Chapter 88: Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun

Lu Yu spent the entire day at the welfare institute with Qin Xiaomian.

As the sun set, Lu Yu held Qin Xiaomian’s hand, stepping on their shadows as they walked slowly outside.

Lu Yu asked, “What about you? Is there anything you want as a gift?”

Qin Xiaomian turned to him with a cheeky smile. “Already bought it.”

Lu Yu knew she was referring to the children’s clothes and school supplies they’d gotten earlier. He smiled but said nothing more.

Just now, while Qin Xiaomian was playing with the children, Lu Yu had gone out with Aunt Wang and made a donation in her name. The sum wasn’t much for Lu Yu, after all.

When they got into the car, Lu Yu asked if there was anywhere else Qin Xiaomian wanted to go.

Qin Xiaomian tilted her head, pondering. “No, I’m really happy today. Let’s head back to campus, invite Zixuan, and have some cake together.”

Lu Yu looked at her earnestly before nodding and driving back to the University of Finance and Economics.

…

By the time they returned, night had fallen.

With Shi Zixuan in tow, the three of them sat at a stone table by the campus lake, sharing a modest cake.

Qin Xiaomian made a secret wish, one she kept to herself.

They strolled around the campus together for a while before Lu Yu drove them home.

Just as they neared home, Lu Yu received a call from Liu Shichang.

Liu Shichang had returned from the Western Region, while Tang Zhiming and several other company employees remained behind to continue preparations for the botanical garden.

Old Liu’s purpose in calling was to ask Lu Yu to come to the office the following day—someone from the Veterans’ Placement Office was coming.

Since this concerned Lu Yu’s future security, he needed to handle it personally.

Lu Yu agreed readily, promising to be there first thing in the morning.

After hanging up, Lu Yu sighed. His days of carefree freedom were coming to an end.

But that’s how it is for everyone—gaining some things means losing others.

He, Lu Yu, was no President of the Blue Planet.

Even if he were, could anyone ever be truly free?

…

After a run and a shower, he went to bed.

The next morning, Lu Yu dressed early and headed to the company.

Before going to Exo Nebula, he stopped by Yunhan Technology—Ge Yuncong had emailed a few days earlier about a group needing his guidance.

Figuring the people from the Placement Office wouldn’t arrive so early, Lu Yu decided to help out this group.

Around half past ten, just as Lu Yu wrapped up his session, Liu Shichang’s assistant came to fetch him—the Placement Office representatives had arrived.

Lu Yu accompanied the assistant downstairs.

In the meeting room, Liu Shichang was already there, along with several others who sat with perfect military posture—clearly former soldiers.

Lu Yu greeted each with a handshake and took his seat.

…

Of the candidates recommended by the Placement Office, two drew Lu Yu’s particular interest.

Both were around thirty. Yan Jun was a regular retiree with solid abilities, while Xu Chengliang had retired from a special forces unit due to a minor injury—nothing serious—and was quite versatile.

Lu Yu discussed matters with the Placement Office for a long while. The security department would be responsible for protecting both himself and his parents.

Aside from these two, he’d need more veterans for the rest of the team.

The Placement Office had no objections—they’d already vetted Exo Nebula and Lu Yu. It was just a cosmetics company, and while hiring a batch of veterans at once was unusual, it was merely for safety.

After a bit more discussion, the Placement Office confirmed that Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun could report for duty the next day. The rest of the hires would be up to Lu Yu.

Since he hadn’t met the other candidates and didn’t know much about these matters, Lu Yu decided it best to meet Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun first.

They were the professionals, after all; it would be wise to hear their opinions.

…

After seeing the Placement Office representatives off, Lu Yu spent the rest of the day at the company, thoroughly reviewing the progress in the Western Region with Liu Shichang.

The weather there was already growing cold, making construction difficult. Fortunately, the botanical garden didn’t require tall buildings, so work wasn’t unmanageable. They could pause construction when necessary.

Lu Yu wasn’t well-versed in construction; as long as the facilities met the laboratory and botanical garden’s needs, that was good enough.

Liu Shichang brought up the issue of recruiting researchers—it was proving difficult.

Outstanding talent either joined official research institutes or the R&D departments of major corporations. The remaining candidates either lacked ability or experience.

Hearing this, Lu Yu scratched his head in concern.

Inexperience could be remedied over time in his lab, but a lack of ability was a real problem.

…

Research and experimentation demand capability and knowledge—without those, there can be no results.

Even with Lu Yu guiding them, he couldn’t do so constantly.

Most of the work would have to be theirs; Lu Yu would offer subtle hints and steer them in his desired direction.

He had no intention of letting others know everything was his doing.

If he did, anyone with a functioning brain would start paying attention to him.

Especially as more technologies accumulated—what good would it do to claim all the credit? Aside from drawing attention, he’d just become a target.

He was content to play the role of a small-time cosmetics entrepreneur.

After earning money, he’d embrace his “foolish, rich, and generous” persona, funding all sorts of research at whim.

The acclaim for discoveries would go to the researchers, allowing them to shine in academic and technological circles.

The patents would belong to the lab and himself; he’d license the technology to companies and reinvest the profits in further research.

