DASFAM_47

Nights by the sea are never truly quiet, wind and waves always find their way in.

Shang Yanxiao had prepared thoroughly for this: earplugs, eye mask, not a single thing missed. Thanks to his thoughtful care, Bai Xu slept soundly through the entire night.

Somewhere between sleep and waking, Bai Xu sensed movement beside him and instinctively pulled off his eye mask.

For a moment, the light was blinding.

"Mmm."

"Wait."

Almost at the same instant, Shang Yanxiao's warm palm pressed over his eyes, "Don't rush to open them."

The transparent panel at the top of the tent had never been closed, and sunlight was angling in—a bit harsh for someone who had just woken up.

Still dazed, Bai Xu's mind hadn't caught up yet. He stayed still and let Shang Yanxiao cover his eyes for a while.

Only after adjusting to the light little by little through the gaps between fingers did his awareness slowly return, "What time is it?"

Shang Yanxiao answered, "Almost eleven."

"...What?"

Bai Xu jolted fully awake and hastily pulled out an earplug to make sure he'd heard right, "Eleven?"

It was only then that he noticed Shang Yanxiao was already dressed in regular clothes—clearly he had been up for quite some time.

Bai Xu shook his head, trying to shake off the last traces of drowsiness, "I overslept? Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

At home it would have been one thing—sleeping in naturally, lying in bed as long as he liked—but they were here for a company team-building trip. Oversleeping like this was embarrassing.

Shang Yanxiao knew what he was worried about, "It's fine. I already checked with the coordinator. They figured the executives might have trouble adjusting to sleeping in tents, so they deliberately left the whole morning open today. No activities scheduled."

Bai Xu let out a small breath of relief, "Is everyone else up?"

Shang Yanxiao answered, "Everyone's up."

"......"

So he was still the last one?

Bai Xu knew perfectly well he had simply overslept, yet meeting Shang Yanxiao's gaze, he couldn't help but grumble anyway, "You should have woken me up earlier."

Shang Yanxiao noticed the faint pillow crease pressed into his cheek and found it endearing, "I did call you once. Young Master Bai just made a little noise and pretended not to hear, then curled back up in the blanket and went on sleeping— like a lazy cat."

Seeing how deeply Bai Xu was sleeping, he hadn't had the heart to call a second time.

"Who's a lazy cat? I genuinely didn't hear you."

Bai Xu refused to admit it. He dropped the high-quality earplugs back into Shang Yanxiao's palm, "Alright, I'm going to get changed and wash up, quickly."

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "Okay. I'll wait for you outside."

...

Bai Xu finished washing up quickly and made his way back to the gathering spot by the beach. Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who had 'slept in', Chu Yate had only just ambled out as well.

The association had set up a buffet, with a decent variety of options.

The two of them each picked up some food and looked for empty seats along the long table.

Shang Yanxiao, who had arrived ahead of them, had deliberately saved a spot for Bai Xu and gestured for him to come sit down.

Chu Yate settled into the seat diagonally across from them. He took a sip of coffee and breezily joined the group's small talk, "Morning, everyone."

Cheng Ye said, "Second Young Master Chu, the sun's practically overhead. I wouldn't call this morning anymore."

General Manager Qiu, seated beside him, chimed in, "You young ones just have better sleep quality. Unlike some of us, couldn't sleep a wink in that tent. The moment it started getting light, I was already wide awake."

Another executive agreed, "Same here. I've always been a light sleeper, and today I woke up even earlier than usual."

Chu Yate downed a couple more gulps of coffee, "I had terrible insomnia last night. Didn't manage to doze off until after six, and when I was washing up just now I felt like my dark circles were about to fall off my face."

As he said this, he glanced over at Bai Xu sitting diagonally across from him, looking bright-eyed and full of energy, "Slept pretty well last night, Young Master Bai?"

"......"

Bai Xu took a bite of his sandwich, inexplicably guilty, "Not bad."

Shang Yanxiao spoke up for him, "Young Master Bai got seasick yesterday and wasn't feeling well, so he turned in early."

Chu Yate smiled and said nothing to contradict that.

