three

Xi Rongrong let out a sound, lowered her head, and buried herself in the computer to continue reading online romance novels. Bei Fei turned her head to take a look and scoffed, "Truly unambitious, how can you keep watching the same type of thing? The image of a modest gentleman, gentle as jade, is long outdated; now the trend is for the scheming and cunning—scheming! One must keep up with the times, keep up with the times, do you understand?"

There is an appointment tonight to go look at furniture

Afterward, Ling Qianfan shook hands with each of the approximately one hundred employees from the headquarters of Fangyuan Tiandi in Wucheng. To Beifei's surprise, Ling Qianfan was extremely humble and attentively listened to each person's self-introduction, occasionally interjecting with comments, such as the department's past achievements or a particular employee's outstanding contributions—even if this knowledge was acquired in just a few days or through Fang Feijin's introductions. Nevertheless, for someone at Ling Qianfan's level to remember all of this was still quite astonishing. Even in such an economic winter, seeing Ling Qianfan's unassuming smile, everyone felt a surge of confidence within.

Xi Rongrong rolled her eyes and said: "Country bumpkin!"

Do you still want to cross the San Zang Line

Xi Rongrong swallowed her saliva, reluctantly shifting her gaze away from Ling Qianfan, and looked at Bei Fei with suspicion: "Last time you watched a supermodel video, you almost blew up my pressure cooker. How come your immunity is so strong today?"

Alright, alright, alright, Beifei knows that Xirongrong is about to persuade her again, saying that the best way to get over a relationship is to start a new one, and that once this opportunity is missed, it won't come again. Anyway, since tonight is boring, why not go take a look? You can decide the time and place, but I'm afraid it might tarnish your mother's reputation

Every year, there are those who embark on this road and never return, yet the footsteps of longing have never been halted

Ling Qianfan's sudden admonition took Bei Fei by surprise. Once her mind resumed its function, she quickly broke into a radiant smile: "Young Master Ling is indeed wise!" Ling Qianfan merely smiled in response. Bei Fei, who usually prided herself on her beauty, now felt shy and found it difficult to gaze at him directly. Occasionally, she would steal glances, her heart racing as if it might skip a few beats—how unfair it is that God created such a flower-like young man, who possesses a face so beautiful that even women would feel envious. Typically, a flower-like young man does not need to be handsome; wealth would suffice. Yet, this Ling Qianfan happens to possess both beauty and intelligence, along with wealth!

Dressed in a charcoal woolen short jacket and pure wool straight trousers, with his left hand holding a recently unfastened printed silk tie, Ling Qianfan stood calmly at the exit of the Fangyuan Tiandi tea room, exuding an indescribable composure, sincerity, and a perfectly measured confidence: "Ling Qianfan, with 'Ling' meaning sharp and 'Qianfan' referring to countless sails passing by, I am very pleased to work together with everyone in the future"

Xi Rongrong disdainfully said: "I am devoted, is that not acceptable? There aren't that many scheming individuals in the world, are there?"

Cough cough—Beifei, unable to endure any longer, had to remind Xirongrong, "Ling Shao is good."

"Ah San, every time you get drunk and act crazy, you say you want a home, yet every time the moment arrives, you scare away the men who have some interest in you. Tell me honestly, are you still thinking about Yang Yue?"

Beifei pouted without saying a word, while Xirongrong leaned over with concern, speaking earnestly: "A San, my mother said the conditions this time are quite good, with a house and a car, and there is no mother-in-law at home—this also saves the trouble of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. Isn't it because you didn't get along well with Yang Yue's mother that you broke up..."

"Because the rice bowl is quite important," Beifei replied seriously, and three seconds later asked in a low voice, "What is Hermès?"

I have no other conditions, just accompany me to ride the New Tibet Line, " Beifei smiled insidiously, knowing that Xi Rongrong would definitely find a way to refuse her mother when she returned. Unexpectedly, Xi Rongrong let out a deep sigh this time.

I have already ridden the Sichuan-Tibet route and the Yunnan-Tibet route

After the meeting, Xi Rongrong held a mug and enjoyed afternoon tea with Beifei at the coffee bar, praising Ling Qianfan endlessly. Although Beifei was also drooling over him, it was limited to mere thoughts. Such an exquisite handsome man, he was pure and elegant without being seductive, someone to admire from a distance but not to be trifled with.

