Chapter 39: Thousand Miles Beef Offal Pot

Chapter 39: Thousand-Mile Beef Offal Stew

Stepping into Wen Zhaofu’s room, Yun Fan was reassured by the familiar scent. He smiled at Wen Zhaofu, whose gaze softened even further.

Leaning on his cane, Wen Zhaofu’s weight shifted slightly to the left, his posture not entirely straight. Yet, he maintained his characteristic composure and elegance; even when unsteady, he never appeared awkward.

Wen Zhaofu simply watched Yun Fan without speaking, his profound gaze causing Yun Fan’s cheeks to flush. Though it had only been a little over a week since they last met, Yun Fan couldn’t fathom why his heart was racing.

Just as Yun Fan was about to look away, Wen Zhaofu softly offered, “International etiquette—may I have a hug?”

He remained perfectly composed, never overstepping any boundaries.

*It’s just a hug*, Yun Fan thought, steeling himself. He pressed his lips together, nodded, and leaned in voluntarily.

Wen Zhaofu smiled, wrapped an arm around Yun Fan’s waist, and gently pulled him into an embrace. Yes, only by standing could he hold Yun Fan like this.

Wen Zhaofu’s breath brushed Yun Fan’s ear—a level of intimacy they had never shared before. The moment felt both fleeting and eternal. Yun Fan sensed Wen Zhaofu briefly bury his face in the crook of his neck before pulling away.

Yun Fan loosely hugged Wen Zhaofu’s back, tilting his head to rest his chin on Wen Zhaofu’s shoulder.

“I missed you a little,” Wen Zhaofu whispered near Yun Fan’s ear, releasing him with a smile.

Yun Fan’s eyes widened, and he let out a hoarse “Ah.” Watching Yun Fan’s ears turn bright red and his gaze dart around nervously, Wen Zhaofu didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he gestured toward the interior of the room.

“I missed you a little too, Sir,” Yun Fan suddenly said, staring at a floor lamp to the side.

This time, it was Wen Zhaofu’s turn to be surprised, but he retained just enough composure to suppress an audible gasp. Maintaining his decorum, he reached out and took Yun Fan’s wrist.

“I’m very happy, Xiao Yun,” Wen Zhaofu said softly, as if afraid of startling him, and led him further into the room.

On the round table by the floor-to-ceiling window sat a thermal container. After guiding Yun Fan to sit, Wen Zhaofu tilted his chin toward it. “Open it and see.”

Yun Fan glanced at Wen Zhaofu curiously, his slender fingers resting playfully on the lid. “Shall I open it now?”

Wen Zhaofu turned his head away with a laugh. He was always easily amused by Yun Fan and willingly played along. “Go ahead, it’s not a bomb.”

As soon as the lid was lifted, a rich aroma wafted out. Yun Fan let out a genuine “Wow,” clapping his hands in delight at the sight of the packed container filled with beef offal and large radishes. “Uncle Man! It’s from Uncle Man!”

“Mm, you recognized it,” Wen Zhaofu nodded. “I thought Cheng Yu must have been tormenting you with food and drink, so I asked Uncle Man to prepare this and send it to Shanghai.”

“Ah? Isn’t that too much trouble for Uncle Man? Where is he now? I should thank him,” Yun Fan asked, blinking.

Wen Zhaofu smiled. “Uncle Man should be thanking you. I told him that after delivering the stew, he could take a vacation. Right now, he’s probably on a flight to Okinawa.”

“Then who will cook for you, Sir?” Yun Fan’s eyes widened.

Wen Zhaofu looked at those bright eyes, covered his mouth with a hand, cleared his throat, and replied, “When you’re not home, I don’t have much appetite.”

“That won’t do!” Yun Fan suddenly remembered his role as a butler. “You must eat properly, Sir. Doctor Shi insisted—”

At this, Yun Fan seemed to recall something and abruptly fell silent. Why would Wen Zhaofu lose his appetite when he wasn’t around? He didn’t dare dwell on it.

“Sir, I’ll tattle on you,” Yun Fan muttered softly between bites of radish.

Wen Zhaofu raised his hand, tempted to pinch the back of Yun Fan’s neck, but seeing how much Yun Fan was enjoying the food, he reconsidered and withdrew his hand.

“Xiao Yun, eat more,” Wen Zhaofu’s voice was filled with tenderness and affection.

“Mm-hmm!” Yun Fan took a bite of radish and nodded happily.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yu, who was busy socializing and holding forth at a dinner table, had no idea that Wen Zhaofu had pulled a stealth maneuver.

But who could blame him? He hadn’t managed to keep the little butler well-fed.

*

The board meeting was scheduled for the following afternoon. Yun Fan didn’t see Wen Zhaofu again until then. Early in the morning, he received a message from Wen Zhaofu saying he had several video conferences to attend.

Yun Fan had intended to go to the hotel kitchen to specify Wen Zhaofu’s dietary requirements, but Cheng Yu dragged him away, saying Uncle Cheng was already overseeing the kitchen via video and there was no need for him to worry.

