Phi-Fic Chapter 1633 Burdened by Reputation
Chapter 1633 Burdened by Reputation
After a brief tour, the group entered the conference room.
The design institute's meeting room wasn't large, with a long table that could seat seven or eight people on each side. Several framed design renderings hung on the wall, and a wilted potted plant in the corner had half its leaves turned yellow. The air conditioner was whirring and blowing at a very low temperature, but the air it was blowing had a musty smell.
Qin Hao sat by the window, one leg crossed over the other, his gaze lazily sweeping around. Yu Deshui sat to his left, Project Manager Lao Zhao to his right, and behind them were people from the budget department and the engineering department.
At the design institute, the director, surnamed Zhang, was in his fifties, bald, and had a face full of wrinkles when he smiled; he looked quite amiable. Huang Zhenhua sat next to the director, a stack of blueprints spread out in front of him, a pencil in his hand.
The tea has been served. It came in a disposable paper cup, brewed with tea bags, and the tea was yellowish in color.
They exchanged a few pleasantries.
Dean Zhang began with some polite remarks: "Thank you, Director Qin, for your trust in choosing to cooperate with our institute. We will do our best to ensure quality and quantity."
Yu Deshui replied politely: "Dean Zhang, you're too kind. We're all colleagues, and we should learn from each other."
After saying that, Yu Deshui winked at Lao Zhao.
Old Zhao cleared his throat and took out a document from his briefcase: "Dean Zhang, this is our company's positioning and requirements for this project. Let me report to you first."
His use of "report" was, of course, just a polite way of putting it. Clients never use the word "report" when speaking to design institutes. But Old Zhao is a tactful person; he knew the young master was present today, so it was always better to be humble.
"The company positions this high-end residential community as an 'urban elite lifestyle circle,' targeting middle-class families with an annual income of over 300,000 yuan. There are three requirements: first, the plot ratio cannot exceed 1.8; second, the greening rate must be no less than 35%; and third, the building facade must be highly distinctive..."
When he got to the third point, Lao Zhao emphasized, "President Qin said that this project is the company's first work in the high-end market this year, and the design must be memorable at first glance."
Dean Zhang nodded repeatedly, jotting something down in his notebook.
Huang Zhenhua remained silent, twirling the pencil in his hand.
After Lao Zhao finished reading, Yu Deshui added, "Dean Zhang, what are your thoughts?"
Dean Zhang smiled and patted Huang Zhenhua on the shoulder: "Engineer Huang, you go ahead and explain."
Huang Zhenhua put down his pencil.
He has a unique way of speaking—he never wastes words.
“Three problems.” He held up three fingers: “First, the plot ratio is 1.8. In this location, with a 35% green space ratio, the actual saleable area will be significantly reduced. Second, while a distinctive facade is fine, high-end products need to consider durability; they can't look old after just a few years. Third—”
He paused.
“I’ve visited your site. It’s right next to a major city road on the west side, so noise is a major problem. If you’re going to build a high-end product, soundproofing solutions must be considered from the design stage, not just added after construction.”
The meeting room was silent for two seconds.
Old Zhao turned to look at Qin Hao.
Qin Hao was dozing off.
Or rather, it looks like he's dozing off.
Huang Zhenhua frowned and continued speaking.
He began to respond to the client's demands one by one. He explained clearly how to adjust the plot ratio, how to arrange the green belts, what materials to use for the facade, and how to choose the color scheme for each item, and he could recite the data off the top of his head.
Dean Zhang nodded repeatedly beside him, a hint of smugness on his face.
Huang Zhenhua is the ace of their department. This kid is a natural-born designer, and even the veteran designers in the department who have been working for most of their lives speak highly of him.
Yu Deshui also figured it out and started jotting things down in his notebook from time to time.
profession.
This kid's level of professionalism is much higher than he expected.
However, Yu Deshui wasn't surprised. Dean Zhang wasn't stupid; he knew that today's client wasn't an ordinary one, and he would definitely bring out his best designer.
Halfway through the discussion, Huang Zhenhua proposed a bold plan.
“If you really want distinctiveness,” he said, making a few pencil strokes on a drawing: “I suggest using floor-to-ceiling windows throughout—1.8 meters wide and 2.7 meters high. Nobody in this price range of high-end residences has ever done that.”