In the middle of the night, on his way to the temporary restroom, he had walked past these two's tent and caught a couple of sounds that had slipped out unintentionally. Upholding his firm principle of not eavesdropping on people's private moments, he had taken off at a brisk pace.

Not feeling well? Turned in early? Sure, who'd believe that.

More like: you two are just so used to each other's warmth and presence that you sleep just as well no matter where you are.

The coordinator, seeing that everyone had gathered, stepped forward to go over the day's activities, "Everyone, dinner tonight will not be provided for you. You'll need to earn it through your own efforts."

"In a moment, you'll be taking part in one of three group activities. The first is sea fishing. We've arranged equipment and boats to take you out."

"The second is diving. There are quite a few lobsters and crabs in the waters around this area, and you'll need to go in with nets to catch them."

"The third is foraging in the hills. The mountain forest behind us has edible mushrooms, wild vegetables, and the like."

"All of these activities have been registered with the relevant authorities, and the most qualified guides have been arranged to accompany each group. Please rest assured, and do make your choices as soon as you can."

Zhou Yangfan, already an avid sea fishing enthusiast, chose the first option without a second thought, "I'll go with the sea fishing group."

Other executives followed, "Sea fishing for me too. Diving and foraging both sound exhausting. I don't think my body's up for either of those."

Taking advantage of the lively discussion around them, Shang Yanxiao leaned in and spoke quietly to Bai Xu, "You get seasick, so don't push yourself by choosing sea fishing. Since Director Zhou is going, I'll just tag along with that group."

The moment Bai Xu recalled how awful the seasickness had felt the day before, he immediately crossed the first option off his list, "Alright."

The two of them had a bet going, and Shang Yanxiao naturally wasn't about to pass up a chance to get closer to Zhou Yangfan. As for the other person—

Bai Xu's gaze drifted, with no apparent intent, to Cheng Ye, "What do you think Director Cheng will pick?"

The words had barely left his mouth when Cheng Ye announced it himself, "How come nobody's going for diving? I think catching lobsters sounds pretty fun."

Bai Xu took the opening, "Then let's team up, Director Cheng. It'll be a good time."

Cheng Ye agreed readily, "Sure."

Chu Yate had his own preference, "I'll dive too. The three of us together?"

"Sure."

The groups were sorted out quickly.

As soon as the boats arrived, the sea fishing group set off first.

The diving group collected their wetsuits and headed together to the temporary changing area. Bai Xu changed while looking for something to talk about, "Director Cheng, have you dived before?"

Cheng Ye smiled, "I'm certified. Professionally."

"Impressive, Director Cheng," Chu Yate chimed in, glancing over at Bai Xu, "So when we go in to catch lobsters later, me and Young Master Bai just follow your lead?"

Bai Xu said, "Wherever you point, Director Cheng, that's where we'll go."

Cheng Ye pulled on his wetsuit and asked with a smile, "You young ones are actually willing to take orders from me? I figured the three of us would be competing against each other."

Bai Xu caught the implication and responded easily, "Director Cheng chose diving because he's qualified for it, Chu Yate chose it for fun, and my reason's even simpler— seasickness ruled out fishing, and I've already tried hiking before—"

"I'm a diving novice, but you've got to try everything at least once."

He looked at Cheng Ye and stated his position lightly, "Besides, as the saying goes, cooperation leads to shared gains. Our diving group still needs to outdo the sea fishing group, doesn't it?"

Cheng Ye gave him a meaningful look, "True enough. Cooperation does have its benefits."

...

This small-scale catch had been approved by the relevant authorities, and the three of them went under accompanied by professional divers.

The marine ecosystem around Xisheng Island had been well preserved. Sunlight filtered down into the deep blue water, carrying shimmers of light with it, while fish and shrimp wove their way through all manner of reef and coral—a sight that was simply breathtaking.

After a brief period of adjustment and taking it all in, the three of them got to work. Under Cheng Ye's direction, Bai Xu and Chu Yate worked together to search the undersides of rocks where lobsters were likely to be hiding.

After an hour and a half of effort, they had actually netted quite a haul.

—Splash!

