bookbashuk Chapter 1632 The Crown Prince Arrives
Chapter 1632 The Crown Prince Arrives
June in Beijing is unbearably hot.
There was no air conditioning in the classroom; three ceiling fans were whirring away, blowing hot air. The professor on the podium was still lecturing on some Western art history, his voice like a buzzing old-fashioned radio, with an excellent hypnotic effect.
Qin Hao lay on the table, his head resting on his arm, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
The cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window, sounding like someone drilling holes in the wall. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, cutting strips of light across the desk, with dust motes drifting slowly within the beams of light.
"Boss!"
A chubby face suddenly squeezed in, almost touching Qin Hao's nose.
Lu Yan's eyes lit up like he'd found money, his chubby face puffed up, and he grinned, "Boss, where are you planning to go for the next few months? Can I come along?"
Qin Hao was jolted awake by his shout and looked up irritably: "Bring you my foot!"
"Boss, just take me with you!" Lu Yan plopped down on the chair next to him and said in a spoiled tone, "I can just find any place to get a stamp for my internship, I don't really have to go anywhere. It's three months, it would be such a waste not to go out and have some fun!"
Lu Yan's family runs a building materials business, which, while not as large as Qin Hao's, is still worth hundreds of millions. His parents dote on their only son, so they don't need to worry about things like internship certificates.
"Play?" Qin Hao stretched, his bones cracking a few times. "Who said I was going to play? I'm going to intern at my dad's company."
"what?"
Lu Yan's smile froze instantly, his eyes widened like saucers, and his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.
He paused for a full three seconds before stammering, "Boss, didn't you hate it when your parents forced you to take over the business?"
This is true.
The original owner's relationship with his parents could be described as a "love-hate relationship," or more bluntly, "irreconcilable." Especially with his father, Qin Mo, they would argue almost immediately after exchanging three sentences. What the original owner hated most was his father's constant refrain of saying, "I've worked so hard all this for you," and every time he heard this, he would turn and walk away.
One year during the Spring Festival, Qin Mo brought up the matter again at the dinner table. The original owner immediately slammed down his chopsticks, drove off, and didn't even spend the Spring Festival at home.
Lin Shuyao tried to mediate a lot, but with little success.
So when Lu Yan heard Qin Hao say he wanted to take the initiative to intern at the company, his first reaction was—did the sun rise in the west?
Seeing Lu Yan's horrified expression, Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Fatty, don't say I don't take care of you. Let me teach you a lesson—as a proper rich second-generation, you can indulge in debauchery and extravagance, but you can't be completely ignorant of the family business."
Lu Yan blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Qin Hao continued, "Not to mention the possibility of the family business going bankrupt, what if your father has an illegitimate child outside and comes to fight you for the inheritance? You should at least be aware of that, right?"
Lu Yan's expression changed, he thought seriously for a few seconds, and then nodded heavily: "Boss, you're right! I'll have my mom investigate when I get back!"
"Cough-cough-"
Qin Hao almost choked on his own saliva.
"I was just giving an example... Fatty, don't tell your mom it was my idea."
Lu Yan patted his chest, his face solemn: "Don't worry, boss, I would never betray you!"
Looking at his loyal expression, Qin Hao's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but silently mourn for Lu Yan's father for three seconds.
……
Qin Hao had no classes in the afternoon, so he drove his red Porsche 986 home.
It's called home, but it's actually an apartment his parents bought for him in the East Third Ring Road area.
Qin Hao tossed his car keys onto the tray in the entryway, kicked off his shoes, and walked barefoot into the living room. He took a bottle of ice water from the refrigerator, unscrewed it, took a sip, then pulled out his phone, found his dad's number, and dialed it.
The call rang three or four times before it was answered.
"Hello, son?"
On the other end of the phone, Qin Mo's voice carried a hint of surprise.
Qin Mo is forty-five years old this year, in his prime, with a loud voice and an aura of authority. He's probably at the company right now; the sound of turning over documents can be faintly heard in the background.
"Dad, I need to talk to you about something." Qin Hao leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs.
"Go ahead," Qin Mo said casually, clearly not taking it too seriously.
His son calls him only a handful of times a year, and every time he calls, it's either asking for money or a car; it's never anything important.
"I heard that the company recently acquired a piece of land and is planning to build a high-end residential community."
Qin Mo on the other end of the phone was visibly taken aback: "Who told you that?"