Old Zhao paused for a moment, then asked, "What about the cost—"
“Costs will rise,” Huang Zhenhua interrupted him. “But you’re selling high-end properties. What do people who buy these houses want? Sunlight, views, and the feeling of being able to see half of Beijing from the living room. The panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows are the best selling point.”
Old Zhao stopped talking and looked at Yu Deshui.
Yu Deshui stroked his chin, pondering for a few seconds. He had been working on projects for over a decade; what kind of design scheme hadn't he seen? But what Huang Zhenhua said did make some sense—panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows were indeed a first in this price range, but if done well, they could be a selling point; if done poorly, they could be a trap.
"Director Qin." Yu Deshui turned his head and called out tentatively.
Qin Hao just happened to yawn.
He stretched, his bones cracking twice, picked up a drawing from the table, glanced at it, and put it down again.
"pretty good."
He said three words, then leaned back and closed his eyes.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was a little awkward.
The people at the design institute looked at each other in bewilderment—just who was this Director Qin? He dozed off in meetings, glanced at the drawings for two seconds, and then said, "Pretty good?"
Yu Deshui remained calm, even with a barely perceptible smile on his lips.
He wished Qin Hao would stay out of it.
The crown prince can just be a figurehead; we don't need to rely on him for anything else, which saves us trouble.
Dean Zhang understood as well. Qin Hao was just a figurehead director; the real decision-makers were Deputy Director Yu. From the perspective of the service provider, this was actually good news—talking to a professional manager was much easier than talking to a clueless rich kid.
The meeting continued.
Huang Zhenhua spread out the several drafts he had prepared in advance on the table and went through them one by one. From the overall layout to the unit design, from the facade materials to the color scheme, each drawing was marked with detailed dimensions and annotations.
Qin Hao sometimes opened his eyes, and sometimes closed them.
But Huang Zhenhua noticed that Qin Hao's index finger would pause whenever money-related numbers were mentioned.
Is this person a clueless spoiled brat, or is he just pretending to be weak while actually being strong?
Huang Zhenhua suddenly became more curious about this "young master".
At 11:30, Dean Zhang glanced at the clock on the wall and said with a smile, "Director Qin, Deputy Director Yu, I think it's almost lunchtime. Everyone has worked hard, how about we go grab a quick bite to eat?"
He knew very well that business couldn't be done in this kind of setting.
The real deals are made at the dinner table.
Setting up blueprints, calculating data, and presenting plans in the meeting room are all just preparations. Key terms such as price negotiation, deposit amount, payment methods, and liability for breach of contract are often decided over drinks.
Just as Yu Deshui was about to say something, Qin Hao spoke first.
"Let's go, we're starving."
He stood up, stretched languidly, the movement so exaggerated that a corner of his shirt tucked out of his belt. Yu Deshui rose expressionlessly and began tidying the documents on the table.
Upon seeing this, the others also closed their computers and collected the blueprints.
The group left the office.
The fluorescent lights in the corridor were a stark white, several tiles on the floor were cracked, and a small patch of plaster was peeling off the wall in a corner. That's the kind of condition the design institute has; no matter how good the technology, the hardware can't keep up.
Qin Hao was walking in the middle of the crowd, about to say something to Yu Deshui, when he suddenly stopped.
Wearing a white shirt and khaki trousers, her hair casually tied in a ponytail, revealing a section of her fair neck, Huang Yimei held a stack of blueprints in her hands, tilting her head to talk to the person next to her, a faint smile on her lips.
Sunlight streamed in from the window at the end of the corridor, falling on her and making her look as if she were gilded.
A man in his thirties stood next to Huang Yimei, wearing black-rimmed glasses, his hair neatly combed, and a blue uniform from the design institute. He leaned slightly forward, a fawning smile plastered on his face, almost excessively attentive.
Qin Hao sneered inwardly and walked straight over.
"Huang Yimei, what are you doing here?"
Huang Yimei turned around when she heard the voice, and was clearly stunned when she saw Qin Hao.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She looked Qin Hao up and down. "I'm interning at my brother's company. What are you doing here? Following me?"
Qin Hao scoffed, "You're way too self-important. Me, following you? I'm interning at my dad's company, and we happen to have a project that requires a design institute to do the design planning."
Zhou Shihui, who was standing next to him, felt a little flustered as he watched the two of them talking back and forth.
Moreover, judging from the way the two were talking, they were clearly very familiar with each other.
