I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 189 Zhang is an arrogant Zhang
During the college entrance examination season, various news media outlets reported on the "Corporate Culture Development Seminar" jointly held by Beijing and Shanghai, praising it highly and declaring it a complete success with significant results.

The only downside is that the busybodies didn't hear the "three-time champion's" bark; there wasn't a whisper of it. It seems this "three-time champion" has been keeping a low profile lately.

However, during this period, an old man named Hu Yaoxian was reported to have committed serious disciplinary violations, followed by a notice from his sect's ancestral temple announcing "academic misconduct," which still aroused the curiosity of many busybodies.

Because someone astutely noticed that this old man named Hu Yaoxian also participated in this "Corporate Culture Development Seminar".

Something's up.

"Gou An, tell me honestly, were you playing tricks on the old man again?"

"Speaking of which, does Gou'an have some kind of weird quirk? Why is he always arguing with old men and women?"

“You guys don’t know anything, this is called ‘old man’s fun’.”

"What the hell?"

"Holy crap! Go to 'Luzhou Bar,' someone's leaked information! Gou An bit someone again at the meeting!"

"Who did it bite?"

"Holy crap! It's true. Some amazing person even posted photos of the scene. The dog An bit that guy named Hu Yaoxian."

"Holy crap! Seriously, guys, hurry up and go to 'Huzhou Bar' before the admins realize what's going on and delete the post!"

Before Zhang Da could even put on airs, a "master" in the "Huzhou Bar" chat room jumped out and dropped a bombshell.

This guy, nicknamed "Xiang Wuning 9527", started a series called "An Gou Dou Lao Tou Er Jian Wen Lu" (The Old Man's Adventures of An Gou), describing things vividly as if he were there in person.

After posting a few photos with dates, he really is a "live-time weirdo".

"The meeting hadn't been going on for long. Anyway, Hu Yaoxian had only said one sentence when An Gou went into a rabies attack, rushed up and bit him, yelling and cursing, saying that companies that don't abide by the Labor Law have no right to talk about 'corporate culture.' The whole meeting room was like a funeral home."

"...You guys didn't see how arrogant An Gou was. He implied that this Hu Yaoxian was receiving Japanese yen, and he even produced evidence. Holy crap, that's too cool..."

"...There's a boss from Yuzhang Province, I think he's in the rare earth business or something, anyway, he was named. An Gou said he's a 'son-in-law loser' who can be trampled on whenever he wants, and nobody dares to stop him. But then again, An Gou is probably 1.9 meters tall and weighs around 200 kilograms. Damn, his arms are thicker than my legs. I reckon he could sleep soundly after slapping me."

The news revealed by "乡無宁9527" might not seem like much to the average person, but it's a different story among students.

Even city bars like "Luzhou Bar" are a mixed bag, with all sorts of people. Besides students, many working people who are just getting used to new things also like to hang out in bars.

When I saw someone say that "companies that do not comply with the Labor Law have no right to talk about 'corporate culture'", I got excited. I'm usually a "working guy" who carefully browses posts in the forum, but this time I got carried away and was poisoned by "Dog An Youth" in the forum.

They haven't learned any good skills, but they've mastered all the art of insults. Their use of veiled barbs and sarcastic remarks is far superior to what they learned during their nine years of compulsory education.

"Fellow villager, is Gou An alright?"

"What could he possibly do? He just left, and nobody dared to say anything to him. Damn, even the 'stock kings' of the Huangpu River didn't dare utter a sound. After An left, they even said they should have flattered him."

"Holy crap? Is DogAn this overpowered?"

"He's incredibly powerful and fierce. He bites people and then doesn't take responsibility. As soon as he left, people from Jiangning University and Wudu University came out to point fingers and gossip. The people from Aurora University didn't say a word the whole time; they were all secretly laughing."

"How do you know it?"

"I am from Aurora University."

"grass."

The person who broke the news, "Xiang Wu Ning 9527," was seen with an old man by his side, waiting to beg for alms.

A retired law school professor said that even if you don't pursue an academic career, working in "intellectual property management" alongside a "three-time champion" would definitely be lucrative.

Can't go wrong.

