Chapter 496: Just a Little Bit
At most, within a month, Xinghai Foundation would complete its equity restructuring and capital injection. By then, Mr. Bill Gates would become the second-largest shareholder of Xinghai Foundation.
With Bill Gates' identity and influence behind it, Xinghai's investment and holding activities in the U.S. would become significantly easier. And at that very time, Marvel would be filing for bankruptcy protection.
There was no reason for Su Yuanshan to miss out on a cinematic universe like Marvel—one destined to be enshrined in film history. It wasn't just about making money; it was about something deeper…
He didn't want to keep seeing run-down, dirty, and chaotic portrayals of China in Western films—like the HK slum "Pig Cage Walled City" clichés. He didn't want to see Chinese characters speaking awkward, barely intelligible Mandarin that sounded like it came from a foreign drama teacher. He didn't want to watch scenes that made him cringe with disgust.
If he could do something—just a little something—to help fix that…
If here, just a little changed, and there, just a little was corrected… then maybe, over time, all those little changes would add up. Maybe China's image and voice in the world would become just a little more positive and a little more respected.
And after all, it wasn't like this would lose money! So why not do it?
...
After lunch, Akio Morita asked about Yuanxin's future flash memory chip plans, then made a bit of polite small talk. Not long after, Su Yuanshan and Ken Kutaragi took their leave.
Back in the car, Su Yuanshan looked at Ken with a solemn expression.
"Ken-san, I think… Mr. Morita didn't give me back the MP3 player?"
"Ah? I'm so sorry. I think…" Kutaragi was momentarily stunned by Su Yuanshan's sudden comment. "I think you're right. Should we go back and retrieve it?"
"Eh… forget it. Let's just say it's a gift for the old man," Su Yuanshan said with a touch of regret. "But that was the first MP3 player in the entire world!"
Zhou Xiaohui, who knew Su Yuanshan was putting on a show, saw that Kutaragi genuinely looked a bit panicked and couldn't help but chuckle. "Ken-san, he's just joking."
"Hehe, I actually really admire Mr. Morita," Su Yuanshan said, returning to a serious tone and letting out a light sigh. "Ken-san, you're under quite a bit of pressure."
"Yes," Kutaragi said, straightening his expression and instinctively furrowing his brows. But he quickly relaxed and added, "But since you've painted such a bright future for me, I believe Sony's future will be just as bright."
"Mm! I believe it too. And I'll also keep fighting for Yuanxin's future."
Su Yuanshan extended his hand, and Kutaragi shook it firmly.
"Let's encourage each other."
...
One day later, Su Yuanshan's plane landed in the Special Economic Zone.
No more first MP3? Well, there was always a second, a third, an Nth version…
After a day of rest in the zone, Su Yuanshan took the MP3 device, a USB drive, flash memory chips, and accompanying technical documents and headed to the capital.
"What's so urgent that it had to be said face to face?"
In the office of Chen Jing at the design center, Su Yuanshan didn't even take time to shower before walking straight in.
"Heh, well, you're heading off soon..." Su Yuanshan said. He knew Chen Jing would be flying out the next day to Singapore with Wang Rui to meet with local telecommunications officials. The goal was to expand cooperation in base station infrastructure across the ASEAN region.
Recently, ASEAN countries had gotten a taste of rapid economic development and were starting to act like whoever held the money held the power. On top of that, Singapore's leadership was famously diplomatic and shrewd, giving the nation a strong voice in ASEAN. If Singapore was on board, the rest would follow easily.
Yuanxin's business had been progressing well in Southeast Asia, but after last year's tense standoff across the strait, things had become much more difficult...
Businesspeople avoided politics, but political winds constantly affected business.
As soon as the business trip was mentioned, Chen Jing felt a headache coming on. She frowned and said, "Why don't you go instead?"
"Me? Go where?"
"To some of the countries around Southeast Asia."
"Uh? Haven't you guys been handling that? I'm not familiar with the region."
