288: Chapter 288 Fan Meeting?

Zhao Yang withdrew his gaze, his expression indifferent. Wang Ming fastened his seatbelt beside him, leaned over to glance at the two people across the aisle, and nudged Zhao Yang lightly with his elbow.

"Isn't that Song Xi?" Wang Ming asked in a lowered voice.

"Yeah."

Zhao Yang nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.

"The guy next to her seems to be Liu Yu, who graduated last year. He's two years ahead of us and used to run an advertising company in Changcheng. I heard people talking in the alumni group; apparently, he's been pursuing Song Xi for quite a while."

Zhao Yang didn't respond. Wang Ming didn't ask any more questions.

The plane hadn't taken off yet, and the cabin was relatively quiet. After Liu Yu sat down, he pulled a document from his briefcase, flipped through a couple of pages, then looked up to scan the cabin. His gaze stopped abruptly when it swept across the aisle, and his expression changed noticeably.

"My god." Liu Yu put the document down and turned sideways to look at Zhao Yang. "Are you Zhao Yang? Zhao Yang from Peking University?"

Zhao Yang glanced at him and nodded.

"It really is you!"

Liu Yu's voice rose significantly, and he leaned over toward them. With an excited glint in his eyes, he spoke to Zhao Yang with agitation.

"I'm a fan of yours! I've downloaded every paper you've published. Although I can't understand most of them, I've watched the recording of your public lecture with Terence Tao at Peking University several times. And that video of you debating world mathematicians at the International Congress of Mathematicians in India was so satisfying! It was incredible; it really got my blood pumping."

"Thank you."

Zhao Yang's tone was very flat.

Liu Yu clearly didn't intend to stop there, and he continued to ask Zhao Yang enthusiastically.

"Dr. Zhao, what research are you working on now? I saw in the news that your Superconductivity Model made the cover of PRL, and even Nobel Prize winners are speaking highly of you. Are you planning to go for a Nobel Prize next?"

"I'm still doing some basic research. It's hard to say when results will come out."

Zhao Yang's reply was very brief.

"You're just too modest!"

Liu Yu laughed warmly. He turned to pat Song Xi, who was sitting next to him, his voice filled with excitement.

"Xi Xi, didn't you graduate from Changcheng No. 1 High School? Dr. Zhao is from there too! Your high school is truly impressive to produce someone like Dr. Zhao. By the way, Dr. Zhao, which year did you graduate? It should be around the same time as her, right?"

Song Xi visibly stiffened when Liu Yu patted her. Her fingers gripped the corner of the blanket on her lap, her knuckles turning white. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke in a very soft voice.

"We were in the same year. Class 37 of Senior High."

"The same year? The same class?!" Liu Yu's volume rose again. "Then you're classmates! Why didn't you ever tell me? This is such a coincidence!"

Liu Yu turned back to Zhao Yang, his tone even more cordial. "Dr. Zhao, in that case, we're practically family. Song Xi is my girlfriend. I really didn't expect the two of you to be high school classmates; the world is so small. How was your relationship back in high school?"

Zhao Yang hadn't opened his mouth when Wang Ming chimed in from the side.

"Brother Yang was a top student in the class back then. Song Xi's grades were also very good; the two of them often discussed problems together." Wang Ming spoke casually, sounding as if he were just stating facts.

Liu Yu was even more delighted after hearing this and wanted to keep chatting. However, the safety announcement began playing over the plane's intercom, and a flight attendant walked down the aisle, reminding everyone to fasten their seatbelts and stow their tray tables. Liu Yu leaned back into his seat and stopped talking, but the excitement of meeting an idol was still written all over his face.

Wang Ming watched Liu Yu sit back, then looked at Song Xi's back and sent a WeChat message to Zhao Yang.

"Liu Yu seems quite devoted to Song Xi."

Zhao Yang glanced at his phone and replied: "No need to talk about her."

Wang Ming sent an OK emoji.

"How is Fenglan International doing?"

Zhao Yang asked Wang Ming.

Hearing Zhao Yang's question, the smile on Wang Ming's face grew wider.

"Things are going very well. Our business is still in the expansion phase. The Fenglan brand already has enough name recognition, at least domestically!"

"The profit margins in the clothing business are truly high! We've already started operating offline retail stores. We've expanded to thirty stores nationwide, and the number is still skyrocketing."

When talking about his business, Wang Ming instantly became talkative.

For over a year, Wang Ming had focused almost all his energy on the business. It could be said that he had built Fenglan International from the ground up, bit by bit.

Although the initial capital and the conceptual inspiration all came from himself, Wang Ming's efforts still far exceeded his own.

Yet he still held the lion's share of the shares—seventy percent...

Thinking of this, Zhao Yang felt a bit ashamed.

Collecting his thoughts, Zhao Yang offered some suggestions to Wang Ming.

This included the future direction of development: establishing high-end and mid-range brands, and simultaneously developing offline retail and online channels.

While they were chatting, the plane began to taxi. Song Xi sat in her seat, remaining silent the entire time.

She didn't speak to Liu Yu, nor did she glance toward Zhao Yang. She simply leaned against her seatback, her head turned to look out the window. Liu Yu took out his phone to snap a photo of the view outside and said a few words to her. Song Xi responded a few times, but her voice was so low it couldn't be heard clearly.

Throughout the flight, Liu Yu struck up a conversation with Zhao Yang twice more. Once, after the plane reached cruising altitude, he took out a thermos and poured a cup of tea, then asked Zhao Yang across the aisle if he had considered commercializing his research results. He mentioned he knew a few friends in investment who could help facilitate connections.

Zhao Yang said he wasn't considering it for the time being. Liu Yu didn't push it but handed over a business card, saying Zhao Yang could contact him anytime if he had thoughts on it in the future. Zhao Yang took it and glanced at it; it was a finely printed card on coated paper with the words "General Manager of Yuxiang Advertising Media Co., Ltd." printed on it. Zhao Yang casually tucked the card into his bag.

Another time was when the plane was about to land; Liu Yu wanted to take a photo with Zhao Yang. Zhao Yang said it wasn't convenient, and Liu Yu didn't insist, simply saying with a smile that he understood.

After the plane landed and the seatbelt sign turned off, people in the cabin stood up to get their luggage. Liu Yu and Song Xi stood up as well. Zhao Yang and Wang Ming grabbed their backpacks and headed out. Wang Ming pushed his suitcase and looked back after a few steps. Liu Yu was helping Song Xi get her suitcase from the overhead bin.

"That Liu Yu guy is certainly enthusiastic."

Wang Ming turned back and said to Zhao Yang.

"Yeah."

"Song Xi looks a bit uncomfortable."

"Yeah."

Seeing Zhao Yang's attitude, Wang Ming didn't continue the topic.

The two of them exited the airport, where the car Wang Ming had arranged in advance was already waiting in the parking lot.

Zhao Yang hadn't told his parents he was coming home this year. After all, the airport was quite far from his house—a full hour's drive, making it a two-to-three-hour round trip.

Zhao Yang felt it wasn't necessary.

After loading the luggage, the car drove along the airport expressway toward downtown Changcheng. In the last month of the lunar year, the temperature in Changcheng was higher than in Yanjing, and the trees on both sides of the road were still green. Zhao Yang glanced out the window, took out his phone, and sent a message to his mother, saying he had landed and would be home in about half an hour.