Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

The starry sky and vows by Lugu Lake seem like a brief and sweet dream.

Returning to the bustling city of Shanghai, the pull of reality immediately pulls one back to earth. The lingering moisture and warmth in the air are quickly replaced by the dryness and order of the city.

The hug at parting still carried the memories of each other's bodies, and Lin Miaomiao's heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of security and strength by Jiang Haoran's words.

She has even begun to conceive how to discuss with her father, in a more mature and persuasive manner, the path of "reducing costs through technology and replacing domestic products" proposed by Jiang Haoran.

However, reality did not give her time to prepare calmly.

The afternoon after she returned to Shanghai, her father, Lin Guodong, called her cell phone directly. His tone was brief and left no room for argument: "Come home for dinner tonight. I have something to ask you."

The location was not the Shanghai-listed company headquarters, but a detached villa in Baoshan District.

Lin Miaomiao's heart skipped a beat, and she had a vague premonition.

Pushing open the front door, the entryway was unusually quiet; it seemed the servants had all been sent away.

Zhou Yaru, the mother, came out of the living room with a worried look on her face. She gave her a wink and whispered, "Your father is in the living room. He doesn't look too good... Be careful what you say."

"Mom, what's wrong?" Lin Miaomiao asked in a low voice.

Zhou Yaru shook her head, gently patted her daughter's arm, her eyes filled with concern and helplessness.

Lin Miaomiao composed herself, changed her shoes, and walked into the living room. Her father, Lin Guodong, sat alone on the large mahogany sofa. Several documents were spread out on the rosewood coffee table in front of him, and he was looking down at them, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.

The crystal chandelier overhead cast light onto his angular face, highlighting the deep lines between his brows and a heavy weariness. His complexion truly resembled the oppressive, leaden-gray sky before a storm.

"Dad, I'm back." Lin Miaomiao walked over, trying to make her voice sound calm and natural.

Lin Guodong looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping across her face as if searching for some mark. He didn't respond to her greeting, but spoke directly, his voice low and deep: "Where have you been these past few days?"

The question came directly, even abruptly. Lin Miaomiao's heart tightened. "I didn't go anywhere, I've been at the Spring City R&D Center."

She remained calm, saying, "There's some progress to follow up on at the Kunming R&D center, and I also wanted to take a break at some nearby attractions."

"Who did you go with?" Lin Guodong asked one question after another, without beating around the bush, his eyes fixed on her.

Lin Miaomiao pursed her lips, knowing that being vague would only make the situation worse.

Since her father asked that, he probably knew something. "With a friend," she chose a neutral answer.

"Jiang Haoran?" Lin Guodong pronounced the name precisely, not as a question, but as a statement.

The air in the living room seemed to freeze instantly. Lin Miaomiao's heart tightened, and her last bit of hope was shattered. "Yes." She raised her head, looked directly at her father, and no longer avoided his gaze.

Lin Guodong's eyes suddenly became complicated, filled with disappointment, anger, and an indescribable scrutiny.

He picked up a document from the coffee table, but instead of handing it over, he tapped it with his finger, his tone icy: "I had someone check. Jiang Haoran, a senior majoring in finance at Jinling University. His father runs a small, limited-scale machine processing factory in Zhenjiang."

"He himself began to get involved in the futures market at the end of last year, using aggressive methods. In the first half of this year, he registered an investment company called 'Jiutian'."

He gently tossed the document back onto the coffee table, making a soft "thud," but it felt like a heavy hammer blow to Lin Miaomiao's heart.

"Miaomiao, tell me," Lin Guodong's voice was filled with suppressed anger, "Why are you so close to someone with such a background and such experiences, going out alone with him for several days? What kind of spell has he cast on you?"

"Dad! You secretly investigated him?!" Lin Miaomiao's voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief and anger at being violated.

She never expected her father to go this far.

"Shouldn't I investigate?" Lin Guodong stood up abruptly, his tall figure still bringing a strong sense of oppression in the spacious living room.

"My precious daughter, Lin Guodong's future heir to Wanhe Solar Energy, has been out alone with a poor boy from a humble background for several days, and we haven't heard from her at all! As her father, don't I even have the right to know? Don't I even have the right to ask a single question?"

"He's not a poor kid!" Lin Miaomiao stood up as well, her chest heaving slightly with excitement.

"He is capable and visionary. His understanding of the photovoltaic industry and his judgment of technological trends are more thorough than many directors and senior engineers in the company who have been working for more than ten years!"

"During his trip to Kunming, he had in-depth discussions with Engineer Li from the R&D department. Engineer Li personally told me that his ideas regarding thinning and improving cutting processes were very inspiring and practically valuable!"

"Value?" Lin Guodong scoffed, his laughter filled with disdain and worldly-wise mockery. "A student in his early twenties, still a student, talking to you about industry value?"

"Miaomiao, you are too naive and you disappoint me too much! I have seen too many people like this in the business world. They make their first fortune in the capital market by relying on a little bit of cleverness and extraordinary courage, and then they immediately think that they have mastered the secret to wealth and are omnipotent, pointing fingers and talking big everywhere."

"What does he want from you? Is it you, Lin Miaomiao, or your identity as 'Lin Guodong's daughter,' or the Wanhe Solar brand and the resources it might bring?"

"Dad!" Lin Miaomiao's face turned pale instantly, not from fear, but from extreme anger and grievance, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes.

"How could you say that about him, insult him like that! He's not the kind of person who's obsessed with personal gain! When he's with me, he talks about technology, the future of the industry, and the real dream of domesticating the photovoltaic industry!"

"So what kind of person is he?" Lin Guodong took a step forward, his gaze piercing as he stared at his daughter. "Would a down-to-earth young man with a serious career ambition and stable plans abandon his studies before graduating from university to indulge in high-risk futures speculation? Would he be so eager to register a shell investment company and play the capital game?"

"Approaching you precisely at a time like this? Miaomiao, let me tell you, this kind of person is the most dangerous! Quick-witted but lacking in foundation, today he might be able to manipulate the futures market by luck, but tomorrow he could be shattered to pieces by a single misjudgment!"

"His world is full of uncertainty and enormous risks. What stable future can you expect from being with someone like that? What good outcome can you expect?"

Her father's words were like icicles, piercing Lin Miaomiao's heart one by one.

Looking at the man she had always respected and loved, she suddenly felt that he was somewhat of a stranger.

His assertions, based on "experience" and "protection," rendered the emotions and recognition she cherished most worthless.