AGRCIW CH3

Chapter 3: Xie Zhuo Was Too Strict.

Lin Songyu took a deep breath and snapped back to the present. When it came to work, his tone was sharp: “What I need is a genius who can lead a team with unwavering consistency for decades—someone so competent I could appoint him vice president to compensate for the management team’s lack of professional background.”

“I know, Uncle is just like that. Xie Zhuo is exactly that type,” Li Xiuyu still spoke up on Xie Zhuo’s behalf.

Lin Songyu’s mother, Tang Feizhu, was the chairwoman of Yanshi Group. His father, Lin Shi, was a pharmaceutical chemistry expert and also served as vice president. While most domestic pharmaceutical companies focused on generics, Yanshi Group poured heart and soul into original drug development and emerged as an industry leader. The reason? Their vice president was both professional and powerful—able to make massive investment decisions and steer R&D effectively.

The management couldn’t be misled by unrealistic R&D promises, and R&D wasn’t strangled by funding bottlenecks.

Now that Lin Songyu had decided to tackle the development of “cell therapy” drugs, he needed someone with a biomedical background to assist him—just as his father had supported his mother—and silence the shareholders who kept nagging about generics.

But Lin Songyu didn’t agree with Li Xiuyu’s comparison between his father and Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo’s “core” was far too unstable.

Lin Songyu sneered, “If Xie Zhuo can take a break from school to raise a child, then next time he might quit just because he’s in a long-distance relationship with his wife.”

Li Xiuyu shrugged, “Then let his wife work for the company too.”

Lin Songyu: “Easier said than done. With his taste in partners, you think that’ll work?”

What kind of person would abandon such a well-behaved and adorable child?

Li Xiuyu laughed, “Hey, if his ex hadn’t dumped the kid on him, Xie Zhuo would never have left the research institute. He was content with a modest life, doing just fine with the national research team. Your prestige and high salary can’t sway everyone—especially not a genius.”

Only he had the foresight to see the value in investing in a poor young man early on, offering a generous deal to poach him.

Lin Songyu: “Oh? So why’s he willing now?”

Li Xiuyu: “Because he has to raise a kid. Kids are money-eating beasts!”

The image of the little money-eating beast popped into Lin Songyu’s head, and he frowned. “He’s not even eating your rice, why are you calling someone else’s child a money-eating beast?”

“Besides,” Lin Songyu snorted, “he said he took time off to raise the kid, but I don’t think he’s doing such a great job.”

Li Xiuyu wondered why the conversation kept veering off-topic. Why was Lin Songyu so obsessed with this genius’s personal life? “I think he’s doing a fine job. The child is very well-behaved.”

Lin Songyu: “Too well-behaved. That means he’s being raised too strictly. Quiet, doesn’t cry or make a fuss, hides when he sees people.”

Li Xiuyu: ???

After a moment, Li Xiuyu asked, “Do you have a bias against children born out of wedlock?”

“No,” Lin Songyu answered quickly, then added, “He can’t afford to raise a child, didn’t take precautions, ended up taking time off school—that’s poor risk management.

He chose an irresponsible partner who walked away, which shows poor judgment. If his judgment is that bad in relationships, it’s probably not great for research direction either.

He raises the kid too strictly, suppresses natural instincts—that shows rigid thinking and lack of creativity.

Leaves the child alone at a conference—not responsible.”

Li Xiuyu was speechless. “…That definitely sounds like a personal grudge.”

Lin Songyu had never even met Xie Zhuo—was this really necessary?

Li Xiuyu: “None of that affects his achievements. If you’re really concerned about his character, you might as well take this opportunity to get to know him and observe more closely.”

Lin Songyu folded his arms. “I’m very busy.”

Li Xiuyu retorted, “Come on, it’s not like anyone’s asking you to marry him like your parents did. Why do you react like a cat with its tail stepped on every time I mention Xie Zhuo? You’d think I was matchmaking you with a single dad. Being a headhunter these days is harder than being a matchmaker.”

He muttered to himself, then saw Lin Songyu beckon his assistant and instruct, “Go check if that kid’s done crying.”

Li Xiuyu immediately looked pleased, like a teacher seeing potential in a student: “Make sure to bring a toy.”

He had personally vouched to Zhou Yong that participants could bring kids to the event, but who knew that chatty old men would make such a fuss?

That little one was Xie Zhuo’s lifeblood—if he came to dislike the hosts, how could there be any future collaboration?

Xie Zhuo soaked a handkerchief in warm water and carefully wiped Tang Huhu’s runny nose. Then he took out some children’s face cream and applied it.

