KC | Chapter 104

Chapter 115 “He Was a Very Good Person.”

Lin Gonghuan was past sixty, both temples completely white, and his spirits were low. His once broad shoulders had now thinned down until there was only a handful of bone left, only his deep-set eyes were exactly the same as they had been thirty years ago, their gaze still sharp.

“Lin Yiran.”

Lin Yiran looked up.

“I want to eat an apple.”

Lin Yiran asked the caregiver for a fruit knife and sat by the hospital bed peeling an apple.

Old Lin ate apples without the peel. Years ago, his mother often peeled apples for him.

“A few days ago, I heard Lao Zhang say that you bought him Golden Bud tea.”

Lin Yiran nodded.

“I want to drink Golden Bud tea too.”

Lin Yiran said, “Okay.”

“You’re almost 40, why are you still so bad at talking?”

After Lin Yiran finished peeling the apple and handed it to Old Lin, Old Lin said, “I heard before that you were doing sales, I didn’t believe it. You can’t even make yourself clear, how can you do sales?”

“But a few days ago, Lao Zhang also said you were doing sales. Not talking, but doing sales for over 10 years, are you selling hearing aids to deaf people, using sign language with your hands every day?”

As an “I person”, Lin Yiran did not want to explain what he did for work, mainly because he did not want to share his life with Old Lin. More than 30 years had already passed, and if he had not shared things before, there was even less to say now.

Old Lin had struggled all his life, making friends through profit, and outside he was smooth-tongued and able to get along with anyone. His reputation in official circles and business circles had always been excellent, but at home he had been deeply lacking. When Lin Yiran’s maternal grandfather fell ill and died, Old Lin only rushed back in a dust-covered state four days after he was buried. When Lin Yiran’s mother was pregnant with her second child, Old Lin was messing around outside, and the mistress came to the door, making his mother so angry that she had a miscarriage. After Lin Yiran’s parents divorced, he muddled along with Old Lin for more than 10 years, and not being starved to death had already counted as luck.

Old Lin had failed to fulfill the duty of a son, the responsibility of a husband, and the obligation of a father. He was a real skin-wrapped beast. Lin Yiran had inherited Old Lin’s beastly genes and his good-looking skin, but fortunately had not inherited his cruelty, otherwise there would be no one taking care of Old Lin now.

Lin Yiran liked children, but he felt that in this life he would definitely not have children. His only blood relatives were the two elders, and family affection was all the more precious. A father could be ruthless, but a son could not bear to be ruthless. When Old Lin had surgery, Lin Yiran had rarely suffered insomnia for half the night, sneaking to the balcony to smoke behind Chen Xi’s back, and the next day he almost turned down all of the eleventh’s social obligations, making out a large block of time for his father.

A key client could be lost and found again, money could be earned if it was gone, but a father only had one.

Old Lin had a mouthful of apple in his cheek and said unclearly, “What kind of good person does sales? It’s not even a proper job. Forget doing sales, you even did it for over 10 years. Is it because you couldn’t find any other work?”

“…”

Lin Yiran, who was not good with words, often hit walls when looking for work after university graduation. Lanhai was recruiting salespeople, and Lin Yiran wanted to practice his speaking, so he submitted a resume.

Lanhai 13 years ago had fewer than 30 people, and Zhang Guangming personally led the team. Every salesperson had to go through the script every day. First they copied it into a notebook, after copying it they memorized it, after memorizing it they practiced it, and if the practice was not good enough, they had to work overtime to keep practicing. Back then there was no online advertising yet, only traditional media.

Lin Yiran memorized more than 20 versions of self-introductions, boss information from more than 10 industries, and hundreds of script formulas, but he still could not close a deal.

The salespeople who joined the same batch kept closing orders one after another, and Lin Yiran became a little impatient. Zhang Guangming asked him, what was the most important thing about work? Lin Yiran answered, making money, training himself, increasing his experience… Zhang Guangming said, the most important thing about work was happiness.

“When you give it your all and achieve your goal, you will be very happy.”

On the last day of his probation period, Lin Yiran successfully signed a client, and at that moment he suddenly came to a realization, doing sales could be happy.

