Twenty minutes later, Chen Dongyang received a call from the person in charge.
"Xiao Chen, are you up? When are you coming to the company?"
Chen Dongyang looked at Tiantian, who was chuckling beside him, and said loudly that he would be at the company soon.
"Is there something, Manager Zhang?"
The manager said, "There's something. You don't need to come to the design institute today. A few days ago, Old Master Kang from Kang Family Medical Equipment in Nancheng wanted to design a private exhibition hall for himself. He liked your competition design and specifically requested you. So, you're going on a business trip to Nancheng today."
"I'll send you the WeChat of the contact person in Nancheng later. Contact him when you arrive. Remember to report your progress to me at any time."
"Travel expenses, car fare, gas, etc., will be reimbursed when you return. Remember to keep the receipts. That's all for now."
Chen Dongyang agreed. Seeing that it was getting late and fearing that Zeng Hui would come to his unit to bring him breakfast, he called Zeng Hui and told her about his leader assigning him to a business trip.
Zeng Hui was very disappointed. "Okay, then. Can you come back tonight?"
"It's hard to say. It depends on the progress. If I can, I will. I'll call you whether I come back or not."
"Okay."
"You can call me if you need anything. Tell Dou Bao I'll bring him a toy when I get back."
After hanging up the phone, Tiantian's smile vanished, and she looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Chen Dongyang pinched her face. "Am I shattering your worldview? Playing both sides, a scumbag with two women, do you think I'm not that great anymore?"
Tiantian snorted at him. "Exactly. I think you really have the potential to be a scumbag."
"No, it should be said that your past scumbag nature has been rediscovered. You were always an unreliable person to begin with."
"Then what should we do? Why don't you dump me now while there's still time?"
"No," Tiantian hugged his neck feebly.
"Do you know why I've never dated for so many years?"
"Why?"
"I've always had too many good people around me, whether they were true gentlemen or hypocrites. They were so good in front of me that it was unbearable... Maybe I'm inherently attracted to scumbags. I'm destined to be yours in this life."
"Hahaha." Chen Dongyang laughed. "You say everything, good and bad."
After they lingered for a while, Chen Dongyang asked Tiantian how she managed to have such influence, what benefits she had promised their design institute, and even made the manager listen to her.
Tiantian told him that she invested one hundred million yuan but only expected a 10% return.
Chen Dongyang said, "Why didn't you give this hundred million directly to me? I'd give ninety million to Zeng Hui, and maybe she'd leave me with Dou Bao overnight. Why go through such a roundabout way?"
Tiantian hit him. "Can you be serious? Can you speak properly?"
He caught her hand. "Okay, okay. No more jokes."
"I know you want me to have a good platform to showcase myself, to become famous, and to be respected in the future, rather than relying on money from a woman and eating without working, living as a kept man forever. I understand all of this."
"Except for my mom and my sister, no one in the world loves me more than you do. For you, I will definitely work hard. Don't worry."
Tiantian pinched his chin. "Alright, stop with the sweet talk. Prove it with your actions in the future."
"However, what your manager said is true. Old Master Kang is indeed building a memorial hall, but this is my job. You're working for me today."
"I don't want to deal with those rigid and vain elders."
"Why are they so narcissistic? Because they suffered some hardships when they were young, they want to write their life stories as autobiographies when they're old, or exhibit things that no one is interested in at an exhibition hall. They don't even think about who cares, aren't they just wasting money?"
Chen Dongyang said, "Women are allowed to spend money on bags, and descendants spend money on cars. Is it a waste of money for the old man to build a house for himself? What kind of mentality is that?"
"..."
"If he didn't spend money, how would I have a chance to succeed? You should thank him."
A few words cured Tiantian of her boredom with the matter.
"Since you're interested, I'll hand it over to you. I'll be your assistant today."
Except for the vice president Ah Zhong, no one knew Tiantian's identity in the company. Therefore, when tasks were assigned, no one took care of her, and she always did whatever was given.
After working from home for nearly a month, her colleagues had some opinions about her, so they assigned her this unrewarding and tedious job.
She was initially quite resistant, but now that she had Chen Dongyang, she could put her feet up and enjoy a comfortable life.
Tiantian had an appointment to visit Old Master Kang at his home at ten in the morning. Chen Dongyang took Tiantian for a morning workout, and then they went to a nearby mall to buy new clothes before driving off.
To avoid being recognized, Tiantian tied her hair in a prim bun, wore a pair of dull black-rimmed flat glasses, and a plain, long-sleeved work uniform, looking very much like an assistant.
Chen Dongyang was different. With his tall stature and long legs, even an ordinary suit looked elegant on him.
Coupled with his handsome appearance, he truly exuded a commanding presence.
They announced the company name and were smoothly admitted into the Kang family's premises.
On the way, Chen Dongyang thought of a crucial issue.
"Your company knows you're doing this business, and the design institute knows I'm doing this business, but now we're doing it together. How will we explain this to the company?"
Tiantian, who appeared dull, was anything but.
"Consider it yours. I don't need to explain."
"Don't worry, none of my colleagues care about this small business. No one will chase me for answers. If anyone asks, I'll just say the deal fell through and it's off. The vice president is my uncle, so what can they do to me? You don't need to worry, I've thought of everything."
When no one was looking, Chen Dongyang secretly pinched her waist.
"I've discovered you're quite a mischievous little thing. You're so good at arranging bad things."
Tiantian looked smug. "Of course. Otherwise, how could I have gotten a scumbag like you? We're a union of scumbags, fighting poison with poison, eliminating evil for the people."
Chen Dongyang added, "Colluding for evil."
The two of them, chatting and laughing, were led to Old Master Kang's villa.
The old man was practicing Tai Chi in the garden. They introduced themselves, and the three of them sat down in a pavilion.
While drinking the Kung Fu tea he brewed, they listened to him eloquently recount his glorious life story.
Tiantian couldn't stand listening and sat half a step behind Chen Dongyang, constantly staring at him.
The more she looked, the more pleasing he was to her eyes.
Chen Dongyang had to listen, and not only listen but also frequently lower his head to take notes.
Tiantian looked at his eyes, then his mouth, then his Adam's apple, then his writing hand.
She thought to herself: No, I have to keep him here for a couple more days. He's too good-looking. I can't bear to let him leave like this.