Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1644 One idea at a time

After leaving the Qin Group headquarters, Qin Hao drove his Porsche 986, carrying Huang Yimei, westward.

In late November, Beijing was bathed in clear skies and bright sunshine, but the air already carried a chilly edge. The car drove out of the city and headed towards the Western Hills.

Huang Yimei sat in the passenger seat, still clutching the proposal in her hand, and couldn't help but smile.

"What are you laughing at?" Qin Hao glanced at her.

“I wasn’t laughing at anything.” Huang Yimei put the proposal into her bag and turned to look out the window. “I just think your dad is a really nice person.”

"That's right. For my sake, my dad won't make things difficult for you."

"Stop being so conceited." Huang Yimei rolled her eyes at him. "I'm serious, he could have just sponsored a sum of money and that would have been fine. There was no need for me to bring the proposal over."

Qin Hao chuckled inwardly. Qin Mo, that old fox who had been in the business world for a long time, had a very good understanding of people's hearts. Giving money directly could easily give people the feeling of charity, but after reading the business plan, it was different. It was an acknowledgment of your ability.

The car soon arrived at the gate of the villa area.

The security guard saw Qin Hao's car and let him through without asking any questions.

The car drove into the villa area and arrived at a villa that was not yet renovated. As soon as Huang Yimei got out of the car, her eyes lit up.

This is a three-story detached villa. In front of the villa is a spacious lawn. Although the grass has turned yellow this season, it still shows signs of the lush greenery of spring and summer. In one corner of the yard, there are several ginkgo trees, all of which have lost their leaves, leaving only bare branches reaching towards the sky.

"This place is really nice." Huang Yimei stood in the courtyard, looking around. "It's much bigger than I imagined."

"It's over 500 square meters, three floors above ground and one below." Qin Hao locked the car and led her inside. "The interior is all unfinished; the water and electricity aren't connected yet, but we can find a construction team to fix it quickly."

Pushing open the front door reveals a spacious, high-ceilinged foyer. Sunlight streams in through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, casting bright dappled patterns on the concrete floor. The entire first floor features an open-plan design, with the living room, dining room, and kitchen seamlessly integrated, creating a strong sense of space.

Huang Yimei walked in, her footsteps echoing in the empty space.

What is the ceiling height?

"The first floor is 4.2 meters high, the second floor is 3.2 meters high, and the third floor is also 3.2 meters high."

Huang Yimei looked up at the railing of the second-floor corridor, her mind already racing with ideas. This space was indeed perfect for hosting an art exhibition. It had good lighting, a large area, and could be freely divided into sections as needed.

She walked up the stairs, examining each room one by one. The rooms on the second floor were of moderate size and could be used as exhibition areas. There was a large terrace on the third floor, which could be used for opening ceremonies or as a tea break area. The basement could be used to store paintings or to create interactive experience zones.

"How is it?" Qin Hao leaned against the second-floor railing, watching her bustling about. "Are you satisfied?"

"I'm so satisfied!" Huang Yimei ran down from the third floor, her eyes sparkling. "This place is so much better than I imagined. But..."

She stood on the second-floor corridor, looking at the bare cement walls on both sides, her brows furrowing slightly.

"But what?"

“The walls are too empty.” Huang Yimei stretched out her hand and gestured in the air. “Look, these walls are all gray cement. If we hang the paintings directly on them, they will look very thin and bare. Besides, the paintings of autistic children are very brightly colored, and hanging them on a dull gray cement wall will definitely not look good.”

Qin Hao walked over and followed her gaze. Indeed, although the walls of these unfinished houses were smooth, their color was dark and they had no decorations, making them unsuitable for hosting an art exhibition.

"What do you want to do?"

Huang Yimei bit her lip, her mind racing.

“I was thinking…” She suddenly turned around, her eyes lighting up: “Could we paint the walls different colors based on the paintings on display? Treat the entire wall as an extension of the canvas, allowing the paintings and the space to blend together.”

After listening, Qin Hao remained silent for a few seconds.

"The idea is good. But wouldn't that put too much work on you?"

