bioinnovel Chapter 78: Spreading Love!
Chapter 78: Spreading Love!
"Ten million?"
Zhang Yan looked at the finger Du Mingxuan had extended, his eyebrows not even twitching, and his tone was as calm as if he were asking about the price of scallions at a market, "Old Du's gesture is much more generous than some tech companies that only make empty promises."
Just as Mr. Zhao, who was standing not far away, was about to slip away in the chaos, he heard these words and slipped, almost knocking his head on the carpet.
Du Mingxuan laughed heartily, spinning the walnut in his hand rapidly: "Of course, this old man may not understand any high technology, but he knows the rules."
"A craftsman is worth the price."
"Okay, I'll take the job."
Zhang Yan put away the gold-embossed business card and casually slipped it into his pocket. "But I'll have to wait a bit; they're calling back the souls on stage."
They were indeed calling for the soul on the radio.
The host's voice, booming through the powerful speakers, seemed to shake dust from the backstage ceiling: "Champion team, Jiangzhou University, please return to the stage immediately! We are about to present the grand prize!"
"Go."
Du Mingxuan stepped aside to make way for Zhang Yan, smiling as he said, "I'll be waiting for you backstage. This good show needs a proper grand finale."
Zhang Yan turned to look at Nie Qingcheng.
Nie Qingcheng was leaning against the wall applying lipstick when she saw him looking over. She raised an eyebrow and smiled, her foxy eyes full of mockery: "Why are you looking at me?"
"Hurry up and collect the money. Whether we can add an Australian lobster to dinner tonight depends on your shrug."
"Yes, sir."
Zhang Yan smiled, pulled up Lin Wei who was still standing there in a daze, and strode towards the front desk.
Lin Wei felt like she was floating.
It wasn't until she stood under the spotlight again, looking at the sea of heads below the stage and the flashing lights, that she suddenly came to her senses.
We really won.
The person who was once ridiculed by everyone and driven to desperation by creditors is now standing on the highest podium in the country.
"We are...the champions?"
Lin Wei turned to look at Zhang Yan, her voice trembling slightly.
"Be confident, remove the question mark."
Zhang Yan put one hand in his pocket and took the huge check from the hostess with the other, saying, "Otherwise, this million will be too hot to handle."
"One...one million?!"
Lin Wei's eyes widened as she stared at the string of zeros on the check. "Didn't it say five hundred thousand?"
The host, beaming with excitement, shoved the microphone forward and announced loudly, "Given the groundbreaking innovation of Jiangzhou University's 'Wind and Fire Wheel' design, the competition organizing committee has decided to add a special innovation award of 500,000 yuan!"
"Total prize money—one million yuan!"
"boom--"
The applause from the audience was thunderous, and the cheers almost lifted the roof off.
One million!
For the college students present, this was an enormous sum of money.
Lin Wei could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.
She turned around abruptly, hugged Zhang Yan tightly, and cried like a baby: "Waaah... Zhang Yan! We're rich! I have money to pay off my debts! I won't be a deadbeat anymore!"
Zhang Yan was so tight he almost rolled his eyes back. He patted her back helplessly and said, "Alright, alright, you've wiped your snot on my clothes. This is a borrowed suit."
The audience erupted in good-natured laughter.
The host jokingly teased, "It seems our beautiful academic star is quite excited. So, Zhang Yan, as the biggest contributor to this competition, how do you plan to spend this huge sum of one million? Will you buy a house, or...?"
All eyes were on Zhang Yan.
Even Mr. Zhao, who was sitting in the VIP seat, perked up his ears, secretly thinking: "He'll definitely squander the money. These young people nowadays, how can they hold onto their wealth?"
Zhang Yan took the microphone and scanned the audience.
His gaze was clear, without a trace of greed for money, but rather revealed an inscrutable calmness.
"I won't take this money."
The entire room fell silent instantly; even the sound of camera shutters stopped.
The host was stunned: "Huh? You're not taking it? Then..."
"Give 500,000 to Senior Lin Wei; that's her rightful share of the profits from her technology investment." Zhang Yan pointed to Lin Wei, who was still wiping away tears beside him. "As for the remaining 500,000..."
He paused, his gaze passing through the crowd, seemingly fixed on some distant place.
"Donate to the Jiangzhou South City Orphanage."
Zhang Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the speakers to every corner: "There are some younger brothers and sisters there who are short of new cotton-padded coats for winter. This money is just enough to buy them some New Year's goods."
Dead silence.
A full three seconds passed before the applause from the audience erupted, ten times more enthusiastic than before.
Yan Zhenghua was crying his eyes out in the audience, wiping his nose as he boasted to the old professor next to him, "See that! This is my student! Such vision! Such magnanimity! Can money buy that?!"
Lin Wei cried even harder, clinging to Zhang Yan's sleeve and refusing to let go.
Just then, the stage lights suddenly changed.
A spotlight shone on the entrance passage.
The sound of high heels clicking on the floor was crisp and pleasant, and it was exceptionally clear even in a noisy environment.
Nie Qingcheng came out.
