Chapter 51
The people who went north were not just Lu Ze and Xu Qingyan, but also some of Lu Ze’s trusted subordinates, who had also come with a large batch of goods this time. On the one hand, it was the market demand in the capital, and on the other hand, it was also an opportunity to further understand the situation here.
Their journey was much slower than that of Lu Ze and Xu Qingyan, and because of this, Lu Ze and Xu Qingyan also had a few days to rest.
The courtyard was already a few years old, and there were some dilapidated places inside and out. Fortunately, Lu Ze had had someone repair the house early on, and the hygiene had also been taken care of, so it was no problem to live in.
In the next few days, the two of them made a list of the things that were lacking in the house and visited all the large and small shopping malls in the capital. They finally made this courtyard look decent and had a bit of a homey atmosphere.
After all, if there were no accidents, this would be their home in the capital for many years to come.
The night was deep and quiet, and the chirping of cicadas could be heard. Xu Qingyan, who had been coaxed twice, was drowsily curled up in Lu Ze’s arms and fell into a deep sleep.
Outside the window, the moon was bright and the stars were clear. It was clear that tomorrow would be a good day.
The next morning, Lu Ze took Xu Qingyan out and visited several famous scenic spots in the capital. He also took him to visit major universities, including the Capital University, before he began to meet the group of people who had followed him.
Lu Ze did not just want to run a factory.
Now, the output of the two factories was relatively sufficient for Lu Ze. To open another similar factory, and in a place like the capital, was really a bit redundant. So from the very beginning, Lu Ze’s goal was not to follow the old path. What he wanted to do was to create a brand in the capital, a luxury brand.
The factory’s products had always been on the mid- to high-end route. The audience was not large or small, and the profits it could bring were also considerable, but no matter how considerable, it was ultimately limited.
It was now 1986. In a few more years, the real estate and internet industries would emerge one after another, and the funds required would not be comparable to making clothes. If Lu Ze wanted to occupy an absolute advantage from the very beginning, he had to have more funds in order to have a greater say in the future.
Everything now was ultimately just small-scale.
But if he could build a luxury brand from scratch, the future profits would definitely not be something that could be summed up in a few simple words.
With a plan in mind, Lu Ze did not hide it from Xu Qingyan. He broke down his ideas and fed them to Xu Qingyan bit by bit, explaining every subtle detail clearly to him, so that he could understand and know.
In the following days, both of them became busy. From the very beginning of the project, Lu Ze had brought Xu Qingyan along, from the initial site survey to the various procedures later, and even the brand concept and design plan later. In every process that Lu Ze participated in, there was also a figure of Xu Qingyan.
Lu Ze brought him by his side and taught him bit by bit, and even asked for his opinion on some key issues. And Xu Qingyan did not disappoint him, growing at a rapid pace, which made the people in this team simply unable to believe that this was the person who knew nothing at the beginning.
When the two arrived in the capital, except for the first few days, they were so busy every day that their feet barely touched the ground, and they had almost no time to rest. The most common scene for them was to go out before dawn and come back when the night was dark. After washing up, they would sleep in each other’s arms, and the next day, they would repeat the busy schedule of today.
Life was busy and also had a bit of fulfillment. Xu Qingyan had been particularly radiant recently, and the process of constantly learning new knowledge and mastering new abilities obviously made him very excited.
And Lu Ze also appreciated this about him.
Because of this, the two of them put all their energy into their work and instead ignored a very important matter.
Xu Qingyan’s college entrance examination results were out.
It was only when they got home that day and received a call from Xu’s father and mother that they remembered this matter.
Xu’s father and mother were so happy on the other end that they were about to cry, and they kept complaining about the two children, “What are you guys doing! You can even forget such an important thing! I’ve been calling you all day and no one answered. Your father and I were about to die of anxiety…”
“603 points! 603 points! Wuwu…” Xu’s mother covered her lips, trying her best to control herself, but the sob in her voice was still transmitted to the two of them through the phone.
Hearing this score, Xu Qingyan looked at Lu Ze, and he was still a little dazed. Although he had a good idea of his college entrance examination scores, and the score should not be too low, when the result really came out, he was still a little in disbelief.
603 points, which was dozens of points higher than the admission score of the Capital University last year.
Lu Ze rubbed his head. Seeing a smile slowly appear on his face, he then jumped up with joy. “Mom! Mom! I got in! I got in!”
The mother and son were jumping around excitedly on both ends of the phone. Lu Ze watched from the side, a smile in his eyes.
