TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 24

As soon as the Azure Technology team arrived, the very next day, people from Harbor Group rushed to City A.

To show their sincerity, they brought along the demands Zhuang Yanyu had made to them, as well as the minimum guarantee agreement. The person negotiating with them was no longer Vice President Zhang, but a younger manager from their side.

Chen Kang knew that Wen Chenxi had handed over the pricing for this project to Zhuang Yanyu, so he let Zhuang Yanyu handle the cost details. Chen Kang, on the other hand, played to his strengths, engaging in talks with the manager, using Zhuang Yanyu’s prices as leverage.

This time, Harbor Group was very eager to seal the deal. Realizing that Azure Technology wasn’t going to budge, they reluctantly agreed to the contract.

The process was much faster this time—within a single day, all the details of the collaboration had been finalized.

This meant that the program Zhuang Yanyu had written was now sold.

The day after the contract was signed, Zhuang Yanyu received an invitation from the Finance Department.

This week, due to other system updates and launches within the company, the service center had gotten busy. Their department was tasked with assisting the Technical and Engineering Departments in creating operation and installation manuals for newly launched programs.

When the Finance and Legal Departments came to invite Zhuang Yanyu to a meeting, everyone couldn’t help but look over curiously.

Zhuang Yanyu glanced at the work he had in hand, then looked at the Finance Department staff, thinking about the reason they were there. He said, “I’ve got this…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Quan squeezed over. “I’ll handle it, I’ll handle it. Brother Zhuang, you go ahead. This one just needs a little more work, I’ll get it done for you!”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t insist. After thanking Zhou Quan, he got up and followed the Finance and Legal Department staff to the meeting room.

As soon as they left, people in the Technical Service Department began discussing.

“Wasn’t that Manager Liao from the Finance Department? Why is she here with the Legal Department? Could it be that Zhuang Yanyu…?”

In their minds, when both Finance and Legal were involved together, it usually meant someone had crossed some serious lines—like embezzling money or using their position for personal gain.

So, when Finance and Legal come together to meet you, the only possibilities are: one is there to settle the score, and the other to deal with the legal consequences.

As they speculated, some even began to wonder if Zhuang Yanyu had done something wrong during his business trip.

Zhou Quan saw them getting further and further off track and couldn’t help but speak up. “What’s wrong with you guys? Don’t you have any understanding? Brother Zhuang is going to collect his bonus. Don’t you know he wrote a program that’s going to make the company a lot of money?”

The people in the Technical Service Department really didn’t know this. They only knew that Zhuang Yanyu often helped in the Engineering Department and sometimes worked overtime, but his salary wasn’t higher than theirs.

They thought Zhuang Yanyu was just accompanying the Engineering Department on this business trip.

Hearing Zhou Quan’s explanation, everyone became curious and asked:

“Zhuang Yanyu wrote a program? What kind of program?”

“Wow, Xiao Zhuang is that amazing?”

“What kind of program did Xiao Zhuang write? Is it because you guys often help in the Engineering Department, and some of the experts there have given you pointers?”

Zhou Quan really didn’t know what program it was. He had seen Zhuang Yanyu write programs, but they were so complex he couldn’t understand them.

However, hearing the last comment, he couldn’t resist glaring at the person who asked. “What pointers? My Brother Zhuang is an expert himself! Other engineers go to him for guidance!”

Zhou Quan was from the north, tall and a bit darker-skinned, looking like a strong athlete. The person he glared at coughed awkwardly and replied, “I was just asking.”

Though he said that, he still didn’t believe Zhuang Yanyu was that impressive.

If he really was an expert, why would he be in Technical Services? He should have been in the Engineering Department doing R&D.

But as they listened to Zhou Quan talk about Zhuang Yanyu writing programs to earn money, some of them started to feel motivated.

Before, they hadn’t been keen to help in the Engineering Department. The work was heavy, and they often had to work overtime, but their pay didn’t differ much from that of the Technical Service Department.

Plus, the work in Engineering was much more difficult. Take system testing, for example—if the data wasn’t recorded properly, they might even get scolded.

Even though they were temporarily assigned to help, they still risked being scolded. Over time, most of them didn’t want to go anymore.

