Zheng Tan lay on the sofa with a blank expression, watching the person squatting in front of him.
The person in front of the sofa stared at Zheng Tan intently for two minutes, then stretched out his hand in front of Zheng Tan.
"Come on, give me a handshake."
Zheng Tan: "..."
Glancing at the large hand stretched out in front of him, and then back at the person before him, Zheng Tan ignored him, continuing to lie there calmly without any reaction.
"Not even a handshake? Fine, try rolling over… or spinning in a circle will do," the person in front said again.
Zheng Tan's paw, resting on the edge of the sofa, twitched slightly, but he held back from swiping at the person in front of him, and continued to remain "motionless".
The person in front of him issued several more "commands," the sort that one might use with a pet, but Zheng Tan maintained his original position, completely ignoring the "commands".
"Damn it, can't you meow or something? Even the fat cat downstairs at our place that can't catch a mouse wouldn't do a handshake, won't spin in circles, won't play dead on the ground, but at least it responds. I mean, Professor Jiao, what kind of cat is this?"
Yuan Zhiyi withdrew his hand and turned to look at Mr. Jiao, who sat calmly beside the table.
Leisurely taking a sip of tea, Mr. Jiao replied, "A domestic cat, commonly called a moggie."
"Such a cat would only sell for about 50 yuan at the market, so is this how the famous Chairman Zhao of the Changwei Group personally lends a hand to help us make a breakthrough?" Yuan Zhiyi pointed at the black cat on the sofa and said to Mr. Jiao.
Clearly, Yuan Zhiyi didn't believe that Chairman Zhao of the Changwei Group could have any sort of connection to this ordinary moggie. As far as he knew, Chairman Zhao had just returned from Beijing, so how could he have anything to do with this black cat!
Their company had just started, initially dealing with purchasing reagents or kits, selling small instruments, and the like, along with basic services like DNA sequencing and PCR primer synthesis. They hadn't yet made a big name for themselves, with most employees still focusing on sales, visiting one university after another to promote their brand first and foremost.
However, Yuan Zhiyi and his colleagues had never expected to suddenly receive an order from the Changwei Group. Although it was only from the QC inspection department of one of their subsidiaries, the order size was not small, totaling over 20 million yuan. In the words of Yuan Zhiyi's wife, to put it bluntly, this was just like giving away money, and they could even use this collaboration as an opportunity to get a foothold with the Changwei Group. But why would such a big company not have long-term partners? Wouldn't they benefit from preferential treatment? Why would they choose their small, not yet well-known company?
So, Yuan Zhiyi was restless all night after talking with Mr. Jiao on the phone and first thing in the morning, drove over to demand answers, cornering Professor Jiao at home to get to the bottom of it, unable to be at peace otherwise.
"Come on, speak up," urged Yuan Zhiyi.
"How am I to confirm anything, what should I say? I just suspect there may be some connection, but I can't expect my cat to start speaking for itself, can I? It looks as puzzled as anyone," replied Mr. Jiao.
"It's puzzled?" Yuan Zhiyi turned back to look at Zheng Tan again.
Zheng Tan continued to be "motionless".
After observing, Yuan Zhiyi shook his head. "I still don't see anything special, it seems quite dull to me."
Thud thud thud!
The sound of claws scratching on the sofa could be heard once more.
Yuan Zhiyi looked at the Jiao family's sofa, the edges full of claw holes, and clicked his tongue in disapproval. What good comes of keeping cats, just asking for trouble.
Yet, not getting a satisfactory answer this time, Yuan Zhiyi felt rather unsatisfied.
As for the catalyst for the conversation between Mr. Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi, Zheng Tan was equally baffled.
In the past few days, Zheng Tan considered himself to have been quite well-behaved, not venturing far, not getting into fights, not picking up fleas, and he hadn't even spied on little couples doing this or that. At most, he had accidentally knocked a cup off Mr. Jiao's desk; while stretching, he had snagged a hole in Gu Youzi's pillow; yawned while peeing in the morning and sneezed, accidentally spraying Jiao Yuan's shoes; and had wrinkled clothes that Jiao Ma had just ironed smooth.
Sigh, why the word "again"?
