After meeting with Bai Han Qi and Jiang Yuan, Gu Hai returned to the company first.
"You're finally back."
A pile of documents that was in Tong Zhe's hand flew toward Gu Hai— as the paper floated down, they made a beautiful parabola in the air, producing a clear and sweet-sounding noise as they turned.
"The project that we have been battling with for six months and eight days has finally been completed." Tong Zhe's indolent eyes swept over Gu Hai, "The other party has already inspected and accepted the agreement, you should sign it!"
Gu Hai was flabbergasted, "They have already sent someone here to inspect the product and accept it? When was this?"
"When you went out. The person in charge personally came over to inspect the production and said that there were no problems in terms of quality. As for the signatures, you should just sign on his behalf since both your signatures are exactly the same."
Gu Hai's brows tightened immediately, "You mean, Bai Luo Yin came here?"
Tong Zhe nodded his head absentmindedly, "Yeah. He just left not too long ago."
After leaving for so many days, he didn't even say anything to me about being back… Gu Hai muttered to himself and took out his phone to give Bai Luo Yin a call only to not get through both times. Forget it! Gu Hai thought, I'll just inspect the products first then head out to the base to see how tan that pretty boy got.
Tong Zhe accompanied Gu Hai to the warehouse and watched as he opened each and every one of the sealed products and re-inspected them.
"They already inspected them, is it really necessary for you to be overly strict?" Tong Zhe felt that Gu Hai was doing more than was required.
Gu Hai crouched down and carefully inspected the components while faintly replying in an indifferent tone at the same time. "I don't care about other collaborations, but as long as Bai Luo Yin's engineering projects are placed here, we must ensure that they are absolutely safe."
As a matter of fact, from the research and development process to the manufacturing phase, Gu Hai had been strictly observing them. Therefore, the probability of finding a problem was next to nothing.
Once he was done ensuring that all the products met the requirements, Gu Hai finally clapped the dust from his hands and gave the female employee to the side an instruction. "Seal these up well. I'll give them a call in a bit and have them send some vehicles over to transport these out."
Afterwards, he and Tong Zhe strolled around the other warehouses and workshops.
"When were these batches of smart lights produced?" Gu Hai crouched down for a look.
Tong Zhe explained, "These are from a personal project that we had taken a while back. The other party needed them urgently, so they were produced during overtime as a helping hand to a friend."
Gu Hai picked up a strangely shaped little light and fiddled with it before he turned to look at Tong Zhe with a faint smile.
"Produce a bit more."
"Huh?" Tong Zhe was puzzled.
Gu Hai stood up; his brows rose as he spoke cheerfully. "I want to use them for when I get married."
"Get married?" Tong Zhe was shocked by those words, "Get married to whom, ah?"
"To you."
Without turning his head to look at him, Gu Hai took his leave.
On the way to the military base, Gu Hai's feeling of excitement could somewhat be seen on his face. He thought of how pleasantly surprised Bai Luo Yin would be the moment he heard the news, and the little romantic moment they would share when the two discussed their wedding ceremony in detail. Just thinking about the romance of it all made Gu Hai want to fly towards Bai Luo Yin's side right away and hold him dearly.
After the car entered the base and the speed was reduced, Gu Hai straightened out his feelings first. He calmed himself down his raging excitement as to avoid becoming incoherent in his speech when the time came to talk.
When he eventually reached Bai Luo Yin's office, Gu Hai paced himself and walked in.
The door was opened, and Bai Luo Yin's cellphone was on the table, but the person himself was not there.
Gu Hai sat waiting in the office room, but Bai Luo Yin did not appear even after half an hour later.
Since the door wasn't locked, it's only reasonable that he has not gone far ah!
By the time Gu Hai walked out, it was almost dark.
Just by chance, Liu Chong and a comrade, with their arms over the other's shoulder, happened to walk by and he secretly looked over only to see Gu Hai. He was shocked at first but then waved at him.
