amaotonovel Chapter 1326 Is foreign exchange even a problem for him?
Chapter 1326 Is foreign exchange even a problem for him?
Chapter 1326 Is foreign exchange even a problem for him?
For the next few days, Song Yunhui maintained his routine of going back and forth between three points. He would get up at six o'clock sharp every morning, do twenty pull-ups on the horizontal bar downstairs in the dormitory, and then go to the cafeteria to eat two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge. He would appear in the technical department office at seven-thirty sharp to begin his workday.
That afternoon, Song Yunhui arrived at the library as usual. Pushing open the somewhat old wooden door, he was greeted by the familiar scent of ink. He walked confidently to the chemical engineering section, his fingertips gliding over the spines of the books, finally stopping at a copy of "Principles of Chemical Equipment Design".
Just as he was about to take the book down, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the checkout counter. Liu Qiming was wearing a light blue dress today, which made her skin look exceptionally fair. She was registering books with her head down, a wisp of hair falling across her forehead and swaying gently with her movements.
Song Yunhui unconsciously glanced at it a few more times, until Liu Qiming seemed to notice and looked up. Only then did he hurriedly look away, pretending to study the other books on the shelf. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his palms were already damp with sweat.
"Comrade, would you like to borrow this book?" Liu Qiming's voice suddenly rang in my ears.
Song Yunhui was startled and almost dropped the book in his hand. Only then did he realize that he had unknowingly picked up the book.
“Ah, yes.” Song Yunhui tried to make his voice sound natural. “Thank you.”
Liu Qiming took the book and skillfully opened it to the title page to register. Song Yunhui noticed that her fingers were long and fair, her nails were neatly trimmed and rounded, and although she wasn't wearing any nail polish, they looked exceptionally beautiful.
"Your library card." Liu Qiming handed the book and card back to him.
Their fingertips brushed against each other unintentionally. Song Yunhui recoiled as if electrocuted, his ears burning slightly. He hurriedly thanked them and turned to leave, even forgetting to take the pen from the counter.
Stepping out of the library, Song Yunhui took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He glanced down at the book in his hands and suddenly realized how foolish he had been. He slapped his forehead in annoyance and decided to go back to his dorm to calm down.
As soon as he reached the dormitory building, he saw Xun Jianxiang leaning against the door frame with a cigarette in his mouth, looking at him with a mocking expression.
"Hey, our great engineer is back?" Xun Jianxiang exhaled a smoke ring, his tone full of teasing.
Song Yunhui ignored him and walked straight towards the stairwell. Xun Jianxiang, however, darted forward and blocked his path, leaning closer mysteriously: "Hey, there's a surprise waiting for you."
"What surprise?" Song Yunhui looked at him warily. "What trick are you up to now?"
Xun Jianxiang sighed dramatically, "How can you be so ungrateful? I was kind enough to tip you off, and you still doubt me." He then patted Song Yunhui on the shoulder, "You'll see when you go in. I won't disturb you any longer."
Song Yunhui was completely baffled by his affected behavior: "This is inexplicable."
Pushing open the dormitory door, Song Yunhui froze. A stylishly dressed young girl was sitting on his bed, flipping through his notebook. Hearing the noise, the girl looked up and gave him a bright smile.
"Teacher Song, you're finally back!"
Song Yunhui stared at the unfamiliar yet familiar face for a long while before speaking uncertainly, "You are... Liang Sichen?"
Liang Sichen pouted and closed her notebook in dissatisfaction: "Teacher Song, it took you so long to recognize me. That's really disappointing."
Song Yunhui was then certain he hadn't mistaken him for someone else and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry. It's just that you've changed so much in the past few years, I almost didn't recognize you."
Indeed, the Liang Sichen before him was completely different from the little girl with pigtails he remembered. She had a neat short haircut with slightly inward-curling ends, which made her face look even more delicate. She wore a stylish beige suit, paired with small pearl earrings, and exuded youthful vitality without losing her elegance.
Liang Sichen then revealed a playful smile: "How is it? Don't I look prettier than before?"
Song Yunhui hung his helmet behind the door and nodded sincerely, "Yeah, you look better and more mature." He gestured to show the height difference between them, "You've grown so fast! Is the food better in America? You've grown so tall all of a sudden."
Liang Sichen made a disgusted face: "What? They eat hamburgers and sandwiches in America, they're awful. Grandma's been in America for years, and her Chinese food isn't very good either."
"Brother Hao's cooking is pretty good, though. I occasionally go there for a treat."
