Cheng Hao and his assistant stumbled home in a drunken stupor. It was already well past midnight when they arrived.
They say that programmers at big tech firms have a penchant for foot massages, and they weren't wrong.
Whether the business talks were successful or not was secondary; the "after-party" seemed to be a mandatory ritual for these tech-giant employees.
Even Huang Xitong, who usually seemed as dull as a wooden plank, was no exception.
As it turns out, the "lust for pleasure" is the primary engine of productivity.
Since Orange Technology's CEO was a woman, participating in these activities was inappropriate.
Tan Jincheng, being the top boss, couldn't attend the "second half" of the night either. Whenever these "perks" came up, it fell to Cheng Hao to represent the company.
And, truth be told, he was more than happy to do it.
"The most important thing is securing access to the QQ user data. If the game revenue-sharing percentage is a bit lower, it's not a big deal. Just make sure you hold your ground on the data access during the negotiations tomorrow."
Tan took a glass of water from Gu Qingqing.
Both of them had attended the initial dinner to show respect to the QQ Zone project team. Tan had a bit to drink. Usually, the moment he got home, little Tan Jinyue would cling to him, but tonight she looked at him with utter disdain.
"You'll have to get them to agree to that, though. Asking a company for their user resources isn't something they'll just hand over lightly, right?"
"We won't know if we don't negotiate. Large corporations are filled with internal competition. Happy Farm is a net positive for QQ Zone; if the game revenue share is slightly reduced, they wouldn't mind sacrificing a tiny bit of QQ's overall interests to get the project moving."
Even tiny Orange Technology was split into a "Happy Network" team and a "Happy Farm" team, where the two groups competed for KPI bonuses. Tencent, a massive corporation, was even more fragmented.
"Fair enough, let's give it a shot. You can't make it there tomorrow, can you?"
"No time. I have to make an emergency trip to Beijing, so Orange Technology's affairs will have to be put on hold for a bit,"
Tan said with a headache.
He still had to write a speech. It was truly depressing.
"Haha, this is good news! I'll finally get to see you on the big stage,"
Gu Qingqing laughed.
"What's going on? Didn't you say you wouldn't need to travel much lately? Why the sudden trip to Beijing?"
Zhang Suzhi asked, looking puzzled.
"It was a last-minute notification. I didn't even know a few days ago,"
Tan said helplessly.
The reason for the trip? It all traced back to Ni Jie.
The end of the year was the peak season for awards ceremonies. As the media platform with the highest traffic, CCTV's "CCTV Annual Economic Figures" award was arguably the most prestigious event around.
It didn't just attract the titans of the economy; the general public also treated the selection with great seriousness, practically regarding it as the barometer for the current economic climate.
Every year, ten influential figures from various industries were selected. As the breakout star of the year, the electric vehicle industry was guaranteed a spot.
Originally, Tan Jincheng wasn't on the list. The Zhejiang Provincial TV station had recommended Ni Jie, the chairman of Luyuan.
Ni had been named an "Influential Zhejiang Entrepreneur" last year, and this year Luyuan's sales had surged to fourth place. With their brand history, he certainly had the credentials.
The problem was that Ni Jie was too high-profile and had a big mouth. He frequently appeared in public as an "opinion leader" and the "founder of the EV industry," offending quite a few people along the way.
He'd already made enemies, and to make matters worse, when he attended the International Bicycle Exhibition in Taiwan, he—in a stroke of sheer stupidity—gave a keynote speech.
The content of that speech had negatively impacted the domestic Bicycle Association.
Once the association learned Ni Jie was shortlisted for the Economic Figures award, they filed a formal complaint with the Light Industry Association citing "political sensitivities."
Once that label was slapped on him, his chances of winning were dead.
Since the Zhejiang TV station had one nomination slot and Ni Jie was disqualified, Tan Jincheng—the chairman of the Shanchi Group and a fellow Zhejiang entrepreneur in the EV sector—naturally became the logical replacement.
Though Tan was usually quite slick, he was remarkably humble in front of cameras. He knew exactly what to say, giving credit for his success to the local government and the state.
Shanchi Group had already locked in the second-highest annual sales for EVs this year and was the designated EV sponsor for the Olympic Games. Furthermore, their founder was a post-80s generation youth—the only one among the current candidates.
Additionally, Tan's internet footprint was massive; his national recognition was practically equal to all other shortlisted entrepreneurs combined. He hadn't been chosen earlier only because the TV station had favored seniority.
In truth, CCTV had originally wanted Tan. Even if his seniority was lacking, his "topic-worthiness" was off the charts. His inclusion would surely boost viewership for the awards night.
