One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

Zhuge Ming sat quietly on the sofa chair the whole time, without interrupting Zhao Fangxu's questioning or interrupting Feng Zhenghao's explanation.

He simply sat there, his right hand casually resting on the armrest, his left hand on his knee, his gaze slowly shifting between Zhao Fangxu and Feng Zhenghao, as if watching a match he had already anticipated.

At this moment, he picked up the celadon cup in front of him, looked down at the clear, bright yellow tea inside, tilted his head slightly, and said to Zhao Fangxu in a casual tone, "Chairman Zhao, can you smell what kind of tea this is?"

Zhao Fangxu was slightly taken aback, but quickly picked up the conversation. He picked up the teacup, brought it to his nose, smelled it, smiled slightly, and his tone became more relaxed and friendly: "Director Zhuge, this should be jasmine tea from a time-honored brand in Tianjin. The jasmine tea scenting process in Tianjin is second to none in the north."

Zhuge Ming picked up the teacup, took a sip, and let the tea roll around on his tongue before slowly swallowing.

He nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face. When he spoke, his tone carried just the right amount of humility and eagerness to learn: "It does smell quite fragrant. Please excuse my ignorance—as a Chinese person, I am indeed not very familiar with our country's tea culture. Tea culture is profound and extensive."

Feng Zhenghao immediately took over the conversation. His smile was more natural than before, and his tone was a little lighter. He was obviously trying to ease the atmosphere by talking about tea culture: "Leaders, I only know a little about tea culture. In the past, drinking too much with clients was bad for my health. Now, when we discuss cooperation, we pay attention to drinking tea for health. I guess I've been forced to learn a little."

This jasmine tea is the signature product of Zhengxingde, a time-honored brand in Tianjin. Their jasmine tea scenting technique is a municipal-level intangible cultural heritage. The jasmine tea scented with the best pre-Qingming tea leaves each year is so rare and expensive that it's hard to find even with connections.

Zhao Fangxu picked up his teacup, smelled the aroma of the tea, and suddenly chuckled softly, as if an old Tianjin resident was recalling some old story.

He leaned back in his chair, his tone shifting from accusatory to more relaxed, but still laced with sarcasm: "Director Zhuge, Chairman Feng, speaking of jasmine tea, I'm reminded of a joke—Tianjin doesn't produce tea or jasmine flowers, so why do Tianjin people love jasmine tea so much?"

Zhuge Ming placed the teacup back on the wooden tea table, making a soft, crisp sound as the porcelain base hit the wooden surface.

He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing on his lips. When he spoke, his tone was calm and clear, as if he were explaining a piece of not-so-obscure history to a beginner: "Although I don't know much about tea, I seem to know a little about this and can answer Mr. Zhao's questions."

Because Tianjin used to have tea companies that specialized in the scenting process. In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, tea shops in Beijing ordered jasmine tea from Fujian. The scenting process was controlled by tea shops in the north—southerners didn't drink jasmine tea much.

After liberation, with the implementation of a planned economy, and because of its proximity to consumer markets and the desire to increase Tianjin's GDP, the tea processing was located in Tianjin. Both the tea and jasmine flowers were transported from the south, with the jasmine flowers even being transported by air.

However, after the reform and opening up, private tea factories in Fujian gradually explored and restored the scenting tea process, and even invited master craftsmen from the Tianjin Tea Company back to Fujian.

Due to cost issues, Tianjin Tea Company no longer produces flower tea. The making of Tianjin flower tea is an intangible cultural heritage, and the tea company's brand is "Chunrui"—Chairman Feng, am I correct?

After listening, Feng Zhenghao clapped his hands together and gave a few solid applause.

His expression shifted from polite to genuine admiration, and his tone carried a more sincere weight: "Director Zhuge, I have truly learned something today. As a native of Tianjin, and having lived and worked here for decades, I was completely ignorant of these things. I have really learned something today."

Zhuge Ming nodded slightly, his hands clasped on his knees, his tone still gentle and composed, but the conversation subtly shifted from the craft of flower tea to another level: "The Way of Tea—our Chinese tea culture—is also an intangible cultural heritage. Since the reform and opening up, our country has embarked on the path of 'a strong culture leads to a strong nation.'"

The culture of tea is profound and has a long history. Take jasmine tea, for example; it involves countless steps: brewing, boiling, smelling the aroma, and tasting—each step is meticulously crafted. Our five-thousand-year-old Chinese history and culture have always focused on discarding the rough edges and retaining the essence. What are your thoughts on this intangible cultural heritage, Chairman Feng?

When Zhao Fangxu heard the words "intangible cultural heritage," his hand holding the teacup paused very slightly.

He buried his face behind the rim of the teacup under the guise of drinking tea, his mind already churning with conflicting emotions—intangible cultural heritage, the Eight Extraordinary Skills, Director Zhuge had gone from talking about a cup of jasmine tea all the way to intangible cultural heritage, testing Feng Zhenghao's attitude.

Moreover, this probing was done so smoothly, from Zhao Fangxu's casual mention of "Tianjin jasmine tea" which Zhuge Ming picked up and developed into a whole popular science explanation of intangible cultural heritage, to now casually steer the topic to intangible cultural heritage policies, the whole transition was as natural as water flowing down a river.

Feng Zhenghao paused for a moment while holding the teacup.

He sat on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, his fingers unconsciously circling the rim of the glass.

He certainly understood—the trajectory of this topic, from jasmine tea to intangible cultural heritage, and from intangible cultural heritage to policy, was all too clear.

But he didn't hesitate for long.

He put the teacup back on the coffee table, cleared his throat, and began to speak in a formal and solemn tone, like someone who had spent half his life navigating the business world and the social scene and was still able to sit calmly and collectedly.

"Intangible cultural heritage" is a legal protection system established by our country to protect the traditional cultural expressions passed down from generation to generation by all ethnic groups.

According to the provisions of the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Intangible Cultural Heritage", intangible cultural heritage includes traditional oral literature, traditional fine arts, calligraphy, music and dance, traditional crafts, medicine and calendar, traditional etiquette, festivals and folk customs, traditional sports and acrobatics, etc.

The state has established a four-tiered intangible cultural heritage list system, from the national level to the provincial level, and then to the municipal and county levels, providing protection at each level and offering policy support and economic subsidies to representative inheritors.

A strong culture makes a strong nation. The country is doing this to protect the valuable culture left by our ancestors, so that future generations can see, learn, and pass it on.

After listening, Zhuge Ming put down his teacup, raised his hand, and clapped a few times in a leisurely manner.

The applause was crisp and powerful in the quiet private office.

His expression was one of genuine approval, and the smile on his lips deepened even more: "President Feng's words were very insightful and worth learning from. I, Zhuge Ming, have been determined to strengthen our country through science and technology since I was a child, and my work over the years has always revolved around this goal. As for our country's culture, I'm completely ignorant—I know nine out of ten things. Whether it's tea culture or various intangible cultural heritages, we must learn them."