Yuan Zhiyi stood up, stretching his numb legs from squatting too long, "Anyway, I don't believe it's because of this cat. If it really is this cat, then I'll …"
Looking around him, Yuan Zhiyi's gaze landed on the dining table with a bowl of Heimi porridge from the morning still on it, served in a large soup bowl, now cold and much thicker.
"I'll walk out with this bowl of Heimi porridge on my head!" declared Yuan Zhiyi.
Zheng Tan, who had been listening to their conversation, twitched his ears and looked towards the door.
Soon, a knock sounded at the Jiao family's door.
"Who's there? Sit down, I'll get the door," Yuan Zhiyi waved to Mr. Jiao and staggered over, his legs still feeling a bit numb from sitting so long.
Yuan Zhiyi was still grumbling something under his breath, but as soon as he opened the door, his neck seized up as if someone was choking him, and he couldn't make a sound.
The person standing at the door, Yuan Zhiyi had just met yesterday. He still had his business card in his pocket!
"Zhao, Zhao, Chairman Zhao!" Yuan Zhiyi stammered from shock.
It wasn't surprising that Yuan Zhiyi reacted this way, not even Mr. Jiao had expected this incredibly busy Chairman Zhao to show up personally, and they hadn't even figured out the reason when the man himself had already arrived.
The person standing in front of them was none other than Chairman Zhao of the Changwei Group, and behind Chairman Zhao stood a young girl.
Since Yuan Zhiyi was blocking the door, Zheng Tan, sprawled on the sofa and too lazy to move, couldn't see the person outside. He heard the voice of a middle-aged man, but he also detected a very familiar scent of perfume.
Hmm? Is it that babe from the other night?
Seeing Yuan Zhiyi rooted at the door, Mr. Jiao hurriedly approached, and poked Yuan Zhiyi's back out of sight of the two individuals outside, signaling him to move. Did he intend to stand there like a door god? His thought processes were probably not quite normal at the moment, and he was quite slow to react.
Snapped back to reality by the poke, Yuan Zhiyi quickly stepped aside, "Please, come in!"
Jiao Ma and Aunt Ling had gone to the hospital for a check-up. Jiao Ma wanted to check her recovery progress, while Aunt Ling had her own stomach issues to consult about, so after breakfast, Jiao Ma didn't even have time to clear the dishes before being whisked away by Aunt Ling. Now the reception responsibilities fell to Mr. Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi.
Mr. Jiao pulled out two chairs with backs, tucking the stools under the table to save space. The area was small to begin with, and now it felt even more crowded with such an important person visiting; it wouldn't usually feel this way with three or five people.
Seeing Professor Jiao dragging chairs over, Yuan Zhiyi originally wanted to suggest, "Just ask your cat to shift a little on the sofa, it will be nicer for the guests to sit on the couch." But when the two visitors entered without any signs of discomfort and Professor Jiao had already arranged the chairs, Yuan Zhiyi kept silent.
Chairman Zhao appeared to be just over forty, but he was actually fifty years old, well-preserved and energetic, at least Zheng Tan's first impression was fairly warm, and the smile on Chairman Zhao's face was indeed genuine.
Putting down the gift he brought, Chairman Zhao smiled and said, "I met Professor Lan downstairs just now, and followed the old man up."
"Oh, Mr. Jiao, you know Professor Lan?" Mr. Jiao inquired.
Yuan Zhiyi and Professor Jiao were aware that Old Man Lan collaborated with many companies, but they didn't expect Changwei Group to be among them. It seemed that Old Man Lan and Chairman Zhao were quite familiar with each other.
"We have employed Professor Lan to provide guidance before, and we often invite Professor Lan to our company to lecture. If we have any doubts in engineering projects, we ask for Professor Lan's help," Chairman Zhao explained.
Chairman Zhao introduced his daughter, Zhao Le, who was a student at Chuhua University, then quickly moved on from discussing Zhao Le, and started talking about other matters.
Because of the conversation about Professor Lan, the distance between the two parties lessened, and Chairman Zhao didn't show his usual aloofness, which made Mr. Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi feel much less restrained. The talk turned to the direction of Yuan Zhiyi's company, and they engaged in an earnest discussion.