The three of them surfaced one after another and pulled off their oxygen masks.

Cheng Ye decided they had done enough, "That should do it. Let's head back to shore and rest."

Chu Yate was feeling the tiredness too, "Sounds good."

Bai Xu seemed to have thought of something, "Director Cheng, Chu Yate, you two head up first. I'll dive a little longer and come back in a bit."

Cheng Ye didn't object, "Alright, we'll go on ahead. We'll have a boat come pick you up later."

The shore wasn't far, and Bai Xu had professionals with him in the water, so his safety wasn't a concern.

"Sure, no problem."

Bai Xu watched the two of them board the boat and pull away, then settled his oxygen mask back into place, signaled to the safety diver beside him, and dove back down in one smooth motion.

...

The sun was sinking low, and the campsite beach finally filled with a fresh wave of noise and excitement.

Bai Xu, who had been waiting, heard the commotion and stepped out of the tent right away—

The sea fishing group came back in high spirits, trophies in tow. Zhou Yangfan and Shang Yanxiao walked at the back of the crowd, the former going on about something at length, gesturing as he spoke with no sign of stopping.

At one point, caught up in the excitement, he even clapped Shang Yanxiao on the shoulder.

Watching from where he stood, Bai Xu was quietly stunned.

How long had it even been? And he'd already gotten that close to Zhou Yangfan?

Still thinking this over, Bai Xu walked up to them, "Director Zhou, what are you two talking about? You seem to be in a great mood."

Zhou Yangfan was generous with his praise, "Young Master Bai, you have no idea. Mr. Yan's sea fishing skills are something else. He reeled in a yellowfin tuna, forty or fifty kilos."

Bai Xu was genuinely startled, "Really?"

Zhou Yangfan said, "Would I make that up? It's still on the boat on oxygen right now. They'll bring it up in a bit and make sashimi out of it!"

Shang Yanxiao was modest, "I heard from the captain that there were yellowfin in the nearby waters, so I figured I'd try. Just got lucky."

As a sea fishing enthusiast himself, Zhou Yangfan knew luck alone wasn't enough for that, "Mr. Yan, no need to be modest. Having you along today was a real win for the sea fishing group."

And it wasn't just that—every member of the sea fishing group had also taken photos holding the yellowfin, naturally destined for their social media pages.

Zhou Yangfan smiled warmly and said, "Oh, let's exchange contacts later. Maybe next time there's a chance, we can head out together again?"

Shang Yanxiao said, "Of course, whatever works for you, Director Zhou."

Zhou Yangfan was pleased, "I'll go get changed first, we can talk more later."

"Sure."

Bai Xu watched Zhou Yangfan make his way toward the tents, then turned his gaze back to Shang Yanxiao.

He gave him a deliberate once-over and teased, "Not bad at all, Mr.~ Yan~"

Shang Yanxiao accepted the alias without comment, "I made a bet with Young Master Bai last night. I have no intention of losing."

Bai Xu asked quietly, "Are you confident about getting them to cooperate?"

Shang Yanxiao thought it over, opting for the safer approach, "Still need one more push. Find an opportunity to get Director Cheng and Director Zhou in the same room."

The two were rivals in the industry, but also friends in private. When it came to matters of cooperation, having them hash things out openly together—each spurring and influencing the other—might make the whole thing go more smoothly.

Bai Xu understood what Shang Yanxiao meant, "That shouldn't be too hard. I'll get Chu Yate to arrange it."

"Mm."

The two of them talked as they walked into the tent. Bai Xu pulled the tent flap closed, "Shang Yanxiao."

"Mm?"

Shang Yanxiao had been about to change, but turned back at the sound of his name, "What is it?"

Bai Xu patted his pocket, "Hold out your hand. I have something for you."

Shang Yanxiao caught the familiar gesture, interest rising in his expression, "What, you found little gold nuggets on a sea island too?"

"Not this time—"

Bai Xu's closed right hand came to rest above his palm, then slowly opened, "Look."

Within just a few seconds, a scatter of tiny colorful seashells fell into Shang Yanxiao's hand.

"......"

Shang Yanxiao was caught off guard.

