Chapter 956: Yan Chunqiu

"Is Old Liu doing alright?"

Wang Yan was driving and asked Zheng Qiudong, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"Still the same, no big changes." Zheng Qiudong smiled and said, "He said something similar to what you said, saying I play little tricks and am not upright, making it hard to last long. He even gave me a couplet: the first line is 'Stupid little tricks, blindly inferior,' the second line is 'Diligent great wisdom, sincere and promising,' and the horizontal scroll is 'Self-encouragement.'"

"Old Liu has quite a bit of leisure. It's clear that after you handled the joint burial of his parents for him, his wish was fulfilled, and he's now in a state of having no regrets even if he dies; he's a bit transcendent."

"He's forty this year, in good health. Even without a sentence reduction, twenty years is no problem. Besides, he's quite positive; he can get out in ten-plus years, so he still has good days ahead. He taught me so much, and gave me three hundred thousand before; this kindness cannot be forgotten. When he gets out, if I have the ability, I will definitely make him comfortable."

"Knowing kindness and repaying it." Wang Yan nodded with a smile and parked the car on the side of the road, "Get out of the car, let's grab a simple bite to eat for now. You've hung around here before, so you definitely know about Old Friend Rice Noodles; this shop's craftsmanship is quite good."

"Then let's try it." Zheng Qiudong had truly traveled north and south, and had quite a bit of knowledge about eating and drinking.

Wang Yan's selection—the craftsmanship of this noodle shop near the talent market was naturally quite good. Simple noodles, done to an LV4 level, were already quite good, and business was quite good; people from the surrounding area all came here to eat.

Zheng Qiudong nodded repeatedly, acknowledging the shop's craftsmanship, and was not stingy with his praise.

He took the initiative to say, "Brother Yan, to tell you the truth, I really didn't think about coming here at first. You know, I like big cities, yearning for a successful life in suits and shoes, where there are no unrefined people."

"Couldn't make it in Beijing?"

"Yeah, couldn't make it, very miserable. I was blacklisted in human resources, which was jointly developed by the HR departments of some big companies, aiming to exchange talent and share information."

Seeing Wang Yan sneer, Zheng Qiudong wasn't embarrassed, "In turn, it's not wrong to say it's about controlling talent. Anyway, I was on that blacklist, and other big companies wouldn't hire me. And I went to find Luo Yiren again, and those two hundred thousand were given to me by her. That same night, I was warned by someone, telling me to stay away from Yiren, and even threatened me, saying they would send me back in."

I know, those were Xia Jiguo's people. I didn't want to cause trouble for Luo Yiren, so I simply left Beijing. I threw a dart at a map and it landed on Hangzhou. But the first thing that came to mind was to go to Hangzhou and open a job agency. That was when I thought of what Xiong Qingchun had said before; since I was at a dead end anyway, and you, Brother Yan, were here, I just came over to rely on you.

"My master actually suggested I work with you, saying your pattern is big and your ability is strong, a god-like person rarely seen in decades. It's just that you are too carefree and might not have the patience for worldly affairs. If you focus on management, there will definitely be a place for you in the business world in the future."

"Old Liu's words make me blush. What 'no patience for worldly affairs'? From ancient times to the present, heroes have risen one after another, but none can escape the word 'power.' Living in modern society, what doesn't require money? I'm also a very worldly person, so don't hold me so high. Our main task from now on is to make money. Only when money covers desires can one say 'no patience for worldly affairs' to show off."

The two chatted and ate, then wandered around the area, looking for shops to transfer or rent.

The talent market area wasn't remote; after all, it was a place planned out a long time ago, but it wasn't prosperous here. After all, the talent market had no talent, only all kinds of part-time business. How much foot traffic could the shops here have? So accordingly, the prices of shops here weren't high, and there were quite a few that couldn't keep going and wanted to transfer.

Wang Yan and Zheng Qiudong drove around the talent market twice and found an advertising shop. Two stories, simple renovation, not dilapidated, overall very good, and the rent wasn't expensive; it could be used directly. It was just that relatively speaking, the location was a bit off.

It was meant for a transition period anyway, and the work they did involved more active outward movement. The storefront was only for interviews later on; after all, when providing human resources services for other companies, they had to conduct a round of interviews in advance.

