Chapter 37: Winning Over Ruoxi

Suddenly feeling the warmth of the woman behind him, Lin Feng was pleasantly surprised. He couldn’t help but turn around and hold Xia Ruoxi tightly, exclaiming excitedly, “Thank you! For staying by my side through all of this.”

At that moment, Xia Ruoxi’s mind was a muddle. Leaning against Lin Feng’s chest, her face felt burning hot, yet she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. It was as though a voice deep within told her that this was right.

The two held each other, savoring this fleeting moment of tenderness, until Xia Ruoxi became aware of something hard pressing against her lower body. She suddenly snapped out of her daze—she didn’t need to guess what it was. Hastily, she pushed Lin Feng away, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and glared at him in annoyance. “You’re incorrigible, you shameless rogue!”

“I’m a man, you know, and it’s not my fault. It’s a natural reaction. If I hold such a beautiful woman and feel nothing, then I’d really have a problem.” Lin Feng smiled at the indignant Xia Ruoxi, then sat down on the nearby sofa.

“Come over here, will you? Why stand so far away? I’m not going to eat you.” Lin Feng gestured to Xia Ruoxi.

“Fine, I’ll come. I’m not afraid of you! But you better behave yourself, this is still the office!” Xia Ruoxi warned as she walked toward him.

Before she could reach him, Lin Feng grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap, holding her firmly. Xia Ruoxi struggled desperately, but in the end, she couldn’t break free and let him hold her.

“See? Isn’t it nice to be good? It’s so comfortable holding you!” Lin Feng said to Xia Ruoxi, who was nestled against his chest.

“You scoundrel! This is the office—what if someone comes in and sees us? What will I do then?” Xia Ruoxi protested, pounding on Lin Feng’s chest.

“No one will come in. And even if they do, so what? Isn’t it normal for a boyfriend to hold his girlfriend?” Lin Feng replied shamelessly.

“Hmph, you rascal! When did I become your girlfriend? Let go of me, I need to get up and back to work!” Xia Ruoxi pouted, struggling again.

With a loud smack, Lin Feng slapped Xia Ruoxi’s bottom and said, “Move again and you’ll see what happens. Any woman I’ve held is my girlfriend—what else would she be? And forget work, I have something important to discuss with you.”

“Oh, you really hit me! And there, too! Can’t you be serious for once?” Xia Ruoxi chided, pinching Lin Feng’s arm.

“How’s the laboratory situation coming along?” Lin Feng ignored her protest and continued.

At the mention of business, Xia Ruoxi immediately stopped struggling and answered professionally, “We’ve found a location. I acquired a bankrupt lab on the outskirts—it’s secluded and spacious, but the equipment inside is quite outdated.”

“As long as we have a place, the more hidden, the better. It’s easier out there with fewer people, and space is never a problem—we’ll need to expand later anyway. As for the equipment, just dispose of the old stuff as scrap.” Lin Feng said, holding Xia Ruoxi.

“Alright. I’ll have someone handle it. Anything else?” Xia Ruoxi asked.

“Yes, I want you to focus more on FutureTech. I might not have much energy for the company moving forward, since my focus will shift to the lab...” Lin Feng admitted, sounding a bit guilty.

“Enough with that look. I haven’t bullied you—if anything, you’re the one bullying me. With you dumping everything on me, what can I say? Are you really so comfortable leaving the company in my hands?” Xia Ruoxi looked at him.

“You’re practically my wife now, why wouldn’t I trust you? It’s just a FutureTech company—if I wanted, I could create a second or third, believe it or not! Besides, we’ll need to diversify. We can’t just sell computers; some of the components are junk anyway. I have a mature plan—lots of parts lined up—but we need to tackle them one by one. So my next priority is the lab, you understand?” Lin Feng gently stroked her hair.

“I understand. I’ll keep an eye on the company. If you need anything for the lab, just let me know.” Xia Ruoxi replied compliantly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll ask if I need anything. Last time, when dealing with those families in the capital, I had you transfer two billion. I earned quite a bit myself. The lab’s initial funding is covered. Everything I research needs to be confidential, so sometimes it’s better to keep things discreet. After all, if money passes through the company accounts, it attracts attention.”

