Chapter 436: Agglomerating the stars

The desire of male engineering graduates and especially those IT males to protect little lolis was very difficult to imagine.

Having randomly intruded into that one meeting, somehow or other, a support base for Little Xiang Ning had finally appeared amongst Xu Tingsheng’s elite generals and companions.

As those of Xingchen Technologies saw it, their little Lady Boss was fated by ties of destiny with their company. Their greatest and most important upcoming project, that instant communication software, had even been named by her.

Moreover, the young girl was beautiful and pure. Even if she really made a few minor mistakes here and there, these people would only find it to be very adorable. In that short exchange, her sweet smile, delicate voice, how she had tried hard to speak gracefully despite her bashfulness and her shy yet sincere and docile manner had conquered the hearts of Xingchen Technologies’ IT males.

Previously, Xingchen Technologies had actually been less close to Xu Tingsheng as compared to Hucheng, Zhicheng and Tianyi. After all, these were all related to Xu Tingsheng’s friends as there was even a rumoured love affair...

This had caused those of Xingchen Technologies to feel like outsiders in that big family, thus lacking a sense of security.

Now, they had little Lady Boss...

As for Little Xiang Ning’s age, Xu Tingsheng was actually still merely a university student. They were not going to stick their noses into Xu Tingsheng’s love life, not that they might be capable of interfering with it. Really, their boss already had such accomplishments at such a young age. It was like his prospects were limitless.

Still, they were all able to tell how much their boss doted on their little Lady Boss. With that, it felt as if they ‘finally had someone up above’.

From Little Xiang Ning’s perspective.

Honestly speaking, Little Xiang Ning had never obtained that much recognition and acceptance from Xu Tingsheng and those he was affiliated with, besides Apple and Wu Yuewei if they could be counted.

Most people, like Xu Tingsheng’s bros, still found her existence and appearance in his life to be somewhat inconceivable, next feeling intrigued, then helpless, then curious...before just smiling wryly and silently accepting it, acting neither enthusiastic nor antagonistic but just neutral.

Due to that fire from before, some were even a bit resentful towards this young girl who had sprung out of nowhere as they just could not understand how she was worth it.

It was this bunch of people from Xingchen Technologies who were her true fans, and elite ones at that.

Even now, these future pillars of Xu Tingsheng’s business empire were already new nobility in Shenghai’s commercial sector, especially in the internet industry. Everyone understood the principle that when water levels rise, the boats sailing on the surface will also rise higher.

Even as Xingchen Technologies was swiftly rising to prominence, the importance of these people was also rising unceasingly.

This now was the modern day. If it was in ancient times, like palace conflicts, Xu Tingsheng’s own will aside, there would also be some ‘factions’ and their opinions.

Hucheng would undoubtedly lean towards Lu Zhixin. Their support for her was no weaker than their support for Xu Tingsheng himself.

As for Xu Tingsheng’s friends like Huang Yaming, Song Ni and Zhang Ninglang along with Tianyi that he had some shares of, they would definitely lean towards Apple. It might be the same for Zhicheng too. For Fang Yuqing, Yuqing was good friends with Apple and then there was Fang Chen too.

In his family, Wu Yuewei had her most loyal and also high-ranking ally in his sister, Xu Qiuyi. Mr Xu admired her a lot too.

There was only Little Xiang Ning who was all alone, pitiful and with no support. Fortunately, she was still young, naive and ignorant as she would not worry about such things. It was enough as long as Xu Tingsheng was good to her.

What did the current situation count as? Perhaps it counted as a batch of Xu Tingsheng’s major generals beginning to stand on her side, becoming loyal members of the Xiang Ning faction.

Of Xu Tingsheng’s enterprises, there was actually some intention to compete going on between the respective factions his elites were divided into. They were competing for their position in Xu Tingsheng’s heart, for priority in their future development in terms of resources, profits, etcetera.

While all under the same person’s wing, if they saw another being first to become a listed company, becoming millionaires one by one in the blink of an eye while they continued to consume soil...that wouldn’t feel very good.

This was especially so when both Hucheng Tongcheng and Xingchen Technologies believed that they should be the core, foremost entity of that future business empire that could already be seen in the horizon.

When Xu Tingsheng had been in a coma, Lu Zhixin had gone to Xingchen Technologies as the in-charge of Hucheng and fully supervised their activities. However much Hu Chen and He Yutan admired her and clicked with her, it would actually be difficult for them not to feel dissatisfied.

It felt just as if Xingchen Technologies was being suppressed by Hucheng Tongcheng.

In the words of Xingchen Technologies’ employees: “What’s so great about the main lineage’s firstborn son?”

