Chapter 28: Yan Peng Comes Seeking Help, the Arrogant President Fang

Zhong Yi’s efficiency was quite impressive; shortly after being dismissed from Fengfan Elementary School, he found a new job. Just as in the television series, he ended up at the tutoring agency "Zheshu."

This left Zhou Chen feeling deeply struck by the absurdity of it all. It was truly melodramatic. He had gone to such lengths to resolve the trouble surrounding Zhong Yi’s dismissal, yet only a short time had passed before things had twisted and turned right back to where they started. The kicker was that Zhong Yi’s final choice was exactly the same as in the show—he ended up at Zheshu.

Zhou Chen wasn't particularly worried about Zhong Yi being at Zheshu, but he was concerned that Tian Yulan might also bring Yan Ziyou there. If that happened, there would surely be a spectacle to watch.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. That afternoon, Zhou Chen and Yan Peng had arranged to have lunch together.

"Brother, Bitcoin has been fluctuating lately, and the gains have been mediocre. Do you think it can still go up?"

A few days ago, Yan Peng had spent a large sum of money to buy a batch of Bitcoin. The initial gains were good, but for the past two days, not only had it stopped rising, it had actually dipped slightly. Although the drop was minimal and didn't seem like a big deal, he was incredibly nervous. After all, he had invested quite a bit, and if he didn't make money—or worse, lost it—he wouldn't be able to hold his head up in front of Tian Yulan.

Zhou Chen wiped his mouth unhurriedly and said, "Fluctuations are normal. If it were skyrocketing constantly, that would be the real problem." Although he hadn't worked in finance, he knew enough to understand that if a stock or cryptocurrency were to shoot up indefinitely, it likely meant the market makers were preparing to harvest the retail investors.

"It can still continue to rise. I estimate it will reach just over ten thousand. Of course, this is just my projection, and I plan to sell everything off by the end of June." He had been keeping an eye on Bitcoin lately; the range of fluctuation was small and consistent with his memories, so he wasn't worried.

Yan Peng didn't have much experience, but seeing that Zhou Chen wasn't worried, he relaxed as well. "I trust you, brother."

Zhou Chen shook his head helplessly. "Don't just trust people blindly. It’s only because of our relationship. If it were someone else, you’d be swindled out of everything you own."

Yan Peng waved his hand dismissively. "Like you said, with our relationship, you wouldn't scam me, would you?" He then added, "By the way, brother, I’m actually here on a mission today."

"A mission?" Zhou Chen looked surprised. "What kind of mission?"

"It’s my wife. Since Zhong Yi was fired from school, Ziyou hasn't had a tutor. I don't know how, but she ended up taking Ziyou to that Zheshu place to test for their 'Gold Medal Class.' He did manage to test into eighth place, but he wasn't ultimately admitted. Later, Tian Yulan found out that the teacher for the Gold Medal Class is none other than Zhong Yi."

Zhou Chen rolled his eyes. Ever since he learned Zhong Yi had gone to Zheshu, he had a feeling something would happen. Sure enough, with him not interfering, things were still unfolding exactly as they had in the original plot.

"So you want me to help you put in a good word?"

Yan Peng sighed. "To be honest, brother, I really don't want Ziyou taking classes with Zhong Yi. After all, Tian Yulan does bear some responsibility for his dismissal. I’m not trying to judge a gentleman with a petty mind, but I’m genuinely worried about whether Ziyou will be implicated if he ends up under his tutelage." Even though he usually didn't get involved in much, he was a middle-aged man with a certain understanding of human nature, and it was hard not to worry.

"But you know Tian Yulan—her personality is such that she won't give up until she reaches her goal. She’s set on Zheshu’s Gold Medal Class and Zhong Yi, and she’s determined to go there. I had no choice but to come to you for help; otherwise, I’ll probably be sleeping in the study from now on."

Zhou Chen shook his head helplessly. "You two are really something. Why look for trouble? Even though Zhong Yi is my junior fellow student, I know his personality well enough. Being fired from school is bound to leave a grudge in his heart. Going to him now is definitely going to lead to trouble. I advise you to just let it go."

He really didn't want to help with this. Zhong Yi wasn't a person to be trifled with, and he really didn't want Tian Yulan and Zhong Yi to clash; if they did, it would be like Mars hitting Earth, and the situation would inevitably escalate.

"Brother, I know you're in a tough spot, but I really have no choice. Just do your brother a favor and talk to him. If it still doesn't work out, at least I’ll have an answer for Tian Yulan when I go home."

Cornered by Yan Peng, Zhou Chen had no choice but to step aside and call Zhong Yi, explaining the situation regarding his family and Tian Yulan’s. He made it clear, however, that he was merely acting as an intermediary; whether it worked out or not was for them to resolve themselves.

Zhong Yi’s attitude was extremely rigid, blaming Tian Yulan for all the reasons he was fired. However, he agreed to give Tian Yulan a chance to negotiate, purely out of respect for Zhou Chen.

After chatting for a few moments, Zhou Chen hung up and secretly made up his mind that he would never again get involved in the messy affairs between these two. He had enough on his own plate without acting as a peacemaker for Tian Yulan every single day; he simply didn't have the energy for it.

