Renren Parking Grab is counting down to its launch!
Chen Pingjiang truly spared no expense this time, placing advertisements on buses and subways in several first-tier cities, just waiting for the command.
This battle was Renren.com's inaugural move from campus to the national market, and everyone in the company was like a tightly screwed-in bolt, not daring to slack off.
Every day, the lights on the 16th floor of Huijin Building and Entrepreneurship Park 202 were the last to go out.
The R&D department has already begun production of the social game Renren Farm.
With a six-month production cycle, it would seamlessly follow Renren Parking Grab once its popularity faded, aiming to catch competitors off guard.
After a series of sweeping corporate reforms, Renren.com also took on a new look.
May Day holiday, Dongjiang Bus Station.
A middle-aged couple walked out of the exit, carrying a pile of bags, big and small.
"It's the May Day holiday, and we finally get a few days off, but you insist on running to Dongjiang to pull some kind of surprise attack. Don't let our son dislike you when the time comes."
The middle-aged couple was Chen Guangming and Xu Fangjuan.
Recently, Xu Fangjuan's eyelid had been twitching, and Chen Pingjiang rarely called all year, so while missing her son, she also wanted to come to Dongjiang to see what Chen Pingjiang was really up to.
The honest and simple middle-aged woman always worried about this and that.
After finally sending Chen Pingjiang to university, and before she could relax for two days, she heard her son had started a business, and Xu Fangjuan's heart was once again suspended in worry.
This May Day, she insisted on visiting Dongjiang.
"I can't sit still; I'll only feel at ease if I see for myself. Besides, what does the May Day holiday have to do with you, a small contractor, whether it's a holiday or not?"
Xu Fangjuan retorted.
Chen Guangming shook his head with a bitter smile, looking at the bustling traffic outside the bus station, a bit clueless:
"Do you know where to go now?"
"I asked Erzi to pick us up, and then we're going to catch that little rascal."
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Just then, Zhou Guanghan hurried over.
"Great-grandpa, great-grandma, I'm late because of traffic."
Chen Guangming smiled and patted Zhou Guanghan's sturdy shoulder:
"We just came out too."
Zhou Guanghan quickly helped Xu Fangjuan with all the bags, big and small, and then hailed a taxi by the roadside.
"Erzi, is he at that Huijin Building now, whatever it's called? Don't go there for nothing."
"Yes, I just called and asked."
......
Chen Pingjiang was reading documents in his office when the door suddenly pushed open.
As he looked up to see who it was, Chen Pingjiang was stunned.
"Mom, Dad, why are you here?"
Chen Pingjiang really didn't understand how these two old folks had come to Dongjiang without a word.
He cast an inquiring glance at Zhou Guanghan.
Zhou Guanghan lowered his head, and just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Xu Fangjuan.
"Don't go finding trouble with him for no reason. I told him not to tell you. It was meant to be a surprise attack, to keep it authentic."
Chen Pingjiang was rendered speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at his mother's reasoning.
"What's the point of a surprise attack? If you two wanted to come, you should have just said something beforehand. I would have sent a car to Tongcheng to pick you up."
Chen Guangming ignored the mother and son's conversation and looked around Chen Pingjiang's office with a hint of curiosity.
Having lived in a small county town for decades, Chen Guangming was truly an eye-opener on this trip.
Although he had repeatedly elevated his son's career in his mind, it seemed he had still underestimated it.
Regarding the rent for this thousand-square-meter office space, Chen Guangming didn't know the exact cost, but he knew it definitely wasn't cheap, especially with an office team of at least a hundred people outside.
This made him secretly marvel, wondering how much it must cost each month.
Just then, the receptionist brewed a few cups of tea and brought them over; she was observant.
After watching the pretty receptionist girl sway her hips as she left, Xu Fangjuan glared at Chen Pingjiang:
"Your company even hires such pretty receptionists?"
Chen Pingjiang didn't agree with that,
"The front desk is the face of the company; if she's not pretty, what do I need her for?"