She took off her understated trench coat, revealing a well-tailored black velvet dress underneath, the slit subtly revealing her fair and slender legs.
A faint smile graced that face of unparalleled allure, as she held a bouquet of vibrant red roses in her hands.
Her aura was fully unleashed.
The students who were just cheering were instantly stunned.
"Holy crap! Who's that? So beautiful!"
"He looks familiar... Oh my god! Isn't that President Nie from Qingcheng Group?!"
"The number one female CEO in Beijing?! What's she doing here?!"
Under the shocked gazes of the entire audience, Nie Qingcheng walked straight up to Zhang Yan.
She ignored the host holding a microphone next to her, who wanted to conduct an interview, and she also ignored the flashing cameras.
In her eyes, there was only Zhang Yan.
"Good performance."
Nie Qingcheng placed the flowers in Zhang Yan's arms, her fingers lightly tracing his tie, her tone carrying a hint of ambiguity that only the two of them could understand, "These flowers are a reward for you, as for that million..."
She turned around, faced the thousands of audience members below the stage, and took the microphone from the host.
"Since my husband is going to donate his prize money, I, as his family member, can't be stingy."
Nie Qingcheng's voice, authoritative and powerful, echoed throughout the venue: "Qingcheng Group has decided to add ten million yuan to its charity fund, specifically for the Jiangzhou South City Orphanage, with Zhang Yan in full charge!"
The entire audience erupted in cheers.
"Holy crap! Ten million?! Is this what the pampering of a top-tier rich woman is like?!"
"I want to live off a woman... but my teeth won't allow it!"
Before everyone could recover from their shock, Nie Qingcheng suddenly made an even bolder move.
She reached out and hooked her arm around Zhang Yan's neck, making him lower his head slightly.
Then, witnessed by thousands of eyes and countless live broadcast cameras, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her red lips against Zhang Yan's profile.
"Po~"
Although the sound was soft, at this moment it was more deafening than the one million from before.
Nie Qingcheng released her grip, looked at the bright red lipstick mark on Zhang Yan's face, smiled with satisfaction, and whispered in his ear: "Just stamp it, so that some blind little vixens won't have their eyes on it."
After saying that, she took Zhang Yan's arm and, like a proud queen surveying her territory, led him off the stage.
It left behind a trail of shattered youthful hearts, and a host who was already disheveled in the wind.
……
It was already completely dark when I came out of the convention center.
The roar of the Panamera's engine sounded particularly pleasant in the night.
Zhang Yan sat in the passenger seat, still holding the somewhat cumbersome bouquet of roses in his hands. The lipstick stains on his face had been wiped away with a tissue, but the warm touch seemed to linger.
"Was that a bit too high-profile just now?"
Zhang Yan looked at the fleeting street scenes outside the window and smiled helplessly. "Tomorrow, the school forum will probably be full of rumors about me."
"What's there to be afraid of? Who dares to gossip about my people, Nie Qingcheng's people?"
Nie Qingcheng held the steering wheel with one hand, and reached out with the other to hold Zhang Yan's hand, their fingers intertwined. "Besides, I just love seeing those people's envious and jealous faces."
Zhang Yan gripped her hand tightly in return, a warm feeling welling up inside him.
This woman always gave him the gentlest confidence in the most domineering way.
"Oh, right."
Nie Qingcheng suddenly slowed down the car. "What did Du Mingxuan want from you?"
"They said they wanted me to help open a box," Zhang Yan didn't hide it from her, "and they asked for ten million."
"Ten million?"
Nie Qingcheng frowned. "Old Master Du does have quite a few strange and unusual things, but he's a very shrewd man. This money might not be easy to get."
"Why not give it a try? I've got nothing better to do anyway."
As soon as Zhang Yan finished speaking, that familiar mechanical voice rang in his mind again.
[Ding! Detected that the host has accepted the "Sealed National Treasure" mission!]
[Mission Update: To open that puzzle box, skill alone isn't enough; you'll need a special "key."]
[Side quest triggered: Go to Panjiayuan Antique Market and find a Ming Dynasty bronze thumb ring engraved with the characters "Tiangong".]
[Task time limit: 24 hours.]
[Task Reward (Already Issued): Activated basic access to the "Eye of Treasure Appraisal" and obtained a key clue to open the puzzle box.]
Zhang Yan raised an eyebrow.
Do we need to find the props first?
This system really knows how to keep people busy.
However, the words "Tiangong"...
He suddenly remembered that he seemed to have seen this name mentioned in an ancient book he had seen in Professor Yan's office last time.
That was a secret code name for the imperial craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty.
This matter seems to be more interesting than I imagined.
"What's wrong?"
Nie Qingcheng noticed his silence and glanced at him sideways.
"Nothing much." Zhang Yan looked at the flashing neon lights ahead, a playful smile curving his lips. "I was just wondering if you'd be free tomorrow to go to Panjiayuan with me?"
"Panjiayuan?" Nie Qingcheng was taken aback. "Why would you go to a place like that? Are you trying to find a bargain?"
"No."
Zhang Yan shook his head, his eyes becoming deep. "Go treasure hunting."