“Alright, I understand. Anything else?” Xia Ruoxi continued.

“Actually, there’s one big thing!” Lin Feng said, looking tense.

“Oh? Something serious? Tell me quickly!” Xia Ruoxi asked, somewhat anxious.

“Yes. After work this afternoon, come home with me. I want my family to meet you—especially my mother. If I don’t bring her a daughter-in-law soon, she’ll drive me mad.” Lin Feng said earnestly.

“You scoundrel! Isn’t this too soon to meet the parents?” Xia Ruoxi blushed, jumped off Lin Feng’s lap, and bashfully tugged him toward the door.

As Lin Feng was about to be pushed out, he quickly called out, “Don’t forget, darling! After work, stay put—I’ll pick you up.” Without waiting for her reply, he headed to his own chairman’s office. Once Lin Feng was settled in his office, Mo Tian popped up and teased, “You got her so quickly! She’s already the main lady—your efficiency is impressive!”

“Mo Tian, we've got the lab, but no one to manage it. What should I do? Am I supposed to sit there all day? I’m no research expert.” Lin Feng ignored Mo Tian’s teasing and complained.

“Heh, that’s your problem. I only provide technical support. Staffing is your headache, not mine—don’t bother me!” Mo Tian dismissed him, then retreated into the jade pendant hanging on Lin Feng’s chest, saying no more.

“Oh, come on! Can’t you at least chat with me and offer some advice?” Lin Feng grumbled at the pendant.

“I’m already dead!” Mo Tian’s weak voice drifted out from the pendant, retorting.

“Ugh...” Lin Feng scratched his head, troubled over finding a lab manager. After racking his brain and nearly losing hope, he finally remembered Zhang Wen, the head of the company’s research department—a talent Xia Ruoxi had poached from the Academy of Sciences with a high salary. Lin Feng thought Zhang Wen would be suitable.

With that, he picked up the phone on his desk and called the company’s internal line, asking the research department’s secretary to send Zhang Wen to the chairman’s office.

No sooner had Lin Feng hung up than, within ten minutes, there was a knock at his door. Lin Feng called out, “Come in,” and Zhang Wen entered.

“Here you are. Have a seat and let’s talk,” Lin Feng said, gesturing to the sofa.

“Chairman, is there something you’d like me to do?” Zhang Wen asked, looking puzzled.

“Yes, I wanted to discuss something with you—no rush. By the way, after those Academy of Sciences experts left, did any of them contact you?” Lin Feng inquired.

“Actually, Chairman Lin, some of them did call me after getting in their cars, but all they did was complain—they said they didn’t get to see the source code and accused you of being stubborn!” Zhang Wen replied with a wry smile.

“Sigh, I really can’t blame them, but this isn’t a research institute—it’s a business, meant to make money. How could I let them tinker with it?” Lin Feng shook his head.

“I understand, Chairman Lin. But to be fair, I came from their ranks—most of them aren’t malicious, they just get excited when they see something worth researching.” Zhang Wen explained, standing up for his former colleagues.

“I get it, but I have my own position. It’s just not possible,” Lin Feng nodded.

“That’s good. Honestly, even if they did see the source code and those frameworks, I doubt they’d understand. I’ve been here a while myself and I’m still baffled. Whoever designed this system is a genius.” Zhang Wen admitted, embarrassed at his own inability to grasp the technical details.

“Of course—a genius, or else this wouldn’t exist. But enough about the operating system. I actually have a different arrangement in mind for you, and I wanted to know what you think.” Lin Feng said, prompting Zhang Wen’s curiosity.

“Ah, a new job arrangement? But aside from computers, I don’t really know much else...” Zhang Wen said, puzzled at the sudden change.

“I know your strengths. The new work will still be tied to computers and research—it won’t waste your talents.” Lin Feng assured him with a smile.

“Oh? A new job like that? Chairman Lin, could you tell me more?” Zhang Wen asked, intrigued.

“I want to establish a laboratory, and I’d like you to manage it. I can’t be there every day, so I need someone trustworthy to oversee everything.” Lin Feng said, looking Zhang Wen in the eye with sincerity.