Chapter 444: Unexpected Journey North
by xennovelJust like that, in a totally baffling turn, Miss Su Rong was set to join me tomorrow.
Xu Chen scratched his head, completely confused.
[I’ll fly to Beijing tonight; tomorrow’s all about business trips and deals.]
Su Rong: [I’ll book my ticket now. Send me your flight number.]
Su Rong: [While you’re handling business, I won’t cause any trouble!]
(ω)
Xu Chen: [Tiancheng’s winters are brutally cold, and the hotels aren’t great.]
Xu Chen: [I don’t want you freezing…]
Su Rong: [I’ll crash with Ice Bro; I’ve already sorted it with her!]
Su Rong: [Besides, I’m tough against the cold!]
()~~
Xu Chen: Huh?!
Xu Chen: You’re sleeping with Ice Bro… then where does that leave me?!
(╯°□°)╯
……
……
The fact that Miss Su Rong wanted to join me on the Beijing business trip and crash with Ice Bro back in Tiancheng needed serious handling.
Beyond our good personal rapport, there was also the matter of Wanrong Materials behind Miss Su.
After all, it affected key material supplies for both Ran Bing Sports and Chenfeng Technology…
So, welcoming Miss Su to Tiancheng required proper attention.
Xu Chen quickly updated his father, Xu Zhiquan, on the situation.
Old Xu learned that the daughter of Wanrong’s chairman, Su Qitai, was visiting Tiancheng and knew they’d need to put in some effort.
[I’ll mention it to Wu Yue and make sure we arrange things properly…]
Xu Chen thought for a moment:
[No need to go overboard or make it too formal; she’s just a young girl.]
[She’s coming for fun, and with me and Xie Bingran around, that’ll be enough…]
[Dad, we can all have a meal together, then maybe show her around the facility.]
Xu Zhiquan: [Alright, I’ll invite Fang Jun along.]
Xu Zhiquan: [She knows Su Rong from Shanghai, so that’ll make it comfortable…]
Xu Zhiquan: [Have you sorted the flights and hotel? I’ll get Wu Yue on it.]
Xu Chen: [I’ve got it covered!]
……
Since Su Rong was crashing with Ice Bro, no hotel was needed.
She thought about booking her own flight, but Young Xu Chen handled everything.
It tied into the Beijing project trip, so he expensed it under the project for Miss Su.
Plus, she’d just given him designs for Ran Bing Sports outfits, counting as a small business payment.
Xu Chen mentioned it to Gu Xinxi, and the little housekeeper replied:
[Got it, I’ll book Su Rong’s ticket right away.]
……
Another message popped up on his computer; it was Su Rong sending a few news links.
Opening and skimming them, he saw they were all about Ice Bro’s events in the provincial capital lately.
Xie Bingran’s hometown visit as an Asian Games champion was a big deal, full of warm welcomes.
Ice Bro’s athlete registration was still with the Shandong Provincial Team, and she represented them in all domestic events.
This trip had her checking back in with the provincial team first.
The news included photos of Xie Bingran with coaches and teammates, including Tian Chaorui from Tiancheng No. 1 High School.
In the photos, Tian Chaorui had her arm around Ice Bro, looking really chummy.
Who’d have guessed that back in high school, these two clashed over the top spot.
Back then, Ice Bro looked down on Tian Chaorui, who just saw her as a rival.
Xu Chen had heard from Li Rui that Tian Chaorui was originally the big boss at their high school.
But once Ice Bro showed up and put Tian Chaorui and her crew in their place, she had to back off.
……
Xie Bingran also attended a couple of Asian Games award events in the provincial capital for Shandong athletes.
As the gold medalist who broke records, she was the star everywhere.
Ice Bro even visited the Provincial Sports University to chat with the students there.
The photos didn’t show her good friend Chen Dahai, though.
Seeing these news stories and pictures, Xu Chen felt genuinely happy.
Xie Bingran hadn’t spent much time with the provincial team—maybe three or four months before moving to the national team in Beijing.
Still, the coaches and athletes there treated her like family and a source of pride.