After enjoying a sumptuous Shandong cuisine feast in the "Western Suburbs," Head Coach Zhang left Luzhou immediately. Countless people now want to visit him, but they are mostly there because of the birth of the "Dog King."

Currently, Luzhou University of Finance and Economics has taken over the business splitting task, and the Beijing side has also agreed to let the game business with "Shenturu" as its core be listed first. However, the main body of the project that will take over is "Xiaobai Antivirus Software", which has seen a surge in installations and users.

Zhang Da'an himself didn't care about this, leaving Jiangkou Province to argue with Beijing and Luzhou. The main reason was that, in addition to splitting up the business and listing it one by one, Luzhou City hoped that "Shenturu" could be moved to Luzhou for operation.

There is no substantial disagreement between Jiangning City and Luzhou City on this matter; the only difference is the convergence of their policies on "attracting investment" and "attracting talent."

Previously, Jiangning City didn't have much leverage to offer when it came to introducing various policies. It could get sponsorships from industrial county-level cities in the province, but it couldn't be too blatant. So, generally speaking, the tax reduction and exemption periods that Huzhou City could offer were shorter for Jiangning City. Secondly, in terms of talent settlement benefits, Huzhou City's standards were relatively fixed, but Jiangning City's were somewhat volatile, with two versions possibly appearing within a year.

The approach is now much simpler: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

By focusing on the "Zhang'an Industrial Alliance," we can effectively attract and retain some talent.

In this respect, they are similar. The "high-end welfare housing" that Zhang Da'an built has always existed in Luzhou, but it has never reached such an exaggerated level as "Hanlinyuan".

When news of what happened at the "Corporate Culture Development Seminar" spread, the admins of "Huzhou Bar" finally arrived and deleted all the posts with photos, citing "violation of personal privacy."

However, this is enough to become a topic of conversation for a while.

Even on Baidu, there are still frequently searched terms like "Hu Yaoxian, the dog from Huzhou".

Various rumors are flying around, but one thing is certain: this time, Gou An has successfully bitten someone again. After all, for a figure as prominent as Hu Yaoxian to be labeled with "academic misconduct" is quite remarkable.

While the "intellectual community" may have criticized Zhang Da'an's fighting prowess, they haven't sensationalized the issue or generated any buzz, and no other prominent figures have stepped forward to challenge him.

There was nothing they could do; after all, that bastard surnamed Zhang really dared to hit an old lady.

He dares to give even an old lady a big pat on the back without hesitation, so if he encounters an old man, he'll be all over him, with a tall hat on his head and a whip in his hand.

This is horrible; those terrible memories are flooding back.

But when it comes to arguing with someone...

It's really hard to say whether I, with my decades of experience, can handle it.

As for Head Instructor Zhang himself, he didn't care about these trivial matters at all. He had a lot to do this year, including making a red dot on the "Exam God Talisman" for the students.

They are all young people who believe in science, and head coach Mr. Zhang An is indeed a living god of literature, so it is very reasonable and logical for him to perform the ritual.

Trust in science, and pray to the "God of Exams" for protection!
Even more impressive is that some incredibly talented person created a "Test God Bar" on the chat platform.

The cover of this broken forum is "Three-Time Champion," and it also features cyber gods and electronic incense candles.

But that's not the most outrageous thing. The most outrageous thing is that when "Chat Bar" launched the fan title system, the crazy people in "Exam God Bar" actually used "Fan Jin" as their fan title.

Those who failed the exam after it was over had their fan nickname changed to "Sun Shan" (a reference to a famous Chinese scholar).

This can be considered as having a reasonable approach to both advancing and retreating.

Even with such a small commotion, CCTV News reported on it, praising netizens' creativity and imagination for their contribution to cultural development...

Twenty years ago, the retired old men from the Law School of Aurora University, who had never faced their rivals, went through many twists and turns, and through old alumni of East China University of Political Science and Law, they found people from Jiangning University and asked if they could make a living with Zhang Da'an.

It's not that they're just trying to make a living, but their followers are really having a tough time right now. They won't have much of a voice in the mainstream media for at least ten or twenty years.