If one were to talk about hard stats, Shanchi was definitely qualified. They had emerged as a dark horse in the EV industry, forcing competitors to scramble. While Xinyi still held the top sales spot, the gap had narrowed significantly.
In particular, Shanchi's ability to snatch the Olympic sponsorship from the market leader Xinyi was lauded as a classic case study of a smaller player defeating a giant.
Moreover, Shanchi's annual sales of 472,200 units, an output value exceeding 700 million yuan, and a net profit over 155 million yuan—plus the construction of three national industrial parks—meant their economic impact was undeniable.
Even with a few shortcomings, the recognition was well-deserved. The Bicycle Association had already taken down one candidate; they certainly wouldn't attack a second, especially since Tan never did anything "out of bounds" outside of pure competition.
Listening to Tan's explanation, Zhang Suzhi's voice began to tremble.
"Does this mean you're going to be on CCTV? And you have to make a speech?"
The "Annual Economic Figures"—the people who climbed that stage were all household names. She never expected her son would one day stand among them.
"Yes. The results are basically finalized. I have to go for a recording. The show airs around December 14th."
Tan nodded.
Tomorrow was the 7th. With only a week to go, compared to the other winners who had months of preparation, Tan's schedule was the tightest.
In fact, the organizing committee had invited Tan earlier to attend as a guest, but Tan had declined, claiming Shanchi was just an emerging firm not yet qualified for such heights.
The real reason was that he was just too busy. Aside from the Orange Technology/Tencent negotiations, he had the Dexian Electronics acquisition to manage.
"Then you have to be very careful with what you say. Don't go looking for trouble like that Comrade Ni did," Zhang reminded him sternly.
She felt grateful to Ni Jie for recommending her son for the auditing program at Ningbo University, but she didn't approve of his behavior. As a former state-enterprise worker, she knew exactly what should and shouldn't be said.
"Don't worry, Mom. Look at how well he handles interviews. He never says anything out of turn. Trust him,"
Gu Qingqing chimed in.
Privately, Gu called him "Big Brother," but in front of others, she used his name.
As a mother, Zhang meticulously collected every newspaper clipping and recorded every TV program where her son appeared.
She thought about it—it really was true. Her son was sharp as a whip; no matter who he was talking to, he kept it humble and praised others, leaving no room for anyone to pick a fight.
Especially that time a reporter from the Ningbo TV station tried to trap him with a question about "high-consumption living"—he'd defused it with witty grace.
How did he phrase it again? It even became a popular catchphrase online for a while.
Oh, right: "He who has ice in his house does not store cattle and sheep." (A Confucian proverb about self-restraint and avoiding unnecessary luxury).
It seemed her son lived by that motto. At least for now, he hadn't been wasteful, nor had he provoked negative media scrutiny.
Though she wondered if designing custom clothes for Jinyue counted?
"Anyway, be careful. It's such a big stage—you should find someone to review your speech draft. Qingqing, are you going?"
"I can't. I have important work at the company. Usually, Tan wouldn't have had the time either, but this is different."
"Alright, take Xiao Li with you. Hehe, I have to go tell Old Tan this good news."
The annual economic gala broadcast on the Finance Channel had always been touted as the "Oscars" of the domestic economic world.
The 2006 criteria were: Responsibility, Innovation, Influence, and Driving Force.
The criteria were the same as 2005, except for one thing: "Responsibility" had moved up to the first position. The ranking of the ten people would certainly be different, too.
Tan was just a last-minute addition, and he never expected to rank at the top. Being number ten was already incredible.
Every person on that list was an industry leader—household names for the next several decades. Even if he were a "filler" candidate, it was an affirmation of his achievements over the past year.
To say he wasn't excited would be a lie. This was the "2006 Person of the Year"—it carried significant authority.
All night long, Tan was too excited to sleep. He felt like his energy had nowhere to go, even though he had to catch a flight and finish his speech the next day.
At 12:30 AM, an exhausted Gu Qingqing panted heavily, begging for mercy.
"Brother, please, go to sleep. I have negotiations tomorrow, and you have to catch a flight."
"But I can't sleep. What should I do?"
"Figure it out yourself—I'm done. I'm sleeping. Also, no matter how good the soundproofing is, keep the noise down! It's so embarrassing if Mom hears anything."
"Hehe, we've been together for so long, don't be shy."
"Who's been together for so long with you!"
But Gu's words reminded Tan of something. The apartment did seem a bit small, and living with his parents was indeed inconvenient.
Fortunately, after nearly a year of renovation, the villa was ready to move into.
Once they were there, having separate floors would be much more convenient.
(End of Chapter)