A Simple Meal with a Pretty Girl

"No."

Jiang Nan's refusal was swift and decisive.

"Then you've missed your chance to admire my Wu Shufen's backflip."

Wu Chen shrugged.

After going upstairs, he took a cold shower and ate two slices of toast. Then he changed and went downstairs, clean and refreshed.

Sitting in the passenger seat of Jiang Nan's car, Wu Chen suddenly felt a little disoriented.

Why did it feel as though he'd been riding in her car all the time lately?

Jiang Nan had actually given Wu Chen a brief update on her progress over the past two days on QQ.

As an investor, Miss Jiang had taken the matter seriously, running around for two whole days to get the company established.

But Wu Chen had been busy with his paper and patent at the time, so his replies had been no more than a few words.

So, while she drove, Jiang Nan discussed some of the details with him again.

"Why do you insist on registering the company in Binjiang?"

Jiang Nan asked.

She had initially wanted to set up the office in Xiaoshan. After all, she was a local and knew the area best.

But Wu Chen had firmly opposed it.

Jiang Nan had then settled for her second choice, a science and technology incubator near Xiaoheshan University of Technology.

It was close to the university, which would also make it convenient for students to work part-time in the future.

Wu Chen had opposed that too.

Although Jiang Nan had ultimately followed his advice, she couldn't help wondering why.

"Binjiang will become the core area of Hangzhou's digital economy in a few years. There will be lots of high-tech companies, and the policies will be favorable too."

Wu Chen explained.

By then, the car had reached the Third Qianjiang Bridge, and Jiang Nan paid the ten-yuan toll.

After crossing the river, they entered Binjiang.

In 2008, Binjiang District was still one enormous construction site.

Forget comparing it to the main urban area or Xiaoshan-even next to the Xiaohe Mountain Higher Education Zone, it looked like the countryside.

But Wu Chen knew that this land would one day transform into the technological heart of all Hangzhou.

Its policy support, capital resources, and supporting industrial chains were things the other districts couldn't match.

Looking at the bleak scene along the road, Jiang Nan found it hard to connect it with the "core area" Wu Chen had described.

She asked, "Did you use an artificial intelligence model to work out how this area would develop too?"

Binjiang had formerly been part of Xiaoshan District, and a rural part at that, so Jiang Nan was more or less prejudiced against it.

What was more, Wu Chen had said last time that GLP-1 was the direction for diabetes drug treatment, and she still found it hard to believe.

"No, but if you want to see one, I can make one."

Wu Chen said.

"No need."

Jiang Nan shook her head.

After a moment of silence, however, she said, "Teacher Wu, I believe in your skills and your character. That's why I was willing to invest in you, and I won't interfere with your decisions. But not everything can be predicted using an intelligent model."

"I understand. Don't worry about that."

Wu Chen naturally understood the nature of artificial intelligence, so these explanations were all just things he said.

When they arrived at the Administration for Industry and Commerce at 609 Jiangling Road in Binjiang District, the two divided the work and handled the procedures at different counters.

Wu Chen was mainly responsible for verifying his identity as the legal representative and signing the application for company establishment registration.

Jiang Nan handled the submission of the capital verification report for the cash contribution, the filing of the office lease and proof of property ownership, and the final review of the company's articles of association.

Although Hangzhou in 2008 didn't yet have the "run only once" policy of later years, it had simplified the process for starting a business.

Name preapproval and establishment registration could be handled together.

With one of them checking and the other reviewing, and all their documents in order, they were able to complete most of the formalities on the spot.

Even so, by the time they had finished running around, it was past three in the afternoon, and Hangcheng Hazelnut Technology Co., Ltd. was finally registered.

Wu Chen's level-one stamina served him well. Even after running around taking care of business for so long, he was still full of energy when he got back into the car.

Jiang Nan, however, was exhausted.

She had tied her previously loose hair into a ponytail and taken off her well-tailored suit jacket. She wore only a white blouse underneath, with the cuffs rolled up to reveal her fair, delicate arms.

Male model or goddess, no one could hope to look presentable under the punishment of Hangzhou's August weather.

After getting into the driver's seat, Jiang Nan gulped down a great mouthful of water before she finally felt a little better.

