Winner Takes All

Title: 谁把谁当真 (Winner Takes All)

Author：水千丞 (ShuiQianCheng)

Translator: 月野 見事 (TsukinoMigoto)

Protagonists ：黎朔 (LiShuo), 赵锦辛 (ZhaoJinXin)

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The person Cheng Sheng introduced to him is Chang Wenwu, one of the Vice Presidents of their company for the Greater China region. He looks like a talented person and he is good at communication.

Chang Wenwu is a visiting professor at X University. He knows many young talents. He is very active in introducing some people and small offices to Li Shuo, all of which sounded very promising.

The three of them ate and chatted. The atmosphere was very pleasant.

After the initial restraint passed, the topic was taken to his private life, and Chang Wenwu asked Li Shuo straightforwardly if he is still single.

Li Shuo smiled and nodded, not wanting to continue the topic.

“Mr. Li is single with a look like this. I am afraid that the people around you will stare like wolves.” Chang Wenwu smiled and glanced at Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng waved his hands again and again: “Hey, don’t test me. Li Shuo and I have been friends for more than 20 years. The essence of maintaining friendship is that we are not interested in each other.”

Li Shuo laughed and said, “That’s right.”

Chang Wenwu smiled embarrassedly: “I just want to confirm, nothing else, in fact, Cheng Sheng should have told you that my brother is also in your ‘circle’. If you have time, why don’t we have a meal together?”

“Okay.” Li Shuo said with a smile.

“My brother is a teacher. He has a stable job, looks good, and has no bad habits. Our family is also very open-minded. Maybe you can talk openly about it.”

Cheng Sheng joked: “How can you sell your brother all day long? Even an aunty urging for marriage is not as anxious as you are.”

“I have all my sons and daughters here. Watching my brother come out and go in alone. I am anxious.” Chang Wenwu blinked at Li Shuo, “How about it, when will Li Shuo have time?”

“How about after the new year? I have to go back to the United States for the New Year, and it will take a few days to come back.”

“Well, that’s okay. Let me first send you the resumes of the few people I just mentioned. If you think it is suitable, you can make an appointment for a discussion after the new year. They are all very good young people.”

“Okay, thank you Mr. Chang.”

Chang Wenwu patted Li Shuo’s shoulder warmly: “You’re welcome, you’re welcome. I also hope to create more opportunities for those young people. Hey, by the way, I will show you my brother’s photo.” He drew his phone without a word and push to show it to Li Shuo.

Cheng Sheng smiled.

Li Shuo took the phone politely, looked at it carefully, and praised: “Your brother is so handsome.”

The young man in the photo is sunny and handsome. He owns a very hearty and clean smile, which is good to look at. If it weren’t for Zhao Jinxin, he would be happy to get acquainted to this man.

“Yeah, my brother is very good. If you meet and chat, even if it doesn’t work, it’s okay to be just friends.”

Li Shuo smiled and said: “Okay. Definitely when I come back after the Chinese New Year.”

After eating, Li Shuo walked to the parking lot and saw a gap in his car window. He approached and looked in through the gap. Zhao Jinxin had fallen asleep on the chair.

The eye bags under his eyes revealed Zhao Jinxin’s tiredness and his unguarded appearance seemed so innocent. It was too far apart from his appearance when he’s being a jerk.

Li Shuo stared at Zhao Jinxin through the slit, looking at him in an awkward posture like a voyeur, his breathing became shallow, and he didn’t know if it was because of a guilty conscience or because he was afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the moment.

Li Shuo suddenly realized what he was doing. He took a step back, shook his head in annoyance, and then reached out and knocked on the car window.

Zhao Jinxin woke up suddenly, glanced out the window blankly, his eyes became clear immediately, he opened the door of the car, “have you finished?”

“Yeah, let’s go back.” Li Shuo opened the rear door and got into the car.

Zhao Jinxin glanced at him in the rearview mirror, smiled and said, “Did you eat well?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good.” Zhao Jinxin started the car.

On the way, Zhao Jinxin wanted to talk to him on several occasions but Li Shuo was looking out the window absent-mindedly. Thus, they returned home in silence.

Back home, Zhao Jinxin glanced at the cold food on the table, his expression showed that of an undisguised disappointment, he sat at the table silently, holding a bowl and eating quietly.

Li Shuo looked at Zhao Jinxin’s lonely figure, and he was not very happy. He reminded himself not to be soft-hearted and then said lightly: “I’m going back for the New Year.”

Zhao Jinxin looked up at him: “I will go back with you.”

“Whatever you want, but don’t come to my house.”

“I will come.” Zhao Jinxin smiled at him, “come for the New Year visit.”

Li Shuo ignored him and went straight into his room.

Zhao Jinxin sat alone in the living room, looking at the empty chair opposite the dining table, feeling uncomfortable and not knowing what to do.

Li Shuo took a quick shower, and then he half-lied in bed reading a financial magazine.

Zhao Jinxin opened the door and came in, holding something in his hand. Li Shuo just stared at the magazine in his hand without looking up.

Suddenly, Zhao Jinxin gently took away his magazine, then changed it to a book and put it back in his hand.

Li Shuo froze.

That book was a thriller he had read to Zhao Jinxin in a hotel in Yangcheng, and looking at the old creases, it was clear that it was the same one.

Li Shuo looked up at Zhao Jinxin. Zhao Jinxin climbed onto the bed, holding Li Shuo’s waist as he lies down and whispered: “Uncle Li, read me a story.”

Li Shuo closed the book, put it aside, and lies down with his back to Zhao Jinxin.

