Chapter 639 - 420: Tokyo Rain

Chen Yuan had no idea what Jiangg Ning was going through at the Liu Family’s home. Right now, his mind was completely occupied with the news from that gaunt man.

Once he and Ji Hai were back in the car.

Ji Hai looked at his stubborn young boss, a feeling sinking in that his advice would be pointless.

He rolled up the window, blocking out the river wind. The biting cold no longer stung his face.

But Ji Hai was a completely different type of person from Pei Youwen. He was a top student, a straight-shooting tech guy who was incapable of flattery.

Even though he knew it was pointless, he couldn’t stop himself.

"Contacting them now sends a specific signal to the other factions in the Jiangshi Group. Every clique has its feelers out, and there’s clearly internal conflict within the corporation. Regardless of what others might think, you need to be sure about this. Are you prepared to pay the price for this decision?"

He paused. "I know you’re young. People your age have that youthful, headstrong spirit; you’re more stubborn and persistent than others. But I hope you can step back from this isolated incident and consider the bigger picture. The headquarters meeting already resolved that you would be stationed in the north. Taking this action now will inevitably make people suspicious, and it will have repercussions for your management of the northern affairs."

As a subordinate,

Ji Hai’s speech was full of phrases like "I hope," "you should," and "I think."

This was a major taboo in the workplace.

Position-wise, Chen Yuan was his direct superior, after all. A single sign of displeasure could get him transferred.

Chen Yuan glanced at him, unbothered by his bluntness.

"Everything has a price. I don’t get involved in internal struggles. I follow the corporation’s internal rules. If someone with ill intent wants to use this to cast suspicion or harm me, then let them. It will be a test for me."

During their conversation,

Chen Yuan had actually already contacted the director of the Mingzhu City Energy Administration through the general manager in Tokyo, asking him to act as a go-between.

He was supposed to be heading to Tokyo, but now he was delayed because of this.

...

「In Tokyo, it was raining.」

A fine drizzle drifted down from the gloomy gray sky as pedestrians hurried along.

Pairs of leather shoes clicked on the pavement, and the shoulders of suit jackets were shrouded in a layer of dampness.

Droplets of water slid down a large, floor-to-ceiling window, leaving distorted trails behind.

Inside, a girl bundled up in a loose hoodie was stirring her coffee with a spoon, staring listlessly at the hurried pedestrians outside.

Jiangg Yao’s past few days had been both full and lonely.

Her schedule was packed.

She went from a comic convention to a concert, visited Tokyo’s most famous aquarium, and toured a world-renowned animation studio. She even got an up-close look at the recording studio where voice actors worked. At night, she would chat with Chen Yuan, rambling on as she recapped her entire day, before drifting off to sleep while waiting for his messages.

Chen Yuan seemed very busy, his replies only ever a few brief words. Jiangg Yao knew he was busy, so she didn’t even know how to begin to feel angry.

Jiangg Yao had to admit that her busyness these past two days was just a way to escape her loneliness.

No matter how interesting things were, without Chen Yuan there to experience them with her, she found it all as tasteless as chewing on wax.

Just like the chocolate cocoa mousse cake in front of her. She’d only had a single bite.

It was sweet, but flavorless.

The staff from the Tokyo branch were taking very good care of her, attending to her every need.

’They must have received an undeniable order from their boss.’

These people were already revolving their entire lives around her, ready to fulfill any request. Jiangg Yao wasn’t socially inept or ungrateful; of course she couldn’t actually act like a princess and boss around these corporate drones.

It’s not like these people owed her anything.

Jiangg Yao only threw her little tantrums with people she loved and who loved her back, like Jiangg Ning and Chen Yuan, because she knew they would indulge her.

Though she was unhappy, she couldn’t complain when everyone was already bending over backwards for her.

"Madam Jiang, the rain should stop soon. The tent has been rented—it’s the latest waterproof model. Everything you’ll need has been prepared," Inoue said respectfully, adjusting his glasses.

"Thank you very much," Jiangg Yao nodded.

"For safety, we will be waiting in other tents on the Iron Curtain Tower. You can call us if you need anything at all."

"That’s really not necessary. I’ll be fine on my own. There won’t be any accidents."

"It is our duty," Inoue replied, shaking his head gently.

"Alright, then."

Jiangg Yao planned to climb the Iron Curtain Tower tonight. It was a famous scenic spot in Tokyo, and many tourists would hike up in the evening to spend the night in a tent, just to see the beautiful sunrise the next day.

When the time came, the darkness would recede, and sunlight would bathe the entire Iron Curtain Tower, painting the awakening city in a layer of gold.

Jiangg Yao had heard about this experience from others at the voice acting studio and had immediately become captivated by the idea.

’Chen Yuan is coming to get me soon anyway.’

She planned to spend her last night with Chen Yuan on the Iron Curtain Tower, watch the sunrise, and then head back to Lanjing. It would be the perfect end to her trip to Tokyo.

The plan was perfect.

But Jiangg Yao had no idea that the lover she longed for had been delayed. He was going to stand her up tonight, leaving her to shiver all alone at the top of the several-hundred-meter-high tower.

