novelraw Chapter 22: The Meeting
Chapter 22: The Meeting
Seven days after receiving the patent application receipt, Yu Chen's phone was ringing off the hook.
The first call came from a reporter from a photovoltaic industry media outlet.
The other party sounded excited, as if they had discovered a new continent. They said that industry experts praised his perovskite stacked patent as having a "bold idea" and "potentially disrupting the industry," and asked which university or institution he was from and what the technological progress was.
Yu Chen was eating instant noodles at the time. He vaguely replied, "Personal research, still in the early stages," and then hung up the phone.
He was very unhappy, feeling that the identity given to him at the start by this lousy system was too glaring.
A college graduate majoring in accounting – who wouldn't be confused by that background?
Immediately afterwards, the phone rang one after another.
A headhunting firm wanted to poach him from a photovoltaic giant, offering him an annual salary starting at one million.
A venture capital firm asked him if he wanted funding to start a business, promising that he would have plenty of money.
There were even small factory owners who called with accents to ask, "Mr. Yu, are you selling your technology? Our factory can give it a try."
Yu Chen responded uniformly: "The technology will not be transferred at this time. Thank you for your attention."
Then I quietly put my phone on silent.
But it's not over yet.
His email inbox began receiving all sorts of strange emails, mostly collaboration invitations or technical consultations from foreign research institutes or companies.
Even at the entrance of his temporary office in the "Innovation Park," unfamiliar faces began to loiter.
"Mr. Yu, you're famous now."
The young man next door who works in software looked on with envy, "That Mercedes parked outside has been there for three days. He says it's from some investment company in Shanghai, and he just wants to meet you."
Yu Chen glanced out the window at the gleaming black Mercedes.
He shrugged. "Let them wait. I'm fully booked this week."
"A reservation? Who did you make a reservation with?"
"Just instant noodles." Yu Chen pointed to the braised beef flavored bowl on the table. "Three meals a day, on time."
The young man laughed: "Awesome!"
What Yu Chen didn't say was that the "appointment" he was waiting for was far more important than the Mercedes-Benz and BMWs parked outside.
---
Sure enough, on the morning of the eighth day, a landline number from Shanghai called his personal mobile number.
The call was answered by a steady male voice: "Hello Mr. Yu Chen, I am Chen Ming, secretary of the chairman's office of Shengyuan Group."
"Chairman Sheng would like to invite you to meet at Shengyuan headquarters. Would that be convenient for you recently?"
Sheng Xianmin.
The founder and chairman of Shengyuan Group, a true big shot.
He is also the maternal grandfather of the male protagonist, Lin Yusen.
Yu Chen gripped his phone, his heart pounding steadily: "Secretary Chen, you're too kind. I'm in Suzhou taking care of some things. Is the day after tomorrow okay?"
"Okay, the day after tomorrow at 10:00 AM, at the top-floor office of Shengyuan headquarters. Your driver will pick you up from your residence at that time. Please keep your phone accessible."
"it is good."
Less than half an hour after I hung up the phone, another unfamiliar number called, this time with an area code from southern Jiangsu.
His voice was gentler, with a slight Wu dialect accent in his Mandarin: "Mr. Yu? I'm Zhou, the assistant to the chairman of the Nie Group. Chairman Nie saw the report about your patent and is very interested. He'd like to schedule a time to have tea and chat with you. When would you be available?"
Nie Chengyuan, Nie Xiguang's father.
Yu Chen's lips twitched.
Well, the two major shareholders, one after the other, as if they had planned it together.
"Hello Assistant Zhou, I have a meeting in Shanghai the day after tomorrow morning. Would the afternoon or evening be suitable?"
"Sure, then it will be 3 PM the day after tomorrow at the Tingsong Pavilion teahouse in Suzhou. Chairman Nie will be waiting for you there."
"no problem."
After making the two calls, Yu Chen put down his phone and let out a long sigh.
He walked to the window, looked down at the Mercedes that was still standing guard downstairs, and suddenly found it a little funny.
Just a week ago, he was a technical consultant who had to ride a tricycle to meet clients.
A week later, the heads of the two giants lined up to see him.
This feeling... is a little unsettling, but mostly it's reassuring.
Because he knew that the foundation of all this was not luck, but the genuine knowledge in his mind.
He took out his phone, wanting to send a message to Nie Xiguang and say something.
But after thinking about it, I let it go.
It's best not to let her know about this for now.
Given her personality, if she knew her father wanted to meet him, she would probably be incredibly nervous.
And... he was inexplicably looking forward to it.
What will her expression be when she finds out all this later?
---
Suzhou, Shuangyuan Dormitory.
Nie Xiguang stared at the data table on the computer screen, somewhat lost in thought.