Chen Jing shook her head. "Our partners over there are very familiar with you… You should know, the people we're working with are mostly in the tech sector—even government officials are technical types."
"To them, you're the embodiment of technology…"
"Technology's what?" Su Yuanshan asked, curious.
"A genius."
"Ugh…" Su Yuanshan was momentarily at a loss for how to respond to such a cheesy answer.
A smile returned to Chen Jing's face. She blinked and said softly, "Besides, you've been handling negotiations with global giants. Even if you're not that famous in China, overseas..."
"You mean I'm more appreciated abroad than at home?"
"Something like that."
Su Yuanshan chuckled and shook his head. "We'll see. Anyway, I actually came to ask your opinion on something…"
He then laid out the situation regarding whether or not they should consult with central leadership before arranging the upcoming Yuanxin-Japan semiconductor forum and explained his concerns.
After hearing everything, Chen Jing remained silent for a few seconds, seeming undecided.
Then she asked, "What's the rank of the attendees for this forum?"
"Roughly… people at my level."
"...'Big Boss' level?"
"Uh… no, I meant technically senior decision-makers. Not necessarily CEOs—if we host a conference and every Japanese semiconductor big shot shows up, wouldn't that cause an industry quake?"
Chen Jing nodded slowly. "So we're talking about technical VPs—people with high-level authority but not the absolute top job, right?"
"Exactly!"
"Then I'd suggest you do speak with the leadership—since you're familiar with them. Just be straightforward, don't hold anything back."
Su Yuanshan nodded… then paused as the words sank in.
"Wait a second, why does that sound like I'm their subordinate?"
Chen Jing pursed her lips and smiled. "Plenty of people would kill for that position."
"Hehe, that's true… If I were a provincial-level official at my age, that would probably only happen in dreams."
Since both Chen Jing and Zhou Xiaohui shared the same opinion, Su Yuanshan decided to go with the flow. In truth, he had already thought about it seriously on the way there and concluded that hosting the forum in Hushi was probably the best option.
Even just for appearances, Hushi was one of the few cities in the country that could represent China on a global stage.
You couldn't very well invite Japanese execs over and make them feel like they were attending a poverty alleviation program.
"Oh, and about what we discussed earlier…" Chen Jing added, staring at Su Yuanshan again. "When are you doing that Southeast Asia tour?"
Seeing her persistence, Su Yuanshan remained silent for a few seconds and then shook his head.
"Jing-jie, I've never once doubted your capabilities."
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Chapter 497: Uncle's Ambition
Ever since Su Yuanshan decided to chart a dual-path development strategy for Yuanxin—one that encompassed both R&D and enterprise growth—he had been resolute about not interfering excessively in the company's day-to-day operations, especially when it came to market activities.
This wasn't about keeping a low profile on purpose. It was simply that Su Yuanshan didn't like, nor was he good at, corporate management. Even with the advantage of reincarnation and a figurative "cheat code," he was still just a regular person—one who needed to stay diligent and focused to maintain his edge in the technical field.
But to outsiders, the picture looked quite different.
As Su Yuanshan grew older, more and more people speculated whether he would formally "take over" Yuanxin.
Su Yuanshan's actions made it clear—he wouldn't.
If he looked down on the Lee family of South Korea, then he certainly wouldn't become a chaebol himself.
Chen Jing bit her lip, staring at Su Yuanshan for a long time before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Even trying to be lazy doesn't work anymore…"
Su Yuanshan sighed too.
"Jing-jie, the revolution has yet to succeed…"
...
The next morning, Su Yuanshan walked Chen Jing to the gate before taking a stroll around the tech park.
The siheyuan-style (traditional courtyard) buildings in the park had been well preserved and renovated under Zhu Yuanxin's guidance. With the addition of greenery and public facilities, the entire place now had the vibe of a small garden-like park.
