Rebirth: My dad is too obedient

Chapter 535 I Didn't Use a VPN

Xu Zhiquan paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then continued:
Jiang Huaqin wanted to acquire Dafengchehang, and Shenbiao Electric Vehicle was also one of the major shareholders behind Dafengchehang.

He was probably thinking that if I could take down 'Shenbiao,' we could form a united front.

Based on this, you might guess that I already have some ideas...

Xu Chen: "Dad, is Jiang Huaqin someone I can completely trust?"

Xu Zhiquan: "In business, there is no such thing as 'complete trust'."

However, there is no problem doing business or cooperating with Jiang Huaqin; I have already carefully investigated this.

Jiang Huaqin and I also exchanged some shares in the two companies, 'Chenfeng' and 'Datuo'.

Although the quantity is small, it is still a symbol of deep trust and bond, which is a very basic consensus.

Jiang Huaqin is very disciplined in his work.

He learned his lesson the hard way about "breaking the rules" when he was young, so the success of "Da Tuo Auto Shop" can be attributed to his honesty and integrity.

Xu Zhiquan turned to look at Xu Chen and said with a smile:

"Jiang Huaqin is looking for Meng Huiyang and his father-in-law to pay back the debt left by his 'disobedience' back then."

Xu Chen: "Is that so?"

Xu Zhiquan: "Therefore, doing business is like walking on thin ice; one must be cautious and meticulous, and see things through to the end."

Debts, no matter when they are incurred, will eventually come back to haunt you.

He paused, then smiled and said:

"This afternoon at the hotel, Jiang Huaqin deliberately brought up the matter of 'Dafengchexing' and 'Shenbiao Electric Vehicles' in front of you."

This can be seen as a deliberate act of honesty, a way of reaffirming the trust between my son and me.

Xu Chen thought about it and began to understand.

Xu Zhiquan: "He knows the actual role my son plays in my company, and he also knows that I intend for you to take over."

Whether he wanted to devour 'Big Wind' or I was thinking about 'Divine Speed', these were both very secretive and important matters.

He openly discussed the matter with my son and me, which means he was being completely honest with us.

Xu Chen pondered for a moment:

"When we were having tea this afternoon, I felt like you weren't saying much."

What I mean is, didn't you give back the 'honesty' you were supposed to?

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily twice:
"Jiang Huaqin is hiding something from me, and I'm deliberately keeping him waiting."

He knew perfectly well that his deliberate frankness today was a deliberate attempt to get closer to her.

Xu Chen gasped, then shook his head and said:

"You old men are terrifying..."

Xu Zhiquan: "Son, don't worry, this is necessary."

Previously, when our "Chenfeng" electric vehicles wanted to expand their distribution channels, we were always in a subservient position, begging "Datuo Auto Shop" and Jiang Huaqin.

But now that the sales of 'Chenfeng Electric Vehicles' have picked up, they have begun to support the growth of 'Datuo Auto Sales', and the situation has changed.

Now, it's 'Da Tuo Auto Shop' and Jiang Huaqin who are in a subordinate position; they're begging me to prioritize supplying them with goods...

These overt and covert energy exchanges between Jiang Huaqin and me are both necessary and essential.

It's an inevitable process.

Xu Chen clicked his tongue and repeated what he had just said:
"You old men are terrifying..."

Xu Zhiquan took another puff of his cigarette and said:
"However, we may have to reconsider the 'Shenbiao Electric Vehicle' issue."

Xu Chen: "What do you mean?"

Xu Zhiquan smiled:

"Listening to lectures by 'Professor Xu Chen' and Dr. Liu today, I, Old Xu, am still quite overturned!"

Xu Chen: "..."

Xu Zhiquan put his arm around his son's shoulder and continued:

“I had Fang Jun do the math, and by the end of this year or early next year, there is a chance to acquire ‘Shenbiao,’ or at least a portion of its assets.”

But tonight, my son and Dr. Liu discussed that 'Chenfeng Technology' might be planning to expand into the battery industry in the future...

In that case, this large sum of money doesn't necessarily have to be invested in another electric vehicle manufacturer.

He paused for a moment: "Investing in a battery manufacturing company in advance is also an option."

However, this is a big matter, so we'll have to wait until Dr. Liu arrives in Tiancheng so we can discuss it together.

Also.

I'm not really familiar with battery manufacturers, so I'll need Dr. Liu to provide some guidance. I also need to do some more industry research and go out and explore the market.

……

……

The training bureau of the General Administration of Sport is located between the Temple of Heaven Park and Longtan Park.

This area is truly "worth its weight in gold".

Not long after dawn, Xu Chen took a taxi to Tiyu West Road.

He glanced at the road sign while carrying a backpack, then followed the directions to the intersection of Longtan Road.