Huang Yimei clung to Qin Hao's arm, tilted her head back, and said coquettishly, "There are only a few dozen paintings on display, don't worry, I won't tire myself out."

"Dozens of paintings?" Qin Hao looked at her. "Have you calculated that each painting requires painting an entire wall? Dozens of paintings would cover dozens of walls. And the gradient colors and textures you're talking about aren't something you can just slap on; you have to do it layer by layer. How long would it take you to finish painting all by yourself?"

"I can take my time," Huang Yimei pouted. "Anyway, there are still two weeks until the art exhibition, so there's plenty of time."

Qin Hao pinched Huang Yimei's soft chin and laughed, "Not only can you not overwork yourself, but you also have to have time to spend with me. Otherwise, wouldn't I be shooting myself in the foot? I borrowed your venue for an art exhibition, and now I can't even see you."

Huang Yimei retorted, "You're always so frivolous, I can't be bothered with you."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and continued to wander around the room, muttering to herself as she calculated something.

However, after returning to her apartment that evening, Huang Yimei realized that she had underestimated the difficulty of the task.

She made a list of all the paintings for the exhibition, then drew a floor plan of the villa on paper, and began planning the placement of each painting and the corresponding wall color. This task alone took her three whole hours.

Then she started calculating how many buckets of paint she would need, how much of each color she would need, how to achieve the gradient effect, and how to create the texture...

The more I calculate, the more overwhelmed I feel.

"What's wrong?" Qin Hao walked over with a cup of hot milk and placed it in front of her.

Huang Yimei buried her face in her arms, her head resting on the table, and mumbled, "I've realized how naive I was."

"Um?"

"Just the dozen or so key works in the main exhibition area alone require thirteen background walls. Each wall needs at least three to four coats of paint, from applying the primer to creating the final effect. If I were to do it all by myself, even working from morning till night every day, it would still take me ten days to two weeks."

Qin Hao sat down next to her, picked up her calculation paper and glanced at it.

"Moreover, this kind of delicate work cannot be done by just any painter." Huang Yimei raised her head, her eyes filled with a hint of frustration.

Qin Hao looked at her worried expression and suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Huang Yimei glared at him.

"I'm laughing at your stupidity."

"Where am I stupid?"

Qin Hao put down the calculation paper, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his hands behind his head: "There are so many classmates in our class, surely some haven't found jobs yet? Why not just recruit a few more?"

Huang Yimei paused for a moment, then slapped her forehead: "Oh right! How could I have forgotten about them!"

She grabbed her phone, opened her contacts, and started making calls one by one.

She was popular at school, with an outgoing and approachable personality, and could chat with anyone. Especially the male classmates, who would sound excited when they received her calls.

The girls, upon hearing that the art exhibition was about autistic children, were instantly filled with compassion and all offered to help.

"How was it?" Huang Yimei hung up the last call, proudly raising her chin at Qin Hao: "I'm much more popular than you, aren't I?"

Qin Hao shrugged: "Yes, yes, you're popular."

"And you?" Huang Yimei looked at him. "How many people can you call?"

Qin Hao thought for a moment, then took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

Lu Yan.

And then... that's it.

He put down his phone and cleared his throat: "Ahem, it seems I can only call one."

"Alright then." Huang Yimei patted his shoulder, looking at him with sympathy. "One Lu Yan is enough; too many people will only make things chaotic."

Qin Hao shook his head helplessly. In this respect, he was completely defeated.

-

The next morning, Huang Yimei brought the first group of students to the villa.

As promised, the class monitor called over five boys, all of whom were unemployed and had some free time. The academic representative also arrived, accompanied by her three dorm mates, each carrying large bags filled with snacks and drinks.

"Wow, this place is huge!" a girl exclaimed as she entered, turning around in the spacious living room. "I wish this were my house!"

"Dream on." Another girl laughed and gave her a push.

Huang Yimei gathered everyone together and began assigning tasks. She posted the floor plan on the wall and used different colored pens to mark the colors that each wall needed to be painted.

