Chapter 462: Homecoming in Tiancheng

At noon, back home in Tiancheng.

Xu Zhiquan personally cooked up a feast, all dishes being Xu Chen’s favorites.

A few hearty ones like braised beef, lotus root with stuffing, and meatballs were prepped the night before, so getting everything on the table didn’t take much time.

Xu Chen took a quick shower upstairs, changed into comfy home clothes, and headed to the dining room to wait for the meal.

Old Xu untied his apron and sat down, grinning as he poured himself a glass of wine.

Xu Chen took the bottle from his father and filled his glass.

He had landed at the Provincial Capital Airport early that morning, and surprisingly, Xu Zhiquan drove to pick him up himself.

President Xu had some free time these past couple of days, and with his son home for winter break, Xu Zhiquan hopped in the car and headed straight to the Provincial Capital Airport.

Old Xu sipped his wine and said,

“I’ve been staying at the park lately, so I’m not home much anymore.”

He picked up a piece of fried lotus root and put it on Xu Chen’s plate:

“If staying here feels inconvenient during your break, I can book you a hotel in the city.”

Xu Chen: “Dad, no need for that trouble.

I’ll stay at home. I’ve got plenty of free time, and driving back and forth each day is fine.

Besides, I can crash at Jinfeng Business Tower—it’s quiet there too.”

Xu Zhiquan nodded.

He paused, then smiled and added, “I’ve been thinking about buying a place in the downtown area. The old home here is just too far from everything.”

Xu Chen perked up: “Which spot has caught President Xu’s eye?”

Xu Zhiquan: “Too busy to start looking yet!”

He chuckled:

“But there’s a new villa development in West of the City that I’m planning to check out.

The developer is an old friend, so I can get an insider deal.”

Xu Chen refilled his father’s glass:

“Here’s to President Xu in advance!”

Xu Zhiquan raised his glass, took a sip, glanced around their two-story house, and said with a sigh,

“Your mom went through so much hardship with me—she never even got to live in this little house…”

Seeing his father’s sadness, Xu Chen topped up his wine and comforted him,

“Our family’s business and life are going great now—it’s got to be Mom watching over us.”

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily.

Xu Chen remembered something:

“Wu Feifei’s mom is heading to Shanghai, and she’ll stop by the office for a visit today.

Nie Fei just messaged me about it—I’m only finding out now.”

Xu Zhiquan set down his glass:

“That’s a serious matter…”

Wu Feifei’s mom was, of course, the wife of a high-ranking official.

Xu Chen said,

“I told Nie Fei to handle it properly. She’s got great people skills and won’t let anyone feel slighted.

Plus, I already asked Wu Feifei, and she said not to make a fuss over it.

Wu’s mom is just visiting her daughter in Shanghai and got curious about my company, so she wants to take a look.”

Xu Zhiquan nodded:

“I’ll check with Fang Jun later—she’s pretty familiar with Wu’s mom on a personal level.”

Xu Chen: “Dad, are you heading back to the park this afternoon? If so, give me a ride—I’ve got to see Fang Jun too.”

Xu Zhiquan: “I’ve got to check on the sapling project this afternoon.

Your Fourth Uncle’s back from the county, and we’re heading to the site together…”

As he spoke, Xu Zhiquan pulled out a set of car keys and handed them to Xu Chen:

“I’m leaving you the Accord for now—you can use it.”

Xu Chen took the keys:

“Dad, didn’t you say you were getting a Mercedes S? Haven’t pulled the trigger yet?”

Xu Zhiquan smiled happily:

“I ordered one in the Provincial Capital, but the Mercedes S is in high demand—won’t get it until after the New Year.”

Xu Chen quickly poured him another glass:

“Congrats to President Xu for real!”

……

……

In the afternoon, Xu Zhiquan drove off alone in the Odyssey van.

Xu Chen found it odd—why hadn’t he seen Li Rui or Fang Tao around to drive?

He cleared the table by himself, went upstairs to change, and then headed out in the car.

……

Xu Chen drove his father’s black Accord toward downtown, remembering last year’s scene.

Back then, Xu Zhiquan had just bought that second-hand Accord and proudly picked Xu Chen up from Tiancheng No. 1 High School.

Now, just a year later, Old Xu was upgrading to a Mercedes S—the family’s business had skyrocketed.

……

……

Half an hour later, the black Accord pulled into Morning Wind Park.

