Chapter 137: The Mysterious Place

Sunday morning was bright and sunny, perfect for Yang Chen's plan of soaking up some sun and taking a nap. However, his plans were shattered by a sudden pile of documents from Lin Ruoxi, completely ruining his relaxation.

"Here, you have to go through all of these. I've already booked your tickets along with Qianni, the flight is on Wednesday. You'll be back within a week after finishing the negotiations," Lin Ruoxi said, tossing a document bag onto the couch before heading to eat the breakfast prepared by Wang Ma, wearing nothing but a white silk nightgown.

Yang Chen reluctantly turned off the morning news he was watching. He actually found the female anchor on the radio quite attractive, and her voice was pleasant, but since his wife had given him a task, and he had promised to take on the project yesterday, he had no choice but to start reviewing the materials.

Once he agreed to something, he would see it through. That was Yang Chen's principle.

He took out three large stacks of documents from the bag. The text and charts were densely packed, but after a brief glance, Yang Chen roughly understood the nature of the project they were collaborating on: the development of new environmentally friendly materials.

At first glance, such a material development project seemed unrelated to Yulei International, a fashion industry company. After all, Yulei International mainly dealt with fashion brand sales, fashion department stores, clothing, accessories, exhibitions, advertising, entertainment media, and so on, while this material development seemed more like projects for chemical companies and research institutes.

However, as one of the most significant industries of the new century, the environmental protection industry was becoming increasingly important for fashion products in terms of user health and environmental protection.

Many developed countries had begun regulating products made from non-environmentally friendly materials. Products made from materials that were difficult to recycle would be severely restricted. Products that ensured user health, had maintenance functions, were recyclable, and were cost-effective with high profits would naturally be more welcomed by both countries and consumers.

From the materials, it could be seen that the most basic applications were new plastic materials and fiber materials. These materials could be used in the manufacturing of clothing, mobile phones, electronic products, and fashion accessories. These products would be the most competitive high-quality products in the future fashion industry, which was of considerable research value.

Just think, if you made a phone call and your phone could also help with your blood circulation, wouldn't that be wonderful?

What's most important? Health!

However, as good as this idea sounded, Yulei International was primarily a retailer and product design company. They were still in the early stages of scientific research. Therefore, to get ahead, the best way was to utilize resources from other companies and cooperate to reap benefits.

Of course, while Lin Ruoxi and Zeng Xinlin may have considered this, it doesn't mean that other companies have thought of it and found a way. Therefore, confidentiality at this stage is particularly important.

After getting a general understanding, Yang Chen started to examine the specific development strategies and the terms of the negotiation project for next week. Although he didn't fully grasp many of the professional terms, he could understand about seventy to eighty percent, which was sufficient.

Sitting at the western dining table, Lin Ruoxi was eating oatmeal quietly. Because it was Sunday, she rarely had the chance to relax. She came downstairs in her pajamas, her long hair messy and slightly tangled, her face devoid of any makeup. Her inherent cool and lazy demeanor gave her already flawless appearance a touch of otherworldly charm.

Seeing Yang Chen furrowing his brows and carefully reading the documents, a faint smile appeared on Lin Ruoxi's lips involuntarily. Though deliberately using Yang Chen's aversion towards Zeng Xinlin to push him into work might seem manipulative, Lin Ruoxi didn't see anything wrong with it. In her eyes, Yang Chen had many untapped potentials; he was just too lazy and lacked ambition. If she could motivate him properly, her not-so-noble husband might become an outstanding individual worth admiration.

She didn't want to be anyone's mentor; she only hoped that one day when they appeared together in public, people would focus not on her beauty but on Yang Chen's status and position. Women always wished their men to be respected and admired. They might feel jealous, but they would also feel proud. Even someone as indifferent as Lin Ruoxi couldn't escape this commonality.

Seeing Yang Chen earnestly studying the materials, Lin Ruoxi nodded to herself in satisfaction.

Just then, Yang Chen's phone rang. Setting aside the documents, he answered the call—it was from Li Jingjing.

"Jingjing, what's up?"

"Big brother Yang, did you forget? You promised to accompany me somewhere. It's the weekend, the weather is good, and I thought you should be free."

Yang Chen hadn't forgotten, and he figured he had enough time with the materials at hand. So, he replied, "Alright, where should I pick you up?"

"Let's meet at the school gate. I just got some stuff from the school. I'll be waiting for you there. See you soon!" Li Jingjing sounded cheerful.

Yang Chen hung up the phone and called out to Lin Ruoxi at the dining table, "I'm going out for a bit. I'll leave the materials here."

Lin Ruoxi, who had just felt pleased by Yang Chen's seriousness, suddenly felt like the beautiful picture in front of her shattered into pieces! She was so annoyed that she almost dropped the spoon in her hand. Seeing Yang Chen pat his pocket and walk out directly, the first thing that came to her mind was "The leopard cannot change its spots!" Of course, if she wanted to be crude, it was "A dog can't stop eating shit"!

