Page 48

Li Rongyu blinked and deliberately asked, "But those patches of wasteland by the fishing village in the north are too far from the city center. Transportation is inconvenient, and the public infrastructure is poor. Even if we acquire them, they probably won't be worth much."

"How could that be? Once Line 11 opens in a couple of years, that area will become prime land. Besides, the Wancheng government is planning to establish a second business district there. The southeast side of Wancheng is pretty much fully developed now, with little potential left to tap. The only way is to expand in that direction."

Li Rongyu asked with a smile, "How did you know the government was planning to establish a second business district in the northwest, and how did you know it was preparing to build Line 11?"

"Of course it's because—" Li Rongxiu suddenly caught himself. Looking at Li Rongyu's meaningful smile, he chuckled. "Well... when Shen Yujun left, he asked me to help manage the website. I got bored and took a look at the backend. That's where I saw all this information."

"Is that so?" Li Rongyu tapped the desk thoughtfully with his index finger, a habitual gesture whenever he was thinking.

Li Rongxiu set the folder in his hand on the coffee table, rose, and walked over to the wine cabinet. He picked out a bottle of red wine and two goblets, then joked, "We ate too much tonight. A little red wine will help us digest."

Li Rongyu came back to himself and laughed. "If you ate too much, drink a few more cups of yogurt. That's better for digestion than this."

Li Rongxiu chuckled and poured two glasses of wine anyway. He kept one for himself and handed the other to Li Rongyu. Smiling, he said, "Starting tomorrow, I'll be your subordinate. You have to treat me better, or I'll go home and complain to Mom and Grandma."

"That's the only talent you've got." Though Li Rongyu said that, he still clinked glasses with Li Rongxiu.

Li Rongxiu dawdled in Li Rongyu's study until ten-thirty that night before leisurely returning to his room to rest. To make sure he would not sleep too late and fail to get up the next morning, he did not even turn on his computer. He went straight to bed.

He slept dreamlessly through the night.

Early the next morning, Li Rongxiu got up before six. By the time he had washed up, it was only a little past six-thirty.

The atmosphere in the old residence remained peaceful and quiet, without a sound. But when Li Rongxiu came downstairs into the hall, he found the servants busily cleaning, moving swiftly through the spacious house like butterflies flitting among flowers.

As Mo Wanrou and Li Xizhao grew older, they needed less and less sleep. Especially in summer, they woke as soon as the sky brightened. When Li Rongxiu entered the garden, he saw the elderly couple doing their morning exercises. Li Xizhao was practicing tai chi, while Mo Wanrou watered the flowers with a sprinkler.

Seeing Li Rongxiu up so early, the two were momentarily unaccustomed to it. Mo Wanrou asked with a smile, "Why are you up so early? Why not sleep a little longer?"

"I went to bed early last night, so naturally I got up early this morning." Li Rongxiu smiled as he took the sprinkler from Mo Wanrou and casually watered the flowers. Before long, Father Li and Eldest Brother Li had also gotten up. The three of them began jogging around the lawn at home. But Li Rongxiu's body could not compare to Father Li's and Eldest Brother Li's, who exercised every day. Before they had even run a thousand meters, Li Rongxiu was already tired.

He began slowing down, changing from a steady run to a jog, and eventually to a brisk walk. His shameless cutting of corners made Father Li and Eldest Brother Li laugh secretly. Li Rongyu said, "Your foundation really won't do. If your health is poor, your energy will be lacking, and it'll be hard for you to handle a heavy workload. Every quarter, our company employees undergo outdoor training to maintain their health. I think you should join this quarter's training too."

"Please spare me," Li Rongxiu wailed. "I don't want to run laps around some scenic area like an idiot, do frog jumps and push-ups while people stare at me, or climb up and down those obstacles like a monkey... Big Brother, you can't force your hobby on me."

In his youth, Li Rongyu had loved outdoor sports and parkour. Over the years, he had climbed countless mountains and crossed countless rivers. He had even organized a mountaineering team that successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest. Clearly, the idea that people with brilliant minds were physically weak did not apply to Eldest Brother Li.

"So in Xiu Xiu's eyes, Big Brother is an idiotic monkey who likes climbing around and showing off." Li Rongyu repeated this expressionlessly.

Li Rongxiu immediately sensed trouble and was about to explain when Li Rongyu slowly said, "By the way, because of the recent economic crisis, the company has undergone major personnel changes. Some archival records were not updated in time, and some are even missing. I was planning to have the Archives Department reorganize the company records. Since you don't like outdoor sports, stay at the company and sort through the materials instead. It'll also give you a direct understanding of the company's operations over the past ten years."

"Ten years?" Li Rongxiu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's right." Li Rongyu nodded calmly and said expressionlessly, "If you think ten years is too little, I can have the Archives Department bring out all the records from the company's founding until now—"

"No need, no need." Sweating profusely, Li Rongxiu smiled ingratiatingly. "Ten years is perfect, ten years is perfect. By the way, Big Brother, you must be tired after running so long, right? Are your muscles sore? Want me to massage them for you...?"

After breakfast, Li Rongxiu went straight to the garage and brought out his beloved red sports car, preparing to drive it to work. But Li Rongyu stopped him at the front gate. Eldest Brother Li looked somewhat helplessly at Li Rongxiu, who sat in the red sports car wearing sunglasses and chewing gum. "Ride with me. Don't take the sports car."

Hearing that, Li Rongxiu glanced doubtfully at Li Rongyu's car—a Bach sedan manufactured by an automobile company under the Li Meihua Group. Its classic black color scheme and sleek body lines displayed understated luxury under the designer's exceptional vision. Raising his brows, he asked, "Why?"

