Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 148 The Place Where Clouds Remain Unknown

After entrusting the daily affairs of Orange Technology to Gong Yun, Chen Mo, Zhou Mingzhe, and Zhao Tiezhu, who shamelessly followed along, formed a three-person R&D team and headed straight to Yunnan Province.

The plane flew smoothly at an altitude of 10,000 meters. The first-class cabin was specially soundproofed, making it quiet and comfortable.

Zhao Tiezhu twisted his neck, leaned closer to Chen Mo who was resting with his eyes closed, and said in a low voice with a grin, "Brother Chen, I'll pay you back 10,000 yuan when I get my January salary in a couple of days!"

Chen Mo didn't even lift his eyelids, but a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh? You've received over 300,000 yuan in bonuses and salary since July, haven't you?"

"Where's the money? It's all gone!"

He tilted his head slightly, looking at Zhao Tiezhu with a hint of amusement. He had only handed over the catalyst formula, and with the five million yuan he received, Chen Mo had only spent a little money on renting an apartment; otherwise, he hadn't had any major expenses.

This kid makes over 5 a month, and he hasn't saved a single penny!
Zhao Tiezhu raised an eyebrow, and the thin scar on his left eyebrow also lifted up dramatically.

He chuckled and said, "Brother Chen! Do you know what the most painful thing in the world is?"

Chen Mo recalled Grandpa Zhao's classic skit and couldn't help but laugh, casually replying, "So you died with money left over, huh!"

"Hey! Brother Chen, you really understand me!" Zhao Tiezhu slapped his thigh, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and immediately started counting on his fingers.

"Brother Chen, look!"

I think I can make around 5 yuan a month, no matter what.
First, without fail, he sent three thousand yuan home to support his family. That can't be less, right?
And then, what about the guys in my marketing department? As the boss, I have to take care of them, right?
When you're leading people through the supply chain and doing on-the-ground promotion and marketing, do you have to treat them to a nice meal every now and then?
When it's hot, I buy ice cream; when it's cold, I deliver milk tea. I've never been this attentive to my girlfriend, all for the sake of taking good care of the guys in the marketing department!
After all that, seven or eight thousand yuan was gone!
Then, our core executive brothers in the Orange Group, we need to maintain our relationships, right?

I take them out every now and then... cough cough, to relax a bit, and while I'm at it, to gather some information for you, Brother Chen. Another ten or twenty thousand yuan is gone!
After spending the rest of my money on daily expenses—renting a place, buying clothes and shoes, getting a haircut, and topping up my game account—there's basically not a penny left!

Life is but a mere 30,000 days. I, Zhao Tiezhu, have never compromised myself. I want the biggest house, the trendiest clothes, the best food, the most beautiful women, and the finest cars.
Brother Chen! You know what I mean! Whether you learn to drive or not isn't really important; safety comes first!

He paused, a "calculating" expression on his face.

"So this is my plan: in the first year, I'll pay you back 10,000, in the second year, 20,000, in the third year, 30,000, and so on, a steady and gradual process!"

A debt of 50, including standard bank interest, and so on.
Chen Mo understood the kid's plan and gave him a light kick in annoyance.

"Get lost! At this rate, you'll be paying me back for sixty or seventy years, principal and interest, right? Do you think I'll even live to see the day you pay it all off?"

"Haha!" Zhao Tiezhu exaggeratedly dodged in his seat, making the scar on his left eyebrow bone even more noticeable as he winked.

"Brother Chen, just hang in there and live to be a hundred or so. Our brotherhood will last forever, and our debt relationship will continue forever!"

"Ha!" Chen Mo laughed in exasperation: "Do you think I'm a thousand-year-old tortoise or a ten-thousand-year-old turtle? I don't expect to live to be a hundred or so. Just stop causing me trouble and live a peaceful life!"

He was too lazy to argue with this reckless young man anymore, so he raised his hand to beckon to the flight attendant.

"Hello, could I have a small blanket and an eye mask?"

After taking the things from the flight attendant, Chen Mo leaned back in his seat and pulled up his eye mask to cover his eyes: "Call me when we get to Yunnan Province, don't bother me!"

"Alright, Brother Chen, you can rest now!"

