The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 403 Not high enough level
When his son mocked him, Zhao's father naturally raised his hand, a habit he'd developed since the boy was little. But halfway up, he lowered his hand again.

“Forget it, he’s grown up now and can take charge of the household. We can’t beat him.” Zhao’s father sighed and said, “But I don’t believe you that I’m not high enough in rank. We are a state-owned enterprise, Luda Automobile Industry Company. Do you know how big that company is?”

Mr. Zhao proudly continued, "It's not like I haven't met private business owners before. We have them in Xiamen. Those business owners who want to ask our company for a favor might not even have the chance to meet me."

“Not all private enterprises are the same.” Zhao Qiang shook his head: “Our private enterprise is not as good as your Luda Automobile Industry Company. Our factory’s annual turnover is much higher than yours.”

Mr. Zhao didn't believe it, and Mrs. Zhao was even less convinced. While serving food to their son, they said, "How could that be? Small business owners have asked your dad for help before. Earning a few hundred thousand or a million a year is already quite an achievement. How can it compare to an automobile manufacturing company?"

“Mom, you’re so ignorant about this.” Zhao Qiang shook his head: “As far as I know, there are several private enterprises in the country with assets of over 100 million yuan, and our boss is one of the best among them.”

Mr. Zhao became interested. He had strictly educated his son since he was a child, and his son had never lied before. So what he said today was definitely not bragging.

"You've been working here for a year and you've never told me about your company," Zhao's father asked curiously. "Tell me all about the private company you work for today."

“Taiyi Group,” Zhao Qiang said proudly. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but in the North, they’re basically all heavy industry companies. If you haven’t heard of our company, then it’s basically second-rate.”

"I think I've heard about it before; I saw it in some newspaper."

"Our Taiyi Heavy Industry is a subsidiary of Taiyi Group. Currently, we produce engines. More than 60% of the motorcycle engines in the country are produced by us. We also supply engines to Yamaha and Honda."

Zhao's father slammed his hand on the table: "That's right, I remember now. I read a report before about Taiyi motorcycle engines, which said that they have reached the most advanced level in the world."

"Yes, because we still have contracts with Yamaha and Honda, so we can't sell motorcycle engines to the whole world. Once the contracts expire, our factory will supply motorcycle engines to the whole world."

Zhao's mother said as if she were hearing a fairy tale: "Son, if that factory is so powerful, why would they train you to be the factory manager in the future?"

Mr. Zhao said with dissatisfaction, "Why can't we train my son to be a factory manager? What's wrong with my son?"

“That’s right.” Zhao Qiang said proudly, “Our company currently has three factories: Taiyi Heavy Industry, Taiyi New Energy, and Taiyi New Materials.”

Mr. Zhao frowned and asked, "What does Taiyi New Energy do?"

"Taiyi New Energy mainly produces new energy batteries and new energy power generation equipment," Zhao Qiang said with a smile. "Our factory's solar panels are currently being used to build a new energy power plant in the Kubuqi Desert, covering a total of 5,000 mu of land. Several hundred mu have already been built, and the electricity generated is supplied to Ordos. In addition, our factory produces nickel-metal hydride batteries, the same batteries used in the PHS phones you are using now. We are also developing other new products. Our boss said that future cars will definitely not use oil, but electricity."

Mr. Zhao shook his head: "How is that possible? What kind of battery could power a car?"

"Technology can do anything."

Mr. Zhao then asked, "So what does Taiyi New Materials produce?"

“Producing carbon fiber.” “Carbon fiber?” Zhao’s father thought for a moment: “I think I saw it in a car magazine. It said that many high-tech things need to use carbon fiber, especially good cars. Currently, only the United States and Japan can produce it.”

“Starting a few years ago, our country was also able to produce it, thanks to our boss’s invention,” Zhao Qiang said proudly. “Back then, the carbon fiber produced by our factory was not only supplied to domestic high-tech needs, but also exported to Europe, mainly to Germany, and now it is also supplied to the United States.”

"So, the Americans want you to produce carbon fiber too?"

Zhao Qiang nodded: "I heard from my master that our boss sold it to the Americans at a higher price because the Americans didn't have enough production capacity. There seems to be another story behind this, but I don't know much about it and I don't dare to ask in detail."

"Just who is your boss?" Zhao's father asked curiously. "These are all the world's most advanced high-tech products. Where did your boss get the technology?"

“Our boss is a top scientist. My mentor told me that General Electric in the United States once wanted to hire my boss as the chief engineer, but my boss refused.”

"so smart."

Zhao Qiang nodded: "I also inquired about it at school. If our boss hadn't been modest back then, and given his youth, he might have become a member of the academic committee as well."

Zhao's father, who works within the system, knows how much weight the words "academician" carry.

"Then why did he go into business and become a boss? It's such a waste. He should be doing scientific research for the country."

“My boss is also doing scientific research for the country now. My mentor told me secretly that he has researched a lot of good things for the military, but I don’t know what they are.”

Father Zhao shook his head: "This is definitely top secret. Don't ask around. If you reach a certain level one day, you will definitely know."

"I definitely understand that. I signed a confidentiality agreement when I joined the factory."

Mr. Zhao felt incredibly upset. He had lived half his life without ever signing any so-called confidentiality agreement, yet his son had just graduated and was already signing one.

What does this mean? It really is as his son said: he is not high enough in rank to even access those classified information, and he feels like he has wasted half his life.

"So what kind of business are you planning to do with our company this time?" Zhao's father said listlessly, "Our company doesn't produce motorcycles. Our strategic focus for the next twenty years is to produce large buses."

Zhao Qiang clapped his hands: "I'm here to talk to your company about buses."

"Stop joking around." Zhao's father directly refused: "No matter how capable your boss is, he should know that different industries are like different worlds. Although they are both engines, there is a big difference between motorcycle engines and car engines, especially for large buses, which have a high level of technology."

"I know, our boss's bus engine design has passed the certification of a national-level laboratory."

(End of this chapter)