Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The whistleblower incident was like a farce, coming and going quickly, but it left a deep impression on the people in the courtyard.

The most miserable was Liu Haizhong. He had intended to sow discord between Wang Huanbo and Jia Dongxu, but ended up shooting himself in the foot. Not only did he become a target of the factory leadership (Director Yang later criticized him without naming names at a cadre meeting, saying, "Some comrades don't focus on their work and are always scheming against others"), but he also became a laughingstock in the factory compound. Yan Bugui would sarcastically say to him, "Old Liu, next time you report something, you'd better investigate it thoroughly, don't just believe everything you hear." Even Xu Damao secretly mocked him for being stupid. Liu Haizhong was both angry and ashamed, and almost fell seriously ill. His dream of becoming an official seemed even more unattainable. He attributed all of this to Wang Huanbo's "favoritism" and Jia Dongxu's "luck," burying a deeper resentment in his heart, but he only dared to keep it buried there.

Xu Damao broke out in a cold sweat, secretly relieved that he hadn't made the same foolish mistake as Liu Haizhong. He realized how deep Wang Huanbo's influence and how sophisticated his methods were, and his desire to curry favor with him grew even stronger. He figured that simply clinging to him wouldn't work; he needed to find an opportunity to "make a contribution." He remembered that Wang Huanbo was involved in automobile exports and might need publicity. He knew many people in the cultural field through film screenings; could he help contact newspaper reporters and get a feature article on Hongxing Automobile? Wouldn't that be a great achievement? He began actively lobbying.

Having weathered this storm, Jia Dongxu's mindset became more composed. He understood that the opportunity Wang Huanbo had given him was hard-won and came with risks. He had to prove himself to live up to those expectations and silence the gossips of people like Liu Haizhong. He studied even harder, almost to the point of neglecting sleep and meals. Qin Huairu, seeing her husband's transformation, went from initial worry to silent support, managing the household impeccably and trying her best not to disturb his studies. Even Banggeng was sternly admonished by Jia Dongxu to study hard, and the little guy, watching his father's back as he diligently studied under the oil lamp, seemed to have matured considerably.

He Yushui's progress was even more rapid. Under Wang Huanbo's careful guidance, she had already completed the entire high school math, physics, and chemistry curriculum through self-study and had begun to explore university preparatory courses. Her goal was to take the college entrance examination next year and aim for Tsinghua or Peking University! Sha Zhu was overjoyed to see his younger sister becoming more and more "cultured," and he was even more devoted to Wang Huanbo.

Wang Huanbo himself had already put this minor incident behind him. His gaze was now fixed on something much more distant. Hongxing Automobile continued to sell well in Southeast Asia, but the barriers to entry in the European and American markets remained formidable; several new domestic car factories were about to begin production, but the management of large-scale production and more advanced engine technology urgently needed to be addressed; and the rudimentary data on integrated circuits and computers in the system space also needed to be "unlocked" at the right time and in the right way. He realized that the era of working alone was coming to an end, and he needed to build a more efficient and reliable team—not just a technical team, but also a management, operations, and even intelligence analysis team.

He began to consciously observe and cultivate the people around him. Jia Dongxu's tenacity and He Yushui's intelligence showed he was a promising technical talent; Sha Zhu's honesty and loyalty made him suitable for handling internal affairs and maintaining confidentiality; even Xu Damao's scheming and network of connections, if used well, could be a valuable resource. Of course, all of this required time and testing.

As autumn deepened, the persimmon trees in the courtyard were laden with bright red fruit. Jia Dongxu was working on his homework under the lamp, He Yushui was deep in thought, clutching his university textbook, Sha Zhu was researching new recipes in the kitchen, Xu Damao was scheming how to "make a name for himself," and Liu Haizhong was sighing… Everyone was on their own track. Meanwhile, in the study in the west wing, Wang Huanbo spread out a new blueprint, his initial design for the second-generation Red Star sedan and its V6 engine. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the blueprint and the deep, resolute light in his eyes. A new journey was quietly beginning in this seemingly peaceful autumn night.