After saying that, Liang Sichen pointed to the box beside the bed: "Hao asked me to bring this to you, saying it contains the journals and materials you wanted." She rubbed her shoulders: "It's so heavy, I wouldn't have been able to carry it up if your roommate hadn't helped me."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunhui's eyes lit up immediately. He rushed to the box and carefully opened it. Inside, neatly stacked were more than a dozen English journals and professional books, all of which were the latest materials rarely seen in China.
"Great!" Song Yunhui exclaimed, picking up one of the books as if it were a priceless treasure. "I really need these materials to supplement my thesis."
Seeing this, Liang Sichen made a face at him: "You're so boring. I traveled all this way to bring you this stuff, and all you see is that pile of junk documents."
Song Yunhui then realized his rudeness and quickly put down his book and stood up. He subconsciously wanted to pat Liang Sishen's head like he did when they were children, but Liang Sishen turned her head away halfway as soon as he raised his hand.
"Hmph, I'm not a child anymore." Liang Sichen proudly raised her chin.
Song Yunhui's hand froze awkwardly in mid-air, and he sheepishly withdrew it. "Okay, Teacher Song was wrong. You're a big kid now." He glanced at his watch. "Come on, I'll treat you to dinner. The food in our factory canteen is pretty good, especially the steamed pork ribs with rice flour—it's absolutely amazing. You definitely can't find that in America."
Liang Sichen's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "That's more like it, then I'll forgive you."
The canteen was bustling with people during the evening rush hour. As soon as Song Yunhui entered with Liang Sishen, they attracted a lot of curious glances. On the one hand, Liang Sishen's fashionable attire made her stand out among the workers in overalls; on the other hand, Song Yunhui was known in the factory for living a "monk-like" life and had never eaten alone with a woman before.
"What do you want to eat? I'll go get it," Song Yunhui asked.
Liang Sichen looked around, then said with interest, "I want to go with you and see what good food we have."
While the two were queuing for food, Song Yunhui noticed Liu Qiming dining with her father, Chief Engineer Liu, not far away. Liu Qiming, dressed in a light blue dress, looked exceptionally fresh and refined in the dim lighting of the cafeteria.
Song Yunhui unconsciously glanced at it a few more times, until Liang Sichen nudged him with her elbow: "Teacher Song, what are you looking at so intently?"
"It's nothing." Song Yunhui hurriedly looked away and casually pointed to a few dishes: "This braised pork is good, and so is the steamed pork ribs with rice flour."
Following his gaze, Liang Sichen gave a meaningful "Oh".
The two found a relatively quiet corner to sit down. Song Yunhui pushed the steamed pork ribs in front of Liang Sichen: "Try it, it's our factory's signature dish."
Liang Sichen picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up: "Mmm! It's really delicious! The meat is tender, the rice noodles are fragrant but not greasy, and most importantly, it's not sweet. It's much better than Chinese restaurants in America."
Song Yunhui smiled and said, "Eat more if you like."
The two chatted and laughed, as if they had returned to a few years ago.
Liu Qiming also witnessed this scene. When Chief Engineer Liu saw this, he thought that his daughter was paying attention to Song Yunhui, and he couldn't help but think, "How about I introduce you two?"
Liu Qiming immediately understood his father's meaning: "Dad, what are you thinking? I just feel that the style of that girl's clothes seems to have been seen in a fashion magazine before. They're quite expensive and can't be sold in China."
Chief Engineer Liu awkwardly took a sip of soup, still unwilling to give up: "Actually, this Song Yunhui is quite good; he's technically skilled and has a good character..."
Liu Qi glanced at him and said, "What's so good about this kind of bookworm? He has no taste at all."
Chief Engineer Liu earnestly advised, "A man should prioritize his career. As for those romantic gestures you mentioned, they can be cultivated gradually. Besides..."
He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered his voice and said, "Besides, Song Yunhui's brother-in-law is none other than General Manager Lei of Haoran International..."
Liu Qiming pouted and said, "Dad, are you going to climb the social ladder by selling your daughter?"
Chief Engineer Liu was speechless for a moment, and after a while, he said in a helpless tone, "In your eyes, is your father someone who curries favor with the powerful? I really think that young man Song Yunhui is good, at least much better than that Yu Shanqing... Never mind, I won't say anymore. You can decide your own affairs."
Liu Qiming then took Chief Engineer Liu's arm and said, "Yes, I knew Dad was the best to me."
Chief Engineer Liu shook his head with a mixture of indulgence and helplessness. However, just as he was about to pack up his lunchbox and get up to leave, he suddenly sat down again and hid behind Liu Qiming.
