Around seven o'clock, the Fintech Building at the Taihe Road campus was brightly lit, and executives arriving for the meeting began making their way upstairs.
Lin Xi greeted and welcomed each of them personally. Once everyone had taken their seats in the conference room, Duan Yiheng dispensed with the pleasantries and immediately cut to the chase: "Business is business, but let's keep the atmosphere relaxed; after all, you've all had a busy day."
Displayed on the screen was the collaboration proposal between Yinfan and Likang—a project Duan Yiheng had personally spearheaded, underscoring the immense importance he attached to it. Duan Yiheng scanned the room and said:
"The purpose of gathering you all here tonight is to discuss the joint project between Yinfan Technology and Likang Pharmaceuticals. We are here to conduct an internal exchange regarding the preliminary planning, to define our collaborative objectives, and to explore each phase from a multidimensional perspective."
Having finished speaking, Duan Yiheng turned his gaze toward Xu Yu. Xu Yu gave a slight nod and was the first to speak:
"If we are looking at short-term objectives—spanning one to two years—it essentially boils down to leveraging Yinfan's technological strengths to resolve issues regarding capital flow within the supply chain..." He spoke continuously for about ten minutes; Lin Xi listened intently, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she took notes.
After Xu Yu concluded, the directors of the Technology and Risk Management departments each took turns voicing their perspectives, focusing on the core issues their respective departments were tasked with resolving.
Next came the discussion on medium-term objectives. Out of the corner of her eye, Lin Xi stole a glance at Duan Yiheng; he was leaning slightly toward her, one arm draped casually over the back of his chair. In previous meetings, his posture had always been rigidly upright and his expression stern. It seemed that tonight, in an effort to alleviate pressure on the team, he had decided to loosen up himself first.
Sensing Lin Xi's peripheral gaze, Duan Yiheng unhurriedly shifted his eyes toward her and even raised an eyebrow playfully. Lin Xi, however, did not possess the nerve to engage in such flirtatious exchanges under the watchful eyes of so many people; she quietly averted her gaze and swept a quick glance across the various executives seated around the conference table.
Only when she confirmed that no one else had noticed Duan Yiheng's subtle gesture did she let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. After everyone had finished speaking, Duan Yiheng added, "Both short-to-medium-term and long-term approaches have their respective merits and drawbacks; however, I believe the long-term perspective holds greater strategic significance.
From a long-term standpoint, through deep-seated collaboration between our two enterprises, we could construct a comprehensive service platform within the healthcare finance sector..." Instantly, an image flashed through Lin Xi's mind: a platform that would integrate the resources of pharmaceutical companies, medical institutions, and patients alike—
a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing financial services, pharmaceutical R&D, manufacturing, sales, and health management. No sooner had Duan Yiheng finished speaking than the attendees below began a lively discussion among themselves, which lasted for about three minutes.
Lin Xi understood that once a long-term collaborative objective was established, the scope and complexity of the partnership would be immense—requiring the mobilization of virtually the entire company's resources to support the project. Tonight's session was merely a preliminary exploration of those collaborative goals, yet the pace and efficiency of the meeting had been remarkably high.
After all, Duan Yiheng's intent was clear: had he and Tan Qi entered into a marriage alliance, their business partnership would have been a long-term commitment by default. Now that neither of them harbored such romantic intentions, the business collaboration could naturally proceed—provided both parties remained willing. The specific operational model for this future partnership would, of course, require further negotiation between the two sides.
The meeting concluded at 10:30 PM—slightly earlier than Duan Yiheng had anticipated. However, Xu Yu did not leave immediately; she cast a glance at Lin Xi, making it abundantly clear that she wished to speak with Duan Yiheng in private. Lin Xi, sensing the situation, tactfully retreated to the secretarial office—a move that also afforded her the opportunity to organize the meeting minutes.
Whatever Xu Yu had to say kept them occupied for quite some time. Technically, Lin Xi was free to clock out for the night; however, unlike the average employee, she adhered to a specific protocol: she would only leave once Duan Yiheng gave the word. Unwilling to intrude prematurely, Lin Xi instead used the time to mentally review the proceedings of the evening's meeting.
Both Tan Qi and Duan Yiheng possessed clear, well-defined objectives; what remained was for their respective teams to engage in dialogue and exchange ideas. Prior to the formal signing of any agreement, a substantial amount of time and energy would inevitably have to be invested. This prospect was not, in itself, daunting; the true fear lay in the possibility that—despite all their hard work—the entire project might ultimately fall through.
