mijobooks Chapter 606: Before the Award Ceremony
Chapter 606: Before the Award Ceremony
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In April, the air in New York was still cool, and a light drizzle was falling. More than half of the 75-day window stipulated by the CFI had passed, and Huang Xiaochuan had already made Changhong Capital's New York headquarters his home.
His desk was piled high with draft agreements and various supplementary materials, and his computer screen displayed related email exchanges.
Gao Song knocked on the door and entered, saying, "Mr. Huang! It's Ms. Zhang from the Xue Group in Singapore on the phone! She's on the front line!"
Huang Xiaochuan was slightly surprised, but quickly recovered. He immediately realized that it was normal for Zhang Yun to know about the acquisition of Sun Company, given the scale of the scandal. He waved his hand and said, "I know!"
Seeing this, Gao Song closed the door again and went out.
Huang Xiaochuan picked up the phone: "Hello!"
Zhang Yun's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone: "Xiao Chuan! The children and I have arrived in New York and are on our way to Long Island Estate."
Huang Xiaochuan was taken aback. What was Zhang Yun doing here with the child at this time? Shouldn't she be staying in Singapore? Had she already settled everything at the Xue Group?
However, when he heard Zhang Yun mention her twin sons, Huang Xiaochuan's heart softened a little: "I understand. I'll go to the manor to see you after I've finished dealing with my business."
Hearing this, Zhang Yun's voice brightened considerably: "Okay, then we'll wait for you at home, let's have dinner together tonight!"
After finishing his workday, Huang Xiaochuan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and rested for a while. Outside the window, a light rain was still falling, but Huang Xiaochuan's mind was filled with the complex review clauses and Lukayavn's face.
He pressed the intercom button: "Takamatsu, get the car ready!"
After getting into the car, Huang Xiaochuan instructed, "To Long Island Manor!"
When the convoy entered Long Island Manor, the rain had stopped. The car stopped at the gate of the manor. Before Gao Song could open the car door for him, Huang Xiaochuan had already pushed the door open and gotten out of the car. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw two excited little faces.
"Daddy! Daddy's here!" Luca and Yawen rushed towards Huang Xiaochuan, each grabbing one of his legs.
"dad!"
"dad!"
The two little ones looked up at Huang Xiaochuan, their eyes filled with joy.
Huang Xiaochuan squatted down and hugged his two sons, one in each arm.
Zhang Yun, dressed in an elegant beige cashmere sweater, stood at the entrance of the gate, looking at the father and his two sons, her eyes slightly moist.
After a moment, she said gently, "Yavin, Luca, quickly let Daddy in; it's chilly outside!"
Huang Xiaochuan, holding one in each hand, nodded to Zhang Yun: "Was the journey smooth?"
Zhang Yun led the way, replying, "It went very smoothly. Yawen and Luca were especially well-behaved on the way, hearing that they were coming to see you."
The firewood in the living room fireplace was burning brightly, crackling and popping intermittently, and the flames dispelled the damp chill of the rainy day.
Knowing Huang Xiaochuan's preferences, Zhang Yun arranged for a maid to serve him hot tea. Huang Xiaochuan had the two children sit on the sofa, and then sat down next to them.
The two little ones chattered excitedly to Huang Xiaochuan about their experiences at kindergarten and on the plane. Zhang Yun sat opposite the father and his two sons, quietly watching them while holding her teacup.
After a moment, seeing that her two sons were tired of talking, Zhang Yun seized the opportunity to ask, "I heard about it. How is it? Is it very troublesome?"
Huang Xiaochuan smiled nonchalantly: "It's nothing serious, everything is proceeding as planned."
Zhang Yun nodded: "It's good that you're alright."
Then Zhang Yun turned the topic to the two children: "You know what? Yawen and Luca saw the news on TV and specifically asked me what the Clark Award is. I told them, and they were so excited and happy for you."
When Luca heard his mother mention his name, he immediately chimed in, "My dad is the best! Even better than Superman!" Although Yawen didn't say anything, he nodded solemnly, his big eyes sparkling.
Huang Xiaochuan smiled and patted the two little ones on the head.
At this moment, Zhang Yun tentatively asked, "Xiao Chuan, I know how important this award is to you. The children hope to accompany you to the award ceremony. They really want to see their father standing on the stage, receiving everyone's applause and respect."
The spacious living room fell silent, with only the crackling of the burning firewood in the fireplace. Yawen and Luca sensed the change in atmosphere, but Zhang Yun immediately beckoned for the servants to take the two children away.
Huang Xiaochuan gave Zhang Yun a meaningful look. He knew exactly what Zhang Yun was thinking. The Clark Medal award ceremony was a major event in the economic academic world, gathering top economists and social celebrities from around the globe. Bringing Zhang Yun and their twin sons to appear in public? Wouldn't that be tantamount to publicly announcing their relationship? Doing so would be purely creating trouble for themselves. The acquisition problem wasn't even resolved yet; if they created an even bigger problem, how could they survive?
Huang Xiaochuan said in an unyielding tone, "No need, I can go by myself. I'll arrange for someone to film the whole process, and you can watch the video later."
The light in Zhang Yun's eyes dimmed instantly, which Huang Xiaochuan saw clearly, but his tone remained firm: "These are critical times. The acquisition of Sun Company is at a crucial review stage. I don't want to create unnecessary complications. Besides, we already agreed on this, you haven't forgotten, have you?"
Just then, a maid came in and quietly informed them that dinner was ready. Upon seeing this, Zhang Yun stood up and quickly adjusted her expression: "Alright, it's time to eat. Yawen, Luca, go wash your hands."
The long dining table was covered with an elegant tablecloth, and the exquisite bone china plates were filled with fine dishes: pan-fried cod, roasted lamb chops, vegetable salad, and some French fries and pizza that the children loved.
Luca eagerly used his fork to put a piece of cod onto Huang Xiaochuan's plate: "Dad! Eat this."
Huang Xiaochuan smiled and patted his little head: "Thank you!"
Meanwhile, Yawen quietly and skillfully dealt with the cod on her plate, glancing at Huang Xiaochuan every now and then.
The atmosphere eased considerably during the meal. In order to talk more with their father, the two little ones finished their food in no time. Then, they eagerly told Huang Xiaochuan about the things they found interesting and shared their favorite TV cartoons with him.
Huang Xiaochuan cooperated very well, occasionally asking about details. As the two children grew up day by day, Huang Xiaochuan realized that the two children looked almost exactly like him when he was a child, and a sense of guilt welled up in his heart.
As dinner was drawing to a close, Luca suddenly asked, "Daddy! Can you sleep with me tonight?"
Looking at the little guy's expectant face, Huang Xiaochuan hardened his heart and said, "I'm sorry, I have some very important work to do, but I will come to see you often."
The little guy's face visibly fell, and his disappointment was obvious.
Zhang Yun quickly reassured him, "Alright, Daddy has something very important to do. You must be tired from the flight today. Go take a shower and go to bed soon. Didn't Daddy say he'd make time to be with you?"
Huang Xiaochuan nodded in agreement, stood up, and patted each of the children's heads: "Yawen, Luca, be good, take a bath and go to bed early. I'll come and play with you another day."
Yawen's voice was filled with reluctance: "Goodbye, Dad!"
"Dad has to come!" Luca emphasized, his voice trembling with tears.
"Yes, definitely," Huang Xiaochuan promised, glancing at Zhang Yun again. She stood by the candlelit dining table, giving him an understanding yet lonely smile.
"Be careful on the road," she whispered.