Qin Hao ignored the question and said directly, "I'll be the project director."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
After a full five or six seconds, Qin Mo finally spoke: "You brat, you've finally figured it out—"
"Stop, stop." Qin Hao quickly interrupted, "I don't want to inherit your family business, I just want to intern at the company and get an internship certificate."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mo's tone became more probing: "Then why did you insist on becoming the project director? This project involves an investment of over 100 million, and you have absolutely no experience with it—"
"Do you think I'd like to work like a slave in your crappy company?" Qin Hao rolled his eyes. "You should provide me with the right people to actually do the work; I'll just be a figurehead."
"nominal?"
“Yeah, just a nominal one.” Qin Hao took a sip of water. “I just want to get an internship certificate so I can brag to my buddies later. What are you thinking?”
Qin Mo on the other end of the phone breathed a sigh of relief.
That's more like it.
This aligns with his understanding of his son.
However—Qin Mo thought again, even if it's just a nominal position, as long as his son is willing to come to the company, it's better than him spending his days partying with those frivolous friends.
In recent years, he has heard too many stories about his son's "glorious deeds"—speeding, going to bars, and changing girlfriends more often than he changes clothes.
Money is a small matter; my main concern is my son's health.
"Give me a straight answer, or I'm going to call my mom." Qin Hao's voice pulled Qin Mo back to reality.
"Okay, okay, you're in charge." Qin Mo quickly agreed, "But let's make this clear first: you can come to the company, but you can't do whatever you want. As for project matters, listen to Lao Yu and the others' opinions, and don't give orders blindly."
"Okay, okay," Qin Hao replied perfunctorily. "Then I'll go tomorrow?"
"You have to let me make some arrangements, right? How about three days from now?"
"Okay, then three days from now."
Qin Hao hung up the phone and tossed it onto the sofa.
He leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, a playful smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.
Huang Yimei.
When she sees herself appearing at the design institute as the client's representative, her expression will be quite interesting, right?
……
three days later.
Qin Hao arrived at the entrance of the Qin Group headquarters on time in his Porsche 986.
Today he was wearing a well-tailored dark blue suit jacket over a white shirt, with the top two buttons undone at the collar, and no tie. His trousers were crisp, and his shoes were gleaming; he looked much more energetic.
Of course, this outfit was thanks to his mother, Lin Shuyao.
Yesterday, when Lin Shuyao heard that he was officially going to the company, she had a complete outfit delivered overnight and even called to give him a long reminder: "Remember, on your first day, you need to make a good impression on the staff. Don't dress too casually..."
Qin Hao readily agreed and threw his tie aside after hanging up the phone.
It's too tight around my neck, I can't stand it.
He had just parked his car when he saw a line of people standing at the company entrance.
The group at the front, dressed in suits and ties, were all around forty or fifty years old and clearly the heads of the project team. They stood ramrod straight, with professional smiles on their faces, and their eyes were all fixed on him.
As soon as Qin Hao got out of the car, the group of people rushed to greet him.
"Director Qin, you've arrived!" The middle-aged man at the head of the group smiled broadly and extended his hand: "I'm Yu Deshui, the deputy director of the project team. You can just call me Lao Yu."
Qin Hao reached out and shook hands with him: "Deputy Director Yu, you're too kind."
"Not at all, Director Qin, please come in. Chairman Qin is already waiting for you upstairs."
Yu Deshui stepped aside and made a "please" gesture, and the other leaders also made way for him.
Qin Hao didn't stand on ceremony and strode inside.
The group of people entered the company gate in a grand procession, creating quite a spectacle.
Seeing this commotion, the two female receptionists at the front desk couldn't help but whisper to each other:
"This is Chairman Qin's son? He's quite handsome."
"Stop swooning. I've heard about him—he's a notorious womanizer; the number of girlfriends he's dated could stretch from our company all the way to Xidan."
"Really? Is it that exaggerated?"
"Exaggerated? My cousin studies at Tsinghua University. She said this rich kid changes girlfriends more often than he changes clothes. He just dumped the most beautiful girl at the Beijing Dance Academy last month, and then he started dating the most beautiful girl at his school."
"Tsk tsk, as expected, no rich person is easy to deal with."
"you do not say."
"But then again, what's he doing at the company? Just experiencing life?"
"I heard that Chairman Qin gave him the position of project director, in charge of the new land our company acquired."
"Project director? Is he up to the task?"
"What does it matter if he's capable or not? He's a princeling, just here to gain experience. Didn't you see the faces of Deputy Director Yu and the others? They acted like they'd seen their own father."
