Chapter 489: Whispers of Business Secrets

Jiang Huaqin’s story: Xu Zhiquan lit a cigarette and shared some hearsay bits that gave Xu Chen a glimpse into the background.

Back in the early days, Jiang Huaqin worked in an auto dealership company, handling channel distribution for a Beijing-based car manufacturer.

Later, he left that system and started his own venture with ‘Datuo Car Dealership,’ switching to selling electric bikes.

As for why he suddenly left the auto dealership network, rumors still swirl around…

In those days, the market system and laws weren’t fully developed, so business dealings weren’t strictly black and white—there were plenty of gray areas with unclear operations.

Jiang Huaqin’s first big break, his initial fortune, likely came from his time in that dealership network.

When he launched ‘Datuo Car Dealership’ and began dealing in electric bikes, he relied on the connections and resources he’d built back then.

In the last couple of years, some of Jiang Huaqin’s old contacts and resources have run into trouble, making the boss sense potential risks and fear getting burned.

Naturally, Boss Jiang wouldn’t just sit back; he took several steps to protect himself.

One key move was smoothing things over and securing a certain ‘connection’ early—exactly Meng Huiyang’s father-in-law from the ‘Red Star’ side now.

That led to all the events that followed…

Xu Zhiquan just roughly pieced together these street rumors and then added,

“Most big businesspeople from that era have some shady, unspoken secrets.”

“But that’s understandable.”

“The times shaped it that way—you can’t judge it all by today’s standards…”

“I looked into Jiang Huaqin; his character and principles are solid. He’s loyal in business dealings, or ‘Datuo Car Dealership’ wouldn’t have grown so large.”

Old Xu took a drag from his cigarette, paused, and continued,

“Back in my early days, I was just starting factories in a small place like Tiancheng. If I’d been in a resource-rich spot like Beijing or Tianjin…”

He chuckled self-mockingly:

“But fortune and fate are intertwined—who can really predict them?”

Xu Chen smiled and said, “Dad, your business has already made it to Beijing and Tianjin, hasn’t it?”

Xu Zhiquan laughed heartily, his satisfaction clear.

…

Later, Xu Chen sat in on a meeting between President Xu and the production department.

Yang Congxin led his team through the upcoming production plans with Xu Zhiquan.

Currently, the two production lines are running at full capacity, and after several months of iterations and optimizations, the overall process has reached high efficiency.

These two lines were imported from Zhejiang Province last year.

According to Yang Congxin, after adjustments and optimizations by ‘Chenfeng Technology,’ the lines now outperform the original ones in Zhejiang.

Meanwhile, the new park under construction up north is arranging for new lines to move in.

The lines in the new park will be the latest from Yamaha in Japan, integrated with IBM’s management system.

Once this system is in place, ‘Chenfeng Technology’ will have the highest production efficiency and most advanced tech among domestic electric bike factories…

Xu Chen hadn’t paid much attention to these matters before; he didn’t realize his father Xu Zhiquan and Yang Congxin had pushed things this far.

It even impressed Xu Chen.

Additionally, Yang Congxin’s tech team has undergone staff changes over the past six months.

They recruited several top graduates from 985 universities—young experts in motors, batteries, and electronic controls—boosting ‘Chenfeng Technology’s’ technical strength.

To attract these talents, Old Xu offered very competitive salaries.

Plus, Tiancheng’s government has a policy for business talent recruitment.

It provides two-bedroom apartments and future benefits for buying homes and settling down, which greatly helps ‘Chenfeng Technology’ with current and future hiring.

All this was pushed forward after Wu Yongming took office.

“You have to say, Wu Yongming is a sharp, decisive leader.”

…

…

Before leaving, Xu Chen treated Fang Jun’s sister to a meal.

Fang Jun has been swamped lately.

The partnership between ‘Chenfeng Technology’ and ‘Datuo Car Dealership,’ plus Director Yang’s production expansions, involve massive financial reviews and planning.

Fang Jun and his finance team have been working overtime every day.

Xu Chen picked a fish restaurant, knowing Fang Jun loves fish—something she might not even realize herself.

Fang Jun talked about Bing Ge’s April competition in Europe and regretted not being able to go due to work.

The new finance guy from the Shanghai company, Ruan Zihau, is currently in Tiancheng for training in the finance department.

Apparently, Fang Jun dragged him out for drinks the day he arrived, and he blacked out—someone from finance, Gu Xuewei, carried him back to the hotel.

Once Ruan Zihau sobered up, Fang Jun put him to work on the pile of tasks.

Xu Chen joked,

“How about I lend you his help for the first half of the year?”

Fang Jun chewed a piece of fish and replied flatly,

“No need. Your Ran Bing Sports side has its own pile of work. Even if it’s not Ruan Zihau, it’s Jiang Xiaozhen handling it for me.”

Xu Chen grinned playfully and refilled Fang Jun’s tea.

He left another set of keys for the Tiansheng Mansion with Fang Jun.

Mainly because he doesn’t come back often, someone needs to check on it occasionally.

Fang Jun took the keys, seeming a bit pleased:

“I’ll arrange for someone to clean it once a month.”

Xu Chen: “No need to go to that trouble—just check the utilities and safety regularly.”

Fang Jun: “Since your place is empty anyway, can I store some wine there?”

Xu Chen laughed, a mix of amusement and resignation:

“Didn’t Dad set up a bar for you in the park? Isn’t that enough?”

Fang Jun said expressionlessly: “The park has company wine. I want to keep my own.”

“My family can’t hide it well, and I don’t trust storing good wine in a rented place.”

