Seeing Lin Hong start forward, Qiu Wu looked as though he wanted to explain things to Great-Grandfather.
But his own grandfather simply refused to engage, turning his head to beckon Jiang Cheng into the car.
After a glance at the deflated Qiu Wu, Jiang Cheng also circled to the rear and climbed in from the other side.
Once the engine started, Chen Ping—at the wheel—checked the rear-view mirror.
Then he spoke softly, "Sir, they…"
Before the sentence left his mouth, Great-Grandfather lifted a hand, cutting off whatever would follow.
He turned his profound gaze once more toward the verdant pines and cypresses standing on the distant ridge.
After a long silence he finally spoke, slow and steady, in an aged voice: "The wind is rising…"
Jiang Cheng more or less grasped the meaning behind the words, yet he kept silent, wordlessly following the old man's gaze out the window…
The next morning Jiang Cheng woke to find Jiang Churan with her back to him, face grave, fingers flying over her phone.
She was so absorbed she didn't even notice he'd awakened.
Jiang Cheng craned his neck for a look.
She seemed to be commenting: "The past two days Kyoto's smog alert hit level two; crashing a super-car in this weather is normal."
After typing that, she replied to a netizen's comment below.
"This accident feels off—five super-cars, no survivors. The front car braked and the rest just piled in? Why were there cars on the side too? So weird."
Jiang Churan answered: "Similar accidents happen all the time at home; why get suspicious just because it involves Foreigner? And I heard they like street-racing—maybe they simply lost control of their speed…"
Netizen #3: "Haven't you seen the official notice? All those cars were speeding, plus the truck driver was fatigued—that combo caused the whole mess."
Jiang Churan replied to Netizen #3: "Exactly—trust the state."
At this point Jiang Cheng couldn't help a low laugh; his right arm slipped around her slim waist.
Since yesterday the story had blown up online.
Although the platforms were curating comments, the Silverstone team were all Foreigner.
Their total wipe-out in Huaxia still caused a huge stir.
Especially overseas—the web had exploded.
Most voices pointed to how eerie the incident was.
Yet whatever the outcry, Huaxia's statement remained a cool, terse line: "We deeply regret this unfortunate accident; please stay safe when travelling."
At the same time, the External Publicity Department promptly released dash-cam clips of Silverstone's previous speeding on the highway.
So, overall, most netizens now leaned toward the view that excessive speed plus an unfortunate crash was to blame.
Seeing Jiang Cheng awake, Jiang Churan instantly flipped her phone face-down against her chest, clearly not wanting him to read the thread.
"Awake?"
Jiang Cheng played along, pretending he hadn't seen a thing.
His hand settled right B-side the phone.
The moment he touched that spot she sprang up.
"Wait—I haven't washed up yet; I'll go…"
Such a clumsy excuse didn't fool Jiang Cheng for a second.
Even beauties have to snap their poop, yet most of the time no one really minds if a beauty hasn't brushed her teeth upon waking.
An hour later Jiang Churan stared at the ceiling in a daze.
After a long pause she saw Jiang Cheng roll over and gaze at her from his side.
Reflexively she bolted upright, snatched her robe, and tried to stand.
The movement drew an involuntary hiss.
When she froze and shot him a resentful look, Jiang Cheng rubbed his nose apologetically.
"Hey… why so tense? Us newly-weds can't stride too wide—might tug some delicate organ, and that would be bad, right?"
The words made Jiang Churan click her tongue at him in mock disgust.
"Us? I don't think that word applies to you…"
Were she not a novice herself, she'd have flat-out called him shameless.
She was too shy to ask, but she wasn't stupid.
Jiang Cheng handled every move with practiced ease—nothing about him screamed beginner.
Yet from the day they met she'd never imagined him to be some clueless, inexperienced boy.
His circles and status made that impossible.
To say she didn't care at all would be a lie.
Human nature: the greater the ability and status of someone close, the harder you instinctively try to hold their heart.
Even if you don't dare show jealousy, inwardly you care far more than in an ordinary relationship.
But after last night that compulsion had been forcibly diluted.