"This wall on the first floor will be painted a deep blue, gradually fading upwards to create a wave-like effect. The rooms on the second floor will be painted warm yellow, light green, and off-white respectively. The third-floor terrace doesn't need painting, but the railings need to be repainted..."

She explained everything in great detail, clearly stating which wall each person was responsible for, what color to use, and how to achieve the desired effect.

"Did you understand?"

"We understand!" everyone said in unison.

"Let's get to work!"

The villa suddenly became lively. Some people were in charge of mixing paint, some were in charge of painting the walls, and some were in charge of moving things. Huang Yimei, wearing an old T-shirt and with her hair tied in a ponytail, held a roller brush and personally demonstrated how to create a gradient effect.

"First apply the base coat, and after it dries, apply the second coat. Remember to gently pat it with a sponge while it's still damp to create a natural transition..."

-

In just two days, the once bare villa was transformed.

The deep blue walls on the first floor resemble the ocean, gradually transitioning from the deep seabed to the bright surface. In the warm yellow rooms on the second floor, sunlight streams in, making the entire space seem gilded. The light green rooms are fresh and natural, while the off-white rooms are clean and bright.

Huang Yimei stood in the center of the living room, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Thank you all for your hard work!" She bowed to the crowd, saying, "You've all been so kind these past two days. I'll treat you all to dinner after the exhibition!"

"No, no, no," the class monitor waved his hand. "This is a charity art exhibition; it's only right that we contribute. Besides, we're happy to be of any help."

"Exactly, exactly." The class monitor nodded in agreement. "Those children's drawings are truly moving. Being able to participate in this kind of thing is much better than just staying idle at home."

Huang Yimei felt a warmth in her heart and was about to say something when Qin Hao walked in from outside.

"All done?" He looked around. "The results are good."

“Of course, look who planned it.” Huang Yimei proudly raised her chin.

Qin Hao smiled and turned to everyone: "Thank you all for your hard work these past two days. Tonight, it's my treat—a barbecue in the yard. Would you all do me the honor?"

"Really?" Several girls immediately became excited.

"Young Master Qin is cooking himself?" The class monitor's eyes lit up: "Then I have to try it."

"You dare to eat what Young Master Qin makes? Aren't you afraid of food poisoning?"

Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "If you're afraid of getting poisoned, you can leave now. I'll save myself a problem."

After saying that, Qin Hao turned around and walked into the makeshift kitchen area to start preparing the ingredients.

Huang Yimei followed her inside: "Do you need my help?"

"No need." Qin Hao said without looking up, "You can go and chat with them. I can manage on my own here."

Huang Yimei stood to the side and watched for a while, then suddenly felt that it was a bit unreal.

What kind of person was Qin Hao back in school? A playboy who changed girlfriends more often than clothes, idle all day long. Apart from his looks and his family's money, he didn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. She never imagined that one day she would be with him, and that he would become like this.

He can cook, help her paint walls, and go out of his way to find venues and sponsorships for her art exhibition.

"What are you daydreaming about?" Qin Hao's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Huang Yimei came to her senses and found him looking at her with a slight smile on his lips.

"Nothing," she shook her head, "I just feel...you've changed a lot."

"Really?" Qin Hao continued cutting the meat, head down. "Will it get better or worse?"

"Of course it's gotten better," Huang Yimei said, offering a sweet kiss as a reward.

As evening fell, a charcoal fire was lit in the garden outside the villa.

Qin Hao set up the grill and placed the skewered meat on it row by row. The charcoal crackled, and the oil dripped onto the charcoal, releasing waves of aroma.

Lu Yan helped out, flipping the meat as he remarked, "The power of love is truly amazing! Even you, Boss, can cook for yourself now, and cook so well!"

"If you say another word, you can forget about eating this skewer of meat." Qin Hao took a skewer of grilled lamb from his hand and handed it to the girl next to him.

"No, wait!" Lu Yan quickly snatched it back, "I was just praising you!"

The other students also gathered around, eating and teasing each other.

