Chapter 19: Thrice Daily, I Examine Myself

When dawn broke, Lu Yu stared at the ceiling in a daze for a while before getting up to shower.

Leaving the hotel, he called Liu Shichang, the general manager he’d hired yesterday. Liu had already scouted two office buildings, both well suited to the company’s needs.

Lu Yu took the subway to their destination. In Shudu, he had little desire to buy a car—not for any particular reason, simply because there were too many cars. Rush hour traffic was always congested; the subway was faster than driving.

Even if he needed a car in the future, he'd wait until the apartment renovation was finished. There was no rush.

Arriving near Tianfu Square, he used his phone’s navigation to find the office building. Liu Shichang was already waiting in the lobby.

Liu greeted him, and the two followed a staff member upstairs to the twenty-first floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, they entered a corridor covered with carpets in blue, green, and gray—fresh and stylish.

They unlocked the door to the office space. Besides the main work area, there was a conference room, reception area, lounge, space for a small bar and coffee corner, and an open discussion zone by the windows.

The office environment felt light and pleasant.

Lu Yu nodded in satisfaction. An entire floor was more than enough, and most importantly, it felt comfortable. He asked Liu, “You mentioned another option at Greenland Center. How does it compare?”

Liu replied, “I’ve seen it—internal layout and environment are similar, but it’s a bit farther out. Here at Tianfu Square, the main subway lines intersect.”

Lu Yu thought for a moment. “Then why hesitate? Let’s settle on this one. Next, we’ll pick out desks, chairs, computers, and so on.”

“And over there, don’t bother with a bar. Let’s change it to a counter—make it a drinks area. I want hot and cold drinks, coffee and tea. If necessary, hire someone to manage it.”

“As for the decor, don’t let it get crowded. It needs to feel comfortable and stylish. Is that hard?”

Liu laughed, “It’s not hard, but it won’t look like a traditional office. Not formal enough.”

Lu Yu said, “Old Liu, don’t be so rigid. You need to understand young people today. If the environment isn’t comfortable, how can they enjoy work?”

“How do you keep talent? Keep up with the times!”

Liu was taken aback. “President Lu, I’m forty-one. Is that old? A man at forty-one is in his prime!”

Lu Yu’s lips twitched. “Not old?”

Liu straightened his hair. “Am I old?”

Lu Yu replied, “I’m already considered an uncle. What do you think?”

Liu looked up at the ceiling. Are young people’s ideas really this advanced?

He decided he’d ask his daughter when he got home—maybe eighteen is already old.

After asking about the rent, they found that leasing the whole floor cost eighty-six thousand per month.

Lu Yu mused that real estate truly was the most profitable business. Fortunately, he was on this side of the deal; otherwise, he’d be working for the property owners.

Without further ado, he signed a six-month lease.

The staff promised to contact a cleaning company so the office could be tidied up in the afternoon.

Lu Yu nodded and rode with Liu Shichang to the electronics market and IKEA, where they bought computers, desks, chairs, and decorations, arranging for delivery.

He also instructed Liu to buy more green plants for the office.

Liu asked about recruitment. Lu Yu thought aloud, “The first thing the company needs to do is acquire a cosmetics business.”

“So for this round of hiring, you’ll need to set up the company structure—accounting, legal, administration, HR, assistants, reception.”

“It’s best to check with Zhou Jing to see what staff the investment department requires. If not, have her and Deng Qiang start tomorrow and lend you a hand.”

Liu agreed. Lu Yu added, “Let’s drop by the bank and open several cards under the company account. Otherwise, I’ll have to pay for everything myself—I'm not a cash machine.”

Liu drove to the bank. After taking care of business, Lu Yu handed him a card.

“Keep all receipts for expenses; once we hire an accountant, hand them over.”

Liu nodded and took them back to Tianfu Square.

At the office, Lu Yu took a look and decided not to wait. He asked Liu to oversee deliveries and left.

He called the landlord of the Shuyin University apartment, saying he was ready to transfer ownership.

The landlord happened to be available, so they went together to complete the transfer.

Once it was done, Lu Yu gazed at the property certificate in his hand, feeling a sense of accomplishment—he was now a homeowner.

He thought of his former downtrodden self only months ago and looked at the distant towers and traffic, filled with nostalgia and reflection.

Such are the twists of life—like wine, sometimes bitter, sometimes strong, never giving you time to prepare.

