The entire building was under surveillance. A quick request to the monitoring room via a security guard's walkie-talkie would locate Xiao Xun's whereabouts within five minutes.
When Xiao Xun finished his call and turned around, Mu Jiahe was already standing there.
With her arms crossed, she asked expressionlessly, "Our great hero isn't inside accepting praise, why are you hiding here seeking leisure?"
Xiao Xun shook his phone. "Just made a call, why did President Mu personally come to find me?"
"A hero who helped me secure such a large deal has 'gone missing.' Of course, I have to come out and look!"
Xiao Xun smiled sheepishly, scratching his head, and asked Mu Jiahe, "How did President Mu know that my presence would be useful?"
Just as Mu Jiahe anticipated Xiao Xun's question, she produced a voice recorder and pressed play. Xiao Xun's voice emanated from it: "It's not just 'Yun Tu,' I know about the currently popular 'Xing Tu' and stellar-class computing. With this minor issue, you don't need to study system architecture. As long as you can code and understand binary, you'll know..."
Xiao Xun was stunned. "That Manager Wang is too sharp! It's such a small matter, and he even recorded it?"
Suddenly, he realized something was amiss. He looked up at Mu Jiahe and asked cautiously, "Don't tell me you installed a bug in his office..."
Xiao Xun dared not finish his sentence. Mu Jiahe smiled. "Your imagination is quite vivid. Wang Su Cheng was promoted by me; he was one of the earliest employees. I still have this level of trust. It's just that day, he was reporting work to me and forgot to hang up. This recording was automatically saved by the phone."
Xiao Xun looked at the voice recorder in Mu Jiahe's hand, secretly disbelieving. After all, this should have been played on a phone. While a voice recorder could store copied files, who would go to such lengths?
Mu Jiahe walked up to Xiao Xun. "If you don't like the atmosphere of the celebration banquet, then let's go home."
Xiao Xun readily agreed. They headed to the parking garage. As soon as they got into the car and before starting it, he felt a burning sensation in his stomach.
"President Mu, are you hungry?"
Mu Jiahe glanced at her phone and, hearing Xiao Xun's words, looked up at the rearview mirror. "I'm alright, why do you ask?"
Then she smiled, "What do you want to eat? Pick anything, it's my treat, a celebration for you, okay?"
In the sweltering summer heat, there was nothing more satisfying than drinking beer and eating barbecue. Considering Mu Jiahe's status, they chose a chain barbecue restaurant with a pleasant environment.
He took off his suit jacket and tie, casually tossed them onto the passenger seat, and got out of the car wearing only a crisp white shirt.
Although the barbecue restaurant looked somewhat upscale, it was still a barbecue joint, brimming with the aroma of cooking and a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere.
The security guard at the entrance was stunned when he saw such a car drive in and quickly waved to stop them. Xiao Xun lowered the car window and asked the security guard, "What's the matter?"
The security guard looked troubled. "Brother, this is the restaurant's private parking lot. Outsiders are not allowed in. And if your car gets scratched or dinged, we can't afford to compensate you!"
"I'm here to eat, as long as there's a place to park."
There was no business sense in turning away customers, especially such a high-profile one. The security guard didn't dare to make a decision on his own and had to go notify the manager.
Upon seeing the car, the manager thought: This must be some 'second-generation rich' person experiencing life. Not serving them would surely lead to trouble.
He instructed the security guards to park the car in a very spacious spot. Xiao Xun felt a bit embarrassed when he saw the car taking up two parking spaces.
The manager had the security guards bring all the parking bollards, set up a cordon, and assigned the restaurant's only two security guards to stand watch.
Although the barbecue restaurant had excellent ventilation, Mu Jiahe couldn't help but frown when she walked in. She couldn't understand why Xiao Xun would like to eat in such a place.
Even though there were only two of them, the manager arranged a private room with good privacy.
Xiao Xun loved barbecue, but this was his first time in such a restaurant. Business was booming, and the prices for the same items were two to three times higher than outside.
After ordering their food, the manager introduced, "We have craft beers and imported black and white beers. Would you two like to try them?"
Xiao Xun, remembering he had to drive, was about to refuse when Mu Jiahe looked at him. "It's okay, you're the hero today, so you're allowed to have celebratory drinks. I'll drive the car back later."
Xiao Xun blushed sheepishly. "How can I accept that?"
His shy nature hadn't changed. Whether people praised or criticized him, his face would show a blush of insecurity, and a fine sheen of sweat would appear on his forehead.
"It's fine," she said, then turned to the manager. "Bring us a bottle of your best beer!"
Mu Jiahe had never drunk beer before. She didn't know that for someone who could drink, one bottle was barely anything.
The manager noticed their expensive clothing and directly brought over the aprons typically used in hot pot restaurants, tying them for the two of them. This was unheard of in a barbecue place, yet Xiao Xun was still very careful when 'grubbing,' afraid of oil splattering onto his clothes.
Although he got to eat the barbecue he craved, it didn't have the same atmosphere as eating barbecue with Chu Xiangning, and he ate so cautiously that it wasn't enjoyable at all.
Xiao Xun drank the entire bottle of beer as if it were soda. It did have a better taste than ordinary beer, and a richer flavor than draft beer.
Mu Jiahe also tried a few skewers of meat that looked appetizing, and then didn't touch her chopsticks again.
After Xiao Xun feasted, Mu Jiahe paid the bill.
As they drove back, Mu Jiahe asked Xiao Xun, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Xiao Xun immediately thought of Chu Xiangning, but neither of them had crossed the line. They had mutual good feelings, but it was still just ambiguous.
So Xiao Xun told Mu Jiahe, "No, but there is a girl I have good feelings for. I'm not sure if she's willing."
Mu Jiahe smiled with interest. "Oh? Then I'll have to meet her if I get the chance."
Xiao Xun looked at Mu Jiahe. "President Mu, we've been working together for so long, don't you have a boyfriend?"
Mu Jiahe smiled and said, "That's a very impolite question! Aren't you afraid I'll fire you?"
Xiao Xun also smiled and said, "Not afraid, because I know President Mu wouldn't bear to."
"You're quite confident. I don't have a boyfriend, never have, because I believe no one in this world is worthy of me."
Xiao Xun thought to himself: There are many outstanding female entrepreneurs and strong women. Setting aside whether they are worthy or not, finding someone to console an empty heart is also very necessary!
"President Mu, there's something I've always wanted to ask."
Mu Jiahe stopped the car in front of the garage and turned to look at Xiao Xun in the passenger seat. "If it's a question about men and women, you'd better keep it to yourself!"
Xiao Xun quickly waved his hands. "Of course not. I want to become your disciple. Can you teach me your skills?"
Mu Jiahe looked at Xiao Xun's eager eyes. "You want to go into business too?"
"Not business, but your combat skills and the magic that can heal people instantly."
Mu Jiahe's lips curved slightly upward. "This is something you're born with. I can't teach it."
Xiao Xun asked persistently, "Then can't it be cultivated through some secret manual?"
Mu Jiahe's expression instantly changed. "Cultivated? Do you think this is a fantasy novel! Cultivated..."