Bai Xu patted his wrist as a prompt, "Close your fist. Hold them in. Don't let go."

Shang Yanxiao hadn't quite caught on yet, but he did as he was told, "Where did you find these? What's this about?"

"You don't know about this?"

Bai Xu recalled something the late Grandmother Bai had told him when he was small, "I heard it from the older generation that shells bring wealth and keep you safe. Holding a shell in your fist means you're holding onto fortune and guarding your own wellbeing. A good omen."

"I picked these up off the seafloor this afternoon when I was diving. They're tiny little things, but they're nice-looking."

Shang Yanxiao had never heard anything like this before, "Is that actually true?"

"Believe it and it's real, don't believe it and it isn't."

Bai Xu noticed that Shang Yanxiao was still obediently keeping his fist closed, and suddenly felt like he was playing a trick on a kindergartner.

He patted the back of the man's hand and broke into a smile, "Alright, I was just messing around. It's just a bit of fun, a little good luck charm for when there's nothing better to do. If you don't believe in it, go ahead and toss them. They're not worth anything."

"I believe it."

Shang Yanxiao opened his palm but couldn't bring himself to throw them away, "I'll keep them. Hopefully they'll help us hold onto the Eaglet Cinema project."

Bai Xu hadn't expected something so trivial to get a response like that from Shang Yanxiao. He stilled for two seconds, and then a wave of quiet joy welled up inside him, impossible to hold back.

"Mm. Just wait and see. We'll get it, for sure."

...

Thanks to everyone's combined efforts, dinner was a feast. Afterward came free time.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao were inside the tent when Chu Yate's voice sounded from outside, "Young Master Bai, got a moment?"

Bai Xu called back, "Free as can be. Come in."

Chu Yate lifted the flap but didn't step in right away, "Bai Xu, do you play mahjong?"

Bai Xu spotted Cheng Ye and Zhou Yangfan standing behind him, "Mahjong? Where'd that come from?"

Chu Yate gave him a quick blink, "The coordinator brought some along for everyone to pass the time. The other executives have all formed their own groups and started playing. If you and Mr. Yan know how, come join us for a few rounds?"

Compared to more upscale pursuits like golf, a mahjong table was a perfectly good way to unwind. And somewhere between the tiles being drawn and discarded, a business intention or two might just find its way to the surface.

Bai Xu understood that his friend had come bearing an opportunity. He had no intention of passing it up, "Sure, though I haven't played in a while. I'll need a moment to shake off the rust."

Cheng Ye said, "As long as you know the game. It'll come back once you get going."

Zhou Yangfan turned to ask, "Mr. Yan, do you play?"

Shang Yanxiao had genuinely never touched mahjong before, but didn't show any hesitation, "Never played before. I'll watch from the side for now and pick it up as I go."

"That works. How about we head over to my tent? I've got a folding table, should be enough room."

"Let's go!"

...

—Clatter!

Another round of tiles was knocked over and scattered, colliding against each other with a pleasant sound.

Chu Yate feigned a lazy stretch and gave up his seat to Shang Yanxiao, "Mr. Yan, how's the learning going? Want to give it a try?"

Shang Yanxiao had watched a few rounds and had a handle on the rules, "Sure, I'll try."

Chu Yate got up, sneaking a knowing glance at Bai Xu as he did, "My head's spinning from all this. You all keep playing. I'm going to step out and get some air. I'll be back in a bit."

Cheng Ye stacked his tiles at an unhurried pace, "Sure."

The tent flap lifted and fell, letting in only a thin thread of night breeze.

Bai Xu gestured, "After you, Director Cheng."

Cheng Ye drew a tile, then turned and discarded one that was of no use to him.

His gaze seemed to rest on the tiles, but his attention was on Bai Xu, "Young Master Bai, I hear that Zhouye Investment is also putting in a bid for the Eaglet Cinema project?"

"......"

Bai Xu hadn't expected Cheng Ye to be the one to bring it up first. His hand paused mid-draw, but he didn't deny it, "That's right."

Zhou Yangfan understood the real purpose of this mahjong game. He discarded a West Wind tile and ventured, "Quite an appetite, Young Master Bai. There aren't many firms across all of N City that could swallow a project this size."

