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墨書 Inktalez
In the autumn of 2001, at a private hospital in Beijing:
"Are you awake?" Lin Mingjia looked at Li Li with a faint smile. "You clearly have the body of a three-year-old, yet you insist on pushing yourself. Now look what happened; your tough guy image didn't leave an impression on those people, but your weakling image will be unforgettable."
"What happened?" Li Li still hadn’t fully grasped the situation. As he sat up, a sudden sharp pain shot through his head, and his vision went dark.
Seeing Li Li slump to one side, Lin Mingjia quickly supported him and chuckled, "You fainted right in front of everyone, scaring them half to death! They had to airlift you to a hospital in the city. Turns out it was just exhaustion combined with a severe cold. How embarrassing!"
"What's so embarrassing about that?" Li Li replied, confused. "Yes, my physical condition is poor, and I certainly can't compare to those retired soldiers. But even so, as a leader, I stood shoulder to shoulder with them through thick and thin. I refuse to believe they weren't moved by that!"
Lin Mingjia sighed and flattered him. "Yes, yes, your actions are all commendable! But can you think about yourself for once? You're weak; what if you really collapse next time?"
Seeing Lin Mingjia's eyes redden slightly, Li Li felt a surge of emotion. He reached out and gently touched Lin Mingjia's cheek, reassuring him, "It's okay."
The door to the hospital room opened, and a man dressed in casual clothes without any logos walked in. From his face and the few strands of ungrayed hair, Lin Mingjia recognized this man as Li Li's father: Li Min.
Li Min's name carried weight; it represented not just an individual but encompassed all humanity within its two characters. Now, those two characters symbolized the pinnacle of Chinese wealth.
"Dad," Li Li said in surprise as he looked at Li Min, wondering why he had arrived so quickly when he had only just regained consciousness.
"Hello."
Although Lin Mingjia recognized the man's identity, he refrained from excessive flattery. For someone of such status, compliments were everywhere; no matter how well he performed, it would mean little compared to a simple greeting.
Li Min nodded at Lin Mingjia and turned to Li Li. "Although I don't want to interfere too much in your life, you're my only son. Don't ruin your health!"
"Got it." Li Li rarely agreed without haggling, responding quietly.
"Come outside with me," Li Min said to Lin Mingjia before quickly leaving the hospital room, leaving Lin Mingjia and Li Li behind.
Li Li's expression was somewhat displeased. She wanted to say something to Lin Mingjia but suddenly found herself at a loss for words. After a moment of awkward silence, she finally managed to say, "You go ahead."
Lin Mingjia could naturally sense what Li Li was thinking and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy, laughing carefree.
"Haha, no matter what, I'm still your sister. After all these years, what haven't I seen? It's just a rich guy. Watch how I handle him!"
Li Li looked at Lin Mingjia's feigned calmness and found it hard to smile. Although they hadn't spent much time together, she could tell that Lin Mingjia was quite nervous at that moment. In the end, she could only nod silently and watch as Lin Mingjia left the hospital room.
As Lin Mingjia stepped out of the room, she didn't see Li Min but rather two burly men in black suits. Summoning her courage, she asked, "Where's Mr. Li? He asked to meet me..."
"This isn't where we're talking, miss. Please follow us," one of the suited men said as they escorted Lin Mingjia out of the hospital and into a black Mercedes.
The Mercedes weaved through the city before finally arriving at an area that resembled a park. If it weren't for the single-story wooden house in the woods and the guard at the entrance, one might easily mistake this place for an ordinary park with lush greenery.
On a stone table outside the wooden house sat a set of gray-green porcelain tea utensils. Steam wafted from the small gaps around the teapot lid, and even from a distance, one could catch a whiff of fragrant tea.
"You're here?" An elder dressed in a deep gray Zhongshan suit greeted her with a smile that made him seem very approachable.
Lin Mingjia swallowed hard; whether it was good or bad, she couldn't escape it. Steeling herself, she smiled and walked over.
"Please have a seat." Li Min gestured for Lin Mingjia to take the main seat. Lin Mingjia didn't hesitate and sat down on the stone bench, staring directly into Li Min's eyes.
Li Min leisurely took a seat on another stone bench, picked up a tea cup made of green clay from the tea tray in front of Lin Mingjia, and slowly poured half a cup from the teapot.
The fragrance of tea was refreshing. Lin Mingjia couldn't help but take a deep breath, the rich fruity aroma instantly invigorating him. After exhaling, he could still catch a faint, delicate scent, which brightened his spirits.
"What a good tea."
Li Min smiled lightly and poured himself a cup. "Good tea deserves good people to enjoy it. In these past few years, fewer than ten people have tasted this tea besides me."