Zhao Tiezhu made a zipping gesture over his mouth, wisely shut up, and retreated to his seat, but his eyes excitedly swept over the churning sea of ​​clouds outside the window.

Flying is already so great, how much better would it be to fly a plane? Driving is nothing compared to this. One day I, Zhao Tiezhu, will own a plane and fly it.

People always have some strange ways of pleasing themselves. Zhao Tiezhu really likes the feeling of being above the clouds, the weightless sensation that allows his mind to go blank for a short time and not have to think about anything.

In the next seat, Zhou Mingzhe, who was flying first class for the first time, sat upright, feeling both curious and a little awkward as he experienced the spaciousness and the flight attendant's meticulous service.

His mind was far from idle; he was repeatedly planning how to take President Chen and President Zhao to see Teacher Xu once they arrived in Yunnan Province.

During yesterday's phone call, Professor Xu seemed to mention that he would personally lead students to Xishuangbanna to investigate arboreal yellow weasel ant colonies and analyze the impact of drought on rubber plantation ecology.
This route is not easy to travel.

After an unknown amount of time, the flight attendant's soft and sweet voice came over the loudspeaker:

"Ladies and gentlemen, our plane is about to begin its descent and is expected to arrive at Kunming International Airport in 15 minutes. The ground temperature in Kunming is 18 degrees Celsius, the weather is clear, and Yunnan Province is blessed with beautiful scenery. Welcome to Yunnan! We wish you a pleasant stay in Yunnan Province."

The broadcast woke Chen Mo from his light sleep. He pulled down his eye mask and was met with Zhao Tiezhu's excited face.

"Brother Chen, wake up! We're fucking here in Yunnan Province!"

Zhao Tiezhu pointed to the gradually clearer outline of the mountains and rivers outside the window, his tone excited.

Chen Mo rubbed his temples, looking at the city buildings getting closer and closer outside the window, and teased, "So that's why you insisted on coming along, you were planning to come here to have fun, huh?"

"hey-hey!"

Zhao Tiezhu chuckled twice and patted his chest.

"Brother Chen, what are you saying? You have Xiao Zhou helping you with R&D, right? I'm here to provide logistical support, run errands, and do odd jobs for you. Don't worry, I may have fun, but I definitely won't neglect my work!"

The plane landed smoothly in Kunming. A breath of air, different from the damp and cold air of Shenzhen, carrying the scent of highland sunshine, rushed towards them. Chen Mo took the half-full bottle of water out of his bag; it was bulging. Luckily, he noticed it early and unscrewed it to let the air out.

However, the three of them did not linger in this city known as the Spring City, where spring lasts all year round. As soon as they got off the plane, they went straight to the transfer channel to catch the next flight to Xishuangbanna.

If January in Shenzhen is a damp chill with a hint of cold, then January in Xishuangbanna is a sticky, humid heat that hits you right in the face.

As soon as Chen Mo stepped out of Banna Airport and stood by the roadside for a short while, he felt his shirt sticking slightly to his skin, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Zhou Mingzhe quickly contacted Professor Xu Dechang, and sure enough, Professor Xu's slightly tired but energetic voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Xiao Zhou? You've arrived in Xishuangbanna?"

"Oh dear, I've already taken the students into the mountains of Mengla. We're currently observing the yellow weaver ant colony here in the rubber forest! Why don't you guys have a couple of days to play?"

Faced with this suggestion, Zhao Tiezhu said that sharpening the axe wouldn't delay the work of chopping wood, while Chen Mo raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. You kid, you're just thinking about sharpening the axe, aren't you!

“But then again,” Zhao Tiezhu said, showing his flexibility, and waved his hand, “Let’s not delay, Xiao Zhou, lead the way, let’s have some dogs!”

The three of them chartered a rather old-fashioned, rounded yellow-red minibus directly from the airport and drove to the towns below.

The car veered further and further off course, and the road changed from an asphalt road to a bumpy dirt road.

Finally, at a fork in the road, the somewhat dated minibus could no longer proceed.

Zhou Mingzhe found several local men with dark skin and the distinctive red cheeks of the high-altitude region by the roadside.

Several motorcycles with huge horse baskets hanging from the back were parked next to them. The baskets were filled with all kinds of daily necessities, and the tires were wrapped with anti-slip straw ropes.