Zhou Shihui subconsciously glanced at Qin Hao.
He was at least 1.85 meters tall, half a head taller than him. His features were well-defined, with a high nose bridge and a sharp jawline that looked as if it had been carved with a knife. He wore a dark gray casual suit jacket over a simple white T-shirt, black cropped trousers that revealed a bit of his ankle, and white sneakers.
It was a very casual outfit, but it looked inexplicably good on him.
Look at yourself again.
Wearing blue overalls and black-rimmed glasses, her hair, though styled carefully that morning, was already somewhat flat after a whole morning. Her shoes still had mud splattered on them from yesterday's trip to the construction site.
Zhou Shihui suddenly felt a little inferior.
"Rose, you two know each other?" he asked cautiously, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness that he himself was unaware of.
Huang Yimei casually replied, "Qin Hao is my college classmate. This is Professor Zhou Shihui, a senior designer at the design institute."
My college classmate.
Upon hearing these four words, Zhou Shihui secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, they're just classmates.
But his gaze toward Qin Hao remained wary.
Qin Hao took in Zhou Shihui's changing expressions and chuckled to himself.
With these qualifications, how dare you approach Huang Yimei?
It wasn't that he looked down on people, but this Teacher Zhou was really lacking in self-awareness. Her appearance couldn't even be described as average, her height was average, her clothing was indescribable, and she was also more than ten years older than Huang Yimei.
Given these circumstances, where did he get the courage to pursue Huang Yimei?
It's like a toad daydreaming—ugly but with wild ideas.
Huang Zhenhua also came over at this time.
He had just fallen behind and exchanged a few words with Deputy Director Yu. When he came out, he saw Qin Hao standing in front of his sister, the two of them chatting and laughing.
Huang Zhenhua's mental alarm clock immediately started flashing warnings.
"What's going on? Do you know each other?" He walked over quickly, his tone clearly wary.
Huang Yimei nodded: "Brother, we're classmates. What a coincidence that we've both started our internships."
Huang Zhenhua was not as easily fooled as Huang Yimei.
classmate?
He glanced at Qin Hao, then at his sister.
When Qin Hao's gaze fell on Huang Yimei, he recognized that look all too well—the look a man gives when he's attracted to a woman.
Just as Huang Zhenhua was about to say something, the dean suddenly spoke up.
"Since Director Qin knows Xiao Huang, let's go have dinner together."
The dean's words were very insightful.
Firstly, seeing that Qin Hao's attitude towards Huang Yimei was clearly unusual, she decided to go along with it and do him a favor. Secondly, having a young and pretty girl at the dinner table always livens up the atmosphere.
Huang Yimei's eyes lit up when she heard there would be a big meal.
"Okay!" she agreed without hesitation.
Huang Zhenhua tried to stop them, but it was too late.
"Rose..." He had barely begun speaking when Huang Yimei had already skipped and hopped to catch up with the group.
Huang Zhenhua sighed helplessly.
Seeing this, Zhou Shihui wanted to follow and took two steps forward, but was stopped by a look from the dean.
"Xiao Zhou, there's a drawing that needs revising this afternoon, so you don't need to go."
Zhou Shihui froze in his tracks.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.
After the dean finished speaking, he turned and left, and the others followed him out.
Zhou Shihui stood there, watching Huang Yimei's figure walk further and further away.
She followed beside Qin Hao, said something, and then laughed. Her smile was as bright as the March sun, so bright it hurt Zhou Shihui's eyes.
He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm.
-
The design institute's parking lot isn't big; it's just an open space behind one building with about twenty parking spaces marked out. Most of the cars have already gone out to work on projects, leaving only a few Santanas and an older Passat.
So that silver-gray Porsche 986 parked there was particularly eye-catching.
The streamlined body and low-slung stance, with the soft-top convertible folding back behind the seats to reveal a smooth waistline, are striking features. Sunlight reflects off the silver-gray paint, creating dappled patterns of light.
Huang Zhenhua spotted it at a glance.
Men rarely dislike luxury cars.
Those who specialize in architectural design, in particular, have a natural sensitivity to the aesthetics of industrial design. The proportions of the Porsche 986 are perfect, with every curve just right, as if it were drawn stroke by stroke with a ruler.
Huang Zhenhua walked over without even realizing it.