"I’ve spoken to him. Zhong Yi said he’s willing to talk to your wife, but the outcome has nothing to do with me. Don't come to me with this nonsense again."

Yan Peng was immediately filled with gratitude. "Brother, thank you, thank you so much. I promise I’ll never trouble you with this again. Even if Tian Yulan held a knife to my throat, I wouldn't compromise."

"Alright, enough with the bragging. Finish your lunch quickly; I have to go back and write. With so many trivial matters lately, my writing speed has slowed down." Recently, Nan Li’s work had been incredibly busy, and when she came home at night, he was basically left in charge of the two children. He only found time to write once they were asleep.

"Boss, the Director is calling for you. It seems like Mr. Fang from the Saima Group is here again." His assistant, Qiqi, came over and knocked on the door while Zhou Chen was at his office desk reviewing blueprints.

"He’s here again?" Zhou Chen felt a headache coming on. This wasn't the first time Fang Yuanyang had come; it was the third. He had turned him away the first two times—not because he was lazy or didn't want the business, but because the guy was just too difficult to deal with.

The second time around, he had actually agreed to the client’s bizarre design direction and created a rough sketch according to his requirements. But who would have thought that Fang Yuanyang would be dissatisfied with everything, butchering his drawings into a mess, all while claiming that was the "design he wanted"?

Zhou Chen’s identity here was that of an architect, not a sycophant. Even if Fang Yuanyang were a business tycoon, if he were to build a skyscraper according to that design, it would be a massive blow to his reputation once completed. A famous architect designing a building worse than what a child could produce—who would ever hire him again? Even though Fang Yuanyang offered a lot of money, the money wouldn't go into his own pocket. If he went through with it, it would damage his long-term reputation, which was the biggest reason Zhou Chen wouldn't accept it.

But he couldn't ignore the Director’s orders, so he had to head over to the Director’s office.

As soon as he entered, he saw Fang Yuanyang sitting on the sofa with a cavalier attitude, a line of beautiful assistants standing behind him as if he were holding a talent scout audition. Zhou Chen had seen Fang Yuanyang’s bizarre personality in the show, but having contact with him in person, he realized it was even worse than expected—the man was truly arrogant and overbearing.

"Junshan, come sit." The design institute’s director didn't dare offend a business tycoon like Fang Yuanyang. He had already tried to persuade Zhou Chen several times to just agree, but knowing his reputation as an architect was at stake, Zhou Chen had refused every time, leaving Director Lin at his wit's end.

"Architect Xia!" As soon as Zhou Chen sat down, Fang Yuanyang looked at him. "How have you considered my proposal?"

Zhou Chen said, "Mr. Fang, I really can't do your proposal. If you insist on that specific design, you are perfectly free to find someone else. Why must it be me?"

Fang Yuanyang huffed with dissatisfaction. "I want you, that’s why! What’s wrong with my design proposal? Can’t I make the decisions for my own building?"

Director Lin quickly interjected, "Mr. Fang, Mr. Fang, please don't be upset. Let me talk to him." He winked at Zhou Chen. "Junshan, Mr. Fang is full of sincerity. Can't you take a step back and discuss it further?"

Zhou Chen suggested, "Director, why don't you hand this project over to another team?"

"No! I specified you, I don't want anyone else." Before Director Lin could speak, Fang Yuanyang exploded. "Director Lin, I said it must be him, it has to be him. I only want him to design it for me."

Director Lin’s face turned bitter. Xia Junshan was a renowned architect at the institute; even as the Director, he couldn't force him too much. Yet Fang Yuanyang was a major client he couldn't afford to offend. With neither side willing to compromise, he was stuck in the middle and had a hard time. He had heard of Fang Yuanyang—a man with a volatile temper who, once he made a decision, could not be persuaded by anyone.

"Mr. Fang, please calm down, please calm down."

Zhou Chen was also helpless. Fang Yuanyang was just stubborn and insisted on wearing him down, and he had no way out. Thinking that if he didn't agree, this guy would likely keep coming back, and Director Lin would keep pressuring him—to the point where he didn't even have time to write during work hours—he decided to yield.

"How about this, Mr. Fang: give me some time, and I will draft a new proposal. If you are still not satisfied by then, then we truly cannot work together."

Seeing Zhou Chen, who had always been firm, take a step back, Fang Yuanyang was somewhat surprised. "Fine, I’ll give you some more time. Then, I’d like to see how you plan to convince me."

Fang Yuanyang was efficient; he arrived quickly and left just as quickly.

After he left, Director Lin pulled Zhou Chen aside and spoke earnestly. "Junshan, just accommodate him. You know, if we land this deal with the Saima Group, it would be equivalent to our entire annual revenue. Put a bit more heart into it."

"I understand, Director Lin. Let me go back and think about the design."

Zhou Chen was truly exhausted. Between work, writing, and the children, as an ordinary person, he was both mentally and physically drained. The urge to resign was growing stronger. Working for others, no matter how hard or tiring it was, only resulted in a paycheck—at most, a bit of commission—which didn't earn nearly as much as his novel writing. If he were running his own business, even if he were busy, it would be for his own future.

"I’ll just follow the design from the show, get the Saima Group project done as quickly as possible, and consider it my final contribution to this position."