"It's all because of that child's bad luck. Later, I heard people say that he couldn't make it in Mr. Li's department, didn't become a department head, and only received three thousand yuan every month. He spent that money on alcohol every day, squandering it all, and he even stopped taking care of his son. Later, after several years, he got drunk and fell into a pond and drowned." Uncle Wu finished the last cup of Pu'er tea. "After that, I retired, and I didn't hear anything about the outside world. I wonder how that poor child who survived is doing now."
"Every time I ask my dad about the situation, he doesn't tell me anything, nothing at all," Li Yicheng's emotions surged. Only he knew the whole truth about what had happened back then, how the collapse had occurred. He felt guilty for Tiantian, who had suffered so much because of him. But at the same time, he felt a tiny bit of happiness because he had imagined countless endings, and one possibility was that the Tiantian in his memory had long since passed away. And now, he was still alive, living well in some corner that he didn't know about. Li Yicheng felt fortunate.
"Your dad not telling you is reasonable. You have to understand him," Uncle Wu had followed Li Zhongmao for most of his life, so naturally, he leaned toward Li Zhongmao's intentions. He revealed to Li Yicheng what Li Zhongmao didn't want him to know. But looking at Li Yicheng, he couldn't bear to obstruct him, so after some thought, he said, "I only remember that the child's father's full name is Lin Hanjun. You can check our factory's employee roster to see if there are any clues."
"Thank you, Uncle Wu." Li Yicheng stood up to leave, took a few steps, then turned back and said, "By the way, Uncle Wu, don't keep drinking Pu'er tea all the time. Your Pu'er tea leaves have gotten a bit damp. Try the Longjing Oolong I bought just now; it's from Hangzhou, a top-quality tea. Tea, you either don't drink it, or you drink the best."
"Haha, haha," Uncle Wu watched the young man's receding figure and smiled kindly.
Like father, like son. Li Dong's son will surely become a great man in the future!
"I'm Li Yicheng. Please bring the employee roster from ten years ago to my office," On Monday morning, Manager Fang from the Administrative Department received a call from the young boss.
"Of course, Mr. Li. I'll go find it right away," Manager Fang replied respectfully, hung up the phone, and didn't even bother with the Monday morning meeting. Instead, he quickly called his department members, and they frantically searched for the long-neglected data.
Several thick yellow-covered data books were placed on the meeting table, and a few of them gathered around them, adopting the Conan detective posture.
"Why do you think the new Mr. Li wants this? Is it for some kind of important matter?"
"These are already data from over ten years ago. Most of us have been here for five or six years and haven't touched them. Mr. Li wants to see them, is it some kind of random data check he suddenly thought of?"
"I think he might have too much free time. He suddenly decided to do a data review?"
"What's the use of the employee roster? He's definitely looking for someone. Whoever he's looking for, it's not my name on there, so it's not my problem."
"Alright, everyone, stop crowding around. Go back to your seats and get to work," Manager Fang neatly organized those thick volumes and straightened his attire. He put on his work badge and prepared to go up to the seventh floor to deliver the documents.
Speaking of this young Mr. Li, he had been in the company for less than a week, and Manager Fang had only seen him once.
The chairman had fainted during a meeting and later underwent surgery. His son had returned to the company to take charge. That day, Young Mr. Li immediately gathered the top executives from various departments and held an emergency meeting regarding the handover of his father's duties.
Blood ties were different, Manager Fang had initially thought that this group of seasoned veterans wouldn't be swayed by a young upstart, but after one meeting, it didn't turn out that way.
Although Li Zhongmao's son was only in his twenties, his words revealed a kingly demeanor. His way of handling matters was steady and comprehensive. When analyzing situations, he had a broad and far-sighted perspective, bold but not reckless. His thinking was expansive, like an endless sea, and at the same time, it was meticulous, like an unbroken spiderweb.
After a few words, he had already stabilized the morale of these old servants and arranged the work methodically, preventing Huamao Group from stagnating due to the absence of Li Zhongmao.
The top executives couldn't help but praise him. Like father, like son. This young man who had studied abroad and returned was different, he spoke eloquently, and he was incredibly competent.
Thinking back to this Mr. Li, who had earned Manager Fang's respect, came to his senses and knocked on the door of the CEO's office on the seventh floor.
"Please come in," came a gentle and refined voice from inside.
Manager Fang cleared his throat and stepped inside.
"You're here, did you bring it?" Li Yicheng raised his head from the desk covered with documents, casually twirling the pen in his hand.
"The employee roster from ten years ago is all here. Mr. Li, please take a look," Manager Fang placed several thick, brick-like data booklets in front of Li Yicheng.
"Don't stand, have a seat. I also have something to ask you," Li Yicheng made a gesture for him to sit and smiled gracefully.
Manager Fang was a bit taken aback by the favor he was receiving but also a little uneasy. He had initially thought he could just drop off the employee roster and leave, but now he was asked to stay and face this new CEO directly.
"Um, thank you, Mr. Li," Manager Fang stiffly took a seat in the guest chair across from Li Yicheng's desk.