Wen Xiaoqian followed behind him, frequently checking the time. When she saw Su Yuanshan sit down next to a small pavilion beside a pond about 40 to 50 square meters wide—looking like he intended to stay there the whole morning—she couldn't help but remind him, "Boss Su, there's an online meeting with President Qin at 10 a.m."
"Mm, I know." Su Yuanshan had found a half-used bag of fish food in the corner of the pavilion, probably left by someone else. But after peering into the pond for a long while and seeing no fish, his interest quickly waned.
He had just stood up when his personal phone rang.
Su Yuanshan had two phones: one for business and one for private use.
"Uncle?" Su Yuanshan sat back down with a grin. "What's the occasion today? You actually called me?"
"Hey! You rascal, what do you mean 'actually'? Why wouldn't I?" Zhang Ke's hearty laugh came through the line. "Guess where I am right now?"
"Oh?" Su Yuanshan's eyes twitched playfully. "My house?"
"Tsk tsk… smart boy. Want to say a few words to your mom?"
In the background, Su Yuanshan could already hear his mother's voice loud and clear—"If you've got something to say, say it. What's with the hemming and hawing?"
Su Yuanshan chuckled. "Uncle, you really went the backdoor route. What's up? Need to borrow money?"
Obviously, he was joking.
Although the commercial division had been officially spun off as his uncle's own business, Uncle Zhang still didn't treat himself as an outsider. In fact, he continued treating his company—Yuan Da International Trade Co., Ltd.—as part of the greater Yuanxin system. Every quarter, he even submitted his financial reports to Yuanxin to be reviewed at the internal meetings.
Su Yuanshan knew exactly what his uncle was up to—by submitting his quarterly reports, Yuanxin's senior management would naturally take a closer look and offer feedback. If there were any issues in the commercial arm, Su Yuanshan would quietly step in to advise.
It was as if Uncle Zhang had hired Yuanxin's top executives as free consultants for his own company.
So Su Yuanshan knew his uncle definitely didn't need money. Business was thriving, and he had even started exploring expansion into Hong Kong, already making connections with Sun Xihui.
"Hehe, it's not about borrowing money. Mainly, I heard that Yuanxin bought a plane?"
"What, you want to buy a plane too?" Su Yuanshan wasn't surprised. His uncle had always leaned toward the finer things in life—but in Su's eyes, that wasn't a big deal. His uncle's lifestyle was far from extravagant, and there was no reason to expect him to live like a monk. "Uncle, just a heads-up—buying a plane is cheap, maintaining one is expensive. Don't come crying about the costs later…"
"No no, I'm not talking about a private jet."
"Hmm?" Su Yuanshan saw Wen Xiaoqian signaling and pointing at her watch again. With a sigh, he began heading back toward the office. "Then what kind of plane are you talking about?"
"I'm thinking of buying two aircraft specifically for freight transport."
"Remember how you told us before to start paying attention to logistics? Well, now I really think... logistics is a field with huge potential and worth investing in upfront."
Su Yuanshan glanced at his phone in confusion.
Yes, it was definitely his uncle. But why was he suddenly talking about cargo planes and logistics now?
Su Yuanshan certainly knew that in the future, major logistics companies would all own their own cargo aircraft. Giants like SF Express would go on to operate dozens of planes.
But what year was it now?
It was still only 1996!
Could his uncle really be thinking this far ahead? Not to mention the cost… wasn't the policy environment still a major roadblock?
"Uncle, are you serious right now…"
"I'm not joking. I'm dead serious. Xiaoshan… Let me put it this way—I've worked the Russian market before. Remember when the Soviet Union collapsed, and we made a ton of money sending cheap goods over there?"
"Yeah."
"So why was there suddenly a huge shortage of goods in Russia? Ultimately, it was because their market distribution and transportation systems broke down. The Soviet Union didn't lack products, but they couldn't get them to where they were needed. And here at home, although we're building highways, the speed still isn't fast enough… Right now, our shipping relies on trains, and it takes four to five days to get from south to north. If we use air freight, the country doesn't have any dedicated cargo airlines—we have to piggyback on commercial flights. It's super expensive and incredibly inconvenient."