"Come over here." Gu Hai waved his hand.
Liu Chong jogged all the way over.
"What is it, huh?"
Gu Hai faced him and asked, "Have you seen Bai Luo Yin?"
"Huh, he hasn't returned yet?" Liu Chong was also surprised, "He was strolling around the training ground just now. I clearly saw him walked this way too! Maybe he went back to his dorm?"
"He didn't lock the door and his phone and keys are in his office." Gu Hai said.
Liu Chong's comrade said from the side, "I think I saw Bai Tuzhang[1] walk towards the hangar."
Without saying anything, Gu Hai ran straight to the hangar.
In the end, the person in charge there informed Gu Hai that Bai Luo Yin had piloted a helicopter out about half an hour ago and had not returned yet.
Nine years later, the four parents gathered again.
This time, the atmosphere was obviously different from the last time. When Gu Wei Ting called the three out last time, they all wore nervous and uneasy expressions, and no one dared to speak out rashly. However, they exchanged a few conventional greetings with each other first this time and all had on relax looks. It was as if they were not concerned with why Gu Wei Ting had called them out.
Gu Wei Ting tried to open his mouth several times, but he could not find an opportunity to.
When the chattering from the other side finally paused for a moment, Gu Wei Ting seized the chance to clear his throat.
"Ai?" Jiang Yuan shouted out strangely and pulled Aunt Zou's wrist, "Where did you buy this bracelet?"
Aunt Zou smiled, "I picked it out at the flea market."
"You still go to those kinds of places?" Jiang Yuan was honestly surprised.
Aunt Zou smiled embarrassingly, "My son took me there."
The gloominess that settled on Gu Wei Ting's face was so intense that it could scare anyone.
In the end, it was Bai Han Qi who lightly tapped the table and reminded, "Let's talk about that later."
The two women then held their tongues.
Bai Han Qi turned to Gu Wei Ting, exposing a simple and honest smile.
"Gu Lao Ge,[2] if you have something to say, just say it directly."
With that, the three were all ears.
After Gu Wei Ting's eyes swept between their faces, he finally spoke, "I brought you all here today to continue the unfinished topic from nine years ago."
After he finished, the entire private room became quiet.
Suddenly, a resounding clap broke the repressive mood.
Bai Han Qi's neck suffered a heavy attack from Aunt Zou's slap. He couldn't help but to take in a deep breath and turn to look at her in surprise.
"I saw a big mosquito on your neck just now, but I didn't get it on time." Aunt Zou said loudly.
Bai Han Qi rubbed his neck incessantly, "Really! How can a high-end clubhouse like this have a mosquito?"
"I really saw one. Look, look, it's still flying around over there. Don't you see it?"
Bai Han Qi worriedly patted Aunt Zou, "Hurry up and catch it! Then go and complain to the receptionist, maybe we can get all these teas for free!"
When Aunt Zhou got up to catch the mosquito, Bai Han Qi directed his beloved wife while Jiang Yuan grabbed her phone and started to take pictures and mumbled to herself. "I'll post it on Weibo and call it 'the gathering, nine years later and older sister's baby face is no longer there'. Yeah, not bad, not bad."
Pa!
A loud slam on the table sounded, causing the three people's movement to halt simultaneously.
Gu Wei Ting's face revealed an intensely dangerous aura.
"Did you not hear what I just said?"
"We heard it." Bai Han Qi still had a very amiable tone, "Didn't you say you wanted to finish the conversation about that topic from nine years ago?"
"If you all know, then why are you still happily laughing out loud?" Gu Wei Ting's face was clearly not the same as theirs.
As Aunt Zou's eyes continued to follow the mosquito as it flew around, she said indifferently, "I wasn't happily laughing out loud. I have been waiting for you to talk this entire time. Let me tell you, I am the kind of person that cannot stay still. If I sit still, my mind will wander. Go ahead and say what you want, don't worry, I can hear you."