“Baby, don’t be scared. Daddy will be with you very soon.”

Tang Huhu wasn’t crying out of fear: “Huhu’s not scared.”

During the group discussion, Tang Huhu moved to sit on a small stool by the wall.

Because if he kept sitting on Daddy’s lap, the older kids couldn’t help but stare at his chubby cheeks, fidgeting with their markers, eyes brimming with the urge to pinch his face.

If academic conferences had mascots, it would definitely be Tang Huhu.

Huhu didn’t want to sit on Daddy’s lap anymore. His eyes rolled slightly. “Huhu will go sit over there for a bit.”

It was only a meter and a half away, so Xie Zhuo agreed. Then he went to the front to submit a form on Zhou Yong’s behalf. When he looked back, he saw Tang Huhu hiding behind a curtain, frightened by a stranger.

In that moment, Xie Zhuo swore never to bring Tang Huhu to work again.

“Daddy, a handsome uncle looked at me…” Tang Huhu sat on the bed, playing with his toes.

Xie Zhuo was fully focused on his son and didn’t care about anything else, so he simply responded, “Mm, handsome.”

Tang Huhu wanted to say more, but couldn’t quite put his thoughts into words. He nodded, “Oh. Handsome.”

After the group discussion came the tea break, followed by another round of activities.

Tang Huhu knew the conference wouldn’t end until noon, so he tucked himself into bed. “Daddy, go to your meeting.”

Xie Zhuo couldn’t possibly leave his child alone in an unfamiliar hotel. “Daddy’s not going.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Xie Zhuo answered it—it was the man they’d shared a breakfast table with.

“Hello,” said the assistant with a smile. “I’m Gao Yang, assistant to Lin Songyu from Yanshi Group. I’m here on behalf of Mr. Lin to apologize for earlier. This is a small gift from the event organizers for Huhu.”

Xie Zhuo looked down to see a toy car and said, “It’s okay, not necessary.”

Faced with the laconic genius, the assistant struggled for words. He offered, “You’re welcome to keep attending the conference with Huhu, or we could arrange a childcare provider for you.”

Xie Zhuo: “Thanks, but no.”

Back at the venue, Lin Songyu mingled casually while waiting for his assistant to return. He had only asked Gao Yang to check if the kid had stopped crying—why was it taking so long?

Was he still crying?

The assistant had said the child’s name was Tang Huhu.

What a strange nickname—maybe it came from Xie Zhuo scalding the baby while bathing or feeding him as a new dad?

That would be awful.

Lin Songyu’s gaze swept across the tea break table. He spotted two grad students eyeing the dessert station with shining eyes.

If Tang Huhu were here, he’d definitely have even less self-control, right? He wasn’t even old enough for kindergarten.

Would that man even allow Huhu to eat sweets?

Xie Zhuo looked like the kind of dad who would make spreadsheets calculating exact nutritional balance—not the type to allow junk food. Very strict.

Finally, the assistant returned and whispered to Lin Songyu: “The child wasn’t crying. He’s not coming back.”

Lin Songyu grew inexplicably annoyed. Spotting Li Xiuyu nearby, he called out, “Look at this guy ditching again.”

Li Xiuyu looked confused. “Why complain to me? You’re the one who upset the kid.”

Lin Songyu: “I didn’t—”

He recalled the child’s tearful eyes when he left and fell silent.

The conference had provided lunch vouchers usable at two nearby restaurants—one serving homestyle cuisine, the other hotpot. Because of the cold weather, the hotpot place was popular with younger attendees.

After the morning session, Lin Songyu flipped through the leftover vouchers backstage and casually slipped one into his pocket.

Xie Zhuo had to feed Tang Huhu, right? He definitely wouldn’t go to the homestyle place—it was full of older professors.

It was obvious that Xie Zhuo didn’t know how to raise kids properly. Li Xiuyu wanted him to assess the guy? Fine, he’d go assess.

He returned to his suite, changed into casual clothes, put on a baseball cap, and strolled toward the hotpot place. Dressed like this, he looked more youthful than the lab-immersed students, and no one would connect him to the commanding figure who’d silenced professors earlier.

The hotpot place was self-serve. Lin Songyu verified his voucher at the counter, strolled around the restaurant with his hands in his pockets, and saw many familiar faces from the morning—but not Xie Zhuo or Tang Huhu.

Not giving up, he searched the place again. Still nothing. With an empty stomach, he left in a huff.

Skipping lunch during lunchtime—did they expect him to send his assistant to invite them?

Dream on.

Still, as an event host, offering extra assistance for attendees with children was simply humane.

