Chapter 162: Settled
While he was stewing in regret, Xie Changyi was already introducing Xie Changning to him. "This is Xie Changning, my younger sister. A top graduate from Beijing University, director of the Anong County Machinery Factory, the Anong County Wood Products Processing Factory, and the Anong County Daily Chemical Factory."
"She was the one who secured the two most recent record-breaking foreign exchange deals in the province."
As Xie Changyi made the introduction, she made a point of emphasizing her sister’s career.
While she spoke, she watched Wang Changsheng’s face, looking for any flicker of a reaction to her sister’s credentials.
But there was nothing. His expression was blank.
Xie Changyi was a little disappointed.
Xie Changning patted her sister’s hand and waited for his response.
"Ah, hello. You must be her sister. I’m... a friend of hers. I didn’t expect you both today. I’m sorry, the place is so humble." Wang Changsheng had no idea why Xie Changyi had brought Xie Changning here.
He just felt an instinctive wave of inferiority.
’Changyi’s sister is just as exceptional as she is. Anyone with accomplishments like that is clearly no ordinary person.’
"My sister told me you were once a top genius in your field, both here and abroad, specializing in mechanics. I’ve petitioned the provincial leadership for a new laboratory. It will be headed by my mentor, a professor at Beijing University. Would you... be willing to join us?"
Xie Changning didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point.
In Xie Changyi’s mind, asking so directly would only lead to rejection.
In fact, she was already prepared to talk him into it. But to her surprise, Wang Changsheng asked Xie Changning, "Just because your sister said it, you believe it? You should know that I never completed my studies abroad."
This was his sore spot.
The very reason he drank to drown his sorrows.
"Not finishing abroad doesn’t mean you didn’t finish your studies here at home. Besides—" Xie Changning glanced around the room, a slow smile spreading across her face. "You haven’t given up on yourself, have you?"
His room appeared to be wallpapered with newspapers.
But there are newspapers, and then there are newspapers. The ones in Wang Changsheng’s room were all related to his academic field. Furthermore, his room was very tidy, especially the desk space, which was immaculate.
’He must still be studying hard every single day.’
’It’s just that he’s so insecure that he doesn’t want anyone to see, to avoid hearing them say things like, "What’s the point of studying? You still got expelled from that school abroad."’
’So he does it all in secret, hoping no one will find out.’
Now, exposed by Xie Changning, he instinctively glanced at Xie Changyi, searching her face for a reaction.
But her face held only shock and joy, not the ridicule he had braced himself for.
This left Wang Changsheng stunned. ’All this time... I had misjudged her so badly...’
"Besides," Xie Changning asked Wang Changsheng, "you learned so much technology abroad. Don’t you want to put it to use here, in our own country? You should know, my factories specialize in earning money from foreigners. My printer technology is so advanced they can’t block it with sanctions. If they want to use it, they have to pay me for a license."
"I hold the patent."
At Xie Changning’s words, Wang Changsheng slowly lifted his gaze. He stared at her, his voice raspy as he asked, "You hold the patent?"
’Printers?’
Hearing Xie Changning’s offer, Wang Changsheng was deeply tempted. But years of obscurity had eroded his confidence. He was filled with self-doubt, convinced he was no longer capable.
"I..."
"A genius is called a genius because they learn faster than other people. Are you starting to doubt how quickly you can learn?"
"Or is it that you’ve lost your passion for your work? That you no longer want to help our nation become strong and prosperous?"
Xie Changning’s words made Wang Changsheng’s hands tremble.
He asked in a low voice, "Is it too late for me?"
"Of course not. As long as you’re willing to work hard, it’s never too late."
Bolstered by Xie Changning’s reassurance, Wang Changsheng finally lifted his head. His hands trembling, he said to her, "If you’ll have me, I’ll go!"
"If I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t have come here with my sister."
Before they came, Xie Changyi had told her all about his previously published papers and his research focus.
After reviewing them, Xie Changning knew that Wang Changsheng was someone she had to have.
’Their team needed him!’
Xie Changyi was undoubtedly the happiest to see Wang Changsheng agree. She wept with joy. "This is wonderful! You didn’t give up on yourself."
"I had given up. It’s just..."
Wang Changsheng looked at Xie Changyi.
’Every time I saw her, I’d feel this sense of bitter unwillingness. Was this really how it was going to end between us?’
’Was I really content to just let her go?’
This torment made every day an agony. He had tried to find work, but factory jobs were limited; it wasn’t a matter of simply applying to get in.
Plus, being rather thin, the factory recruiters assumed he couldn’t handle manual labor and would dismiss him out of hand.
Eventually, he gave up looking for work entirely.
’I never thought I’d get an opportunity like this today!’
The thought that this opportunity had come from Xie Changyi filled Wang Changsheng with guilt. He looked at her. "Thank you... for not giving up on me."
"You should thank yourself. It was your own perseverance that made my sister decide to recruit you."
’If he had really gone more than a decade without studying or keeping up with his field, Xie Changning definitely wouldn’t have wanted him.’
’Even I wouldn’t have had the nerve to ask on his behalf in that case.’
So, in the end, he had himself to thank.
Xie Changning cut into their emotional exchange. She looked at Wang Changsheng. "Pack your things. You’re coming with me to Anong County tomorrow. You can get settled in at the R&D lab ahead of time."
’Her current R&D team might be small, but at least she had one!’
Hearing this, Wang Changsheng nodded emphatically. "Okay!"
After they left Wang Changsheng’s place, Xie Changning said to Xie Changyi, "It’s such a shame about all those lost years. If he had just tried a little harder back then, learned from Qiao Tiantian and found a way back into the country, he wouldn’t have been delayed for so long."
A decade is far too long.
Xie Changyi sighed. "It was his fate, I suppose. In any case, it’s not too late for him to turn things around now."
"I don’t think our family is that hung up on social standing, so why...?" Xie Changning didn’t think her sister was the type to blindly obey the family’s wishes. ’She’s held on for so many years, why didn’t she ever just tell him how she felt?’
"He’s an incredibly proud man. I tried to talk to him about it, but he just told me to find someone else. After that, I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him anymore."
’When I was younger, I would have been more furious. But now, my career is more important. I really have moved on from that sort of thing.’
’It’s just, everyone has their obsessions.’
’Wang Changsheng is mine. I just want him to do well and stop wasting his life. Otherwise, I’d have to admit my judgment back then was terrible.’