Consequently, the team assembled for this initiative could not afford to have a single member who might drag the others down. Lin Xi remained deep in thought until she finally caught sight of Xu Yu's retreating figure; only then did she abruptly rise from her seat and escort their guest to the elevator bank. Xu Yu offered a smile: "Secretary Lin, you've worked hard tonight."
Lin Xi exchanged a few polite pleasantries, then waited until the elevator doors had closed before turning around to knock on Duan Yiheng's office door. "Come in." Lin Xi pushed the door open and stepped inside. Seeing that Duan Yiheng was still seated at his computer, she walked over slowly and asked, "Still busy?" Duan Yiheng didn't turn his head; instead, he simply reached out a hand toward her.
Lin Xi handed him her hand with a look of mild suspicion. Duan Yiheng gave a gentle tug, pulling her onto his lap. "Don't move." Wrapping his arms around her waist, Duan Yiheng held her still as she tried to squirm away. "I'm going to personally mentor you on this project." At that, Lin Xi instantly went quiet.
Duan Yiheng was practically amused into laughter. Leaning in so his breath brushed against her ear, he murmured, "If I hadn't brought up the project, you probably would have kept your distance—a hundred thousand miles away from me—while you were here at the company." Lin Xi flinched away slightly. "Don't talk right into my ear; it tickles." Duan Yiheng gave her waist a playful squeeze and continued:
"Sending you to the Sales Department to shadow Xu Yu last time was just to give you a preliminary feel for things.
"This collaboration with Likang—from the initial liaison work and participating in cross-departmental strategy sessions, all the way through to the coordination required during project execution—covers the entire workflow. Going through this process is equivalent to three to five years' worth of experience as a secretary. However, I must warn you upfront: if you make any mistakes during this project, I won't go easy on you just because of our personal relationship." Lin Xi nodded. "Understood." Duan Yiheng planted a kiss on her cheek.
"I have faith in you. You simply lack practical experience. The bodyguards used to report back on your academic progress while you were abroad, and you excelled in every subject. Of course, academic study is different from real-world application, but there's no need to worry too much—I'll be right there to guide you."
Every single word he spoke was filled with genuine concern for her well-being; Lin Xi truly felt that Duan Yiheng loved her with every fiber of his being. She turned to look back at him. "I won't let you down." Working at Yinfan Technology had been her singular obsession ever since she was a teenager.
She was deeply grateful to Duan Yiheng for giving her that opportunity all those years ago. Duan Yiheng gave a soft "Mm": "While I was talking with Xu Yu just now, did you manage to compile the key points from today's meeting?" Lin Xi nodded:
"There's just a little bit left; tomorrow morning, I'll map out the task assignments and deadlines for each department." "Not just that," Duan Yiheng said. "Gather some case studies of similar medical-finance collaboration projects currently on the market, too. Submit the analysis report to me in two days." "Alright."
Duan Yiheng gave her head a light pat: "Are you tired?" Lin Xi joked back: "I'm doing okay—I'm only twenty-four, after all." Duan Yiheng was left speechless. Lin Xi turned back and chuckled: "Just kidding." "What? Do you think I'm getting old?"
To her surprise, there was a hint of insecurity in Duan Yiheng's tone. He could measure himself against Duan Mingxuan in every other respect, but age was the one thing he simply couldn't compete with. "Of course not!" Lin Xi gently stroked his chest. "For a man, thirty is exactly the age when you're in full bloom." Duan Yiheng cast a sidelong glance at her:
"Ready to go to bed?" Lin Xi glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already past midnight. She decided against playing coy any longer and said to Duan Yiheng: "I'm going to take a shower first—I really am sleepy." Duan Yiheng scooped her up into his arms: "Let's go." "I haven't turned off my computer yet!"
Lin Xi struggled to get down. Duan Yiheng paid her no mind whatsoever: "It's fine; I'll come out and turn it off later." Lin Xi didn't believe a word of his nonsense. Just as they entered the lounge, Duan Yiheng's phone suddenly rang. He set Lin Xi down and answered the call from the unfamiliar number: "Hello?"
"Oh, President Duan~" A sultry female voice made them both freeze; the look Lin Xi cast at Duan Yiheng was suddenly completely devoid of affection.