Zhao Jinxin took him into his arms and gently stroked his forearm: “I haven’t heard this story yet. I’m waiting for you to read it to me.”

Li Shuo opened his eyes and looked up ahead to the nothingness, his eyes full of thoughts.

The two returned to the United States together.

Counting down, this is the third time they have taken a transatlantic plane together. Each time, the relationship and mood of the two are completely different, and it is really funny to think about it.

When he arrived at the airport, Uncle Guang and his mother came to pick him up. His mother is more enthusiastic upon seeing Zhao Jinxin more than when she saw her own son. She kept asking Zhao Jinxin if he was tired, but left Li Shuo to the side.

Zhao Jinxin also responded very enthusiastically. He even brought gifts to his mother, and called her auntie very intimately.

Until the driver of Zhao’s family picked him up, Li Shuo said helplessly, “Mom, I feel like you miss him more than me.”

Mrs. Li smiled and said, “What do you mean… Of course I miss my son the most.” She held Li Shuo’s arm and said, “Let’s go home.”

In the car, Mrs. Li pretended to casually inquire about the progress of the two of them.

Li Shuo avoids the heavy topic and said lightly: “We have different personalities, so let’s run in and see. It’s hard to say what’s going on in the future.”

“Oh.” Seeing that he didn’t want to say much, Mrs. Li changed the subject and talked about family affairs, and they arrived home without realizing how quick the time passed.

After dinner, the Li family father and son chatted in the study. Li Shuo said that he wanted to invest in another company. Mr. Li was also very supportive, and asked him whether the annual audit report of Ennan’s Beijing branch had been completed.

Li Shuo nodded: “I came out early, it was Brother Xiang who took the lead. I checked it and there’s no problem.”

“That’s good, Ennan’s cooperation is signed by you, even if you are no longer in the office, you must check it well.”

“Don’t worry, Dad, but…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Their financial director insisted on using Ennan’s financial system in the end. The people in our company were very unfamiliar with this system and wasted a lot of time when doing audits. Because confidentiality is involved, Ennan’s people are not allowed to teach it. I have received a lot of complaints about that.”

“Oh, Ennan’s financial system is built independently, and it is indeed far from the domestic one. It is normal if you are not used to it for a while. They will eventually adapt.”

“Dad, can you open your system for me to make me proficient? I will go back to give them classes, no confidentiality issues will be involved then. We will just discuss about functional modules and the like, otherwise it will be too wasteful for our manpower.”

“Yes, but I can’t log in to the system at home. The financial system is highly confidential. It requires fingerprints and passwords, and it must only be logged in from the computer in my office.”

“Oh, I can imagine.” Li Shuo said calmly, “When you are on the operating system, will there be traces of browsing?”

Mr. Li didn’t think much, and replied: “Technology should be able to find it from the background check, but what is the browsing trace?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just asking. A system with high confidentiality should be able to check browsing traces, and there are permission settings. Ennan’s system should be able to do it.”

Mr. Li smiled and said, “Of course, your father has the highest authority.”

Li Shuo smiled: “Then I will go to the company with you tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

The next day, the father and son went to Ennan Group. Since Ennan is a Chinese enterprise, there will be a day off for the Spring Festival. Seeing that the holiday is approaching, everyone is looking sluggish. There is no enthusiasm for work, which is completely different from usual.

Li Shuo first went to say hello to Zhao Rongtian. Zhao Rongtian was very happy to see him, so he immediately forwarded the golf equipment that he had just received to Li Shuo so that Li Shuo can play at his house during the Chinese New Year.

Li Shuo could see Zhao Rongtian’s appreciation and affection for him, and he felt more guilty. But it was Zhao Jinxin who coerced him first so he had no choice.

After talking with Zhao Rongtian, Li Shuo entered his dad’s office.

When his dad first acted as a financial consultant for Zhao Rongtian, he was indeed just a consultant who didn’t need to sit in class and had a lot of free time. However, as his dad’s physical recovery and his unbearable professionalism have gradually led him to become the financial leader of Ennan Group. Thinking about it now, Zhao Rongtian probably deliberately trained his dad to become his confidant, and he made it happened. Now the relationship between the two is inseparable.

Mr. Li sat in front of the computer, pressed his fingerprint on a device, and then a password box popped out on the computer. He moved his face close to the screen and said, “Hey, where are my glasses? I’m too old, and my eyes don’t work well.”

“Dad, let me help you open it, I know your password.”

“Oh, this is an 18-digit password. Enter the password I usually use twice in a row, and add the pinyin of your name at the end.”

“Okay.” Li Shuo entered the financial system after entering the password.

Mr. Li said: “You can take a look at it and you can write it in your notebook, but don’t take screenshots or take pictures.”

“Dad, I know. You can go and rest.”

Mr. Li, of course, did not suspect that his son had hidden agendas. So he sat on the sofa and read a book.

Li Shuo began to browse Ennan’s financial statements for the whole year.

Unknowingly, noon has arrived.

Mr. Li said: “Are you done? Let’s go out to eat. You haven’t eaten at Ennan’s cafeteria yet, right? The taste is very good.”

“Dad, I have an appointment in the afternoon. I want to get acquainted with it quickly and take a look at it a little longer. You can go ahead first. Can you pack me a meal?”

“Sure.”

After Mr. Li left, Li Shuo took out the camera, opened the useful information pages he found when he was browsing one by one, and took pictures.

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Next update: 2022/01/10 (on Knoxt), 2022/01/12 (on Wattpad)