Xiao Fengtai had been certain that Jiang Tong would take the initiative to come to them, but Fang Zhixing was skeptical. Their first meeting could be described as a textbook example of a disastrous fallout. Jiang Tong had been humiliated from the inside out; anyone with a shred of self-respect would never have contacted Huayu again.
"It’s better if Jiang Tong doesn't come back," Fang Zhixing remarked while cooking with Si Fan over the weekend, bringing up the troublesome business with Huaqing. "Whenever Kenneth gets involved with Huaqing, he becomes extremely abnormal."
Lacking a literary sensibility, he couldn't quite describe the subtle atmosphere that felt as if the air were crackling with sparks. He simply relied on his intuition to declare: "Those two are fundamentally incompatible. Putting them together is a guaranteed way to lose money."
Si Fan was rhythmically slicing potatoes into thin strips. Hearing this, he let out a snort. "And what do you think about our compatibility?"
Fang Zhixing turned off the stove and used his chopsticks to bring a freshly cooked braised prawn to Si Fan’s lips. "Naturally, we’re a match made in heaven—perfect for building a home together, destined for wealth, and bringing each other nothing but good luck. Want a taste? It’s best right out of the pan."
Si Fan laughed and dodged him. "I’m holding a knife, you know. Be careful."
The two began to play around in the kitchen, and work was pushed to the back of their minds. When Fang Zhixing went to the office the next morning, he archived and sealed all the files related to Huaqing, considering the deal closed in his heart.
Xiao Fengtai had run off to the UK for an investment strategy conference; he had probably heard some eccentric speech and decided on a whim to have Fang follow up. Having worked with him for several years, Fang Zhixing had fully mastered his boss's personality. He believed he could "manage upward" to optimize his own time and resource allocation. In a case like Huaqing’s, Xiao Fengtai would likely forget all about it after a lap around the UK. Rather than calculating valuation multiples that would never be used, it was better to start looking at new projects.
However, Jiang Tong actually called.
Even sooner than Xiao Fengtai had predicted.
While Fang Zhixing exchanged pleasantries with Jiang Tong, he was internally cursing in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin in turns. Yet, his tone betrayed nothing; he asked Jiang Tong warmly about the progress of his experiments and the purpose of his call.
Jiang Tong proved to have an even thicker skin than he did. "During the last pitch, I had a very good impression of Huayu. We went back and thought about Mr. Xiao’s conditions. As long as our philosophies are similar, the price is not non-negotiable."
"That couldn't be better!" Fang Zhixing said enthusiastically, looking out at the traffic on the Third Ring Road. "Unfortunately, Kenneth is on a business trip in London this week. Why don't we find a time to have a coffee and have a preliminary talk first?" This would also give him some time to brush up on his homework.
Jiang Tong, naturally, was happy to comply.
That evening, Fang Zhixing called Xiao Fengtai to report the "bad news." The other man’s tone was certain, his words implying that everything was under his control, which made Fang even more annoyed.
"I have a question I need to get off my chest," he said before hanging up. "How were you so sure he would come back to us?"
Xiao Fengtai’s clear laughter came through the receiver. "Don't ask why. I just knew."
Fang Zhixing grew wary. "Are you hiding something from me?"
"It’s nothing major, don't worry about it," Xiao Fengtai replied noncommittally. "Just make sure you kill it and get me a good price."
Aside from his occasional romantic whims, Xiao Fengtai was generally a reliable boss trusted by his employees. Since he said it was fine, Fang Zhixing tentatively believed him, suppressing his doubts for the time being.
The meeting with Jiang Tong went more smoothly than expected. Fang Zhixing had originally thought that since Jiang Tong came from an ivory tower and had achieved fame at a young age, he would surely be condescending and difficult to communicate with in private, even if he was graceful on the lecture podium. Past investment experience told him that talking about money with intellectuals was a grueling task. One had to save their face while ensuring they didn't take advantage of the firm.
However, Jiang Tong was an outlier. Fang Zhixing had planned to start with a few compliments, but before he could speak, Jiang Tong cut him off. "Mr. Fang, you are busy. Let’s skip the small talk and discuss the price."