"The Boxster S has a 3.2-liter flat-six engine, producing 250 horsepower and 305 Nm of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds..." He circled the car, muttering to himself, "Mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, with a near 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, its handling is virtually unmatched in its class..."
Qin Hao walked over and pressed the unlock button on the car key.
The car lights flashed twice.
"Want to give it a try?"
Huang Zhenhua was clearly tempted.
His hand unconsciously rose and made a grasping motion in the air, as if he had already gripped the steering wheel.
But he managed to restrain himself.
"Forget it, this car is too expensive. Even a minor scratch would cost me several months' salary."
Qin Hao chuckled: "Abrasions are covered by insurance, what are you afraid of? Besides, unless it's a road hazard like Huang Yimei, what's an experienced driver afraid of on such a short stretch of road?"
"Who are you calling a road hazard?" Huang Yimei shouted angrily from behind.
Qin Hao ignored her and simply tossed the car keys to Huang Zhenhua.
The car key traced an arc in the air, and Huang Zhenhua instinctively reached out to catch it.
The moment the key landed in my palm, the metallic touch was cool and solid.
Huang Zhenhua gritted his teeth: "Then thank you."
He then opened the car door and climbed into the driver's seat.
The seats are made of genuine leather and offer excellent support, feeling like you're being firmly cradled by a pair of large hands. The steering wheel feels solid, and the gauges on the dashboard are at zero, waiting to be activated.
Huang Zhenhua took a deep breath and then said to Huang Yimei, who was about to get into the car, "Rose, go hitch a ride in Lao Huang's car. This car can only seat two people."
Before Huang Yimei could react, Huang Zhenhua had already turned the key.
The engine emitted a deep roar, like a beast awakened.
Then he stepped on the gas, and the car shot off.
Huang Yimei was so angry that she stomped her feet after catching a mouthful of exhaust fumes.
"Huang Zhenhua! You just wait! You'll see how I complain to Mom and Dad when we get back!"
-
The Porsche 986 merged into the main traffic flow, and Huang Zhenhua gripped the steering wheel, his palms slightly sweaty.
The car was even easier to drive than he had imagined.
The throttle response is extremely quick; even a light touch delivers a powerful push. The steering is so precise it's like a surgical cut, handling every corner with ease. The chassis is solid, gliding over speed bumps cleanly and crisply without any unnecessary swaying.
As Huang Zhenhua drove, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
Cool.
That's fucking awesome.
He usually drives the old Jetta provided by his company, a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated car that can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in over twelve seconds. When overtaking, he practically steps the accelerator into the gas tank.
Compared to this Porsche, that Jetta is practically a metal box.
Qin Hao sat in the passenger seat, adjusted the seat back, and found a comfortable position to lean back.
"How was it? Not bad, right?"
"Wow, this is amazing!" Huang Zhenhua exclaimed sincerely. "How much did this car cost?"
"With optional extras, the final price will be around 180 million."
180?
Huang Zhenhua did a quick mental calculation.
His current salary is a little over three thousand a month after taxes, and with the year-end bonus, it's only forty to fifty thousand a year. He doesn't even dare to dream of more than one million eight hundred thousand.
This gap is beyond what effort can bridge.
Huang Zhenhua suddenly remembered the important matter.
You're obligated to do something if you've taken a gift or driven someone else's car, so you should be more polite in your attitude.
He cleared his throat: "Director Qin, you and my sister... are you really just ordinary classmates?"
Qin Hao leaned back in his chair, watching the street scene rushing past the window, a smile curving his lips.
"At least for now."
Huang Zhenhua tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"So, you want to pursue her?"
“That’s right.” Qin Hao turned his head and looked at Huang Zhenhua frankly: “But I still need to ask you to keep this a secret, brother.”
Huang Zhenhua remained silent for a few seconds.
He looked Qin Hao up and down again.
Admittedly, in terms of physical attributes, this guy is impeccable. He's handsome, tall, and comes from a wealthy family.
Standing next to her younger sister, they do look quite well-matched.
But Huang Zhenhua always felt that something was wrong.
"You're about to graduate from university, you're adults now. If you're pursuing someone, why hide it?"
Qin Hao cleared his throat: "Mainly because I've had quite a few girlfriends before."
Huang Zhenhua didn't take it seriously.
"How much is 'a bit much'? Tell me." He chuckled. "I had quite a few girlfriends back in college. We're all young and impetuous at some point."
