You're My Boss from Now On

After both sides signed the agreement, Wang Hengli arranged for one of the company salesmen to coordinate with Fang Bai. That same day, Fang Bai hauled away a hundred unfinished parts and the processing drawings.

There was a delivery order for however much goods were taken; it was not as though one could take as much as one wanted.

Of course, many companies had poorly regulated systems. They did not sign agreements for subcontracting work, and a verbal arrangement between both sides was enough.

Hengli Company handled transportation. Fang Bai handed the driver a pack of cigarettes and asked him to come collect the goods four days later, with no further notice needed.

After receiving the cigarettes, the driver cheerfully helped unload the goods.

A hundred unfinished parts were unloaded in just a few minutes by several people.

Jiayu Processing Plant still had subcontracting orders from two other factories that would take another two days to finish. Qin Donghai planned to complete the previously accepted orders before starting Hengli Company's order.

Watching the driver leave, Fang Bai instructed his father-in-law, "Boss Qin, this order is counting on you all. It wasn't easy for me to get it, so please make sure the quality is guaranteed."

Qin Donghai politely shook Fang Bai's hand. "Naturally, naturally. Mr. Fang, rest assured. My processing plant survives on quality."

"Well, I was wondering whether Mr. Fang has time tonight. I'd like to treat you to a simple meal." Qin Donghai paused before continuing.

Another friend meant another path. He naturally did not dare neglect any business contact and wanted to entertain Fang Bai.

"Let's talk after we finish these five hundred pieces and get paid. I'll look for orders from other manufacturers too, so you'll need to prepare to hire more people." Fang Bai gave a bitter smile and declined. Mainly, he had been too busy lately.

Besides, he knew his own alcohol tolerance. Once he got drunk, words would come spilling out of his mouth. The scene of his father-in-law chasing him down three streets in his previous life was still vivid in his mind.

In truth, Fang Bai had known at the time that although he was drunk and could not run fast, staggering crookedly even as he walked, his father-in-law could clearly have caught him but deliberately kept just behind him. He only wanted to curse him and vent his anger. After all, they had worked together for so long; if they really came to blows, it would have been awkward.

Qin Donghai did not know what processing price Fang Bai had secured the order for, whom he had dealt with, how much in kickbacks he had given, or what relationship he had with Hengli Company. Generally, he would not privately seek out Wang Hengli to sign an order. That kind of behavior would be despised.

Whether they ran small workshops or large manufacturing businesses, Wen City bosses placed great importance on credibility. Otherwise, they could not survive in the industry.

By letting him know which company the order came from, Fang Bai was showing that he trusted him. Qin Donghai would not do something dishonest.

In fact, Fang Bai was not worried that his father-in-law would break his word and take the order himself. If it had been another boss, he would not have let that person know which factory he got the order from. He would have used his own driver and vehicle to transport the goods.

After settling the subcontracting matter, Fang Bai returned to his rented room to study.

The subcontracting work had delayed him quite a bit these past two days. He needed to return to school tomorrow, gather together the things he had recently failed to understand, and ask his teacher for guidance.

The next morning,

The classmates were surprised to see Fang Bai, who often skipped class, actually come to school. They wondered what he had been doing lately that kept him from attending lessons.

"Fang Bai, you're amazing. You come whenever you want, and the Homeroom Teacher has even said everyone should just leave you alone." His deskmate Wang Dakai gave him a thumbs-up, his eyes full of admiration.

"Heh, some family matters delayed me. Study." After saying that, Fang Bai lowered his head and continued reading.

Talk less, do more, and seize every second to review.

After being reborn, he did not want to waste a single second.

In his previous life, because his parents had been poor farmers at the bottom of society, they had spent their entire lives struggling just to put food on the table. They had been unable to give him anything else. Some things could only be understood after experiencing them personally.

For some people, by the time they understood, it was already too late. They were older, and their energy, physical strength, and ability to learn could no longer keep up.

The biggest difference between the poor and the rich was that rich people had clear goals and plenty of room to make mistakes. Poor people spent their entire lives lost within their own social class, never seeing clearly what they truly wanted.

Fang Bai had matured early, but his life had been far too difficult.

After the first two morning classes, during the eye exercises, Homeroom Teacher Zhan Feng learned that Fang Bai had come to school and asked him to visit her office.

A few students gloated, thinking Fang Bai was in trouble. He had taken so many days off without coming to school. No matter how impressive he was, he could not act like that, could he?

Fang Bai clasped his hands behind his back, took his notebook of questions, and left the classroom.

Some students saw him walking with the bearing of a school leader and could not help wanting to kick him a few times.

In truth, Fang Bai was somewhat wronged. After all, he had struggled through society for decades in his previous life, and he had unconsciously developed those habits.

A little later, Fang Bai arrived at Zhan Feng's office. He first greeted the other teachers with a cheerful smile, then politely greeted the Homeroom Teacher. "Hello, Homeroom Teacher. You have dark circles under your eyes. You should stay up less often grading homework."