But now they realized there was something to learn from it.

Like Xiao Zhuang—he had only helped for a few weeks, and now he could write programs to make money!

It seemed they should spend more time learning and getting involved in the Engineering Department too.

—

In the meeting room.

Manager Liao from the Finance Department and the people from the Legal Department laid the contract out in front of Zhuang Yanyu.

Manager Liao was a woman in her forties, sharp and competent in her speech. She said, “Zhuang Yanyu, you should know why we’re here, right?”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded. At first, he didn’t know, but after thinking it through on his way there, he quickly figured out their purpose.

Manager Liao smiled and continued, “According to the company’s employment contract, since you’re an engineer in the Engineering Department, for your QZD system, the company has a priority buyout and operational usage agreement. Only if the company decides not to buy or operate the program can you take it outside and sell it. On the other hand, if the company decides to use it, they’ll give you a generous bonus to reward you for your talent.”

The company also has a research and development center, where it invests heavily in R&D. The resulting research achievements fully belong to the company.

Zhuang Yanyu said, “I understand.”

Manager Liao smiled kindly and continued, “But since you’re from the Technical Services Department and not the Engineering Department, by handing over the QZD program unconditionally to the company, the company will still reward you according to the Engineering Department’s standards.”

She pushed the contract forward. “This is the agreement for the company to operate the QZD system. The bonus isn’t much—just 200,000 yuan. This is a talent incentive award from the Engineering Department’s regulations, a small bonus. The company wants to sign with you for operational usage rights and will later settle accounts with you based on a profit-sharing model. This means that whenever we use the QZD system to collaborate with other companies in the future, you’ll receive a share of the bonus for every successful deal.”

This amount is no small sum. For a fresh graduate who just entered the workforce, it’s undoubtedly an irresistible temptation.

But Manager Liao valued this young man’s character more.

She’d heard from Chen Kang that he had rejected kickback offers from a partner, and the amount offered wasn’t small either.

Zhuang Yanyu picked up the contract and began reading.

The contract had many terms, spanning more than ten pages, and it wasn’t the only document.

Yet, he read quickly, flipping a page every few seconds.

Seeing his speed, Manager Liao smiled and reminded him, “You can take your time reading it. No need to rush. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask us or consult Lawyer Zhou here.”

Inwardly, she couldn’t help but marvel. At such a young age, he was already so capable.

She had just finished speaking when Zhuang Yanyu closed the contract and looked up, asking, “Can’t the company just buy it outright?”

Hearing this, Manager Liao froze for a moment and asked in surprise, “You want the company to buy out this system?”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “Yes.”

Manager Liao gave a helpless smile. “I suggest you take another look at the contract. A buyout is just a one-time deal for you. If the system has limited potential, a buyout makes sense; even if the company loses money later, it won’t affect you. But to be honest, everyone in the company is optimistic about your system. Its potential isn’t low, which means there will be many future partnerships, and you’ll earn more from the profit-sharing model. With a buyout, you’d lose out.”

“I’ve read the contract. I understand,” Zhuang Yanyu said. “Just buy it out.”

Manager Liao and Lawyer Zhou exchanged glances, both unsure what to say, thinking that perhaps Zhuang Yanyu didn’t grasp the difference between the two options.

After some thought, Manager Liao said, “Wait a moment; I’ll make a call.”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded. “Okay.”

The profit-sharing arrangement had been specifically instructed by Assistant Lin that morning, so Manager Liao reported the situation, explaining that the young man wasn’t interested in profit-sharing and only wanted a buyout.

After understanding the situation, Lin Lin, worried about any misunderstandings, immediately informed Wen Chenxi.

Barely two minutes later, Wen Chenxi called.

Zhuang Yanyu stepped aside to take the call. “Ah Xi?”

Wen Chenxi got straight to the point. “I had someone draft the contract for you. Is there something you’re unhappy with?”

Zhuang Yanyu didn’t answer immediately.

After a brief pause, Wen Chenxi asked, “Is the profit-sharing percentage too low?”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “No, the percentage is already very high.”

