My Favorite Ship Became My Sister-in-Law - Chapter 5

Brother Chenchuan and I Sealed the Deal

“There are thousands of roads, but safety comes first.” Ji Chenchuan withdrew his hand and kept his eyes on the road ahead. He glanced at Shi Yue out of the corner of his eye and gave a simple “Mhm” in response.

“The September league matches. I want you to go with me.”

“Okay.”

“You just agreed, just like that?”

“Why would I not?”

“I thought you would hesitate. Regardless, since you promised me, you are not allowed to go back on your word!”

A helpless smile tugged at the corner of Ji Chenchuan’s mouth, serving as a silent agreement that he would not break his promise.

After exiting the highway and driving for another half hour, they finally reached Sanhe County. The county seat was small, and the local economy was relatively underdeveloped. Ji Chenchuan drove around the town to get a general feel for the area before heading toward Song Shaorong’s construction site.

Ji Chenchuan did not smoke, but to cater to Song Shaorong’s potential preferences, he stopped at a roadside convenience store. He bought two boxes of Chunghwa Golden Pine cigarettes and a lighter, tucking them into his pocket. He also picked up a chilled bottle of Mizone C100.

The sun was brutal today. Inside the car with the air conditioning, it was fine, but the moment they stepped out, it felt as if they were about to melt. Ji Chenchuan handed the Mizone C100 to Shi Yue and told him to wait in the car.

Shi Yue refused and insisted on coming along. Eventually, both of them put on safety helmets and headed toward the site. Ji Shengqiang visited construction sites frequently, so he kept several spare helmets in the trunk.

Since it was noon, most workers were having lunch. Only two people wearing red safety helmets were patrolling the site.

Ji Chenchuan focused his attention on a man in his mid thirties who was dressed very impeccably. He guessed that this man was Song Shaorong. To confirm his suspicion, Ji Chenchuan offered cigarettes to the workers eating in the tent and asked around. He was right; the man was indeed Song Shaorong.

Song Shaorong was squinting against the harsh sun, shielding his eyes with one hand while pointing around with the other. Every time he pointed, he said something to the person beside him, who nodded and hurried to take notes in a sketchbook.

“Hello, Boss Song,” Ji Chenchuan stepped forward and offered a cigarette as an opening.

Hearing the greeting, Song Shaorong looked back at Ji Chenchuan.

Ji Chenchuan was about to speak politely again when Song Shaorong gave the offered cigarette a cold, expressionless glance. He immediately turned his head back, not even bothering to acknowledge Ji Chenchuan.

“My apologies, I did not know Boss Song does not smoke.”

Ji Chenchuan noticed the assistant beside Song Shaorong give him a signaling look. He nodded to the man in thanks while offering a sincere apology to Song Shaorong. He tucked the cigarette behind his ear, suppressing a flash of anger. He had not expected Zhang Ping to lie to him.

Song Shaorong acted as if he had heard nothing and continued to ignore him. Ji Chenchuan was left standing there awkwardly.

Shi Yue felt a surge of rage on his behalf. He really wanted to grab a sack and teach Song Shaorong a lesson.

Ji Chenchuan knew better than anyone that if you want to take money out of someone else’s pocket, you have to be prepared for cold shoulders. His father had built his business from nothing, and Ji Chenchuan had seen and heard plenty of this growing up. Therefore, even after being repeatedly snubbed, he remained composed and maintained his grace.

He quickly analyzed the situation. Based on Song Shaorong’s dismissive attitude, the man was clearly arrogant. Simply trying to please him would be useless; otherwise, a veteran like Zhang Ping would have won him over long ago. Ji Chenchuan decided to try reverse psychology. The worst case scenario was simply a wasted trip.

The best entry point for this approach was competition.

“I have to say, Boss Song, your vision is truly unique,” Ji Chenchuan began. “I just drove around the county and counted. While there are many small clinics in Sanhe County, the only large hospital is the County Hospital. Investing in a large scale hospital here truly has a bright future. Coincidentally, I have some good resources on hand and would like a piece of the pie. Boss Song does not mind, right?”

Ji Chenchuan did not actually have the capital for such a move, but his calm and confident delivery made his words seem undeniably true.

