Young men of the Five Tombs gather east of the Golden Market, crossing the spring breeze on white horses with silver saddles. Chapter 119: New Product (1)

The next morning, Fang Yu woke up on the bed in the townhouse, stretching contentedly.

“Damn, renting an expensive place really is more comfortable than a rural homestay.”

Today was February 13th, the day before Valentine's Day. He needed to go downtown to buy a gift for his unrequited love.

As he stepped out, he glanced up the stairs at the third floor. Xia Churan’s door was firmly shut—she was probably still asleep. Only then did he relax, pull out his keys, and start the 640 parked outside.

At ten o’clock, Fang Yu arrived at the cultural shopping center. Many of the clerks already recognized him.

“Mr. Fang is here? Please, come inside! What are you looking for today?”

He walked confidently to the watch counter and pointed at a few new arrivals.

“Bring these out for me to see.”

The female clerk smiled flirtatiously.

“Mr. Fang has such good taste. These are the latest models after the New Year—the Longines Galan series. Perfect for a gift to your girlfriend.”

“How much?”

“No discounts for the new arrivals yet, but since you’re a loyal customer, I can give you 10% off. Let me calculate… after the discount, it’s 8,000 yuan.”

Fang Yu clicked his tongue, feeling a pang of pain for his wallet. Although he was a major shareholder in both Baoleme and Qinglu companies, worth several million—no, probably tens of millions—he had no direct access to company funds. Most of the cash flow was tied up in production, and he had to ask Zhang Hao to reimburse his monthly fuel expenses.

Moreover, Baoleme was burdened with millions in debt. One wrong move could wipe him and Zhang Hao out completely.

So right now, the only petty cash he could touch was about 100,000 yuan, which he had quietly withheld from Qinglu’s profits.

Still, thinking of the gentle smile of his unrequited love, or the breathtaking radiance of Xia Churan, he licked his lips and decisively pulled out his bank card.

“I’ll take them. Give me two.”

The clerk hesitated briefly before resuming her professional smile.

“Certainly, Mr. Fang, please wait a moment while I prepare the invoice.”

Spending 16,000 yuan, he tossed the two boxes into the backseat of the 640 and leisurely drove back to the snack street.

As he entered the internet cafe, Lu Zhen came over.

“Boss Fang, I want to take a day off tomorrow. I’m going to spend Valentine’s Day with Zhang Yan.”

“Hm, have you spoken to Yan Hua and Zhao Bin? I doubt Cheng Chen will be free either tomorrow.” Fang Yu nodded, feeling a bit troubled.

“I told Yan Hua, and he’s fine with it. But Zhao Bin—you know what happened last time with Zhang Yan. Things got awkward, so I’m not eager to ask him.” Lu Zhen frowned.

Zhao Bin was still asleep after his night shift, so Fang Yu reluctantly agreed.

“Alright, just go ahead. Yan Hua will have to work a bit harder, that’s all.”

Around lunchtime, Xia Churan called him.

“Fang Yu, where are you? How am I supposed to get over there now?”

“Oh, wait for me a bit.” He regretted renting the place so far away—without a car, it was really inconvenient.

Cheng Chen and Li Jing had also gone out early, probably to buy gifts, so only Xia Churan remained in the townhouse. Since Lu Zhen and the others didn’t have licenses yet, Fang Yu had to provide them with two electric scooters for commuting.

Back at the townhouse, just as he sat down in the living room, a fragrant breeze drifted down from upstairs. He picked up the pre-prepared boxes.

“Here, see if you like them.”

The girl gasped, her delicate face blooming with a radiant smile.

“Hehe, is this my Valentine’s Day gift?”

“Stop talking nonsense. If you like it, keep it. If not, I’ll return it.” Fang Yu said nothing about Valentine’s Day.

Xia Churan happily opened the box and exclaimed.

“What a beautiful watch! It must be expensive.”

“Not bad. As long as you like it.” He nodded vaguely.

“Of course I like it! Hmph, does Qin Lu have one too?” Though she protested verbally, her slender arms had already wrapped around his neck.

“Naturally.” He nodded calmly. A scoundrel had to be consistent to the end.

Xia Churan’s eyes were complicated—there was disappointment, joy, and most of all, unwillingness. Wrapping her arms tighter around him, she breathed softly against his ear.

“Fang Yu, you’re dead meat!” Then she bit down hard on his ear.

Fang Yu winced in pain, about to push her away, but seeing her sulky expression, his heart softened. He pulled her slender waist closer.

“Alright, alright, stop fooling around.”

“Who’s fooling around? It’s you, you bastard!”

Feeling a bit guilty holding the girl in his arms, he softened his tone.

“Alright, what do you want to eat for lunch?”

Held and coaxed like this, Xia Churan felt her cheeks flush and her body relax.

“Hmph, I wouldn’t dare to make decisions for you, Mr. Fang.”

Feeling their closeness was a bit much, Fang Yu chuckled awkwardly and let go.

“Tomorrow I’m having dinner with Qin Lu. What do you say?”

Expecting her to be angry, he was surprised when she furrowed her brows in thought.

“Ugh, that Jin Hai keeps asking me to meet him. So annoying. Maybe you should just call him to the internet cafe and let Zhu Wei deal with him.”

Fang Yu’s face darkened. Jin Hai was truly a headache—too much trouble to confront, yet impossible to ignore.

“Hmm, then I’ll drop you off tomorrow. Lu Lu’s schedule is tight; we’ll just eat and go.”

Xia Churan’s eyes lit up.

“Hehe, so after dinner, you’ll be with me, right?”

“Ah, yes, yes, yes. How about we watch a movie online together?”

“Wow, it’s a deal! And you have to tell me a bedtime story too.” Xia Churan coquetted unabashedly.

After being forced into a series of unequal agreements, Fang Yu finally had some free time. He and the girl drove to the internet cafe. Just as they settled in, Zhang Hao called.

“Old Fang, our phone is ready. We’re about to start mass production. I told them to bring you a few test units so you can check the quality.”

Test units, or engineering prototypes, were early-stage products that might have flaws. Many manufacturers used them internally to gather feedback.

Fang Yu was excited.

“So soon? Should I come pick them up myself?”

“No need. I told Xiao Sun to deliver them to you. He should be there soon, so keep an eye out for the call.”

After hanging up, before he could savor the good news, his phone rang again. It was Sun Han.

“Hello, Mr. Fang, I’m Xiao Sun. Mr. Zhang asked me to deliver something to you.”

“Okay, I’m coming out now. Wait for me at the usual place.”

With that, Fang Yu hung up and hurried out the internet cafe amid puzzled looks from everyone inside.