"So if we had our own cargo planes—even if just for our own use—it would still be profitable!"
Su Yuanshan listened silently as his uncle laid it all out in one breath, his brows gradually knitting together.
After a moment's thought, he said quietly, "Have you calculated the costs?"
"Yes, we've done the math. It's a money-making deal. The only hurdle is policy... and right now, we don't even know who to talk to."
Su Yuanshan let out a low hum.
Of course. You can buy a private car easily, but buying a couple of buses and saying you want to start a taxi company? The transportation bureau would have your head.
"There's no precedent in the country yet. But no precedent doesn't mean it can't be done. I'm in the capital right now—when I get the chance, I'll ask around for you... But Uncle, let me be clear—I'll ask where the temple is, but don't expect me to burn the incense too."
"Ahem! Come on, Xiaoshan…"
Su Yuanshan could already feel the headache coming.
"Alright, alright… It's probably under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Administration and the Postal Service. I'll figure out who to talk to. In the meantime, you prepare a full report on the current logistics situation and market prospects."
"Got it!"
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Chapter 498: Sticky Like Taffy
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Su Yuanshan arrived punctually at the office of the head of the Ministry of Electronics Industry.
Unlike his previous visit, this time Su Yuanshan had come bearing "gifts."
"What a shame, what a shame," the minister exclaimed as he examined the MP3 player, clearly delighted.
"What's wrong, Minister?" Su Yuanshan asked with a knowing smile, watching the beaming face in front of him.
The minister's lament, of course, was about the timing—it hadn't made it in time for the end-of-year summary.
"If only it had arrived a bit earlier, we could've included it in the annual report."
As the head of the electronics ministry, the minister naturally understood the significance of the small gifts Su Yuanshan had brought. While in terms of "importance," flash memory and related products might not match Yuanxin's earlier CPU releases—those were focused on "catching up" with the world's cutting edge—this was something different. These products were leading the way.
And this tiny memory chip and media player represented China's second major technological innovation to be introduced globally.
The first, of course, had been the VCD—which was also invented by Yuanxin.
After motioning for Su Yuanshan to make himself comfortable, the minister put on his glasses and began carefully reading a different document—a report on the flash memory market.
This document, over 20,000 characters long, had its technical section authored by Li Mingliu and its market vision section by Su Yuanshan. It referenced numerous technology trends, predicted the development of large swaths of the semiconductor industry, and included extensive market data analysis.
At this moment, it could practically serve as a blueprint for the entire sector's growth.
The minister clearly understood the weight of the report, reading it so intently that he seemed to forget Su Yuanshan was even there.
Su Yuanshan was pleased to see him so focused. Even though the minister wasn't paying attention to him, he simply shifted into a more relaxed posture and sipped his tea calmly.
"Xiao Su, there are books over there. I hear you like to read—grab one. Don't just sit there doing nothing."
"Oh, thank you, Minister." Su Yuanshan glanced up, noticing the minister didn't even look his way. He smiled and grabbed a copy of Words of the Human World from the shelf.
—He hadn't expected a science-and-engineering official to have a taste for literary theory.
Minute by minute, time passed. After about half an hour, the minister finally looked up.
"Not bad! Not bad at all! Very detailed!" the minister said, eyes gleaming as he looked at Su Yuanshan. "But I still have to say this—if this wasn't written by you, I wouldn't believe a word of it. A tiny flash chip with a future market worth hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars? Sounds absurd."
"Well... we were shocked too when the numbers came out through our predictive models," Su Yuanshan responded modestly, trying not to sound too prophetic. "But then I thought—hey! Isn't that exactly how Yuanxin has always operated? A few years ago, who would've believed we'd grow this fast?"
"Exactly. No one would've believed it." The minister chuckled. "By the way, this market forecast model—was it generated using software?"
