Chapter 59: Legitimacy Belongs to the Victor
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A year later.
It was July in Taiwan, and the weather was extremely hot. The sea breeze mixed with the smell of of the ocean, making people feel slightly damp from head to toe.
Lin Qian was in a military styled short-sleeved shirt and shorts, wearing a white broad-brimmed hat, and a beautiful white-jade bracelet on her wrist. She was driving in a large off-road jeep.
Through the densely wooded path, the sun shined like large chunks of gold and mottled the road ahead. It took ten minutes to reach a row of quiet, white holiday homes. She stopped at one of the front doors and picked up the freshly bought breakfast from the driver’s seat. She pushed the door and walked in.
The room was bright and scented with tea.
Li Zhicheng sat on a lounge chair by the window, and was reading. Hearing the noise, he looked up at her with his dark eyes.
Lin Qian smiled when she saw him.
At the moment, he was wearing a dark green military short sleeved shirt. Just from the top, he was looking very handsome. She had to admit, he looked great in military style, with his shoulders wide and legs long, narrow waist, his figure was so neat and handsome, regardless of the angle.
However, his lower body … Hmm hmm, was in green patterned beach pants. His muscled calves were exposed. Sitting so casually, he appeared lazy and carefree.
There was no denying that the beach pants and his temperament were not the best match. But Lin Qian felt it must’ve been his charisma that allowed him to fuse street-style clothes with a cool and calm temperament.
She nodded and walked up to him, “Not bad.” Putting on a slightly pleased smile, “Didn’t expect you to really put them on.”
When she bought them yesterday and showed them to him, he made no comment. In the end he lightly squeezed his brows, and stared at her, without saying anything.
But today he had voluntarily put them on.
Li Zhicheng flipped down the book on the table, “How do you think the fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf happened?”
Lin Qian paused slightly, then she immediately giggled. He was talking about these clothes, he only put them on to make her smile.
Meanwhile Li Zhicheng adjusted his posture, grabbing her over to sit on his thighs. Then he looked down at her with his warm and flirtatious breath, “You liar.”
Lin Qian instantly burst into laughter.
She had arrived in Taiwan a few days ago for the production inspection of Mind’s new fabric. Li Zhicheng only arrived last night.
This year, the development of Mind’s fabrics turned out to be what Li Zhicheng had expected. Mind was in full swing, and unstoppable. Not only had they taken an order from New Bori that was worth huge sums of money, they also gradually started to provide raw materials for some bagging companies in mainland China and Southeast Asia. Production was growing, and the business scale was also getting bigger. Accordingly they each had to travel frequently to Taiwan.
Compared to last year, when building Aito and Vinda, when they were busy all day and night, now they were simply waiting for the opportunities to come to them. It was much more relaxing than before. To quote from Gu Yanzhi, they were really “collecting money just by sitting at home”.
Thinking about their hardships and struggles from the prior year in contrast to the easy quick money they were making now, left them feel very emotional. Regarding their relationship, it was amazing how time had flown so fast. Their relationship was still going strong, everyday commuting to work together, sometimes on a business trip together, or occasionally apart from each other for a couple of weeks.
They were enjoying their sweet and intimate time when they were together, and they also missed each other more than anything when they were apart. Day after day, month after month, nothing had changed. She was still very devoted him, and he was equally desirous of her.
Did time always pass by so unnoticeable and fast when in love?
When Li Zhicheng landed and arrived at the resort yesterday, it was already past 1am. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so with such a great physique, he certainly had his needs, but Lin Qian was concerned over his health after a long day of travelling, so she told him to rest early and promised him that in the morning, she would definitely… please him.
When she woke up in the morning, Li Zhicheng was still asleep. She suddenly thought of the staff from the factory that had recommended to her a special Taiwan dish, “crunchy veggie wraps” that tasted exceptional from a nearby town. It had slipped her mind previously, but now it suddenly hit her, so she drove excitedly to get them.
That was why right now, Li Zhicheng was calling her a “liar”.
Pitifully, Lin Qian handed the breakfast to him, “I’m doing it to please your taste buds.”
Having looked at the breakfast, and his woman, with slightly red skin from the sun, Li Zhicheng lightly responded, “Feed me.”
Lin Qian, “…Oh.”
She opened the wrapping paper, moving the top of the wrap to Li Zhicheng’s mouth. Her hands was acting like his hands, slowly, one bite after another. Whereas his own hand was resting on her waist, with the other lightly tapping on her knee.