In private chats, Xu Chen had heard Xie Bingran talk about her time with the provincial team.
She seemed to really like the coaches and teammates.
It made sense, really.
After all, the provincial team was the first ‘little family’ she joined after starting hurdles.
And for someone as talented as Ice Bro, that family was bound to be welcoming and positive.
Maybe even better than her early days with the national team.
She’d mentioned running into the typical ‘seniors picking on juniors’ stuff when she first got to the national team in Beijing around August or September.
Ice Bro, being as fierce as she is, fought back, but it still bugged her, making her prefer the separate Xin Zhuang Base.
……
……
Afternoon classes wrapped up.
Xu Chen and his roommates left the teaching building and waited outside for a bit.
Su Rong said goodbye to her friends, slung her pink backpack covered in cute plush toys over her shoulder, and stood in front of Xu Chen.
“This is my first business trip—I’m so nervous!”
“……”
“I’ll grab my luggage from the dorm.”
Xu Chen: “We need to hurry; we’ve got a flight to catch.”
Su Rong: “Don’t worry! I’m quick on my feet!”
……
Su Rong was indeed fast; Xu Chen waited briefly at the Southwest Tower girls’ dorm and soon saw her coming down with a small suitcase.
Knowing Beijing would be chilly, she’d layered on a puffy white down jacket with a big hood topped by cat ears.
“Let’s go, boss!”
“……”
They headed to the company first.
Su Rong looked excited:
“I’ve never been to Shandong or Tiancheng before!”
Xu Chen: “Too bad we’re short on time, or I could show you around.”
Su Rong: “No problem; I’ll just hang with you and Ice Bro for a couple of days.”
Then she remembered something and added:
“Oh, and promise you won’t tell your dad or my dad about me tagging along to Beijing and Tiancheng…”
Xu Chen: “Why not?”
Su Rong looked a bit sad: “My dad’s super strict and never lets me go anywhere…”
Xu Chen: “Then I should at least text my dad to let him know.”
……
At the Tonghai Creative Design Building.
Xu Chen and Su Rong stopped by the company first.
The receptionist, Nana, saw Young Xu Chen and stood up with a sweet smile, softly calling him ‘boss’.
Su Rong, spotting the unfamiliar face, blinked and hid a little behind Xu Chen.
She looked shy and timid…
Xu Chen chuckled:
“This is Nana; and this is my classmate, Su Rong!”
Nana, being friendly, greeted Su Rong warmly.
……
Sun Aimi was joining the trip too and had her luggage ready.
Xu Chen popped into his office to grab his computer, then Sun Aimi called him over:
“Boss, take another look at tomorrow’s presentation; I tweaked it a bit.”
Xu Chen went to Sun Aimi’s computer, took the mouse, and went through it carefully.
Su Rong snuck up behind them, peeking over to see.
“This ad is so fun!”
Su Rong chimed in.
Xu Chen: “It’s for an internet product, so it should be entertaining!”
Su Rong thought for a second: “Can you include me in projects like this next time?”
Xu Chen glanced at Su Rong: “Of course!”
Nie Fei stepped out of her office:
“Su Rong, you should get more involved with Ran Bing Sports projects!”
“Your clothing designs have real style.”
“I’ve sent them to the factory to see about making samples!”
Su Rong lit up: “Really, Fei Jie?!”
Nie Fei: “Absolutely!”
……
As they chatted, Gu Xinxi shyly stood behind Xu Chen.
Xu Chen turned and saw her looking timid and obedient:
“What’s up, little housekeeper?”
Gu Xinxi hesitated, looking awkward:
“Boss, I researched more on tomorrow’s Baidu presentation and background info…”
“I put together a document and just sent it to you; you can check it on the way.”
Xu Chen paused, then got it.
After the Cadillac meeting, he’d lightly criticized Gu Xinxi, and now she’d buckled down on the Baidu project.
Xu Chen smiled:
“Thanks for the hard work, our reliable little housekeeper!”
“I’ll look it over on the plane!”
Gu Xinxi: “Okay!”