The reason why they are alumni of East China University of Political Science and Law is because in the early days of judicial development, nine universities cooperated, including Aurora University, Jiangning University, St. John's School, and other established schools. In terms of origin, they all came from the same lineage after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

After the Ministry of Justice made adjustments in 1946-1997, East China University of Political Science and Law rallied and essentially ushered in a new spring after years of dormancy.

Scientists have their day, and so do legal scholars.

"You really have connections?"

After Zhang Da'an left Luzhou, the old men made a phone call to Jiangning University. Upon hearing that there were large sums of money involved, they immediately became interested.

"Mr. Zhang has a considerable number of patents in the international market. Your Aurora University Law School has an advantage in the field of intellectual property protection and management."

"That's true."

"However, I should point out that Jiaotong University is moving even faster. On the 26th of last month, 'Zhang An Electronics' went to Jingchu for a meeting, bringing with him people from Jiaotong University's School of Law. And it's confirmed that 'Zhang An Electronics' will attend the 'China Optics Valley' Forum on the 18th of this month."

This "Optics Valley of China" forum, also known as the China Jianghan International Optoelectronic Information Technology Expo, is being held for the first time this year. "Zhang An Electronics" mainly exhibited products and applications in industrial vision, and its patents were mostly outdated results purchased from companies such as Nokia, Alstom, and Texas Instruments.

There's nothing particularly outstanding about our exhibits, but with over 150 companies participating this time, and more than 40% of them being overseas, that means we have something to offer.

Because government and enterprise procurement is most time-saving and labor-saving through such expos, "Zhang An Electronics" is now a major consumer buyer. Texas Instruments is willing to cooperate with "Zhang An Electronics" on baseband because it was heard that "Zhang An Electronics" is developing a turnkey service.

If a board has a jointly developed baseband chip, then there's potential. Whether it's taking a percentage cut from the sales of a single unit or selling a single chip at a high price, it can become a cash cow.

Qualcomm was somewhat unhappy about this, but it wasn't a big problem, since "Zhang An Electronics" was so incompetent that it only bought second-hand goods internationally.

To say that Qualcomm has no ideas at all is unrealistic; they're just waiting to see if they own any patents so they can extort money from them.

Jiangning Institute of Technology has approached several Jiaotong Universities and Beijing University of Technology, as well as several universities including the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, to find a way around the problem. They plan to do so this year and next.

The unavoidable issue is preparing for legal matters, whether it's "patent crossover" or "patent purchase," we'll deal with that later.

However, for many universities and companies in China that hold communication patents, this is the first time they've had a good meal, because "Zhang An Electronics" actually paid patent fees.

Wait... Dude, you really want to give it to me?

As expected of a legitimate company that complies with the Labor Law, it is very transparent.

These days, not only do companies in China not have the idea of ​​paying patent fees, but even CCTV isn't much better, since copyright is also intellectual property.

One of the biggest benefits of joining the World Trade Organization is that it has quantified or given value to intellectual property rights, and it has also made 99% of business people realize that service trade is also a type of trade.

Of course, the remaining one percent will think that "service trade" refers to the trade in clothing.

Long live understanding.

"Jiaotong University has already made contact?"

"We were in contact last year, didn't you know?"

"How would I know?"

"Last year, Zhang'an Foods sold its 'Little Champion Series' of various gummy candies, which were very popular. At that time, Taihu University of Light Industry had a collaboration with Zhang'an Foods. Then Jiaotong University said that they could cooperate on the 'intellectual property' aspect. Logically, you couldn't possibly not know that, right?"

"..."

She's pretty tight-lipped!
This is really frustrating. These days, if lawyers want to make big money, they have to work for big companies.

But where can you find so many big companies that pay so much money? State-owned enterprises have fixed quotas, while foreign-funded, joint-venture, and private enterprises are either stingy or operate in secret. Only top-tier "master mages" can stand alone.

Private enterprises that win the National Science and Technology Progress Award every year are the ones with the greatest need for this, so they always keep an eye on the first and second prize winners.

But now Bao'an City is self-contained. There is actually a lot of internal competition among universities in the Pearl River Delta. But once they get a share of the profits, they can really start to grow and expand.

After finally producing a "three-time champion", Jiaotong University beat them to it?
Is this reasonable?

reasonable.

