Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 436 Dad Goes to Work

The next morning, the courtyard houses on Dongxinglong Street woke up earlier than usual.

At seven o'clock sharp, the door to Lin Yan's bedroom was gently pushed open a crack, and two little heads peeked in, one above the other.

Xi Xi's eyes were wide open, and Chen Chen also looked serious. The two of them were still wearing pajamas and barefoot, obviously having run over as soon as they woke up.

On the bed, Lin Yan deliberately closed his eyes.

Until Xixi tiptoed to the bedside and asked in a soft voice, "Daddy, are you awake? You have to go to work."

Lin Yan then "slowly woke up" and looked at the two little ones' faces, which were full of expectation and a hint of supervision, and his heart melted.

"I'm awake, thanks for reminding me, Xixi. Daddy's getting up to 'go to work' now."

In the living room, when Wang Yuling came in with an ironed suit, the two little ones followed closely behind Lin Yan.

Lin Yan brushed his teeth while they watched from the bathroom doorway.

Lin Yan pretended to shave, and Xi Xi worriedly reminded him, "Daddy, be careful."

Lin Yan was changing his clothes, and Chenchen helped hold his tie.

When Lin Yan put on his suit, tied his tie, and stood in front of the dressing mirror...

"Wow! Daddy is so handsome!"

Xi Xi clapped her little hands, praising generously, her eyes sparkling.

Chenchen nodded vigorously and added in a low voice, "Like...like someone in a magazine."

Within his limited understanding, this was probably the highest praise he could receive.

Lin Yan crouched down, looking directly at the two children.

"Daddy's going to work now. You all play and learn diligently at kindergarten. When I get back tonight, Daddy will check your 'work'—Xixi's new song and Chenchen's new model, okay?"

"Okay!" they both said in unison, their voices loud and clear.

"Dad, bring back lots of money!"

As the children eagerly watched him approach the gate, Lin Yan got into the Rolls-Royce.

If you roll down the car window, you can see Xixi waving vigorously in Wang Yuling's arms, while Chenchen stands to the side with his little body straight.

He thought for a moment, then turned the steering wheel and drove towards Chaoyang District.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped in the underground parking garage of the Libre de Soi domestic headquarters building.

The elevator goes directly to the top floor.

When Lin Yan, dressed in a bespoke suit, appeared calmly in the secretary area outside the president's office, the several busy assistants were instantly stunned, and the documents in their hands almost slipped from their grasp.

It wasn't that they hadn't seen the big boss before; it was just that this mysterious Mr. Lin almost never appeared during office hours.

The chief secretary reacted the fastest, almost jumping up.

"Mr. Lin... good morning! Mr. Zheng... he's inside. Should I announce his arrival?"

"Need not."

Lin Yan nodded slightly, walked straight to the heavy double wooden door, and pushed it open.

Zheng Jiaming was standing with his back to the door, speaking rapidly in French into his phone through the floor-to-ceiling window, his tone forceful.

Hearing the door open, he turned around somewhat displeased, assuming it was one of his impetuous subordinates.

Then, he saw Lin Yan.

The person on the other end of the phone was still talking, but Zheng Jiaming seemed to have been muted.

His eyes widened instantly, his mouth opened slightly, and he remained frozen in the position of turning his head and twisting his neck for a full three seconds.

He even forgot the words in the French sentence he was about to say.

"you……"

Zheng Jiaming finally found his voice and quickly said "Je vous rappelle plus tard" (I'll call you back later) into the phone before hanging up.

Turning around, her face filled with disbelief, she looked Lin Yan up and down, especially at his sharp suit.

"Am I still half asleep? Or did the sun rise in the west today? Our elusive Boss Lin is actually showing up in the office at this hour? And dressed so... smartly?"

Lin Yan calmly walked to the sofa in the reception area and sat down, loosening his tie—after wearing casual clothes for so long, this thing felt a bit tight around his neck.

"What? It's my company, can't I come?"

"Yes, absolutely!"

Zheng Jiaming walked over, crossed his arms, and leaned against the edge of the huge desk. The surprise on his face had turned into an undisguised, amused smile. "It's just that this is really too abnormal."