Whether it was intentional or not, Xingchen Technologies held another important meeting that concerned the final details before the official implementation of Weixin on a weekend.

The meeting had yet to officially begin. The video connection was secured.

“How about you ask the little lady to come out and say hi?”

“Requesting little Lady Boss...”

“Boss Xu, have you cooked yet?”

“Have you given the reward sum yet?”

“Little Lady Boss, we’re all family!”

Little Xiang Ning was really sitting by the side, a pile of snacks beside her. She had quite a lot of interest in Xu Tingsheng’s video conferences now. The matter of choosing a name last time had left her in high spirits and with a great sense of accomplishment. She felt as if she was also one of those participating in the Weixin project.

Therefore, she was definitely paying it a lot of heed.

A helpless Xu Tingsheng could only take off his headset and turn on the external speaker, also giving Little Xiang Ning a microphone.

“Hello! You don’t need to call me that...my name is Xiang Ning,” Little Xiang Ning said, “The reward...he didn’t give me the money...he said that he’ll help me to keep it.”

“What! Isn’t this how parents cheat away red packet money?”

“That’s right! This is really too shameless...”

“A boss he is, but he doesn’t follow up on his promises...”

Xu Tingsheng immediately fell prey to the rebukes and chastising of his employees. As he did not habitually put up a front and very much lacked the cool, high-and-mighty CEO look, those people under him still dared to mess around a bit from time to time...

“You lot are too lax! Bro Hu, Bro He, you should keep them in line better...” Xu Tingsheng exclaimed helplessly.

Hu Chen and He Yutan both smiled at the screen but said nothing, enjoying his plight.

“So, Little Xiang Ning, are you the little Lady Boss?” Justice was still defeated by gossip in the end.

“I, I...” Little Xiang Ning’s face was beetroot red as she stammered a little before turning to look at Xu Tingsheng, signalling with her eyes, “You do it! I want to see what you say...”

Xu Tingsheng felt awkward, being rendered at a momentary loss for words.

Little Xiang Ning covered both the microphones with her hands.

“Miss Bao treated me especially well this week,” She said.

“Well, isn’t that nice,” Xu Tingsheng said.

“One day, she asked me while blushing if you’re married, if you have a girlfriend.”

“...Maybe my get-up was too oldish that day. I did that on purpose.”

“Yes, but I’m still very unhappy now.”

“...Got it.”

Little Xiang Ning released the microphones. Xu Tingsheng answered that earlier question on her behalf.

“Ahem, regarding that question just now. In the future, yes,” Xu Tingsheng said into the screen.

“Alright, let’s start the meeting,” Xu Tingsheng immediately added to suppress the discussion.

The meeting lasted more than two hours. Little Xiang Ning obediently listened from the side until it was over. Besides pouring water for Xu Tingsheng every once in a while, she also added some sound effects to the meeting, like ripping, like munch, munch and crunch, crunch...

Everyone, Xu Tingsheng included, looked like they were trying hard to suppress their laughter with doting expressions on their faces every time they heard this.

Beneath this relaxed atmosphere, the meeting seemed to go much more efficiently as everyone’s minds seemed to work better.

At the end of the meeting, the usually serious Hu Chen asked on behalf of the rest, “Boss Xu, can you ask little Lady Boss to come on screen?”

And so Xu Tingsheng could only call Xiang Ning over.

“It’s like this. We want to notify Boss Xu and Little Xiang Ning.” In saying notify, there was a rare hint of amusement in Hu Chen’s normally stern features as he smiled, “So, about the name of that public crowdfunding project that Boss Xu instructed us with last time. Earlier, we already discussed and decided on a name for it, Agglomerating The Stars (Ningju Xingchen).”

Ningju Xingchen, the Ning character of Xiang Ning. It was also the Ning of agglomerating power, signifying working together hand in hand. The Xingchen of Xingchen Technologies, the Xingchen of a sky filled with stars. It signified countless people all playing a part.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

This name was very well thought out and meaningful, that was undeniable.

This was a crowdfunding channel that would see people helping one another. At the same time, Xingchen Technologies would also grant a certain amount of additional funding to the projects purely related to the public good depending on the amounts raised. With that, they would be donating to things like disaster relief and personal relief and education etcetera...

It was an image of the starry sky. At the same time, it was a representation of Xingchen’s conscience and sense of civic responsibility.

It would be called: Agglomerating The Stars.

“Remember to get the reward money from Boss Xu, little Lady Boss!”

“Come play in Shenghai during the holidays! It’s your territory here...”

“We’re on the same side, we’re family! Please help to speak more on Xingchen’s behalf, little Lady Boss!”