Seeing Wu Chen still looking through the documents, full of energy, she couldn't help giving him a sidelong glance.

"Teacher Wu, your stamina is that good?"

"It's all right. Let's go take a look at the office now. I need to do some planning on-site."

Wu Chen answered casually.

The company's registered address was in Wanlun Science and Technology Industrial Park on Jiangnan Avenue. Jiang Nan had found the place, and he hadn't seen it yet.

"Could you wait outside the car for a little while? I want to change."

Jiang Nan said.

"Sure."

Wu Chen really didn't want to stand out under the blazing sun, but he had no choice but to bow his head.

After all, Miss Jiang had transferred 500,000 yuan that morning to subscribe to the registered capital.

And she still had another 1.2 million yuan to transfer later. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

So even if she asked Wu Chen to help her take off her sweat-soaked stockings right now, he could do it.

He had finished a cigarette outside the car before Jiang Nan rolled down the window and called to him, "Teacher Wu, I'm ready."

"Coming."

Back inside the car, Wu Chen looked her over a few times but couldn't tell what she had changed.

"What did you change?"

He asked curiously.

Jiang Nan pursed her lips and gave him a complicated look before saying, "My socks."

Wu Chen looked down and saw that the black stockings on her legs were gone, replaced by a pair of white ankle socks. Her wedge heels had also been replaced with sneakers.

Jiang Nan frowned slightly and drew her legs back. "Do you want to eat before we go to the office?"

"What do you want to eat?"

"Would Shaxian snacks be okay?"

Wu Chen nodded. "Let's go."

So Jiang Nan started the car and drove around a few times until they found a Shaxian snack shop.

Once they sat down, Wu Chen ordered a chicken leg rice set and added a braised egg.

Jiang Nan ordered a five-yuan bowl of small wontons and ate them in little bites.

Wu Chen noisily wolfed down his meal, then took the initiative to pay the bill.

It came to sixteen yuan in total.

He looked back at Jiang Nan, who was waiting for him by the door.

The sunlight outside seemed to have outlined her in gold.

Wu Chen suddenly remembered a girlfriend he had briefly dated in his previous life.

She had been an ordinary company clerk, earning around 3,000 yuan a month.

But her phone was a gray-market iPhone, her clothes were the latest styles, and whenever she ate out, it was either Japanese food or steak.

Once, Wu Chen had accompanied her on an errand in the morning and had to hurry back to the university to teach that afternoon, but she insisted on eating at an internet-famous restaurant with a long line.

In the end, after she finished taking photos of the entire tableful of dishes, Wu Chen had only had time for a few bites before he had to hurry away.

That afternoon, he stood at the lectern for four class periods on an almost empty stomach and nearly fainted from low blood sugar.

"Teacher Wu, perhaps I should pay you back for my meal?"

Seeing Wu Chen suddenly look serious, Jiang Nan thought he was taking issue with the money.

Although Wu Chen had offered to treat her, she knew that most young lecturers weren't actually well-off and were the ones most likely to fuss over a few yuan.

"Why stand on ceremony over five yuan? How much did you spend on gas driving me around? ...Want a drink?"

Wu Chen came out of his memories and stopped thinking about that failed relationship. He stood in front of the cooler and asked.

Jiang Nan shook her head. "It's not very convenient for me."

Wu Chen turned to study her face and, sure enough, noticed a barely perceptible trace of fatigue.

"Then I'll buy a drink. You can go get the car out first."

He said.

They had squeezed into the parking spot earlier, and getting out would take several turns of the wheel back and forth.

After Jiang Nan left, Wu Chen casually picked up a bottle of chilled cola and asked the owner, "Can you pack some soup to go in a cup? Something that helps with fatigue during a period."

"Sure. As it happens, I've got some lotus seed and pork stomach soup simmering right now. It's for your girlfriend, right? That's very thoughtful."

The owner had watched everything from the side and naturally understood what he meant. He deftly packed a serving of soup and handed it to Wu Chen.

He said cheerfully, "Young man, from the sound of it, you two are both intellectuals, right? Your girlfriend isn't spoiled. That's great!"