"Yes, it was derived using algorithms and prediction models from Professor Xi Xiaoding's Pandora Lab. Because it touches on so many fields—and human imagination is practically limitless—we figured we'd just let the computer do the heavy lifting."
"Professor Xi is an incredible talent!" the minister sighed with admiration. Then he tapped the report and said, "This document must be your key argument for convincing the Japanese semiconductor companies to cooperate, right?"
Hearing the minister voluntarily bring up his trip to Japan, Su Yuanshan realized that if he didn't seek the minister's opinion on this matter, the old man might be quietly displeased.
The thought crossed his mind quickly. Su Yuanshan smiled and shook his head. "Not really. On this trip, I mostly relied on my negotiation skills—Japanese businesspeople are sharp. We couldn't let them know too much."
"You…" The minister burst out laughing and pointed at Su Yuanshan. "Then you're even sharper than the Japanese!"
"But we were lucky. The trip went quite smoothly overall."
After taking a sip of tea, Su Yuanshan began giving a brief report on his trip to Japan.
When he mentioned being invited personally by Akio Morita, the minister let out a sigh. "Morita Akio was a brilliant man. What a pity. Hmm… go on."
"Actually, Morita's biggest strength is his foresight," Su Yuanshan added thoughtfully. "Maybe it's related to his limited mobility after the stroke. When a person can't move, they often calm down and see things from angles they normally wouldn't. Yuanxin's deep cooperation with Sony wouldn't have been possible without his support."
The minister looked at Su Yuanshan. "What makes you say that?"
"Morita gave me the impression that… he really believes in us," Su Yuanshan replied after a pause. "Not just in Yuanxin as a business partner—but in our direction, our vision."
The minister smiled. "So you're saying Morita wants Sony to catch a ride on Yuanxin's momentum?"
"Exactly. So sometimes... it puts me in a tough spot." Su Yuanshan shrugged helplessly. "Sony's product capabilities are too strong. Right now, they're clinging to us like taffy. It's not necessarily a good thing for Yuanxin's long-term development. Some markets, we just can't beat them in."
"Hahaha!" The minister couldn't help but laugh again at Su Yuanshan's comparison.
Getting a company like Sony—a global electronics giant—to follow your lead? That was an honor, no doubt.
After the laughter subsided, the minister returned to a more serious tone. "So? What's your plan?"
Su Yuanshan pursed his lips and straightened up.
"After the New Year, we plan to invite the technical heads from the companies we visited in Japan to China for a flash memory technology forum initiated and led by Yuanxin. If possible, we hope to use the opportunity to establish a Flash Memory Alliance, to jointly promote the commercialization of flash technology and accelerate the arrival of the digital age."
After finishing, he looked at the minister. "But we haven't yet decided on the location for the forum. I was hoping you could offer some guidance."
The minister listened carefully, especially when Su Yuanshan mentioned "accelerating the arrival of the digital age." In his mind, he was already recalling the groundbreaking products described in the document he'd just read.
When he heard Su Yuanshan ask for advice, the minister's eyes gleamed slightly, and then he smiled.
Instead of answering directly, he asked Su Yuanshan in return, "You're the host, so what do you think?"
Thinking of Chen Jing's suggestion, Su Yuanshan offered a wry smile and shrugged. "Although it's officially Yuanxin inviting Japanese companies, the reality is that it represents the semiconductor industries of both China and Japan."
"So… the provincial capital, the Special Economic Zone, Hushi, the capital, even Wuxi—they all have valid reasons."
"I'm afraid of offending someone."
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Chapter 499: Concealing One's Strength and Biding One's Time
"What you said just now is correct. This isn't just about Yuanxin; it concerns the direction of the national semiconductor development — your responsibility is immense."
The minister only needed a glance at the invitation list from Yuanxin to realize the significance of this upcoming flash memory technology forum. Its importance was not merely technical; it also touched deeper political implications.
