Chapter 49

Throughout June, Li Xu lived a carefree life, passing the days at school, discussing the renovation of his villa with the hired designer, and checking in on the progress of his investment company, as if the issue of the illegitimate daughter did not exist.

His parents and grandfather also did not mention it, especially his mother, who surprisingly let go of this great opportunity to tease her son, leaving everyone puzzled.

Only when he told his father that he had asked Karl Smith to help with some tasks did his father say, "Maintain a good balance."

Li Xu was not worried about this at all. He had not met Smith many times, but the man was very intelligent and had his father's trust.

As for what Karl Smith did, there was no need to elaborate; it was enough to know that his name was only effective within the United States.

In addition, he took the SAT and ACT exams in June, which were not difficult, especially when he found that 90% of the questions were identical to a test he had done before.

He skipped the AP exams for college-level courses, as he was going to Harvard to build a network, not to study.

Although his family repeatedly said he should go to the business school, he only needed to stay for four years and complete the general courses to fulfill his obligations.

In the previous life, the business school admitted graduate students, while Harvard's undergraduate program only had a liberal arts college. To go to the business school, one had to major in economics at the liberal arts college and earn enough credits.

Once he had reached a certain level in the business school, he could start internships at various financial institutions through connections with lecturers and professors, and gradually climb the ladder.

Of course, this was the path for ordinary people. For elite families, especially those at the top of the pyramid, attending university was just to expand their network, meet more people of the same social class, and form a small circle through shared topics and goals, helping each other in the future.

At the same time, they would look for suitable candidates to cultivate and invest in, so that they could serve them better in the future.

Therefore, for Li Xu, who was already considered "successful" in his career, having SAT and ACT scores was enough; he did not need to take the AP exams.

Then, at the end of June, Li Xu, who could basically ignore the school's arrangements, joined the negotiation team organized by Northrop and went to a small island.

"It looks okay, but there seem to be few pedestrians. It's already summer."

"I heard there was a disturbance six months ago, and the authorities are still under martial law."

"Your information is outdated; their martial law has been in place for 30 years."

"That's too much. It's hard to imagine we have to deal with them."

In the limousine, Johnson and Mars were whispering about the street scenes outside. Li Xu, although listening intently, did not join in the conversation.

When his father specially arranged for the family's 747 to bring the negotiation team over, he already knew what he should do—speak less and observe more, and only speak when necessary.

After all, Northrop's board member was his grandfather, not his father, and certainly not him. Even though he had pointed out that the conflict between the Air Force and the Navy could be a key issue, he was still an outsider.

Northrop's willingness to do him a favor did not mean he could waste this favor, so he left the negotiations to their team. After all, the board had already reached a consensus after a month of arguments.

The convoy finally stopped at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, one of the best hotels in Taipei. Although the reception was handled by business figures, the规格 was high enough, indicating that many people were paying attention.

They had deliberately chosen the time to leave, departing at 7 PM and arriving at 11 AM, but the long flight was tiring. They had a light lunch and rested for the afternoon, and in the evening, the locals held a welcome banquet.

There was not much to say about the welcome banquet. The Northrop negotiation team were all Americans, unlike the Chinese who liked to discuss business over drinks—though this was not entirely accurate, as they felt the Chinese had no rules.

Of course, those who came to welcome them were no strangers to dealing with Europeans and Americans. Although they talked a lot about the friendly relations between the two sides, and Wang Chuanpu kept trying to build a relationship with Li Xu, the overall atmosphere was still good.

"Looking at this, it might take two months to reach an agreement. We can't spend the whole summer here, can we?" After returning to his suite, Li Xu poured himself a glass of water and muttered.

Although the other side had stated that they would cover the expenses of the Northrop team, most people were staying in regular rooms, with only Johnson and Mars, the executives, getting slightly better accommodations.

As for Li Xu, he naturally paid for the executive suite himself; he could not let himself be uncomfortable anywhere.

At this moment, a knock on the door sounded. Li Xu raised an eyebrow, walked over, and looked through the peephole. He then smiled, opened the door, and pulled the woman outside inside, closing the door and covering her mouth as she exclaimed in surprise.

She put up a token resistance, then began to cooperate, and he led her in a passionate kiss, eventually pressing her onto the sofa.