After some communication using a mix of local dialect and gestures, the three men readily agreed to take them into the mountains.

The three of them each climbed onto the back of a motorcycle.

Zhou Mingzhe seemed to have ridden these "open-top mountain bikes" quite often when he went into the mountains with his mentor in the past, and his expression remained relatively calm.

Chen Mo looked at the bottomless cliff on his right, then at the rough mountain wall on his left, and at the narrow path beneath his feet that could only accommodate one vehicle at a time. His face turned slightly pale, and his hands instinctively gripped the vehicle frame tightly.

Wow! That's awesome! Dude, that's amazing!

In stark contrast to them was Zhao Tiezhu, who was not afraid at all. Instead, he was excitedly shouting and yelling, which made the driver in front turn around and grin, revealing a set of white teeth.

The motorcycles nimbly navigated the rugged, slippery mountain roads, often punctuated by loose stones and mud.

The three men's driving skills can be described as "man and machine as one". Even when turning on the edge of the most dangerous cliff, if the car body occasionally slips and tilts suddenly, they can immediately stabilize it with their feet or skillful force and continue to roar forward.

Each tilt made Chen Mo's heart leap into his throat, while Zhao Tiezhu's strange cries echoed through the valley.

After a heart-pounding, bumpy ride, the motorcycle finally burst out of a dense forest, and a bright and open view appeared before us.

A bamboo village, built against the mountainside and arranged in a staggered pattern, came into view.

In the small open space in the center of the village, an elderly man with gray hair and a refined demeanor was surrounded by several young people wearing straw hats, seemingly explaining something to him.

With a "whoosh," the motorcycle stopped, and Zhao Tiezhu was the first to jump off, rubbing his buttocks exaggeratedly.

"Oh my, this mountain road has been so bumpy, my butt feels like it's been split in two!"

Now this kid's complaining about the bumpy ride, he's even using his dialect, making it seem like he wasn't the one who told his older brother to ride faster earlier.

"Brother Chen, Xiao Zhou, you two chat first, I'm dying of thirst, I'm going to go to the village to find some water!"

After saying that, Zhao Tiezhu didn't wait for the two to respond and curiously ran towards a bamboo house in the distance with colorful ribbons hanging on it.

Chen Mo got out of the car, his face still a little pale, but he had finally recovered.

He gestured for Zhou Mingzhe to properly thank the three weary travelers, and habitually reached for his wallet.

Zhou Mingzhe quickly stopped him and whispered, "President Chen, it might not be appropriate to give money here; it could easily lead to misunderstandings!"

Chen Mo immediately understood, nodded, and gestured for Xiao Zhou to express their sincere gratitude in the local dialect.

Zhou Mingzhe immediately switched to fluent local dialect and warmly thanked the three elder brothers, his words sincere, and he even gestured towards the village.

The three men smiled and waved, said a few words, then started their motorcycles, loaded with baskets full of goods, and drove deeper into the village.

Chen Mo took a few deep breaths of the fresh, grassy air, and his complexion regained some color.

He straightened his slightly wrinkled shirt and walked towards the refined scholar surrounded by students.

After the other party finished explaining to the students, Chen Mo stepped forward and politely said, "Hello, Professor Xu! I am..."

Before he could finish speaking, the scholar looked up, revealing a face with a slightly sly smile that seemed somewhat out of place with his refined demeanor.

"Young man, you've mistaken me for someone else! You're looking for 'Ant Xu,' not me, 'Rogue Snake'!"

As he spoke, the old man, who called himself "the rascal snake," smiled and picked up a PEC biological collection box from his feet. He opened the lid and saw a brightly colored little snake coiled inside!

"Hiss!" The little snake flicked its tongue.

Caught off guard, Chen Mo was so frightened that he took a half step back, his heart pounding wildly.

Several of Professor Lai's students around him couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle as they watched Chen Mo's face freeze instantly and his rare embarrassment. Their eyes were filled with curiosity.

This seemingly distinguished peer was terrified by the teacher's snake?

"Teacher Lai!"

At this moment, Zhou Mingzhe finally arrived, recognized the other party at a glance, and quickly acted as the introducer between the two parties.

"Hello, Teacher Lai! I am Zhou Mingzhe, a former student of Teacher Xu. This is General Manager Chen from Orange Technology!"

