The next day, Chen Pingjiang took Xu Fangjuan and Chen Guangming to visit some attractions in Dongjiang City.
The old couple clearly weren't too interested in this, and all the way Xu Fangjuan kept muttering,
"Why didn't that girl Yanyan come?"
Chen Pingjiang helplessly explained,
"Mom, she has classes, okay? You'll see her after class."
Chen Guangming chuckled, smoking a cigarette, and said,
"Your mom misses you when she doesn't see you, but gets annoyed when she does."
Xu Fangjuan grunted,
"I have maternal love for him, but not much. It's good if he doesn't make me angry."
Chen Pingjiang wasn't surprised by this at all.
"This is exactly how a real mom should be."
After speaking, he changed the subject, asking casually,
"The tour group will be returning home in a few days. Should I buy your tickets in advance?"
"It's only the second day, and you're already rushing us off?"
Chen Pingjiang chuckled,
"No, no, how could that be? I'm just worried you'll have trouble getting back then."
Xu Fangjuan rolled her eyes at her son.
"I don't even want to see you, I'm just hesitating whether or not to meet Yanyan's parents."
Chen Guangming frowned.
"Isn't it a bit too early to meet them now?"
"I think so too."
Chen Pingjiang also said with a smile,
"Let me develop for two more years. Then, you two will feel more confident meeting Yanyan's parents."
With that, Xu Fangjuan remained silent.
Finding a free moment, Chen Pingjiang drove the car to Ge Mengshi's building and called her down.
After meeting, Chen Pingjiang returned the car keys to Ge Mengshi.
"Big Sis, you don't seem worried at all. If I didn't remind you, you'd probably forget this is your beloved car."
Ge Mengshi, wearing a black professional suit dress, exuded a captivating mature aura.
She smiled and said,
"I find driving your car more convenient. Sometimes when I go to Xinjiekou for dinner, parking is much easier."
"You look unhappy, what's wrong?"
Ge Mengshi didn't expect Chen Pingjiang's observation skills to be so sharp.
She shook her head, not wanting to say more on the topic.
When they parted ways, Ge Mengshi thought for a moment and said,
"My dad keeps pestering me to ask you for another drink. When do you have time?"
As soon as she said this, Chen Pingjiang remembered Ge Bingyi, who was bad at drinking but loved it, and smiled,
"You're my boss, so whenever you say."
"Alright then, I'll let you know."
During this period, the pressure from her family had eased a little, but the pressure at work had increased instead.
Mainly, the group chairman had taken an interest in Ge Mengshi, wanting to set her up with his divorced son.
Ge Mengshi had met the man; he was a pure playboy, and she truly had no good feelings for him, so she declined, claiming to have a boyfriend.
It was quite ridiculous that the chairman of such a large group company could have such an idea, which was also an eye-opener for Ge Mengshi.
And following her refusal, Ge Mengshi was reprimanded at the senior management meeting that very day.
It's hard to say there was no connection between the two.
Recalling all the things she had encountered at the company, Ge Mengshi started to entertain the idea of resigning, and once this thought emerged, it was hard to suppress.
This was also why Ge Mengshi looked a bit dispirited and dejected.
Chen Pingjiang returned to the hotel and picked up Chen Guangming and Xu Fangjuan in the car.
"Did you return the car?"
Chen Guangming asked casually.
Chen Pingjiang nodded.
"Dad, I remember you learned to drive, right? I plan to give this car to you to drive."
"What will you drive then?"
"Me? I'll buy another one."
"I think that's great!"
"No way!"
Chen Guangming's and Xu Fangjuan's voices sounded almost simultaneously.
When they went back for Chinese New Year, Chen Guangming would occasionally carry a small bucket to wash the Audi A6, or drive it around near home.
Chen Pingjiang could tell his old man really loved cars, which sparked this idea.
Xu Fangjuan then added,
"This car runs perfectly fine. Are you so rich you're burning money to buy another one?"
