Chapter 107: Wanting to Fulfill His Past Dreams Without Expecting Anything in Return

Chapter 107: Wanting to Fulfill His Past Dreams, Expecting Nothing in Return

On his birthday, Xu Moxing received a delivery.

An SF Express package, a square box, it felt fairly heavy in his hand.

Before he could open it, he got a call from Xu Jianqing.

"Bro, I saw the tracking says it's out for delivery. I sent a birthday gift for you, and my coupon is still valid."

"Okay, got it."

Xu Moxing checked the package info; it was indeed Xu Jianqing's name and phone number.

When he opened the box and saw what was inside, he knew right away it wasn't from Xu Jianqing.

This was a pair of headphones he had really wanted to buy in college, but they cost a few thousand yuan, and he could never bring himself to spend the money on them.

Later after graduation, work crushed his hobbies, he rarely sang or listened to music anymore, so he forgot about wanting those headphones.

But only Su Lichen knew that he once wanted them.

Xu Moxing couldn't be bothered to figure out what little scheme Xu Jianqing and Su Lichen were making behind his back; he called his sister right back.

"Hello? Brother, what's up?"

"Did someone use you to give me these headphones?"

"Uh..."

Xu Jianqing was caught off guard by her brother's uncanny guess and had to admit directly: "You figured it out?"

"Yeah, so quit pretending, no need to lie to me."

"It really was Brother Su who called me and said he wanted to give you a birthday gift, but was afraid you wouldn't accept it, so..."

Xu Moxing didn't speak.

Xu Jianqing racked her brains, mainly because Su Lichen had been so sincere when he contacted her.

At that time, Su Lichen had directly called her.

"Jianqing, I want to give your brother something for his birthday, but I'm afraid he won't accept it. Can I send it to him in your name?"

"Come on, you two already split up. Why are you giving him something? My brother definitely won't take it. And if he finds out I helped you, I'll be in hot water. My brother isn't as easygoing as he used to be."

Xu Jianqing wasn't as relaxed around Xu Moxing now either, but she thought his change was a good thing—at least he wouldn't let himself be wronged anymore.

"He won't figure it out. Just say it's from you."

Su Lichen coaxed Xu Jianqing in a pleading, pitiful tone.

"He really used to want these headphones, but they were too expensive so he never bought them. Later after work, he forgot about them, and now they're discontinued. I went to great lengths and used my connections to get them. Think of it as helping two people realize a dream at once, okay?"

Xu Jianqing hesitated.

Su Lichen continued to reason with her and tug at her heartstrings.

"If he doesn't want them, they'll just sit around unused. By sending them in your name, you can see I don't want him to know, and I'm not trying to put him in a position where he feels indebted. I don't need him to know, and I don't need anything in return. I just want to make that little dream he always talked about come true."

Xu Jianqing thought it over and finally agreed.

The memory faded; Xu Jianqing hesitated, then decided to reason with her brother.

"I think it's no biggie. He used my name to give it to you, which means he doesn't want you to know. It's a gift with no strings attached—just accept it with a clear conscience."

Xu Jianqing recalled a recent news piece and said, "Brother Su's handling of this is totally different from those guys who treat dating like a prerequisite to marriage, keeping track of every expense, and demanding everything back if it doesn't work out. He went to all this trouble to give it to you indirectly, just so you would accept it without expecting anything in return."

Xu Moxing just looked at the headphones, silent.

"He also said the headphones are discontinued, and he used his connections to track them down with a lot of effort. If you don't want them, they'll just sit there. He really wants to give them to you, and he talked about fulfilling that little dream of yours."

Xu Moxing sighed deeply. "Fine, fine, I get it. Let's drop it."

"Awesome, enjoy them! I looked it up—these headphones are so pricey. I bet even now you wouldn't buy them for yourself."

Xu Moxing hung up and made a little pout.

Xu Jianqing was right: even though he was financially independent and could take care of himself, he still couldn't bring himself to spend a few thousand kuai on headphones—mainly because he didn't see them as a necessity.

If he still loved music as much as he did in college, he would have been willing to buy them.

He put the headphones on the table and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

Cup in hand, he stood by the window and spotted someone walking a dog downstairs. The little dog ran fast, the leash pulled tight.

He watched for a while, finished his water, and walked back to the living room.

The headphones were still on the table, the white box glinting under the light. He sat down, picked them up, and gave them another look.

To be honest, getting this gift really made him happy.

After all, it was something he had always wanted. Even though he had forgotten about it later, receiving it now still felt joyful and exciting.