Lin Yan glanced at him, picked up the coffee that the secretary had nervously brought in, took a sip, and said with a wry smile:

"I was 'forced' into this by my two little darlings! They taught us something about 'labor being the most glorious,' and when Xixi came home, she asked me if I didn't have a job and if we were about to starve!"

"Can't I just experience what it's like to be an office worker?"

"Sure, of course!"

Zheng Jiaming finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, his shoulders twitching.

"Hahaha... I really should take a picture of you like this and send it to Wenbin and the others. Tsk, the young master of the Lin family! Now he's Chairman Lin, clocking in on time for the sake of his daughter's image as a 'glorious father'."

He laughed without any restraint.

"So, Mr. Lin, what are your instructions for today? Should I report on Libre de Soi's first-quarter perfume sales, or should I fill your schedule with 'work' to give you a taste of what it's like to be extremely busy?"

Lin Yan put down his coffee cup, the bottom of which made a crisp, light sound against the bone china tray.

He looked up at Zheng Jiaming, who was grinning from ear to ear, and a smile slowly crept onto his lips—a smile that made Zheng Jiaming a little uneasy.

"Have you laughed enough?" Lin Yan asked calmly.

Zheng Jiaming's smile faded warily: "What? Can't I even laugh when I tell the truth?"

"Nothing."

Lin Yan leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlaced on his knees.

"I just suddenly remembered that a couple of years ago, in order to make Chenchen and Xixi more comfortable, I casually invested in a high-end children's clothing line in Europe called 'Seraphina Junior'."

The materials, design, and safety standards are all pretty good, it's just that it hasn't been officially rolled out yet. I see you have all the fashion resources and channel management you need, and you seem to have plenty of free time, even having time to laugh at your boss.

"How about I entrust you with the full responsibility of introducing this brand to the Chinese market? Make it the leading luxury children's wear brand in China."

Zheng Jiaming's smile froze completely on his face.

"Wait...wait a minute!"

He almost jumped up.

"Ah Yan! I make perfumes, jewelry, and haute couture for adults! Children's clothing? I don't even know if diapers have a right or wrong side! Aren't you just getting back at me?"

"How can you call it revenge?" Lin Yan asked innocently.

"This is a great opportunity. Those who are capable should be given more responsibility. I saw how energetic you were on the phone directing the European factory just now; you'd be more than capable of managing a children's clothing line."

He stood up, straightened his suit jacket, and looked ready to end his "working inspection".

"It's settled then. I'll have Albert send you the detailed information. Oh, by the way, the brand concept should emphasize purity, comfort, and artistic enlightenment. You can handle the specifics. I hope to see its flagship store in the best shopping malls in Beijing and Shanghai by this time next year."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.

Behind him, Zheng Jiaming's handsome face was scrunched up. He rolled his eyes at Zheng Jiaming's tall back without any politeness, muttering complaints that only he could understand.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lin Yan stopped in his tracks just as his hand touched the doorknob. He slowly turned around and caught Zheng Jiaming's eye-rolling and pursed lips before he could even retract them.

Lin Yan's smile deepened, making him appear even more gentle and harmless, even with a touch of kindness.

He added casually,

"Jiaming!"

"I remembered that I was never quite satisfied with the milk powder on the market, so I set up a laboratory in Switzerland and the Netherlands and created an ultra-premium infant nutrition brand called 'AureaNutri'."

As for the recipe, I consulted some nutritionists and also... added a special "pure concept."

"if..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping meaningfully across Zheng Jiaming's face.

"If I see someone rolling their eyes at me like that again... I think this meaningful milk powder brand could be considered for inclusion in your management scope."

After all, children's clothing and formula sound like a perfect match, don't they? A one-stop solution for your baby's external beauty and internal health.

Zheng Jiaming immediately stood up straight and forced out a standard business smile:

"Chairman Lin, you're too kind! You can rest assured about Seraphina Junior! I'll immediately set up a project team and guarantee it will become an industry benchmark! Um... since the milk powder brand is so important, it would be better if you handled it personally or entrusted it to a more professional team!"

"Hmm, it depends on your performance."

Lin Yan nodded in satisfaction, then finally opened the door and went out.

The office door closed.

Zheng Jiaming stood there, finally letting out a wail, slumped back into his chair, and muttered to himself while staring at the ceiling:

"Children's clothes... My God... Ah Yan, you win!"