Stars Fall Into The Sea, Love Never Fades Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Workplace counterattack and the faint voice of the soul

After returning to the company, Ah Zhi immediately threw himself into work.The frustration of losing the project did not dissipate, but the motivation to prepare for the exhibition and Qi’s mother’s understanding rekindled his fighting spirit.He knows that only by doing a good job can he have more ability to fulfill Qi’s wishes and get his life back on track.

He convened a meeting with core members of the department to analyze the reasons for the loss of the project.Through review, they found that competitors not only exaggerated their own advantages in front of customers, but also deliberately spread rumors that A Zhi was “unstable and incompetent for the project.”What’s even more irritating is that many core ideas in the competitor’s project plan are highly similar to the first draft submitted by the team, which was obviously obtained through improper means.

“Mr. Ah, we can’t just let it go!” The young designers in the team flushed with anger, “They are stealing ideas, how despicable!”

Ah Zhi’s face was gloomy, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table.He has never been one to let others bully him. In the past, he lost his sense of proportion because he was immersed in regret. Now, he must seek justice for himself and the team.

“We have a complete record of the first draft and proof of the submission time. This is evidence they cannot deny.” A Zhi’s voice was steady and powerful. “Next, we will take two steps: first, organize all the evidence, submit complaints to customers and industry associations, and expose their behavior of stealing ideas; second, optimize our backup plan, upgrade according to the core needs of customers, and let customers see our strength.”

After the meeting, A Zhi personally led the team to sort out the evidence.He didn’t sleep for two consecutive days and nights, checking documents word by word and sorting out the timeline. His eyes were bloodshot, but he was still in high spirits.Qilin’s soul was always by his side, and the smell of cedar within three meters was like an invisible barrier, cutting off fatigue and impetuosity.

One time, A Zhi was lying on his desk checking data and fell asleep unknowingly.In a daze, he felt a slight stream of air brushing his cheek, and then, a very light sound came from his ear, like a mosquito buzzing, but it came clearly into his mind – “Azhi, rest…”

Azhi woke up suddenly, his heart beating wildly.He looked around. There was no one in the office, only the halo of the desk lamp enveloped him.But the call just now clearly had Qi’s unique gentle tone. Although it was so weak that it was almost inaudible, it really existed.

“Qi? Is that you?” He stood up excitedly and shouted into the void next to him, “You just spoke, right? Say it again, I can hear you!”

There was silence in the air, the smell of cedar still lingered, but no sound could be heard anymore.Ah Zhi felt a sense of disappointment, but what was even more overwhelming was ecstasy – Qi could make a sound!This means that the connection between them is one step closer.

He sat on the chair, calming down his excitement, his fingertips trembling slightly.He remembered that in the studio last night, Qi’s breath briefly enveloped him, and now he heard his voice again. Does this mean that Qi’s soul is gradually becoming clear?Will one day he can really see Qi and hear Qi’s voice again?

This thought filled him with motivation.He returned to work more efficiently than before.Three days later, Azhi visited his client Mr. Li again with a complete chain of evidence and an optimized plan.

When Mr. Li saw the evidence, his face became ugly.He apparently had no idea that a competitor had won the project by stealing ideas, leaving him feeling cheated.Ah Zhi did not take the opportunity to add insult to injury, but calmly presented the optimized plan and explained the feasibility and advantages of the plan in detail.

“Mr. Li, what we are pursuing is not temporary cooperation, but long-term trust.” Ah Zhi’s voice was sincere. “I admit that I was not in good condition at the previous review meeting and gave you a bad experience, but this does not mean that our strength is not good. I hope you can give us a chance and give yourself a chance to choose a better solution.”

Mr. Li was silent for a long time, and finally nodded: “Mr. Ah, your evidence is very convincing, and the plan is indeed more complete than the previous one. Let’s do this. I will hold an internal meeting to re-evaluate and give you an answer in three days.”

When leaving the client’s company, the sun was setting.Ah Zhi stood on the side of the road, looking at the sunset on the horizon, with a relieved smile on his lips.No matter what the result was, he had tried his best and that was enough.

The smell of cedar around him had a hint of lightness, as if Qi was happy for him.Azhi stretched out his hand and said softly toward the void: “Qi, thank you. In the conference room just now, I felt that you were beside me. It was you who gave me courage.”

He could feel the breath lingering gently on his fingertips, as if Qi was responding to his words.Although there is no sound or entity, this companionship is enough to support him through all the difficulties and obstacles.

It was already late at night when we returned to the villa.Ah Zhi did not fall into a breakdown as usual, but took out Qi’s draft book and looked through it page by page.He saw a small cartoon drawn by Qi in his draft book – a man in a suit (obviously him) was working overtime, and there was a small figure (Qi) next to him handing him coffee. Next to it was written: “Azhi, please take care of yourself, otherwise I will feel bad.”

Looking at this childish cartoon and warm text, Ah Zhi’s tears fell again.He leaned on the sofa and said softly: “Qi, I will take care of my health, work well, and live a good life. Don’t worry, I won’t worry you anymore.”

At this moment, another very soft voice came to his ear, which was clearer than last time: “Azhi… don’t be sad…”

Azhi suddenly raised his head, his eyes widened.This time, he heard clearly, it was Qi’s voice!Although it was so faint that it seemed to be coming from a far away place, it carried Qi’s unique tenderness and distress.

“Qi! I heard it! I really heard it!” He stood up excitedly and shouted into the void beside him, “Can you say a few more words, okay? I really want to hear your voice, I really want to hear you speak again!”

Silence returned to the air, except for the strong smell of cedar.But Azhi was already satisfied. These two weak calls were like lights in the darkness, illuminating his path to atonement and strengthening his courage to live.

He knew that Qi was always by his side and never left.The bond between them across life and death is deepening in an incredible way.