Lin Qian goggled at him, he had to put on a calm look, like he was controlling the whole situation even when simply eating a wrap.
The more time they spent together, the more she started to see some deeply hidden bad habits of in her man. The bad habits had been foreshadowed the night they first got intimate. He had asked her to take his clothes off. Apart from taking off her own, she had to take his off too. At that time Lin Qian had already sensed it being a little odd, since he was taking full control during sex. Why was it her responsibility to take their clothes off? Plus, didn’t men love to undress a woman? Why was it totally the opposite when it came to him?
Through the months, Lin Qian gradually discovered even more of him. He was usually fairly quiet, taking full control whether in or out of the bed, with an intimidating vibe. Sometimes however, he… hmm hmm, could be a little clingy. This part of his personality was hidden under his silent, dominating appearance. Among the trivial details in their relationship, these things were very hard to spot without some serious pondering.
He really liked her sitting on top of him. Usually when they were home minding their own business, Lin Qian would suddenly get lifted on his thighs. She thought he was about to have some “deep communication”, but it turned out to be holding her like that, reading all afternoon. As a result, while he was focused on a book, she ended up with a restless mind.
Another example was that he loved her to kiss him on the chin. Even though Lin Qian had mentioned herself that it was her favorite spot, it didn’t mean every time they made out she would want to go for the chin. He would even sometimes press her under his neck, staring at her with his deep dark eyes, in a low voice, asking her, “Didn’t you say you love to kiss it here?”
Every time he returned from a business trip, no matter how late, he would head straight back home; every morning before leaving the house, he would show her his “loyalty”… Like now, letting her sit under his arms and feed him the breakfast.
He soon finished the whole wrap. Lin Qian asked excitedly, “How is it?”
“Average.”
“Hmm.” Lin Qian threw the wrapping paper in the bin, turned her head, and got caught by his lowered head, kissing her.
“Thought you said to please my mouth?” He gently bit on her neck.
It was a pun, and Lin Qian was slightly astounded. Having had a look at the clock on the wall, it was still early, so she reach her hands to wrap around his neck, breathing softly, “How would you want to be… pleased?”
Li Zhicheng picked her up, heading to the big bed behind him.
“Missed me?” he whispered.
In a soft voice, Lin Qian replied, “Li Zhicheng, we’ve already been together for over a year, why am I still missing you even more every day?”
Under the clear and bright sunlight, it was a quiet scene. Smelling the flowers, the two shared their deep affection, and shared their deepest thoughts, at the resort at the end of the earth.
10am sharp.
They two arrived at Wang Taishi’s office on time.
Without any unnecessary greetings, Wang Taishi asked them, “Have you had breakfast yet? If not, try the staff canteen downstairs.”
Li Zhicheng lightly smiled, “We have, had some crunchy veggie wraps, they taste great.”
Wang Taishi burst into laughter, then chatted about Taiwanese food for a moment. Lin Qian was by the side, impressed.
Huh… In the morning he was still saying the breakfast was average.
But he did say she “tastes excellent”.
I was right about him in the beginning, men are really getting “worse and worse”, especially toward me.
Mind’s newly designed batch had already launched off the assembly line. This batch of the fabrics were not designed to be waterproof or dust-proof, but they were lighter, and more tough, and the weave density was also improved. It was precisely the raw material Li Zhicheng was planning to use for the new casual bag brand.
As the three of them had another inspection in the production line, Lin Zhicheng said, “The new factories in central and southern China have already been built up; the ones in northern and eastern China are also under construction. Professor Wang, would you like to have a visit?”
Wang Taishi didn’t respond right away. Having looked at the well-matched young couple in front of him who were also his business partners, he then looked up at the Mind factory that had been largely expanded, and he suddenly started to get a little emotional.
“Zhicheng, Lin Qian” he said slowly, “I didn’t expect that I, Wang Taishi, would still have such ambitions. I really am working hard to achieve something bigger.” Both Li Zhicheng and Lin Qian smiled. After the proud emotions, he turned his eyes to the side at them, “Don’t rush to head back, stay for a few more days in Taiwan. My wife is making hotpot tonight, come over for some dinner.”
They immediately agreed.
That same afternoon, having nothing to work on, the two were just acting like a normal couple, taking a walk on the streets while holding hands.
This year, Lin Qian had been working on the fabric inspection process, so she had visited Taiwan more than Li Zhicheng, and also knew it better than him. So she took him walking down the busy streets, one by one, aimlessly.