Yin Jie, munching on an apple, leaned closer: "Hey, Xiguang, spacing out? Missing your Yu Gong?"
"What? My Yu Gong!" Nie Xiguang blushed and pushed Yin Jie away. "I just... think this data is a bit strange."
"Come on, you've been staring at this data for five minutes straight without even blinking," Yin Jie said with a grin. "Yu Hua, look at her, isn't she exhibiting classic lovesickness symptoms?"
Wan Yuhua looked up from behind the book, adjusted her glasses, and carefully examined Nie Xiguang: "His face is slightly flushed, his eyes are unfocused, he has difficulty concentrating, and he sighs intermittently... Hmm, this matches the preliminary diagnosis."
"You two!" Nie Xiguang was furious and grabbed a cushion from the side and threw it at them.
After joking around for a while, Yin Jie finally got serious: "Seriously, Engineer Yu hasn't been here for a week, has he? Didn't he used to be hanging around the archives every few days?"
"He...he might be busy with something else," Nie Xiguang said softly.
Actually, she had just texted Yu Chen yesterday, asking him why he hadn't come to Shuangyuan recently.
Yu Chen only replied, "I'm busy with some personal matters. I'll come see you in a couple of days," and then there was no further communication.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed.
I've grown accustomed to the quiet afternoons he spends with me in the archives, and to the occasional piece of candy or a box of pastries he'll hand me. But after a week apart, I feel like... something's missing.
"Men are all such jerks," Yin Jie concluded in a wise and experienced manner. "They're attentive when they're pursuing someone, but once they get their hands on someone, they just ignore them."
"Who, who's chasing who! We're just ordinary friends!" Nie Xiguang retorted, but his voice lacked conviction.
"Just a friend?" Yin Jie raised an eyebrow. "Would a just friend remember that you like sweet lotus root with osmanthus? Would they spend half a day with you in the archives? Would a just friend make a special trip to 'look up information' because you were transferred?"
Nie Xiguang was speechless when asked the question, and his ears started to burn again.
"Alright, stop teasing her." Wan Yuhua smoothed things over and said gently to Nie Xiguang, "Engineer Yu might really be busy with something important. I heard... he recently applied for a very impressive patent, and everyone in the industry is talking about it."
"Patent?" Nie Xiguang was taken aback.
Yu Chen had never mentioned this to her.
"Yeah, it seems to be some kind of laminated battery, sounds really high-end." Yin Jie also became interested. "Xi Guang, your engineer Yu is something else, making such a big splash without making a sound. Do you think he might get poached by some big company?"
She overheard this recently while reviewing data in the technical department.
Nie Xiguang felt a sudden tightness in his chest.
If Yu Chen really does rise to prominence because of that patent and goes to a bigger platform... will they never see each other again?
This thought made her a little flustered.
"I...I'm going to the restroom." She hurriedly got up and fled the dormitory.
The corridor fell silent. Nie Xiguang leaned against the wall, touching her slightly flushed cheeks.
"Yu Chen..." she murmured the name, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
---
Two days later, in Shanghai, on the top floor of the Shengyuan Group headquarters.
Yu Chen got out of the Maybach and looked up at the towering glass curtain wall building in front of him.
Impressive, indeed impressive.
Shengyuan truly lives up to its reputation as a comprehensive business empire.
Secretary Chen Ming was already waiting at the door, leading him through the spacious and bright lobby and onto the private elevator that went directly to the top floor.
The elevator was carpeted and so quiet you could hear your own breathing.
The door to the top-floor office opened, and Yu Chen walked in.
It's less of an office and more of a small observation deck.
The floor-to-ceiling windows covering the entire wall offer panoramic views of the Huangpu River and the Bund.
In the center of the office, behind a huge mahogany desk, sat an elderly man with gray hair and a sprightly spirit.
Sheng Xianmin. Nearly seventy years old, but his eyes are as sharp as an eagle's.
He put down the documents in his hand, looked up at Yu Chen, and without getting up, simply gestured with his hand: "Mr. Yu, please sit down."
There were no pleasantries or formalities; they got straight to the point.
This is typical of a big shot.
Yu Chen sat down opposite him, his back ramrod straight, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Your patent has been approved internally by the group," Sheng Xianmin said, his voice steady and powerful. "The idea is bold, but in the photovoltaic industry, bold ideas come every day, but only one in ten thousand actually come to fruition. How can you prove that your approach will work?"
He had some basic understanding of Yu Chen.
With so many research institutes extending offers without any response, he vaguely guessed what was going on.
Yu Chen took out the prepared materials from his bag. It wasn't a PPT, but a handwritten technical deduction logic diagram and several pages of key experimental design ideas.
