Arc 1: Part 36
Tong Su heard Xi Chen Zhao entering, but she didn't look up. With a slight wave of her hand, she pensively nibbled at her pen, contemplating her next sentence.
Knowing she was engrossed, Xi Chen Zhao gently closed the door and carefully took pains not to create any sound that might disrupt her train of thought.
The spacious room housed only the two of them. The French window illuminated the space as the warm breeze caressed the inner layer of translucent curtains. Carefully, Xi Chen Zhao set his belongings, changed his shoes, and stepped into the room.
With the housemaid, Chen Ma, absent, he glanced around the room, then headed to the kitchen. After washing an apple, he peeled and sliced it. He placed the pieces into a small glass bowl, added a tiny fork, and set it on the coffee table near Tong Su.
He knew this girl. When busy, she would forget everything else. If he didn't prep the fruit for her, she'd likely neglect to eat it.
Tong Su's cup was also empty. Xi Chen Zhao raised an eyebrow, his smile growing warmer. He poured a cup of warm honey water and set it next to her.
Dabbling in her character biography, Tong Su was engrossed in her writing. Completely oblivious to Xi Chen Zhao's movements, she muttered to herself.
"Ji Bai Zhu… grew up poor with her mother and sister. Her mother used to work as a cook, which is why she can cook... Right, she should be quite a chef... Perhaps she'll cook for Xiao Lingchen!"
Amused, Xi Chen Zhao raised an eyebrow but chose not to disturb her. He quietly left the room, returning to his study to attend to his own matters.
"Boss, this fiscal year, our ZR company's main venture investments achieved a total return rate of 42%, ranking us among the industry leaders..."
From the other end of the video call, his subordinate and deputy, Yan Yiqing, reported diligently. After listening, Xi Chen Zhao nodded and instructed, "Prepare 300 million in liquid funds for me."
Yan Yiqing seemed somewhat surprised, but his professionalism prevented him from questioning the directive. He maintained a serious demeanor as he responded, "Yes."
Only after completing the whole conference call, did Xi Chen Zhao relax slightly. Lowering his head and closing his eyes, he arched his fingers, massaging his temples.
Across the video call, Yan Yiqing kept a stern facade, but his tone hinted at something more.
"Brother Xi, you always rush home as soon as it's time to end work. You're not even finished with your work, and need to conduct video conferences. Isn't that cumbersome?"
Ignoring him, Xi Chen Zhao began tidying up his items, preparing to leave the study.
"Brother Xi, you're so eager to get home...have you perhaps got a secret treasure hidden away there?"
Xi Chen Zhao's eyes chilled instantly, casting a cold glance at Yan Yiqing.
"You talk too much."
He snapped the laptop shut.
The video call abruptly ended, leaving Yan Yiqing frozen with a playful smile. His face remained expressionless, but the depths of his eyes gave away his amusement.
Oh? Just complaining about the excessive talk but not denying it. It seems... Brother Xi truly has someone special in his life!
It's about time! He'd been by Brother Xi's side for so many years, and never saw him allow anything remotely female near him. He'd even started to question Xi Chen Zhao's sexual orientation, but now that he finally had this good news, it was cause for celebration!
Yan Yiqing had met Xi Chen Zhao in middle school when the latter had just transferred to his school.
Back then, he was the school's top dog and found that the quiet, introverted Xi Chen Zhao was putting on airs. So, Yan Yiqing provoked him with a group of followers only to be beaten back, half to death.
Seeing their leader defeated, the followers tried to gang up on Xi Chen Zhao but were quickly taken down and brought to their knees.
It was then that Yan Yiqing realized that Xi Chen Zhao wasn't just arrogant – he was truly formidable!
The next day, Yan Yiqing pledged his loyalty to Xi Chen Zhao, becoming his follower.
From that point forth, throughout middle school, high school, college, and studying abroad, Yan Yiqing had always followed Xi Chen Zhao. He witnessed the rise of the Xi family and Xi Chen Zhao's steady, gradual ascent.
The ZR venture investment they were discussing now was the venture capital firm Xi Chen Zhao established while in college.
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