Since the other party had shown his hand first, Fang Zhixing was more than happy to oblige. At this point, he was still on guard, wondering if Jiang Tong was waiting for the right moment to lose his temper. However, Jiang Tong remained calm throughout, and his answers to Fang’s deliberately difficult questions were sincere enough. Both sides exchanged their psychological expectations and basic demands for the deal. The meeting, which had begun with tension, ended in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
With a weight lifted off his chest, and having formed a very good impression of Jiang Tong, a few questions that weren't originally on the agenda naturally slipped from Fang Zhixing’s lips.
"Did you and Mr. Xiao know each other before, Professor Jiang?" he asked, seemingly casual, as they were settling the bill.
Jiang Tong was taken aback for a moment, then his smile returned. "Did he tell you that?"
Fang Zhixing didn't dare to fabricate his boss's words, so he remained vague. "I heard him mention it once or twice, but he didn't go into detail."
"Mr. Xiao admires you very much; he repeatedly instructed me to do a thorough due diligence." Thinking of their previous disastrous meeting, Fang Zhixing did his best to paint Xiao Fengtai in a good light. "He is particularly optimistic about CD30. He said that a target capable of making a rising star in the biology world like you quit a teaching position to return home and start a business must be exceptionally valuable."
Jiang Tong seemed to daze for a moment.
"I admire Mr. Xiao as well," he finally spoke. "We... we had a brief encounter before, but unfortunately, there was no opportunity for a deep connection."
As he spoke, he looked out the window at the bustling crowd. The corners of his mouth curled up, but there was no mirth in his eyes. Fang Zhixing had a strange sensation, as if Jiang Tong’s gaze wasn't fixed on the present moment, but was instead staring at a distant, happy past that would never return.
Fang Zhixing’s heart skipped a beat. If he didn't know for a fact that these two had had no contact for years, he would have almost suspected they’d had a fling.
Given Xiao Fengtai’s playboy nature, Jiang Tong would likely have been the one toyed with and then discarded.
"Well, isn't the opportunity here now?" The atmosphere felt too strange; a layer of sweat broke out on Fang's back, forcing him to act cheerful. "We’ve been looking to expand our investments in the biomedical field and look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with Huaqing."
"Mr. Xiao and the core members of our team are all based in Beijing. We can get together more often outside of work in the future."
"I have a feeling that you and Mr. Xiao will become good friends," he said to Jiang Tong with a beaming smile.
"Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" he asked Jiang Tong as they headed out—a purely polite question.
Jiang Tong checked his watch. "My son has his primary school entrance interview today. I’m going to pick him up in a bit."
Fang Zhixing was genuinely shocked. "I couldn't tell... your child is already that old?"
Jiang Tong showed him his phone’s lock screen. A little mixed-race boy with a head of brown curls looked smooth and bright in the sunlight. He had chubby cheeks and a little pout, looking adorably mature as he frowned at the camera.
"It was quite a struggle dealing with his school registration when we first came back." Mentioning his son, a smile naturally appeared on Jiang Tong’s face—from Fang Zhixing’s perspective, it was a very fatherly smile.
"He’s very smart, but he has a bit of a temper. While I’m busy with the company, I have to go to the kindergarten every other day to put out fires. I’m just hoping the teachers can help discipline him once he starts primary school."
Fang Zhixing was approaching the age for marriage and children, and the two words he feared most right now were "children." For a moment, he regretted his slip of the tongue and hurriedly bid farewell to Jiang Tong, almost as if he were fleeing.
He was overthinking it. How could an honest man like Jiang Tong—who followed the path of marriage, children, research, and career—possibly have any ambiguous involvement with Xiao Fengtai?
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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华毓 | Huayu | Xiao Fengtai's investment firm.
华清 | Huaqing | Jiang Tong's biotech startup.
方知行 | Fang Zhixing | Xiao Fengtai's subordinate/VP.
司繁 | Si Fan | Fang Zhixing's partner.
CD30 | CD30 | The specific biological target/protein Jiang Tong is researching.
宜室宜家 | Yishi Yijia | An idiom meaning "suitable for a home/family," often used to describe a good spouse.
八字不合 | Bazi Buhe | Literally "the eight characters (of birth) do not match"; refers to fundamental incompatibility.
尽职调查 | Due Diligence | A comprehensive appraisal of a business undertaken by a prospective buyer/investor.