Having looked at it like this, they went back to pick up Xiong Qingchun and Huang Zimu, and decided on this place, signed the contract on the spot, paid the deposit, and would move in a week later.

Then they took Zheng Qiudong to find a place, bought daily necessities, and settled him in. Letting Zheng Qiudong tidy up himself, Wang Yan returned to the employment agency, lit a cigarette, and sat on the old, broken sofa.

Xiong Qingchun, who was communicating on her phone, asked: "All settled?"

"Over at Fengxi Garden, rented a two-bedroom place."

"You're living with him? We're making money now, and the weather is getting colder by the day; we can't just make do here, right?"

Wang Yan exhaled smoke and said, "I thought you were asking me to move in with you."

"Get out, get out, get out, what nonsense are you talking about?" Xiong Qingchun glanced at Huang Zimu, who seemed to be reading documents very seriously, her face blushing.

"It's a matter of time; you just can't turn the corner. I saw it, you came with a long face this morning. In the past month, you've had a long face for half the time. What's the point of being in a relationship like this? If you can't be in it, break up. We're all people of the world, why be so hesitant?"

"Oh my, are you done yet? Can you stop talking?"

Wang Yan shrugged and smiled at Huang Zimu, who was eating melons at the scene: "Don't think we're a pair of illicit lovers; this is normal emotional interaction. The proprietress has a boyfriend, and I've taken a fancy to the proprietress. Isn't this pursuing her?"

Huang Zimu clapped his hands: "Brother Yan, if you hadn't said it, I would have thought you two were a husband-and-wife shop. Really, you and Sister Qingchun are a perfect match."

"I see you're an honest and thick-headed kid; what you say is all the truth."

"Hehe, that's right, I'm an honest person."

"You know how to smoke, right? Have one." Wang Yan threw a Huazi over with a smile, and the latter naturally put the cigarette in his mouth.

Xiong Qingchun waved her hand in disgust: "Go, go, go, you two go outside to smoke."

Wang Yan exhaled smoke smugly, and under Xiong Qingchun's white-eyed glare, went outside with Huang Zimu to smoke...

A month of getting along wasn't for nothing, and the charm of Wang Mouren, who had lived for a thousand years, wasn't given for nothing. Living together day and night, Xiong Qingchun was deeply influenced.

Comparison is a subconscious psychology of people, and Xiong Qingchun was no exception. Since Wang Yan had shamelessly expressed his feelings directly, she naturally had to think about it as a matter. Thinking about it like this, it was inevitable to compare her boyfriend with Wang Yan. Once compared, except for the stain of having beaten someone and gone to jail, Wang Mouren was inferior in every way.

Just on the point of ability, with Wang Yan personally taking action, the business directly exploded. Xiong Qingchun naturally knew that positions were hard to get and human resources weren't lacking. Zi Yi Ren had worked for so long and barely made a living. Wang Yan took action, and in the part-time market where patterns had already formed and various small relationships were everywhere, he directly opened up the situation, finding several companies to cooperate with every day. This was truly doing business.

But when it came to her boyfriend, no money, still a single-parent family, and in such a situation, he still wanted to go abroad at his own expense. Zi Yi Ren even supported him with two hundred thousand. Regarding this behavior, Wang Yan had words: no ability but high aspirations.

Why was Xiong Qingchun unhappy every day? Because they almost always quarreled. Why quarrel? Because of all kinds of dissatisfaction, coupled with the comparison with Wang Yan. Of course, Wang Yan's relentless mockery of her boyfriend was also a factor. Zi Yi Ren listened to it, and it was inevitable that she would toss and turn and think about it.

So the two of them were currently in a very disharmonious relationship, ready to end at any time.

Wang Yan's behavior, looking at the whole drama, was flawless; after all, Xiong Qingchun was going to break up with her boyfriend anyway. But if placed in the current plot, it was indeed a bit problematic, with some moral flaws. But so what?

He had always been quite flawed...

So when evening came, the four of them gathered at a restaurant.

"Come, let's have a drink to celebrate the setting sail of our business." Xiong Qingchun raised her glass to invite them to drink.

Zheng Qiudong smiled and raised his glass: "Look at you, saying it like we're the mafia in The Godfather."

"Look at you, having been to prison, you think so much even when saying a simple word. If you really want to talk about the mafia, the hooligan is right there, even with a tattoo; he doesn't look like a good person at first glance."