“I have a ready-made person right here, yet we’re troubling the old man,” Yun Fan clicked his tongue.

Cheng Yu frowned. “Get this straight—in Shanghai, you have only one identity: Cloud Consultant!”

Cloud Consultant shut up. The last thing he wanted was to clash with Young Master Cheng; arguments with him were particularly difficult.

They met Liu Erxing around noon.

Liu Erxing, carrying a heavily stuffed backpack and sporting dark circles under his eyes, strode briskly into the Yucheng Technology building.

“Yun Fan, make me two cups of instant noodles!” Liu Erxing yelled as he pushed open the door to Cheng Yu’s office. “I’m starving!”

Cheng Yu stood up, quickly walked to the door, pulled Liu Erxing inside with one hand, and shut the door firmly with the other, scolding him, “Why are you showing up like such a mess?”

“I just came down from the mountains! My dad called me, and I came straight here without even going home. What more do you want?” Liu Erxing retorted with his usual irreverence. “CEO Cheng, have a heart and let me drink some water!”

Yun Fan really didn’t want Cheng Yu and Liu Erxing to argue—it could easily spark a Beijing-Shanghai rivalry. Plus, being in Shanghai put them on uneven footing, making any potential argument less entertaining. He decided to intervene.

“Sit, sit! I’ll go make your noodles!” Yun Fan stood up and reached for Liu Erxing’s backpack. “Whoa, did you pack a weight in here?”

Liu Erxing’s expression softened considerably when facing Yun Fan. He grinned, “Nah, it’s rescue gear. Are you full? Want a cup too?”

“No thanks, I’m afraid I’ll get carb-dizzy,” Yun Fan shook his head.

Watching them chat so amiably, Cheng Yu felt a pang of jealousy. He opened the door and shouted outside, “Xiao Wu, make two cups of braised beef instant noodles, with two sausages!”

Hearing Young Master Cheng’s voice, Yun Fan and Liu Erxing burst into laughter together. Cheng Yu, noticing their amused looks, tugged self-consciously at his clothes and muttered, “What are you looking at? We’ll eat out later—I don’t want the place smelling like this.”

Yun Fan accompanied Liu Erxing to the lounge and watched him devour two bowls of instant noodles. He ate as if he hadn’t eaten for a week.

Compared to other young masters, Liu Erxing had no particular fussiness or concern about food, clothing, or material comforts. He maintained an indifferent attitude toward such things—he could afford a private jet, but he’d just as happily squeeze onto a bus.

He was willing to do anything he found interesting.

“Don’t worry, no matter what you say this afternoon, I’ve got your back,” Liu Erxing said to Yun Fan, his mouth greasy. “I don’t understand a thing about company management—I’m just here to cheer you on.”

With that, Liu Erxing raised his hands and mimed a cheering motion. Yun Fan turned his head away. “No need. I’m just speaking casually—don’t take it seriously.”

“But Cheng Yu is taking it seriously,” Liu Erxing raised an eyebrow. “I saw the document you prepared—the corners are worn from him flipping through it.”

Yun Fan paused, glanced at Liu Erxing in surprise, then quickly averted his eyes, maintaining his nonchalant expression. “It’s his company—of course he’s invested.”

Seeing that Yun Fan didn’t seem eager to continue the topic, Liu Erxing didn’t push it. Ever since he’d snapped at Yun Fan on the yacht, it was clear Yun Fan was less inclined to engage with him.

His replies were slower, and he refused offers of gifts—one misstep had led to another.

Liu Erxing rarely dwelled on past actions, but after that incident, he’d done a lot of thinking. He blamed himself for being too impatient and losing his composure.

He didn’t know where to find a pill for regret, so he could only try bit by bit to mend his relationship with Yun Fan.

*

Wen Zhaofu arrived late. Everyone else was already seated at the conference table when he entered the room in his wheelchair.

The other executives and directors of Yu Cheng Technology had barely ever seen Wen Zhaofu. Now, observing his dignified demeanor despite being in a wheelchair, they showed slight surprise.

Those present had all heard, to varying degrees, about the formidable reputation of the Wen family, but it was rare to see this heir to the wealthy Wen family in person.

They had originally thought he would be stern and silent, but as soon as he entered the room, he glanced in Yun Fan's direction.

Since Wen Zhaofu came in, Yun Fan had also been watching his movements. Now that their eyes met, the two smiled at each other.

The others perked up. Wen Zhaofu was not only successful in business but also exceptionally handsome—truly exceptional. That smile softened his sharp edges, making him seem more approachable.

Cheng Yu turned his head away in displeasure. Liu Erxing puffed his cheeks and tapped to start a video call, connecting with Wen Haochen.

The second young master of the Wen family, far away in Hong Kong, had heard about today's meeting in Shanghai and insisted on getting in on the action. He didn't dare disturb his elder brother, so he bothered Liu Erxing instead.

"Hello, Brother Xing! Can my big brother see me?"

...

Well, he couldn't see, but he could hear.

