The first step?

It was Tang Hongen who took the first step.

Tang Hongen took the initiative to meet him, and brought him porridge, trying to eliminate the barrier between father and son.

“Tina, I just responded to his goodwill. I wasn’t the one who took the first step. After I responded, I discovered things weren’t so difficult. He had been preparing for a long time, and his current family has accepted me too. So Xia Xiaolan and I don’t have the kind of relationship you’re thinking of. We’ll be step-siblings in the future. Maybe not as close as you and your brother, but it’s still a kind of bond.”

In this world, having no bonds, no attachments – such a state is terrifying.

What would one strive for?

Everything would seem meaningless.

Ji Jiangyuan felt this deeply as old bonds dissolved while new ones formed.

Seeing Tina lost in thought, he ruffled her hair:

“So don’t overthink things. Let things flow naturally, try to accept what your brother wants to give you. He cares for you so much – how could what he wants to give you be bad? He’s already taken so many steps forward. Take pity on him, don’t let him become too tired and depressed. Could you respond to him just once?”

“Hmph, no!”

Tina shoved the plate into Ji Jiangyuan’s hands and returned to her room.

Xu Changle slowly emerged from around the corner. “You and Xiaolan helped me a lot today, thanks!”

Ji Jiangyuan shook his head. “Young girls change like the wind and rain, and she’s so stubborn. You can’t just give in to her completely. Too much indulgence – I don’t want to see Tina become… well, you know my current situation.”

At his mother’s age, his personality was impossible to change.

Tina was still young – with proper guidance, her character could still be molded.

Thinking of this, Ji Jiangyuan frowned: “No one can live completely as they please. You agreed to let Tina take the DNA test because you’re thinking of her welfare. This is the first time you haven’t just given in to her – I suppose that’s your first step toward change. What I find strange is Mrs. Wilson. She’s still using the old approach of spoiling Tina. That’s not for Tina’s benefit – what is she trying to do?”

Did Mrs. Wilson like spoiled people?

No.

Mrs. Wilson strongly opposed his mother’s being with George.

She disliked such people herself, yet encouraged Tina to continue being that type of person. Ji Jiangyuan found it too strange!

Xu Changle had just started to lower his guard, but Ji Jiangyuan’s words stirred his concerns:

“I’ll arrange for Tina to return to America for the DNA test immediately. Regardless of the results, she needs to shake off this sadness. She’s still a student – she can travel the world during breaks, but when the break is over, she needs to return to Columbia to continue her studies!”

Returning to school in America was better than hanging around Mrs. Wilson.

Since they couldn’t understand Mrs. Wilson’s strange behavior, better to keep Tina away from her!

When Xia Xiaolan returned home, Old Tang was still awake, sitting on the sofa.

This was rare – Old Tang’s schedule followed Comrade Fen’s routine. Liu Fen was someone who went to bed right after watching TV dramas, and when Liu Fen slept, Old Tang wouldn’t stay up working overtime.

Xia Xiaolan completely understood – why work in a cold study when you could cuddle with your wife?

Tonight, surprisingly, he wasn’t being clingy – how unusual.

“Why were you gone so long? If something delayed you, you should have called home.”

“Were you waiting for me?”

“…What do you think?”

Xia Xiaolan felt embarrassed. “I took Big Brother back to the hotel, then got held up by something else. I saw that Big Brother and Tina have a good relationship. Tina wanted to talk to me, so the three of us had coffee at the hotel.”

Apart from Grandmother Yu, Tang Hongen didn’t have a good impression of the Xu family.

Hearing that Ji Jiangyuan and Tina were friends also gave Tang Hongen a headache.

Did he have to worry about Jiangyuan while also worrying about Xiaolan?

Xu Zhongyi was still eagerly waiting to acknowledge their relationship, and even if someone offered him a spoiled young girl as a daughter, Tang Hongen would completely reject the idea.

“Was it about going to America for the DNA test?”

“Yes, I think they’ll be able to leave soon. Tina agreed tonight.”

Just give troublesome kids a beating and they’ll behave – that was Xia Xiaolan’s crude approach.

Why didn’t Xu Changle do that?

One reason was that he couldn’t bear to.

The other was probably because of growing up in America, influenced by that environment, with all those principles of “respect” and “equality” and such.

Xia Xiaolan added, “The Wilsons are quite strange though. They say they’re vacationing in China, but it doesn’t seem like it. George has already divorced Miss Ji – why is this family still staying in China?”

“Whatever their reason, as long as they’re on Chinese soil, they must obey Chinese law.”

Tang Hongen meant that if they hadn’t broken any laws, they couldn’t be driven out without reason. They couldn’t arrest people just because they suspected them of wanting to do bad things. If suspicion alone could convict people, wouldn’t China be too dangerous?

Such an investment environment would frighten people from all countries – what foreign investor would dare to invest?

“Maybe I’m overthinking it. I’ll just stay away from them. Goodnight, Uncle Tang!”

The next morning.

Xia Xiaolan met Xu Jing and Ma Hai at the company.

They had wanted to see her for a while, but Xia Xiaolan had been too busy. Finally, they had the chance.

“Senior Ma, you look delighted. I guess the Wenquxing calculator sales are doing well?”

Ma Hai couldn’t hold back his smile. “More than well – the growth rate is amazing! After the TV advertisement on February 6th, Xinhua Bookstore agreed to let us rent counters to sell Wenquxing. This is such an important change. Xinhua Bookstore already has the space – just need to clear a corner by the entrance, set up glass counters…”

Once Ma Hai started talking, he couldn’t stop.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t interrupt him, letting him continue.

He had been holding in his excitement for a while.

Of course, there was also a hint of flattery, since both the bookstore channel and the idea of having top college entrance exam scorers in the advertisements were Xia Xiaolan’s ideas.

Xu Jing saw Ma Hai getting off track and coughed:

“Just get to the main point.”

Ma Hai slapped his forehead. “Oh, right! The main point is, since its launch, Wenquxing has sold 9,431 units!”

That many?

The launch of Wenquxing should be counted from February 6th when the TV advertisement aired. Before that, it had no reputation at the Chengying Plaza opening, and participating in the lottery was just early groundwork.

So until today, March 1st, in 23 days of being on the market, they’d sold 9,431 units – about 410 units per day?

When the advertisement first aired, it increased sales from a few units to dozens of units per day at the Chengying Plaza counter. The sales volume took off after establishing the Guangdong Xinhua Bookstore channel. The later period must have been selling way more than 400 units per day to pull up the average!

Xia Xiaolan thought for a moment. “These sales figures aren’t just from Guangdong Province, are they?”

Could they sell over nine thousand units in one province in 20 days? Was the electronic dictionary market this strong in 1987? This exceeded Xia Xiaolan’s expectations.

Ma Hai gave a thumbs up: “Director Xia, you’re something-“