"Too……"
……
In the conference room.
The long conference table was filled with people on both sides, and with those standing in the back, there were at least twenty people. These were the core members of the project team—the heads of various departments responsible for engineering, budgeting, design, and sales.
Qin Mo sat in the main seat, with an empty seat next to him, which was reserved for Qin Hao.
"Director Qin, please come in." Yu Deshui pushed open the door and respectfully invited Qin Hao in.
As soon as Qin Hao entered the room, all eyes in the conference room turned to him.
Without changing his expression, he walked to the empty seat next to Qin Mo, pulled out a chair, sat down, crossed his legs, and leaned back in the chair.
His lazy demeanor contrasted sharply with the expensive suit he was wearing.
Qin Mo glanced at him, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything. He cleared his throat and said, "Alright, everyone's here. Let's start the meeting."
He started by giving the usual morale-boosting speech—using platitudes like "This project is the company's main focus this year" and "If you do well, you'll get a promotion, a raise, and reach the pinnacle of your life."
Then, changing the subject, she began to introduce Qin Hao.
“This is my son, Qin Hao, as you all should know. From today onwards, he will be the director of this project. However—” Qin Mo paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: “The specific progress of the project will still be handled by Lao Yu and the others. Everyone, just go about your business and don’t feel pressured.”
Upon hearing this, the shrewd people present immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
A figurehead heir?
That's great!
Who wouldn't like a prince who doesn't steal credit, doesn't cause trouble, and still gets the big boss's special attention?
Yu Deshui led the applause: "Welcome Director Qin to our project team!"
The others joined in the applause, their smiles more genuine than the last.
Qin Hao waved his hand, looking indifferent: "Don't worry about me, everyone. Go to your meetings and get back to work."
After saying that, he took out his laptop and opened a game interface.
Qin Mo glanced at him and was completely relieved.
As long as this kid doesn't cause trouble, and with Lao Yu and the others keeping an eye on the project, there shouldn't be any major problems.
He gave a few more instructions, then got up and left the meeting room. After all, the company had so many projects; as the chairman, he couldn't possibly keep an eye on just one all day long.
After Qin Mo left, the atmosphere in the conference room became noticeably more relaxed.
Yu Deshui spoke first: "Shall we continue the meeting? Where were we?"
"The preliminary preparations for the project," a middle-aged man wearing glasses chimed in. "As for the design proposal, our company's designers have already produced three initial drafts—"
"Okay, let's take a look first."
Yu Deshui took over the conversation and began to report on the progress of each task one by one.
While playing the game, Qin Hao listened attentively, secretly memorizing everyone's roles and responsibilities.
His "ignorant rich kid playing games" demeanor reassured everyone present.
It seems this young master is indeed here to gain experience and prestige.
The project team's discussions went smoothly, mostly moderated by Yu Deshui with others offering supplementary opinions. Occasionally, there were a few points of contention, but a consensus was quickly reached.
Once the basic plan was finalized, Yu Deshui seemed to remember something, turned to Qin Hao, and asked with a smile, "Director Qin, is there anything else that needs to be added to this plan?"
According to his plan, the prince would wave his hand and say, "You decide," just like before.
But this time, Qin Hao closed his laptop.
"I have no objection to the plan."
He leaned back in his chair, glanced around at everyone present, and slowly added, "However—for such a large project, wouldn't it be more appropriate to leave the design and planning to a design institute?"
The meeting room fell silent instantly.
Yu Deshui's smile froze on his face.
The other leaders looked at each other, and no one spoke for a moment.
After a long while, Yu Deshui coughed twice and tentatively said, "Director Qin, you may not be familiar with the company's situation—our company has its own design team, and they are very talented designers, the kind who have won major awards abroad. They did our last project, and Chairman Qin was very satisfied."
“Yes, Director Qin,” a balding middle-aged man next to him chimed in, “Our designers have a good reputation in the industry. If we were to hire an outside design firm, it would be a considerable expense, and we don’t have that budget.”
Qin Hao raised an eyebrow: "No budget?"
The bald man, thinking he was wavering, quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, this wasn't an item in the budget at the beginning of the year—"
“Then increase the budget.” Qin Hao interrupted him directly: “I will personally apply to Chairman Qin. Are there any other questions?”
The meeting room fell silent again.
The expressions on everyone's faces were priceless—some were surprised, some were embarrassed, and some were secretly relieved.
They then realized that this prince was not as easily fooled as he appeared.