"Ha ha, it's fine. It's normal work. Thank you for your concern."

When Zhan Feng heard Fang Bai say that and noticed her colleagues looking at her a few more times, she felt very pleased.

One's hard work had to be noticed by colleagues and leaders, too.

Besides, she had not been grading homework last night. She had been busy with family matters.

She knew Fang Bai was eloquent, but she had not expected his emotional intelligence to be so high as well. She liked students like him very much.

She pulled over a chair for Fang Bai. After he sat down, she said gently, "Fang Bai, I called you here because there is something I need to tell you. There will be a monthly exam at the end of this month to test the grades of third-year high school students and repeating students. I hope you can come take it."

"No problem. I'll participate. Thank you for informing me, Teacher."

Fang Bai agreed without much hesitation. Before the college entrance examination, his focus was studying.

"Mm. If there's nothing else, go back to the classroom."

"Teacher, I happen to have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

Zhan Feng was slightly surprised. She liked students who actively asked teachers questions the most, and she smiled. "Oh, certainly."

Fang Bai took out his notebook and placed it on her desk. "These are the questions. They've gotten me a little confused."

Seeing that Fang Bai had recorded quite a few questions in his notebook, covering every subject, Zhan Feng felt gratified. It showed that he had not forgotten to study even outside school.

The questions Fang Bai asked were not simple. Zhan Feng had to put in some effort before she could explain them clearly.

For example, Fang Bai could not figure out the difference between the words "incident" and "accident." If there had been a categorized reference handbook like those in the future, he could have looked it up immediately. For now, he could only ask his teacher.

It had only been a little over a decade since the college entrance examination was reinstated, and there were few review materials. Fang Bai had bought everything he could find. He read efficiently; having lived for decades, he had rich life experience and a strong grasp of language, making Chinese reading comprehension much easier for him.

As for the other subjects, living several extra decades had not given him much of an advantage.

However, he understood one thing about mastering foundational knowledge: categorize and summarize!

For materials that did not exist, he could only rely on himself.

Once the Homeroom Teacher had explained everything clearly, Fang Bai felt completely enlightened.

Shortly before the third class began, Fang Bai left the office with satisfaction.

When Fang Bai entered the classroom with a smile on his face, some classmates who had not thought highly of him were disappointed. Apparently, the Homeroom Teacher had not scolded him.

The third class happened to be a language class.

Zhan Feng stepped onto the podium and said directly, "Fang Bai asked me quite a few questions just now, which happened to remind me of several things. I think they are key exam points, so I'll summarize and explain them again. Write them down."

The students were somewhat surprised at this. The Homeroom Teacher had not called Fang Bai in to punish him; she had given him special tutoring!

Could Fang Bai be the Principal's relative?

Some students thought exactly that. Otherwise, how could he take leave whenever he wanted and still receive private tutoring from the Homeroom Teacher?

Wang Dakai also glanced at Fang Bai again, wondering whether he had some powerful background. Why had he never noticed before?

Fang Bai quietly read and listened to the lesson, paying little attention to his classmates' looks.

He intended to tackle the language head-on. He would definitely need it in the future.

English listening was not tested in the college entrance examination these days, so rote memorization was enough. He still had to memorize everyday expressions on his own.

When the fourth class ended, the school broadcast began playing the song "Childhood." Students from every grade grabbed their eating utensils from their desks and charged out of the classrooms with clattering sounds, racing toward the school cafeteria.

Zhan Feng did not dare delay the students' lunch either and ended class on time.

Watching his classmates rush out with lunch boxes in hand, Fang Bai followed them out. After taking two steps, he realized that he had not gotten a meal card or brought a lunch box.

"Forget it. I'll eat outside. I really can't get used to cafeteria food."

When his deskmate Wang Dakai saw Fang Bai walk back into the classroom instead of continuing outside, he turned around curiously and asked, "Fang Bai, aren't you eating?"

"You go ahead. Don't wait for me."

"Oh, you haven't gotten a meal card, have you? Why not use mine? My treat. The school has communal lunch boxes, though they're a little unhygienic. If you don't mind, we can share one lunch box. You can just use my meal card."

Fang Bai had not expected such enthusiasm. Smiling, he said, "Thanks, but there's really no need. I'm eating outside. How about you come eat outside with me? My treat."

Seeing that Wang Dakai was nearly one hundred ninety centimeters tall and heavily built, while his lunch box was not much bigger than everyone else's, could one serving possibly fill him up?

Wang Dakai did not mind sharing a lunch box, but Fang Bai found it rather awkward.

Fang Bai did not know whether the school used gutter oil, but he had no desire to find out.

"The school food really is hard to swallow, but we can't leave campus at noon."

This big fellow, Wang Dakai, grumbled, "If we could eat outside, hardly any students would eat in the cafeteria at noon. Even a random bowl of noodles outside would be better than cafeteria food.