In order to keep getting that happiness, Lin Yiran frantically signed clients, and Zhang Guangming laughed, “You were born to do sales.”

Over the years, there had been no shortage of marketing big shots in the advertising circle who wanted to team up with Lin Yiran to start a company, but Lin Yiran had turned them all down, because he wanted to repay Zhang Guangming’s kindness in recognizing him.

Chen Xi entered sales because of him, and he entered the industry because of Zhang Guangming.

Lanhai was a relatively proper advertising company in Yucheng. Here, if you worked more you earned more, if you worked less you earned nothing. Lin Yiran signing key clients made him very happy.

Looking back now at what Zhang Guangming had said 13 years ago, the seemingly gentle head of Lanhai had actually had a far-reaching vision and deep schemes. With his professional work ethic and his lead-by-example dedication, Zhang Guangming had cultivated Lanhai into a pack of fierce wolves spanning three provinces.

Seeing that his son had turned back into a silent gourd again, Old Lin fiddled with his phone a couple of times and said, “Your old man doesn’t lack money. In this world, how many 35 years can a person live through? Do something you like.”

A text message sounded, Old Lin had just transferred him 10 million.

“…”

Lin Yiran, having taken someone’s hand, felt obliged to return the favor, and finally told the truth, “I don’t really lack money either right now.”

Old Lin sneered, “Then transfer the money back.”

“…”

Lin Yiran said, “It seems I do lack money again. I’ve been thinking about buying a car lately.”

Old Lin said, “What, you trying to chase someone and put on a show?”

Lin Yiran thought for a moment and nodded. “It really does seem like I should chase him properly one more time.”

Old Lin threw away the apple core, clicked his tongue a few times, as if he still had not eaten enough, and Lin Yiran peeled him another apple.

“You useless thing that won’t open your mouth, such a waste of that face. Even when you chase someone, you’re still the one paying.”

After Old Lin ate the apple, he opened his mouth again. “How old is the other person?”

“10 years younger than me.”

“Heh, a dirty old man.”

“…”

The negotiation expert often got his tongue tied in front of his own father. It was not that he did not want to speak, it was that he was so choked up he did not know what to say.

Old Lin had a smoking craving but could not smoke, so he could only gnaw on apples. Since he was unhappy, he certainly could not let others be happy, and deliberately poked at his son’s weak point: “Does that kid’s family agree?”

“Don’t know.”

“Makes sense, you haven’t even chased him down yet, asking too early.”

“…”

“What’s the other person like?”

Lin Yiran thought of Chen Xi, and a bit of tenderness seeped into his pitch-black eyes, happiness overflowed from the corners of his lips, and even the ends of his eyes lifted along with them.

“He is a very good person.”

Lin Yiran had originally planned to accompany his father for a few more days, but unexpectedly he received a big job.

The client was an old customer handed over when Meng Hai resigned last quarter. Lin Yiran had made an appointment for an entire quarter without getting one, but unexpectedly this month the client took the initiative to contact Meng Hai. Meng Hai took the opportunity to arrange the gathering and sell Lin Yiran a favor, only the place was not set very well, at Yucheng’s largest Shang K, Wanxiu Glory, a place for finding public relations.

Since everyone had already been called over, Lin Yiran could not refuse. After eating lunch with Old Lin on October 5, he took the high-speed rail back from Beishi to Yucheng, got off the train, and headed straight for Wanxiu Glory.

The client was rich and generous, opening three bottles of Ace of Spades. Lin Yiran adapted to the situation and flattered the client, while Meng Hai played the soft-boned one and lowered himself to pour drinks for the client. The two marketing big shots who had worked together for 3 years had a very good tacit understanding. The two of them sang back and forth, painting the client’s grand blueprint all the way out 10 years into the future, crazily brainwashing the client brother.

KA big shots each had their own style of closing deals. Lin Yiran was good at breaking down logic, using negotiation lines to “persuade with emotion and reason” so the client felt that what he said made a lot of sense; Chen Xi was good at sensing emotions, able to throw out the most appropriate bait at the most precise moment, making the client feel that this brother was someone worth dealing with; Meng Hai was good at smoothing things over, using all kinds of topics or creating all kinds of scenes to disrupt the other side’s train of thought, making the client muddle-headed and then signing the cooperation.

