Director Deng was truly open-minded in employing talent – whoever had the ability would be put to use.

Upon discovering Xia Xiaolan’s insightful comments, he immediately promoted her from a temporary driver (who provided her own car and paid for her own gas) to a negotiation translator – he didn’t even know her English proficiency level!

The current translator felt wronged and wanted to cry, hoping Xia Xiaolan would be self-aware enough to decline, but unexpectedly, she agreed immediately:

“Since the leader has requested it, I’ll take time off. Shall I start following your schedule tomorrow?”

How could she help Zhou Cheng without joining?

How could she effectively delay Du Zhaoqi without being involved?

She needed to make Du Zhaoqi believe he had hope of buying the production line, wasting his time, and ultimately leaving empty-handed.

It wasn’t that Xia Xiaolan was being malicious – everyone just had different standpoints!

Deng Changxing repeatedly praised her, commenting that she and Zhou Cheng were a perfect match.

The translator’s feelings of unfairness were useless – Deng Changxing felt this translator wasn’t clever enough, certainly not as useful as Xia Xiaolan!

Xia Xiaolan had already been staying at the inspection team’s hotel last night, though at her own expense. Today when she returned to the hotel, Deng Changxing said he would put her room charges on the public account… Director Deng was so adorably practical, what could Xia Xiaolan say?

Deng Changxing was a man of action. He said he would go to his room to show Xia Xiaolan the negotiation materials, and Song Zhicheng followed, suddenly leaving only Zhou Cheng and Xia Xiaolan.

“You can take time off?”

Zhou Cheng hadn’t expected his wife to immediately agree to be the translator. He was touched but worried for Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan nodded: “Cornell’s spring semester ends in May. This semester’s most difficult course is Professor McCarthy’s ‘Structural Elements,’ and our C·W design competition entry counts as this semester’s major assignment for that course. The remaining subjects aren’t difficult; I can just go back for the final exams.”

Unlike most universities in China at the time, Cornell’s School of Architecture had four semesters per year.

Xia Xiaolan was an exchange student for the spring semester.

Classes started mid-January, final exam week began May 8th, and exams finished around May 15th.

Late May was for graduation ceremonies.

By the end of May, the summer session would begin, with course options of 3 weeks, 6 weeks, or 8 weeks – dreaming of a two-month summer vacation was just that, a dream!

Xia Xiaolan explained this to Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng understood – his wife hadn’t suddenly decided to show off in front of Deng Changxing but had deliberately caught his attention to join the negotiations.

“You reminded Director Deng so he could pressure Du Zhaoqi through Du Shengrong, to buy some time?”

Xia Xiaolan nodded frankly, “Yes, I help Du Zhaohui waste his brother’s time, and Du Zhaohui helps me investigate the vase buyer in Hong Kong – a fair exchange.”

Du Zhaohui probably wouldn’t see it that way.

Zhou Cheng found his wife’s straightforward approach adorable.

So adorable he wanted to pinch her cheeks.

“That was Du Zhaohui’s brother just now, the son of the Du family’s second branch. His secretary looked familiar.”

“That’s Little Ye, the woman comrade we rescued from human traffickers on the train – don’t you remember?”

Now that she mentioned it, it did seem like her.

Zhou Cheng didn’t pay attention to other women, and Ye Xiaoqiong now appeared as a shrewd and capable secretary, quite different from the tearful victim on the train. It was impressive enough that he found her familiar; he couldn’t immediately make the connection.

But life’s twists were unpredictable – last year she had almost been trafficked and couldn’t even afford a train ticket, and now she was a secretary to a Hong Kong tycoon’s son… From Shanghai to Hong Kong, and then to America – this Ye Xiaoqiong had climbed quickly!

Ye Xiaoqiong must have recognized him.

Who knew what impact this would have on the negotiations?

Zhou Cheng didn’t believe in returning a drop of kindness with a gushing spring. Although he and Xiaolan had helped Ye Xiaoqiong, she would stand with Du Zhaoqi now:

“You should still be wary of her. Since you’re helping Du Zhaohui, your positions are different now.”

Just as Xia Xiaolan nodded, Deng Changxing and Song Zhicheng rushed back with a stack of documents:

“Xiao Xia, come, let’s study these together.”

Director Deng, is such a pragmatist – where was his previous dismissiveness of Xia Xiaolan? His attitude was now warm and friendly!

Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng exchanged smiles as they both started reviewing the materials Deng Changxing brought.

Since the state-owned enterprise where Song Zhicheng worked was importing the equipment, he had to act as an interpreter, occasionally explaining things to Xia Xiaolan – when Tang Hongen had taken Liu Fen and Xia Xiaolan to Xiangshan Villa, who in the Song family had thought anything of the mother and daughter!

Song Zhicheng’s wife and daughter wouldn’t even speak to Liu Fen and Xia Xiaolan then. Who knew the tables would turn so quickly, bringing Xia Xiaolan into contact with the Song family when they needed her help?

What did Song Zhicheng think?

He felt inexplicably jealous of Tang Hongen’s good fortune.

Probably Tang Hongen’s bad luck had been used up during those years in the labor camp. The old man promoted him, but Tang Hongen had to have the ability to raise himself.

Who would believe it was just bad luck?

Remarrying in middle age, picking up a stepdaughter along the way, and she turned out to be clever and capable.

…

After being pulled into discussions by Director Deng and Song Zhicheng for several hours until 9 PM, they finally ran out of things to say and allowed Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng some time alone.

They weren’t married, so Deng Changxing and the others couldn’t arrange for two unmarried comrades to share a room. Since people would gossip about a young couple staying in one room, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng could only chat in the hotel’s public areas.

Just holding hands was already pushing it – they couldn’t be too intimate and shock those old-fashioned comrades.

They had barely gotten any time alone when someone else came looking for Xia Xiaolan.

“Waiting outside the hotel? I won’t go – ask her to come in!”

Late at night, New York’s safety wasn’t great, and this wasn’t a fancy hotel but rather a shabby little place. Xia Xiaolan would never stay here alone; she only felt safe with Zhou Cheng around.

Refusing to go out, the person looking for her had to come in.

It was Ye Xiaoqiong!

Zhou Cheng pointed to the corridor entrance, “I’ll go smoke over there. You two talk – call me if anything happens.”

Smoking wasn’t allowed everywhere in America either.

Public spaces were generally non-smoking areas; you had to go to designated areas to smoke, maybe a separate room or a corridor corner.

Where Zhou Cheng went, he could smoke and still ensure he had enough reaction time if there was any danger here.

Although Ye Xiaoqiong looked gentle and weak, you never know.

Xia Xiaolan pointed to the chair beside her:

“Xiaoqiong, sit down and talk. Coming to find me so late – you must have something important?”

Meeting an old acquaintance abroad should be joyful, but when the circumstances of reunion weren’t so simple, Ye Xiaoqiong’s purpose wouldn’t be pure either.

Zhou Cheng’s warning was still fresh in her mind, Xia Xiaolan was well aware.

Ye Xiaoqiong bit her lip:

“Xiaolan, I know this is too forward, but could you help me?”