Chen Pingjiang explained with a smile,
"It's not in my personal name, but the company's name. Don't worry about it; it's different from what you understand. Buying a car is tax-deductible, and you won't need to spend money on daily car maintenance either."
Xu Fangjuan didn't understand these things.
She pouted, wanting to continue speaking, but then saw her husband's expectant look and felt a bit speechless, her heart softening immediately.
It was not surprising that Chen Pingjiang had such an idea.
In his previous life, Chen Guangming, after working as a small contractor for less than two years, went to Taicheng to work on a boat with relatives to earn money for Chen Pingjiang's wedding house, and eventually passed away from a cerebral thrombosis.
Back then, Chen Guangming was particularly fond of cars.
In this life, Chen Pingjiang would absolutely not let such a thing happen.
Now that conditions were better, he also wanted to compensate and give back to his parents more.
No sooner said than done.
Chen Pingjiang immediately drove everyone to the 4S store.
To Chen Guangming's and Xu Fangjuan's astonishment, he quickly completed the paperwork and picked up a Panamera.
"What can I even say about you? Buying a car worth over a million is like buying groceries, you spendthrift!"
Chen Guangming, unusually cheerful, dared to express a different opinion:
"Oh, our son has grown up. Don't always criticize him; he knows how to act appropriately."
"You're bought off by a car!"
Xu Fangjuan gritted her teeth, annoyed to see her husband openly siding with their son.
Forty-six-year-old Chen Guangming sat in the Audi A6 with great interest.
Although it was the car Chen Pingjiang had replaced, it had only been driven about ten thousand kilometers in total, so calling it a new car wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Seeing Chen Guangming, who looked like a child who had received a beloved toy, Xu Fangjuan finally stopped mentioning it.
Instead, she turned and said,
"It's good to have a car; it'll help you cut back on drinking."
Seeing this scene, Chen Pingjiang also smiled with relief.
After accompanying the old couple in Dongjiang for two days, Chen Pingjiang finally sent them off onto the highway, repeatedly reminding his dad to drive slowly on the road.
After returning to the company, Chen Pingjiang directly booked a long-term room at the express hotel next to Huijin Building.
"Everyone grab a parking spot" was going to launch in less than two days, so he had to stay at Huijin Building to oversee it.
Driving to and from Xianlin University City from Huijin Building took forty to fifty minutes, which was quite troublesome every day, and Chen Pingjiang felt embarrassed to always trouble the sleeping dorm supervisor auntie to leave the door open for him.
News of the boss stationing himself at the company spread quickly, making everyone in the company, from top to bottom, nervous.
Everyone knew that a battle crucial to the company's lifeline was about to begin.
This battle only allowed for success, not failure.
The frequency of meetings across all departments significantly increased.
Internal mobilization meetings were held department by department.
"For administration, provide supper for employees during the initial launch period. Confirm overtime personnel at 5 PM daily and distribute supper promptly at 9 PM. Employees working until 10 PM can claim taxi fares with receipts."
"All departments throughout the company, especially the technical department, should arrange paid rotation and compensatory leave for these two days. Everyone needs to get enough rest and be ready for this battle."
"Databases and servers must be triple-checked to ensure nothing goes wrong."
"The content department can conduct early warming up, setting up a game reservation on Renrenwang."
"..."
Instructions were issued from Chen Pingjiang to various departments one by one.
An air of solemn intensity permeated the entire company.
Chen Pingjiang took some time to go back to the dorm to get some clean clothes.
"Brother Chen, you're not going to move out completely and not come back, are you?"
Zhao Shaoyang looked at Chen Pingjiang with some reluctance.
Although Chen Pingjiang didn't spend much time in the dorm on weekdays, they could still meet.
If he moved out, meeting would become difficult.
Seeing the others all looking at him, Chen Pingjiang explained with a smile,
"I paid my dorm fees, how could I not come back? I'll have to come back after this busy period."
He said so, but everyone knew the real situation in their hearts.