Yang Chen had received a good amount of salary this month, and with the tens of thousands of dollars extorted from Guo Ziheng, he was quite well-off. Despite the skyrocketing oil prices, he still filled up his BMW with the most expensive gasoline before heading to Zhonghai No. 1 High School to pick up Li Jingjing.

When Li Jingjing, wearing a light blue bubble dress, appeared in his sight, Yang Chen was once again enchanted by the youthful and lively appearance of the girl. Since graduating from college and becoming a teacher, Li Jingjing had indeed become more beautiful. Not only did she know how to better highlight her features, but she also exuded a sense of intellect and confidence.

With her flawless complexion, delicate collarbones, and her long black hair tied behind her head, Li Jingjing smiled and waved at Yang Chen. Instantly, she drew the envy of many passing men.

The video of the Jiang family's father and son had finally allowed Li Jingjing to live and work in peace without being bothered by any side. She was now able to work and live in school and at home in a more orderly manner, and her good mood naturally made her radiant.

Yang Chen got out of the car and noticed a large cardboard box next to Li Jingjing, tightly wrapped. He asked, "What's on the ground?"

Li Jingjing blinked. "It's a secret!"

Seeing the little girl in such a good mood, Yang Chen couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch her delicate nose, causing Li Jingjing's cheeks to flush red.

"Get in the car, I'll put the box in for you."

After Li Jingjing got into the car, Yang Chen asked, "Where is this mysterious place you mentioned?"

"It's on Zhongnan North Road," Li Jingjing replied with the address. Then she smiled and asked, "You should be free this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah, I'm free. Why?"

"That's good, because after we go there, we might not be able to leave until evening," Li Jingjing said.

Without asking further, Yang Chen drove for about half an hour until they reached the address Li Jingjing had mentioned. Upon closer inspection, Yang Chen couldn't help but feel puzzled.

It was several neatly arranged three to four-story buildings, surrounded by dense water fir trees, with a large green area. There was a sign hanging at the entrance with black letters on a white background that read, "New Hope Orphanage."

Helping Li Jingjing carry the large cardboard box, the two walked into the orphanage. Li Jingjing knew Yang Chen had many questions, so she explained slowly, "A while ago, I took my students to volunteer at welfare homes and nursing homes in this area, doing things like cleaning up. When we came to this orphanage, I found the children here very cute, but they have no parents since childhood, which is quite sad. So, I played some games with them, and later, one of the children asked me if I could come and play with them again. Of course, I said yes, so I came a few times later. But playing with so many children alone is really tiring, and I don't have many friends in Zhonghai. The students are all in their senior year, and I don't want to affect their studies. So, I thought of asking Big Brother Yang to come and play with them."

"To be honest, I don't particularly like this place," Yang Chen said with a bitter smile, "but I understand how you feel."

Li Jingjing hesitated for a moment and apologized, "I'm sorry, Big Brother Yang, I forgot that you're also an orphan."

"It's okay, I've long since come to terms with it. But I'm curious, how do you want me to play with them?" Yang Chen asked.

Li Jingjing pursed her lips and smiled, "Actually, I was inspired by another sister. The second time I came alone, I met a very beautiful sister, whom I thought was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The director said she often comes here to tell stories, guess riddles, and read interesting things to the children, and the children love her. She has been doing this for many years, and I admire her very much. I thought, maybe we should bring some books for the children, learn from that sister, and tell them some meaningful stories. Perhaps this would be better than just playing games and not be as tiring."

Yang Chen nodded, "So, the books in this box are for them?"

"Not just books..."

Before Li Jingjing could finish, a middle-aged woman in a black dress walked towards them from the corridor with a smile on her face and greeted, "Jingjing, you're here again?"

Li Jingjing saw the newcomer and sweetly greeted her, "Yes, Director Cha. How could I forget the appointment with the children?" Then she pointed to Yang Chen beside her and said, "This is Yang Chen, my friend. He's here to play with the children today."

Director Cha greeted Yang Chen warmly and teased, "Not your boyfriend, is he?"

"No!" Li Jingjing blushed and said, "Big Brother Yang is married already, Director Cha, don't talk nonsense." Director Cha was a bit surprised, but she still smiled and apologized to Yang Chen. Yang Chen naturally didn't mind. After all, according to the current situation in Yanxia, getting married at his age was considered quite early.

Following Dean Cha towards the courtyard, it seemed deserted as she mentioned that the children were reciting Tang poems together, creating a tranquil atmosphere outside.

When they reached a corner in the center of the courtyard, Yang Chen's attention was drawn to a framed oil painting hanging on the central wall. Yang Chen felt a certain nerve in his brain being touched, although he couldn't quite grasp why he felt this peculiar sensation. He simply stopped in his tracks, gazing blankly at the painting hanging there, lost in thought.