If it were a bit lower, he might have just signed it. But with it so high…

Hearing that it wasn’t dissatisfaction over the percentage, Wen Chenxi felt slightly relieved and asked, “Then what’s your concern?”

Zhuang Yanyu explained, “It’s just that the percentage is too high.”

Hearing this, Wen Chenxi couldn’t help but laugh. It was rare to see someone worried about earning too much money. “So you want me to buy it out instead?”

“I was giving it to you anyway,” Zhuang Yanyu said softly. “With every new partnership, you’d have to pay me more. You won’t have any money left.”

With such a high percentage, every time a deal was made, he’d get a share. Zhuang Yanyu felt like his good friend was just giving him money.

But the original intent behind creating this program was to help his friend make money, not to earn money for himself.

Now it had reversed—his friend hadn’t made much, while he was raking in bonuses and profit shares.

Wen Chenxi couldn’t help but laugh.

Probably only Zhuang Yanyu would worry about him running out of money.

At thirty years old, Wen Chenxi finally experienced the kind of concern where someone acts like a parent fretting, “You must be cold.”

But it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Zhuang Yanyu added, “If you don’t want to take it for free, just give me a little. Treat it as a buyout.”

He even thought that a token amount, like a hundred yuan, would suffice.

Wen Chenxi felt both amused and helpless, his chest brimming with a sweetness that stemmed entirely from Zhuang Yanyu’s thoughtfulness toward him.

And precisely because of this, even though he knew the other was a straightforward, manly friend, he couldn’t help but be moved time and time again.

But Wen Chenxi wasn’t the type to take advantage of someone he cared about. He gently persuaded, “I know you want me to earn more, but,” he paused, his voice tinged with laughter, “I also want Xiao Yu to earn more.”

Zhuang Yanyu started, “I don’t need—”

Wen Chenxi cut him off, “It wouldn’t be fair if I always followed your wishes when you’re thinking of me, but you ignore mine when I’m thinking of you.”

Zhuang Yanyu lowered his head, reflecting.

Indeed, all relationships are reciprocal. Balanced exchanges foster mutual understanding.

If one party gives unconditionally for too long, it can lead to inequality and even resentment.

He cared for his friend, and his friend naturally cared for him.

Wen Chenxi saw that Zhuang Yanyu remained silent and, gritting his teeth, resorted to a move he rarely used: “Are we still good brothers or not?”

Without hesitation, Zhuang Yanyu responded, “Of course we are!” His voice was loud, leaving no room for doubt.

After all, they were perfectly matched best friends, selected and paired through big data analysis and compatibility scores from his past life!

Hearing the resolute answer, Wen Chenxi’s lips twitched slightly. Stifling an internal sigh, he asked, “Then are you going to sign the contract or not?”

This time, Zhuang Yanyu didn’t hesitate: “I’ll sign.”

Satisfied, Wen Chenxi ended the call. Reflecting on what he had just said, he felt a bit disheartened.

But he had no choice—Wen Chenxi could only find comfort in his own reasoning.

He explained to Lin Lin, “The reason he didn’t want to sign was that he was worried I wouldn’t make enough money.”

Lin, his assistant, looked deeply moved. “President Wen, while the whole world debates how much you’re worth, only Mr. Zhuang genuinely cares if you’re overworked, stressed, or breaking even. He truly cares about you.”

Feeling content with this sweet thought, Wen Chenxi’s frustration dissipated.

With a decisive wave, he instructed, “Double his bonus. No need to wait for payroll—tell Finance to process it today.”

Though he wanted to give even more, Wen Chenxi knew Zhuang Yanyu would likely refuse, so doubling it seemed justifiable.

Lin Lin replied, “Understood, I’ll handle it immediately.”

By the afternoon—barely half a day after signing the contract—Zhuang Yanyu received the bonus transfer.

What was originally supposed to be a 200,000 yuan talent incentive had become 400,000 yuan, post-tax. Finance had even taken care of the taxes for him.

With this unexpected windfall, and knowing future program royalties would bring even more, Zhuang Yanyu was unsure how to spend the money.

After some thought, he decided to buy gifts for his brother.

