Chapter 325 Preparations

Song Ni started planning Tan Zheng's 30th birthday a month in advance. According to Xingcheng customs, such a milestone birthday was incredibly important, especially a 30th, which marked a significant turning point in life. However, with her busy schedule juggling studies and design competitions, she found it impossible to spare much time. Having two days to plan was the result of two weeks of continuous late nights. Song Ni took the opportunity while Tan Zheng was away to call home. She knew his parents would feel a sense of regret not being able to celebrate his 30th birthday with him. So, Song Ni wanted to fulfill their wishes as much as possible, a form of solace across tens of thousands of miles. When Song Ni called, Tan Zheng's father happened to be home. While Tan Zheng's mother was clearly overjoyed, his father maintained a more reserved demeanor. He was clearly concerned about how Tan Zheng would celebrate his birthday, but he refused to appear on camera. In the past, when Tan Zheng was abroad, he rarely called home. Tan Zheng's mother worried but didn't know what to do with her son. Now, with Song Ni, she received a call periodically, which finally eased some of her longing. Upon hearing that Song Ni planned to throw Tan Zheng a grand birthday celebration, Tan Zheng's mother was overjoyed and grew to like her more and more. "If you were here, Xiao Zheng's birthday would definitely be celebrated in a grand manner. But since you are abroad, just keep it simple. I don't have any specific requests, except that I must trouble Nini to make sure he finishes a whole bowl of birthday noodles and doesn't bite them." This was Tan Zheng's mother's most traditional and rigid wish. Birthday noodles were important, and not biting them was equally crucial. Song Ni agreed and decided to personally make him this bowl of longevity noodles. Song Ni asked if there were any other blessings they wished to convey. Tan Zheng's mother shook her head. As they were about to hang up, Tan Zheng's father, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Tell him that things abroad are not like they are at home. He must be extra careful with everything." It seemed that Tan Zheng's father, far away, was aware of the recent dealings with that corporation. However, he was unaware of the Duke's existence, which led him to believe Tan Zheng's actions were too aggressive. But Tan Zheng's father had a similar temperament in his youth, also feeling that such grievances had to be addressed. That was why he didn't scold him but rather advised him to be more cautious. After hanging up, Song Ni wrote the words "longevity noodles" on a piece of paper. Sheng Jiang had been discharged from the hospital a week prior. His leg fracture wasn't severe, and he could walk with a slight limp. Huan Yuan had been following Sheng Jiang since her training ended, not necessarily to provide attentive care, but to remind him when he was being excessively careless. Song Ni called the two over for brainstorming. Sheng Jiang, having been confined to the hospital for nearly a month, was filled with ideas for thrilling activities. "Let's go camping. The weather is getting warmer. We can find a cool spot, and preferably there should be some rafting or other activities nearby." "A while ago, I heard the coach mention a place that's good for rock climbing and bungee jumping." It seemed that when people couldn't do something, they desired it even more. Song Ni directly tapped him on the head. "You're limping, what are you thinking about? Are you expecting Huan Yuan to push you around in a wheelchair for these activities? Don't push it too far. Huan Yuan has been worn thin by you during this time." Sheng Jiang touched his head and glanced at Huan Yuan. Indeed, he had lost weight. Sheng Jiang reluctantly admitted, huffing haughtily, "I didn't ask him to do anything, he insisted on following me." Hearing this, Song Ni glanced at him, then looked at Huan Yuan. Seeing no negative emotions on his face, Song Ni couldn't help but sigh. Huan Yuan's temper was truly excellent. "Alright, let's be serious. I called you here for ideas." Sheng Jiang pouted and stopped joking. They also wanted to give Tan Zheng a good birthday. Huan Yuan remained composed. After ten minutes of silence, he proposed an idea. They were in the midst of preparation, so they couldn't go too far to avoid any accidents, and they only had two days to prepare. Although Tan Zheng's focus was on training, some of GN's major projects still required his oversight. During this period, both ends were under immense pressure. A birthday celebration that could bring joy to both the club members and the people at GN would be the most relaxing way for Tan Zheng to celebrate. After hearing Huan Yuan's suggestion, Song Ni pondered it carefully. She understood Tan Zheng. On the surface, he was formidable and had a stern demeanor that intimidated others. However, Song Ni knew that Tan Zheng cared deeply for the people at the club and the company. When the club's training was intense, Tan Zheng would order the coaches to give the children a day off to rest and would even join them in recreational activities. As for the people at GN, they had always respected Tan Zheng. During intense project periods, they would stay up late together. When things were less hectic, Tan Zheng would even grant them a week off for them to recuperate. It was precisely because of Tan Zheng's seemingly cold yet warm-hearted nature that he commanded such loyalty from his subordinates. Furthermore, he was highly capable, both on the track and in business. Song Ni then thought of the young men at GN, whose recreational activities mostly revolved around racing. Bringing both groups together to celebrate Tan Zheng's birthday, and considering Tan Zheng's deep passion for racing, the theme seemed to be set. However, making the racing theme entertaining was still a challenge. It couldn't simply be another competition, as they already spent too much time racing during their regular training. She wanted Tan Zheng to relax. Song Ni expressed her concerns. Sheng Jiang, full of quirky ideas, chimed in. "Sister Ni, you don't understand. There are many ways to have fun with racing." Song Ni was curious, and Huan Yuan was too. He hadn't heard of any other fun aspects of racing besides the competitive ones. Sheng Jiang mysteriously put a finger to his lips and lowered his voice as he spoke a great deal. After listening, both Song Ni and Huan Yuan fell silent. Although it sounded a bit absurd, it wasn't entirely impossible. The plan was thus decided. Song Ni even invited Vivian to join them. The four of them began planning Tan Zheng's birthday. First draft, revisions, more revisions, and finally, the final draft. All four were enthusiastic. When Tan Zheng returned that evening, he saw Song Ni looking exceptionally happy and couldn't help but be curious, thinking she had perhaps solved a major problem in a design competition. "Why are you so happy?" Song Ni just smiled and said nothing. Tan Zheng felt something was strange, especially when he saw Song Ni secretly getting up in the middle of the night, further confirming his suspicions.