After a moment of intimate embrace, they finally separated. Looking at her soft, round face, Li Xu sighed gently, "I'm used to having you around, always available. I really miss you during this time."

The woman under him immediately giggled, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks slightly red, making her even more alluring.

But Li Xu did not continue. Instead, he pulled her up and tidied her clothes.

Deng Lijun was wearing a small floral dress, her long hair smoothly draped over her shoulders, looking fresh and elegant, but she seemed a bit rushed, having clearly come in a hurry.

"Did you come straight from the south?" Li Xu asked.

Although it was a question, his tone was very certain. After all, although they had not seen each other for a while, they had talked on the phone quite a bit. Not only with her, but also with Guan Weihua, and the news that the Northrop board had reached a decision and was about to come to Taiwan was conveyed to Wang Chuanpu through Guan Weihua.

This was to increase Guan Weihua's influence, giving him more confidence in front of the big shots and better care for Deng Lijun.

Naturally, he was very clear about her schedule.

"I should come to accompany you since you're here," Deng Lijun replied softly.

"But you didn't have to rush so much. If I'm not mistaken, you have a concert tomorrow, right?" Li Xu reached out to caress her face.

"I can go back tomorrow. After the concerts the day after tomorrow and the day after that, I can relax for a while," Deng Lijun said with a smile.

"Alright," Li Xu nodded, then sighed, "I should have told you my schedule, so you could better plan yours."

He had not told her he was coming because she had a concert today, and he thought he could call her tomorrow, but Wang Chuanpu had given her a call to please him—anyone could guess it was him.

"It's fine, I'm already here," Deng Lijun said, holding his hand without any concern.

Li Xu chuckled, suddenly picked her up, and walked into the bathroom, causing her to exclaim in surprise.

---

In the steamy bathroom, the sound of water occasionally splashed. The man and woman embraced in the bathtub, immersed in the warmth of the water.

"Was the concert successful?" Li Xu suddenly asked.

"You know it was..." Deng Lijun, with her head against his chest, replied lazily.

"Of course I know, but I want to hear your feelings, your experience of returning to the Chinese stage," Li Xu's hand began to move in the water.

"Um... it was great, receiving cheers..." Deng Lijun closed her eyes and hummed softly.

"Did the media say anything bad?" Li Xu asked with a smile.

"No, with the news minister present... they didn't dare..." Deng Lijun said, sighing softly.

Li Xu knew what she was sighing about. With the news minister present, no one dared to cause trouble, especially under the direct supervision of Bao Mu—this was what Guan Weihua had said.

Previously, it was mentioned that in this era, the news bureau had the power of life and death over the entertainment industry on the island. If they were strict, no one dared to resist.

And not just on the island, even Hong Kong's artists and stars would immediately lose their jobs if the news bureau said to blacklist them, as was the case with Liang Xiaolong and Liang Jiahui.

Without Li Xu, Deng Lijun's return would have been just that. Even though many people looked forward to her songs, they would not hesitate to use her for publicity, but with a smaller scale.

However, Bao Mu needed to cooperate with the government and satisfy Li Xu, so even without formal regulations, the news bureau had strictly instructed the media not to cause trouble!

Thus, when Deng Lijun returned to Taiwan, there was only overwhelming applause. The public, after a year of absence, warmly welcomed her wherever she went.

This was also what Guan Weihua had said. As for why he knew so much and in such detail, it was because certain people wanted to show off through him.

Deng Lijun had been in the industry for many years. Even if she did not know everything, it was easy to guess. The problems that could ruin her were solved by a single word from the man holding her, and such a stark contrast could not help but make her feel deeply.

"Don't think too much. I heard the contract with Go Lin is not bad," Li Xu changed the topic.

"Yes, they just pressed down the profit-sharing ratio, but Weihua had already set it quite high," Deng Lijun replied.

"Do you like them? I mean, would it be better to set up a company or studio specifically to manage your work?" Li Xu thought for a moment and then asked.

"No, no need," Deng Lijun suddenly opened her eyes, looking up in a panic, "Miss Lin is actually... very good. She was very honest when negotiating the contract. I think... working with her... would be good in the island."

Li Xu did not say anything, gazing into her eyes for a while before shrugging, "Alright, if you say so, then it's fine. If you need to collect songs, let me know."