Soon, a series of luxurious items—a 50,000 yuan massage chair, a watch worth over 100,000 yuan, a high-end pen costing tens of thousands, and more—were sent to Wen Chenxi’s office.

Looking at these items, Wen Chenxi felt a mix of exasperation and warmth.

He was touched that Zhuang Yanyu, now with money in hand, thought of buying him gifts first.

But he was also helpless—Zhuang Yanyu had already spent nearly 280,000 of the 400,000 yuan bonus, leaving only a modest amount for himself. Would he have enough?

And considering Zhuang Yanyu’s modest family background…

Lin Lin observed his boss sitting on a massage chair worth tens of thousands instead of his custom-made chair worth over a million, wearing a watch worth over 100,000 instead of his usual multi-million-yuan timepieces.

With a sigh, Wen Chenxi remarked, “Xiao Yu truly doesn’t care about money.”

Only at moments like these did Wen Chenxi contemplate what else—besides wealth—could possibly attract Zhuang Yanyu.

Lin Lin quickly agreed, “Yes, Mr. Zhuang cares about you as a person, not your money.”

Wen Chenxi shot him a glance, enjoying the compliment but also cautioning, “Don’t go spreading this around.”

He didn’t want Zhuang Yanyu subjected to gossip.

Though he hoped for something more between them, facts were facts.

Lin Lin assured him, “Understood, boss. I won’t say a word.”

Wen Chenxi dismissed him, then made a call when he saw Zhuang Yanyu ordering yet another gift—a pair of sunglasses.

On the pretext of discussing the gifts, Wen Chenxi gently turned them down.

Zhuang Yanyu’s first reaction was, “You don’t like them?”

Wen Chenxi replied, “I do. I’m really happy you got me these gifts.”

“Then why not accept them?” Zhuang Yanyu asked, puzzled.

Images of Zhuang Yanyu’s run-down childhood home—its cracked brick walls and creaking doors—flashed in Wen Chenxi’s mind.

To avoid offending Zhuang Yanyu’s pride, he carefully said, “You know I’m not short on money. Maybe you should keep it for yourself or send it back to your hometown. Perhaps your family needs it more.”

“Actually, my dad told me not to send money home,” Zhuang Yanyu replied.

In fact, the moment he received the bonus, he called his father, who insisted he should enjoy himself and not send money back.

Wen Chenxi said, “That’s his decision. He might just not want you to feel pressured so soon after starting your career. Whether or not you send money is up to you, as a gesture of love, like the gifts you sent me.”

Zhuang Yanyu mulled this over.

“No parent in the world doesn’t want their child to succeed,” Wen Chenxi added gently.

The thought of Zhuang Yanyu returning to that dilapidated home during family visits filled Wen Chenxi with heartache.

Zhuang Yanyu nodded. “I see.”

He paused before saying, “I’ll fix this oversight in my data collection.”

Wen Chenxi raised a brow at the odd phrasing but didn’t press further.

“I’ll call my dad right now,” Zhuang Yanyu decided.

After transferring a significant sum to his father and keeping only what he needed for living expenses, Zhuang Yanyu also spent time researching more about family dynamics.

His father, Mr. Zhuang, soon video-called him, visibly concerned.

His sun-darkened face filled the screen as he exclaimed, “Why’d you send me so much money, Xiao Shi? Didn’t I tell you to keep it?”

Zhuang Yanyu said, “In normal families, kids always bring some money home after earning it.”

He emphasized the words “normal families” with particular weight.

Old Zhuang hesitated, feeling a little uncertain. “Is that so?”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “Yes, that’s how it is. Ah Xi said the same thing.”

“Well, if that’s what normal families do… then that’s fine.” Old Zhuang stopped dwelling on it and even started praising Wen Chenxi: “Your buddy is really something, giving you such a big bonus. I’ll save the money and use it to buy you a house.”

Zhuang Yanyu smiled softly, with faint dimples appearing on his face. “Mm, he’s really great.”

Old Zhuang also chuckled. “Come home this weekend for dinner. I bought a goose from Uncle Liu, and I’ll cook a couple of chickens too. Oh, and invite your buddy and his two friends along—it’ll be livelier.”

