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Lu Boyuan went on a long business trip this time.
Yu Hanfeng didn’t know where he pulled the connections from, but he managed to get their small company an invitation to the Global Pharmaceutical Bio-Source Symposium, held at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Lu Boyuan had coveted this conference for a long time, and when Fang Yongnian handed him the invitation, he was as delighted as Lu Yixin.
“Let’s go together.” He clutched the invitation tightly, unwilling to let go. “There are a few old classmates there too.”
“Not going.” Fang Yongnian didn’t even lift his head.
Lu Boyuan rubbed his nose.
When it came to letting Fang Yongnian return to the pharmaceutical field, he never dared to say much. He always recalled what he had done to Fang Yongnian over the years, and he always remembered how, on the day Professor Wu visited, he had been persuaded several times.
His brain really hadn’t grown properly in some areas.
Fang Yongnian should have achieved far more than he did.
“I’ll bring all the materials back, not missing a single word.” Before leaving, Lu Boyuan patted his chest and once again made a solemn promise.
Lu Boyuan was a man who kept his word.
When he returned, he actually carried back a whole box of materials—not even paper ones. Most of them were hard drives and videotapes—he had recorded every single lecture and discussion session of the five-day symposium, and he hadn’t even skipped the dinner banquets.
“Let’s watch together! I made an index.” Lu Boyuan rolled up his sleeves, brimming with enthusiasm.
“No…” Fang Yongnian looked up.
Then swallowed back the rest of his words and changed it to, “I have something to do now, let’s do it this afternoon.”
Lu Yixin had a pair of big eyes exactly like Lu Boyuan’s; when the father and daughter were excited, their eyes both lit up.
He didn’t know whether it was guilt or softness in his heart.
He just instinctively felt that he probably couldn’t refuse Lu Boyuan so casually anymore.
Zheng Fei and that crow’s mouth…
“This stuff can’t possibly be finished in one afternoon.” Lu Boyuan flipped through his own index, a whole notebook full. “How about this—I’ll pick out the important parts, and we’ll pull an all-nighter.”
Fang Yongnian: “……”
“This trip was really fruitful.” Lu Boyuan was still riding the wave of excitement. “After we finish watching, we can sort through it together, and then maybe give those young guys outside a bit of a lecture.”
Suppressing the urge to refuse, Fang Yongnian replied with great difficulty, “…Alright.”
Lu Boyuan was delighted. Like a treasure, he stacked all those hard drives and videotapes in Fang Yongnian’s office. Before leaving, he looked back at him again.
Fang Yongnian: “…What is it?”
Lu Boyuan cleared his throat.
He thought Fang Yongnian’s condition had been very good lately—his hair was neatly done, his complexion not as pale, and even his beard was shaved clean.
“That…” Lu Boyuan hesitated.
Fang Yongnian put down the work in his hand and closed his notebook.
“I just went to check on the progress of the three generic drug projects. If nothing unexpected happens, they can all enter production before the New Year.”
Fang Yongnian nodded.
The project progress was very good. Yu Hanfeng was a marketing genius. That day, Fang had only casually mentioned something about competitiveness, and Yu Hanfeng had already paved the entire sales path afterward.
He might be able to pay off his debts in less than five years.
“I think, the project team we have now is pretty solid.” Seeing Fang Yongnian cooperating, Lu Boyuan immediately sat back down across from him, adopting a posture for a long talk.
Fang Yongnian inconspicuously glanced toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
The eighteenth floor.
He really needed to be more patient and kind to Lu Boyuan.
“After eliminating a batch of those who only talk but never act, the remaining newcomers, though still impulsive and inexperienced, are at least willing to learn, and their backgrounds are clean.”
Because of past lessons, Fang Yongnian had done background checks before hiring anyone—careful to a degree uncommon even in a pharmaceutical company.
“The few core veterans are all our old acquaintances too. Their character and skills are both reliable.”
“With this kind of steady iteration and survival of the fittest for another two or three years, I think this project team will be perfect as a seed team.”
Fang Yongnian frowned slightly.
“So…” Lu Boyuan noticed the frown but still went on, “you really don’t plan to redo the original research drug?”
“An investor like Yu Hanfeng is hard to come by, she’s completely hands-off yet still handles after-sales. Honestly, I really admire her.” Lu Boyuan instinctively felt that if he praised Yu Hanfeng a few times in front of Fang Yongnian, the latter would be pleased.
But Fang Yongnian still kept his frown, not looking happy at all.
“The three generic drugs we’re developing now will definitely become profitable core products later. If we apply again for a few more in the same field, with your project management ability, building a good reputation is just a matter of time.”
“Now we have a financially strong investor, the company is accumulating funds in a healthy cycle, and we’ve trained our own project seed members. Why can’t we think about going even further?”
Lu Boyuan grew a little emotional.
When he resigned, he hadn’t imagined that Fang Yongnian’s small company could enter a positive cycle so quickly.
Fang Yongnian and Yu Hanfeng were both exceptional leaders—decisive and precise in strategy, daring to employ talent, and willing to take responsibility.
To be honest, if his resignation at the beginning was driven by shame and pride, now, he truly hoped this company could grow stronger and larger.
This company was too perfect a place for Fang Yongnian to start anew.
