Chapter 582 - 377: Trip to Tokyo (6)
Jiangg Yao, of course, knew her sister and Chen Yuan were incredibly busy. The inauguration ceremony was no laughing matter. Chen Yuan was finally getting his career on track now, and she could no longer see him as a student who had nothing to worry about, for whom love was everything.
But women are emotional creatures, after all. Even though she kept comforting herself on the way, Jiangg Yao's mood sank lower and lower. She rolled the window halfway down, and the wind teased the strands of hair at her cheek. The scenery on the side of the road was constantly changing, a sign that she was getting farther and farther from Lanjing.
"Should I drive into the airport complex?"
"Yes, to the departures entrance."
"You're all alone, sweetie? Where are you headed with all these bags? No family seeing you off?"
The female driver in the front seat seemed eager to chat. She glanced at Jiangg Yao in the rearview mirror, surprised that such a pretty girl was at the airport all by herself.
"No, I didn't tell my family."
"Oh, I see."
Sensing that Jiangg Yao had no desire to talk, the driver held her tongue and stopped prying, continuing to drive in silence.
Every road has its end.
By the time she got out at the airport, suitcase in hand, and followed the surging crowd to get her boarding pass, Jiangg Yao's inner turmoil had gradually settled into a sense of calm.
Jiangg Yao was, in fact, a low-energy person. She couldn't draw much vitality from social activities or her career; instead, it was playing the piano or being in love that gave her drive. This also explained why such a beautiful girl was content to be a hopeless shut-in.
For many people, reality is dull and boring. Only a virtual world like that of anime and games can offer a sense of belonging.
She was extremely reluctant to give up her current life with Chen Yuan in Lanjing. For a girl who had never been in love before, this relationship fulfilled all her beautiful fantasies about romance and held all her hopes for the future. She wouldn't have made this choice if there had been any other way.
Chen Yuan had also given her the energy to want to live a normal life, which was why her streaming career was taking off. She was gradually transforming from a reclusive otaku into a "normie" with a fulfilling life. But life's circumstances are never smooth sailing.
Leaving this place... Jiangg Yao knew this was a decision that would change her entire life.
Jiangg Ning knew this, so she hadn't tried to stop her. Everyone must pay the price for their choices. In the future, if she was filled with regret, the only thing she could say to console herself would be, 'I chose this path. I can't blame anyone else.'
'I want to see what I'll become without Chen Yuan.'
'And I want to see what he'll become without me.'
Either outcome could resolve this tangled mess. If she just clung to Chen Yuan's side forever, she would never find an answer.
Lost in her thoughts, time flew by for Jiangg Yao. Before she knew it, she had already checked in and handled everything. Carrying her bag, she walked to the boarding gate and found a place to sit.
As she sat there alone, the weather outside was cool and overcast. The air held a gentle, damp scent. There was no sun, only strangers walking to and fro around her.
The roar of engines from outside the window never ceased. Every few minutes, a plane would lift off the runway, its nose pointed high, and glide into the gray sky, leaving the city behind.
Now that the moment had truly arrived, Jiangg Yao surprisingly felt neither fear nor anxiety, only a liberating sense of peace in her heart.
...
「Inside the Linzhou International Convention Center.」
A dense crowd of nearly a thousand people was packed into the hall.
Fortunately, most were well-mannered, so the decorum of the venue didn't descend into chaos. Such a solemn and formal occasion did not permit idle chatter. Only when applause erupted, loud enough to drown out conversations, would those sitting close to one another exchange a few quiet words.
The early part of the conference was unremarkable. The only segment worth noting was Gao Dengfeng's speech, which revealed his new post after stepping down as Director-General. Due to the passing of a deputy director in the northern region, Gao Dengfeng, instead of being promoted, was demoted and had to make a public self-criticism during the conference.
It was quite the dramatic performance.
Most people knew this had been arranged by Mrs. Jiang, so they felt no sympathy for his insincere self-criticism. Instead, they took the opportunity to flash cold smiles, their suspicions confirmed. The few who were in the dark, however, grew anxious. If last year's performance had been so poor that even top leadership had to resign in disgrace, then surely no one lower down the ladder was safe.
Following that, a few outstanding grassroots employees came on stage to give reports, sharing stories from their careers and slightly easing the tense atmosphere.
An influential official, specially invited by Mrs. Jiang, also spoke, delivering the final verdict on the past year's performance before moving on to the outlook for the future.
