50: Chapter 50: Gifts!

Date!

50: Chapter 50: Gifts!

Date!

Action speaks louder than words!

Wu Jie immediately contacted his old classmate Deng Hua.

He was a military history enthusiast and had participated in victory celebrations during their school days.

This event gave him a brainwave—why not collect photos of every significant modern battle and compile them into a beautifully crafted photo album?

To this end, Deng Hua had expended a lot of energy, searching through a vast amount of historical material and even flying to various museums.

Hard work pays off!

Wealthy Deng Hua had collected tens of thousands of precious photos.

After meticulously selecting them, he categorized them by different periods and wars, printed them on expensive copperplate paper, and bound them into a war photo collection that was truly unique in the world.

Wu Jie remembered that the photo album had a hundred pages, was quite large—roughly half the size of a desk—and very heavy.

Unfortunately…

He had intended to donate it to the school library, but it was rejected since it wasn’t published by an official publishing house and couldn’t be displayed.

Infuriated, Deng Hua immediately called for a car to take the photo album home, where it gathered dust.

After nearly three years, it was unclear if it still existed.

Unable to reach him at first, Wu Jie sent a text message.

By nearly noon, Deng Hua replied.

“Honor, are you serious?

You’re going to spend money to buy my photo collection as a gift?”

“Yes!

I’m going to give it as a gift.

The recipient is a ninety-year-old veteran.

Showing him the pictures of each battle will surely be meaningful.

It’s a truly unique gift!”

“Damn, that’s quite an idea!

But since he’s a veteran, I’d give it for free.

However, my mom has already sold the album as scrap, but the digital version is still available.

I’ll email it to you right away, you can find a place to print it yourself!”

Wu Jie hurriedly said, “Great!

You’ve really helped me out.

Are you still in Tianyuan?

I’ll treat you to dinner tonight!

And I’ll give you the money for the photo album at the same time!”

Deng Hua snorted, “Damn!

Stop talking about money, it hurts our friendship!

But I’ll have to pass on dinner; I have a movie date with my girlfriend tonight.

How about Saturday?”

“Dang!

The invisible bragging, showing off love again!”

“Aren’t you close too?

You are not getting any younger; are you still a single dog?”

Wu Jie was stunned.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had a date tonight too!

He had promised Tang Xin to treat their whole class to dinner to celebrate her getting out of singlehood.

“One full belly feeds the whole family!

Let’s do Saturday then, you pick the place and the guests; I’ll just foot the bill!”

“Good man, that’s what I was waiting to hear.

I’ll call a few more old classmates then.”

After chatting for a bit more, Wu Jie hung up the phone and soon after received an email.

Taking advantage of his lunch break, he found a nearby advertising company.

They quoted him less than five thousand.

That was for printing on high-quality copperplate paper, which included designing the cover and sleeve, plus laminated wrapping, ensuring it’d be exquisite.

Returning to the surveillance center with the receipt and pickup order, Wu Jie didn’t know how to mention it to Tang Xiao.

“Should I say that I had a budget of half a million for a gift, but ended up spending less than five thousand?”

Wu Jie shrugged it off since it was a bargain and he didn’t plan on having Tang Xiao pay for it, he decided simply not to mention it.

Giving gifts is all about the thought that counts.

If the Tang Family People looked down on him, even a gift of a mountain of gold would still be scorned.

Moreover, he was just a pretend boyfriend, there to act alongside Tang Xiao.

With the Tang family’s illustrious background and wealth, whatever gift he gave didn’t truly matter.

On the day of the birthday banquet, his appearance as Tang Xiao’s boyfriend would be explosive.

He might be sneered at for his modest background and occupation, and perhaps other unexpected situations would arise, but it was all just a performance in the end.

The prop of a gift was ready, and Wu Jie felt he had given it his all.

As for what would happen on the day of the banquet…

who cares, with the system on my side, what’s there to fear?

Time to eat!

Time to sleep!

Platoon leader Guo Wei, knowing Wu Jie’s close relationship with Tang Xiao, even excused him from patrolling.

Watching surveillance while sipping tea, or browsing live streams to draw enmity.

A life as useless as scrap, and just like that, it was time to clock out at six.

However, when he got to the parking lot and prepared to drive home, he found Tang Xiao waiting beside his car.

“What’s the matter that you couldn’t make a phone call and had to wait here for me?”

After getting in and starting the car, Wu Jie immediately asked.

“We’re going to Yida Plaza.

We might be a fake couple, but shopping, buying things, and watching movies are all part of the act.

We can’t miss any of it!”

Without any further explanation, Tang Xiao buckled her seatbelt, lowered her seat, closed her eyes, and enjoyed a relaxing massage.

Wu Jie’s smile stiffened, almost blurting out that he had plans with his cousin Tang Xin tonight.

But could he really disregard the orders of a domineering CEO?

Whirr!

He drove out of the parking lot and into the stop-and-go traffic of the evening rush hour.

By the time they parked at Yida Plaza, Tang Xiao had already taken a nap.

“Let’s go!

It won’t take much of your time,” Tang Xiao said with an air of indifference.

Exiting the car, they entered the elevator.

Once inside the mall, Tang Xiao looped her arm through Wu Jie’s, and they took a picture in front of a branded store.

Then they entered the store for more staged photos—some of Wu Jie buying clothes, some with him selecting clothes for her.

Next was the dessert shop where they ordered two desserts.

They hardly ate, focusing instead on taking photos.

Finally, at the movie theater, they bought tickets at random.

Just before the show, they struck a cozy pose in their seats, snapped a photo, and left.

After wandering around and returning to the car, the whole ordeal took less than half an hour.

“Drive me back.

I have an emergency trip to Europe tonight, and I’ll be back by tomorrow night.”

With her orders issued, Tang Xiao settled down to rest and fell asleep again.

As it turned out, she was merely gathering her strength for the trip so that she could get straight to work upon arriving in Europe.

A workaholic indeed, living up to the name!

When they arrived at the parking lot beneath the office tower, Wu Jie didn’t leave immediately.

It wasn’t long before he saw Tang Xiao and a group of FAID Group executives emerge from the elevator.

Several assistants and secretaries followed, with Xie Wanjun among them.

The group quickly got into their cars and departed, apparently heading straight to the airport to catch the company’s corporate jet to Europe.

After watching the motorcade leave, Wu Jie immediately phoned Sun Liang.

“Has the group encountered any new market movement lately?

Over in Europe?”

“Not much, just that the longstanding chairman of FAID Group fell ill and was hospitalized.

The temporary head of power, James, he’s a real piece of work…

Hey, aren’t you a security guard now?

Why suddenly interested in this?”

Wu Jie responded, “Just curious, that’s all.

Alright, I won’t disturb your weekend rest.

It’s time for me to clock out too!”

After hanging up, he received two messages from Tang Xin, one of which was a GPS location.

“Bro, hurry over!

I’ve already reserved the spot!”

Wu Jie replied that he got it and immediately drove over.

Meanwhile, at Ma Hotpot Restaurant in the snack street.

Many classmates had already arrived, and Tang Xin took the initiative to settle everyone at their tables but was repeatedly asked where her boyfriend was.

Having thought that Wu Jie would arrive shortly, Tang Xin always cheerfully said he’d be there soon.

Very soon, immediately, just a moment…

When most people had eaten their fill and were growing impatient, Wu Jie finally arrived.

“Have you all seen?

He’s Tang Xin’s loser boyfriend!”

With a shout from Su Geng, numerous gazes suddenly turned to Wu Jie…