He chuckled again and said, "It seems I did not find the wrong person"

Ling Qianfan's gaze seemed to linger on her for a long time, a long time, long enough to make Beifei feel that her heart was somewhat overwhelmed—being in close proximity to a stunningly handsome man turned out to be quite a physical endeavor

At this point, he paused slightly, and everyone's hearts immediately rose to their throats, not daring to make a sound—such a direct and candid revelation about the company's business being affected, could it be... a harbinger of some negative news?

How old are you, Ah San? You still adhere to that absurd standard of yours—if you continue like this, unless you open it up for public bidding nationwide, it would be strange for anyone to come to your door offering to accompany you to the New Tibet Line! What road must every man walk at least once in his life... According to your standard, isn't the world filled with transvestites?

Dating and having children are undoubtedly the two most terrifying forms of pyramid schemes in the world. Those in love hope that everyone around them enjoys a happy romantic life, while women who have given birth often promote the brilliance of motherhood to those around them. Xi Rongrong belongs to the former, while Xi Rongrong's mother belongs to the latter

For someone like Xi Rongrong, who is seeing Ling Qianfan in person for the first time, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. After a moment, she straightened up and whispered to Beifei, "Indeed, seeing is believing... At first glance, he is clearly a stunning beauty and a disaster for the world... Also, it's Hermès, oh Hermès..."

The new driving route along the Xinjiang-Tibet line is no less difficult than the Shu Road; the Kudi Pass is perilous, akin to the gates of hell; the Mazha Pass rises steeply to 5,300 meters; the Heika Pass winds with ninety-nine bends; the Jieshan Pass curves, where one can almost touch the sky... This is how the locals describe the treacherous nature of the heavenly road

However, Ling Qianfan shifted the topic: "Many of the company's businesses may need to be restructured. I do not deny everyone's past achievements; everyone has done exceptionally well, and we are also in the Top 3 of comprehensive travel service websites in the country. The restructuring and integration I am referring to aim primarily to foster closer business cooperation between our company and other companies under Lingli Industry in the future"

Every time Xi Rongrong has to introduce her boyfriend to Beifei, Beifei always takes out her ultimate trump card as a shield.

That is my aunt

The signing ceremony is scheduled for 3:00 PM, and many journalists have arrived. The colleagues at the company are engaged in lively discussions, with the central topic being whether there will be layoffs following the acquisition of the company. Although the company's current operational status is relatively good, there is still a sense of unease among everyone. In the context of a challenging external environment, concerns arise about whether the new owner will take the opportunity to cut costs and whether the year-end bonuses will be diminished.

Beifu shook her head as if avoiding snakes and scorpions, wishing she could retreat three zhang away: "No!"

Ling Qianfan's lips curled slightly in a smile, yet the emotions in her gaze were difficult to discern. Beifei quickly glanced around, trying to change the subject, and happened to notice a family portrait hanging on the wall behind the sofa, with the backdrop of a traditional Siheyuan in Beijing. She couldn't help but click her tongue in her heart—she had heard that collecting antiques was no longer in vogue; owning a Siheyuan was the real trend. The traditional Siheyuan of old Beijing is a highly coveted collectible, especially considering that this one appeared to have quite a history.

The issue she is currently contemplating is that there are widespread rumors within the company that Lingli Industry is the acquirer of Fangyuan Tiandi, and that they have employed various means behind the scenes—reportedly, the one who is particularly determined to acquire Fangyuan Tiandi is Gu Fenghan, the cousin of another major shareholder of Lingli Industry, Ling Qianfan. It is also said that Fang Feijin was once a junior to Ling Qianfan while studying in San Francisco, and they share a close relationship. He had hoped to leverage this connection to prevent Fangyuan Tiandi from facing the fate of acquisition... Now that the contract has been signed, the disappointment on Fang Feijin's face is hard to conceal. She will definitely seek out Su Wan tonight to confide her feelings; it seems inappropriate for her to leave work early today. Thinking of this, she interrupted Xi Rongrong's daydreaming: "Are you free tonight? Shall we go shopping?"

"Without a romantic interest, one lacks humanity," Beifei said with a pout, while Xirongrong scoffed, "Who told you not to have a romantic interest? You deserve it—by the way, it seems my mother has found someone for you again. Shall I ask her? Are you free to meet tonight?"

Hmm? Beifi smiled apologetically: "Is it too rustic?"

In the future, if similar situations arise, you are completely free to report them upwards; if the other party has a certain background, you can directly inform me. I understand that in business, one may encounter some difficult partners, but if you come across such a company with poor qualities... when selecting partners, we will also consider the reputation of the partners, so you do not need to have too many reservations.