The morning air in Beijing was a bit chilly.

Xu Chen thought to himself that meeting Xie Bingran felt like doing something thieving.

Bing Ge is participating in the national team's "closed training," and the management and control are very strict.

Even during a full day of training, you can't touch your phone, let alone sneak out to meet someone.

……

The intersection of Tiyu West Road and Longtan Road is where the Training Bureau's track and field stadium is located.

Following the directions given by Brother Bing, Xu Chen arrived at the outside of a fence in the southwest corner.

After leaning against the iron fence for a while, I heard a soft cough behind me.

Turning my head, I saw my own ice.

Xie Bingran wore a light blue tracksuit.

Her short hair was a little wet at the ends, and her face was also sweaty, so it was clear that she had just come down from the training field.

When she saw Xu Chen through the iron fence, she smiled and pursed her lips.

Xu Chen felt a pang of heartache; it was only a little past six in the morning, yet Bing Ge had already completed a round of training.

It must have been really tough.

If he hadn't rushed to see her, he would definitely still be snuggled up in his comfortable bed, sleeping in late.

"Have you had breakfast?" Xie Bingran asked softly.

"No," Xu Chen said with a smile.

Xie Bingran shook a bag in her hand, which contained steaming hot buns:

"I got it from the cafeteria, and it's still hot!"

Xu Chen looked delighted and reached over the iron fence to take a bun out of the bag.

"The national team's steamed buns look delicious!" Xu Chen said, taking a big bite.

Then he made a sound of approval, "Mmm."

Steamed buns with fresh meat and broth, a classic northern Chinese steamed bun flavor.

Xie Bingran stepped closer, and the two of them were practically "leaning against each other" through the iron fence.

Bing Ge also picked up a steamed bun, threw it into his mouth, and began to chew it heartily.

"Is meeting with me against the rules?"

Xie Bingran: "It's okay, I didn't climb over the wall to get out."

"..."

Xu Chen glanced at the time: "How long can you stay?"

Xie Bingran: "It's nothing."

Xu Chen said "Oh," then reached out and picked up a steamed bun, laughing as she popped it into her mouth.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them devoured all the steamed buns.

But their mouths were still bulging.

Xu Chen looked around and, seeing that no one else was around, his hand wandered through the iron fence and took Xie Bingran's soft little hand.

Xie Bingran: "Are you here on a business trip?" Xu Chen: "Yes, there's a project in Beijing..."

I specifically scheduled this time for today, and it just so happens that you're here.

Bing Ge had previously gone to Beidaihe for training and had just returned to the General Administration in Beijing.

The 2008 Olympics are just one year away.

Not only the national track and field team has gathered at the General Administration of Sport, but also the table tennis team, diving team, gymnastics team, and others. They will all be assembled at the General Administration of Sport by the end of July.

There will also be a formal ceremony for Olympic athletes, attended by high-ranking officials...

Xu Chen remembered something and pulled the backpack behind him over.

He unzipped the zipper, rummaged inside, and handed a small square box to Xie Bingran.

Xie Bingran reached out and took it, then opened it to find a square jade pendant inside.

Xu Chen smiled and said:
"Li Rui and Zhao Feng bought it for you, saying they got it from the Guandi Temple."

"Oh."

Xie Bingran flipped through the jade pendant and saw the traditional Chinese character "义" (meaning righteousness) engraved on the back.

"Brother Bing" didn't seem to think anything was wrong. He put the jade pendant into the box and then casually stuffed it into his large shirt pocket.

Xu Chen rummaged through his bag again and took out a photo frame.

It was the same one that Principal Huang Hua used to be.

Xu Chen: "Teacher Chen Ming and I went to visit Principal Huang Hua, and he left you a note!"

As he spoke, Xu Chen disassembled the photo frame and showed the back of the photo to Bing Ge.

Above it were eight characters written in regular script by former Principal Huang Hua with a brush:
Time flies, soaring high on the wind.

Xie Bingran looked down and examined it carefully, then blinked her big eyes.

A hint of sadness crossed her face again, and she said softly:

"We will also be training during the Spring Festival. Coach Sun said he will spend the holiday with the team, so I'm afraid we won't be able to go back."

Xu Chen squeezed Xie Bingran's little hand:

"I've heard Coach Cheng Hong talk about it."

It's okay, I'll come see you whenever I have the chance.

Coach Cheng Hong said, "It's all for the Olympics. You'll have a long vacation after the Olympics."

"Oh."

Xie Bingran looked so wronged that Xu Chen's heart softened instantly.

He reached out and pulled Xie Bingran towards him.

"what?"

Let me kiss you.

"There's an iron fence separating us..."

"It doesn't affect it."

"..."