"Being able to taste Young Master Qin's cooking makes these past two days worthwhile; it was all worth it."

"That's right, that's right. If Young Master Qin organizes more events in the future, we'll come and help out again."

The girls quietly gathered around Huang Yimei and asked in low voices, "Hey, how did you tame him?"

Huang Yimei took a bite of a lamb skewer and said indistinctly, "I don't know, but he became like this after I got together with him."

"Really?" A girl's eyes widened. "It's that simple?"

"Is this the power of love?"

"If that's really the case, then I can only say that the power of love is truly great."

-

A week later, the art exhibition was held as scheduled.

Huang Yimei wore a black dress, her hair pulled back, and light makeup, looking both capable and elegant. She stood at the villa entrance, greeting the arriving guests.

Although it was a charity art exhibition, it attracted quite a few people. Dragonfly Culture invited some media reporters and people from the art world, Qin Mo also sent a flower basket, and invited several friends from the business world to come and "show their support".

Jiang Xueqiong, dressed in a dark gray business suit and high heels, stood next to Huang Yimei, watching the guests enter the exhibition hall in waves.

“Not bad.” She nodded. “Better than I expected.”

Huang Yimei breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Gengsheng also arrived. Today, she wore a beige coat, her hair draped over her shoulders, making her look softer than usual. She followed behind Huang Yimei, watching her introduce the paintings to the guests, answer questions, and coordinate the event, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes.

"It's not easy for you to achieve this much on your first project as the leader," Su Gengsheng said.

Huang Yimei smiled and said, "That's all thanks to your excellent teaching."

"Come on," Su Gengsheng couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't teach you anything; you're just smart on your own."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The art exhibition continued until 5 p.m. After the last guest left, Huang Yimei slumped onto the sofa and let out a long sigh.

"Are you tired?" Jiang Xueqiong walked over and looked at her exhausted appearance. "You've worked hard these past few days. I'll give you three days off to rest."

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang."

"No need to thank me, you deserve it." Jiang Xueqiong patted her on the shoulder. "This art exhibition was a great success, and the company has decided to continue supporting this project. You will also be in charge of the subsequent art therapy fund."

Huang Yimei's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Really." Jiang Xueqiong nodded: "Do a good job."

-

The day after the art exhibition ended, Huang Yimei finally had time to go home.

Huang Jianzhi and Wu Yuejiang had prepared a meal long ago, a whole table full of Huang Yimei's favorite dishes: sweet and sour pork ribs, braised fish, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, old hen soup, and a plate of braised beef, all of which Huang Yimei had loved since childhood.

"Quick, quick, wash your hands and eat." Wu Yuejiang pulled her daughter down to sit, piling food into her bowl. "Look at you, you've lost weight. Are you too busy with work?"

"No, it's fine." Huang Yimei took a bite of the rib, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction. "Home-cooked meals are still the best."

Qin Hao also arrived and sat next to Huang Yimei, where he was equally warmly received by Wu Yuejiang.

"Eat more, eat more." Wu Yuejiang put a piece of beef in his bowl: "You've lost weight too."

"Thank you, Auntie," Qin Hao replied politely, but his eyes darted towards Huang Zhenhua.

Huang Zhenhua sat opposite him, head down, eating his rice without saying a word, his brows furrowed tightly, as if the sky had fallen.

Huang Yimei noticed it too, and looked at Wu Yuejiang with a puzzled expression: "Mom, what's wrong with my brother?"

Wu Yuejiang glanced at her son and sighed, "He's heartbroken."

"What?" Huang Yimei's eyes widened. "Brother, when did you start dating? How come I didn't know?"

"Professor Liang introduced him to a girl, didn't he?" Wu Yuejiang said, completely disregarding her son's feelings: "At first, he was very reluctant, saying he didn't want to go on blind dates, but after meeting her, he was incredibly proactive, asking her out to dinner every day."

"It turned out the girl couldn't let go of her ex-boyfriend. After having dinner with him twice, she said she still couldn't forget her ex and didn't want to hold him back."