"Hurry up and drink, you've been holding it for a long time." Wang Yan shook his head amusingly.

In fact, Xiong Qingchun didn't wrong him; he was a true hooligan. Including the 'business' Zheng Qiudong mentioned, he had also engaged in it.

After drinking a glass of wine, Xiong Qingchun said: "The matter of the new company's shares is settled. Zheng Qiudong has twenty percent, and I also take twenty percent. I know my own limits; taking twenty percent is taking a big advantage. You have strong ability, so you should be the one in charge. Let's settle it like this; I'll take this advantage. The new office is found, let's talk about what the new company should be called. It's best to think of a few more."

"Jingcheng? Excellent business, honest conduct."

Hearing Zheng Qiudong's words, Xiong Qingchun shook her head, looking disgusted: "This must have a duplicate name; you don't even need to think about it."

"Isn't there still a character at the back? We can add parentheses."

"Xinyuancheng, how about that?" Wang Yan said with a smile, "Take the auspicious meaning of 'wishes come true'."

"How about Jingyan? Brother Yan is the major shareholder, and it also reflects our excellent business, and it sounds quite good." The newly joined Huang Zimu participated actively.

Wang Yan waved his hand: "A joint-stock company, filling it with my name, that's meaningless."

To be honest, he was stunned when he heard this name. He couldn't have remembered it wrong; this was that company in *The Golden Years*. For a moment, memories surged, and it was inevitable to feel a sense of things being different, even though he was always sighing like this.

Xiong Qingchun said "Ah": "I think this name is good. What do you think, Zheng Qiudong?"

"I think it's okay, and the Xinyuancheng Brother Yan mentioned just now is also good. As for the company name, as long as it's catchy and easy to remember, it's fine. Then let's go with Jingyan first; if it doesn't work, then Xinyuancheng. If that doesn't work, I think 'Yan Chunqiu' directly—one character each, it's also quite catchy and has a memory point."

"I think Yan Chunqiu is good, quite interesting. Put this first, Xinyuancheng second, Jingyan third. Just like Qiudong said, as long as it's catchy and easy to remember, it doesn't have to have any meaning. Let's settle it like this. Alright, the matter is settled. Find a lawyer tomorrow to sign a contract, and when that advertising company clears the place, go register. Alright, it's settled like this. Come, come, come, drink, drink."

Huang Zimu was outgoing; although he was a newcomer, he integrated very well. Of course, the care from Wang Yan and the others was also indispensable. The four of them ate and drank together. Xiong Qingchun even told Huang Zimu about Wang Yan and Zheng Qiudong going to prison, which counted as a joke. Mainly, it was because she had slipped up just now, and Huang Zimu had been wanting to ask but didn't dare.

After eating, they found a designated driver to take Huang Zimu home first, then took Wang Yan and Zheng Qiudong to the newly rented house; their things had already been delivered before dinner.

Wang Yan asked, "Are you really not letting me go to your place?"

"What kind of beautiful dream are you having? Get out of the car, quickly." Xiong Qingchun pushed Wang Yan, urging him to get out. Her face, already flushed from the alcohol, turned even redder. Wang Yan was always so direct; although she was a woman of the world, she still couldn't handle it.

"Call me if anything happens, report that you're safe when you get home, and don't dream about me, okay? I'm off." Wang Yan laughed, and following the momentum of the push, he got out of the car.

"Just go already. Driver, hurry up and drive."

Watching the car drive away, Zheng Qiudong asked Wang Yan, who was smoking beside him, "Brother Yan, are you going to be okay?"

"What kind of talk is that? If you can't do it, I definitely can."

"I'm saying, with this Xiong Qingchun, how come I don't see any signs? If this doesn't lead to anything, your investment is huge."

"What kind of person do you think she is?"

"The deepest impression she left on me is that she's quite bold. Not knowing anything, she dared to come and scam me based on just that tiny bit of information gap; if she isn't bold, then no one is."

"Normally speaking, shouldn't a bold person not feel embarrassed in front of an average person?"

Zheng Qiudong recalled it for a moment and laughed out loud, "So you two really have a chance."

"It's just a matter of time." Wang Yan laughed and turned to walk into the residential complex.

"That's great. I don't want to think about those things right now; I just want to make money."

"That's because you haven't met anyone yet. If Luo Yiren were standing in front of you right now, tell me if you'd be numb or not."