Xu Chen parked at the base of the Comprehensive Building, locked up, and went upstairs.

In the hallway, he bumped into a few unfamiliar young people, men and women—he wasn’t sure which department they were from.

Someone recognized Xu Chen and quickly greeted him respectfully as ‘Young Xu Chen’.

Xu Chen smiled but didn’t chat much, heading straight to the finance department.

“Is that the legendary Young Xu Chen?”

“Huh? The boss’s son?”

“He looks so refined, not a hint of arrogance!”

“Don’t gossip, or Zhao Feng and his crew will come after you.”

“Why?”

“You’re new, so you don’t get it. People call him ‘Young Xu Chen’ not just because he’s Xu’s son.”

……

……

In the finance room.

Xu Chen knocked on the open door and walked in with a smile.

There were five or six young people inside, and Xu Chen knew two: Gu Xuewei and Jiang Xiaozhen.

Back when Bright Factory was state-owned, these two were colleagues at the same level as Fang Jun, but now they called her ‘Director Fang’.

There used to be a couple of older women in their forties and fifties in finance—likely connected to former Bright Factory leaders—but Xu Zhiquan had quietly eased them out.

“Young Xu Chen, you’re here!”

Gu Xuewei was quick to notice and stood up to greet him.

The other young people followed suit, calling him ‘Young Xu Chen’.

“Where’s Director Fang?”

Gu Xuewei: “Director Fang got called to a meeting with Director Yang—she should be back soon.”

As he spoke, a cough came from behind.

They turned to see Fang Jun returning, a stack of files in hand.

She wore a long dark gray down coat, her ponytail still tied high.

“Hello, Fang Jun!” Xu Chen greeted her cheerfully.

Fang Jun, as usual, kept a straight face: “Give me a minute, just grabbing my bag.”

Xu Chen had arranged to meet Fang Jun to check out ‘Tiansheng Mansion’.

Xie Bingran’s place was now set up with basic appliances, and if they had time that afternoon, they’d pick out furniture together.

……

A few minutes later, as they headed downstairs, Fang Jun handed Xu Chen a folder of colored prints:

“I found an interior designer for this. Here’s their proposal—take a look.”

Xu Chen took it:

“You’re always on top of things, Fang Jun!”

He flipped through it quickly and thought the designs had real style—not something you’d expect from a small town like Tiancheng.

Sure enough, Fang Jun said:

“This designer’s from the Provincial Capital Architecture College and works on building designs there.

We collaborated on my home renovation, so I reached out again.”

Xu Chen looked over the materials:

“These three schemes have different styles, each with its own charm.”

He thought, I’ll snap a photo and send it to Bing Ge for her input—better let her choose.

Fang Jun: “She likes the first one but wants you to decide.”

So, Bing Ge had already seen it.

Xu Chen checked the first scheme—black, white, and gray in a minimalist style, with the living room sofa in pure black.

It fit ‘Bing Ge’s’ cool vibe perfectly.

“It’s good—really suits Bing Ge!” Xu Chen said.

“But can we find furniture like this in Tiancheng?”

Fang Jun: “The designer only includes items that exist. I’ve already lined them up.

We’ll check the quality on-site over the next couple of days.

If we order now, everything should be installed before the New Year.”

Xu Chen: “Thanks a ton, Fang Jun—you’re always reliable.”

Fang Jun:

“The designer’s fee is two thousand—I’ll cover it as a housewarming gift for you and Bing Ge.

You’ll have to pay for the furniture though. It’s not top brand, but quality’s solid, so it’ll cost a bit.”

Xu Chen: “No way, I should handle the design fee too—can’t let you pay.”

Fang Jun: “Just make sure I get to your wedding soon.”

Xu Chen: “……”

……

……

At Tiansheng Mansion.

Stepping inside, the place felt bright and welcoming.

Though Fang Jun kept her expression neutral, she seemed a bit proud, leading Xu Chen around to check everything.

“Water heater, air conditioner, washing machine, dryer…

Don’t worry about the brands—I went for premium ones.”

“I adjusted the lighting too—the developer’s setup was too harsh, so now it’s brighter and the sources are hidden.”

“Didn’t replace the kitchen or bathroom fixtures yet.

The developer’s brands are okay—can make do for a couple of years.

Added an electric clothes rack on the balcony and exhaust fans in both bathrooms…”

Xu Chen glanced at the major appliances:

“You’re a lifesaver, Fang Jun!”