“Brother Chenchuan, are you serious?” Shi Yue blinked his bright eyes. “No wonder you drove around for so long. You were conducting market research!”

“Yes. It is a pity Boss Song got here first, but I think the market is not quite saturated yet,” Ji Chenchuan said, looking at Song Shaorong. He was internally surprised and impressed. He had not expected Shi Yue to catch on so quickly and cooperate so well, even emphasizing the “driving around” part to add credibility to the story.

Shi Yue was also wondering if his input helped. Song Shaorong’s condescending attitude had made him fume. If it were not for the fact that this was one of Ji Chenchuan’s first professional milestones, he really would have put a sack over the old man’s head.

The reaction from Song Shaorong proved their teamwork was effective.

Ji Chenchuan saw Song Shaorong squint and size him up. Then, the man glanced at the Audi parked by the site. This was the car Ji Chenchuan’s father specifically bought for site visits, with a market value of one to two million. Ji Chenchuan knew that single glance held a lot of weight. Whether Song Shaorong would speak depended entirely on that look.

“You are not a salesman from the ceramic tile factory?” Song Shaorong finally spoke. That vehicle told him he needed to re-evaluate this young man who dared to dream of taking a share of his profits.

Ji Chenchuan only feared silence; as long as the man spoke, he had a way to draw him in. He first introduced himself honestly, then discussed the foreseeable and considerable income once the hospital was completed.

Hearing that he was a salesman from Taodu, Song Shaorong’s eyes narrowed. He had not expected to be fooled by a mere salesman. However, his prejudice quickly vanished. As the conversation continued, Song Shaorong became increasingly surprised. He realized he had truly underestimated the youth before him.

The maturity and foresight Ji Chenchuan displayed were far beyond his years. Though he was slightly green in some areas, he clearly had his own way of doing things.

A hint of admiration appeared in Song Shaorong’s eyes. After talking business, he changed the subject as if wanting to see if Ji Chenchuan was as interesting as he seemed. He started talking about the lack of peace in Jerusalem, the City of Peace, before moving on to the Bible, Heaven, and Hell. He asked Ji Chenchuan if he believed they truly existed.

Ji Chenchuan replied unhurriedly, “That depends on how you define Heaven and Hell. If you are referring to the afterlife, I do not believe they exist. I think they are lies created by later generations for religious rule to encourage good and suppress evil. After all, human malice often exceeds imagination, and no one has ever truly seen what they look like. They are just products of people’s rich imaginations.

However, if you are referring to this life, then I believe Heaven and Hell are very real. When a person is suffering from illness, a hospital that can alleviate their pain is their Heaven. Since you are building this Heaven for the local people, Boss Song, it is truly a great act of merit.”

Ji Chenchuan had subtly and elegantly praised Song Shaorong.

Song Shaorong was pleased and found Ji Chenchuan quite interesting, though he kept his face neutral. “You did not mention the Hell of this life, only that I am building a Heaven. According to you, could I consider your mouth to be the entrance to Hell? You are cursing the locals to suffer from illness.”

“People eat whole grains; everyone gets a headache or a fever sometimes. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws. I am simply stating those laws. It has nothing to do with a curse. Please do not pin such a heavy crime on me, Boss Song; I cannot afford it.”

Shi Yue had never seen Ji Chenchuan so composed and sharp in the face of such questioning. In his memory, Ji Chenchuan was just a gentle and caring older brother next door. He had not realized this was just one side of him. Shi Yue stared at Ji Chenchuan, feeling a bit dazed by the sight.

Ji Chenchuan noticed Shi Yue staring out of the corner of his eye and gave his shoulder a light squeeze, as if asking what was wrong. Shi Yue quickly snapped out of it, shook his head with a smile, and indicated he was fine.

Song Shaorong suddenly let out a loud laugh and slapped Ji Chenchuan on the shoulder. He confirmed he would cooperate with Taodu and told Ji Chenchuan not to play around in Sanhe County anymore; he would introduce him to other good projects instead.

Ji Chenchuan did not actually have that kind of power, but his father might. He could tell Song Shaorong knew he was bluffing but said it anyway out of genuine appreciation. Ji Chenchuan naturally took the opportunity to say many polite and gracious things.

