Come on, What Kind of CEO Chases His Roommate Back to the Country? - Chapter 70

The Senior Living Haven project had entered its smart system testing phase. Pei Song led the team into the model unit to begin a week-long comprehensive trial.

Problems surfaced on the very first day.

“Manager Pei, the vital sign monitoring module is throwing errors again,” the technical supervisor pointed at the screen. “This is the third time today.”

Pei Song walked over to check the error logs, his frown deepening by the second.

As the core function of this elderly care project, the vital sign monitoring system was required to operate 24/7 with absolute stability, there was no room for error.

“Run a round of stress tests,” he instructed.

The results were even more concerning. Under simulated peak load conditions, the system kept crashing, and the monitoring data showed large volumes of anomalies.

“Document every abnormal occurrence,” Pei Song told the team. “We need to get to the root of this.”

The second day’s testing didn’t go any smoother.

The smart home control system was highly unstable, sometimes unresponsive, sometimes triggering commands by mistake.

The most serious issue during testing, the emergency call button had a 30% failure rate.

“This completely fails to meet our acceptance standards,” Pei Song said. “Run the tests again. I want a detailed data analysis.”

At eleven that night, the model unit was still lit. Pei Song and the technical team sat around the conference room, going through the test data line by line.

“The error rate on the core functions is way too high.” He pointed at the stats chart on the screen. “There’s no way this system can go live like this.”

Just then, the conference room door was pushed open. Shi Yancheng walked in, carrying several insulated food containers.

“Still working this late?” He glanced around the room, setting the boxes on the table. “Grab a late-night snack, everyone.”

When the containers were opened, a warm, fragrant aroma spread through the room, late-night meal sets from the Hyatt Hotel, fresh shrimp wontons with mushroom xiaolongbao, and a special stomach-soothing congee.

Each compartment was neatly packed, and even the congee’s temperature was perfect.

Side dishes were thoughtfully prepared too: flavorful pickled radish, freshly stir-fried greens, and a chef’s special cold platter.

The meal was light enough for a late shift, but warm and comforting.

“Thank you, Mr. Shi.” The team members gratefully expressed their thanks as if receiving a treasure.

Shi Yancheng walked over to Pei Song, glancing at the report in front of him. “How’s it going?”

Pei Song handed him the latest test data. “Not great. Core functions keep failing, the medical monitoring data’s unstable, and the devices aren’t running reliably either.”

Shi Yancheng carefully reviewed the report, his expression calm. “What’s your plan?”

“I’ve already instructed the tech team to run a full inspection,” Pei Song said. “Until every issue is resolved, the system won’t go live.”

Shi Yancheng nodded without further comment, pushing a bowl of congee toward him. “Eat something first.”

Watching Pei Song focus intently on eating, a few strands of hair falling over his forehead almost dipping into the bowl, Shi Yancheng reached out to gently brush them aside.

“Once this is over, get a haircut.”

Pei Song instinctively nodded, then immediately realized how ambiguous the gesture felt. His hand tightened slightly around the spoon.

At the next day’s project briefing, Pei Song reported the testing progress.

“Based on our preliminary checks, the system has serious safety risks. I recommend immediately requiring the supplier to carry out a comprehensive overhaul.”

Liu Yan immediately objected. “Making major changes now is too risky. Why not just lower the acceptance standards a little? After all, this is just the first phase.”

“I agree with Team Leader Liu,” Li Ming chimed in. “If we’re too strict, it’ll affect the project schedule. The supplier’s technical capabilities are proven, it might just need some fine-tuning.”

“This isn’t about strict or lenient standards,” Pei Song said seriously. “This is a life-safety system for the elderly. There’s zero tolerance for negligence.”

“Manager Pei’s right,” Shi Yancheng spoke calmly. “There’s no room to compromise on safety. Give the supplier a deadline to fix it, if they fail, we terminate the contract.”

After the meeting, Liu Yan pulled Li Ming aside into the stairwell.

“What was that? Weren’t you supposed to back me up?”

“I—I tried my best,” Li Ming lowered his head, “but Mr. Shi spoke up…”

“Useless!” Liu Yan sneered. “How’s your girlfriend’s internship in the Finance Department going? I heard her supervisor isn’t too pleased.”

Li Ming’s face changed. “Team Leader Liu, you promised—”

“That depends on your performance,” Liu Yan said meaningfully. “I’ve already spoken to Manager Zhang over there. As long as you behave, getting a recommendation letter for a permanent position is no big deal.”

“But the system issues really are serious this time…”

“Why do you care?” Liu Yan cut him off. “Think about what happens if your girlfriend doesn’t pass her probation. A great job like this, gone. Her parents worked so hard to put her through school, and she finally landed a position at a big company…”

Li Ming bit his lip, torn.

“Alright, don’t give yourself a hard time.” Liu Yan patted him on the shoulder. “The folks from Zhilin Tech are coming soon. You know what to do.”

During lunch break, Li Ming quietly sought out Pei Song. “He’s still using my girlfriend’s job as leverage.”

“You recorded it?” Pei Song asked.

Li Ming nodded, sending him a recording from his phone. “I record every time I talk to him now. He mentioned Zhilin Tech again, and it looks like they’re making a move.”

“Well done,” Pei Song praised. “Keep it up, and don’t blow your cover.”

Several days of overtime had left Pei Song looking a little worn out. From morning till night, he stayed at the model unit with the team, running tests, troubleshooting, and analyzing data.

That night, while he was reviewing the latest test report, the office door opened.

“Still not calling it a night?” Shi Yancheng walked in, his suit jacket off, sleeves casually rolled up.

Pei Song rubbed his sore eyes. “Just want to finish reading this report…”

Shi Yancheng came up behind him, placing both hands on his shoulders, gently massaging them. “You’ve been at this for eighteen hours straight.”

The unexpected intimacy made Pei Song stiffen. “I—I’m fine…”

“As your boss, I appreciate your dedication.” Shi Yancheng paused, then added, “But as your…”

Sensing Pei Song’s warning glance, Shi Yancheng chuckled softly and changed his words. “But as your former roommate, seeing you this exhausted makes me regret putting you in charge of this project… it hurts to watch.”

Those last few words were spoken softly, but they made Pei Song’s heart skip a beat. He instinctively tried to move away, but Shi Yancheng held him firmly by the shoulders.

“You know,” Shi Yancheng’s voice lowered, “sometimes when I see you working late in this office, I really want to just pick you up and take you home.”

“Mr. Shi,” Pei Song tried to keep his voice steady, “Please mind your position.”

“My position?” Shi Yancheng gave a low chuckle. “In your heart, am I really just your boss?”