Liu Qiming asked, puzzled, "Dad, what's wrong?"
Chief Engineer Liu made a shushing gesture. Liu Qiming followed his gaze and saw that Secretary Shui had somehow ended up sitting at Song Yunhui's table. Liu Qiming was puzzled: "Dad, Uncle Shui is eating with Song Yunhui and the others. Why are you hiding?"
Chief Engineer Liu's expression was grave: "You don't understand. Old Shui is about to retire next year. Who knows what he's up to by approaching Song Yunhui now?"
Liu Qiming remained noncommittal: "Dad, aren't you overthinking this? Song Yunhui is at most a team leader in the technical department. He can't possibly pose a threat to you and Uncle Fei, can he?"
Chief Engineer Liu said in a deep voice, "Song Yunhui may not have much influence, but don't forget his brother-in-law, General Manager Lei, is a guest of honor of high-ranking officials in the ministry..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chief Engineer Liu stopped, seeing that Secretary Shui had already left with his lunchbox. He muttered to himself, "What exactly did Old Shui say to Song Yunhui? If he really wanted to win Song Yunhui over, why didn't he do it in public, somewhere secluded? Wasn't he afraid that Lao Fei and I would have been on guard?"
The more Chief Engineer Liu thought about it, the more uneasy he became. So, ignoring his daughter, he went straight to Song Yunhui's dining table and asked, "Little Song, did you bring your friends over for dinner?"
Song Yunhui quickly swallowed his food: "Chief Engineer Liu, this is my student Liang Sichen. She's back from the United States to visit relatives and just happened to be passing through Jingzhou, so she stopped by to see me..."
Before she could finish speaking, Liang Sichen became displeased: "It wasn't by chance, I came here specifically."
Song Yunhui was a little embarrassed, but Chief Engineer Liu said with a smile, "The fact that he made a special trip to see you shows that you haven't taught me in vain... Little Song, was Secretary Shui here just now?"
Song Yunhui nodded obediently. Chief Engineer Liu lowered his voice and asked, "Oh, what did Secretary Shui say to you? Would you mind telling me?"
"Actually, it's nothing much, just some cutting-edge technical issues in the chemical industry." The more Song Yunhui said this, the more uncertain Chief Engineer Liu felt. However, not wanting Song Yunhui to notice anything, he said, "You guys enjoy your meal. I have some things to do, so I'll be leaving now."
Seeing his father abandon him and quickly follow, Song Yunhui's gaze also drifted out. This scene was keenly observed by Liang Sichen: "Teacher Song, do you like that lady from earlier?"
Song Yunhui was caught off guard and said, "Don't talk nonsense, what do you know, you little brat?"
Liang Sichen wrinkled her nose: "Hmph, you're just like them, always treating me like a child."
Song Yunhui chuckled: "Underage, what else could they be but children?"
Liang Sichen snorted, "This is no fun at all. Humph, I'm going home. I'm not playing with you!"
……
At the same time, Chief Engineer Liu rode his bicycle at breakneck speed to Factory Director Fei's house.
"Old Liu, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Chief Engineer Liu recounted the situation breathlessly, and Factory Director Fei's expression immediately turned serious.
"So, Lao Shui is planning to give it his all one last time before retiring?"
Chief Engineer Liu took the water poured by Factory Director Fei's wife and said, "I think it's very possible."
Factory Director Fei pondered for a long time: "Old Liu, where do you think Old Shui would start if he wanted to bring us down?"
"Well... it's hard to say, but now is a crucial time for Jingzhou Chemical to introduce FRC equipment. My main concern is that Lao Shui might interfere and affect our equipment introduction."
Upon hearing this, Factory Director Fei slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "That's right, Lao Liu, you're right. This is the only thing Lao Shui can use to turn things around now..."
"However, the introduction of FRC equipment is a plan that has already been reviewed and approved by the ministry. How can they overturn it?"
Chief Engineer Liu also fell into deep thought. He believed that this equipment import plan was the most suitable for Jingzhou Chemical in every aspect.
"Old Liu, are there any chemical equipment on the market that are more advanced than FRC equipment?"
Upon hearing what Director Fei said, Chief Engineer Liu's heart skipped a beat: "There are definitely some, but we've already reviewed those plans with experts from the ministry. They either exceed the foreign exchange budget or aren't suitable for Jingzhou Chemical's current technological level..."
"Wait, you mean..."
"Don't forget, Song Yunhui's brother-in-law is General Manager Lei. Is foreign exchange a problem for him?" Director Fei said with a gloomy face.