He pushed the documents over, saying, "This is the framework of my technical logic. You can let any expert from Shengyuan's technical department nitpick. If any part of it is overturned, I'll leave immediately."
Sheng Xianmin took it, put on his reading glasses, and examined it carefully.
The only sound in the office was the rustling of papers.
Ten minutes later, he took off his glasses, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Yu Chen had a different meaning.
"Your thinking is very clear, not just guesswork." He paused, then asked, "What do you want?"
"Equity," Yu Chen said decisively. "I'll contribute technology to Shuangyuan, participate in decision-making, and ensure that the technological path is not distorted."
As expected, Sheng Xianmin gave him a meaningful look and said, "Shuangyuan is not solely owned by Shengyuan; the Nie family owns 49% of it."
"That's why I've come to see you." Yu Chen looked directly at him. "You're the controlling shareholder. If you nod, half the deal is done. I'll talk to the Nie family."
Sheng Xianmin laughed, a laugh that held a deeper meaning: "Young man, you have quite the appetite and the audacity. Do you know what Nie Chengyuan values most?"
"I understand." Yu Chen nodded. "Practical benefits."
Sheng Xianmin raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting." He leaned back in his leather seat. "I can give you a chance. I'll have Zhang Tianhua cooperate with you on Shuangyuan's side, but the shareholding ratio will depend on the value of what you offer."
"Understood." Yu Chen stood up. "I will let my skills speak for themselves."
"Okay." Sheng Xianmin also stood up and, for the first time, took the initiative to extend his hand. "Young man, I'm waiting to see."
His grandson, Lin Yusen, is in Shuangyuan. With such a talented person in Shuangyuan, he feels much more at ease.
Their hands were clasped together, with considerable force.
After leaving Shengyuan headquarters, Yu Chen rushed to Tingsong Pavilion in Suzhou.
Nie Chengyuan and Sheng Xianmin have two different styles.
He is more refined and pays more attention to details and feelings.
The meeting place was chosen to be a private room in an antique-style teahouse, with incense burning and fine Biluochun tea being brewed.
"Mr. Yu is truly a promising young man." Nie Chengyuan smiled as he poured him tea. "Originally, I wasn't very optimistic about the photovoltaic industry and even considered selling my Shuangyuan shares. But your actions have completely disrupted my plans."
Yu Chen's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.
This old man is a complete businessman; he'll go wherever there's money to be made.
However, out of respect for Nie Xiguang, we'll let him enjoy this wave of benefits to his heart's content first.
Once he wins over Nie Xiguang, he'll show that old man what it means to lose both love and money.
The conversation then naturally turned to patents and technology.
This time, Yu Chen took a different perspective, focusing more on the practical aspects of "reducing costs and increasing efficiency" and "enhancing product competitiveness," which appealed to Nie Chengyuan, who came from a business background.
When Yu Chen mentioned his desire to invest in Shuangyuan with his technology and promised to give priority to cooperation with the Nie family in other fields, Nie Chengyuan pondered for a moment and gave a similar reply to Sheng Xianmin:
"As for the technology, Lao Sheng will handle it. As for the equity, as long as it benefits Shuangyuan's development and the company's employees, I have no objections. You can discuss the specific percentages."
The two major shareholders have initially passed the approval process.
When Yu Chen walked out of the teahouse, it was already getting dark.
He stood on the bluestone pavement of the ancient city of Suzhou and let out a long sigh of relief.
The two most difficult hurdles have been overcome.
Next, it will be a real battlefield with real swords and guns.
---
The next day, Yu Chen had just returned to his rented apartment in Suzhou when he received a call from Zhang Tianhua, the general manager of Shuangyuan: "Engineer Yu, are you back in Suzhou? Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, in the company's first conference room, let's have a meeting and have a good talk about your tandem battery."
His tone was excessively enthusiastic.
"Okay, I'll be there on time."
After hanging up the phone, Yu Chen turned on his computer and did a final check of all the materials he had prepared.
The technical logic diagram, experimental roadmap, preliminary resource requirements, risk assessment and mitigation, and... a clear draft proposal for equity cooperation.
He glanced at his phone; the message Nie Xiguang had sent him last night was still on the screen: "Are you done with work? There's a new discovery in the archives, it's quite astonishing, I'd like to talk to you about it."
He replied, "I'm going to a meeting in Shuangyuan tomorrow morning. How about we have lunch together? I'll bring you some pan-fried buns from the shop near the bridge."
Almost instantly, he replied: "Okay!!! (๑＞ڡ＜)☆"
Seeing that excited, starry-eyed expression, Yu Chen smiled and turned off the computer.
Conserve your energy; tomorrow is when the real journey begins.