Being able to receive advice from such a business titan was something that delighted Yuan Zhiyi. From the anecdotes and experience shared by Chairman Zhao, Yuan Zhiyi's startup could avoid some pitfalls. Although Yuan Zhiyi was more acquainted with the academic community, Chairman Zhao was truly the only business magnate he knew.
Yuan Zhiyi felt that Chairman Zhao seemed much more personable today, unlike yesterday. Although he was smiling then, which wasn't too standoffish, he still radiated a strong presence that kept people at a distance.
Looking at Chairman Zhao, Yuan Zhiyi was even more certain: today's Chairman Zhao had really toned down his business persona, coming off more like he was mentoring a junior while also appearing much more sincere.
Chairman Zhao didn't make any promises outright, he did impart some of his experience, implying that he had faith in their new company and the present was an opportune time. Once the company grew larger, there might be more extensive collaboration between the two sides.
When Chairman Zhao spoke, it wasn't just talk; his words were a commitment waiting to be fulfilled once his conditions were satisfied.
This made Yuan Zhiyi's heart start to burst with joy.
While the three men were discussing company directions and current trends, the girls had already approached Zheng Tan.
Ever since the guests arrived, Zheng Tan had maintained his stretched-out position in the center of the sofa. The already small sofa was a quarter occupied by him, and with the addition of two throw pillows and a plush toy, there was even less space available. It was a bit of a squeeze for a big man to sit at the edge, but it was still possible for a slim girl to fit in.
Zheng Tan noted that the scars on Zhao Le's face and hands were no longer visible, and guessed that the reason for waiting so many days to visit was mainly due to those injuries, after all, the cause of those injuries was not something one would want to speak of openly.
Zhao Le's eyes lit up upon seeing the black cat sprawled on the sofa, and her smile deepened. She sat down on the sofa and took the cat, which was lying there watching her, onto her lap, stroking its fur gently.
Zheng Tan's heart fluttered for a while, but the position wasn't too comfortable. After pondering a bit, Zheng Tan jumped off the sofa, ran into Gu Youzi's room, and deftly opened the second drawer to fetch a comb. He went back to the living room, hopped onto the sofa, and placed the comb there.
Zhao Le had just thought the black cat wasn't fond of her, so she was surprised by this turn of events. After a moment of shock, she chuckled softly, picked up the comb, and began grooming the black cat on her lap.
The fur wasn't long; Gu Youzi usually helped Zheng Tan with the grooming. The short fur didn't tangle easily, so the combing went smoothly, including a few strokes over the short fur on his head.
Zheng Tan squinted his eyes, swaying gently with the motion of Zhao Le's comb, his tail end curling up in content. Indeed, this was much more comfortable.
Mr. Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi, who were chatting, saw this scene and twitched. They really wanted to go over and twist the little rascal's cat ears and lecture him. The guest is king, and this guest's worth wasn't something the whole room could match, not even close to the value of her little finger! And yet, you let such a prestigious guest comb your fur! And you're fucking enjoying it!
Chairman Zhao and Zhao Le didn't stay for too long, and after half an hour, they took their leave. Chairman Zhao didn't say much regarding the purpose of his visit to express gratitude, but he made it clear that it was the Jiao family's black cat that had offered invaluable assistance to his daughter. As for the details, Chairman Zhao remained silent.
Mr. Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi escorted them downstairs where a driver was waiting. In the parking lot, there were two cars parked. Chairman Zhao and Zhao Le got into one of them, the other being the Land Rover that Zheng Tan was familiar with.
After returning to the fifth floor, Yuan Zhiyi closed the door and then fixated on Zheng Tan, as if trying to discern some profound truths from him.
"I remember you said you were going to top some black rice porridge," Mr. Jiao said, crossing his legs.
Upon hearing these words, Yuan Zhiyi paused, then walked over to the dining table and picked up the bowl of black rice porridge.
Just as Mr. Jiao and Zheng Tan thought Yuan Zhiyi was really going to carry the bowl of black rice porridge out, Yuan Zhiyi pulled over a stool, placed it in front of the sofa facing Zheng Tan, and put the bowl of porridge on the stool. Then he went to the kitchen, fetched three wooden chopsticks, stuck them into the bowl of porridge, stepped back a bit, and bowed in a salute.
"My respects to you!"
Zheng Tan, Mr. Jiao: "..."
Is this guy an idiot, an idiot, or still an idiot?!