He might come back, but it would only be less and less frequently.
As Renrenwang grew larger, Chen Pingjiang's net worth increased, and his work became busier.
Chen Pingjiang could be said to have already bid farewell to his university life ahead of time.
Sometimes it was interesting to think that he hadn't really attended much school at all.
If it weren't for the path of rebirth drawn here, Chen Pingjiang might not even have gone to university.
The further on, the more inconvenient it would be for Chen Pingjiang to live in the dorm.
Firstly, Xianlin University City was quite remote; secondly, he would be increasingly observed and surrounded.
And that's not even considering future safety issues.
What Chen Pingjiang didn't expect was that even trivial matters were reported to Ning Yongde by someone or other.
"Are you planning to move out?"
This matter could be big or small, but from the school's perspective, as Chen Pingjiang's business empire grew, Ning Yongde naturally hoped that Chen Pingjiang could appear more often at school.
That way, it could further maintain this already somewhat fragile bond and deepen Chen Pingjiang's feelings for his alma mater.
But he also knew that Chen Pingjiang moving out was an inevitability in the future; he just hoped this inevitability would come a little later.
Chen Pingjiang had grown increasingly familiar with Ning Yongde now, and joked with a smile,
"You old man aren't reluctant to see me go too, are you? I'm just moving out for a while for convenience. Why do you all look like I'm trying to run away? Dean Kuang just called me too."
With that, Ning Yongde nodded, feeling slightly relieved.
"This time, I hear Renrenwang is making a big move?"
"That's right. The strategic goal this time is to move beyond the campus and beyond Dongjiang. If it succeeds, my name, Chen Pingjiang, will be etched into the future of China's internet,"
Chen Pingjiang said solemnly.
"That is indeed very important. In that case, I'll await your good news,"
Ning Yongde sighed.
"Although you are not the most outstanding among all past students of the Finance University, you are the most brilliant among all students during their time at the school. I hope that one day, the Finance University can be proud of you."
After seeing Chen Pingjiang off, Ning Yongde called Kuang Minghong and Qi Yucai, the secretary of the school's Youth League Committee, together.
"Student Chen Pingjiang's career is growing larger and larger, and in the past six months, it has brought significant social impact to the Finance University. Some city leaders are also paying attention, and other universities even tried to poach him during their last inspection.
Our school hasn't done some work very well; we should highlight and promote Student Chen Pingjiang's entrepreneurial achievements as a prime example, solidifying the Finance University's imprint on him. Do you have any good suggestions?"
Kuang Minghong's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
The more successful Chen Pingjiang became, the greater his own credit would be.
"For such an excellent student, I think merely a 'Three-Good Student' award is not enough, and it doesn't at all reflect Student Chen Pingjiang's importance to the Finance University."
Qi Yucai also nodded:
"We can select him as an 'Advanced Individual,' 'Outstanding Student Cadre,' or 'Outstanding Youth League Member'."
Ning Yongde glanced at Qi Yucai and slowly said,
"'Advanced Individual in Spiritual Civilization,' 'Advanced Individual in Cultural and Sports Activities,' and even a national scholarship should be arranged. Oh, and joining the Party is also essential."
Qi Yucai secretly clicked his tongue.
Were they planning to overwhelm Chen Pingjiang with all sorts of honorary titles and awards?
Seemingly discerning the doubt in Qi Yucai's eyes, Ning Yongde then earnestly advised,
"Broaden your perspective a bit. We don't often encounter such excellent students. Let's not regret it only when those 985 universities like Dongda poach him for postgraduate recommendation. Sometimes, work must be done proactively."
Normally, it would undoubtedly be most prudent to do these things after Chen Pingjiang's "grab a parking spot" project achieved great success.
In that case, if Chen Pingjiang failed, there would still be room for maneuver, and the Finance University would not be embarrassed.
But the shrewd Ning Yongde knew very well that adding flowers to a brocade is not as good as sending charcoal in the snow.
(End of this chapter)