“Wishing you, Aimi, and Su Rong success on the project!”
Su Rong: “And me too!”
Gu Xinxi: “Wishing you, Aimi, and Su Rong success on the project!”
Su Rong grinned smugly.
Nie Fei remembered something and said to Xu Chen:
“Next week, Zhou Junjun will fly in to work for a while.”
“He’ll stay until early February to finalize the Ran Bing X design proposals.”
Xu Chen: “No problem!”
He always enjoyed the lively Zhou Junjun around.
It kept the office vibe fun and energetic.
Nie Fei: “Zhou Junjun camped out at the factory for a month, and now the production line’s stable, so he’s heading to Shanghai to relax.”
“Plus, he wants to check out our new office.”
Xu Chen: “Great! We’ll plan a get-together and drinks when he arrives.”
Su Rong: “Count me in…”
Xu Chen: “Drinks are for adults; you’re not there yet, right?”
Su Rong, looking defiant:
“I’m already eighteen and a half!”
Xu Chen: (；一_一)
……
On the drive to Pudong Airport.
Sun Aimi and Su Rong sat in the back, going over the laptop with the presentation.
Tomorrow’s Baidu pitch was Aimi’s responsibility.
Sun Aimi felt a bit nervous, especially hearing that Baidu’s founder, Li Yanhong, might be there.
Su Rong stayed quiet so as not to distract Sun Aimi, but she leaned in and studied the plan.
She smiled now and then, genuinely finding the scheme entertaining…
Once Sun Aimi finished reviewing, Su Rong said:
“This ad idea feels like a comedy movie scene—it’s not even like an ad at all.”
Sun Aimi: “That’s all from Xu Chen’s creativity…”
“Since it’s an internet product, the ad needs to be fun and buzz-worthy.”
Su Rong: “Xu Chen’s really talented!”
“These ad ideas aren’t from any textbook!”
Xu Chen: “Textbook methods are outdated anyway.”
“And the professors who write them probably never worked in advertising.”
Su Rong: “So, what’s the point of going to university then…”
Xu Chen paused and said quietly:
“For practical fields like ours, university doesn’t teach much real stuff.”
“But it’s a gateway to good jobs and networks, and it broadens your horizons…”
Su Rong nodded, mimicking Ice Bro with an ‘oh’.
Xu Chen added with a smile:
“Of course, for someone with your family background, Su Rong, it’s all about enjoying it.”
Su Rong: “Not really; I want to be amazing too.”
She paused, then whispered:
“Like you and Ice Bro—really amazing…”
……
……
They landed in Beijing around 9 PM.
Stepping off the plane, a sharp chill hit them.
Su Rong pulled on her cat-eared hood and shivered: “It’s freezing!”
Xu Chen: “Let’s grab some hot pot—lamb hot pot!”
Su Rong: “Yes!”
……
They hailed a cab at the airport.
The driver, with his thick Beijing accent, spotted these out-of-towners and jumped into host mode, chatting about Beijing’s best eats and sights.
Xu Chen, ever the perfect straight man, kept the conversation rolling with plenty of reactions.
“For roast duck, skip Quanjude—I’ll hook you up with a real spot, like Liqun!”
“Oh, absolutely!”
“Donglaishun? That’s not even a long line.”
“You should hit the south gate for hot pot; the queue goes all the way to the fifth ring!”
“Never heard of it!”
“For stewed tripe, load up on garlic; if you like cilantro, throw some in!”
“That’s the way!”
The driver shifted from food tours to global affairs, chatting nonstop.
From US policies on Iraq to Japan’s defense upgrades.
From the six-party talks on North Korea to the Somalia crisis.
From Saddam’s execution fallout to the Israel-Palestine conflict…
With the driver leading and Xu Chen responding, they talked from the airport straight to Zhongguancun.
The hour-long ride flew by, packed with stories.
Sun Aimi and Su Rong in the back felt like they’d just caught up on world news.
It was as if they could skip the Baidu meeting and chat with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon instead.
……
……
……
……
……
……
……
……
……
……