Xu Chen smiled: “Go ahead and store as much as you want—even if it fills the whole room.”

“But when I come back on break, I’ll snag a couple of your good bottles.”

Fang Jun: “That’s fine. I’ll count the appreciation value as interest for you.”

Xu Chen: “You’re the finance guru, always calculating everything so precisely.”

…

Before leaving Tiancheng, Xu Chen drove to South River Village.

He paid respects at Xie Bingran’s grandmother’s grave for her.

The grave had been tended to, and when Xu Chen asked Fang Tao, it turned out Bing Ge had asked him to visit during the Qingming Festival.

…

…

On Friday noon, Xu Chen rushed back to school, covered in travel dust.

He skipped lunch, grabbed a bread and water from the supermarket, and hurried to class.

It was the same rule as last semester: too many absences mean automatic failure, so he made sure to attend properly.

Xu Chen headed straight to the back of the classroom, where Qian Xin—the ‘Jiang Zhe Little Prince’—patted the seat next to him, and Xu Chen sat down with a smile.

Glancing over, Qian Xin wore an flashy jacket, the latest Louis Vuitton spring collection.

It was from the series Xie Bingran endorsed, though hers in the ads was a designer concept version with subtle differences from the retail one.

You had to admit, Qian Xin’s showy personality suited Louis Vuitton’s bold style perfectly.

Ever since Xie Bingran won another gold medal at the National Athletics Championships last month, the brands she endorses have ramped up their promotions.

Whether it’s Louis Vuitton, Jeep, or Kunlun Mountain, their ads and buzz have increased noticeably.

Even in Tonghai University’s store, they’ve stocked Kunlun Mountain mineral water and put up huge posters of Xie Bingran.

When Xu Chen bought bread at the supermarket, he was startled by Bing Ge’s big poster.

It hit him with a sudden, surprising thrill, like bumping into a snack right in front.

Realizing it was just a standee, he chuckled at himself.

Bing Ge has already returned to Beijing and is training at the Sports Administration’s center, gearing up for the real international competition in Europe by month’s end.

Xu Chen felt a secret mix of nerves and excitement for her.

…

During afternoon classes, Xu Chen found an excuse to message Director Li Yue from the Sports Administration.

Since ‘Chenfeng Technology’ wants some commercial tie-ins with the Olympics, he needed to ask Li Yue for help, so he started with casual chat to build rapport.

The topic he brought up was Bing Ge’s recent endorsements.

Li Yue said several brands and companies have approached for Xie Bingran’s endorsements or partnerships.

But most didn’t fit, so he hadn’t discussed them with Xu Chen.

Some had issues with their products, like unregulated health supplements that couldn’t pass the national team’s initial checks.

Others showed interest but backed off when they heard Xie Bingran’s endorsement fees.

In those cases, Li Yue directed them to second-tier athletes, like Chen Lan, the Asian Games silver medalist.

Overall, Director Li Yue isn’t rushing Xie Bingran’s deals. He figures after her April competition, her value will soar even more.

As fees rise, bigger brands might come knocking on their own.

Of course, for Li Yue, more deals for Bing Ge mean more for the national team.

It ties into the team’s revenue and his own performance reviews and promotions.

[There’s another matter I want to discuss with you when you have time…] Xu Chen messaged.

Li Yue replied after a moment:

[If you’re calling it serious, Little Xu, it must be. Let’s set up a call to talk it through!]

[Sounds good. Are you free this evening? I’ll call you then.]

Li Yue: [Perfect, I’ll be waiting!]

…

After classes, Xu Chen found a quiet room in the North Building and called Director Li Yue.

He got straight to the point, outlining ‘Chenfeng Technology’s’ needs.

No need to hide commercial interests like this.

Of course, Xu Chen emphasized that he wanted Li Yue’s personal assistance:

“We’re not approaching the Olympic Committee yet; we came to you first because of your wide connections…”

“Mainly, ‘Chenfeng Technology’ is a startup without the budget for major Olympic deals.”

“We’re looking at side opportunities, something cost-effective like being an official Olympic electric bike partner or supplier for the Olympic Village—do you think that’s possible?”

…

Li Yue listened to everything and grasped Xu Chen’s full request.

He paused briefly and said:

“Thanks for the trust, Little Xu. I might be able to help with this.”

“The Olympic Committee’s business team includes my former colleagues, and we have some personal ties.”

“I’ll chat with them in detail, but it might take time, so you’ll need to wait a bit.”

Xu Chen: “Great, we’re counting on you, Director Li.”

“I’ll hold off until I hear from you.”

Li Yue: “No need to be so formal; we’ve helped each other for a while now. This is just a favor on my end.”

“Especially with Bing Ge in the mix…”

Li Yue kept things smooth and polite, as always.

But he added:

“Keep an eye out in your circles for more commercial opportunities for Bing Ge!”

Implying he hoped Xu Chen would help pull in more endorsements.

Li Yue chuckled and went on:

“I’m not worried about her future, but we do have KPIs to hit this half-year…”

Xu Chen couldn’t help but smile; it was Li Yue’s way of trading favors.

The savvy director…

Xu Chen wouldn’t refuse; he’s been watching out anyway, since it helps Bing Ge earn.

After a quick think, he said:

“No problem, I’m already on the lookout for her!”

“I’ll contact you right away if something fits.”

Li Yue: “Appreciate it, Little Xu!”

“You know how Bing Ge is—she picks and chooses with what I suggest, even for events.”

“But if it comes from you, she’ll jump on it…”