Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

Lin Miaomiao picked up a piece of glistening shrimp, put it in her mouth and savored it. The sweet and fresh taste made her close her eyes slightly in satisfaction.

Jiang Haoran also picked up his chopsticks and tasted a piece of fish; it was tangy and refreshing, and appetizing.

Lin Miaomiao enjoyed her meal naturally, then suddenly asked, "You investors must be under a lot of pressure, right? I heard you often have to stay up all night monitoring the market and reviewing data?"

"Actually, it's alright." Jiang Haoran said honestly, "The most crucial time is when you build a position, you need to time it right; the holding phase is the most challenging in terms of patience and composure, you need to be able to hold on; as for closing the position... that's probably the most difficult part, if you sell too early you miss out on the big gains later, and if you sell too late you'll lose your profits."

He paused, his voice steady: "Of all these steps, the most mentally taxing is actually that moment of 'making a decision.' You have to complete the analysis, judgment, and then... place the piece within a very limited time."

"No going back on a move once it's made?" Lin Miaomiao replied, looking at him.

"Yes, once a move is made, there's no going back." Jiang Haoran nodded, then raised his eyes, his gaze clear as he looked at her, as if adding something casually, yet also as if he meant something.

"Actually, many things are like this: once you've thought it through, you decide to do it. Like coming to Shanghai to see you today."

These words were spoken so naturally, in a tone as calm as stating "The weather is nice today," but to Lin Miaomiao, they were like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating a series of subtle ripples.

She has met many young people in this circle who come from wealthy families or call themselves elites. When discussing investment, they mostly talk about "hot trends," "tracks," and "disruption," and their mouths are full of amazing returns. However, she rarely hears anyone so honestly analyze the pressure and struggles in the decision-making process, as well as that sense of "no regrets."

She tilted her head slightly to avoid his overly bright gaze, picked up a slice of lotus root, and asked softly, "So this time... do you think you did the right thing?"

Jiang Haoran knew she was asking about the "small investment" he had mentioned.

He remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing how to respond.

"From the current perspective, the direction seems to be correct, and market trends are also validating some of our judgments," he replied cautiously, leaving room for further leeway.

"But the market is still evolving, and it's not time for things to settle down yet. It may take some more time, until next month, before we can truly see the outcome."

He didn't reveal any specific details, and Lin Miaomiao tacitly refrained from asking further, simply giving a soft "hmm".

This mutual respect for boundaries and tacit understanding is especially precious and comfortable between two people on their first date alone.

The atmosphere was subtly quiet for a moment, before Lin Miaomiao broke it.

She started talking about interesting things that happened in the lab, her tone becoming lighter: "There was a senior in our group who got confused during the last experiment and mixed up the order in which the two catalysts were added. As a result, a bunch of bright purple foam that we had never seen before came out of the reactor, which stunned everyone. Later, he was dragged to the professor's office and scolded for half an hour."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but laugh, her eyes curving into beautiful crescent moons.

Jiang Haoran laughed and naturally replied, "There was an even more outrageous case at our school. Apparently, someone used a prohibited appliance to cook hot pot in their dorm room, which triggered the smoke alarm, soaking everyone in the building. They ended up getting a demerit."

The awkwardness between the two quickly melted away in these lighthearted conversations.

Jiang Haoran also shared some of his experiences at university, interesting books he had read, and inspirations from lectures in different disciplines. The breadth of knowledge he displayed once again surprised Lin Miaomiao.

As the conversation got more animated, Jiang Haoran casually mentioned, "Speaking of which, I've always had this idea that when I have the chance in the future, I must go to the Arctic to see the aurora borealis and experience the awe-inspiring sight of the silent world with only flowing light. Or I could go to a place like Tahiti, leave everything behind, and just dive underwater to see the underwater world."

When he said this, his tone carried a pure longing, and his gaze seemed to be directed towards a very distant place.

However, to Lin Miaomiao, it was like a thunderclap, exploding in the softest part of her heart.

Going to the Arctic to see the aurora borealis, going diving in Tahiti... these are almost the two dreams she holds deepest in her heart!

It was a small dream she used to comfort herself when she was under heavy academic pressure and felt exhausted by her father's high expectations.

She never told anyone in detail about her personal desire to travel, not even her parents knew it in a vague way.

How... how could he have mentioned those two places by chance? And his tone was so natural, as if they were things he had been longing for for a long time.

In an instant, a powerful impulse almost burst from her throat—I want to go too! I'll go with you!

She was startled by her sudden, almost reckless thought, and a faint blush instantly rose to her cheeks.

To cover up her momentary lapse in composure, she quickly lowered her head, pretending to choke on her tea, coughed lightly twice, and swiftly changed the subject: "Cough... You read such a wide variety of books. Philosophy, history, materials science, physics, computer science, economics... It seems like there's nothing you're not interested in?"

Jiang Haoran took in her subtle reactions and understood, but he didn't point it out. He went along with her words, saying, "Just take a look. Reading is always beneficial. Reading a variety of things can sometimes help you break out of fixed thought patterns and see some different connections."

"Take photovoltaics, for example. It's a highly interdisciplinary field, involving materials science, physics, chemistry, electronics, and mechanical engineering. If you only focus on your own small area of ​​expertise, it's difficult to grasp the overall picture, let alone predict the future."

These words truly touched Lin Miaomiao's heart.

Born into a business family, she was taught by her father from a young age to be "focused" and "deeply engaged," and that she would take over the family business in the future and become a top player in the photovoltaic industry.

The supervisor repeatedly emphasized the need to make groundbreaking achievements in the specific field and publish papers with high impact factors.

She herself has always strived towards this goal. But deep down, she often feels a sense of limitation and confusion, as if her vision is being confined by invisible boundaries.

The boy in front of me seems to have no such boundaries in his thinking, freely moving between various fields, yet he can accurately grasp the core of the problem.

Lin Miaomiao looked at him and asked a more forward-looking and deeper question: "So, setting aside the current competition in technological routes, where do you think the real, long-term breakthrough point for the photovoltaic industry might lie?"

"In the short term, it's undoubtedly about continuous optimization within the existing technological framework, desperately improving efficiency and reducing costs—it's a battle for survival. But looking further ahead..." He slowed his speech, his gaze becoming profound.

"It may be necessary to break out of the traditional crystalline silicon system. For example, to find new materials with higher conversion efficiency limits, design disruptive battery structures, or even explore entirely new physical mechanisms of photoelectric conversion."

"These things may sound a bit distant now, like basic research, but it is precisely these explorations that are accumulating the most primitive seeds for the industrial revolution ten or twenty years from now."

Lin Miaomiao's heart skipped a beat.

Few people can so clearly and firmly point out the fundamental significance of basic research and cutting-edge exploration for the "pragmatic" photovoltaic industry.

Around her, her father most often talked about "market share", "cost control" and "quarterly financial reports"; her supervisor was most concerned about "project funding", "paper indicators" and "technology transfer rate".

Everyone lives within very real and very specific KPIs.

She had almost never met anyone like Jiang Haoran, who could so frankly and visionarily affirm the value of "accumulating seeds".

At that moment, looking at the boy sitting opposite her, calm yet wise in his eyes, she suddenly felt that he was shrouded in a faint, mysterious aura that made her want to explore it.