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墨書 Inktalez
When Jufeng got off at Yang City Airport, the sun was at its zenith. The early spring sunlight was always so playful, sometimes cool and sometimes intense. