Cooperation Proposal

As they were about to leave, Pei Jiaqian instinctively followed Ye Qingpu.

With one leg already on the coach, Ye Qingpu turned back helplessly and pointed at the bus behind him.

"President Pei, at your age, even if you can't recognize the way, you should at least recognize people, right? Your company's bus is over there."

Pei Jiaqian silently sighed and, under everyone's gaze, dejectedly returned to his company's team-building coach.

As Ye Qingpu withdrew his gaze, he noticed Jian Wen looking over with an inquisitive yet chilly expression.

Tsk. People who looked at others like that usually had something big brewing.

He had lived for thirty years without stealing or robbing anyone, yet after being slept with by an enigma, he still had to put up with someone's attitude. Who had Ye Qingpu offended?

Abstinent for thirty years, then pinned down, forcibly transformed, and even knocked up—he had already been unlucky enough. Yet someone was still eagerly plotting to trip him up.

What else could he do? Endure it. They were just young people full of passion, convinced that true love conquered all. There was no need for him to take them too seriously.

After consoling himself all the way, Ye Qingpu returned to the company.

He deliberately looked into Jiang Wenke and discovered that he worked in the Planning Department. After having his assistant pull up Jiang Wenke's file, Ye Qingpu found that his professional knowledge was solid. He was talented, and with a little guidance, they might be able to work together long-term.

"Boss, your flowers."

His assistant suddenly entered the office carrying a huge bouquet of roses.

The scent made Ye Qingpu sneeze. He asked in confusion,

"I didn't order any flowers."

"They seem to have been sent by President Wang next door."

At the thought of Wang Jing, Ye Qingpu immediately waved his hand, signaling for his assistant to throw the flowers away.

"Alright, Boss. But there's a card. Would you like to look at it?"

As she spoke, the assistant took out a bright pink card tucked among the flowers.

Ye Qingpu yanked over a tissue, wrapped it around the card, and accepted it. Scrawled across it were the words—

'Beauty~ I had these flowers specially flown in from abroad. Each stem is worth two thousand yuan. To make sure they reached you in their most perfect state, I specially released my pheromones onto them. I hope that when you smell my pheromones, it'll be like seeing me~ Don't miss me. Yours, Jing.'

Tsk.

Ptooey.

Disgusting.

Ye Qingpu tossed both the card and the tissue into the trash.

Miss what? Miss how short, ugly, and greasy he was, or miss the fact that he had been in prison?

"From now on, throw anything Wang Jing sends directly into the dumpster downstairs. Don't show it to me."

Ye Qingpu said.

"Understood, Boss. Also, there's a gentleman downstairs who seems to want to see you. Should I invite him up?"

"Which gentleman?" Ye Qingpu frowned.

"He said he was from the Biological Research Institute. He didn't say anything else," the assistant replied.

The Biological Research Institute?

"Invite him up."

Ye Qingpu grew curious. Why would someone from the Biological Research Institute take the initiative to find him? The last time they had contacted each other had been when the cooperation proposal had come to nothing.

But the moment that so-called gentleman from the Biological Research Institute stepped into the office, Ye Qingpu was startled.

Wasn't he the one who had given him a spa treatment at the seaside last time?

"Hello, I'm Huo Sili. It's a pleasure to meet you."

With an elegant smile on his face, Huo Sili extended his hand to Ye Qingpu like a gentleman.

"Hello, I'm Ye Qingpu."

Ye Qingpu shook his hand and led him into the lounge.

"Would you like tea or coffee?" the assistant asked politely.

"Per favore dammi una tazza di tè nero, grazie." (Black tea, thank you.)

Huo Sili nodded in thanks.

"You're... Italian?"

Without showing it, Ye Qingpu studied Huo Sili. He was certain this was the man he had met at the seaside last time. Though dressed in a suit now, his temperament was somewhat different.

Still, since he said he was from the Biological Research Institute, he presumably knew Pei Jiaqian as well.

"You guessed correctly. I'm from Rome. Jiaqian and I are from the same research institute."

As if he had seen through Ye Qingpu's doubts, Huo Sili volunteered the information.

"You came to see me on Pei Jiaqian's behalf?"

Ye Qingpu leaned back against the sofa, his hands instinctively resting over his crossed legs.

"No. I wished to submit a cooperation proposal to you in my personal capacity."

Huo Sili narrowed his eyes slightly, giving off an especially amiable impression.

"I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand."

The Institute's collaborations had always been based on group partnerships.

"In fact, the Institute works for my Lineage." After a brief pause, Huo Sili added,

"I provide the Institute with substantial funding and facilities, while they conduct the research... Al momento, il progetto di ricerca recentemente sviluppato nelle mie mani è molto adatto per la visione di sviluppo della vostra azienda. So, I'm proposing a collaboration to you."

Ye Qingpu accepted the proposal Huo Sili handed over and read it carefully.

The research title was striking: "Fourth Gender Research and Pheromone Transformation."

"Fourth Gender Research and Pheromone Transformation?"

Ye Qingpu looked up at Huo Sili.

"Yes. It is based on the 'Three-Gender Research and Dominant Gene Alteration' that you have long wished to participate in. Its primary focus is also whether fixed gender genes may have the possibility of latent gender transformation," Huo Sili explained.

"Although Jiaqian has always handled your previous cooperation applications, I read your vision for the collaboration. Your goals align with our research."

Ye Qingpu fell into thought. The main reason he wanted to participate in this project was that during his secondary differentiation, certain factors had caused him to differentiate from a dominant alpha into a beta. He had investigated the gender histories of both his parents' Lineages for six generations up and down, yet there had been no betas at all.

It was known that no dominant beta gender existed in his Lineage. Yet as the descendant of standard AOs, he had directly differentiated from a dominant alpha into a beta. Thus, Ye Qingpu had always sought to determine whether "gender differentiation—one's own dominant gender—was related to environmental factors and certain specific conditions."

If fixed genders could become unfixed due to certain factors, then once this research technology matured, babies born in the future could alter their genders after birth.

As a fourth gender mutated from alphas, enigma was a necessary condition for this research. The only drawback was that if the hypothesis proved true, then the original ABO three-gender worldview would selectively eliminate genders or differentiate and mutate new genders in order to achieve a balanced worldview of mutual restraint.

Closing the proposal, Ye Qingpu pondered for a moment before saying,

"I'm very interested in your research plan, Mr. Huo, but please give me some time to consider it."

"Of course." Huo Sili handed over his business card. "You can contact me at any time once you've made up your mind."

"Certainly."

Ye Qingpu accepted the card and nodded in thanks.

"Then I won't... dis... dis... f*ck..." Huo Sili smiled helplessly and reorganized his words. "Grazie per aver dedicato il tempo, non vedo l'ora di rivedervi la prossima volta." (Thank you for taking the time. I look forward to seeing you again next time.)

"Take care."

Ye Qingpu stood and personally saw him downstairs.

Once seated in the back seat, Huo Sili took out his phone, composed a message to Pei Jiaqian, and sent it. He then put away his phone, a handsome curve lifting at the corner of his lips.

-"Ho visto i tuoi due tesori, sono molto carini~"

(I met your two treasures. They're very cute~)