"Then I truly feel honored," Lin Mingjia said with a wry smile. "Mr. Li, I doubt you invited me here just to taste tea. If there's something on your mind, please be direct."
Li Min burst into laughter and slowly shook his head.
"You young people are still too impulsive, too sharp-edged. The main reason I invited you here is indeed to enjoy some tea; after all, you’ve done us at Dawn Group a great favor. I ought to show my appreciation!"
Lin Mingjia understood the implication behind Li Min's words and self-deprecatingly replied, "I'm just an ordinary student. The real help to Dawn Group came from the capable Li Li."
Li Min gazed at Lin Mingjia and sighed deeply. "Since you insist on addressing this matter directly, I won’t beat around the bush any longer. I want you to be my assistant!"
Lin Mingjia was shocked by Li Min's words. All his previous speculations were completely different from the current situation. He had thought that this high-ranking Boss Li would use various means to separate him from Li Li, but who would have guessed that he actually wanted him to join Dawn Group directly? Wouldn't that bring him closer to Li Li?
No! Being an executive assistant merely meant entering Dawn Group; it didn't necessarily mean getting closer to Li Li in a real sense. Moreover, due to work responsibilities, he would have even less time to spend with her, making it impossible for them to collaborate in the short term.
This old fox indeed wanted him to distance himself from Li Li but couldn't bear to lose his talent, so he devised this plan—keeping his son while retaining talent. How cunning!
"Mr. Li, don’t you think this is a bit too domineering?" Lin Mingjia asked with a slight frown in response.
Now that he understood Li Min's intentions, there was no need for excessive politeness.
"I am Li Min; I have Dawn. Why shouldn't I be a little domineering?" Li Min said as he slowly sipped his tea and smiled.
Lin Mingjia quietly watched Li Min for a long time before finally asking softly, "I don't want anything, I just want to be with him."
Li Min still wore that faint smile, but at that moment, it seemed anything but friendly; instead, it felt terrifying.
"Stay or leave," Li Min said, pulling a bank card from his pocket and placing it on the stone table.
Lin Mingjia suddenly stood up and slowly walked toward the exit.
Li Min remained seated on the stone bench, and as Lin Mingjia brushed past him, he forced a smile and said, "Aren't you going to think about it? The money on that card is enough for you to enjoy a lifetime."
"No thanks, I just hope to see him once."
"If you're leaving, why do you want to meet?"
"Then a phone call should suffice."
"Ah..."
Lin Mingjia quickened her pace until she was running, ignoring the Suit Man who had come to see her off, and dashed out of the garden-like area.
In the woods, Li Min slowly stood up and turned to watch Lin Mingjia's retreating figure. It seemed he could see tears floating in the air. Unable to help himself, he sighed, hands clasped behind his back, and smiled bitterly.
"You still had a little chance, but you chose this path. Being smart isn't always a good thing; sometimes it's the foolish who see things more clearly. Sometimes... things are just that simple, yet you insist on complicating them. It's not that you're bad; it's just that you're not suited for this. Truly, I'm sorry..."
Lin Mingjia rushed back to the school dormitory and asked her classmate to excuse her from Homeroom Teacher. She then hurriedly booked a flight online and flew back to Wuhan.
After returning to Wuhan, Lin Mingjia didn't go home to visit her parents but instead rushed straight to her former high school. As the most outstanding graduate in the past, she was naturally invited back to promote the school and had learned about an exceptional talent currently attending.
She needed to find him.
By the time she arrived at the high school gate, it was exactly six o'clock, just in time for the school's dismissal. Lin Mingjia blended into the crowd and successfully slipped past the security guard's failing eyesight, gaining entry into the school.
After locating her former class leader, she playfully pestered him until he finally provided her with the file of one of this year's graduates.
Chen Zijing, born in 1996...
"Sis! Is he still at school?"
The class leader was dizzy from Lin Mingjia's relentless chatter and inadvertently revealed everything he shouldn't have.
"That kid? He's really a headache. He could excel at anything he wanted, but he's just too lazy to put in the effort. He insists that he lacks motivation and finds everything too dull to spark his enthusiasm. You know what? Everyone else is going through the same curriculum! Yet you have the loudest complaints!"
"That's a good thing! If there's something he's interested in, he would surely excel at it!"
"Ah, you see... this kid has become obsessed with some online game called 'Lu'. He plays it like crazy and only half-heartedly attends to his studies. While it's not a problem for him to get into North Atlantic with his current grades, who knows if he'll lose himself in gaming?"
"Oh?! So he's addicted to games? Which internet café does he usually go to?" Lin Mingjia asked lightly with a smile.
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