Are there ten?
Qin Hao shook his head.
Huang Zhenhua breathed a sigh of relief: "Even if there aren't ten, it's not too many."
"Brother, you've misunderstood." Qin Hao looked at him seriously: "What I mean is, you're overestimating it."
Huang Zhenhua's smile froze.
"There can't be twenty, can there?"
Qin Hao remained silent.
Huang Zhenhua's voice trembled slightly: "Thirty?"
"Big brother," Qin Hao interrupted him, "adding a zero would be about right."
Add a zero.
Thirty plus a zero.
Huang Zhenhua's brain went blank for three seconds.
Then he slammed on the brakes.
The Porsche screeched to a halt on the side of the road, its tires screeching sharply.
"Get out!" Huang Zhenhua roared, "You playboy, don't even think about getting near my sister!"
Qin Hao was propelled forward by inertia, then pulled back by the seatbelt, his back slamming heavily against the seat.
"Brother, don't get agitated..."
"Don't call me 'Big Brother'! Who's your 'Big Brother'?!" Huang Zhenhua's face turned red and his neck bulged. "You big dummy! You might fool some young girl with this kind of nonsense, but you think you can fool me? No way!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his spittle almost sprayed onto Qin Hao's face.
"I'm telling you this now: if you dare to lay a finger on my sister, I... I'll fight you to the death!"
His voice was so loud that the car windows shook.
This scene was witnessed by the dean who caught up from behind.
The dean was so frightened he almost lost his mind.
He quickly stopped the car, jogged over, and yanked open the car door.
"Huang Zhenhua! What are you doing!" the dean shouted sternly. "Apologize to Director Qin right now!"
Huang Yimei got out of the car behind her at this time.
She ran over and saw her brother's face and neck were red and swollen. Then she looked at Qin Hao's innocent expression and was a little confused.
"Brother, what's wrong? You were fine just now, and you were even driving his car."
Huang Zhenhua glared fiercely at Qin Hao.
"What's wrong with driving his car? If I had known he was that kind of person, I should have driven into the river and drowned him!"
Huang Yimei's expression turned strange.
"Brother, he didn't do anything to you..."
Huang Zhenhua didn't react immediately.
Two seconds later, he realized what his sister was implying, and his neck turned red.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" he roared. "That kid's a playboy, I'm afraid he might have designs on you!"
Huang Yimei breathed a sigh of relief, then found it amusing.
"Brother, you can rest assured, I would never like that womanizer even if you killed me."
She spoke with absolute certainty, her tone carrying an air of self-assurance.
Huang Zhenhua was stunned for a moment: "Really?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Huang Yimei rolled her eyes. "Don't I know him better than you? Would I jump into a fire pit knowing it's in the first place?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Zhenhua finally felt half relieved.
"Stay away from that kid from now on," he cautioned. "He went to college and had over three hundred girlfriends. Is he going to school or holding a harem selection? Those girls have no self-respect at all. What's so great about this kid? He's just tall, handsome, and his family has a bit of money..."
As he spoke, Huang Zhenhua's voice gradually faded.
He suddenly thought of a question.
Think about it from another perspective, if he had such conditions—
He's tall, handsome, rich, drives a Porsche worth over 1.8 million yuan, and became a company director in his early twenties.
If he had those advantages, he probably would have had more than just those few relationships during college.
The dean was extremely anxious: "Huang Zhenhua, what are you standing there for? Quickly apologize to Director Qin!"
"No need." Qin Hao got out of the car and straightened his clothes. "Engineer Huang is just concerned about his sister, which is understandable."
He looked at Huang Zhenhua with a smile on his face and a sincere tone.
"Brother, I know you don't believe me now, but that's okay. Time will tell."
Huang Zhenhua snorted and turned his head away.
Huang Yimei watched this scene from the side and felt that something was off.
Her brother isn't usually this impulsive, so why is he acting like he's on steroids today?
And then there's Qin Hao, who wasn't angry at all after being scolded; he even smiled.
When did this person become so good-tempered?
The dean wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Qin Hao with a smile, "Director Qin, I'm really sorry. Xiao Huang is a good person in every way, except that he has a bit of a temper. Please don't take it to heart."
"It's nothing." Qin Hao waved his hand. "Let's go, Dean, let's go eat." (End of Chapter)