The revolutionary will must be resolute; one might as well consider it as viewing works of art, such as bone china and paintings. While they are pleasing to the eye, one cannot simply spend money to take them all home, can one? With this thought, Beifidun felt much more at ease. After all, antique porcelain exhibitions require an entrance fee, and opportunities to indulge for free are not available every day. Taking advantage of today's stroke of luck to admire a few more pieces can be considered a gain

The large glass window of the coffee bar allowed the warm sunlight of early winter to stream in, evenly coating Ling Qianfan with a faint glow. He wore his usual smile, with light brows and sparse eyes, friendly yet maintaining a sense of distance. However, the slightly tightened corners of his lips revealed a hint of emotion.

Ling Qianfan smiled and said: "Is your dream to travel around the world?"

The next day, as soon as I entered the office, I saw fresh soy milk and mushroom chicken porridge on the desk. Beifei put her portion in the refrigerator to make do with a meal at noon, and took a spoon to start snatching Xi Rongrong's portion. Xi Rongrong nervously asked, "Asan, you didn't come back all afternoon yesterday, did Sheng Suibo make things difficult for you?"

"In a world devoid of schemers, is it only you, this modest gentleman, who is as warm and gentle as jade?" Beifei scoffed, "Having lived more than half my life, I look around the streets and see hardly any decent porcelain pieces, let alone anything warm and gentle..."

It is just like... it is just like... Bei Fei racked his brains to scour for adjectives, when suddenly a cocktail named SCORPION, which Ling Qianfan had downed in one go at noon, flashed through his mind. It appeared gentle and had a rich flavor upon entry, yet could unexpectedly intoxicate a person, and by the time one realizes this, it is always too late

At noon, a rumor suddenly spread that a representative from Lingli Industry was coming early to sign the acquisition contract. Beifei thought for a moment, no wonder Su Wan took a leave today—after all, the territory that Fang Feijin and Su Wan built together brick by brick during their entrepreneurial days is still under their control. It is truly difficult for Su Wan to witness Fang Feijin signing to sell the company.

Ling Qianfan let out a sound of acknowledgment, nodded, and smiled as he said, "In that case, I hope the time for you to fulfill this wish is as late as possible"

She suddenly felt that the quality of the paparazzi from those gossip newspapers was truly poor. With such excellent material, how is it that they have never captured even one ten-thousandth of the essence of the real person?

The air in the workspace was still, with only the sound of the computer hard drives whirring. Ling Qianfan raised his eyebrows, and although his subsequent speech was not loud, each word resonated with conviction: "I personally believe that in the face of a crisis, talent is the most valuable asset. Therefore, I find it hard to understand why so many companies choose to abandon their most precious resources before a crisis even arrives."

Beifidun was momentarily frozen, unsure of how to remove the flattering expression from her face—truly, the word 'beauty' is like a knife, and who doesn't know that Ling Qianfan lost both parents at a young age? She was so taken by the handsome man that her mind seemed to have gone blank.

Ling Qianfan was taken aback, casting a skeptical glance at Beifei's somewhat slender frame. Beifei smiled and said, "After graduating from university, I traveled the Yunnan-Tibet route; later, after resigning from my previous company, I had a long vacation and traveled the Sichuan-Tibet route, from Ya'an to Lhasa, in 37 days, for 4,000 yuan"

He nodded slightly at the two people: "It's my first day here, and I forgot to bring a cup." He went to the water dispenser and found a disposable paper cup to fill with hot water. Xi Rongrong covered her face, wishing she could sink into the ground, unsure if her earlier comment about marrying well being less important than doing well had been overheard. As Ling Qianfan was about to leave with the hot water, he paused and smiled at the two: "You must be Xi Rongrong. I've seen the page you created for 'The City of Love'; the layout is quite good, and the color scheme is excellent. Beifei, come to my office; I have some things to discuss with you." As Ling Qianfan was about to leave with the hot water, he paused and smiled at the two: "You must be Xi Rongrong. I've seen the page you created for 'The City of Love'; the layout is quite good, and the color scheme is excellent. Beifei, come to my office; I have some things to discuss with you."