Bai Xu kept his eyes on Shang Yanxiao's discard, his tone light as he answered, "Director Zhou, you're not the first person to say my appetite is too big."

"Oh? Who else has said that?"

"Zhang Songyang, Director Zhang of Juesheng Medical."

Bai Xu brought it up as if in passing, "At the time, I was very interested in Director Zhang's AI medical project, but the competing party was Chu Yuncheng of the Chu Group."

"......"

"......"

Cheng Ye and Zhou Yangfan exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting subtly.

Bai Xu pretended not to notice, "Compared to the Chu Group, Zhouye Investment, being a newer firm, did seem to have very little chance of winning. Even Chu Yuncheng himself warned me to keep my hands off projects he had his eye on."

"But that kind of thing doesn't work on me. So what if we're a small company? Who didn't start out as a small company and build up from there?"

Bai Xu glanced to either side, "Wouldn't you agree, Director Cheng, Director Zhou?"

Zhou Yangfan felt that resonate, "Absolutely. Yuansheng Steel started out as a small, unknown factory and built itself up step by step."

It was Shang Yanxiao's turn to draw.

His brow shifted slightly, and going off a hunch, he fed out a Six of Circles.

Sure enough, Cheng Ye, who had been quiet until now, suddenly perked up, "Chow!"

He took Shang Yanxiao's Six of Circles into his hand, completing a sequence he'd already been building. With the tiles falling into order, his mood lifted along with them.

Cheng Ye curled the corner of his mouth and spoke plainly, "Chu Yuncheng built on a foundation laid by Chairman Chu over many years. He's never had to start from nothing or run into walls at every turn, so of course there's an arrogance to the way he talks."

All that posturing, inside and outside the industry—nobody knew how many people he'd quietly rubbed the wrong way. Everyone put up with it out of respect for the old chairman.

With that in mind, Cheng Ye decided to say it plainly, "Young Master Bai, you're thinking of going up against the Chu Group for that project? That sounds like quite the uphill battle."

"Sure, but how would I know unless I try?"

Bai Xu saw that the conversation had found its opening and laid things out directly, "I know neither of you wants to get on the wrong side of the Chu Group, which is why you turned down our firm. But I still want to ask you both one thing—"

"If the Chu Group wins the bid, do you think they'll choose to work with either of you?"

Zhou Yangfan looked at his not-so-promising tiles and shook his head helplessly, "The Chu Group has no shortage of projects, but they squeeze the price down hard."

The bigger the project, the more suppliers like them had to undercut their own margins just to stay in the running—and even then, there was no guarantee.

Bai Xu noticed Shang Yanxiao feeding tiles to Cheng Ye, and took the cue to pass Zhou Yangfan a Three of Characters, "Given that, why not try switching partners?"

"Chu Yuncheng may be the Chu family's young master, but so is Chu Yate, isn't he? When it comes to certain positions, it's still anyone's game."

Cheng Ye caught on, "Young Master Bai, you mean..."

Bai Xu left the matter of the Chu family's internal affairs at that and steered the conversation back to the project, "What I mean is, I'm willing to give up another percentage point."

"Zhouye Investment needs a major project to grow quickly and make a name for itself. Maximizing profit isn't what we're after at this stage. If we win in the end, that's a shared gain for all of us."

Zhou Yangfan still had some reservation, "And if we lose in the end..."

The tent flap lifted once more.

Chu Yate stepped back in at exactly the right moment and made his own promise, "If we lose in the end, I can guarantee that other project orders will find their way to both of you. Chu Yuncheng wants to cut off your path to profit, but I don't."

Cheng Ye was quietly moved, though a trace of final scrutiny still lingered in his expression.

Bai Xu wasn't in any rush for the two of them to decide. He simply stated, "The Eaglet bid may look like a collision between newcomers and seasoned players, but who comes out on top, that's still anyone's guess."

The words had barely landed when Shang Yanxiao, silent for a long while, knocked his tiles face-up on the table, "Mahjong."

"......"

"......"

"......"

