Twenty years of cold chain

As soon as Luan Pingxin got into the car, she sensed that Hu Shutong's mood was not quite right. On the surface, he was overjoyed, but a hint of resentment was hidden in his eyes.

Hu Shutong briefly recounted their meeting, and Luan Pingxin immediately frowned. "Does this person think Tongxing is desperate for money? Trying to take advantage of their misfortune?"

"And there are even more outrageous demands."

"Listen to me, leave this matter alone. If Hou Huan calls you again, don't answer. Have you considered whether this is Kunyu's idea, or Hou Huan's attempt to obtain technology from you to curry favor with the company?"

These words gave Hu Shutong a hint: judging from all indications, the possibility of a private matter was indeed greater.

"If he keeps calling you before the New Year to urge you to continue the talks, then you can be pretty sure he's in a hurry to do his own thing. The more you hold things in check, the less patient he'll become. If it were Kunyu's idea, they wouldn't be so impolite during the New Year holiday. If they wanted to make contact, they would send a team to find you in person after the New Year."

Hu Shutong gripped the steering wheel. Luan Pingxin's explanation sounded more and more convincing, while Hu Shutong himself was preoccupied with fundraising and had been running around like crazy these past few days.

"He wants to share technology with Tongxing with just a contract. I hate people like him who think they're the smartest in the world! Putting everything else aside, this is Kunyu's new business segment. Does Qian Lenglian Building Materials really think it's like it was ten years ago—just a polyurethane production line and some glass wool and asphalt felt, and they think they can make it big? With the technological updates of the past few years, it has to be both practical and environmentally friendly. The bigger the company, the more it needs to treat technology as its core competitiveness!"

"And he wants to take over the factory's technology. Does that mean he can just use whatever hardware, AI, or testing technology we develop? We have no problem providing technical support for research projects, and we have no problem collaborating with companies on R&D. But this guy, his eyes are practically glowing with greed, wanting to make money from the West. He wants our technology to serve his purposes. Just ignore him. What a piece of trash!"

Luan Pingxin's rant sounded intense, but Hu Shutong saw it all as spot-on. Especially since Kunyu was aiming to enter the western market, and the more competitive a new market is, the more brilliantly new technologies shine.

"I understand, don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on things."

"Let's make this clear from the start: whether you talk to him or negotiate with Kunyu, there's only one way to move forward. Talk if you want to talk, otherwise get lost! Don't even think about annual contracts or anything like that. Not only will we only make a pittance, but we'll also easily be accused of overcharging in the industry. We won't gain any fame or profit; we'll just lose everything!"

Hu Shutong laughed and said, "You've explained it all so clearly, I understand now."

At this moment, Luan Pingxin suddenly fell silent. Hu Shutong turned his head to look and saw her pursing her lips and staring straight ahead.

Luan Pingxin had thought that Tongxing had weathered its most difficult decade, growing stronger and more robust from its early days, and now it seemed like a new beginning. He thought about the financing process; the other party had been proactive at every turn, and now, with his own technology, he was facing this situation, making him feel even more sorry for Hu Shutong. This incident was a microcosm of many things: capital inflates the morale of companies, and those who have influence over capital are all players in the big picture, viewing supply as mere sustenance.

The person driving next to him was as calm and composed as ever, but few people realized that he was heading towards a vortex he had previously avoided, venturing into a larger territory for private enterprises among the many climbers.

Luan Pingxin remembers every detail of Tongxing's life, which makes her sigh, "Tomorrow will be better" and "Tomorrow will be harder." These words seem to apply to the people around her without any contradiction.

As the car pulled into an intersection and waited for the green light, Luan Pingxin suddenly asked, "The New Year is just around the corner. Besides that guy surnamed Hou, is there anything else you need to deal with?"

Hu Shutong shook his head and said, "No, whatever it is, we'll talk about it after the New Year."

Luan Pingxin suddenly leaned closer, her eyes full of anticipation, "How about we leave the city?"

"Out of the city? Where to?"

"Hmm...anywhere, it doesn't matter."

"Going south leads to warmer places, while going east brings you closer to the sea. Which one would you like to go?"

"I'm not choosing; I'll just go wherever the road takes me."

Hu Shutong dialed the navigation, "If we're heading south, then we can stay here tonight..."

Luan Pingxin squinted and crossed her arms. "Staying at a guesthouse, check-in at 6:50, dinner at 7:40, watching the news for half an hour after dinner, replying to company emails after the news, going to sleep at 11:00, writing a ten-minute memo for tomorrow before bed! Going to the balcony at 3:00 in the morning to smoke a cigarette and look at the Milky Way, basically just ignoring me!"

Hu Shutong laughed heartily, "Alright, alright, from now on, we won't make any plans whatsoever. Hey? Did you already have this planned out?"

Luan Pingxin smiled, her eyes narrowing. "When have you ever seen me with such a big suitcase?"

"Set off!"

This is the third year of our marriage and our first post-wedding trip. Compared to staying in Mingjiang as a stranger in a strange land, walking on the road with the person I love most, stopping whenever I want and leaving whenever I want, suddenly cleared away countless troubles that had been accumulating in my heart.

This was a feeling Hu Shutong had never experienced before. Everything before him was novel. For someone who had never even read a travel guide, everything was exquisitely crafted and a masterpiece.

They walked through fields, villages, winding streams, and stone bridges. They watched the fiery sunset from the hillsides at night, and ate strange and unusual foods in secluded bamboo houses. They lamented when a fish escaped their catch and were annoyed when the morning mist disturbed their clear sunrise.

For a long time, Hu Shutong has been like a triple barrier behind him. He looks wise and insightful, but in reality, he is like a set of rules falling one after another. When something comes, respond to it, twist it, or go with it, everything can be summed up in these eight words.

A change of environment also changed his mindset. He temporarily put aside those accumulated and intractable problems, and looking back, everything seemed different. He had been stuck in his ways for too long and had been suppressing his feelings for too long. Full of ambition for the future, he had been saying all along, "Don't worry about the future."

Regardless of the time of day, I only wish that this moment between you and me is an incredibly precious and pleasant one.

Financing, distribution, technology, and education—all the major storms subsided at that moment.

No matter what happens next, you can use this time to pack up, prepare your gear, and set off again!

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.