This was the first time, after over a century of weakness, that China had taken the lead in convening and guiding an international industry forum in a technological field. The meaning behind this was profound beyond words.
"But at the end of the day, it's still Yuanxin's business," the minister added with a meaningful smile.
"Uh... Minister, could you be a bit more direct?" Su Yuanshan rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I'm not sure I'm following."
"Haha! What I mean is, deep down, you already have a preference, don't you?"
"...Yes, Minister, your insight is sharp — I personally think it would be better to host it in Hushi."
"Then Hushi it is," the minister said with a smile. "And to avoid unnecessary trouble, I recommend you proceed discreetly."
He sighed slightly as he continued, "Your rapid development has been tremendously beneficial for the entire domestic electronics industry. But precisely because you've grown so fast and achieved so many miracles, Western countries have started to become wary. You probably already know — they are using last year's tensions across the strait as a pretext to implement new sanctions against us."
Su Yuanshan's expression grew serious, and he nodded.
— No one understood this better than he did.
In the United States, there was an almost publicized classification system for relationships with other countries. Some nations were allies, others friendly, some competitors, some unfriendly, and some outright enemies.
During the so-called "honeymoon" period of the 70s and 80s, the U.S. had even upgraded China's status from a P-grade (potential partner) to a V-grade (friendly non-ally), significantly relaxing export controls. China gained access to military-grade Black Hawk helicopters, anti-tank weapons, fire control systems, radio and radar technologies — things usually reserved for trusted partners.
It was almost at a quasi-ally level.
However, due to certain incidents and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, Sino-American relations cooled dramatically.
In the latest classification update, China had been redefined as an "imperfect partner."
And now, with the euphoria of Desert Storm fading and the Cold War victory celebrations becoming a distant memory, the U.S. had once again shifted its gaze toward the Asia-Pacific.
When they realized China had started making genuine progress in high-tech fields… containment measures naturally followed.
That was simply the reality.
And if things continued like this, China's rise would be slower and harder.
But Su Yuanshan knew — after the turn of the century, a major event would eventually divert America's attention elsewhere.
The minister looked Su Yuanshan straight in the eye.
"So — conceal your strength and bide your time. Keep a low profile."
"Understood."
...
Su Yuanshan stayed an extra day in the capital to wait for his uncle's logistics market report. He had assumed his uncle would just email it over, but to his surprise, he chose the simplest method…
"Uncle, you really are a human express delivery."
Standing outside the airport, Su Yuanshan teased when he saw his uncle, who had put on a bit of weight. "And you've gotten fat! No wonder you're okay walking around in a suit in this freezing weather."
Su Yuanshan, whose constitution was average — sensitive to both cold and heat — had long since bundled up in a thick down jacket.
Meanwhile, his uncle was standing there in a sleek suit, wearing only a light turtleneck and shirt underneath.
Zhang Ke clapped Su Yuanshan on the shoulder and chuckled sheepishly, glancing at his stomach. "Can't help it. It's that age."
"Don't talk nonsense. My dad didn't get fat."
"How could I ever compare myself to your dad?" Having slogged through the business world for years, Zhang Ke knew exactly how much weight Su Yuanshan's father carried — a founding member of the national academy of engineering, mentioned in the same breath as historic figures. There was a sense of pride even in his humility.
"Exactly." Su Yuanshan said smugly. "I've never seen a fat scientist."
They joked as they made their way to the car. Once inside, Zhang Ke pulled a thick stack of documents from his briefcase and handed it to Su Yuanshan.
"This much?"
Good grief — Su Yuanshan estimated there were at least a hundred pages, about the size of a novel.
"Well, we've been conducting market forecasts for the logistics sector for some time now. Our prediction is that within five years, domestic demand will reach an extremely high level. So, even factoring in the time it'll take to handle the paperwork and procedures for buying planes, we'll be right on schedule for an aerial logistics rollout."