Yu Deshui was the first to react, and quickly smiled to smooth things over: "Director Qin, you are the project director, so you definitely have the final say. Hiring a design institute to do the design planning can indeed improve the quality of the project—that's a good thing, a good thing."
He quickly calculated in his mind: hiring a design institute would cost more money, but that money wouldn't come out of his own pocket. Moreover, the extra budget would provide additional accounting flexibility.
why not?
……
The news quickly reached Qin Mo's ears.
He was in his office reading documents when he listened to his secretary's report and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Hire a design institute?"
"Yes, Chairman Qin. Director Qin said that the project's design and planning should be outsourced to a design institute, and that the budget should be increased." The secretary carefully observed Qin Mo's expression.
Qin Mo picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.
He was somewhat surprised by his son's request.
But then I thought about it again—it doesn't seem like a big deal.
Hiring a design institute to do the design and planning may cost a little more, but the quality is definitely more guaranteed.
Qin Mo thought for a moment and then asked, "How much budget does he want?"
"They haven't given specific figures yet, they've only said that the budget will be increased."
"Okay, tell him I agree. Have him write an application and I'll approve it."
"Yes, Mr. Qin."
After the secretary left the office, Qin Mo leaned back in his chair, stroking his smooth chin, lost in thought.
What exactly is this kid up to?
Oh well, as long as he's willing to stay at the company, he can do whatever he wants.
It's better than messing around outside.
……
Meanwhile, inside an architectural design institute in the western part of the city.
“This is it.” Huang Zhenhua patted her shoulder. “Come on, I’ll take you inside.”
Huang Zhenhua is 28 years old this year, six years older than Huang Yimei. He is one of the core designers of this design institute and also the second-in-command.
The brother and sister had a close relationship since childhood. Huang Zhenhua doted on his younger sister and often got into fights with thugs who coveted Huang Yimei's beauty when they were young.
"Brother, your design institute looks so old," Huang Yimei muttered, looking around at her surroundings.
"It may be a bit old, but our technical level is anything but," Huang Zhenhua said with a smile. "The project we designed last year even won the National Excellent Design Award."
"Yes, yes, you guys are the best." Huang Yimei rolled her eyes.
The two walked through the main entrance, crossed a corridor, and arrived at the design department on the second floor.
Upon entering, Huang Yimei was greeted by a faint smell of blueprints and printer ink, mingled with the aroma of coffee. The office contained over a dozen drafting tables, piled high with blueprints and design drafts. Several designers in plaid shirts were engrossed in their work, occasionally glancing up to exchange a few words.
Huang Zhenhua led Huang Yimei straight to a workstation.
Sitting at that workstation was a man in his early thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with regular features, and dressed in a white shirt. He looked very refined.
"Old Zhou, busy?" Huang Zhenhua tapped on his desk.
Zhou Shihui looked up, saw Huang Zhenhua, and said with a smile, "Zhenhua, what brings you here? Didn't you say you were coming this afternoon?"
“I brought my sister here to complete her onboarding.” Huang Zhenhua stepped aside, revealing Huang Yimei behind him: “Old Zhou, this is my sister, Huang Yimei. She’s a senior in college and is interning here. Please keep an eye on her while I’m away.”
Zhou Shihui's gaze fell on Huang Yimei.
For a moment, he felt his breath catch in his throat.
The girl in front of me wore a white dress with a light blue knitted cardigan over it. Her long, black hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck. She wore light makeup, and her features were so delicate they looked like they had been painted on, especially her eyes—large and bright, as if filled with starlight.
She smiled slightly at him and said, "Hello, Teacher Zhou."
That smile was as bright as the March sun, shining straight into Zhou Shihui's heart.
He had lived for over thirty years and had never seen such a young and energetic girl.
Like a flower in full bloom, every move it makes exudes a captivating fragrance.
"Old Zhou?" Huang Zhenhua called out again when he saw him in a daze.
Zhou Shihui suddenly came to his senses, a hint of panic flashing across his face. He quickly stood up and said, "Ah—hello, hello, you must be Zhenhua's sister. I've often heard Zhenhua talk about you."
He reached out to shake hands with Huang Yimei, but then realized it was inappropriate and quickly withdrew his hand, instead pointing to the workstation next to him: "Um—your workstation is right here, I've already tidied it up for you."
Huang Yimei did not notice his unusual behavior.
She had become numb to those amazing looks from childhood.
"Thank you, Master," she said sweetly, then skipped and hopped to her workstation and sat down.