Wasn’t that ideal?

He wouldn’t attract undue attention, wouldn’t breed resentment, nor hoard everything for himself. At most, he’d be envied.

If others had the means, they could fund research too—no one was stopping them.

…

After pondering for a while, Lu Yu told Liu Shichang to contact several headhunting firms.

Whether from official research institutes or corporate R&D departments, they needed to poach two capable, knowledgeable, and experienced plant researchers.

Offer a high salary, no penny-pinching, ample research funding, and no bureaucratic delays.

With two such hires leading the lab, the inexperience of other researchers would matter less for now.

Besides poaching talent, anyone with sufficient academic background could be brought in for the time being.

Once the lab was established, there would be more than just drought-resistant plant projects.

Next, they could study cold-resistant, salt-tolerant species, and even, building on previous genetic engineering experience, develop plants to purify water and air, absorb harmful substances, or even capture nitrogen and other gases.

There was vast potential and many avenues for research.

Lu Yu would quietly guide and prompt them, but the main work would be theirs.

…

Once Liu Shichang understood Lu Yu’s intentions, he immediately began arranging interviews and related matters.

It’s worth mentioning that, since Lu Yu hadn’t specified a name for the new company, Liu Shichang chose one himself in a rather amusing way.

Not far from the land they’d leased in the Western Region was a small hill called “Three Hills.”

Thus, the new company was registered as “Three Hills Plant Research and Development Co., Ltd.”

When Lu Yu first saw the name, he nearly blurted out “Four Twos.”

He stared at the company name for a long moment, eyeing Liu Shichang with curiosity.

Liu Shichang, a bit embarrassed under the scrutiny, explained in a weak voice that it was just a local reference—the hill really was called Three Hills, and the name was easy to remember.

Lu Yu found the first part reasonable, but almost laughed at the latter. Easy to remember, sure, but he worried applicants might think all they needed was to play cards.

Still, Lu Yu didn’t have him change it—the company was already registered, and coming up with another name would be a hassle. It would do.

After all, a name was just a code.

…

After a quiet night at home, Lu Yu arrived at the company the next day to find Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun already waiting in the meeting room.

Finding it too spacious, Lu Yu had Liu Shichang bring them to his office.

When Lu Yu saw Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun, he found them even more impressive in person than in their résumé photos.

Sitting upright, with a rugged presence, serious expressions, and clear eyes—they were unmistakably products of the military crucible.

Lu Yu sized them up briefly, understanding their straightforward style, and got straight to business discussing their future roles.

Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

After outlining their duties, Lu Yu gave them a quick overview of Pink White Black’s current situation and the company’s upcoming plans abroad.

He stated plainly that soon they’d be stirring things up overseas, seizing markets and territory.

When major competitors got desperate, who knew what they might do—so this wouldn’t be an easy job.

Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun’s eyes lit up at the prospect of making waves abroad, fighting for markets and turf.

They exchanged a glance, not only undaunted by the challenges and dangers, but actually excited and eager.

Lu Yu noticed their expressions and knew that, though they’d left the army, the imprint was deep in their bones, shaping their every move.

If he told them they’d be sent overseas with the company to “cause trouble,” they’d likely be delighted.

Even if it wasn’t war, fighting for markets and territory felt just as exhilarating!

…

But according to Deng Qiang’s plan, the company wouldn’t need to open new markets themselves; agents would do the heavy lifting.

So that thrill would have to wait.

Lu Yu then asked for their opinions. The security department would be divided into two teams: one for his protection, one for his parents.

Barring surprises, the two teams would be theirs to lead.

Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun didn’t respond immediately but took a moment to think before offering some measured suggestions.

Lu Yu listened earnestly—after all, this concerned his and his parents’ safety.

The three discussed the details for over half an hour, finally settling on a general plan.

…

For now, Xu Chengliang would oversee the entire security department—his special forces background made him highly competent in all respects.

Beyond routine arrangements, regular professional training would be required.

Each man would lead a team: Xu Chengliang protecting Lu Yu, Yan Jun protecting his parents.

After talking at length, Lu Yu was satisfied with both men and entrusted the recruitment of their teams to them as well.

They could go to the Placement Office that afternoon or the next day to select personnel—as long as the two approved, having a few extra hands wouldn’t hurt.

Security was demanding; with more people, shifts could be rotated, avoiding fatigue and lapses in attention.

Xu Chengliang and Yan Jun nodded solemnly, promising that the people they chose would be up to par.

Both were genuinely moved—not just by Lu Yu’s high salary, but by his trust.

Simply because they were veterans, he was entrusting the safety of himself and his parents to them.

Soldiers are often people of deep feeling; it was only natural to be touched.

…

In truth, Lu Yu had little choice.

He didn’t trust outside security companies; the only option was to build his own team.

And since he had no suitable candidates on hand, letting these two handle it was the natural course.

Trust is built over time. Besides his parents, there’s no one you can trust implicitly from the start.

Since he had to rely on them for now, he might as well be generous.

He wasn’t especially skilled at managing people, but he understood the principle: don’t use those you distrust, and don’t distrust those you use.

Besides, if even these admirable former soldiers weren’t worthy of trust, then who would be?

…