That afternoon, when we went to "Zhang An Electronics," people of all ages saw a huge group photo that was over five meters high and eight meters wide.

That's awesome.

I didn't see Zhang Da'an in person, but after learning more about him, I felt relieved because the legal department of "Zhang An Education" and "Zhang An Electronics" are not the same company, and the legal department of "Zhang Xiaobai Technology Co., Ltd." is a colleague from Beijing. In short, they have cooperation with the law schools of multiple universities.

You're too kind, Mr. Zhang!
"Intellectual property" is a hot topic right now. If you're just making headlines domestically, it's not a big deal in the industry. But for someone like Zhang Da'an who also has international business, it's incredibly beneficial. Leaving aside the financial aspect, just the opportunity to expand international business and exchange ideas at foreign law schools is a highly valuable resume.

Zhang Da'an has a collaboration with the University of Porto in Portugal, which is a very good channel.

Despite being a small country and relatively weak in Europe, Portugal boasts a rich and colorful history, and there are a significant number of Portuguese-speaking countries around the world.

At the same time, Portugal is also a member of the European Union, and theoretically, one can use Portugal as a springboard for academic exchanges to visit law schools all over Europe.

The prerequisite is obtaining an invitation letter from a law school at a university in Portugal.

After some thought, the two old men from Aurora University suggested that their students learn Portuguese, just in case.

"Learn Portuguese?"

"Learn it first, it will definitely be useful. Let me analyze it for you."

An old man was speaking to his grand-apprentices in the reception room of "Zhang An Electronics," saying, "Look, this summer, 'Zhang An Electronics' is going to release a mobile phone. Normally, they'd sell it domestically, but this Wenquxing (a type of electronic dictionary) will definitely continue its collaboration with the University of Porto. They don't make small profits, and they won't touch any unprofitable business. So, they can't just be reselling wine or wine corks to Portugal, can they?"

"Are you looking to develop the Brazilian market?"

"definitely."

"It can't be that simple, can it?"

"It's hard to say, but there's no harm in it anyway, and learning Portuguese isn't a bad investment. Besides, what if you go to Africa? Like Angola or Mozambique, both of which speak Portuguese."

"is it?"

“I’ve dealt with them before. They are poor, but the city population is still several million.”

As for when they first met?
It happened thirty years ago. I have a vague memory of it, but not much.

Regarding how to make money in Africa, the mainstream approach in China is still government-enterprise cooperation, with very little individual business. However, after China made breakthroughs in the entire chain of denim processing technology for a period of time, many more individuals went to Africa.

Just like last year's largest single order for washed jeans, it came from East Africa. And what's rather counterintuitive is that the more common the industrial product, the higher the profit margin in Africa.

However, after a few years, when the Pearl River Delta region began to experience intense inflation, this profit was directly reduced by 90%.

After that, the main products are high-tech value-added industrial products needed for basic construction, and the profits from electromechanical products are also higher in Africa than in Europe and America.

This is in line with objective laws, since it's unrealistic for industrial products to be cheap in agricultural countries.

"Mr. Xia, do you think the business here, especially international business, will also see a significant increase in the future?"

"This month, Beijing was supposed to award an educational institution that provides overseas study consulting services, but now they are keeping a low profile and haven't dared to publish their work in the newspapers."

"Why? Is it related to this?"

"Don't ask any more questions now, you'll find out later."

Old Xia was thinking that the "little rascal" surnamed Zhang had an incredibly good appetite for barbecue in Japan. Now, where could he find a large organization to promote this kind of thing? Everyone was asking their boss how to do it.

And their master doesn't want to become the next Hu Xianda.

It would be easy for the descendants of noble families to destroy Zhang Da'an, but now, they can't do anything about it. In Jiangkou Province, they are already locked in a fierce battle with at least two other descendants of noble families over the 240 billion yuan market value.

Previously, some businesses that could be easily accepted by the system have now been cleared out and all are subject to re-tendering.

The Hu family's overseas study agencies in seven locations—Jiangning, Wudu, Taihu, Zhongwu, Runzhou, Chongzhou, and Xiangtai—were all shut down; the Zhao family's companies in the "Pengcheng Heavy Industry" supply chain were also kicked out of the supply chain.

