Around five in the afternoon, Xie Hongfei took Xie Guanning out.
When they reached the restaurant private room and pushed open the door, they saw a middle-aged man in his forties sitting inside. Upon seeing them, he immediately stood up to shake hands. “Ah, Chairman Xie!” He looked at Xie Guanning and smiled. “And this must be Young Master Xie.”
Before Xie Hongfei could say a word, Xie Guanning had already stepped forward smoothly, hand extended and a perfectly calibrated smile on his face. “Chairman Fang, I have heard much about you.”
Surprise flickered in Fang Qi’s eyes, but he recovered instantly. He shook hands and chuckled, “Not at all, not at all. It is Chairman Xie who often mentions you to me.”
Xie Guanning’s smile was modest. “Oh, please don’t call me ‘Young Master Xie.’ You can just call me Guanning.”
Now, Fang Qi was genuinely startled. Fortunately, Xie Hongfei broke the silence. “Yes, yes, he’s just a child. Chairman Fang, let’s take our seats first.”
As they sat, Xie Hongfei shot Guanning a look, and Xie Guanning took a seat at a polite yet close distance to Chairman Fang.
The waiter brought the menus, and Chairman Fang pushed one toward Xie Guanning. “Guanning, take a look. Order whatever you like.”
Xie Guanning smiled gracefully. “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.”
His eyes swept over the menu. After selecting a few dishes, he looked at the waiter. “In addition to these, please bring an order of all your signature dishes as well.”
The waiter nodded. Fang Qi’s gaze sharpened with scrutiny. He noticed something—those specific dishes Guanning had ordered happened to be all of his favorites.
Xie Guanning turned back just then, smiling slightly. “I just ordered at random; I hope they suit your palate.”
Masking his deep thoughts, Fang Qi laughed. “What a coincidence. They are all favorites of mine.”
The waiter retreated, and the atmosphere became harmonious. Originally, Fang Qi had intended to talk business with Xie Hongfei, but he was clearly drawn to Xie Guanning. Before long, his attention shifted entirely to the youth.
“Guanning is eighteen this year?”
“I just turned eighteen in March,” Xie Guanning replied.
“A senior, then. You’ve taken the college entrance exams?”
“Yes,” Xie Guanning said. “The results should be out tomorrow.”
“Oh? Then you must have a dream school in mind?”
Xie Guanning only smiled. He picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Fang Qi, skillfully changing the subject. “The tea here is excellent. Please, try some.”
Fang Qi looked at him meaningfully. Xie Guanning maintained a knowing smile without saying a word.
After taking a slow sip, Fang Qi nodded. “It is indeed excellent.”
Xie Guanning’s eyes crinkled. He suddenly turned to Xie Hongfei. “Uncle, could you be so kind as to check on our food? I’m getting quite hungry.”
Xie Hongfei had been unable to get a word in since they sat down, feeling completely sidelined. Hearing Guanning’s request, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Fang Qi glanced between the two and joked, “Chairman Xie, why so hesitant? Are you worried I’ll bully Guanning in your absence?”
“Of course not, Chairman Fang,” Xie Hongfei said immediately. He stood up, but didn’t forget to give Xie Guanning a warning glare. “Guanning, take good care of Chairman Fang.”
Xie Guanning nodded obediently.
The door clicked shut, and silence fell over the room.
Xie Guanning remained composed. Fang Qi chuckled inwardly; for such a young kid, he certainly knew how to hold his nerve. He looked at Guanning with a kind, smiling face. “Now that Chairman Xie is gone, if you have something to say, say it.”
“You flatter me, Chairman Fang,” Xie Guanning smiled, but he struck the heart of the matter without hesitation. “I heard you are quite interested in mechas.”
Fang Qi raised an eyebrow. “I am. But the mecha industry is far more difficult to break into than pharmaceuticals.” He sipped his tea, his shrewd eyes watching Guanning through the steam. “What, are you saying you have a way in?”
“I’m just a kid,” Xie Guanning replied. “Where would I get a ‘way in’?”
He refilled the man’s tea and said with a grin, “But I won’t hide it from you, I do intend to apply to a military academy.”
“A military academy?” Fang Qi was surprised.
“The First Imperial Military Academy,” Xie Guanning said, his gaze calm and steady. “Mecha Design.”
For the first time, Fang Qi’s expression turned truly serious. After a moment, he smiled again. “And? Even if you are admitted, there are countless applicants every year. Why do you think you’re special? Negotiation requires sincerity, little friend.”
“Sincerity is exactly what I have.” Xie Guanning was about to continue when his terminal rang. He paused, looked down, and hung up.
His gaze was filled with a sharp resolve that defied his youthful appearance. “If everything goes as planned, by this time tomorrow, you should see—”
Before he could finish, the terminal rang again. Xie Guanning frowned, but as he saw the caller ID, his expression shifted to one of slight shock. He looked back at Fang Qi and corrected himself with a smile, “It seems the sincerity you wanted has arrived early.”
“Oh?” Fang Qi looked intrigued.
Xie Guanning gestured to his terminal. “Mind if I take this?”
“By all means.”
As soon as he answered, his high school homeroom teacher’s frantic voice came through: “Xie Guanning! Why aren’t you answering your phone?!”
Xie Guanning casually put the call on speaker, letting Fang Qi listen in.
The teacher was talking a mile a minute. “The admissions team from Imperial University just called me! They said they couldn’t reach you. Call them back immediately!”
Imperial University—the most prestigious university on Capital Star and one of the top institutions in the entire Empire.
Fang Qi’s eyes widened with visible shock.
Xie Guanning appeared unsurprised. He thanked his teacher, but the call was cut off as the teacher hurried to notify others. A second later, a familiar number called again. Xie Guanning looked at Fang Qi, took in his stunned expression, and clicked ‘accept.’
A very gentle female voice spoke: “Hello, is this student Xie Guanning?”
“It is. And you are…?”
The voice was so soft it could have melted. “This is the admissions team from Imperial University. We have seen your entrance exam results ahead of time, and they are extraordinary. We are calling to see if you would be interested in studying at our university.”
Despite his life experience, Fang Qi’s relaxed posture vanished. He leaned forward, his face full of focus.
Xie Guanning remained calm. His smile was neither proud nor hurried. “May I ask what my ranking was?”
There was a pause on the other end. “As for that…”
“Am I first?” Xie Guanning asked with absolute certainty.
Fang Qi’s heart skipped a beat. He briefly thought the kid was being arrogant, but the silence on the other end proved him wrong.
Finally, the gentle voice replied with a trace of helplessness, “Barring any accidents, you are indeed the Top Scorer of this year’s entrance exams. Because of your results, we are reaching out early. If you choose our school, we will waive all tuition and provide the highest-tier scholarship. If there is a specific major or a professor you like, we can arrange it directly. Whatever life requirements you have, you can list them.”
The voice grew even more persuasive. “Imperial University is the finest in the Empire. If you’re interested, we can send a car to bring you for a campus tour tomorrow.”
Xie Guanning simply replied, “I see. I will consider it.”
When the call ended, Fang Qi was still immersed in disbelief. Xie Guanning, however, hadn’t lost his composure for a single second. He smiled at Fang Qi and asked:
“Chairman Fang, does this ‘sincerity’ satisfy you?”