Zhuang Yanyu agreed, “Okay.”

Before they knew it, the weekend arrived.

The four of them drove to the small rural town in one car. Li Xi drove, Ji Zhiyuan sat in the front passenger seat, and Zhuang Yanyu and Wen Chenxi sat in the back.

On the way, Ji Zhiyuan even called Uncle Liu, shouting into the phone, “Liu Bro, slaughter two more geese! One for lunch and one for me to take back later. My treat today—don’t charge Old Zhuang anything!”

Uncle Liu, unfazed, agreed with a laugh, reminding them to drive safely while heading out to catch two more geese.

However, they ended up arriving late due to a detour caused by road construction in the village.

As soon as they got out of the car, they saw Uncle Liu and Old Zhuang waiting for them at the door.

Ji Zhiyuan was the first to make himself at home, calling out, “Liu Bro! Long time no see! I’ve missed this place so much, I think about coming back here every day!”

Uncle Liu walked over, smiling warmly, and greeted them: “Three young bros, thanks for making the trip.”

Zhuang Yanyu froze in his tracks. “???”

Did Uncle Liu just call Ah Xi and the others… bros?

Wen Chenxi: “…”

Zhuang Yanyu slowly turned his head to glance at Wen Chenxi, lips pressed together.

Wen Chenxi opened his mouth but hesitated.

Zhuang Yanyu finally said, “So… even people you’ve only met twice can call you ‘bro.’ Interesting.”

Who was envious here? The system didn’t want to say.

After all, up to now, Zhuang Yanyu had only heard one person ever call him ‘bro.’

Wen Chenxi: “…”

Wen Chenxi cleared his throat. “Xiao Yu, actually—”

Before he could explain, Old Zhuang walked over, taking Zhuang Yanyu’s hand to inspect him thoroughly. Once satisfied that his son hadn’t lost weight, he warmly addressed Wen Chenxi and the others, “Thank you all for taking care of my Xiao Yu.”

Ji Zhiyuan waved dismissively. “No need to be so polite, Old Zhuang Bro. You and Old Liu Bro can just call me—”

Ji Zhiyuan was cut off by another voice: “Hello, Uncle Zhuang.”

Ji Zhiyuan turned to see Wen Chenxi stepping forward, reaching out to shake Old Zhuang’s hand. “Hello, Uncle Zhuang. I’m Wen Chenxi.”

Old Zhuang, caught off guard, was flustered. “Oh, no need to be so formal.”

Ji Zhiyuan pouted. “Old Wen, why’re you calling him ‘Uncle’? Old Zhuang Bro looks barely older than us.”

Old Zhuang chuckled sheepishly. “I’m 42 this year. Xiao Yu was born early—when I was 19. Now I really am getting old.”

Ji Zhiyuan exclaimed, “Old Zhuang Bro, you’re not old! You’re just 12 years older than us.”

Old Zhuang laughed, “Alright, then just call me ‘Old Bro.’”

Wen Chenxi, however, remained expressionless as he pushed Ji Zhiyuan aside and stubbornly said, “Got it, Uncle Zhuang.”

Li Xi, having parked the car and joined them, found himself caught in an odd scene:

One person said, “Old Zhuang Bro, you live right next door, huh?”

Another said, “Uncle Zhuang, join us for lunch.”

Then one person countered, “Don’t call him ‘Uncle’; he doesn’t look old at all.”

While another said, “Exactly, Uncle Zhuang looks really young.”

The whole situation was chaotic.

Li Xi turned to the silent Zhuang Yanyu and whispered, “What’s going on? Should I call him ‘Old Bro’ or ‘Uncle’?”

Zhuang Yanyu, still sulking, muttered, “I don’t know.”

Li Xi: “Huh? What do you call him?”

Why wouldn’t he know?

Zhuang Yanyu shot him a strange look and answered, “I call him Dad.”

Li Xi: “…”

Ah, right. That does make sense.

He had been completely led astray by those two!

—-

Author’s Note:

PS—

The insanely jealous Yanyu: He still won’t call me “bro”! And yet the whole world is doing it!

The despairing Wen Chenxi: I just want to be a silent CEO for once. (Please!)

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