Listening to his uncle's confident explanation, Su Yuanshan could tell — especially since he hadn't brought any logistics department heads with him, just a secretary — that he had really put serious effort into this.
And based on Su Yuanshan's own memories, he knew it was true: around the turn of the millennium, China's logistics industry began to enter a golden age — specifically, logistics between businesses.
As for the courier industry for personal deliveries... even if Su Yuanshan didn't like it, he had to admit that the rise of e-commerce played a critical role.
In the future, Alibaba's founder — despite later controversies involving finance and capital ventures — had originally earned public goodwill by building Taobao and Alipay, which objectively upgraded product distribution and created countless jobs.
As for whether brick-and-mortar stores suffered... well, that was up for debate. There was no data suggesting widespread retail collapse due to e-commerce at that time.
"There's way too much. I'll have to take it home to read," Su Yuanshan said after flipping through a few pages and feeling his head start to ache. "Uncle, do you have a local office in the capital?"
"No formal office, but we have a branch."
"You should really set up a full office or branch company here," Su Yuanshan advised seriously. "This proposal you've got involves two major departments — and frankly, both are state-owned monopoly sectors. Barging in uninvited will be extremely difficult. I suggest you focus on networking first, then gradually lobby for support."
Zhang Ke gave him a strange look. "Aren't you my connection?"
"What kind of connection am I?" Su Yuanshan said, half laughing, half crying.
"You can speak directly with the top leadership — what more do you need?!"
"…"
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Chapter 500: The Future of the Logistics Industry
Su Yuanshan was left speechless by his uncle's boldness.
But very quickly, he let it go.
Over the years, the trade business had grown rapidly. From relying initially on the tailwinds of reform and opening up — as well as Yuanxin's name and credibility — to now developing independently through inertia and scale, his uncle had always kept Su Yuanshan's advice in mind: to follow a purely commercial path and rarely become involved in politics.
That's not to say he completely ignored the government, just that he never let his company become one of those government-business "entanglements."
Behind all this was his uncle's absolute confidence in himself.
So his uncle wasn't wrong — Su Yuanshan really was his "connection." As long as the request was reasonable and legitimate, Su Yuanshan would absolutely help — setting aside family ties, without his uncle's initial investment, Yuanxin would be half its current size.
"All right then. I won't bother taking you out to lunch. Just come eat a simple meal with me here at the tech park, and in the afternoon, we'll go over the document carefully. Tonight, I'll see if I can arrange for a friend to meet us."
As he spoke, Su Yuanshan immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Yang Guangliang's number.
Yang seemed to be in a meeting — the phone only rang once before being declined. But less than 30 seconds later, Yang called back.
"Brother Liang, were you in a meeting?" Su Yuanshan leaned back in his chair with a smile.
Yang Guangliang's laughter came through the phone. "Right on. I was giving a speech."
"Uh... I won't keep you long then. Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner."
"Huh?" Yang sounded a little surprised, but didn't hesitate at all and promptly agreed.
"Great. I'll pick you up at six."
After hanging up, Zhang Ke pointed at the phone with curiosity. "Who was that?"
"That was Director Yang from the Economic Affairs Department of the National Development and Reform Commission... also, he's the older brother of Yang Yiwen's wife."
…
At noon, Su Yuanshan hosted a casual lunch with his uncle in the tech park cafeteria. Then the two of them stayed in Su's office all afternoon. Su Yuanshan read through the thick logistics report at lightning speed and asked many detailed questions, all of which his uncle answered with ease.
That gave Su Yuanshan a bit more confidence. After all, when it came to logistics, he was an absolute outsider. He only knew that the industry would become a massive market in the future. But how it operated and what the current state of affairs was — that was all a black box to him.
By 5 p.m., Su Yuanshan called for the driver and headed to the NDRC with his uncle. Wen Xiaoqian, still clinging to the orders Zhou Xiaohui had given her — to stick to Su Yuanshan like glue — tried to follow along, but Su Yuanshan gently tricked her into staying behind.