Wen Zhaofu waved dismissively at Liu Erxing, couldn't be bothered with Wen Haochen, not wanting to delay the meeting.

According to the agenda, they addressed other matters first. During this time, Wen Zhaofu said he couldn't understand some simplified Chinese characters and asked Yun Fan to sit beside him to help explain.

Cheng Yu, unaware of the truth, actually believed he couldn't understand. Yun Fan held back a laugh, thinking to himself that while old butler Xiao Shan might not understand, Wen Zhaofu had long since mastered it.

Liu Erxing saw through the ploy immediately. He turned his phone and proactively showed Wen Haochen the cozy scene of his elder brother and Yun Fan.

Wen Haochen: !!!

Seemingly worried about Yun Fan's composure, Cheng Yu had specifically scheduled Yun Fan's report on corporate reform suggestions as the last item on the agenda.

Two hours later, Yun Fan was so tired he was fighting back a yawn. Cheng Yu, however, was quite pleased with this state of affairs, as the others were also massaging their temples.

Capitalizing on everyone's confusion, the likelihood of the proposals passing increased.

"Well, just to be clear—my suggestions are just my opinions and have nothing to do with CEO Cheng," Yun Fan said with a smile, looking composed.

Wen Zhaofu glanced at Cheng Yu, his expression cooling. Liu Erxing shrugged and laughed. Cheng Yu opened his mouth but failed to cut Yun Fan off.

"Of course, the parts related to CEO Cheng personally, I've already discussed with him. As for whether he implements them going forward, that's beyond my control."

The room broke into laughter, somewhat anticipating what this new consultant would say next.

"According to my statistics, companies that frequently change their corporate culture—85.6% of them—are not far from collapse," Yun Fan said, bringing up a PowerPoint slide. "Exclusive data, keep it under wraps."

The vice president in charge of corporate culture next to Cheng Yu straightened up and glanced at him uneasily.

Well, Cheng Yu might be younger than him, but his tactics were deeper. He even knew how to use a proxy—finding a little consultant from the Wen family who hadn't overseen anything, and now holding him accountable.

"Corporate culture is formed by a group of people building consensus. It should be stable and recognized, not like your company, changing every three months. Even bubble tea shops use the same catchy phrases for years," Yun Fan shook his head. "Changing it back and forth is ineffective."

"I wonder if you've compiled statistics on the effects after each change in corporate values. I've done some digging these past few days," Yun Fan clicked on his computer screen. "See, 70% of employees still remember the slogan from half a year ago."

"So, is changing these slogan-like things useful? Not really."

Cheng Yu shot a glare at the vice president beside him, making his stance clear: what Cloud Consultant said was what he wanted to say.

Next, Yun Fan started talking about Yu Cheng Technology's biannual work goal submissions: "Ah, I wonder how many overworked staff are trapped by this. They always say goals should be set just out of reach, but let me ask—should this overworked employee try for it or not?"

"Work should be an activity that brings a sense of achievement. If the goal is out of reach, doesn't that just bring pain?"

"I know there are many popular goal-setting methods on the market now, and companies are willing to invest heavily in them, hoping for extraordinary results. But everyone, wake up! The self-motivation of today's workforce isn't summoned this way."

"I'm also just another overworked employee. I don't like working either, because out of 16 hours of work a day, less than one hour gives me a sense of achievement. The rest of the time is spent in endless arguments, shifting blame, and wasting time."

"So I think instead of using a top-down approach to pass pressure down through layers, management should focus on how to enhance employees' sense of value."

"Am I right, CEO Cheng?" Yun Fan even started calling on people in the meeting.

Cheng Yu nodded hurriedly, answering meekly, "Ah, yes, yes, yes."

Wen Zhaofu chuckled softly. Cheng Yu noticed and turned to look at him. Wen Zhaofu cleared his throat and said, "Cloud Consultant's words have been enlightening for me as well."

"The specific implementation methods need to be tailored to each company, but it's a good thing that these unspoken issues have finally been pointed out. Personally, Zhao Fu has benefited greatly from this meeting."

His words achieved two things at once—praising Yun Fan's bravery while subtly criticizing Cheng Yu, implying that he was out of touch with the company's actual operations and merely putting on a facade.

Liu Erxing didn't overthink the subtleties; he just felt the tension between Wen Zhaofu and Cheng Yu was palpable. He turned away, choosing not to get involved in their battle, and instead continued watching Yun Fan alongside Wen Haochen on the phone screen.

Honestly, the two of them were good at talking nonsense casually, but they couldn't compare to Yun Fan, who spoke confidently to a room full of business professionals.

Liu Erxing didn't know what Wen Zhaofu and Cheng Yu were thinking; he only knew their eyes were glued to Yun Fan.

Tangled, fixed, ambiguous...

This dynamic started long ago, when each of them, for various reasons, took notice of Yun Fan. And now, it was an unspoken understanding.

They all wanted to win Yun Fan over.

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Author's note: Friends, considering my health, I've decided to take Tuesdays off from now on. Updates will continue every other day. See you then! [Heart]