With global currency devaluation, I'll wear these back and take my whole family flying!

After hanging up the phone with his son, the gloom on Li Wanchang's face dissipated considerably, and he felt much more relaxed.

He looked up at the department manager in front of him, his tone turning serious: "How's it going with the core members of the Calabash Brothers Studio that I asked you to contact?"

"They rejected us outright, their attitude was very indifferent, and they didn't take our offers seriously."

A cold glint flashed in Li Wanchang's eyes, and he immediately made the decision: "We will increase the amount on the existing basis—annual salary will be increased by 20%, and business bonuses will be raised to another level."

“Chairman, this…” the manager hesitated, “This is far beyond the top-tier compensation in the industry.”

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Li Wanchang said firmly, his eyes deep. "What we're buying isn't people, it's technology, it's the future."

"Understood. There are still a few people I haven't contacted yet; I'll talk to them as soon as possible."

Li Wanchang nodded slightly: "Right now, the most important thing is still new product development. Tell the technology department that they must produce results in the next six months. They have advanced technology imported from Europe, and their advantage is obvious."

"There's one more thing," the manager said, handing over a document. "It's very important."

Li Wanchang opened the document and raised an eyebrow: "Why so early? Wasn't the bidding scheduled for next spring?"

"It's been moved up; we only received the official notification yesterday."

Longcheng will host the 2030 Winter Olympics, with the State General Administration of Sport and twelve state-owned enterprises jointly leading the construction of the Winter Olympic venues. This is a national-level mega-project, involving huge costs and a long construction period from planning and design to construction. Various enterprises are eager to participate, wanting to share the burden for the country and also get a piece of the pie.

But not everyone has the qualifications; ultimately, it comes down to bidding.

Even if you only get a small part of such a massive project, the profits are astronomical. Among them, the most sought-after projects are the Olympic Village and the main stadium.

Li Wanchang had participated in the construction of the venues for the Longcheng World Championships in his early years and had tasted the benefits of the long tail effect. This time, Li Wanchang is determined to win the Winter Olympics events, and his appetite is even bigger than before.

Moreover, the group is currently in a recovery period, with funds steadily returning, giving it much more confidence.

They had the right timing, the right location, and the right people.

"Immediately arrange preliminary preparations and invite the leaders of the Sports Bureau to dinner," Li Wanchang ordered immediately.

*

That evening, Shen Ci made a special trip home.

As soon as you enter, the house is bustling with activity—Wang Zhaoning has brought Xuxu and Xixi to visit Shen Jingjing.

Xu Xu was quietly doing his homework on the living room table, while Xi Xi was held in Wang Zhaoning's arms. Xi Xi was at the age of just learning to speak, and her soft and cuddly appearance made Shen Jingjing laugh non-stop.

“Aci is back.” Wang Zhaoning looked up and smiled.

"Sister-in-law." Shen Ci stepped forward, took Xi Xi from Wang Zhaoning's arms, lowered her head and kissed her soft little face, her voice softening unconsciously, "Little Xi Xi, why are you still so chubby?"

Xi Xi just giggled, without crying or making a fuss; she was very well-behaved.

"Call me Auntie, Little Auntie," Shen Ci teased her.

"Auntie," Xixi repeated in her childish voice.

Shen Ci's face immediately lit up with a smile, and she turned to Wang Zhaoning and said, "Xi Xi's speech is so clear now."

Wang Zhaoning smiled and nodded: "He's very eloquent and learns to speak very quickly. Last time I visited your brother, he coaxed him to call him 'Dad' twice, and he learned it after only a few repetitions."

Shen Jingjing looked at her two children, her eyes filled with anticipation.

“Before I knew it was twins, I thought it didn’t matter if it was a boy or a girl.” She gently stroked her lower abdomen. “Now, looking at Xuxu and Xixi, I’m actually hoping we can have twins, a boy and a girl.”

“You know what, it’s actually quite possible.” Wang Zhaoning analyzed with a smile, “Your first child was Aci, your second child was Xingxing, and this one might be twins.”

Shen Jingjing was amused: "What's the use of me having given birth? Doesn't it depend on the man's family's genes? Their family has been all boys for generations."

Shen Ci and Wang Zhaoning exchanged a glance and winked knowingly. Shen Ci quickly smoothed things over, "A boy would be fine too. He's as smart and sensible as Xingxing, and he'd definitely be even more handsome than Xingxing. My dad has such good genes."

"I was just saying it offhand..." Shen Jingjing hadn't finished speaking when a sudden wave of morning sickness hit her, and she instinctively clutched her chest.

As soon as she reacted, Sister Liu quickly came over with her things, and Wang Zhaoning immediately got up and gently patted her back.

Shen Jingjing gagged twice, but nothing came out. After a moment, she waved her hand and said, "It's okay, I'm used to it. It's been alright lately, only a few times a day. It was tough at the beginning, I felt like I was going to throw up my stomach."

Wang Zhaoning deeply sympathized: "I was the same way back then. I was so nauseous during my twin pregnancies that I was dizzy and disoriented. Your twin pregnancy must have been even more difficult."

Fearing that staying too long would disturb Shen Jingjing's rest, Wang Zhaoning didn't linger and quickly got up to say goodbye. Shen Ci saw her to the door and then returned to the living room.

"Your sister-in-law is afraid that you will be upset during your pregnancy, so she doesn't dare to come too often, and when she does come, she doesn't dare to stay long."

"I'm not that delicate." Shen Jingjing smiled helplessly. "When I was pregnant with you, I was still working every day."

"Have you settled everything with your aunt?" Shen Jingjing asked her daughter.

Shen Ci nodded: "Everything is settled. She even invited me to dinner tomorrow night."

"Help her buy some things," Shen Jingjing instructed. "Before the divorce, your uncle squandered almost all the family's money. She was recently laid off, and after renting a place in Longcheng, she probably doesn't have much left."

"I know all of this, don't worry about it." Shen Ci glanced at the time and casually muttered, "Why isn't my dad back yet?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of a car entering the courtyard could be heard.

Shen Jingjing couldn't help but laugh: "Speak of the devil, and he appears; he came back as soon as I mentioned it."

Shen Ci quickly got up and went out to greet him. She had come back today specifically to ask her father for advice.

Dinner was prepared by Wen Shuyi, who moved in to take care of Shen Jingjing and also solved Jiang Yuanliang's meal problem.

“I made some glutinous rice balls as soon as Aci came back. I remember she said they were delicious last time.” Wen Shuyi said gently to Shen Ci, “Aci, you should eat more. Your mother can’t eat these now.”

"Thank you, ma'am, I've finished it all."

Jiang Yuanliang looked at Aci with a smile in his eyes and asked softly, "Tell me, what's so mysterious that you have to tell me during dinner?"

Shen Jingjing and Wen Shuyi also looked over curiously.

"Nothing mysterious, I just thought it would be a good time to chat with you during dinner." Shen Ci smiled, then asked directly, "Dad, you know that Longcheng is hosting the next Winter Olympics, right?"

People like Jiang Yuanliang, who read newspapers and watch the news every day, are naturally well-informed about such national affairs.

He raised an eyebrow and nodded: "I know, so what?"

Shen Ci thought for a moment and then asked, "How can we get involved in the construction of the entire Winter Olympics project?"