Li Yicheng flipped through one of the employee rosters casually. He only skimmed through it briefly, not paying much attention.
Manager Fang was a bit puzzled. What exactly did Mr. Li want to do?
"Manager Fang, when did you join the company?" Li Yicheng raised his head and asked Manager Fang across the desk.
"Probably around the beginning of 2010," Manager Fang recalled and answered truthfully.
"So, it's been about nine years," Li Yicheng calculated roughly and then continued to ask, "Do you know an employee named Lin Hanjun?"
"Hmm?" Manager Fang was a bit puzzled. Lin Hanjun, this name, did sound familiar somehow.
"This person used to work in the workshop. He later died by drowning. Take a moment to recall. Find him in the employee roster; I want to see his information," Li Yicheng called Manager Fang over with this purpose in mind.
He needed to find Tiāntiān, and he could only start with these three words: Lin Hanjun.
Hopefully, Manager Fang's memory and these thick volumes of employee rosters on the table wouldn't disappoint him.
"Lin Hanjun, male, born in 1974, from Wuhan, hired on June 27, 2004, as an assembly line worker, piecework employee, residing in dormitory building A304, phone number xxxxxxx, left the company on December 27, 2011," Manager Fang read out Lin Hanjun's personal information from the employee roster.
After listening, Li Yicheng furrowed his brows. "Was there any family registration? He had a son with a name starting with 'Tiān'."
"I'll check the detailed employee records in the backup files again," Manager Fang said as he flipped through the codes. "Ah, here it is. There's indeed a son registered in the family column, named Lin Tianran, born on August 8, 1989. He also lived in the collective dormitory with him."
"Lin Tianran," Li Yicheng repeated the three words in his mouth and then smiled sincerely. "So, his full name is Lin Tianran, born on August 8, 1989."
Li Yicheng's understanding of Tiāntiān deepened a little more.
"I remember now; this Lin Hanjun seemed to be the workshop employee who drowned that year," Manager Fang, finally recollecting, looked at Lin Hanjun's ID photo in the personnel file.
"Go on," Li Yicheng encouraged him to continue.
"At that time, I had just started working at Huamao Group. There was a workshop employee who kept coming to the HR department, causing a fuss about some subsidy. I'm not sure about the details, but it seemed to be some kind of medical subsidy. Our manager explained that it would be paid monthly on time, but he refused, complaining that the money was too little and too slow. He kept demanding a one-time payment."
As Li Yicheng listened, his dislike for Lin Hanjun increased by three points.
"He often came over reeking of alcohol, and once he was here, he wouldn't leave. So, he was quite annoying. Later, it was said that he died by drowning, and our department processed his resignation."
"What about Lin Tianran, who lived with him?" Li Yicheng inquired.
"He's working at the factory," Manager Fang replied smoothly this time. Wasn't that the old cripple who had been sent to HR and complained about everywhere? He had been hired as a security guard a few days ago.
"At the factory?" Li Yicheng's eyes sparkled with delight. He had thought that finding Tiāntiān would require considerable effort, but it turned out that his Tiāntiān was at the factory, had always been at the factory!
Was he waiting for him? Waiting for him to come back and find him? He had been gone for 17 years. Li Yicheng wondered if Tiāntiān would still recognize him when he stood before him again.
Waves of excitement and anticipation surged through him. Li Yicheng felt like rushing to see him right away.
"Where is he? How has he been?" Li Yicheng took a deep breath to calm himself.
"His leg is crippled. He has been working in the workshop all these years and living in the dormitory. However, a few days ago, he was transferred from the finished goods warehouse back to the HR department, so I temporarily assigned him to the security office. As for other private matters, I'm not very clear," Manager Fang took a deep breath, realizing from Li Yicheng's serious expression that this cripple must hold a special place in Li Yicheng's heart. He was thankful they hadn't fired him back then and had kept him on.
Li Yicheng closed his eyes and went through the security guards he had encountered at the factory gate these past few days.
There were only three of them, with two being elderly men close to retirement. Clearly, their age ruled them out.
It was him! That silly-looking little guy.
No wonder he always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he saw him. It turned out that he was his Tiāntiān!
"Do you need me to call him up now?" Manager Fang asked.
"No, don't. I don't want to startle him," Li Yicheng shook his head. "Instead, go and organize Lin Tianran's information from the past few years for me."
"Okay," Manager Fang nodded. Although he didn't understand the relationship between Lin Tianran and Mr. Li, he knew that asking fewer questions and doing more work was a timeless rule in the workplace.
"By the way, for now, act like you don't know anything and keep this confidential for me," Li Yicheng instructed. "But please, take care of him appropriately in a professional capacity."
"Of course," Manager Fang stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'll go and organize the information."
"Thank you," Li Yicheng nodded, watching Manager Fang leave. Then, he opened a drawer, and retrieved an exquisite little box, and inside it was a small part that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Finally, he had found the person. Li Yicheng's lips curled into a broad smile.
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