“Gao Yang.”

“Yes?”

Lin Songyu gave him a glance.

Gao Yang read the look immediately: “You want to invite Xie Zhuo to lunch?”

Even though Lin Songyu kept criticizing Xie Zhuo for dropping out halfway, deep down he still wanted to recruit him?

Lin Songyu: “I want to invite his son.”

Gao Yang: “…Oh.” What difference did it make?

Five minutes later, Gao Yang returned and reported, “Xie Zhuo said they’re not eating here. He’s taking Huhu out to play and eat elsewhere.”

Probably to avoid running into people from the venue again.

Lin Songyu frowned but said nothing.

The conference’s main sessions were in the morning and evening; the afternoon was free time.

Lin Songyu spent the time dealing with business matters in the hotel. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, he gazed down at the hazy skyline and the bustling streets. Occasionally, young students trickled out of the hotel, heading toward the subway.

Many took the opportunity to explore famous local landmarks in Hangzhou.

Lin Songyu asked, “Where are they going?”

Gao Yang reacted, guessing, “They’re probably going to West Lake.”

Lin Songyu’s tone immediately became critical: “In this cold weather?”

Gao Yang: “It’s not that bad—although, for a child, outdoor activities aren’t ideal.”

“You go…” Lin Songyu paused, “Forget it.”

He sat back in his office chair, focused on handling some work for an hour. His phone on the desk rang.

“I heard you’re free this afternoon?” A cheerful and smug voice came from the other end of the line. “How about going to check out some of Hangzhou’s famous landmarks—”

Lin Songyu’s thoughts shifted. “West Lake?”

Xu Youxiang: “What West Lake? Of course, I’m talking about the luxury car exhibition I’m hosting!”

Lin Songyu pressed his lips together, forming a sharp line: “I’m busy.”

Xu Youxiang spoke in a slightly melancholic tone: “The way you said that clearly means you’re free. After all these years of friendship, you actually…”

“Alright, alright,” Lin Songyu couldn’t take it anymore.

His mood had been erratic today, perhaps he needed to engage in something completely unrelated to clear his mind.

An hour later, Lin Songyu appeared at the car exhibition venue, which Xu Youxiang had personally designed. The venue was spacious, warm, and surrounded by luxurious BMW cars.

“Ah Yu, what do you think of the exhibition I’ve organized?” The curator, Xu Youxiang, asked proudly.

Lin Songyu replied bluntly: “It’s nothing special, and there’s filler.”

“You’re making things up!” Xu Youxiang exploded, “There’s no filler! It’s all because of the luxury cars attracting people!”

Lin Songyu gave him a calm look. It was cold outside, the weather was terrible, and only a fool would go out in these conditions, let alone bring a child.

Xu Youxiang stubbornly said, “All the people here are potential customers. Fine, I won’t argue with you. I just didn’t want you to sit in your office all day and get sick. I’ll be right back after I use the restroom. You can look around and take any car you like.”

Lin Songyu folded his arms, standing behind a car, thinking about his speech for tomorrow’s meeting.

Across two cars, Xie Zhuo and Tang Huhu were playing actors.

When Xie Zhuo was preparing milk for Tang Huhu at noon, he came across a part-time job posting in his group.

[Luxury car exhibition filler, 50 yuan for two hours, 35-45 years old, male, dress like you have money.]

Tang Huhu was interested in cars, the exhibition was indoors with heating, and they could make money.

Although Xie Zhuo didn’t meet the age requirement, when he wore a high-end suit, he looked more than capable of making purchases.

Bringing his child… a rich young man with a child made him a distinguished guest.

The part-time job poster didn’t hesitate to let Xie Zhuo in, only advising him to “take the child out if he cries.”

This wasn’t the first time Tang Huhu accompanied his father as a filler. The little one was accustomed to large events.

Xie Zhuo had prepared in advance, treating the filler work like a museum tour and taking the child around the car exhibits.

The cheapest car was around a million yuan, far beyond Xie Zhuo’s budget, but Tang Huhu, at 22 months old, wasn’t 22 years old. He wouldn’t make his father feel awkward; he’d just ask why one car had an extra zero on the price.

People say clothes make the man, and Xie Zhuo wore his one branded suit, while Tang Huhu also wore a branded outfit. Xie Zhuo had a high school classmate, Yang He, who specialized in reselling off-brand clothes, and whenever something suitable for Tang Huhu came up, he kept it. The quality was good, and the styles were simple, with the simpler ones being the most elegant.

