25: Chapter 25 Birthday Invitation and New Opportunity

Three days passed in a flash amidst the busyness.

During that time, of the twelve samples sent out by "Panshi Foundation", five customers had already reached out proactively. Two of them placed small trial orders directly, while the other three requested more detailed technical information and scheduled on-site inspections.

Chen Fan had Xiao Zhi reply uniformly: Inspections are welcome, but the company is currently in a production debugging phase and the production line is not yet open for tours. Sample test reports and third-party testing data can be provided.

He knew that maintaining a certain level of mystery was sometimes necessary. Moreover, the current factory scale was somewhat small, and his core Amplification ability absolutely could not be exposed.

The gift for Su Qingyue, crafted under the tireless, high-precision processing of the "Bee King", was completed late at night the day before her birthday.

It was an oval pendant. The main material presented a warm and reserved moon-white color, warm to the touch and as delicate as the finest mutton-fat jade, with an extremely faint, lustrous glow flowing over its surface.

The pendant's design was extremely minimalist, with only a smooth, recessed arc at the very bottom, resembling the silhouette of a crescent moon, which subtly matched the "Yue" in Su Qingyue's name. The chain was a fine chain of the same material, lightweight yet resilient.

Chen Fan held it in his palm, feeling the reassuring slight warmth radiating from the material itself. This wasn't just physical temperature, but a sensation brought by the far-infrared radiation released by the material's special structure, which was beneficial to the human body.

"Xiao Zhi, functional test."

"Yes, Boss." Xiao Zhi controlled the testing equipment. "The Health Monitoring Module is operating normally, and the accuracy of basic physiological parameter collection has reached medical grade. The Emergency Pulse Module is fully charged; a single release of energy is estimated to temporarily incapacitate a standard adult male target for 3-5 seconds, complying with safety regulations. The Stealth Charging Module can slowly replenish energy through daily wear by contacting the body's weak bioelectricity and ambient light energy, maintaining basic functions. The connection with the accompanying mobile app is stable."

Chen Fan nodded with satisfaction. He carefully placed the pendant into a small, deep blue velvet box. The inside of the box was also padded to secure the pendant perfectly. No brand, no price, just pure sentiment.

Additionally, Chen Fan had been keeping Old Master Qin's illness in mind. He had already prepared the Amplification-treated ointment and health-preserving tea bags.

On the afternoon of the birthday, Chen Fan finished his work early and changed into a relatively casual but neat outfit.

Following the address Su Qingyue had sent, the car stopped at the entrance of a rather old, tree-lined alley. It was far from the hustle and bustle of the city center, and the air carried a faint scent of osmanthus and home-cooked meals.

Su Qingyue was already waiting at the alley entrance. Today, she wore a light beige knit sweater paired with simple jeans and white sneakers. Her long hair draped softly over her shoulders, and a faint, gentle smile graced her face. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a soft golden edge around her, making her look so clean and beautiful it seemed surreal, like a princess stepping out of a painting.

"Have you been waiting long?" Chen Fan stepped forward quickly and handed over a small paper bag he had been carrying. "Here, this is for you first."

Su Qingyue took it and opened the paper bag with some confusion. Inside was an exquisite transparent box containing four small cakes of different flavors and cute shapes. "What's this?"

"A 'dessert warm-up' before the main meal," Chen Fan said with a smile. "The birthday girl is the boss; everything is up to you today. But I thought, before meeting the elders, we could 'pad our stomachs' a bit and... talk for a while." He didn't want the atmosphere of their first formal date to be entirely taken over by the "meeting the elders" aspect.

Su Qingyue was stunned for a moment, then a deeper smile rippled in her eyes, her cheeks flushing slightly. "You're quite thoughtful... It just so happens that I'm also afraid Grandpa Qin will talk endlessly. Shall we go sit in the park nearby first?"

The two walked side by side to a nearby street park and found a quiet bench to sit on. Su Qingyue carefully opened the cake box, picked up a small piece of matcha-flavored cake with a small fork, and held it to Chen Fan's mouth first, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Chen Fan took a bite, the light, sweet taste melting in his mouth. Only then did Su Qingyue take a bite herself, squinting her eyes in satisfaction.

A simple interaction, yet a silent understanding and intimacy were quietly blossoming.

"The Grandpa Qin you mentioned, is he the elder who treats you very well?" Chen Fan naturally steered the conversation.

"Yes." Su Qingyue nodded, her tone filled with gratitude. "I met Grandpa Qin when I was interning at the hospital. At the time, he was a patient, and I was the intern nurse in charge of his ward. He didn't put on any airs at all and often encouraged me, teaching me many things I couldn't learn from books. Later, when I ran into some trouble finding a job after graduation, it was also Grandpa Qin who put in a good word for me, allowing me to successfully stay at my current community hospital. He has always treated me like his own granddaughter."