The penalty for breach of contract by Pengcheng Heavy Industry was paid by an investment company in Jiangning, involving as many as 22 large, medium and small enterprises, which were either the primary supplier, the secondary supplier, or the primary supplier of the primary supplier.

Private lending companies have also been shut down for suspected illegal activities.

Almost all the descendants of nobles who went into business to make money engaged in "usury lending," and they were involved in any industry with high profits and low responsibility.

In the past, it was a game of one family taking turns to be the boss, with Zhang's family making money for three years, Li's family making money for three years, and then Wang's family making money for three years...

They each have their own sphere of influence. If you specialize in fundraising in Zhongwu City, then I will specialize in special materials in Wudu City. We keep to ourselves and complement each other's industries.

This time is different; the benefits brought by the "Dog King" are enough to make everyone "turn against him."

Breaking the rules?
That's nothing.

It all depends on how much benefit they can offer, right?

It should be noted that Wudu City is currently experiencing a "money shortage," and both local bullies and local tyrants are facing a situation where they have no choice but to act decisively.

Zhang Da'an not only cannot die, but must live to be a hundred years old. Anyone who goes against Zhang Da'an is going against the saying "wealth does not last three generations" and "the family line ends after five generations".

Emotions are a major taboo in the confrontation path.

The "passive merchants" of Jiangkou Province now only want to keep fighting against one road, and no matter who comes, it won't work.

There are countless alumni of Aurora University's School of Law in Jiangkou Province, so it's quite easy for anyone at the level of a mentor to get information.

Very well-informed.

However, the old men were afraid of frightening the new children, so they didn't reveal just how wild this Zhang Zongsang (beast) really was.

While the people from the Law School of Aurora University continued their investigation of "Zhang An Electronics" and "Zhang An Industrial Alliance," Chief Instructor Zhang was busy negotiating with a group of people from Yuzhang Province.

They weren't from Yuzhang University of Finance and Economics, but rather from several large agricultural trading companies in Yuzhang Province, both state-owned and private.

Besides the well-known "vegetable basket project," domestic farmers' markets have always kept pace with the times. The Ministry of Agriculture started implementing the "Pollution-Free Food Action Plan" last year, but that doesn't mean the market will be developed this year.

On the contrary, the concept of "green food" alone has resulted in more than 2,000 products in China, with annual sales exceeding 40 billion yuan.

The bulk of the product is, of course, the most common grains and oils, which are two categories: grains and cooking oils.

The current situation is that some companies' grains and cooking oils cannot meet the local standards of Jiangkou Province. The lawsuit was taken to a higher level two days ago, but it has not been effective.

One principle is that anyone invested in by the Hu family must die.

Not a single grain of rice can enter any of the large warehouses and wholesale markets in Jiangkou Province.

Not to mention cooking oil, the rapeseed oil from Yuzhang Province has the best combination of flavor and quality for the traditional Yangtze River Delta region, especially the areas along the river and around Taihu Lake, which are the main consumer markets.

Now a situation has emerged where business owners from Zhejiang Province act as middlemen and earn five or six percent more than local companies from Henan Province.

It doesn't matter if we don't do this business, since the furthest we can go to for rapeseed oil procurement is Northeast China. It's not that we don't have the connections; on the contrary, Jiangkou Province has always had a good relationship with the Northeast State Farms. It's just that we can't engage in "free trade," as it's a secure job for the "Beijing bosses."

The situation has changed. Even the arrival of "Beijing officials" is no longer effective. They sell directly from the ports of Liaoning Province to the grain and oil wharves on the Yangtze River.

In just two or three days, things had become a complete mess, and the crux of the matter lay with Zhang Da'an.

As a result, cadres from many agricultural counties in Yuzhang Province formed a group and went to Jiangning. They thought Zhang Da'an was unreasonable, but Zhang Da'an was quite polite, treating them with good food and drink, and showering them with flattering words, without showing any neglect.

There's only one thing they won't budge on.

"Mr. Zhang, removing the shares from some shareholders is technically quite difficult, and given their local influence, we have to consider these shareholders' interests..."

“I understand your difficulties, but you need to think this through. Grain and oil are only one aspect.”