Huang Zhenhua felt a little embarrassed and muttered, "Oh, Mom, we're eating, why are you saying this?"

Huang Yimei couldn't stop laughing: "Brother, you really got dumped?"

"What do you mean 'I was dumped'!" Huang Zhenhua put down his chopsticks, looking indignant. "Bai Xiaohe and I weren't even really in the beginning. At most, we just... we got to know each other briefly."

Qin Hao added fuel to the fire, "That's right, she didn't even fancy him."

Huang Zhenhua suddenly felt he couldn't eat anymore, so he put down his chopsticks and got up.

"Alright, alright, that's enough." Huang Jianzhi tapped the table. "Let's eat."

Huang Zhenhua then picked up his chopsticks again, but his expression remained sullen.

After dinner, the family sat in the living room watching TV.

The TV was showing a variety show, and it was quite entertaining. But the atmosphere in the living room was somewhat somber. Huang Zhenhua sat alone in a corner, lost in thought, while Huang Yimei and Qin Hao sat on the sofa, and Wu Yuejiang was peeling an apple beside them.

"How's work lately?" Wu Yuejiang cut a peeled apple into small pieces and handed it to Huang Yimei. "I heard you had an art exhibition?"

"Hmm, it went quite smoothly." Huang Yimei took the apple and took a bite.

"That's good." Wu Yuejiang nodded. "Is your boss satisfied with you?"

"That's great, she even gave me three days off."

Wu Yuejiang looked at her daughter and suddenly noticed that something was wrong with her expression. Although she said she was fine, her eyes seemed a little unfocused.

"What's wrong?" Wu Yuejiang put down the apple plate. "You seem to have something on your mind?"

Huang Yimei was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Mom, I want to take the postgraduate entrance exam."

"Take the postgraduate entrance exam?" Wu Yuejiang was taken aback. "Didn't you say you didn't want to take the postgraduate entrance exam?"

"I want to study psychology."

Wu Yuejiang and Huang Jianzhi exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

"Why did you suddenly decide to study psychology?" Huang Jianzhi asked.

Huang Yimei put down her apple and said earnestly, "This curatorial experience has brought me into contact with many children with autism. Many of them are actually very intelligent, some are extremely talented in painting, but they just can't communicate with the outside world; it's like they've locked themselves in a glass dome. I wanted to know how I could help them."

Huang Zhenhua clicked his tongue and said, "You really do change your mind every day. You argued fiercely with Mom about work before, saying you didn't want to take the postgraduate entrance exam, but after only half a year of working, you want to take it again."

Wu Yuejiang patted her son on the shoulder: "Say less. No matter why, no matter what you study, I fully support your decision to take the postgraduate entrance exam."

She turned to look at Huang Yimei, her eyes smiling, "Go ahead and take the exam if you want. Mom supports you."

Huang Yimei happily leaned over and kissed her mother on the cheek: "Thank you, Mom!"

Then she turned to Qin Hao, her eyes shining as she looked at him: "What about you? Do you support me taking the postgraduate entrance exam?"

Qin Hao leaned back on the sofa, looking at her expectant eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"I support you not only in my heart, but also in my actions. How about we take the exam together?"

"What?" Huang Yimei was stunned. "You're also taking the postgraduate entrance exam?"

Not only Huang Yimei, but also Huang Jianzhi and his wife, and Huang Zhenhua all wore expressions of shock.

"Can't I?" Qin Hao asked innocently. "I've got nothing better to do anyway, so I might as well take the postgraduate entrance exam for fun."

"Take the postgraduate entrance exam... just for fun?" Huang Zhenhua's eyes widened. "Do you know how difficult the postgraduate entrance exam is? So many people have tried for years and still fail. You think it's a game?"

Qin Hao shrugged: "Give it a try. It's not shameful if I don't pass."

Wu Yuejiang cleared her throat, her expression somewhat complicated: "It would be great if you could pass the exam, but..."

She hesitated, glanced at Huang Yimei, then at Qin Hao, and finally shook her head.

"You young people, you'd better figure it out yourselves." (End of Chapter)