The other four pairs of eyes turned toward him without a word.

Zhou Yangfan verified his hand and clicked his tongue in amazement, "Mr. Yan, you won on your very first game?"

Shang Yanxiao looked across at Bai Xu, "Maybe spending so much time around Young Master Bai has rubbed off on me. Ever since I've known him, his 'bets' don't seem to have gone wrong yet."

He smiled and added, "Last time, going up against Chu Yuncheng for the Juesheng Medical project, didn't Young Master Bai come out on top?"

Bai Xu answered with easy confidence, "Mm. Won without much trouble."

At this point, what was left for Cheng Ye and Zhou Yangfan not to understand?

The two exchanged a look. It was Cheng Ye who came to a decision first, "In that case, I suppose I'll take a gamble on Young Master Bai too. Director Zhou, care to join?"

Zhou Yangfan turned it over in his mind, then made up his mind, "If Director Cheng is willing to try, what reason do I have not to?"

...

They knew when to fold—the mahjong game wrapped up on a high note.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao left Zhou Yangfan's tent together.

Once they'd put a bit of distance between themselves and the others, Bai Xu's curiosity got the better of him, "Shang Yanxiao, you really had never played mahjong before?"

"Mm. The Old Master kept strict rules, no card or tile games of any kind in the house."

Mahjong was a national pastime, but the moment money got involved and habit set in, anyone without a firm enough will could easily find themselves going down a bad path.

Shang Yanxiao gave a brief explanation, then turned it around, "You don't believe me that it was my first time?"

"No, I believe you. You played well at the table. I just think you pick things up fast."

The compliment came out of Bai Xu without any fuss. Then he asked, "Though, you were clearly feeding tiles to Cheng Ye the whole time. How did you still end up winning first?"

A faint gleam crossed Shang Yanxiao's eyes, "Feeding him tiles was something I did because I could see he needed it, a gesture of goodwill for the sake of the cooperation. But that doesn't mean I'd give up tiles I needed for myself."

Put another way, cooperation in business doesn't mean endlessly sacrificing your own position.

They did need to work with Cheng Ye and Zhou Yangfan—but if the other party proved unwilling or started pushing for too much, Shang Yanxiao had no intention of grinding it out indefinitely.

Bai Xu simplified it, "Keep your cards close, and make sure your own odds of winning are better."

Shang Yanxiao turned it back on him, "Don't you want the same?"

Bai Xu didn't bother hiding his competitive streak, "Of course I do. Which is why we're going to win this project, together."

Shang Yanxiao had never been short on confidence or capability, "We will."

...

The two of them headed back to the tent.

Bai Xu picked up his change of clothes and pajamas, "I just checked and there's still one shower stall free. I'll go first, then swap with you?"

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "Sure."

A remote island didn't come with high-end facilities. The shower stalls were temporary partitions, and the hot water had been heated in advance and stored in buckets—everything had to be done by hand.

Bai Xu rinsed off quickly and came back to the tent.

Shang Yanxiao was standing at the small folding table, holding a clear little bag he'd found from somewhere, patiently picking up the seashells from earlier and dropping them in one by one.

Bai Xu walked over, towel-drying his hair as he went, "Where did you get that little bag?"

"Asked the coordinator for one."

Shang Yanxiao gave the bag a small shake, clearly in a good mood, "I looked it up just now. Turns out there really is a belief that shells represent wealth and safety."

Bai Xu raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Being very thorough, are we?"

Shang Yanxiao continued, "Though I also found that giving someone shells carries another meaning."

Bai Xu hadn't come across any of this before, "What other meaning?"

The interest in Shang Yanxiao's eyes deepened. Knowing full well it was something made up on the internet, he said it word by word anyway, "Apparently, giving someone shells also means you're pursuing them."

"...?"

Bai Xu stood frozen for a moment before managing to say, "You believe things you read online? Isn't that a bit childish?"

Shang Yanxiao leaned in closer, still playing with the idea to tease him, "So do you or do you not want to pursue me?"

Bai Xu looked away from his encroaching gaze, though the tips of his ears had gone an unmistakable shade of red, "...No."

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