"I heard the cafeteria was contracted out. The school uses the excuse that outside food is unhygienic, so they require students to eat on campus. Damn it, that's shady."

Fang Bai went back to his desk, picked up a language textbook, and said as he headed for the classroom door, "Just come out with me. The Gatekeeper won't stop us. Decide quickly."

They had paused for less than two minutes, but only the two of them remained in the classroom. Those starving ghosts ran fast!

Looking at the empty classroom, Wang Dakai guessed that if he went to the cafeteria now, he would definitely be at the very end of the line. After hesitating, he said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I just don't know whether we can get out."

After saying that, he stuffed his lunch box back into his desk and followed Fang Bai outside.

At the school gate, the Gatekeeper saw Fang Bai and smiled, nodding in greeting.

But when he saw the big fellow beside Fang Bai, his expression immediately turned cold. "What do you want?"

The Gatekeeper recognized this mature-looking, burly student. He stood out too much; if the Gatekeeper had not recognized him, he might have mistaken him for some young man from the streets. He did not dare call out carelessly.

The sharp command made Wang Dakai shudder.

Fang Bai smiled at the Gatekeeper. "Uncle Wang, this is Wang Dakai. Maybe five hundred years ago, he was part of your family. He's going out to eat with me, and we'll be back after lunch."

"Oh, Little Wang, is it? Then go on." The Gatekeeper immediately put his smile back on and waved them through. Only then did Wang Dakai breathe a sigh of relief and follow Fang Bai out of the school gate.

Less than ten meters from the gate, Wang Dakai could not help asking, "Fang Bai, are you really the Principal's relative?"

"No. You're overthinking it."

"Then why is the Gatekeeper so polite to you?"

"You'll find out later. Study hard." Fang Bai smiled, not wanting to lead this guy astray.

Wang Dakai felt that Fang Bai was being mysterious. There had to be some inside story they did not know. If he was not the Principal's relative, could he be his illegitimate son?

A little later, Fang Bai arrived at a restaurant near his residence. He was a regular, and the owner greeted him warmly. "Mr. Fang, what would you like for lunch?"

"Boss, there are two of us. Tomato soup, stir-fried hot-and-sour cabbage, twice-cooked pork, and a stir-fried pork dish." Fang Bai spoke casually. The chef could make Sichuan cuisine, which suited his taste.

The restaurant served fairly large portions, so it should be enough for two people.

If he were alone, one meat dish would have been enough.

Sitting in his chair, Wang Dakai was a little dazed as he listened to their conversation.

The owner called Fang Bai "Mr. Fang"?

Were they having such a lavish meal here?

Wasn't that too extravagant?

He had wanted to tell Fang Bai not to order so much, that two bowls of noodles would be enough. But seeing that Fang Bai knew the owner and apparently ate here often, he figured Fang Bai knew the prices and did not try to dissuade him.

Then he saw Fang Bai pick up his book and start reading seriously as though no one else was around. Wang Dakai had brought nothing, so he scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to do. It made him somewhat embarrassed.

Soon, the dishes were brought out one after another. Fang Bai put down his book and began eating, while Wang Dakai ate rather cautiously.

"Hurry up and eat so we can return to school for the noon break. You're usually pretty talkative, but you eat as slowly as a little girl."

"Oh, okay. Heh heh, this food is really good. Fang Bai, from now on, you're my boss. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do."

It was not merely one meal that had won him over. It was Fang Bai's many mysteries, his low-key manner, generosity, and that distinctive aura.

Wang Dakai still remembered Fang Bai's first self-introduction on the podium. He had secretly admired him deeply even then.

So he felt that following Fang Bai could not possibly be wrong.

"Don't start with that gangster nonsense. Study properly."

"Yes, Boss."

Fang Bai rolled his eyes at him and could not be bothered to say more. He hurriedly continued eating.

Wang Dakai quickly finished a large bowl of rice. After setting down his bowl, he sat upright. Fang Bai knew he was not full and smiled. "Help yourself to more rice. It doesn't cost extra. Scoop however much you want."

"Oh, really? Ha ha, one bowl really isn't enough. This food is so good."

Wang Dakai enjoyed the meal immensely. When he saw Fang Bai pay several yuan, his heart ached. That single meal had cost the equivalent of one or two weeks of his food expenses.

But the food truly was delicious. Compared to it, the school's food was practically dog shit.

After eating, Fang Bai told him to return to school first. Wang Dakai did not ask any questions. He knew Fang Bai would tell him if he wanted to. As a qualified follower, he had to know what to ask and what not to ask. He would not casually tell their classmates either.

If he could not even understand that, he did not deserve to call Fang Bai his boss.

On his way back to school, Wang Dakai walked with a different kind of swagger. When he reached the school gate, he called out to the Gatekeeper just like Fang Bai had, "Uncle Wang, I'm back!"