"First, find a place for me and your dad to settle down, then we'll visit your school. If you have time, call that girl Yan Yan over so we can meet her,"
Xu Fangjuan said, turning her head, having been choked by Chen Pingjiang's words.
Chen Pingjiang amusingly glanced at Zhou Guanghan, whose head was almost shrinking to his thighs, and teased,
"Erzi, you've disappointed me greatly. The revolutionary ranks are no longer pure; there's a traitor."
Zhou Guanghan's face turned beet red, revealing a smile that looked worse than a cry, as if to say,
"What can I do?"
Chen Pingjiang didn't mind; Zhou Guanghan, being several generations apart, was already several ranks weaker in front of Xu Fangjuan, and with his mother's knack for conversation, ten Zhou Guanghans wouldn't be her match.
"Dad, would you like me to show you around our company?"
Chen Pingjiang said with a smile, seeing that his old man was quite curious about everything.
Who knew that Chen Fangming, upon hearing this, immediately waved his hand:
"No, no, I won't tour; don't disturb people's work."
Several company veterans, such as Miao Bingwei, Shu Mang, and Li Xi, had already heard the news and quickly came to show their faces before Chen Pingjiang and the others left.
"Auntie" here, "auntie" there, Xu Fangjuan beamed with delight at the flattery.
Upon reaching the underground parking lot, Xu Fangjuan and Chen Guangming's expressions changed again.
They walked around the big G-Wagen several times.
"Why did you change cars again? Where's the other one?"
"Oh my, mother, this is really a waste of money."
Chen Guangming also said,
"I heard this car costs several million?"
Oh boy, as soon as that remark came out, Xu Fangjuan immediately exploded.
No matter how big the family fortune, it couldn't withstand such squandering.
Seeing his mother's expression change, Chen Pingjiang immediately gave in:
"This isn't my car, Erzi can testify. I exchanged it with a friend."
Zhou Guanghan at least played a small role at this point, vouching for Chen Pingjiang.
Only then did Xu Fangjuan's expression soften:
"What kind of person would be willing to lend you such a good car to drive?"
Chen Pingjiang took them to a five-star hotel.
Xu Fangjuan, hearing that a room cost over a thousand, was about to speak when Chen Guangming pulled her aside and whispered.
"Our son is a boss now, after all. First, don't just scold him like a child at every turn; some of his subordinates might see it and laugh."
"Second, you might think it's expensive here, but this money might be nothing to Chen Pingjiang. You should adapt to your son's change in status and not apply our standard of living to his."
Xu Fangjuan wasn't a muddled person; she could understand, but she still retorted,
"I'm not stupid. I only scold him when no one is around, and no matter how big a boss he becomes, he still came out of my belly. Besides, I'm doing it for his own good. It's easy to conquer an empire but hard to maintain it; money is saved."
This Sheraton was not far from Huijin Building.
Chen Pingjiang settled his parents here, which also made it convenient to take them sightseeing around the city.
......
Dongjiang Sports Institute girls' dormitory.
Cao Jie stared at Yan Yan with her mouth wide open in surprise, looking her over and over, then after a long while, her voice gradually rose:
"You mean Chen Pingjiang met your parents a few days ago, and now his parents have come over today?"
"Then aren't you two meeting each other's parents?"
"Oh my god, that's too fast. You're still university students, and Chen Pingjiang is only a freshman!"
"If both sets of parents meet and approve, wouldn't marriage be a natural next step? I want to drink your wedding wine, be a bridesmaid, or even a godmother?"
Yan Yan was speechless, looking at the highly imaginative Cao Jie and helplessly patting her forehead.
"How can we get married if we're not of legal age?"
Cao Jie wasn't convinced:
"What's wrong with not being of legal age? You just can't officially register the marriage; you can still have a wedding banquet and have children."
"It's not as exaggerated as you make it sound. His parents just came to Dongjiang to visit, and I need to go meet them."
Cao Jie was inexplicably excited:
"Then dress up nicely but also a bit traditional and conservative. Mothers-in-law all like that style. Perform well then, get in good with Chen Pingjiang's mom, so if Chen Pingjiang ever tries to bully you again, you can complain to her."
