"It's not as complicated as you think, Tongtong and her daughter are quite good friends in kindergarten, and they've had meals together a few times!" Liu Yifeng wasn't that narcissistic to believe a career woman like Xu Muqing would be interested in him.
"You don't believe me, do you? We observers see things more clearly. Why don't you confess to her someday and see if she accepts!"
Liu Yifeng never had such thoughts. "Stop playing matchmaker here. I'm not in the mood to think about my personal life right now.
In a few days, Tongtong will be participating in the 'The Brain' competition. After the recording, the vegetables in the greenhouses will likely be ready for harvest. I'm swamped with work, where would I find time for romance!"
"What? Tongtong is participating in 'The Brain'? What kind of show is that? I've never heard of it," Lu Fei asked Qiangzi, looking at him to see if he knew.
Qiangzi also shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
Liu Yifeng then explained, "It's a newly launched show. The contestants are all gifted young individuals from all over. Tongtong is the youngest among all the participants.
If Tongtong wins first place in this competition, he will get a spot at Yan University and five million in prize money!"
Upon hearing Liu Yifeng's words, both of them widened their mouths.
"Tongtong is amazing! He's so young and already participating in 'The Brain.'
Even though this show is new, the name itself suggests that the participants must be very intelligent.
During the competition, it will definitely be a battle of wits!
I don't know the skill level of the other contestants, but I believe Tongtong can definitely do it!" Lu Fei had unwavering faith in Tongtong.
"So, you'll be going with Tongtong to the show then?" Qiangzi asked.
"Yes. The company here will probably need you two to look after things. Call me if anything comes up.
This is our first time doing business and starting a company, like crossing a river by feeling the stones. We'll gain experience gradually. Don't rush when things happen, we'll figure out how to solve them together!" Liu Yifeng said.
Both of them nodded simultaneously. "Yifeng, you can go with peace of mind. We'll manage the company well!"
Soon, Liu Yifeng drove to the company.
Qiangzi and the others usually finished their renovation work around six-thirty or seven in the evening before going home. He drove a van himself.
It was not yet five o'clock, so he could still work for another two hours.
Lu Fei had nothing else to do after returning home, so he accompanied them.
Liu Yifeng had originally planned to drive Tongtong home after dropping them off at the company building.
The kindergarten issue had been resolved; Tongtong was not expelled, and Xiong Ruiming was fired instead.
However, after such an incident, Liu Yifeng was still worried that Tongtong might have some psychological trauma, so he planned to go back and gently guide Tongtong through it.
But Tongtong expressed his desire to play upstairs, and Liu Yifeng, unable to refuse, agreed.
The four of them got out of the car. Just as Liu Yifeng was about to take Tongtong's hand, Lu Fei rushed forward and scooped Tongtong up. "Tongtong, your godfather will carry you up!"
Liu Yifeng looked at the overly eager Lu Fei with some helplessness. "Lu Fei, put Tongtong down. He can walk by himself!"
"Put him down for what? Tongtong is so young, how can you let him walk by himself? If you, his father, don't care, then I, his godfather, will dote on him!" Lu Fei ignored Liu Yifeng and, carrying Tongtong, walked quickly towards the main lobby of the office building.
He playfully teased Tongtong all the way, making him giggle non-stop. Anyone who didn't know them might think they were father and son.
"Yifeng, be careful that Lu Fei snatches Tongtong away!" Qiangzi joked as he walked beside Liu Yifeng.
Liu Yifeng chuckled and replied, "My Tongtong can't be snatched away by anyone, not even his mother!"
Seeing Liu Yifeng's confidence, Qiangzi couldn't help but say, "Aren't you a bit too optimistic? Tongtong gets along well with you, but after all, Tongtong lived with his mother for so many years, and with you for less than half a year. In terms of time spent together, he's closer to his mother, isn't he?"
"You don't understand. When I say Tongtong is close to me, he is close to me..." Liu Yifeng didn't elaborate further.
Although Tongtong had lived with Yun Duo'er for over three years, Yun Duo'er's job required her to travel frequently. Sometimes she would be away for more than half a year and wouldn't stay long upon her return.
Even though Tongtong had only been with him for less than half a year, at least they spent time together every day.
Yun Duo'er, on the other hand, had spent less than two months with Tongtong in total.
Who Tongtong was closer to was obvious, so he wasn't afraid of Yun Duo'er fighting for Tongtong's custody.
If this were in the past, he might have been worried. In terms of material possessions, he couldn't provide Tongtong with a good life. But Yun Duo'er was different; a single variety show could earn her millions or tens of millions. A judge might consider the child's upbringing and material needs and rule in Yun Duo'er's favor.
But things were different now. He had assets under his name, no less than Yun Duo'er's, and his future earnings would only increase. Plus, Tongtong would definitely choose to be with him.
No matter how the ruling went, a judge would not grant custody to Yun Duo'er. This was the reason for Liu Yifeng's confidence.
Seeing Yifeng's confidence, Qiangzi wondered if Tongtong's mother had ever abused Tongtong.
Otherwise, he couldn't explain Liu Yifeng's confidence.
But he felt it was inappropriate to ask about such matters.
However, since he had become Tongtong's godfather, if Tongtong's biological mother ever showed up, he would definitely try to help Yifeng fight for custody.
Someone who voluntarily gave up custody seemed to have no right to fight for it anymore.
The few of them took the elevator to the sixteenth floor. Liu Yifeng remembered that Tongtong understood feng shui, so he quietly asked Tongtong, "Tongtong, do you think this place is good for Dad to open a company?"
This was also the reason Tongtong wanted to come upstairs – to check the feng shui of his dad's company.
For a business to grow and prosper, besides product reputation, feng shui was the most important factor.
Only with good feng shui could the business run smoothly; otherwise, it would lead to financial losses and disasters elsewhere!
Tongtong didn't speak but began examining the company's layout. Liu Yifeng didn't disturb him.
Meanwhile, Yun Duo'er, who had returned to the show crew, was recording the final episode of "Who is the Singer."
Although only three episodes had aired on television, they had already recorded the final episode, which was when the champion, runner-up, and third place would be decided.
In fact, the spots for such shows were predetermined.
To heavily promote her, the company had already paid to secure a runner-up spot for her.
Originally, given her popularity recently, they could have secured a championship spot. However, they had decided on the runner-up to generate controversy.
Controversy led to discussion, and discussion led to exposure.
It had to be said that Yun Duo'er's company was quite experienced in this regard.
Yun Duo'er had just finished her makeup and was about to go on stage.
But she didn't need to sing live; she had already pre-recorded her song and only needed to lip-sync to the microphone.
There were two other contestants before her. Knowing she had already secured the second place, Yun Duo'er felt no pressure and was idly scrolling through her phone.
Soon, a headline from Haicheng caught her attention.
"A Noble Kindergarten, Family of Public Official, Abuses Child Using Authority, Forces Withdrawal. Where is Justice?"
At first, she didn't react much. Such abuse of power was not uncommon. Even in their entertainment industry, established figures often bullied newcomers, and the newcomers dared not complain.
What truly captured her attention was that the voice of the bullied child sounded a bit like Tongtong's!