She didn't know whether Jiang Cheng was always like that, or if first-time intimacy just naturally felt more intense.
If it was merely novelty she could probably cope.
Yet if she had to endure such heavy firepower every time, having someone else share the load might not be such a bad thing.
Half an hour later Jiang Cheng was more or less chased out of Renji Mountain Villa; before he left Jiang Churan pouted: "I need rest these two days—yesterday at noon the professor asked if something was wrong with my body; said my kicks weren't up to standard… hmph…"
Jiang Cheng tried not to laugh, but picturing the scene curved his mouth upward anyway.
The consequence of his smirk: the Girl withheld even a goodbye kiss, slammed the door, and declared she'd rest a bit more before practicing her dance.
Thus half-push half-shove, Jiang Cheng pretended he'd been forced to leave.
Why only half-push? Because Wang Yuyan would land at Kyoto airport in a little over an hour.
So even if Jiang Churan hadn't chased him out, Jiang Cheng would still—
The Girl hadn't told him when she'd be back; two days earlier she'd merely hinted she had a short exchange internship.
Although she'd been placed in the embassy's family quarters—very secure—he'd still assigned two bodyguards to tail her for double protection.
Consequently, Jiang Cheng knew her every move.
A Kyoto evening in April carried the crisp scent of cherry petals after their fall.
Jiang Cheng sat in the rear of the maybach, on a call with Chen Xueer.
"President Jiang… that concludes the initial Due-Diligence report on the Rice eco-chain."
"Taken together, Cloud Rice Technology is the optimal target. Market quality still needs proving, but the low price dovetails perfectly with our planned hotel project."
She paused, pulling up another data set: "More crucial is timing. Cloud Rice has already kicked off its Pre-IPO round and aims to list independently next year. If we enter now as strategic investors we'll reap solid financial returns while forging the strongest possible equity link between our hotel venture and the Rice eco-system—far deeper than a simple procurement deal."
With those words Jiang Cheng heard her snap shut the tablet over the line.
After a moment's thought he asked, "What stance has Chairman Lei taken?"
"Very open." Chen Xueer's lips curved slightly. "We talked for a long time last night. He made it crystal-clear that strategic investors who can create industrial synergies are welcome; our hotel project is seen by him as a 'high-value application scenario.' Chairman Lei even suggested we co-build an intelligent-hotel industry solution and later license it to other high-end brands."
"He's playing a bigger game—using our project to pave the way for his B-side business," Jiang Cheng replied.
"Mutual benefit." Chen Xueer summed it up precisely. "Our Due-Diligence team reckons that if we invest in this round and exit after the IPO, the return could easily top 300 percent."
"Three hundred percent?" Jiang Cheng let out a soft laugh at that.
As someone who had lived twice and possessed the financial clairvoyance he'd gained from Zhu Yan,
he found it laughable to be told that investing in a company—whose post-IPO slump, long-term doldrums, and looming operational challenges he already knew—could yield 300 percent.
Had the Due-Diligence report been based on data from a parallel universe?
But Chen Xueer couldn't be blamed; before its listing, Rice had indeed enjoyed sky-high expectations.
Last night, Xingchen Investment's Sea-Calming Divine Needle had been invoked, and so far Chen Xueer had stepped into no obvious pits.
Yet Chairman Lei, after all, was born an Internet Celebrity.
As the saying went: the product might be mediocre, but the marketing was absolutely brilliant.
After a dry cough or two, Jiang Cheng said, "Xueer, the report missed the most critical variable—Rice's own valuation is in an avalanche."
"An avalanche?"
Jiang Cheng paused, giving Chen Xueer a moment to absorb it.
His gaze swept past the scenery flashing by on the highway outside the window.
"Two hundred billion U.S. dollars is nothing but a pipe dream. Capital markets aren't fools; when a company derives seventy percent of its revenue from phones yet vows hardware margins will never exceed five percent, the narrative changes. I bet it breaks issue on day one when it lists in July—care to wager?"
Chen Xueer's breathing hitched, almost imperceptibly.
This time Jiang Cheng left her no opening, his words advancing like a scalpel.
