Chapter Fifty-Four: The Talkative Mr. Fang, An Opportunity

Half an hour had passed, and Zhou Chen’s mood could be summed up in one word: Damn!

He couldn’t help but feel that way because during the past half hour, Fang Yuanyang had not stopped talking. Except for the occasional interjection or compliment from Zhou Chen, it was all Fang Yuanyang doing the talking.

In Zhou Chen’s impression, business magnates were usually decisive and stern, often cold and domineering. After all, as a CEO, they had numerous matters to attend to and would never procrastinate.

But Fang Yuanyang truly opened his eyes. This guy was an incredibly gifted talker, speaking for so long without repeating himself once.

Zhou Chen had seen talkative men before, but the key difference was Fang Yuanyang’s status. After all, he was a business tycoon with assets worth billions. Sitting and drinking casually with an ordinary person like Zhou Chen, chatting endlessly, felt surreal given the vast gap between them.

However, after this half-hour conversation, Zhou Chen’s impression of Fang Yuanyang had greatly improved. Putting aside his status, today Fang Yuanyang came across as a likable guy—someone worth befriending.

“You’ve said so much already; Mr. Xia, I hope you’re not feeling impatient?” Fang Yuanyang paused and asked Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen waved his hand repeatedly. “Not at all. To be honest, I never expected you, Mr. Fang, to have this side.”

Fang Yuanyang smiled. “You thought I was cold and unreasonable, right? If I really were that kind of person, do you think I could have come this far? I haven’t had much formal education, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get along with people. I’m fully aware of what you thought before.”

Zhou Chen smiled politely. “Mr. Fang, I don’t know what I could have thought, honestly.”

“Then forget it,” Fang Yuanyang said, no longer dwelling on the past. “I heard you resigned from over there. I was really surprised. But when they showed me your design plan, I was truly impressed. Your design philosophy moved me and reminded me of the past. It confirmed for me that I want you to be the chief designer for our Saima Group’s new headquarters building.”

“Mr. Fang, I’m really sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t help you. As you know, I’ve already resigned. There are many designers in the institute who are as capable as I am. They can definitely handle the position.”

“No. The design plan was yours, so I trust only you, not others. I know you resigned, but that’s okay. I can hire you externally as a design consultant for our new building. You won’t need to oversee everything, just make decisions on coordination. You name your salary.”

Fang Yuanyang was very generous. He believed Zhou Chen understood him, which was why he wanted Zhou Chen to oversee the entire project.

“That won’t do. It’s not compliant,” Zhou Chen quickly declined. This project was done before his resignation, technically under the institute’s name. If he accepted Fang Yuanyang’s offer, it would be improper and cause rumors.

Fang Yuanyang said, “Don’t worry. You won’t be put in a difficult position. The design still belongs to the institute, and I’ll pay the design fees. Hiring you means you’re part of our group, responsible for liaising with the institute. That way, there won’t be any issues.”

Zhou Chen hadn’t expected Fang Yuanyang to have thought this far. He smiled wryly. “Mr. Fang, it’s not that I don’t want to, but the reason I resigned was to start my own business. To be honest, I’m preparing to open a tutoring center, and it’s already on the schedule. We plan to start enrolling students this summer, so I really don’t have time to help you.”

“You’re an architect, and you want to open a tutoring center?” Fang Yuanyang was shocked. He thought Zhou Chen resigned to start his own architecture business, but instead, he was planning a tutoring center. That seemed absurd.

Zhou Chen replied, “My wife and I decided to give it a try.”

Fang Yuanyang frowned, thought for a moment, then said, “In that case, it doesn’t really interfere. After all, the new building won’t start construction immediately. You can focus on your tutoring center first. Once it’s stable, you can come help me. Also, I don’t expect you to be here full time. You just need to manage the overall direction, avoid problems, and report to me regularly. It won’t take much of your time.”

“Well...” Zhou Chen realized that Fang Yuanyang was truly valuing him. If he didn’t highly regard Zhou Chen, he wouldn’t have made such concessions.

“Mr. Fang, I really can’t give you an answer now. How about I discuss it with my wife first?”

The tutoring center hadn’t even launched yet, and now this came up. If it weren’t for the tutoring center, Zhou Chen might have accepted since this job would certainly be easier than working at the institute.

Fang Yuanyang impatiently said, “You’re a grown man. Why do you need to consult a woman? Don’t you have your own opinions?”

Zhou Chen replied, “It has nothing to do with gender. We had plans in place. If there’s a change, we need to discuss it.”

“Fine. I trust your design, so I’ll give you some time. But don’t disappoint me. If you do, I won’t be happy,” Fang Yuanyang said half-jokingly, then added, “The food is cold. Let me order another dish.”

Zhou Chen smiled without responding, thinking to himself how unpredictable life was. Before even starting the tutoring center, this matter came up.

That evening at home, Zhou Chen told Nan Li about his conversation with Fang Yuanyang.

Nan Li immediately said, “This is a good thing. They’re actively inviting you; that shows sincerity. Honestly, I think the tutoring center can wait. You should temporarily work on the Saima Group’s new building project. Fang Yuanyang personally sought you out, so he definitely won’t treat you badly. Plus, you’ll have flexible time and enough space to write your novel. It’s a great opportunity.”

“So you want me to go?” Zhou Chen asked.

“Yes. Being the client representative for the new building is a good chance.”

“Fang Yuanyang’s offer is tempting, but I don’t want to give up on the tutoring center,” Zhou Chen said.

Given how much Fang Yuanyang was offering, Zhou Chen was indeed tempted. As Nan Li said, it was a promising opportunity.

But he had also thought a lot about the tutoring center. He prepared it for Nan Li because her position as marketing director was still uncertain. He wanted to be prepared so she wouldn’t be looked down on at Weinuan.

Nan Li didn’t quite understand why Zhou Chen was so determined to run a tutoring business. In her view, the tutoring center might not earn as much as his novel writing, and it was more complicated with more responsibilities.

“You said the Saima Group’s new building isn’t starting construction yet, so there’s still time. Let’s try to see if the tutoring center can succeed. If it can, we’ll keep it. If after a while it doesn’t work, we’ll give up.”

“Dear, do you think that’s okay?” Nan Li asked.

Zhou Chen thought for a moment and said, “Let’s do it that way.”

He agreed because he foresaw big events happening early next year. Construction on the building likely wouldn’t start immediately, so he would have plenty of time.

The next day, Zhou Chen called Fang Yuanyang to inform him of his decision, agreeing to take the position once construction began.

Fang Yuanyang had no objections. He cared deeply about the new building, which was why he personally approached Zhou Chen. There would be plenty of preparations before breaking ground.

Fang Yuanyang also mentioned something that made Zhou Chen very happy: he asked if Zhou Chen had found a location for the tutoring center. If not, he could check the stores under Saima Group’s umbrella. If there was a suitable one, Zhou Chen could approach him directly.

This was excellent news for Zhou Chen. Saima Group was also in real estate, and the numerous stores under its management could provide options. A store like Zheshu was part of Saima Group, and they certainly had more than one such location.

(page 3 of 3)