It wasn’t until Xu Qingyan finally finished expressing his excitement to his parents and hung up the phone that he suddenly jumped onto Lu Ze, lowered his head, and kissed him on the face several times, his smile bright and radiant:
“Lu Ze, Lu Ze… I’m so happy… I like you so much…”
It was rare for Xu Qingyan to be so proactive. Lu Ze naturally would not let it go. That night, Xu Qingyan threw away his usual shyness and did almost whatever Lu Ze asked him to do. The two of them messed around until the early morning before they finally stopped.
The next morning, it was inevitable that they got up a little late, but both of them were refreshed. So they just took it as a holiday and went out for a good meal together to celebrate.
After a day’s rest, they continued to strive. The college entrance examination results were exciting, but for the current Xu Qingyan, he just knew it. It was like an insignificant little episode, far less important than the things he was working on.
From the end of July to the end of August, for more than a month, the two of them had barely rested. Xu Qingyan was always full of enthusiasm, following Lu Ze around. In the end, he even had the ability to stand on his own. Even when Lu Ze was not around, he could talk freely with others and not be at a disadvantage at all.
Lu Ze was naturally gratified to see his growth.
On the eve of the start of the Capital University, the preparation for the storefront was finally completed, and all the products, models, and designers were in place. The clothing brand named “Qinglu” finally appeared in the public’s sight.
Because of the large investment in the early publicity, the slogan of high-end customization and uniqueness was launched, and with the unique and trendy element design of their clothing, “Qinglu” received the favor of many people as soon as it was launched. The profits obtained in the first two days of the store’s opening made Xu Qingyan both surprised and relieved.
The capital was indeed a gathering place for the rich.
Thus, the business here gradually got on the right track, and Xu Qingyan could finally relax and prepare for the start of school.
The Capital University provided accommodation, but there was no requirement to live there. Despite this, Lu Ze still helped Xu Qingyan prepare his bedding, planning to take him to get to know his dormitory and roommates.
This way, even if he was busy sometimes and Xu Qingyan didn’t want to go home, he could still live in the dormitory.
After being busy for more than a month, the two of them finally had some leisure time. During the day, they would go out and stroll around to buy some necessary items, and at night, they would be in their small home, intimately and forgetfully.
Xu Qingyan liked this feeling very much, the feeling of being closely intertwined with him.
The day before school started, Xu’s father and mother rushed to the capital. Under the persuasion of Xu Qingyan and Lu Ze, they didn’t bring much luggage and traveled light, and the journey was relatively easy.
Lu Ze and Xu Qingyan drove to pick them up. Listening to them talk and laugh, they would occasionally interject a few words to briefly introduce their life during this period, which also put Xu’s father and mother at ease.
Lu Ze took them to his home and let them have a good rest for a night. The next morning, he went to report with the Xu family and Xu Qingyan.
It was the day school started, and there were faces full of luggage everywhere. Xu Qingyan had been to the Capital University campus with Lu Ze before and was relatively familiar with the various teaching buildings and dormitories, so he walked to his dormitory with ease.
After putting down their luggage first, they didn’t rush to tidy up, but instead took Xu’s father and mother around the campus, showing them the places where he would eat and study in the future. Xu’s father and mother didn’t speak, but their faces were filled with a sacred and longing glow.
Xu’s father’s legs were inconvenient, and he was being pushed all the time. He couldn’t help but raise his hand and pat Xu Qingyan’s shoulder. “Having a son like you is the greatest pride of my life.”
Xu Qingyan sniffled and said with a smile, “Then there will be many more things I can make you proud of in the future.”
Lu Ze had originally wanted to let Xu’s father and mother stay here for a few more days, but they were unwilling to trouble Lu Ze and wanted to go back that night. Although Xu Qingyan was reluctant to part, he still followed their wishes and sent them to the train station with Lu Ze.
Watching their figures disappear into the crowd, Xu Qingyan was in a daze for a while. Lu Ze squeezed his hand and said in a gentle voice, “Let’s go back. Didn’t you want to stay in the dormitory tonight?”
Xu Qingyan smiled at him and turned to leave with him.
When they returned to the dormitory, the other roommates had already arrived and were looking at him with curiosity. After more than a month of training, Xu Qingyan was no longer as introverted and shy as before. He greeted them generously and then pulled Lu Ze behind him. “This is my brother.”
A group of people quickly said, “Hello, brother. Hello, brother.”
Hearing this, Lu Ze couldn’t help but laugh. He leaned against the door frame and watched as Xu Qingyan skillfully interacted with his new roommates, talking and laughing, and his eyes gradually softened.
His young man was shining in the crowd.
Dazzling and eye-catching.
This was how he was supposed to be.