"I trust that by now, everyone understands my point. It is precisely because our Jiang Energy Company is a key enterprise in Huaxia, with countless eyes watching us, that we must fully embody the pioneering spirit discussed by the leadership at the March conference. We must center ourselves on the strategic mission and core tasks of the corporation, persistently deepen our learning, and fulfill our duties. More importantly, we must set a good example for the employees under our charge and clearly define our immediate priorities." Minister Yin was nearly fifty, but his voice was as strong and resonant as ever. "At the last headquarters meeting, it was unanimously decided to completely overhaul the northern region, starting with the very top tier of its leadership."
At his words, the entire room seemed to hold its breath.
It was finally time for the main event of the conference!
Even as the meeting had progressed, people in the back were constantly craning their necks, trying to get a clear look at the young man seated in the very front row. He was the main topic of discussion.
This was, by far, the most important personnel change Mrs. Jiang had made in years.
"And now, let us welcome the new Director-General of the northern region to elaborate on the 'Three-Year Reform and Five-Year Plan.'"
As his voice faded, Minister Yin put down the microphone, and the entire hall erupted in thunderous applause. The sound was so intense it made one's ears vibrate. Every single person in attendance wanted to see just what kind of young man their new Director-General was.
The rumors had spread like wildfire; everyone knew the new director was the son of Jiang Zhengfeng, the head of the Jiang Corporation.
So young, to be elevated to such a high position. Most of the people present who didn't know Chen Yuan were truly eager to see what he was made of.
Whether they harbored ulterior motives or held high hopes, every eye in the room was filled with unconcealed curiosity.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Chen Yuan rose from his seat. He shook hands with Minister Yin as the older man came down from the stage, then ascended the steps one by one toward the podium.
Finally, everyone got a clear look at him.
Even though they had all heard rumors about the new Director-General's youth, the moment they actually saw his face, no one could help but sigh inwardly, 'He really is young...'
Chen Yuan turned, stood at the podium, and gripped the microphone.
Before him was a dense sea of people. All those eyes, filled with so many different emotions, were focused on him and him alone.
That short walk up just a few steps from the floor was a journey many people could never complete in their entire lives. Yet he had ascended them with ease.
Chen Yuan took a deep breath.
'Back when he didn't understand what his own father, Jiang Zhengfeng, was trying to accomplish, his eyes had always been filled with confusion. He was young then, with little knowledge of the world.'
'He hadn't understood that the only fair thing about the world is its unfairness.'
'He hadn't understood that people face all kinds of limitations because of their family background, physical condition, and social class.'
'And yet, society is always progressing, the world is always developing. We are born into this world just like everyone else. We all have the right to enjoy the fruits of that development and progress, not to be left far behind by the times. Each of us is a part of society and, through our hard work, has made our own contribution to pushing the tide of our era forward.'
'But some have usurped the rights that should belong to ordinary people. They hoard resources that should be fairly distributed, keeping them firmly in their grasp. This is a truth that has not changed since the dawn of life itself.'
'But energy—this planet's most generous gift from nature to humankind—should benefit everyone.'
'It belongs not to the powerful, not to the capitalists, not to any selfish individuals. It should not be controlled by a select few.'
'It is a precious treasure unearthed by generations of great minds who changed the world, existing solely for the betterment and survival of humanity.'
'The world's energy resources should be distributed equally to every single person in society.'
Fate is always full of strange twists.
Chen Yuan had never harbored such grand ambitions. For the first nineteen years of his life, he had followed a conventional path. He had started down this road simply because he wanted to mature more quickly. But when he truly came to understand Jiang Zhengfeng's dream, he had a sudden realization.
'Everyone has something they would give their all to achieve.'
'An ideal like that doesn't need to be understood by others.'
'The struggle to carry that burden forward, however difficult, and the joy of seeing a flower bloom among thorns... that provides a greater sense of fulfillment than anything else in the world.'
Before, he could never have imagined the pressure and responsibility his father carried.
But in this moment, standing on the stage, he was beginning to understand.
Chen Yuan glanced down and met Jiangg Ning's eyes. She was in her seat below the stage, her gaze locked on him, and it seemed to hold an emotion he had never seen in them before.
"To the leaders present, and to the colleagues with whom I will be working in the future, I am the newly appointed Director-General for the northern region of Jiang Energy Heavy Industry. My name is Jiang Yuan."