Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Wen Shuyan's "It's inconvenient to talk more" is not a simple rejection, but rather a blatant attempt to cover up her true intentions.

If she had no feelings for Han Fei, she could easily have answered, "Han Fei is just my brother's boss; I'm not familiar with him," or "Why are you asking this?" Either answer would have cleanly and decisively severed ties. But she didn't. Her avoidance of the question suggests that she preferred to end the conversation rather than brush it off with a simple "I have nothing to do with Han Fei." This implies that she has feelings for Han Fei that go beyond ordinary understanding, and she may herself be aware of this, hence her caution.

That night, Chen Zhengyuan tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, unable to understand how he, the senior vice president of NetEase, could lose to a twenty-five-year-old pretty boy. It wasn't until the next morning when he was summoned to headquarters and Ding Lei announced that his negligence had caused NetEase to be in a passive position, giving him one last chance to redeem himself, that Chen Zhengyuan realized that the guy who made his fortune through speculation had not only blocked his path in love, but had also ruined the business he had painstakingly built up over half a lifetime.

He couldn't swallow this insult. He had nothing left to lose. Winning was his only path. He wanted to make Ding Lei regret it, make Han Fei beg for mercy on his knees, and make that ungrateful woman see clearly who the real winner was. He knew that to move a great building, he first needed to find the most inconspicuous yet most resilient fulcrum; to make his opponent's walls collapse, he had to start from a corner of the foundation, loosening it brick by brick. The time for counterattack had come. He was fearless now.

So Chen Zhengyuan arranged to meet Zhang Huaili at the "Banxianju" teahouse this morning. Banxianju is a private teahouse located deep in a sycamore-lined alley in the old French Concession, very close to the back gate of the Normal University. Zhang Huaili explained to Chen Zhengyuan that they met there because the staff at Banxianju are not talkative and respect guests' privacy. They will notice if you come back, but they won't ask for an explanation.

Chen Zhengyuan arrived at Banxianju Tea House a minute late. It was Sunday, and the tea house was filled with the atmosphere of a quiet morning with few customers.

Zhang Huaili was already seated at a table deep within the tea room, a pot of tea in front of him. Chen Zhengyuan felt Zhang Huaili's gaze upon him as he sat down. Zhang Huaili's eyes shone brightly in their deep sockets, and between them was an arrogant, pointed nose. He had thick gray hair, a tall and upright posture, and a rather slender build for his age. He was about fifty years old, the kind of person who would be hard to believe had ever been young, yet he didn't look old at all.

Zhang Huaili's thin lips parted: "Zhengyuan, you're actually late. That's quite rare."

Chen Zhengyuan ordered a pot of West Lake Longjing tea from the waitress, picked up the tea and snack menu on the table, and began to carefully read it from the first page, while casually replying as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "How's things going with what we talked about last time?"

"You don't know it's summer vacation, do you?"

"I know."

Zhang Huaili took a sip of tea.

"So what?" Chen Zhengyuan said, "Summer vacation is for students, not teachers. You student teachers, you've been rehearsing, preparing lessons, and welcoming new students all summer long, haven't you? I don't care if the students are on vacation or not, I just need Wen Shuyan to participate."

Zhang Huaili looked directly at Chen Zhengyuan, his gaze lingering on Chen's face for a moment, then he pulled open his coat sleeve and glanced at his watch. Chen Zhengyuan thought this gesture indicated that the meeting had reached a conclusion.

"Zhengyuan, it's not that I don't want to help you. It's mid-August now, students are on vacation, teachers are on rotating leave, and it's difficult for the school to even get an official stamp. What kind of 'NetBillion University Original Music Support Program Launch Meeting' do I have now? School leaders would ask me if I've lost my mind. Besides, Wen Shuyan is a student teacher; she has no obligation to participate in any school-organized activities during the summer vacation. If I force her to come, she'll call the personnel department and say that Vice Principal Zhang violated regulations by requiring teachers to work overtime during the summer vacation. How am I supposed to explain that?"

Chen Zhengyuan chuckled, then repeated himself, his eyes fixed on the menu: "Old Zhang, stop giving me that bureaucratic nonsense. I was the one who had someone settle your son's matter. What did you say back then? You said to just ask if I needed anything in the future. Now that I've asked, you're giving me this excuse about being busy during summer vacation and trying to talk about rules? If you want to talk about rules, I can bring up those old scores and have a chat with you."

Zhang Huaili frowned, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke again, clearly angered: "Zhengyuan, I advise you to think this through. Are you sure you want to blackmail me and force me to do this for a woman? If I go through with this and something goes wrong, I'll lose my position as vice principal. We need to settle our accounts. I acknowledge your help. But if you want me to pay with my life, then we need to renegotiate the price."

"It's no longer a woman's problem," Chen Zhengyuan said. "Old Zhang, let me tell you, my life is now tied to her."

"What do you mean?"

"If I can't handle her, I'll have to leave NetEase in three months. You should know what that means."

Zhang Huaili looked at Chen Zhengyuan with suspicion: "Wen Shuyan is just an intern teacher. What does she have to do with your career? Why should she be able to decide your fate at NetEase?"

"You'll understand these things in time, Lao Zhang," Chen Zhengyuan said in a low voice. "Right now, you just need to understand that I'm not threatening you, but reminding you that we're in the same boat. If I lose in the end, do you think you can escape unscathed? Do you think you can still be your vice principal peacefully? The school-enterprise cooperation between Wangyi and your school was all arranged by me. If I fall, will your school-enterprise cooperation achievements still stand? How long will your son's idle job of earning five thousand yuan without working last?"

Zhang Huaili frowned. Chen Zhengyuan saw hesitation and doubt on Zhang Huaili's face, and finally, he gradually collapsed.

"Zhengyuan, I won't beat around the bush," Zhang Huaili said, sighing. "It's definitely not possible to do this during the summer vacation. But there are still less than two weeks before school starts, so I can do it during the first week of school."

Chen Zhengyuan took two sips of tea and found it surprisingly unpleasant to drink. He then gestured for Zhang Huaili to continue.

"In early September," Zhang Huaili continued, "the school will officially open, all teachers and students will return to campus, and all work will be fully launched. At that time, I will arrange the launch meeting on the first Friday afternoon after the opening ceremony, under the name of a key school-enterprise cooperation project for the new semester. At that time, school leaders will be present, and the media will be paying attention, so it will be perfectly legitimate."