Chapter 8 First Love

So I cleared my thoughts and said: "Mr. Shadisong, if the differences between technologies aren’t sharp, I think you should value the maintenance and updating of software systems more. Any software may have bugs, enterprise systems are easy targets for hackers, which requires a person on call 24 hours a day to deal with emergencies, after all, great losses would be caused if an enterprise's office system cannot run normally.

"This is maintenance, as for update ... the purpose of the OA system is to improve the efficiency of enterprises, but even if the system is tailor-made, there will be some unreasonable or complex settings which need to be optimized and improved continuously, and the management of enterprises would change and improve, so the system must also follow the changes to serve the business better.

"I'm saying this to tell Mr. Shadisong that everyone now uses JAVA2 to develop software, and there's not much technical difference, it's more about the details, but in terms of efficiency and service... Americans are strict to working hours, they rarely work overtime. They are strict to work procedures and rigid rules... But we Chinese are different, as long as the leader give orders, those engineers just have to bury their heads and work for days and nights without sleep.

"The custom software development cycle alone will definitely be less time-consuming for the Chinese than the U.S., and the diligence of the Chinese is even more important when it comes to updates or maintenance of the software."

At this moment, my mouth went a little dry, so I stopped and took another sip of beer.

Shadisong, on the other hand, thought something quietly without saying a word.

"I'm not fighting for this project for Ms. Bai, I’m just analyzing it from an objective point of view, Mr. Shadisong, please don’t mind it, we have four other Chinese companies also striving for it." I added.

Shadisong came back to his senses and folded his hands towards me gratefully, "Thank you Mr. Fang, your analysis is very insightful, we have considered this aspect before, but not as thoroughly as you."

I was really tired of Thai etiquette, but I couldn't refuse to return him a salute, that would make me seem rude.

Returning him a salute as if worshipping a Buddha, I continued to drink while Shadisong asked me questions about what I'd just said.

Maybe it was because I hadn't spoken much during my ten days in detention, or maybe it was because I had become talkative after several years working as a salesman, I didn't refuse to answer any of his questions.

I even talk to him about the cultural differences between China and the United States, about the economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.

At some point, I felt that I could pretend a professor in online forum.

Of course, apart from this kind of topic, Shadisong and I also talked about other topics, such as women and food, especially women. It’s obvious that Shadisong’s not an upright man.

Before we knew it, we had become friends that tell one another everything.

Until he raised his hand to look at his watch and exclaimed that he had to work tomorrow then we said goodbye to each other.

I wasn't in the mood to sleep with a Thai girl tonight, so I left with Shadisong, who dropped me off at a nearby hotel and gave me his phone number.

I had a good sleep in the hotel, probably because of the alcohol.

The next day, instead of rushing home, I wandered in the streets of Chiangmai and visited the old city, where the stately temples everywhere made me feel calm.

I didn't go to faraway places or places which need high expenditure because I didn't have the money, I could come to Thailand because of the 8 hundred dollars which my ex-girlfriend had transferred to me.

But I won't spend that money, I would pay her back, every penny of it.

I didn’t need her sympathy.

On the morning of the third day, I packed the only suit of clothes I had, put on my backpack, and wanted to check out then go to the airport when my phone suddenly rang, showing an unfamiliar number from China.

I answered the phone confusingly and heard a woman's familiar voice, "Tom, hello, are you still in Thailand?"

"Wendy?" I frowned and asked, the voice seemed to be hers.

"It's me, are you still in Thailand? I'd like to talk to you, in person." Her voice was emotionlessly.

"Talk about what? What do we have to talk about?" I answered coldly.

"I'd like to ask you to come back to the office and continue to be my assistant."

"Ha." I couldn't help but sneer, "President Bai, are you kidding me or are you playing with me?"

"I'm inviting you to come back genuinely, after all, you were fired for absenteeism because of me."

"So, offer a job to make it up to me?"

Listening to my icy words, Wendy was silent over the phone.

I was about to hang up the phone when she suddenly spoke again, "Tom, you know Shadisong from BTT Group, right?"

"He told you?" I wasn't too surprised.

"Well, I want to have this project whatever it takes, but the top at BTT Group now prefers to Silicon Valley, and Shadisong says you're the only one who can help me, so I'd like you to come back."

"Ha, ha..." I laughed.

Looking at the spacious double bed in the hotel room, I said quietly.

"In that case, let's meet and talk, I'll be waiting for you at the Chala Hotel, room 8012."

She kept silent for a few seconds, and finally I heard Wendy say yes, then she hung up.

Actually, I didn't want to stay in Sea Smart Software Company, I had made up my mind in detention that I would fuck her once then I would leave her as far as I could.

I didn't want to see Wendy's ungrateful, cold and arrogant face again.

I didn't want to help her get that project, I asked her to be here only wanted to see her pissed off after she had been rejected by me.

I hung up Wendy’s phone call, put down my backpack and sat down on the sofa to light a cigarette when the phone rang again.

It was Shadisong who’s calling.

After answered the phone and said hello, Shadisong apologized to me on the phone.

"Mr. Fang, I said something to Ms. Bai about you and asked her to find you, and I apologize if this will bother you."

"It’s nothing, there's no need to apologize, and I'd be happy to meet with Ms. Bai, but I won't help her with your company's project because I hate her."

"Oh?" Shadisong's tone was a little surprised, then he remained silence for a moment and said, "Tom, I understand you, but in that case our company would have to sign contracts with companies in Silicon Valley."

"Aren't there four more Chinese companies?"

"Well..." Shadisong thought for a moment.

"Indeed, one of them is also strong, the project representative is very eloquent, I can tell him what you said last night and help him to win, by the way, a project representative has an assistant named Luoshui, she's also very pretty, a lot of pretty girls in your China."

"Luoshui Lin?" I was startled.

"Yes, Tom, you know her too?"

I didn't say anything, just closed my eyes and took a deep breath as a way to control the sorrow that suddenly spread inside my heart.

Luoshui Lin, the woman who said she would wait for me before I went to jail, but ended up sending me a breakup letter.

My ex-girlfriend, my first love.