Rebirth and Conquest

In the spacious office, Chen Yan was sitting behind her desk reading documents when Zhou Linli walked in from outside.

"What is it?" Chen Yan asked without looking up.

“I just wanted to remind you, shouldn’t you go see Mr. Han?” Zhou Linli said carefully. “Mr. Han said he wants to see you.”

Chen Yan then looked up and suddenly realized that it had been a long time since she had visited Han Danqing. Ever since Han Danqing said he was leaving, Chen Yan had been going to see him every few days in an effort to keep him there. However, she had been so busy with the Yan family's affairs that she had almost forgotten about it.

Looking at the stack of documents still piled high on the table, Chen Yan rubbed her temples and said, "I understand."

After reading and signing the documents in her hand, Chen Yan got up and left the office, then asked Zhou Linli to take her to Han Danqing's place.

Some say that artists must have some flaws; if they don't have a certain 'refined and unconventional' flaw, they can't be called artists.

Han Danqing fits this description perfectly. He suffers from a bit of depression and doesn't like to communicate with people much. Only Chen Yan can truly connect with him. In his more than thirty years of life, Han Danqing has almost no friends. The only one he can call a friend is Chen Yan. Moreover, after knowing each other for so many years, he has developed an inexplicable sense of trust in Chen Yan. Especially after Chen Yan often accompanied him, he has gradually become somewhat dependent on her.

Chen Yan felt that it was more accurate to say that Han Danqing had a fear of loneliness than depression. Han Danqing actually liked having someone with him, but no one had ever really gotten close to him, so no one could tell. Han Danqing used to being alone, and no one cared about this. But after Chen Yan started spending time with him, he would be unwilling to go back to that lonely life. If Chen Yan didn't come to see him, he would also be dissatisfied, just like now.

When Chen Yan arrived at Han Danqing's place, Han Danqing was painting. There was an easel set up in the center of his large studio, and he was sitting on the ground in front of the easel, holding a palette in his hand.

Upon seeing Chen Yan enter, Han Danqing said casually, "It's been a long time since you've been here."

"I'm sorry, Danqing, I've been quite busy lately." Chen Yan smiled apologetically. He no longer addressed Han as Mr. Han, but instead called him Danqing directly.

"Hmm," Han Danqing said without looking up, her hand still scribbling on the canvas. "If you don't come, there's nothing I can do but wait here."

Whether it was Chen Yan's imagination or not, Han Danqing's tone seemed to carry a hint of resentment. Han Danqing had changed quite a bit; at least he was more lively than before. He no longer wore that utterly disillusioned and hopeless expression, and occasionally he would make some vivid expressions on his face.

"What are you painting today?" Chen Yan asked as she walked up to the easel.

Han Danqing has recently become fascinated with oil painting and said he wants to use a combination of Chinese and Western techniques in his creations. Chen Yan looked at the patches of color on the canvas and couldn't see any beauty in them, but still said, "It's pretty good, but I don't quite understand it."

"It's not finished yet," Han Danqing said.

Chen Yan stopped talking and stood aside watching Han Danqing paint. In fact, most of the time, Chen Yan just quietly watched Han Danqing paint. In terms of painting, Chen Yan didn't have much to talk about with Han Danqing, and Han Danqing wasn't a talkative person either. Moreover, more than having someone to talk to, he needed someone to help him get rid of his loneliness.

After Han Danqing finally put down his brush, Chen Yan smiled and said, "Finished painting? It looks pretty good." As for the painting, Chen Yan's only evaluation was that it was pretty good; he couldn't say anything more. After a pause, Chen Yan added, "But Danqing, I have to go now. I have some things to take care of at the company. I'll come see you again in a few days."

Han Danqing looked up at Chen Yan and said in a calm voice, "You've been here for less than twenty minutes."

Chen Yan was taken aback by these words, then smiled somewhat embarrassedly. He was a little anxious because there was still a pile of unread documents on his desk. After glancing at his watch, Chen Yan could only smile and say, "Okay, are you hungry? Let's eat first."

Han Danqing didn't say anything more and began to pack up his painting tools.

Chen Yan can't cook, and neither can Han Danqing, but someone will come to deliver meals on time.

At the dinner table, Chen Yan ate a few bites in a hurry. At this moment, Han Danqing suddenly said, "If you don't come again in the future, I will leave here."