They wandered to the balcony, and as Fang Jun looked at the courtyard view, she said,

“I had a feng shui expert check it out—they said this house is great, something about ‘solar temple positioning to ward off bad energy’.

The layout’s already solid, no need for changes.”

Xu Chen: “Fang Jun, you know feng shui?”

Fang Jun: “It’s worth believing in a bit.

Bright Factory had issues because of bad gate feng shui…

But don’t worry—I already had your dad tear down and rebuild the gate.”

“……”

Xu Chen felt a bit speechless—now he understood why the gate had been redone last time.

He’d just thought it looked more impressive, but there was feng shui behind it.

“The new park and building are fine too—I had a master check them.”

Xu Chen gave Fang Jun a thumbs-up:

“You’re our lucky charm!”

He remembered something:

“For the Shanghai company, we need someone to handle finances.”

Fang Jun thought for a moment: “I can’t spare anyone right now.

Just hire a finance person in Shanghai, but have them come to Tiancheng for two weeks of training first.

They need to learn the parent company’s processes and tools to avoid issues later.”

Xu Chen: “Sounds good. I’ll have Nie Fei set it up.

After her interview, you can give the final okay.”

Fang Jun: “Perfect.”

She checked her phone:

“Let’s head down—the designer’s waiting. We’ll go straight to the building materials and furniture market together.

You drive.”

Xu Chen: “No problem.”

He asked curiously: “Haven’t seen Li Rui or Fang Tao around lately, and even Zhao Feng’s group isn’t at the park gate.”

Fang Jun: “Guo Liang’s using them for something—your dad knows about it.”

Xu Chen paused, frowning in confusion.

“What does Guo Liang need them for?”

Fang Jun hesitated but explained:

“Chenfeng Ice Power’s success has drawn jealous competitors.

Expanding into the northern market is cutting into their business…

Our direct stores in Tiancheng and the Provincial Capital have had troublemakers showing up lately.

Guo Liang discussed it with your dad and pulled Li Rui and Zhao Feng’s team over to handle it.”

Xu Chen took a deep breath, sensing the trouble.

“Why didn’t Dad mention this?”

Fang Jun: “Probably didn’t want to drag you into it.”

She added,

“Don’t worry too much—your dad’s handling it carefully.

Sending Li Rui and Zhao Feng out is just to deal with the immediate issues and prevent bigger problems.

In a place like our county town, you have to play it by ear and use the right tactics.

They’re being cautious and won’t do anything extreme.”

Xu Chen: “With Li Rui there, I’m not too concerned…

It’s just that Guo Liang’s expansion seems to be hitting major roadblocks.”

Fang Jun: “Of course it’s tough.

The northern market’s dominated by two big electric vehicle factories tied to dealers.

Now Chenfeng Technology’s jumping in to shake things up, so they’re fighting back.

In just the last couple of months, we’ve carved out a spot in the Provincial Capital and Tiancheng markets, so ‘Chenfeng Technology’ is on their radar.

These two northern giants have been around since the 80s and 90s—they’ve seen it all, from shady to straight deals, and they’re like local bosses in some provinces.

That’s the downside of northern business—things are smoother in the south without this mess.”

Xu Chen frowned:

“Is General Manager Guo at the company?”

Fang Jun: “He’s on a trip, should be back tomorrow.”

Xu Chen: “I’ll talk to him then.”

Fang Jun: “No need to stress.

Your dad and Guo Liang have plans and connections.

Chenfeng’s a key enterprise in the city and province, and your dad’s got some pull.

Tiancheng and the whole Shandong Province aren’t a big worry—we’re local, and Wu Yongming’s helped your dad meet some people.

Distribution across Shandong should be fully set up before and after the New Year.

These small-time troublemakers? Li Rui and Zhao Feng will handle them for now—it’ll blow over soon.”

Xu Chen: “What about outside Shandong?”

Fang Jun: “Wait till Guo Liang’s back tomorrow—you two can chat details.

From what I see, your dad and Guo Liang have strategies in place.”

……

They went downstairs, and the designer was already waiting.

A woman in her thirties, wearing a plain trench coat and light makeup.

“Hello, Young Xu Chen, nice to meet you! I’m Xiao Yinxue—you can call me Shirley.”

“Nice to meet you, just call me Xu Chen!”