"You're going to intern at the company now, and you represent the company's image. Maserati sports cars may be expensive, but since the Li family owns an automobile brand, it's best to use our own products when you go to work." As Li Rongyu spoke, he leaned over and removed Li Rongxiu's sunglasses. "Get in quickly. We're going to be late."

Li Rongxiu pouted and got out of his car. Then he tossed the keys to Li Eleven, who was standing nearby, and casually ordered, "Drive it back."

But inwardly, he grumbled that there had not been so much trouble when he went to work at the company in his previous life. Then, thinking of his Maserati sports car, he could not help thinking of Shen Yujun. The reason was simple: Maserati Automotive Company, which produced Maserati sports cars, belonged to the Fate Group, and the Fate Group was an asset of the Alie family in Enoria.

He wondered whether their two automotive companies might have an opportunity to cooperate in the future. But on second thought, Li Rongxiu found it amusing, because whether they could cooperate was not something the two of them could decide. He could not make decisions for Li Meihua, and Shen Yujun could not make decisions for the Fate Group. Besides, even if the two family businesses intended to cooperate, the personnel disputes and exchange of interests involved would be far more complicated. That was even less something outsiders like Li Rongxiu and Shen Yujun could control...

As Li Rongxiu let his thoughts wander, the black Bach sedan slowly arrived at Wanrou Tower, Li Meihua's headquarters in Wancheng. This ninety-nine-story commercial building, including its underground levels, had been Li Xizhao's gift to Mo Wanrou on her thirtieth birthday. It was also a landmark of Wancheng. Wanrou Tower, whose name symbolized everlasting love, not only represented the deep affection between his grandfather and grandmother, but also marked the year Li Meihua officially entered the real estate industry.

For the Li family, that year had also been a joyous one for welcoming a new child.

Because Uncle Li Bingru had been born that year.

Several decades had passed. Although Wancheng's central business district had undergone constant redevelopment and adjustment, the ninety-nine-story Wanrou Tower still stood firm. Like a giant with deep roots, it looked down proudly upon the masses below.

As a member of the Li family, standing upon the foundation built through the efforts of the Li family's forebears and gazing out at the world, how could one not devote heart and soul to the cause? How could one not strive diligently to make the Li family's businesses flourish and grow even more glorious?

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the executive president's office on the top floor and looking out over all of Wancheng, one could only feel that every pedestrian and vehicle below was as small as an ant. After staying in such an environment for so long, even Li Rongxiu, who had always been mild-tempered and without grand ambitions, could not help feeling a faint surge of emotion. He sighed, "Tell me, if someone afraid of heights stood here and looked down, what do you think would go through their mind?"

Li Rongyu, who was sitting at the computer reviewing the business reports submitted by each department: "..."

Standing opposite Li Rongyu with a laptop in his arms, Zhou Fan could not help curling his lips. He felt that children these days really had unusual ways of thinking.

Li Rongyu expressionlessly glanced at Zhou Fan, who was struggling to suppress his laughter, and said, "Take him to the Secretarial Department later to get familiar with it. Give him the work badge and the other items prepared for him yesterday while you're at it."

Zhou Fan nodded in acknowledgment. After calmly delivering his report, he waited a while longer. Seeing that Li Rongyu had no further instructions, he finally left with Li Rongxiu.

The Secretarial Department was on the seventy-seventh floor. Li Rongxiu liked that number very much because he himself had been born on July 7. In an excellent mood, he smiled at Zhou Fan. "Looks like I really am destined to have an affinity with the Secretarial Department."

Zhou Fan smiled faintly. As Li Rongyu's chief secretary and personal assistant, Zhou Fan had dealt with Li Rongxiu more than once before. Most of the time, he followed Li Rongyu's instructions in helping Li Rongxiu solve all kinds of problems or buying him all sorts of gifts at Li Rongyu's request. So deep down, Zhou Fan could treat Li Rongxiu well as the boss's child, but he found it somewhat difficult to accept him as a colleague working alongside him.

Zhou Fan even felt that if Li Rongxiu had not been born into such a good family, with several good relatives who pampered and protected him unconditionally, he would never have lived so comfortably. So at times, when overtime left Zhou Fan exhausted like a dog, he would also envy Li Rongxiu, who did nothing all day and never lacked spending money.

But what could he do? As Li Rongxiu often said, being born into the right family was a skill. And most people had not mastered that skill.

With complicated thoughts, Zhou Fan led Li Rongxiu through the clean, bright open office area of the Secretarial Department. The department staff sat or stood in their respective cubicles, pretending to be absorbed in work while constantly sneaking glances at Li Rongxiu. Li Rongxiu could even sense the restless murmur of whispers from the cubicles the instant Zhou Fan shut the office door.

Li Rongxiu then glanced at Zhou Fan, who merely smiled without revealing any genuine emotion, and smiled as well. Getting straight to the point, he said, "I know people like you, corporate executives, are actually the least patient when it comes to supervising interns like us spoiled rich kids. You think we're only here to play around, that we don't know anything, don't take work seriously, and have even worse attitudes... It's already good enough if we don't cause trouble for you. How could we possibly be of any help?"

The smile on Zhou Fan's face faded slightly as he answered seriously, "Young Master Xiu, you flatter us. You're so intelligent, able to draw inferences from one example and understand things by analogy. How could I worry that you would be unable to handle your position? Besides, you were this year's Top Student at Diwan, an absolute elite. A talent like you coming to intern at the company is the company's good fortune."

As he spoke, he handed over the work badge and laptop he had already arranged for Li Rongxiu. Li Rongxiu took the laptop and placed it on the desk, then played with his work badge. The passport photo against its blue background was not too ugly and still could not hide his natural good looks. Born vain, Li Rongxiu nodded in satisfaction. As for the title of executive president's assistant written on it, he did not care much about that.