Unexpectedly, only two or three days had passed, and Yan Yan was getting nervous again, even more so than last time.
Last time, at least she was meeting her own parents; now, facing Chen Pingjiang's parents, Yan Yan truly felt the pressure.
Following Cao Jie's advice, Yan Yan wore a very plain outfit.
After getting ready, she came downstairs to wait for Chen Pingjiang to pick her up.
The Mercedes G-Wagen drove closer from a distance.
As soon as the car stopped, a cry of surprise came from inside.
"Old Chen, what a pretty girl."
Xu Fangjuan naturally had no doubts about her son's aesthetic taste, but after seeing Yan Yan's appearance, she was still greatly surprised.
Beneath her cool exterior, she appeared very quiet, standing gracefully by the roadside, her hands placed in front, holding a small bag.
"She looks prettier than TV stars."
Yan Yan got into the passenger seat and sweetly greeted Xu Fangjuan and Chen Guangming,
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie."
This clear and sweet voice melted Xu Fangjuan's heart.
She warmly held Yan Yan's hand and started chatting casually.
Yan Yan also cooperatively turned sideways and chatted with Xu Fangjuan, who was sitting in the back.
Chen Guangming was also very pleased with the girl in front of him.
One might say that any normal person, regardless of their aesthetic preferences, would probably find Yan Yan stunning.
What particularly appealed to the two elderly people was that Yan Yan wasn't the type who wore heavy makeup in society; she clearly looked like a well-bred young lady.
Upon arriving at the University of Finance and Economics, the guard lifted his eyelids, saw it was Chen Pingjiang's car, and directly opened the main gate to let them through.
Even after getting out of the car, Xu Fangjuan still enthusiastically held Yan Yan's hand, walking and talking at the very end of the group.
It was clear that Empress Dowager Xu genuinely liked Yan Yan.
Chen Guangming walked alongside Chen Pingjiang and asked curiously,
"When did you two start dating? Why haven't I heard you mention it?"
Chen Pingjiang smiled,
"Old Chen, are you as gossipy as my mom? We only just confirmed our relationship a few days ago, so I haven't had a chance to tell you. I met her parents a few days ago."
"You've already met both sets of parents? What do her parents do?"
"Yan Yan's mother is the editor-in-chief of a newspaper, and her father is the head of the district's Discipline Inspection Commission,"
Chen Pingjiang said calmly.
Unexpectedly, Chen Guangming immediately fell silent.
Ordinary folks naturally have a sense of awe towards officials, stemming from China's ancient social and cultural influences and societal conditioning.
The post-2000 generation might treat everyone the same, but those born in Chen Guangming's era couldn't do that.
With some worry in his eyes, Chen Guangming said,
"Then are our two families a bit mismatched in social status?"
He took a deep look at his son, then glanced back at Yan Yan, who was warmly holding Xu Fangjuan's arm, and sighed, feeling that he hadn't done well and was holding his son back.
Chen Pingjiang saw his father's inner turmoil at a glance and, smiling, put his arm around his shoulder:
"What are you overthinking? Is your son really that bad? I'm not boasting, but the girls chasing your son could line up from the school gate to the dormitory building. What kind of girl can't your son find? Besides, I've had some minor achievements now; who knows who will be mismatched in social status in the future?"
"Moreover, I'm not trying to curry favor with them. Not to mention he's only a division-level official, your son has dealt with city leaders now. Putting everything else aside, even our University of Finance and Economics' principal is a legitimate departmental-level official."
With him saying that, Chen Guangming's worries lessened slightly.
Chen Pingjiang knew that such deeply ingrained notions of matching social status couldn't be dispelled by a word or two from him.
He remembered watching a TV series called "A Lifelong Journey" (Ren Shi Jian) where Dongmei's parents never met their in-laws their entire lives to avoid suspicion, while Zhou Bingkun's rural parents not only had no objections but were surprisingly open-minded, which shows a glimpse of this.
(End of Chapter)
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