"That's right, Gu Lao Ge, just keep talking!"
Jiang Yuan was still playing on her phone.
At first, Gu Wei Ting wanted to say it in a tactful and courteous manner but seeing that these three people had an undisciplined manner, he suddenly changed his mind. Since you all have such a great mental capacity, I will not beat around the bush anymore. Wait until I say it clearly and we will see if you all can still laugh or not!!!
"Our two disappointing sons are recklessly mingling together again!"
Once those words dropped, silence reigned in the room once more.
However, after only a few seconds later, the three nonchalantly went back to what they were doing.
Seeing that, Gu Wei Ting bellowed in rage, "Are all your ears defective?"
Bai Han Qi could no longer hold back and urged from the side. "Gu Lao Ge ah, just let the kids worry about their own problems! We are not that young anymore, you know. How many more days do we have left to live until the end comes? Let's just take care of ourselves and not give our sons any more troubles. That will honestly be more than enough."
"That's right ah!" Aunt Zou agreed from the side, "When I took Lao Bai for a checkup last time, the doctor said that too much stress can easily cause a heart disease. Think about it, even a person like Lao Bai who doesn't stress out much has a heart disease. If we don't guard against it, we can die any day without knowing it."
Gu Wei Ting's cold eyes immediately turned to Jiang Yuan, "Do you also think like that?"
Jiang Yuan calmly moved the phone out of her line of sight and hesitantly ask, "Think like what?"
"Are you going to look on unfeelingly as I, Lao Gu, die without a descendant?"
Gu Wei Ting suddenly snatched Jiang Yuan's cellphone, looking as though he wanted to smash it.
"Put it down now!" Jiang Yuan unexpectedly shouted at Gu Wei Ting.
Hearing that, Gu Wei Ting was truly taken aback. Since when did even Jiang Yuan dared to glare at me?
Facing Gu Wei Ting's raging temper and unrelenting face, Jiang Yuan retorted fearlessly. "Gu Wei Ting, what are you trying to say? You will die without a descendant? Then do I, Jiang Yuan, have a room full of grandchildren? Is Gu Hai a son in yourfamily and Yin Zi is not a son in ourfamily?"
Aunt Zou also made a racket from the side, "That's right! Is your Lao Gu's family offspring precious and valuable and our Lao Bai's family offspring poor and lowly, huh?!"
"Lao Gu Ge, your words are really…" Bai Han Qi could no longer listen on.
Gu Wei Ting listened as those three made one brief statement after the next until his own face became deformed with anger. In the end, it still became my fault?
A phone call suddenly interrupted the intense quarrel.
Jiang Yuan answered her phone. After she listened for less than a minute, she threw her phone at Gu Wei Ting and cried out bitterly. "Gu Wei Ting, you bastard! You actually angered my son until he ran away!! I'm telling you right now, if anything happens to my son, I'll bury your son along with him!!!!!"
When Bai Han Qi heard that, he was completely shocked and froze in place. Then, after Aunt Zou pinched him hard, he immediately choked and fell to the ground.
"Ahhhh, Lao Bai!" Aunt Zou cried out loud, "Don't scare me!!"
Gu Wei Ting's face tensed up as he looked at Bai Han Qi on the floor.
Aunt Zou stared at him resentfully, "I'm telling you, our Lao Bai has a heart disease. Don't think that just because you are a government official means that you can easily bully us ordinary people. If anything happens to Lao Bai, our family, the old and the young, will have your life!!"
Gu Wei Ting had yet to deal with them on that side when Jiang Yuan threw herself at him and attacked on this side.
"Gu Wei Ting, give my son back to me! Give him back to me!!"
Translator's Note:
[1] Tuzhang – regiment commander; remember Bai Luo Yin was promoted from a Major to a Colonel and from a Battalion Commander to a Regiment Commander
[2] Gu Lao He – Older Brother Gu