A young sales consultant zeroed in on Xie Zhuo and gave a warm smile. “Would you like me to recommend a car that’s suitable for installing a child safety seat?”

Xie Zhuo worried that the consultant was missing the real customer and said, “I’m not a potential buyer.”

The consultant remained unfazed, offering two cups of flower tea and guiding Xie Zhuo to sit down to discuss: “It’s fine. You can take a look first.”

She was just a temporary worker, and didn’t want to deal with the old men who treated her like a car model. Instead, she could enjoy the paid opportunity of looking at high-quality handsome guys and their kids.

Xie Zhuo noticed the shared vibe and sat down with his son.

Xie Zhuo was always reserved with people other than Tang Huhu.

The consultant opened the exhibition catalog, and Tang Huhu listened intently, nodding every now and then, as if he were the young heir with control over the family fortune.

Less than five meters away…

Lin Songyu stood with his arms folded, watching the pair—father and son.

Taking a child to a car exhibition where he couldn’t afford a car? And then having the consultant explain everything?

It was obvious that Xie Zhuo was interested in the exhibition, yet he played it cool while the child took it seriously.

Lin Songyu remembered what Li Xiuyu had mentioned about Xie Zhuo’s ex and stepmother and then saw this scene. Was it possible that Xie Zhuo was using Tang Huhu as a prop?

Suddenly, Tang Huhu turned his head and stared intently behind them, but his small frame was completely blocked by the cars.

His large, dark eyes, like black grapes, widened, as if he had heard the steps of a big cat, and he sniffed the air, alert and focused.

Xie Zhuo immediately noticed, thinking the dust might have irritated his son’s nose. He must be uncomfortable after being in the exhibition hall for so long.

He apologized to the consultant: “I think I’ve seen enough. I’ll consider it and get back to you later.”

The consultant played along: “Add me on WeChat, and you can order the car when you decide.”

“Sure.” Xie Zhuo stood up, holding his bag with one hand and taking Tang Huhu with the other. He was tall, and as he turned, his gaze easily crossed the car, meeting Lin Songyu’s eyes, who had no idea how long he’d been standing there.

Their eyes met, clearly visible to both of them.

Earlier, Lin Songyu had been watching Tang Huhu from a distance, but this time, it was a direct confrontation.

Xie Zhuo felt momentarily uneasy, as if a poor student had been spotted at a high-end venue. The coldness in the other’s eyes felt like mocking judgment.

Because of his financial struggles, he had faced many embarrassing situations growing up, so he’d long since developed a thick skin. But now, in front of the polished Lin Songyu, he felt an unusual awkwardness.

Tang Huhu, being small, could only see the four wheels of the car. He tugged at his father’s pants, puzzled as to why they weren’t leaving: “Daddy?”

Xie Zhuo snapped out of it, holding his son’s little hand, suddenly feeling at ease. It wasn’t his own embarrassment he cared about, but how his son saw him as a father.

“Let’s go.” Xie Zhuo pulled Tang Huhu towards the exit.

Before leaving the venue, he took out a thick hat and coat from his bag and bundled his son up.

Tang Huhu, now wearing a warm mask, looked round and, upon seeing a vendor selling candied hawthorn skewers, his eyes lit up for a moment.

“Don’t want it! It’s not tasty! Not sweet!”

The bright red candied hawthorns, coated in snow-like sugar, looked sweet as could be.

The vendor called out, “Candied hawthorn skewers, ten yuan each.”

One piece for one yuan, and Huhu would eat one every day.

The little one, wrapped up in his warm clothes with only his eyes showing, stared at the candied hawthorns. Xie Zhuo couldn’t help but understand.

He’d prefer if Tang Huhu liked other things, but this sweet and attractive hawthorn candy was made from mountain hawthorn, and it could give him an upset stomach.

Xie Zhuo patiently squatted down and explained, “This candied hawthorn will make your stomach hurt, Huhu. Let’s go buy some strawberries and grapes, and I’ll make you candied fruits when we get home.”

Tang Huhu thought for a moment before nodding: “Okay.”

There was a fruit shop nearby, so Xie Zhuo immediately took him inside to buy some fruit, also getting some hawthorn slices to satisfy his craving.

Lin Songyu, observing from a distance, couldn’t help but be impressed.

He was willing to look at million-dollar cars, but wouldn’t buy his son a ten-yuan candied hawthorn?

Once father and son walked off, Lin Songyu approached the stall, arrogantly lifting his chin like a cat eyeing a toy, trying to act aloof despite his obvious interest.

He pointed to the brightest, reddest candied hawthorn on top and said, “Two skewers, please.”