The atmosphere didn’t matter, nor did the passersby. What mattered were the people around you, and the atmosphere in your own heart. The old Lin Qian, while wandering in the city with Li Zhicheng would feel every second was sweet like honey, filling up her head and her heart.
At the moment, Lin Qian had a different attitude. Staying by his side, she felt it was like drinking the water lightly infused with honey, it tasted slightly sweet but lasted longer, until at some point it already had infused all over you, and you become used to it.
Maybe it was an occupation related habit, without any realization, they ended up at the busiest street in the city again. This stretch of road had the best collection of bags and luggage brands in Asia. The two stopped under the neon lights among the high-rise buildings, and immediately shifted their focus onto Sha Ying’s LCD ad on the building to their right. The content of the ad looked very stylish, classic, and eye-catching. Below the ad, the last row of text was, No.1 best selling item in Asia.
Lin Qian quietly stared at it for a while. The image of Ning Weikai, who she hadn’t seen for a long time, popped into her head. She wondered how he was feeling, faced with New Bori’s position?
She then looked up at the front. Coincidentally, a billboard not far away, belonged to Mind. The back screen, with four shining silver letters M, I, N, D, appropriately advertised, simple and elegant, just like the brand.
Li Zhicheng also stared at the subtle billboards, nodding.
Lin Qian sighed, “What if he wanted to beat you up?”
Li Zhicheng lightly lifted the tip of his mouth, responding, “Sooner or later, Ning Weikai will find out that you and I are the major shareholders of Mind.” He took a glance at her, “There’s no such thing as friends forever…”
Lin Qian continued, “There’s also no such things as enemies forever.”
For men in the business, there was only benefit forever.
Why did Li Zhicheng and Ning Weikai arrange this meeting? Lin Qian was fully aware of the reasons for it.
After a year’s development, Sha Ying and Mind had already become mingled together, hard to be seperated. Lin Qian had no idea if Li Zhicheng could have seen it coming. But the truth is, both brands were quickly developing.
However, from Lin Qian’s perspective, Mind had been doing a little better than Sha Ying. It was just like back when Intel changed their chips to support different computer companies; it had raised their reputation with consumers. That was why, in the end, they became invincible.
Mind was now in the same situation. Since the Aito interview from last year, Li Zhicheng had started to focus on the building of Mind as a brand. Now the consumers were all aware that the fabrics from Mind, Taiwan, were the best in Asia, reaching for perfection.
Although she and Li Zhicheng’s shareholders’ identity had been a well-kept secret, considering how smart Ning Weikai was, perhaps he had already sensed something. But now, he and Sha Ying were left without any other choice.
The same day.
Standing in New Bori’s building, Ning Weikai was looking down to the ground, full of people, tiny as ants.
He had just concluded Sha Ying’s Seasonal Sales Summary. Everyone was delighted; his staff, trusted employees, suppliers, and key client sales representatives… Because after so many years, this was New Bori’s first Asian-Sales-Champion item.
Thinking about it put a slight smile on his face. But it wasn’t a happy one, his eyes were still cold and indifferent.
Because now, on his desk, there remained New Bori’s overall performance reports. Compared to the great sales of Sha Ying, in the recent months, the sales for casual bags and outdoor backpacks were drastically declining.
As a result, today, the overall profit of the company had became negative.
Standing like this for a while, he only slowly exhaled in the end.
Meanwhile, Yuan Jun knocked on the door to come in, looking a little tense, “President, time to head to the meeting in Zhushi headquarters.” Intentionally or not, the assistant who had been working for him for ages would always add the words “Zhushi” when referring to headquarters.
Ning Weikai nodded, returned to his desk, and picked up his suit coat from the back of the chair. He put it on slowly, still looking charming and distant, just like usual.
Yuan Jun stared at him, suddenly feeling his eyes were getting a little wet. He turned his head to the side, and calmed himself.
Yet in Ning Weikai’s head, he was thinking of the phone calls from last night. They were all from Zhushi, some he was close to, and some were his friends who had great expectations of him. The purpose of the phone calls were all telling, or implying to him,
“Weikai, the board of directors might start something tomorrow…”
“Weikai, the situation is not looking good for you.”
“Weikai, what’s your plan for the future?”
At the same time, he also thought of this morning, before heading out to work, his wife, Zhu Hanyu was in her elegant Chanel maxi dress, with bare feet, standing in the foyer, looking at him, with admiration, sorrow, hesitation and helplessness…
In the end, he put on his tie, and headed downstairs with Yuan Jun, emotionlessly.