Reborn in 2012, building a new energy empire

At 6:30 a.m., Jiang Haoran had already finished washing up.

The sounds of his mother bustling about came from the kitchen. His father, Jiang Jianguo, sat on the sofa in the living room, holding a copy of yesterday's People's Daily, but his gaze kept drifting to his son who was packing his luggage.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a few more days?" Mother Chen Fang came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of noodles, her face full of worry. "We've only been home for a few days."

Jiang Haoran took the noodles, the steam blurring his vision: "Mom, the factory's crisis is temporarily over, but opportunities don't wait. Uncle finally managed to get an order, I'll go take a look first, and if it works out, I'll call Dad over."

Jiang Jianguo put down the newspaper and remained silent for a moment: "Your uncle has always been different from other children. He is quick-witted and has a keen eye. This time, you go to Shanghai with him and learn more about his ways of handling things and his business acumen."

Although his tone was still somewhat stern, the disappointment in his eyes had long since disappeared, replaced by a hint of expectation: "Haoran has grown up. Don't be like your father, so eager for quick success and easy to trust others. When it comes to life and work, being down-to-earth is the most reliable thing to do."

"I understand." Jiang Haoran nodded seriously.

After breakfast, Jiang Haoran picked up his simple bag, which contained only a few changes of clothes, a proposal he had repeatedly considered and revised, and several national policy reports he had taken from his father's office.

Before he left, his mother stuffed a bag of biscuits and two apples into his bag: "Eat these if you get hungry on the way."

She then quietly slipped a roll of money into his pocket, saying, "Expenses are high in Shanghai, don't be stingy."

Jiang Haoran held his mother's hand without hesitation. In his past life, he might have thought such a gesture was unnecessary, but now he understood the profound maternal love behind that concern.

"Dad, I'm leaving." At the door, Jiang Haoran turned around and instructed, "The factory has a good gap in orders right now. Have someone install and debug the new machines as soon as possible, and familiarize them with the operating procedures in advance, so we won't be scrambling when subsequent orders come in. Don't worry, I'll definitely bring you good news when I get back from Shanghai!"

Jiang Jianguo paused for a moment, his stern face softening slightly. He then nodded awkwardly and mumbled a low "I understand."

Before long, Jiang Haoran and his uncle Chen Jingge boarded a bus bound for Zhenjiang Railway Station. Outside the window, the small city gradually awoke in the morning light. He dialed Li Pangzi's number.

"Brother Hao! I've got the money sorted out perfectly, 15,000, not a penny short!" Fatty Li's voice boomed on the other end of the phone, tinged with a naive excitement.

"Honestly, I never expected that the opened cosmetic gift set could be returned at 20% off. What's even more outrageous is that this was the gift you gritted your teeth and bought a few days ago to woo your goddess Qianqian, and you're actually willing to let her return it?"

Jiang Haoran calmly replied, "She brought it back herself."

He paused, then remembered the "mobile number transfer" feature that Alipay had launched not long before 2012, which could save him a lot of trouble.

"You've activated online banking on your phone, right? Download an app called Alipay, link your bank card, and add me as a friend. My phone number is 139XXXXXXXX. You can transfer money directly to me. It's much more convenient than going to the bank. I can use it these next few days."

"Now that you've got your Alipay account sorted out, you know how you always like to buy snacks and gaming peripherals on Taobao? Now you don't need to transfer money anymore, you can pay directly online and have it delivered to your door, saving you the trouble of going to physical stores all the time."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Haoran closed his eyes to rest.

The train sped across the vast plains, the scenery outside the window rushing past, but Jiang Haoran's thoughts had already drifted to Shanghai. The person he was going to meet this time was someone whose fate had been deeply intertwined with his in his previous life—Lin Miaomiao, the only daughter of Lin Guodong, chairman of Wanhe Solar Energy.

His crucial partner in his past life was also a complex emotion in his heart that he had never spoken of or crossed.

They always maintained a tacit understanding, trusting each other more than close friends, yet less intimate than lovers—truly "more than friends, less than lovers."

As far as he could remember, she was still studying at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which was the best opportunity for him to "bump into" her.

At 10:00 AM, the train slowly pulled into Shanghai Station.

Jiang Haoran followed the flow of people out of the station, and the damp, slightly cool air, carrying the bustling atmosphere unique to big cities, rushed towards him.

"Uncle," Jiang Haoran said to Chen Jingge, "I have an appointment to discuss something nearby. You go home first, and I'll come find you later."

Chen Jingge didn't ask any more questions and opened the taxi door: "You know the address. Come back early tonight."

Jiang Haoran turned and walked towards the subway station. He bought a ticket to Xujiahui Station from the automatic ticket machine—the most direct way to get to Jiaotong University's Xuhui Campus.

The Xuhui campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University is shaded by plane trees, and its red brick buildings exude the weight and history of a century-old institution.

As Jiang Haoran walked along the familiar tree-lined path, his heart involuntarily quickened.

Countless scenes from my past life flashed through my mind.

Both developing in the new energy industry chain, Jiang Haoran and Lin Miaomiao, who is now the head of Wanhe Solar, are not only confidants who can resonate with and lament about industry policies, but also partners who can support each other by phone during industry downturns.

That mutual appreciation and trust, accumulated over their long careers, has evolved into a unique tacit understanding, always maintaining a delicate balance—I appreciate you, but my career is equally important. This consensus is unspoken between them.

The events of the past life are already set in stone. But in this life, the journey has just begun.

Jiang Haoran walked towards the library. Based on his memory of their conversations, Lin Miaomiao would spend her weekday mornings in a fixed spot on the east side of the Natural Science Reading Room on the fourth floor, studying the latest English journals and industry reports on the photovoltaic industry, whenever she didn't have classes.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the aroma of books and old papers wafted out.

The reading room was quiet, with only the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional soft turning of pages.

Jiang Haoran's gaze swept quickly across the scene, and he recognized the figure almost instantly—a simple white shirt, long hair casually tied up with a dark hair tie, a few unruly strands falling to the side of her neck, gently swaying as she occasionally flipped through documents.

A thick book titled "Progress in Photovoltaics" was open in front of Lin Miaomiao. Next to it, a notebook was filled with neat and powerful handwriting, and another notebook was densely filled with English notes and charts.

Beside her was a Chinese industry briefing, titled "Interpretation of the 12th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Solar Power Generation Technology".

This document from the Ministry of Science and Technology clearly outlines the key research directions across the entire chain, from materials and devices to system equipment. In the briefing, she heavily underlined the paragraphs about "reducing silicon material costs" and "breakthroughs in crystal growth equipment" in red pen, and filled the margins with neat handwriting with technical English terms corresponding to the journal article she had just read.

Jiang Haoran walked quietly to the seat opposite her, one seat away, and put down his backpack.

From this vantage point, her profile and the open pages of the book in front of her fell perfectly into his peripheral vision. She was within his observation range, yet he was also certain he wouldn't intrude abruptly.