From an ordinary, even somewhat failed man, to someone who might soon steer the course of civilization itself.

Honestly, “ups and downs” didn’t suffice; it was a seismic transformation.

Looking back, there had been disappointment, pride, hope, and pressure.

Life’s changes had brought some indulgence.

Reflecting on his recent actions, Lu Yu stood on a pedestrian bridge, frowning and smoking.

Cars rushed beneath, fleeting and hurried.

He told himself, “Examine yourself thrice daily.” Perhaps he did it more often, but it was useful.

At least now, Lu Yu felt he should dive into cosmetics research immediately.

Without a laboratory—and renting one was unreliable—he planned to find a house in the suburbs, order some equipment online, and build a simple lab himself, which would suffice for now.

Thinking about basic science, current microbiology wasn’t feasible; his knowledge and equipment couldn’t meet requirements. Many physical technologies needed experimental setups to verify. After careful consideration, only pharmaceuticals would work for now.

Absorbing secreted oils, increasing cell activity factors, stimulating stem cells to differentiate new functional cells to replace and repair damaged and aging cells, thereby promoting renewal, removing excess oils, restoring skin’s softness, and even slowing the aging process.

Such a mask would surely be a bestseller.

No—more than that. Whatever he produced would sell out!

He’d not only enter the domestic high-end market but also seize the international one.

They’d made small profits in the past; Lu Yu would reclaim them with interest to fund laboratories and research institutes, creating more technology.

If basic technologies advanced quickly enough, and accumulated sufficiently, someday he’d realize the dream of reaching for the stars!

As these thoughts swirled, a smile crept onto Lu Yu’s lips.

It was past five. Lu Yu took the subway back to the hotel. Rush hour packed the trains.

Finally, he returned to his room. When he knocked, Shi Zixuan opened the door. No need to guess—Qin Xiaomian was surely gaming again.

Taking Shi Zixuan’s hand, he collapsed on the sofa to rest.

Shi cradled his head in her lap, massaging it. “You’ve been running around all day. Are you tired?”

Lu Yu closed his eyes, enjoying her care. “A little.”

He called out to Qin, “Little Cotton, order some food. Uncle’s hungry.”

Qin protested, “I’m not Little Cotton! What’s little about me?”

She ran to the dining table, grabbed the tablet, handed it to Shi, and resumed her game.

Shi Zixuan took the tablet, placed the order, and showed Lu Yu. “Is this enough?”

Lu Yu glanced at it and confirmed.

As the food arrived, Lu Yu asked, “By the way, where did you two live before?”

Qin Xiaomian answered, “I lived in the school dormitory.”

Shi Zixuan said, “I rented a place outside the third ring road.”

Lu Yu thought for a moment. “Tomorrow, let’s go house hunting. You bought so many clothes recently—how will you move them back otherwise?”

Shi Zixuan nodded. Her rented place was small, shared, and far away. Lu Yu’s arrangement would be better, so she had no reason to refuse.

Qin Xiaomian protested, “Huh? Live outside? What about my classes? I still have to attend!”

Lu Yu and Shi Zixuan exchanged a look. “Are you sure you actually attend?”

Qin insisted, “Of course! Some classes can’t be skipped. If I fail this semester, I won’t get my diploma.”

Shi Zixuan teased, “Does your diploma matter?”

Qin retorted, “It does! My parents will want to see it.”

Shi Zixuan replied, “You look good; everything you say makes sense.”

Lu Yu remembered Qin mentioning her campus loan and asked, “How much did you borrow?”

Qin looked up at him, pouting. “Fifty thousand. With interest, it’s up to sixty thousand now.”

Lu Yu was speechless. “Aren’t you afraid someone will make you pay with your body?”

Qin grinned, carefree. “Afraid? If I hadn’t borrowed, I wouldn’t have met you, handsome uncle.”

For some reason, Lu Yu felt a flutter in his heart.

He asked for her payment account and transferred ninety thousand to her. “Stop gaming and pay it off now.”

Qin closed her game, saw the ninety thousand, and wondered, “Why did you give me so much?”

Lu Yu replied, “Didn’t you ask me to support you? This month, you’ll be my warm bed maid.”

Qin threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, her eyes shining, soft and sweet. “Young master~”

Lu Yu nearly lost his composure. “What are you doing? Hurry up and pay it off.”

Qin giggled, paid off the loan, deleted the app, and snuggled back into his embrace.