"I’m not eating any more. This cake isn’t good. I’m going back to pack. Anything that needs to be shipped, just send it via international express." With that, she stood up and grabbed her small handbag.

"Then we’ll leave right now."

Inoue nodded in agreement and used his walkie-talkie to call the driver waiting outside.

...

「Meanwhile, in Mingzhu City, the afternoon had unknowingly crept in.」

At the entrance of a secluded, quiet little courtyard, several leaders in formal attire formed a line to see them off. Each of them had a ruddy complexion and bright, spirited eyes.

Ji Hai supported Chen Yuan with one hand while waving goodbye to the leaders with the other.

"Director, board members, please, don’t see us out. I will take good care of Director Jiang. You can rest assured."

An awkward, stiff smile was plastered on his face as he faced this group of leaders, whose official ranks were high enough to crush him.

Even someone with Ji Hai’s personality had to smile respectfully in their presence.

Because every person at this drinking banquet who came to see them off was a high-ranking figure at the Jiangshi Group’s headquarters meetings. Furthermore, they all held official government positions, not just corporate ones.

"Ji," the man with slicked-back hair and graying temples said, clapping him on the shoulder, "you’re a cautious fellow. Remember to get President Jiang some proper rest. Anything else can wait until he sobers up tomorrow. We didn’t get to drink to our heart’s content this time since it was arranged in such a hurry. Next time, I’ll host a proper banquet. Let President Jiang know that there are many people who want to have a good chat with him."

"Of course, of course!"

As they spoke, Ji Hai dragged Chen Yuan over to the car door.

The driver quickly opened the door and helped support Chen Yuan.

Only after seeing Chen Yuan get into the car did the leaders turn and walk back.

To deal with the matter of the building in the planned district, Chen Yuan had drunk more than he ever had in his life. The alcohol was incredibly potent, and he had endured four hours of listening to these old-timers ramble on about everything under the sun. If he hadn’t been nearly unconscious by the end, the drinking party would have likely continued.

’Terrifying,’ Ji Hai thought, breaking out in a cold sweat. He twisted open a bottle of mineral water and held it to Chen Yuan’s lips.

"Dri... Drive slower," Chen Yuan slurred, waving his hand weakly. "I fucking want to puke."

When some people drink too much, their faces flush red. In extreme cases, they turn crimson from forehead to neck, like the famously ruddy-faced hero, Guan Gong.

There’s a scientific explanation for this: it’s a sign of an alcohol allergy.

Chen Yuan never flushed.

On the contrary, the more he drank, the paler his face became.

Now, the outward sign of his excessive drinking was a deathly pale face, which looked quite terrifying. His consciousness was already fading, and his entire body was slumped in the back seat.

As a young man just starting out, his alcohol tolerance was no match for these seasoned old foxes. To show his sincerity at this banquet, Chen Yuan hadn’t dodged a single drink.

These leaders were all sensible people; no one was forcing him to drink. But simply by keeping pace with the group toasts, Chen Yuan had ended up in this state.

Ji Hai saw all this and couldn’t help but sigh internally.

In the relationship-driven society of Huaxia, it didn’t matter if you were the son of the Jiangshi Group’s president. Even the great scientist Stephen Hawking would have had to make the rounds with toasts.

And at a banquet like this, Ji Hai didn’t even have the standing to block drinks for him.

"President Jiang, you’re in no condition to make the long trip to Tokyo today. Why don’t I book a hotel for you to rest for a day? I’ll explain things to Secretary Jiangg’s sister."

"Explaining... Explaining is useless," Chen Yuan said, snatching the barf bag from Ji Hai and pressing it to his mouth. "If I can’t do what I promised, won’t I just get an earful later? Go to the airport now. We’ll take the Jiangshi Group’s private jet..."

His voice, muffled by the bag, came out as a low, buzzing drone that was unpleasant to hear.

"How could you get an earful? You’re doing all this for the Jiangg Family’s sake. It would be completely unreasonable for her to blame you."

"No more talking," Chen Yuan said. After hunching over for a long while without throwing up, he gave up and lay down. "My head’s spinning. Driver, listen to me, just go straight to the airport. Wake me up when we get there..."

After speaking,

Chen Yuan’s head lolled to one side, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

His brow furrowed as he endured the dizzying sensation of the world spinning. In his heart, of course, he was filled with regret, vowing to himself never to drink that much again.

He wouldn’t overdo it for anyone ever again.

This miserable feeling was pure torture.

The twenty-minute drive felt like only a few seconds to Chen Yuan.

When he was woken up, he squinted and crawled up from his seat to look outside. They had already arrived at the airport.

Chen Yuan struggled to steady himself and clambered out of the open car door. In his drunken state, he didn’t think he was making a fool of himself, but to the driver and Ji Hai, it looked like he practically crawled out of the car.

"Just need to breathe some fresh air, I feel—BLECH!"

Chen Yuan had just managed to stand steady when the world started spinning again. He bent over and instantly began to vomit.

It was such a wretched, pathetic sight that it was hard to watch.

Fortunately, after throwing up, he felt much better.

Even his eyes seemed to have cleared up.

The driver next to him quickly handed him a bottle of mineral water to rinse his mouth.