He Yao heard someone calling and put down the wrench in her hand, looking over with a puzzled expression.
Two tall men in suits were looking her way. She wondered if they were from upstairs or clients.
Regardless, she couldn't be negligent. She walked towards them.
Xu Zheng found her slow and, halfway there, met her, grabbed her by the shoulder, and pulled her forward.
"Hurry up, hurry up. We have important clients coming to visit. They want to understand the basic performance and specific parameters of these machines. You know all about it, right? Can you explain it clearly to him?"
"This is a great opportunity for your promotion and raise. If you serve this major client well today, I'll have your director give you a raise. Hurry!"
She was pulled and pushed all the way to Zhan Jingrui.
He Yao broke free from Xu Zheng's grip on her clothes, adjusted her outfit with her gloved hands, and looked up at Zhan Jingrui.
It was better not to look, but the moment she did, she froze.
Similarly, on the way Xu Zheng pulled her, Zhan Jingrui felt the short figure looked somewhat familiar.
As she got closer, he realized that this repairwoman was actually a woman, no wonder she was so short.
Moreover, the woman's skin, her figure, her features, even the way she frowned, were all familiar.
Although the overall impression was different from before, vastly so, he recognized her immediately.
He Yao.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
After so many years, upon returning to Sucheng, he had spent yesterday trying to find her with no success, and today, he ran into her right away.
Their eyes met, and he noticed the shock and panic in hers.
Zhan Jingrui was even more certain it was her.
After so many years, she was no longer the He Yao of the past.
The He Yao of the past had jet-black, shiny hair that always cascaded over her shoulders. She always had a poker face, exuding an aura of unapproachability.
The current He Yao's hair was cut short like a boy's. She wore a hat and clothes like these. If not for the curves of her figure, one wouldn't be able to tell she was a woman.
Her eyes lacked the sharpness of the past, and her features had softened with the passage of time.
She looked like an ordinary, delicate tomboy.
Completely different from the sharp-edged, scandal-ridden ice queen she used to be.
Xu Zheng, whether he secretly admired He Yao or not, didn't recognize her even now that she was standing right in front of him.
Seeing her dazed, looking at Zhan Jingrui with a timid gaze, he shoved her again, feigning disappointment.
"Hurry up and introduce yourself. Don't you understand? If you don't, go get your director. Look at you, the client is waiting, why are you standing there like an idiot?"
He Yao snapped back to reality.
No wonder the voice sounded familiar; it was Xu Zheng, Zhan Jingrui's former deskmate.
She had been working at this company for several years, how come she never knew the boss was Xu Zheng?
What was happening today?
So many years had passed since then, and she didn't owe Zhan Jingrui anything. She figured there was nothing to be guilty about.
Promotion and a raise were more important.
After being berated by Xu Zheng, she adjusted her hat and looked at the machine.
Without asking Zhan Jingrui what he wanted to know, she explained all the specific parameters, inside and out, from head to toe, based on her knowledge.
She was very professional and fluent, more so than when she used to answer the teacher's questions back then.
It seemed she truly understood these things.
It was quite interesting.
The person who had loathed life, who only thought of causing trouble, and who used her beauty to commit mischief, had now become a technician.
As she continued without stopping, Zhan Jingrui didn't interrupt.
The few of them walked along the machines, listening to her introductions one by one. Xu Zheng was very satisfied.
See, even our ordinary repairwoman has such solid technical skills. Zhan Jingrui should be satisfied, right?
"Academician. How is it? Are our equipment alright? The finished products are upstairs. Shall we move up to take a look?"
Of course, they had to see them. Zhan Jingrui didn't pay much attention to Xu Zheng, only saying, "Have her come up too."
"Let's go, let's go," Xu Zheng said without a second word and grabbed He Yao by the shoulder.
"The components were all made by you, so you must recognize the assembled product too, right? Let's go, let's go up and introduce it further."
All the department directors were in a meeting, leaving them leaderless. There was no one to greet them upstairs.
Fortunately, they had brought He Yao along.
Standing in front of the product display cabinet, she took a deep breath, focused, and began introducing the various products.
At the same time, she logged into the system connected to the display cabinet and demonstrated the remote control for the assembled products applied to smart homes.
"Our products are compatible with smart audio-visual, smart lighting, smart security, integrated smart home systems, and a series of commonly used products in daily life..."
She had been at this factory for seven years, starting from the most basic job of screwing bolts to her current position as a production line supervisor. She had experienced everything and spoke about it fluently, as if reciting from memory.
After the explanation, Xu Zheng confidently asked, "Mr. Zhan, do you have any other questions?"
Zhan Jingrui's fingers at his side twitched slightly. After a moment of thought, he looked at He Yao.
"Theory is one thing, but in practical application, consumers often have unexpected personalized needs. How is your compatibility with other brands?"
He Yao replied, "Most of them are supported."
Too vague. Zhan Jingrui said, "How are they supported?"
Xu Zheng, completely unable to understand what he was asking, instinctively followed his gaze to He Yao.
Only then did he notice that this workshop girl was quite good-looking and seemed familiar.
He Yao disliked his gaze and quickly turned back to the products, "We provide over ten universal protocol interfaces according to national standards. As long as other brands also use such interfaces according to national standards, they will be supported."
Zhan Jingrui nodded and asked several more questions, all of which He Yao answered fluently.
Finally, he had nothing more to ask, and He Yao no longer looked back at him.
He quietly gazed at the back of her head for a moment and said, "That's all for today. I have no more questions."
In an instant, it seemed as if all the problems had disappeared.
Including the years-ago abrupt departure, which had weighed on his heart for so long, he felt released.
It was just a relationship; no one stipulated that it must have a good outcome just because it started.
In love, many people leave midway. He Yao had her own choices, and he couldn't force her.
He was young and arrogant back then, with a small perspective. He hated her, wished she would live poorly after leaving him, and even wanted revenge.
Now, seeing that she was neither doing poorly nor exceptionally well, seemingly fitting perfectly into the developmental trajectory of her social class, he suddenly gave up.
He already had Chu Xi, and had had her for so many years. They were about to get married. Why think about those things anymore?
Meeting He Yao at this moment, and resolving his inner conflict, was undoubtedly a good arrangement made by heaven.
He had been unwilling before, but now he could marry Chu Xi wholeheartedly.