is that even a question." Jiang Chen laughed. "Who remembers that stuff after graduation. Just because I don’t understand it doesn’t mean other people don’t understand it. You don’t have to worry about research and development. I’ll give you a hint. Every company have a focus, such as game development. We can just springboard off of this idea and enter the cell phone market following our success…"
"Stop right there." Xia Shiyu interrupted Jiang Chen’s speech. She rubbed her temples. "Cell phone games? Web games? Or Massive Multiplayer Online games on the PC end? Based on the current market condition, I recommend cell phone games. Regarding the cell phone market, it’s great that our founder has a vision for the future, but one step at a time is critical for sustainable growth."
"Of course, so we will do it one step at a time." He casually waved his hand. "Also, this is not only my company, but it is also your company. I’ll give you 5% stake in the company, so keep up the good work."
It was not only until years later did Xia Shiyu realize what tremendous amount of wealth was given to her. Of course, that was the aftermath.
In the afternoon, Jiang Chen went to the bureau with Xia Shiyu to take care of the paperwork. Xia Shiyu was indeed CEO (secretary) quality. Jiang Chen only needed to sign a couple of documents before it was approved. Xia Shiyu took care of the entire, tedious process.
Jiang Chen was extremely pleased. He didn’t study business administration, so his understanding in the area was extremely limited. The best kind of president, in his ideal world, was the kind who only needed to the set the direction of the company. A trustworthy CEO would take care of the rest. If he had to consider all the fine details, he would be frustrated to death.
Xia Shiyu did exceptionally well at this point. She prepared everything in advance.
They only needed a part time accountant to complete the tax process. Jiang Chen took Xia Shiyu’s recommendation to hire a part-time accountant. They only needed to pay 200 dollars in salary per month. Most of the new companies did this in the early stage.
After everything was completed. It was already 5 o’clock. Jiang Chen used the opportunity to treat Xia Shiyu again before they went their separate ways. With the stable income and debt crisis being resolved, Xia Shiyu moved back to her original apartment. Jiang Chen, also, headed back to his familiar apartment.
He took his luggage and returned to his apartment.
He refreshed his Weibo while lying on his bed a couple of time and teased Liu Yao for a bit before he got back into the real business.
He had a pleasant vacation, but his return time was also approaching. Therefore, preparation was necessary.
He looked on Taobao for food. Canned food was the primary choice because of the ease of storage. He ordered two boxes of beef, pork, and fish. Then, for a balanced diet, he also purchased cans of vegetables and fruits. Finally, he bought instant noodles and crackers as well. He was not going to eat it those himself, but it would be smart to sell it.
In addition, Jiang Chen purchased a bunch of female clothing. Don’t be confused, he had no weird fetishes. He ordered some for Sun Jiao and Yao Yao.
Within two days, a courier delivered the almost mountain high stacks of boxes to Jiang Chen’s place. He generously took out two hundred dollar bills, and the courier happily moved the boxes for him. It’s good that he didn’t have any furniture, for the boxes made it impossible to maneuver through his living room.
With sandpaper in his hand, he began to work.
He removed the manufacturing data and location on the can and threw it into the storage dimension. Although tedious, he had no other choice at this stage.
It would be better if he could directly receive shipments from the packaging companies without any pictures or logos.
The storage dimension’s size grew substantially. It managed to fit the size of half a living room’s worth of boxes inside. Jiang Chen guessed it had to do with the gene vaccine, and it was great news for him.
The storage of these boxes cost about two energy crystals, and it would cost the same to take it all out. There were around a couple hundred energy crystals inside the dimension, so the cost did not even slightly bother Jiang Chen.
He also purchased groceries from the supermarket. He bought an ample amount of rice, fresh vegetables, eggs, and meat. After they managed to fix the fridge in the mansion of the post-apocalyptic world, it can store plenty of food. Once they manage to move a few more fridges from the buildings outside, the food storage ability would grow exponentially.
Ideally, it would be more convenient if he had a walk-in freezer. He should check the restaurants in the post-apocalyptic world; they should be easy to repair.
Before he headed home, he remembered something. He walked out of the pet store with a hamster.
When he got home, everything was ready to go. Jiang Chen picked up his familiar backpack, but then raised his eyebrows and put it down again.
Since Sun Jiao already had a clue of what’s going on, it’s probably time to tell her and Yao Yao.
When they went to the Sixth Street, he didn’t carry toast with him. He stored the toast in the storage dimension. Sun Jiao must have noticed it, but she didn’t ask. Since she had a lot of trust in him, it was no longer necessary to keep things a secret.
[It’s better to confess to her. It will be easier in the future, and I no longer need to be secretive about things.]
Jiang Chen made up his mind. He’s prepared to selectively tell parts of his secret to Sun Jiao.
With the confused hamster in his hand, he sat on his bed and took a deep breath.
Apocalypse, I am back!
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