"Once Rice's market cap can't hold at the IPO, do you think the cloud-eco firms under its umbrella will debut well next year? In my view, their offer price will be pinned to the very bottom of the range. Chairman Lei wants quick money via 'Exit At IPO'? That road is closed."
Jiang Cheng's remarks made Chen Xueer ponder in silence.
As his subordinate she didn't contradict him. "Then what reply should we give Chairman Lei?"
Jiang Cheng obviously couldn't tell Chen Xueer he was reborn and possessed a god's-eye view.
Plus, she was someone supremely confident in finance.
She poured her heart into managing the company, so Jiang Cheng couldn't bring himself to brush her off.
Patiently, he continued the analysis: "What he lacks most right now is a showcase case that can prop up the 'high-end smart scenario' banner. When you negotiate, focus on two core points."
"I'm listening..."
Just as she finished, Zhao Linger's voice cut in.
"Ah, Sister Xueer, why are you wearing so little? Were you waiting for me?"
Chen Xueer gave a coquettish scold: "You little imp, what nonsense. I did some stretches during the conference call and worked up a sweat... hush, I'm on the phone with Chairman Jiang..."
After saying that, Jiang Cheng spoke up: "Hello? What's going on? The signal suddenly turned patchy..."
"Chairman Jiang, can you hear me?"
Before she could finish, the call cut off. Just as Chen Xueer wondered whether to dial back, Jiang Cheng's video request popped up.
Seeing his name on the screen, she answered without much thought.
The video lit up, first showing Chen Xueer's face flushed from exercise, bare of makeup yet even more radiant, a few strands of hair clinging damply to her temples.
She blinked at Jiang Cheng on the screen: "Chairman Jiang? Did the signal drop just now?"
The close-up on the camera made Jiang Cheng's heart skip a beat.
Yet his expression stayed calm, even frowning slightly as if straining to catch the sound.
"Huh? What did you say? The picture's lagging; I can only see your face, the audio keeps cutting out."
"I asked if the signal was bad just now?" Chen Xueer, suspecting nothing, instinctively brought the phone closer.
Her entire face nearly filled the lens, long lashes crystal-clear. "How about now? Can you hear me?"
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes, seemingly concentrating hard, then shook his head. "Still... patchy. Must be interference from being too close. Try moving the phone farther away."
"Huh? Oh..." Though the reason sounded odd, she obeyed, straightening her arm to put distance between the lens and herself.
Now the frame showed not only her face but also her swan-like neck and a glimpse of delicate collarbones.
"Can you see and hear me now?" she asked.
Jiang Cheng's gaze flicked across the screen, yet his expression remained that of a stern boss, even tinged with technical impatience.
"Mm... picture's steadier, but the audio still stutters. Maybe... adjust your posture? Could be the receiving angle."
"Adjust my posture?" Chen Xueer was now genuinely puzzled.
She twisted the phone left and right. "How... exactly? Maybe the problem's on your end?"
"Tsk, just... raise your hand higher, yes, higher—maybe the signal's coming from above," Jiang Cheng improvised, sounding as certain as if directing a precision operation.
Though full of doubts, Chen Xueer, respecting her boss's "technical" authority, lifted the phone higher as told.
The pose forced her to tilt her head slightly, her body stretching languidly.
In that instant,
the high-angle lens captured far more.
She was indeed wearing only a silky champagne camisole, the soft fabric hugging her curves.
With her arms raised, the straps slipped a fraction, baring a smooth, rounded shoulder.
Below her collarbones, the view was half-hidden, half-revealed, her post-workout skin glowing with health.
An unconscious, breathtaking allure exploded across the screen.
Spotting the slipping strap, she shyly tugged it back up.
Jiang Cheng saw everything, a flicker of triumphant mirth flashing in his eyes.
But to avoid giving himself away, his expression quickly sobered.
"Yes, that's the pose—hold it! Don't move! Signal looks stable now. Good, I can hear you clearly."
Chen Xueer kept the phone raised, certain something was off yet unable to pinpoint what.
Mainly because Jiang Cheng's gaze wasn't fixed on her.
Instead, he kept looking toward the window.
And for some reason, she even felt a faint, deliberate wish for him to see...