He had lost the chance to help clear Fang Yongnian’s name, but he still had the ability to help him rise again.
Fang Yongnian looked at the fervent Lu Boyuan.
If it had been before, he probably would have already found some random excuse to send him away.
But now was different.
Even though he still harbored resentment toward Lu Boyuan’s years of indifference, ultimately, back then, aside from turning a blind eye, Lu Boyuan truly hadn’t done anything wrong.
Besides, he had resigned.
He knew very well what it meant for Lu Boyuan to resign from the research institute. He had abandoned all his resources there, wasted all those years of seniority. At over forty years old, he had left with nothing—all because of guilt and idealism.
“You’re more suited to be a project manager than I am.” In the end, Fang Yongnian forced himself to be patient. “After this batch of generic drugs enters production, you can handle the applications for the next ones.”
“I’ll go talk to Yu Hanfeng. If you’re still interested in original research drugs, after these three pass approval and go on the market, you can discuss the feasibility yourselves depending on the financial situation.”
“My agreement with Yu Hanfeng only covers these three drugs. As for anything else, it’s really inconvenient for me to get involved.”
Lu Boyuan widened his eyes.
“This company isn’t mine,” Fang Yongnian repeated. “For any plans related to the company’s future, you can go directly to Yu Hanfeng. You don’t need to go through me anymore.”
Lu Boyuan could continue to shine in this environment.
As for him…
He felt a faint urge to sigh.
Once he was debt-free, they could talk again then.
“You…” Lu Boyuan was startled by where the conversation was going. “I…”
“I didn’t mean you should hand the company over to me!” Lu Boyuan grew anxious.
“Besides, it wouldn’t be right for me, as an outsider, to get in the middle of things between you and Yu Hanfeng.”
Fang Yongnian: “?”
“Anyway, if you really don’t want to make original research drugs, that’s fine too.” After dropping the verbal landmine, Lu Boyuan quickly changed the topic. “I just think with the current team and company, things are running in such a healthy cycle, the future looks bright. It’d be a pity not to keep going.”
Just like you—such a pity.
“When I went to Chicago this time, a lot of old classmates asked about you.” Lu Boyuan wasn’t good at being sentimental, and after saying that, he felt a bit awkward.
“I really didn’t mean that you should hand the company over to me.”
“Yixin’s already in college now. Her mother bought her a pretty good investment fund. As long as there aren’t any major financial problems, she shouldn’t face much trouble.”
“So I’m really not that desperate about profits.” Maybe thinking that Fang Yongnian had misunderstood his earlier words, Lu Boyuan looked rather aggrieved.
This junior of his was just too sensitive.
But he couldn’t really blame him, anyone who had gone through something that brutal would be left with some psychological scars.
“Don’t overthink it.” Lu Boyuan stood up.
“How about this—we don’t watch the symposium materials tonight. And don’t stay cooped up in your office every day. You should go out for a walk once in a while.”
“How about I set up a meeting with Yu Hanfeng?”
“Yixin told me there’s a pretty good hotpot place nearby…”
“No, wait, the atmosphere in a hotpot place isn’t really right. I think a Western restaurant would be better.” With no real experience in pursuing women, Lu Boyuan scratched his head, visibly struggling.
“Lu Boyuan.” Fang Yongnian had to interrupt him. “There really isn’t anything going on between me and Yu Hanfeng.”
He spoke very slowly, and with particular seriousness.
Lu Boyuan had already reached the office door. When he heard that, he turned around and made a gossipy little hand gesture—clearly something he had picked up from Lu Yixin.
“I know.” Lu Boyuan winked at Fang Yongnian. “I get it.”
“I’m not trying to pressure you, but between a man and a woman, someone’s got to break that thin paper window. You two aren’t young anymore, after all.”
After finishing his words, Lu Boyuan left, closing the office door behind him.
Inside the office, only the symposium materials that Lu Boyuan had lugged all the way back from the United States remained—along with Fang Yongnian, whose face was expressionless.
His teeth ached, his head ached, his whole body ached.
He and Lu Boyuan really must have incompatible fates.
Even when both had the intention to resolve the knots in their hearts, every meeting somehow managed to make things worse.
Lu Yixin’s issue hadn’t even been settled yet, and now there was another—Yu Hanfeng.
Fang Yongnian stared at the pile of hard drives and videotapes.
And at the original research drug that Lu Boyuan couldn’t let go of.
Lu Boyuan—he wanted to restart the Alzheimer’s project. He wanted to try again at a project with a failure rate of 99.6%, one that no rational investor would ever fund.
He understood.
In truth, he knew that every person who had sincerely worked on the Kang Mo project back then must have felt the same way.
After all, that was their unhealed wound.
But he had already lost a leg.
He would rather spend his life making generic drugs for a living, earn a fortune, and retire early.
He took out his phone, which had been vibrating non-stop while Lu Boyuan was still there. As expected, it was from Lu Yixin.
Lu Yixin: I told my dad there’s a really good hotpot place near your company. I think he’s going to take you there.
Fang Yongnian pressed his lips together.
He didn’t want to reply.
But somehow, holding the phone, he couldn’t help typing back: Your dad told me to take Yu Hanfeng.