Zheng Qiudong laughed, "That's for sure, but the two of us have the fate but not the timing. I feel really sorry for her."

"Rest assured, based on my observations, your fate is coming soon—within a year or two, I'd say."

"How do you figure that?"

"Xia Jiguo won't last long. When that time comes, won't Luo Yiren be single again? If you really like her, you'll definitely be able to rekindle the relationship then."

"How did you observe that?" Zheng Qiudong was very concerned.

"It's a very complex relationship involving many aspects. If you have enough patience, just wait and see."

Wang Yan didn't say much more; he couldn't exactly say he had watched the TV series and knew that old guy Xia Jiguo would eventually fall. If he studied it specifically, he could actually see some things through various pieces of information. But ultimately, the positions were too high and the information gap was too large, making it a very energy-consuming task.

Now, Zheng Qiudong's life trajectory could be said to have changed, or it could be said it hadn't. After all, he was just working with him, but doing the same kind of work. And he would still develop in other places in the future, and would still be able to establish connections with other plot characters; it's just that he didn't know when.

As for the relationship with Luo Yiren, Wang Yan would encourage it. These two were a pretty good pair; they didn't mind each other's rich experiences, they both had each other in their hearts, and they both pursued love. Relatively speaking, Wang Yan actually liked beautiful endings, but he could accept it if things weren't good...

The next day, Xiong Qingchun found a lawyer, and the three of them signed the contract. Before a week had passed—just three days later—that advertising company vacated the premises. Wang Yan and the others moved in directly and were busy purchasing a batch of second-hand office supplies.

Xiong Qingchun, on the other hand, ran the procedures for the new company and ordered the plaque and such. Very quickly, 'Yan Chunqiu Human Resource Service Co., Ltd.' was officially established, with Xiong Qingchun as the legal representative and Wang Yan as the finance officer.

Because of his criminal record, neither he nor Zheng Qiudong could serve as legal representatives within three years. But finance was no problem, because Wang Yan had no record of financial crimes, and he held an accounting qualification certificate, and even more, a CMA.

It was on the very day the new company was established that Xiong Qingchun pulled Wang Yan aside to talk.

"I have something to tell you."

"How big of a deal is it? Being all mysterious."

"I'm going to Hangzhou in the next two days."

"Oh, I understand."

"What do you mean, you understand?" Xiong Qingchun couldn't understand Wang Yan's calm and composed demeanor.

Wang Yan smiled and said, "The recent unpleasantness has made you exhausted. So you feel you can't continue with your boyfriend, but you're unwilling to let go of the many years and sweetness of the past, wanting a result. You know, the biggest obstacle between you and your boyfriend is his mother, so you want to go straight to Hangzhou and have a good talk with her. If it works, you'll reconsider. If it doesn't, then you'll break up.

Hmm, the wide-eyed look in your eyes tells me I guessed right. Actually, I think this trip of yours is very redundant; wasting airfare money and enduring the fatigue of travel, it's really not worth it. You don't even think about it—your boyfriend's feelings for you aren't firm. He hasn't firmly fought for you with his mother; what meaning is there in getting consent after you fight for it with his mother?

Getting married and being together is about living life; there will be even more new problems then. He wasn't firm at the beginning; have you thought about the future?"

"No, I won't give up until I go there once."

"Understood. After all, you've been together for several years, and the sunk cost is quite large. Actually, you should know that in matters of emotion, once a rift appears, it's impossible to reconcile. I can say with certainty that this trip will only bring you unpleasantness. But this is your business; if you want to suffer, I have no reason to stop you. Go if you want. I'll pack my luggage these two days, so I can move in when you get back."

"Why do you go off-topic as you talk?"

"Off-topic?" Wang Yan took a step forward, reached out to lift her chin, and looked directly into her flustered eyes, "Is your heart beating faster? This is emotion, the most intuitive palpitation of the heart."

"You only know how to be a hooligan." Xiong Qingchun slapped Wang Yan's hand away in annoyance, "Huang Zimu is quite familiar with things; he can handle the docking matters. I'm leaving; you tell the two of them."

"Don't you need me to take you to the airport?"

"I'll leave the car for you. It's more convenient for me to just hail a taxi; you don't need to run back and forth."

"Stay safe, call me if anything happens."

Xiong Qingchun waved her hand, leaving Wang Yan with only her back...