Lin Yiran teamed up with Chen Xi, logic against emotion, and it was hard to be on the same wavelength; Lin Yiran teamed up with Meng Hai, logic against deception, and the client was awake for a while and dazed for a while. Add in the divine assist from Ace of Spades, and after less than half the night, the client was already muddled and wandering in a dream.

“Brother, the brother introduced by my little bro is my brother. If our own brother is investing in ads, I’m at ease one hundred percent. Once finance gets to work, transfer the payment over. What ads to do, how to do them, it’s up to you.” The client brother patted Lin Yiran heavily on the back, “From now on, Ohua Advertising is handed over to Lanhai!”

Lin Yiran opened a bottle of brandy, filled a draft beer mug to the brim, and downed more than half a cup in a few gulps, giving Meng Hai a look.

Meng Hai hurriedly held his arm and put on an act, saying, “Strong liquor, Old Lin, take it easy, think about that perforated stomach of yours.”

Lin Yiran immediately covered the stomach that Meng Hai had just called out by name.

The client brother’s expression changed sharply, “Brother is too honest. Our feelings are in place, it’s not like we’re short of this little bit of alcohol. As long as we have a good time today, that’s enough!”

The three of them chatted a while longer about blockchain. The client brother said he was going out to answer a call, and Meng Hai glanced sideways at Lin Yiran. Lin Yiran nodded.

In just three to five minutes, the client brother came back and praised Lin Yiran so much, “Brother, when did you settle the bill? This round should have been my treat.”

Lin Yiran smiled and gave him back the words he had just said, “Our feelings are in place, it’s not like we’re short of one drink’s worth of money. Don’t worry, bro, Ohua Advertising is handed over to me.”

After three rounds of drinks, Lin Yiran saw that it was getting late, and if he stayed any longer, he might suffer a disaster out of nowhere. He filled his cup with wine and was just about to ask for a punishment drink when he saw several PR girls push open the door and come in.

6 beautiful women with slender figures, heavily made up, and dressed somewhat indecently.

Now that they had all come in, refusing them would be slapping the client’s face. Lin Yiran’s temples throbbed, hating that he had poured the wine 10 minutes too late.

Meng Hai had one woman on each side, chatting and laughing with the client brother. Lin Yiran puffed at his cigarette hard, wanting to use the smell of smoke to cover the pungent scent of perfume.

The client brother smiled until his face was full of fat, “You treat me to a drink, I’ll treat you to some fun.”

“…”

Lin Yiran wore a smile that did not reach his eyes, thinking: this round of drinks should not have been invited.

The brother hugged a beautiful woman and went upstairs, and just as Meng Hai was about to follow, Lin Yiran stopped him.

Lin Yiran: “Take these two away together.”

Meng Hai spread his hands. “Can’t carry them, not a chance.”

The 4 PR girls were afraid these two brothers would “return the goods,” and flirted and posed, their mini skirts hitched up to the roots of their thighs.

Lin Yiran took a step back, turned his head and lit a cigarette. “I’ll give you 5% of the Ohua ad fee, one thing at a time. I didn’t plan to use this to settle debts.”

Meng Hai laughed. “What, feeling weak down there?”

Lin Yiran nodded. “Perforated stomach, can’t do physical labor.”

Meng Hai took the people upstairs. After Lin Yiran left Wanxiu Glory, he had originally wanted to go home, but he was afraid that his body reeking of smoke and alcohol would dirty the house and upset that little rabbit with a keen sense of smell, so he found a chain hotel nearby and opened a room.

After washing up, it was already 2 a.m. Lin Yiran lay on the bed and checked the nearby Mercedes 4S stores, opening the office system to download Chen Xi’s ID photo.

The lines of a Mercedes S400L were as refined as Chen Xi’s waistline. A picture of him driving with only a waist chain on flashed in Lin Yiran’s mind, and his tired body instantly grew excited.

Chen Xi would definitely be very happy to receive a Mercedes. The interior space was large, so in the future he would never bump his head again.

How should he tell him?

Threaten him into calling out a few sweet words, or make him do housework, or force him to work out?

Forget it, better just tell him directly: “This car is for you. I want to live with you.”