"Then his health...?" Chen Fan remembered Su Qingyue mentioning that Old Master Qin was "plagued by long-term illness."

Su Qingyue's smile faded slightly, and she sighed. "It's an old problem. Severe rheumatoid arthritis and an old injury to his lumbar spine. It hurts terribly whenever it rains. He's seen many doctors and tried many methods over the years, but they could only provide relief, not a cure. Especially his knees and wrists, which are visibly deformed. Now it's even difficult for him to walk, and he's had to give up many hobbies. Grandpa Qin used to love sports and calligraphy..."

Her tone was full of heartache.

"So, you want me to meet him because you hope..." Chen Fan asked tentatively.

"I..." Su Qingyue seemed a bit embarrassed, but her eyes were very serious. "Chen Fan, I know you're busy with your own career right now. I shouldn't trouble you with these things. But... Grandpa Qin is really good to me, and it hurts my heart to see him tormented by illness. The cold medicine you gave me last time... do you have some special 'connections' or know someone very capable? I don't want to make things difficult for you, but even if there's just a tiny possibility of easing Grandpa Qin's pain a bit..."

Her voice grew softer as she spoke, as if she felt her request was somewhat abrupt and demanding.

Chen Fan looked at her lowered eyes, which were filled with concern for her elder and anxiety about being rejected. A soft spot in his heart was gently touched.

"Qingyue," he spoke gently, interrupting her unease. "Take me to see Grandpa Qin."

Su Qingyue immediately looked up, surprise and uncertainty flashing in her eyes. "You... you're really willing?"

"Of course." Chen Fan smiled. "Professionally, respecting the elderly and the virtuous is only right; personally..." He paused, looking into her eyes. "I naturally care about the people you care about. As for whether I can help, I'll need to understand the specific situation first to judge. But in any case, it doesn't hurt to try."

He didn't make any grand promises, but his willingness to try was enough to deeply move Su Qingyue.

"Chen Fan, thank you!" she said from the bottom of her heart, her smile brightening again.

"Don't be so quick to thank me." Chen Fan took the small deep blue velvet box from his pocket and held it out to her. "This is a birthday gift. See if you like it?"

Su Qingyue's attention was drawn to it. She took the box and gently opened it. When the moon-white pendant came into view, she let out a soft "Ah," her eyes full of amazement.

"It's so beautiful... Is this... jade? It feels so warm and smooth." She carefully picked up the pendant, its touch and temperature making her unable to put it down.

"A special synthetic material that's good for the body. It's not worth much money, but I put a lot of thought into the design," Chen Fan said dismissively. "Do you like it?"

"I love it so much!" Su Qingyue immediately wanted to put it on, but because it was awkward, her movements with the chain were a bit clumsy. Chen Fan naturally took over. "Let me."

He stepped behind her, gently brushing aside the long hair at the back of her neck, looped the chain around, and carefully fastened the clasp. His fingertips occasionally brushed against the delicate skin of her neck, causing both of them to pause slightly as a subtle flutter filled the air.

The pendant hung below her collarbone. The moon-white color complemented her fair skin perfectly, and the minimalist crescent design was the finishing touch.

"It looks very good," Chen Fan praised sincerely, stepping back half a pace.

Su Qingyue looked down at the pendant on her chest, gently clasping it in her hand. That warm sensation seemed to seep through her skin, warming her heart. She didn't know about the pendant's hidden protection functions, but the thoughtful gift itself was precious enough.

"The pendant can monitor data like heart rate and body temperature. Give me your phone; I'll install an app for you so you can check the information anytime. If there's any abnormality in your body, it can even send you push notifications," Chen Fan said, naturally reaching out his hand.

"It has that function too?" Su Qingyue said as she handed him her phone.

"More than that. If you encounter danger, just say 'Repel,' and it has a function to push back and paralyze enemies," Chen Fan introduced the features.

"This is the best birthday gift I've ever received." She turned around, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Chen Fan smiled and pointed at the cakes. "If you don't eat them soon, they'll melt. After you finish, we'll go visit Grandpa Qin."

"Mm!"

The setting sun lengthened their shadows, and the park was quiet and peaceful. The cakes were sweet, and at this moment, their moods were even sweeter.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan began to calculate in his heart: After meeting Old Master Qin later, how should he naturally learn about the illness to 'help' him reasonably and effectively?

This might not just be about helping an old man; of course, most importantly, it could ease the worries of the kind-hearted girl before him.