Shi Yue was overjoyed that the deal had actually gone through. In his heart, he was quietly shouting, Aquarium, here I come!

Ji Chenchuan invited Song Shaorong to lunch, but Song Shaorong declined. He said he would treat Ji Chenchuan the next time he visited Lincheng and expressed his pleasure in working with someone as interesting as him. Ji Chenchuan did not push the matter. After a few more polite exchanges, he and Shi Yue left the site.

As they passed the assistant who had been following Song Shaorong, Shi Yue’s gaze accidentally fell on the man’s notebook. It was filled with dense rows of numbers, additions, and subtractions. The man seemed to be calculating a final result.

Shi Yue paused for a second. He had seen the man signaling to Ji Chenchuan earlier and felt the need to help him since he had helped Ji Chenchuan.

“The result is wrong. It should be 6239.6.”

Hearing this, the man looked up at Shi Yue.

“If you do not believe me, calculate it again,” Shi Yue said with a confident smile.

The man had just used his phone calculator, so he did not see how it could be wrong. To prove himself in front of his boss, he quickly calculated it again. The result was indeed 6239.6.

“Impressive, young man! You saw the error with just a glance. It must have been right here; I added it wrong,” the man said to Shi Yue in disbelief.

Shi Yue smiled but said nothing. Simple addition and subtraction were child’s play to him.

Song Shaorong looked at Shi Yue and then back at Ji Chenchuan, his eyes showing even more obvious admiration.

“Brother Chenchuan, are you happy? I cannot believe we actually landed this order! Uncle Ji will be so happy. He will definitely pat you on the shoulder and praise you,” Shi Yue said before getting into the car. He patted Ji Chenchuan’s shoulder, mimicking Ji Shengqiang’s voice: “My son is great!”

“Shi Yue, are you sure you are not just taking advantage of me?” Ji Chenchuan did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Shi Yue laughed loudly and held up two fingers to swear he was not.

“Seriously, are you happy, Brother Chenchuan?” Shi Yue asked again once they were in the car. This was the first order Ji Chenchuan had secured on his first day in the professional world; he should be very happy, yet he did not look particularly elated.

Ji Chenchuan did not answer with words. He simply nodded and gave a slight smile.

In his mind, he was reviewing the day. He knew that landing this order relied heavily on his equipment and luck. If his father had not let him drive the Audi and he had arrived in a Wuling van instead, Song Shaorong would not have given him a second look, regardless of how well he acted.

He was still very young and needed much more experience in handling life’s challenges.

On the way back, Shi Yue and Ji Chenchuan chatted intermittently. Before they knew it, they were back in Lincheng. Perhaps from talking too much, Shi Yue felt exhausted and actually fell asleep.

Ji Chenchuan parked the car in the cool warehouse. He turned off the air conditioning and rolled down the four windows to let Shi Yue keep sleeping. He quietly opened the car door, stepped out, and went to the storefront to report the results to his father.

At the storefront, he saw his father sitting on a leather sofa talking to a client. Ji Chenchuan did not disturb them. Since the checkout counter was empty, he sat there to wait.

Having driven for five or six hours straight for the first time, Ji Chenchuan’s wrists felt a bit sore. He lowered his head and began to rub them.

Ji Shengqiang glanced over and thought Ji Chenchuan was feeling dejected because he had failed to close the deal. Once he saw the client out, he walked over to the counter. In business, he was tough, but he doted on his children.

He comforted Ji Chenchuan, “A single failure does not prove anything. What you need to do is not feel discouraged, but learn to find the reason for the failure, accumulate experience, and prepare for the next success.”

Zhang Ping happened to come in from outside. Hearing Ji Shengqiang’s words, he was secretly delighted. It seemed Ji Chenchuan had indeed failed to win over Song Shaorong. To keep up appearances in front of Ji Shengqiang, Zhang Ping also pretended to comfort Ji Chenchuan.

Listening to Zhang Ping’s gleeful tone and remembering that the man had lied to him, Ji Chenchuan really wanted to give him a couple of slaps, if not for his aunt’s sake.

Just then, Shi Yue suddenly ran in from the warehouse and said happily to Ji Shengqiang, “Uncle Ji, Brother Chenchuan and I sealed the deal! When do we get the tickets to the aquarium?”