As Bei Fei finished tidying up the kitchen and came out, Ling Qianfan had already finished his phone call, leisurely lying on the sofa, squinting his eyes with great interest as he watched Bei Fei. No matter how Bei Fei thought about it, the situation today was indeed awkward. She had to speak with the "sincerity" of a U.S. presidential inauguration oath, expressing her heartfelt dedication to the company, promising to serve diligently and selflessly in the future. After talking for quite a while without receiving any response from Ling Qianfan, she stole a glance at him, only to inadvertently catch the glint of mischief in his eyes, which forced her to awkwardly laugh a couple of times to conclude this vivid performance: "Ling Shao, do you feel any better?"

Everyone couldn't help but let out a long sigh; without sufficient capital, who would dare to boast about not laying off employees?

The New Tibet Line, officially known as National Highway 219, stretches from Yecheng in Xinjiang to Ali in Tibet. It is the highest and most perilous plateau road in the world, weaving between clouds and mountains, truly deserving the title of a road to the heavens

It would be better to seize the opportunity and find a way to switch to a more relaxed position. How long has it been since we went out together...

In the front row, there were three individuals: two handsome young men who looked quite familiar, and in the middle, a sweet-smiling little girl about seven or eight years old. Upon closer inspection, the one on the right was indeed Ling Qianfan, sporting the popular middle part hairstyle of that time, reminiscent of Aaron Kwok. Bei Fei then pointed at the woman in the back row, who had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and flattered her by saying, "Your mother is really young"

Ling Qianfan was already adept at handling such situations. After introducing himself, he immediately got to the point: "As everyone knows, we are currently in an economic winter, and there are numerous rumors circulating outside; I am sure you have all heard something. Whether it is investment banks or real estate, many companies are laying off employees. The economic downturn has made life difficult for everyone, and I am well aware of this. As for Lingli Industries itself, it is only natural that all aspects of our business are affected."

She suddenly fell silent, a certain peach blossom face emerging in her mind. She had always felt that the phrase 'a modest gentleman, warm and gentle as jade' had been used online to the point of being almost vulgar. However, now reflecting on it, the impression that Ling Qianfan left in her mind was truly like a piece of exquisite jade, refined by the passage of time, with an indescribable charm in every gesture and movement.

Beifei gave her waist a gentle twist and said: "Stand up straight, don't tremble at the sight of handsome men and be unable to speak clearly!"

Cough, cough—" Beifei coughed lightly twice, secretly signaling to Xirongrong, who remained oblivious and continued to speak incessantly: "Every time you return from a business trip, you seem to encounter all sorts of troubles, and you hardly make any money. Why bother?"

Xi Rongrong smiled with delight, suddenly realizing that her long-term education had finally borne fruit. It felt as if time had been split open in an instant, allowing her to see Beifei happily walking into the hall of happiness: "You finally figured it out. It's not that I'm criticizing you, but stop thinking about those trivial matters every day. Can traveling the world or crossing the Silk Road feed you? In my opinion, doing well is not as good as marrying well. I've inquired about this one..."

It is truly intolerable by the laws of nature, and the creation is unjust, as Beifei silently sheds tears

It is unclear when it started, but conversations initiated by superiors with their subordinates began to be referred to as "chatting" or "communication." Beifei cautiously followed Ling Qianfan, noticing Xirongrong making faces at her. Beifei made a gesture as if to behead, but when she turned around, she found Ling Qianfan pursing his lips, looking at her with a hint of amusement. She had no choice but to suppress her smile and appear more professional: "Ling, your work efficiency is truly impressive; you started working right after signing the contract."

Beifei chuckled twice and quickly added: "Is that so? I was just wondering, I thought your parents really resembled each other as a couple. It turns out they are your aunt and uncle, no wonder, no wonder"

This fundamental issue concerning one's livelihood and family cannot be resolved merely by glancing at a handsome man. Ling Qianfan smiled like a warm spring breeze, yet it did nothing to dispel the gloom in everyone's hearts

Outdoor enthusiasts often say that this is a journey every man must undertake at least once in his lifetime

Beifei recalled what happened yesterday afternoon, her face involuntarily flushed, biting her lip and chuckling to herself: "No, no, yesterday I just happened to run into the new boss in Jiuquan, it's Ferrari." Ling Qianfan made a grand entrance in Wucheng, causing quite a stir, driving a red Ferrari while his cousin Gu Fenghan drove a yellow Lamborghini, frequently racing on the northern lane of Jinghu Lake, creating a stunning sight. The infatuated women in the company, upon seeing the photos online, referred to the two by their car names, "As soon as Sheng Suibo saw the Ferrari, he hurried to curry favor, how could he make things difficult for me!"

Ling Qianfan's expression became even more peculiar: "That is my grandfather"