……

That evening, Xu Chen, Lao Xu, and Guo Liang flew back to Tiancheng.

Fang Tao came to pick me up in his car. After a warm greeting, he quickly helped me with my luggage.

"Is Mr. Xu going back to the industrial park?"

Xu Zhiquan: "Let's send General Manager Guo back first, and then Xu Chen and I will go back to our home in town."

"okay!"

……

……

For the next week or two, Xu Chen stayed in Tiancheng to enjoy his summer vacation.

Xu Chen didn't need to worry too much about the Shanghai branch, but a weekly conference call was still scheduled to help him monitor the key progress of major projects...

Hua Shaojie has arrived in Tiancheng and has formed a small market brand team in the "Chenfeng Industrial Park".

Of course, the two young people in the team were initially transferred from Guo Liang's team.

Hua Shaojie will conduct further recruitment based on the progress of business operations.

On the second day after Xu Chen arrived in Tiancheng, he had lunch with Hua Shaojie.

Upon meeting him, I noticed that Hua Shaojie looked somewhat listless and even seemed unsteady on his feet.

"What's wrong, Jack? Are you having trouble adjusting to the new environment?"

Hua Shaojie is originally from the South and had spent many years in Shanghai, so this was indeed the first time he would need to be stationed in the North for an extended period.

Hua Shaojie waved his hand awkwardly:

"I drank too much again last night, I'm still hungover..."

"I should feel better this afternoon after sobering up a bit."

Xu Chen was speechless, thinking that this must be thanks to Teacher Fang Jun.

"Then I'll take you out for mutton soup at noon; it's good for your stomach and helps you sober up!"

Xu Chen first followed Hua Shaojie to his office area for a stroll.

This was originally the "market office" used by Guo Liang's team.

Guo Liang's team spends most of the year traveling for work, so this place has been mostly empty.

"General Manager Guo" is still in Tiancheng, but he went out to visit stores again today. He stayed at the "Chenfeng Electric Vehicle Direct Store" in Tiancheng.

When Xu Chen entered the office, several young people quickly stood up and greeted him as "Young Master Xu".

Fortunately, there were one or two people Xu Chen recognized, so they chatted and laughed for a while.

Hua Shaojie's desk was tidy and decorated with some small metal objects, giving it a stylish look.

Xu Chen spotted a small, dumbbell-shaped ornament and said:

"There are two gyms in Tiancheng, but they are both in the western new town, which is quite far away."

Hua Shaojie has a tall and straight figure, which clearly indicates that he has a habit of exercising and working out.

"I don't need a gym; I can basically manage bodyweight training at home."

"Besides, our park is big enough that I can go for a run there after get off work in the evenings."

Xu Chen thought about it for a moment. Fang Jun's sister already had a bar, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to have Hua Shaojie set up a small gym.

But this matter still needed to be discussed with Lao Xu and Sister Wu Yue from the administration department, so Xu Chen didn't speak up yet.

"Have you visited the new northern campus? The new headquarters building will be ready to move in next year."

"Those are all floor-to-ceiling windows, they're comparable to office buildings in Shanghai!" Xu Chen said with a smile.

Hua Shaojie: "Of course I went to see it. When President Xu invited me to visit Tiancheng for the first time, I went to see it!"

……

At noon, Xu Chen treated Hua Shaojie to a meal of mutton soup.

Lamb soup is more nourishing in winter, but it's also perfect for Hua Shaojie, who needs to sober up and soothe his stomach.

When the large bowl of milky white mutton soup was served, Hua Shaojie, a southerner, was instantly tempted.

Add a handful of chopped green onions and a few drops of aged vinegar, then gently scoop with a spoon to reveal incredibly tender and juicy mutton and offal.

Xu Chen hadn't tasted it in a long time, so he happily downed a big bowlful and then ate half a roasted lamb leg...

Xu Chen then asked about Hua Shaojie's living situation in Tiancheng, and he said that he had already rented a house of more than 100 square meters.

Having gone from Shanghai to Tiancheng in an instant, Hua Shaojie suddenly felt like he had "endless money to spend".

He bought an 80-square-meter apartment in Shanghai with a mortgage and is still paying off the loan.

Although he had previously worked as a director at a foreign automaker like Cadillac, he was still ultimately just an "employee."

In a place like Shanghai, one can hardly be considered wealthy or rich; the worries still revolve around housing and cars.

Upon arriving in Tiancheng, Hua Shaojie's living conditions actually improved significantly.

He also joked about himself, saying:

My wife and child are studying in Shanghai, and my parents-in-law are also there.

I hid away in Tiancheng, only returning every few days, which actually reduced some of the daily hassles and troubles.

Xu Chen was speechless; yet another middle-aged man was being "tortured."

(End of this chapter)