"Huh?" Chen Yan didn't react for a moment. He looked up at Han Danqing, only to see that Han Danqing remained calm. After thinking for a moment, Chen Yan suddenly realized that Han Danqing's words were a 'threat' to him, telling him not to forget to come here again. Chen Yan knew that Han Danqing's true nature was extremely simple. All his attention was on painting, and he didn't care much about anything else. Only now did Chen Yan realize that, apart from painting, Han Danqing also had such a childlike side.

"Yes, I understand," Chen Yan said.

After leaving Han Danqing's place, Chen Yan went straight back to the company in Zhou Linli's car.

Sitting in the car, Zhou Linli said to Chen Yan, "I think it's good to let Mr. Han go out more. It's too lonely for him to stay here all the time. No one can stand being alone in one place all the time."

Chen Yan looked over sharply and said in a cold voice, "Let him out? Can you guarantee he'll come back?"

Zhou Linli immediately fell silent, unsure of what to say.

Chen Yan softened her tone: "Just let him stay here. He doesn't need to go out. You just need to remind me from now on. Don't worry about anything else."

"Oh"

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At a large bidding conference in City B, dozens of companies, large and small, were present, vying for a piece of land. However, although it appeared to be dozens of companies, there were actually only two. In the business world of City B, everyone had come to a clear understanding: as long as Haoran and Yan's were involved, everyone else could just quietly watch. Over the past six months, the two companies had been feuding countless times, and no one needed to say anything; they could simply watch the show quietly.

After fierce competition, the Yan family emerged victorious. However, General Manager Yan Haobo, who attended the bidding conference, didn't seem particularly happy. Yan Haobo was naturally unhappy, because Haoran Group's interference had forced them to spend almost double what they had expected.

The Yan family had long intended to invest in a golf course and had been waiting for this piece of land, having already made arrangements with all relevant parties. Chen Yan knew he wouldn't be able to acquire the land, and even if he did, it wouldn't be of much use to him. However, he wouldn't refrain from involvement just because he couldn't get it.

After leaving the trading hall, Yan Haobo walked past Chen Yan and uttered through gritted teeth, "You're crazy."

Right now, Yan Haobo is definitely the one who hates Chen Yan the most. If conditions allowed, he really wanted to beat Chen Yan up, but he couldn't.

Chen Yan smiled indifferently and said, "Congratulations."

"Hehe," Yan Haobo took a deep breath, turned around and strode away.

On the way back, Chen Yan received a phone call from Gao Chenxing.

"Ayan, can we sign now?" Gao Chenxing asked from the other end.

"Sign it," Chen Yan said with a smile. "The Yan family really needs your order right now."

"Okay, I understand." After saying that, the person on the other end hung up the phone.

Today, the Gao family has developed into one of the top retailers in the country. The Gao family once tried to win over Chen Lirong, but after Chen Lirong left the Yan family, they immediately adopted a self-serving attitude, cut off contact with Chen Lirong, and instead climbed up to Yan Haobo. So now, in the eyes of outsiders, the relationship between the Gao family and the Yan family is actually quite good.

A few days later, the Gao family signed a huge order with the Yan family. The Gao family paid the deposit readily, with the only requirement being that the goods be shipped as soon as possible. This time, the Yan family had been ripped off by Chen Yan, and the Gao family's order was exactly what they wanted, so they signed the order without hesitation.

Leaving that aside for now, let's just say that the Yan family and Haoran remained at odds until the autumn of that year, when a government road management department was relocating and wanted to build a new office building.

Both families wanted to take over the project. The Yan family and Haoran each owned a piece of land in the south and east of the city, respectively. Before the person in charge of the project could decide on the building location, the two families started building on their own land. They were building while contacting the person in charge to discuss the project, which can be described as acting first and informing later.

Actually, the government originally wanted to build the building outside the city, and both locations were suitable. However, since both companies had made their moves first, the person in charge was in a difficult position to decide. Both companies held significant positions in B City, and it would be bad to refuse either one. Later, the person in charge said, "Let's see which one is more suitable. We'll choose the one that's more suitable." It was this statement that sparked a fierce competition between the two companies.

Office buildings outside the city sprang up rapidly, with competition shifting from who could build the fastest to who could build the best. Without government funding, both companies relied solely on their own financial resources.

Later, news spread from somewhere that B City was going to expand and develop the surrounding areas. In fact, B City has always been developing rapidly. It's just that this time, it is said to be related to the relocation of the new office building, the construction of a high-speed rail, and the replanning of the main station, which may be located in the suburbs.

When the news spread, Chen Yan and Yan Haobo both smiled dismissively. The two families already knew about this news, otherwise they wouldn't have cared so much.

...