The hopeful look in Lin Qiqi’s eyes was truly hard to refuse.
Jian Yushu picked up a sesame bun, thinking to himself that if it happened to be meat-filled, he would endure it and not let his expression become too unpleasant.
This bun was warm, no longer having that crispy, flaky texture that shed crumbs when hot. Instead, it had a bit of chewiness.
He had to use some force with his teeth, pulling slightly to tear off a piece.
Jian Yushu usually ate soups or softer foods.
This texture felt novel to him.
When he finally tasted the filling, he had indeed picked a meat-filled one.
His brows furrowed uncontrollably as he waited for the familiar churning sensation in his stomach.
He lowered his head, hiding his expression, even tightly closing his eyes.
There was only one thought in his mind—he must not throw up in front of Lin Qiqi.
But after a moment, the expected discomfort didn’t come. Instead, his stomach let out a soft growl.
Hunger.
He actually felt hungry.
His teeth sank into the bun as he slowly chewed.
The meat filling was completely different from what he had imagined.
Cold meat should have been the most unbearable thing for him.
But somehow, the way Lin Qiqi prepared it made it not greasy at all, even when no longer hot.
The meat had been stir-fried until quite dry, with no excess fat, yet still retained its aroma.
The filling wasn’t seasoned with salt, but instead included slightly spicy diced pickled vegetables.
Occasionally biting into a piece of pickled vegetable brought a refreshing kick that stimulated the taste buds.
It also made chewing more interesting.
Jian Yushu had never eaten pickled vegetables before, yet now, with every bite, he felt a small sense of anticipation.
It would be nice to bite into one of those vegetable pieces again.
He ate slowly and methodically, turning a simple bun into something almost elegant.
Watching him, Lin Qiqi felt her teeth ache and couldn’t help but slow down her own eating.
Otherwise, she’d look like a wild boar devouring food in comparison.
There was no proper oven at home, so to make baking easier, Lin Qiqi had made the buns quite small.
Even at Jian Yushu’s pace, he finished one quickly.
He lightly brushed the crumbs from his hands, saying nothing, though his gaze occasionally drifted toward the oil paper package.
He thought he was hiding it well, but Lin Qiqi caught it several times.
She felt like she must be going crazy—because in Jian Yushu, she saw something like a small animal begging for food.
It made her want to feed him more.
She lifted the oil paper package again.
“Do you want another one?” Lin Qiqi asked.
“Take this one—it’s a bit darker. This one’s filled with preserved vegetables. You probably haven’t tried it before.”
Jian Yushu pressed his lips together, a bit at a loss.
He had always been independent since childhood. Being cared for by someone not particularly close to him was unfamiliar.
To him, asking someone he wasn’t very familiar with for food was undignified.
Would Lin Qiqi find it annoying?
But Lin Qiqi’s thoughts were completely different from what he imagined.
They were overly lively.
Like a first-time pet owner feeding a small animal, she secretly observed his every move and expression.
He picked it up.
He pressed his lips again.
Wow, he took the first bite.
Chewing seriously… really… kind of cute.
I must be losing my mind!
After finishing two buns, Jian Yushu went to the bank.
Gong Xizhen noticed that Vice President Liu, who usually wore a stern face, was now smiling broadly and personally came out to greet him.
“Comrade Xiao Jian, come, come, please come in.”
“Xiao Gong, go make some tea for Comrade Xiao Jian.”
Gong Xizhen had originally wanted to argue her case again with Vice President Liu, but it seemed there was no hope now.
She slowly got up to prepare tea, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.
These senior staff, in order to avoid mistakes before retirement, had suppressed almost all reform measures.
It was said Jian Yushu was an expert invited back from abroad, but she hadn’t seen him accomplish anything yet.
In the office, that very familiar document was once again placed on Vice President Liu’s desk.
It felt almost like a lingering ghost.
When Gong Xizhen brought in the tea, she also saw the document.
She glanced at the young expert with some surprise and simply stood to the side, lingering instead of leaving.
“Comrade Jian, this is…” Vice President Liu couldn’t quite figure out Jian Yushu’s intention.
Jian Yushu tapped the document cover with his long fingers. “Have you read this document, Director Liu?”
With Gong Xizhen standing nearby, Liu had no room to lie and could only put on a serious face. “I have.”
“A young person’s unrealistic fantasy—going from a street vendor to a food processing conglomerate worth hundreds of millions?”
“I don’t know which magazine this was copied from. I don’t think it’s worth discussing.”
Jian Yushu didn’t rush to argue. He stared at the surface of his tea for a moment before speaking.
“Every great reform in human history has come from what once seemed like fantasy.”
“If no one had imagined using steam to power vehicles, we wouldn’t now be able to cross oceans in a single day.”
“Though this is just an analogy, reform works this way—someone must take the first step.”
Vice President Liu picked up his tea as well. “I understand young people want to achieve something.”
“Reform should indeed be promoted.”
“But there are so many enterprises building bridges and roads for the country waiting for funds. We can’t gamble on a street vendor.”
“How about this—you submit an application, and we’ll try our best.”
“Try our best”—that meant delay.
Gong Xizhen sighed inwardly. Without someone pushing it, the application could take a year or more.
By then, it would be too late.
Jian Yushu understood this as well. He didn’t insist on persuading Liu and instead changed his approach.
“Building bridges and roads is important for the nation, but food and clothing are essential to people’s livelihoods.”
“If you truly have concerns, I can personally invest to establish this model.”
Vice President Liu set down his tea and patted Jian Yushu’s shoulder with a smile.
“Comrade Xiao Jian, you’re a good comrade, but your approach to work doesn’t quite fit here.”
“We are a socialist country—we don’t follow the capitalist model of private investment.”
He leaned in slightly, his tone disapproving. “Without a guarantee from a bank officer of at least second rank, this would be illegal.”
After saying that, he leaned back comfortably in his chair, blowing on his tea.
So what if he was an expert from abroad?
Always talking about reform and advancement.
So young, yet trying to instruct them—he would never let this succeed.
As Vice President Liu set down his teacup, Gong Xizhen perceptively refilled it with water.
Liu thought to himself—now that’s more like it.
Young people should understand the situation and know what to do and what not to do.
Xiao Gong was sensible.
He had just raised the cup to his lips and taken a sip.
After setting down the kettle, Gong Xizhen spoke.
“Comrade Jian, I am a second-rank officer. I can act as your guarantor.”