Sitting in the car, Zhang Ke gave Su Yuanshan a sly smile. "Xiao Shan, your secretary seems to have a thing for you, no?"
"Oh come on... Uncle, don't talk nonsense."
Zhang Ke scoffed. "Then why was she so insistent about following you just now? The way she looked at you — that kind of worry wasn't fake."
"Ugh..." Su Yuanshan sighed in frustration.
He had been at Yuanxin since he was seventeen. Among the senior technical staff, everyone knew how formidable Su Yuanshan was, and beyond admiration, they didn't treat him any differently — just one of the guys, no big deal.
But with people like Sun Xihui and Zhou Xiaohui, it was different. They weren't technical experts, and maybe because of that — or simply because they were women — they always saw Su Yuanshan as a kid brother. Even now, at nearly 22 years old, they still treated him like a big boy who needed looking after.
Maybe in their eyes, geniuses like Su Yuanshan had the life skills of a newborn.
"For a moment, I did think about getting married," Su Yuanshan muttered. "Lately it feels like literally everyone wants to manage my life…"
"Married? Hahahahaha!" Zhang Ke burst into uncontrollable laughter. Su Yuanshan watched him laugh so hard that it made his own scalp tingle.
Finally, Zhang Ke stopped. "Xiao Shan, I approve! I speak for your mother too. She may not say it out loud, but she's probably been thinking about grandkids for a while."
Su Yuanshan curled his lips in disdain. "She wants grandkids? More like she doesn't want anything interfering with her mahjong games."
As one of the wealthiest women in the country, nobody would've guessed that aside from secretly going to temples to burn incense, Zhang Xiuyun's greatest joy in life was stuffing high-end designer handbags with pocket change and playing mahjong with retired grandmas. Truly a return to simplicity.
By now, it was after work hours. Staff from the building were trickling out in twos and threes. Zhang Ke looked around and sighed, "They say this place is a mini civil service city — I bet you could knock out three department heads just by throwing a brick at random."
"More like section chiefs," Su Yuanshan replied with a grin as he spotted Yang Guangliang in the crowd and immediately stepped out of the car to greet him.
…
The business car stopped in front of Lanyan Hotel — the official reception venue used by Yuanxin's capital tech park and Chen Jing's office. Once Su Yuanshan gave the company name, the lobby manager quickly arranged a private, quiet room for them.
"President Zhang, welcome to the capital, please have a seat."
Once inside, Yang Guangliang abandoned the guest-host formalities and motioned for Zhang Ke to sit first.
Su Yuanshan noticed this and smiled — after all, in the capital, Yang was more at home than he was.
"You first, Uncle."
"Oh come on, just sit down," Su Yuanshan said with a grin, taking a seat and handing the menu to Yang Guangliang.
Yang smiled, waved off the menu, casually picked a few dishes, and asked the waiter to close the door.
"Brother Liang, here's the deal — my uncle is planning to launch a new logistics business," Su Yuanshan said, gesturing for Zhang Ke to take out the report.
Yang's eyes shifted toward the bulging briefcase that had already caught his attention earlier.
From the moment they got in the car, Yang had noticed it — it was way too full.
But he also trusted Su Yuanshan wouldn't bring his uncle here just to hand him money.
— Not that Yang Guangliang needed money. Don't forget, his sister was a founding member of Xinghai, head of legal affairs, and held millions of dollars' worth of stock.
Soon enough, Yang was chuckling wryly.
Because Zhang Ke actually pulled out a massive stack of documents from the briefcase.
"Brother Liang, this report is from Yuanda Trading — formerly the commercial division of Yuanxin. It's an analysis and projection of China's logistics sector based on developments from the past few years."
"Oh?" Yang took the heavy file with growing seriousness. He knew Su Yuanshan's reputation — any time he submitted an industry report, it was guaranteed to be comprehensive and packed with insights.
"According to the report… we believe the logistics industry needs a little push forward."
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