He took the headphones out of the box—pink body, and they felt solid.

He put them on and tried them without playing music. The noise-canceling feature filtered out the hum of the air conditioner, and the world suddenly became quiet.

That night, Xu Moxing fell asleep listening to light music. It was the best night's sleep he'd had since getting his memory back.

The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed.

"I think I can try sleeping without the desk light tonight," he muttered to himself, getting up energetically to face the new day.

As for Su Lichen, things weren't going well.

In July, during the mid-year talk, he walked into Zhou Chengzhi's office and saw two cups of tea on the table.

Zhou Chengzhi sat in his chair, smiled, and gestured for him to sit.

He sat down, and Zhou Chengzhi pushed a cup of tea toward him, saying, "Xiao Su, the company has recently adjusted the commission plan. Let me tell you about it."

Su Lichen didn't touch the tea, waiting for him to go on.

Zhou Chengzhi put on a troubled face, first complaining about his own hardships and the company's hardships.

You've seen how things are internationally these past two years. Who knows how much worse this world's gonna get—wars everywhere. The company's barely staying afloat, and the pressure's on me. I've got so many people to support, and the monthly costs just keep piling up...

Zhou Chengzhi watched Su Lichen's face but couldn't read him at all, and Su Lichen didn't respond to his complaints.

After beating around the bush for a bit, Zhou Chengzhi finally got to what he really wanted.

The company's not doing well either—we've been losing money year after year. We're gonna have to cut the commission on old clients by two percentage points.

Su Lichen looked at him but didn't say a word.

Zhou Chengzhi continued, "The overall environment is tough, and the company needs to control costs. Your old clients are already stable, so they don't need such high commissions. You don't have to put much effort into them—you just sit back and collect a steady check every month. Cutting the commission on old clients will also give you more incentive to bring in new ones."

Su Lichen picked up his tea, took a sip, and set it down.

We already agreed on this at the year-end meeting, Mr. Zhou. It hasn't even been a year, and you're already backing out. That's not right.

Zhou Chengzhi gave a slight smile and said, "We did agree, but circumstances have changed. We can just sign a new agreement."

Su Lichen didn't respond.

Zhou Chengzhi kept playing the victim. "The company isn't having an easy time. I hope you can cut me some slack. Even after cutting two points, you'd still be making more than anyone else from those old clients."

Su Lichen looked at him, smiled, and shook his head.

No, I can't agree. I worked hard to land those clients and keep them coming back. It's all my sweat and tears. Besides, over the past few years, most clients have been haggling and price-cutting, but mine hardly ever bargain with the company. You know that. I earned what I'm taking—it's what I deserve.

Zhou Chengzhi's smile stiffened slightly. "Don't rush to refuse. Let's talk it over some more. How about a compromise?"

Su Lichen nodded. "Then come up with another plan and let me see it. I can't agree to two points."

Zhou Chengzhi was silent for a moment. "I'll talk to you again in a few days. Go get back to work for now, and you think it over too. I know it's a lot to take in all at once, but give it some thought."

Alright. I hope you'll think it over too.

Su Lichen stood up, gave Zhou Chengzhi a faint smile, and left his office.

Over the next few days, Zhou Chengzhi talked to him several times.

Each time it was the same old story—the tough environment, the company needing to cut costs, asking him to understand. But when it came to cutting those two points, Zhou Chengzhi wouldn't budge an inch.

Since Zhou Chengzhi wouldn't budge, Su Lichen wouldn't either. He politely declined each time, playing tai chi with Zhou Chengzhi—just dodging and never giving in.

Finally, Zhou Chengzhi said, "If you won't accept it, there's nothing I can do. It's not targeting you—it's the same for everyone."

Su Lichen looked at his face—there was a smile on it, but not in his eyes.

To be honest, going back and forth with the boss over profit splits was annoying, and it did get to him a little, but he knew it was just part of the job. He wasn't scared of this kind of thing.

To him, it was all about unequal profit distribution. If they could work something out, they could keep working together. But if he really couldn't accept the split, then he couldn't compromise.

He could leave, but what would happen to the clients he'd spent years building up?

If he stayed and kept refusing until the end, he'd still be forced to accept a pay cut.

He knew Zhou Chengzhi was betting on him being unwilling to leave.

After all, he'd been with the company since graduation, for so many years, with such great and consistent performance.

Zhou Chengzhi probably thought he wouldn't quit, so he tried to push him around.

This was a chess match between him and Zhou Chengzhi.

Honestly, he really didn't want to leave. But if it meant taking a two-point cut, he couldn't accept that either.