He quickly came to Chen Mo's rescue: "Mr. Chen, this is Professor Lai Qingquan, Professor Xu's old partner. He specializes in the study of snake ecology. 'Lai Pi She' is his nickname, and it's just a joke."

With the help of a middleman, the atmosphere between the two sides eased considerably.

Chen Mo composed himself, suppressing his earlier shock, and politely spoke again: "Professor Lai, I'm so sorry to bother you!"

"We came all the way from Shenzhen because we urgently need to ask Professor Xu some questions about ant biomimicry. Is he here now?"

Professor Lai laughed and closed the snake box again.

"Old Xu is still out there with his precious students catching and counting ants in the rubber plantation. That place is deep in the forest; they probably won't be back for two or three days!"

“Look,” he pointed to the sample boxes his students had just packed: “We were lucky this time. We caught them as soon as we entered the mountains. You’re lucky to see us coming back to deliver samples in the village.”

It's getting late, and traveling at night is too dangerous.

We're going to a sampling site near Lao Xu's place tomorrow, you guys can come with us!

Chen Mo glanced at the setting sun, then at the vast mountains, knowing that there was no use in rushing.

So he nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Professor Lai!"

"No trouble, no trouble!"

Professor Lai waved his hand, his smile hearty.

"You've traveled all the way from Shenzhen to do scientific research, and that kind of dedication is admirable. In the field, we researchers are all one family, and it's only right that we help each other out!"

Looking at the fine beads of sweat on Chen Mo's forehead and his hair, which was slightly disheveled by the mountain wind, he smiled and said to a student beside him, "Go, get two straw hats for our two friends who have come from afar, to shield them from the sun!"

Professor Lai then smiled mysteriously: "You've come at the perfect time, not early. There's a celebration in the village today, and you've just arrived for the feast!"

Chen Mo suddenly realized why the three men who brought them there had their motorcycles loaded with household goods; it turned out someone was getting married.

Meanwhile, a corner of the village.

Zhao Tiezhu rubbed his rumbling stomach and looked around curiously among the bamboo houses.

He knocked on the doors of several bamboo houses, but all were quiet and no one answered.

This bamboo house is even stranger, as it doesn't even have stairs.

Downstairs, there was a black water buffalo with long horns on its head, leisurely grazing.

It curiously stared at the uninvited guest with its big eyes, then lowered its head and continued munching on the grass after a while.

"Strange, where did everyone go?"

Zhao Tiezhu muttered to himself, just as he was about to try another place, when he suddenly heard a clear, silvery sound coming from above.

Looking up, he saw the small window on the second floor of the bamboo house, decorated with colorful strips of cloth, open. A beautiful young woman, dressed in bright ethnic clothing and adorned with sparkling silver ornaments, was staring at him, this unfamiliar "outsider," with her large, watery eyes.

Zhao Tiezhu's eyes lit up, and he immediately flashed what he considered his most "friendly" smile, looking up and shouting, "Hey! Beautiful lady! Any water? I'm dying of thirst!"

The girl, who looked to be about his "age," was taken aback at first, then smiled, revealing two sweet dimples.

She didn't say anything, but turned and disappeared through the window.

Just as Zhao Tiezhu was wondering what was going on, a long, smooth bamboo pole slowly extended down from the window and stuck straight into the ground in front of him.

Zhao Tiezhu: "???"

He looked at the bamboo pole, then looked up at the window.

The girl poked her head out again, her sweet smile unchanged, and waved to him, signaling him to come up.

Zhao Tiezhu stared at the bare bamboo pole, then at the window of the bamboo house, which was three or four meters off the ground, and was a little confused.

"What does this mean?"

He scratched his head, staring at the bamboo pole, and a bizarre yet somewhat familiar thought popped into his head.

"Does this mean I have to climb up???"

Looking again at the young woman's big, watery eyes, full of encouragement, Zhao Tiezhu's curiosity was piqued.

Zhao Tiezhu refused to believe that she could eat him up.

He rolled up his sleeves, stretched his wrists, stared at the bamboo pole, and a confident smile appeared on his lips.

"Hmph! In elementary school PE class, I was the best pole climber in the class!"

(End of this chapter)