Zhang Da'an said calmly, "Don't forget, your Yuzhang Province is a major producer of fruits, vegetables, livestock and poultry products, and aquatic products. If you only do wholesale, you can do it all over the world. But if you cooperate with me, I guarantee you'll have a brand for each of these four categories."

"This……"

"What? I'm personally advertising with the title of 'three-time top scorer,' don't you believe me? I say that eating Yuzhang oranges will make you smarter and get perfect scores on exams, and they really do have that effect. Do you really doubt that?"

"..."

I was careless and forgot about that.

The people who came were all district and county cadres who had long been on the front lines of agricultural affairs. In the agricultural and sideline products sector, whether or not a brand was established, the difference in value was significant.

Simply producing "geographical products" is not enough, because there is also internal competition within the same place, and what emerges from this competition is the brand.

Just like the "Chenzhuang workers," they are all construction workers, but the "Chenzhuang workers" are synonymous with reputation in Pengcheng. Even when foremen go out to take on small jobs, as long as they say that they are working with "Chenzhuang workers," the other employers will feel more at ease.

The same applies to people; the labor that people sell can also be a high-quality brand.

"You're afraid of retaliation from the Hu family, afraid of being retaliated against, but I don't understand what's there to be afraid of. Currently, the national sales of 'green food' amount to 40 billion yuan. You are a major producer, while Jiangkou Province is a major consumer. If you really want to sell only to Luzhou, Zhejiang Province, or Lingdong Province, I have nothing to say. I'm not some kind of all-powerful person who can stop you from doing business for ten or eight years, but at least not this year."

"We can't think of a good way to get around this on our own. Mr. Zhang, could you give us some pointers? I wonder if anyone in Jiangning can help us come up with some ideas?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Da'an immediately smiled. It really is a "revolutionary old area"—their shift in thinking is far superior to that of Jiangkou Province.

A broad perspective is essential; one must have dreams.

So that day, the unit in Jiangning City responsible for rural agriculture and farmers made a phone call to the Jiangkou Provincial Rural Education and Employment Pilot Demonstration Zone, which is also known as the Pengcheng City Fengyi County Rural Poverty Alleviation and Prosperity Industrial Demonstration Park.

Comrade Zhang Zhengdong, the director of the management committee, is busy digging ditches right now. The construction site is extremely busy, and it is the middle of summer. In order to prevent rural children from swimming in the wild and drowning, a section of the irrigation canal has been temporarily converted into a pond.

Local officials in Chenzhuang Town act as patrolmen and lifeguards. If you want to swim in the wild, you can go to a "proper" place.

And you know what? It worked really well. Everyone in the surrounding villages was talking about how the county magistrate had led a team to build a swimming pool for the kids—a pool that was over ten miles long!

"Yes, yes, that's it. Stay in the water for a while to get a feel for it, and when you float, kick your legs and wave your arms. Hey~~ that's how you swim, isn't it?"

"Chen Xiangyu, what are you doing?! Don't jump into the crowd—"

Uncle Zhang, who had finished his work at the construction site, also went to soak in the flowing irrigation canal for a while. At this moment, there were more than 200 children in the short river section, which was about 100 meters long. The banks were full of parents watching the excitement, as well as village officials acting as rescuers.

Every summer vacation, children start drowning.

This year is fine, nothing.

Uncle Zhang, wearing only a pair of shorts, nimbly tumbled in the water, diving dozens of meters away in a single leap, drawing cheers from the children.

The women on the shore, while avoiding the sun, commented that Director Zhang's figure didn't look like that of a man in his forties.

"Director! Director! A call from the province—"

"Just come."

Before he could even enjoy the call for a few minutes, his secretary came over and said there was something going on in the province. After taking the call, Uncle Zhang was taken aback. "This 'green food' thing, can our Fengyi County produce it?"

"..."

The person on the other end of the phone fell silent for a long time before saying, "Right now, we're prioritizing dealing with the difficulties faced by our comrades in Yuzhang Province."

"I know, I was just asking."

"Ah."

The organization trusts you, Comrade Zhang Zhengdong.

Uncle Zhang immediately switched to a different phone and dialed his nephew's number.

(End of this chapter)