Zhou Shihui's gaze involuntarily followed her back until she sat down at her workstation, at which point he snapped out of his reverie.
"Um—take a look at the documents first, and learn about the projects we've done in the past." Zhou Shihui pulled out a stack of folders from the table and handed them to Huang Yimei: "Ask me anytime if you don't understand anything."
"Okay, then I'll look at the information first. Master, call me if you need anything."
Zhou Shihui paused for a moment, then said, "Yimei—your brother and I have been old friends for many years. You don't need to call me teacher, just call me by my name."
Huang Yimei tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's disrespectful to call you by your name directly. I'll call you Teacher Zhou from now on."
Her tilting of her head, coupled with her sweet smile, made Zhou Shihui's heart skip a beat.
He could clearly feel his cheeks getting hot.
"Fine—whatever you want." Zhou Shihui adjusted his glasses to cover up his embarrassment, then turned and went back to his workstation.
He sat in the chair, staring at the computer screen in front of him, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.
My mind is filled with that smile from just now.
He told himself: Zhou Shihui, you're crazy. You have a fiancée, you're getting married next month. She's your best friend's sister, a college student, what are you thinking?
But—he couldn't control himself.
My eyes always involuntarily dart to the side.
Huang Yimei was looking down at some documents, sunlight streaming through the window and illuminating her profile, outlining her soft features. Her eyelashes were long, like two small fans, trembling slightly.
Zhou Shihui swallowed hard, forcing himself to look away and focus on the blueprints in front of him.
He didn't pay any attention to what was drawn on the blueprints.
Huang Yimei was unaware that she had become a spectacle in the eyes of others.
She was carefully looking through the project materials, trying to understand the types of projects and design styles that the design institute had done in the past.
These projects span various sectors, including commercial complexes, residential communities, schools, and hospitals, and each boasts a unique design style. Some projects featured novel design concepts that caught her eye; others had incredibly detailed drawings that left her in awe.
Although she didn't study architectural design, as a student of the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University, her appreciation skills are still relevant.
Huang Zhenhua drew some diagrams upstairs for a while, then came down to take a look. Seeing Huang Yimei carefully reviewing the materials, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Old Zhou, I'm entrusting my sister to you." Huang Zhenhua patted Zhou Shihui on the shoulder: "If there's anything she doesn't understand, please teach her."
Zhou Shihui said solemnly, "You can rest assured that you've entrusted your sister to me."
"That's good." Huang Zhenhua didn't catch the implication in Zhou Shihui's words and turned to go upstairs again.
As soon as he left, Zhou Shihui's gaze unconsciously drifted towards Huang Yimei.
She was biting her lip, intently looking at a blueprint, occasionally jotting something down in her notebook.
That gesture of biting his lip made Zhou Shihui's heart itch again.
He shook his head, picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and forced himself to calm down.
……
the next morning.
As soon as Huang Yimei arrived at the design institute, she noticed that something was off.
Normally everyone arrives at work right on time, but today everyone came very early. And everyone was busy cleaning—some were mopping the floor, some were wiping the tables, and even the windowsills and the leaves of the plants were polished to a shine.
"Sister Xiaoying, why is everyone so diligent today?" Huang Yimei asked curiously to a colleague in the department with whom she had a good relationship.
The girl named Xiaoying replied while wiping the desk, "You don't know? I heard that a big client is coming to our institute today. The director notified us early this morning to make sure the office is clean and tidy, so as not to embarrass our design institute."
"A major client? What kind of major client would make such a grand entrance?"
"I don't know the specifics, but I think it's some real estate company." Xiaoying shrugged. "I heard that their company recently acquired a piece of land and plans to build a high-end residential community. They want to hire our design institute to do the design and planning."
Huang Yimei simply said "Oh," without taking it too seriously.
Like everyone else, she picked up a rag and started wiping her workstation.
At ten o'clock in the morning, footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by the director's laughter: "Welcome, welcome! Director Qin, it's an honor to have you personally come to our design institute to guide our work!"
Upon hearing the words "Director Qin," Huang Yimei instinctively looked up and glanced towards the door.
Then—she froze.
The group walked in in a grand procession. The young man at the head of the group was wearing a dark blue suit jacket. He was over 1.8 meters tall, with deep and defined features, and a half-smile playing on his lips.
That person was actually Qin Hao.
Huang Yimei's eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, and the rag in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
Qin Hao's gaze swept across the office, precisely locking onto her location.
He raised an eyebrow at her, his smile deepening. (End of Chapter)