In the evening, after dinner, Liu Chen watched TV with his mother for a while. After successfully coaxing her to sleep, he went to Elder Chen's study.
On Elder Chen's desk, the ashtray, which had long been a decoration due to his mother's pregnancy, was now filled with cigarette butts, all extinguished only when they reached the filter.
After Liu Chen knocked and entered, Chen Long and Elder Chen quickly opened all the windows in the study to the maximum to air it out, while someone, from an unknown source, produced a trash bag and dumped all the cigarette butts from the ashtray into it, then tied the bag tightly.
Liu Chen sat in the vacant backed chair next to Chen Long. After the smell of smoke in the study had mostly dissipated, Elder Chen closed the windows and sat back in the master seat behind the desk.
With the windows closed, the underfloor heating's effectiveness kicked in within a few minutes, and the temperature in the study quickly rose.
"Cough, cough! Chenchen, Chen Long told me, just like Ren Yu said, let's hire bodyguards starting today."
Elder Chen frowned so deeply as he spoke that he could have pinched a mosquito resting on his brow.
"I'm old, old. I've been through it all, starting a business for most of my life. I never expected that in 2010, I would still encounter such audacity."
Audacity of what?
Elder Chen didn't continue, or rather, he didn't know whether to call it a person or an event.
Liu Chen sat in the chair. Perhaps it was the conversation with Ren Yu that relaxed him, as his heart was no longer pounding like it was in the afternoon, but his mind was a mess.
Liu Chen leaned back in his chair, resting his arms on the armrests, interlocking his hands, and said with pursed lips and a deep voice:
"The target of the attack was me, and it happened after I saw off my teacher's family. I suspect they knew that my teacher intended to give me the subcontracting rights for the additive, and they wanted to stop me."
Hearing this, Elder Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he unconsciously leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk, and asked, "Is it the additive formula you have shares in? You said your teacher agreed?"
Liu Chen nodded: "Yes, it's that additive. The main beneficiary of this additive is the university. If it really becomes a subcontracting process, alumni from Tsinghua University will inevitably come to visit and intern during the winter and summer breaks."
"And this is a close link between me and Tsinghua University. Once this link is established, Meimei Factory will, to some extent, bear the mark of Tsinghua University in the future."
Upon hearing this, the frown on Elder Chen's face relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even couldn't help but turn upwards.
"With this mark, Meimei Factory will never lack R&D personnel from Tsinghua University. No, you will also gain many invisible resource supports."
The old man and the young man exchanged smiles, but Chen Long raised a different opinion at this moment.
"It's just subcontracting, and the risk of formula leakage we bear is also huge."
Before Liu Chen could reply, Elder Chen fired back, "Risk, risk, what doesn't have risk? Moreover, with so many excellent graduates from Tsinghua University over the years, lawyers, prosecutors, would they watch their alma mater's formula be stolen and produced?
Unless they're fools, stealing the additive formula is less worthwhile than stealing the Meimei Sausage formula."
After being reprimanded by the elder, Chen Long had to shut up. He was best at sales, and when it came to factory management and research and development, he really couldn't contribute much.
"However, if it's as Chenchen said, and the people behind it don't want you to get the subcontracting of Tsinghua's additive, then during this period, he will definitely make another move. However, it probably won't be as direct as this time.
If I were him, I would exert pressure from Tsinghua University, or directly approach your doctoral supervisor and offer him a price he couldn't refuse."
Liu Chen nodded. Elder Chen's thoughts coincided with his own, but—Liu Chen really couldn't imagine what conditions, other than his precious daughter, could impress Professor He Long.
He Long had just gotten off the plane and was on his way home by taxi with his wife and daughter. This trip to C City had made He Long very satisfied because he saw his daughter living like a normal person.
Of course, like some introverted normal people, but that's normal. Introverted people can live well in this society!
"Buzz... Buzz..."
The mobile phone vibrated, breaking the silence in the car. He Long casually took out his Nokia phone from his coat pocket, and his eyes slightly darkened as he looked at the caller ID.
He placed the phone on his lap, and it continued to vibrate persistently, as if demonstrating its determination to work hard.
"Why aren't you answering the phone?"
Zhen Yu, sitting opposite He Long with He Siyu in between, heard the continuous buzzing and couldn't help but ask.
He Long pulled at the corners of his mouth and let out a short sigh from his nose, "It's a former graduating student. This student..."
He paused before finding the right adjective, "I originally wanted to keep him by my side, with the idea of looking after Siyu for the rest of her life. This idea was mutually understood.
But this semester, I found out he has a girlfriend, and this girlfriend has been taking care of his daily life while working."
Hearing this, Zhen Yu immediately understood why the old man looked so hesitant when he saw this call.
"Answer it. If you don't answer, he won't give up."
He Long opened his mouth, wanting to say a few words, then looked at He Siyu, who was looking at him curiously.
"Siyu doesn't need anyone to take care of her anymore, right?"
He Siyu smiled and nodded, "I'm doing fine on my own."
Looking at his daughter's normal appearance, He Long's eyes instantly welled up with tears. Then he said, "Siyu, Dad is going to answer the phone. You don't say anything. Just listen to how Dad talks to people."
He Long was preparing to teach Siyu how to socialize in this society.
He pressed to answer, then pressed to turn on the speakerphone.
As soon as the call was connected, a man's voice with a smile came from the other end of the line:
"Dad He! I was worried about disturbing your family reunion on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, so I thought I'd send you early New Year's greetings today!
I wish you and your family happiness and reunion, Dad He!"
He Long was quite startled by the address "Dad He." Under his wife Zhen Yu's raised eyebrow of inquiry, he quickly shook his head and said, "Ge Jian, just call me Teacher He, or Boss, like your senior classmates. I can't bear the title of Dad."
He Long's words shattered Ge Jian's pretense of closeness. He thought Ge Jian would at least restrain himself a little, but then he heard Ge Jian say on the phone, "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Dad He, in my heart, you are like my second parent. My parents have always wanted to thank you. We are standing downstairs at your house right now!"
He Long listened to the words on the phone, but looked at his wife sitting by the car door in a flustered manner.
Since this student brought his parents to pay their respects, as a teacher, he couldn't possibly turn them away...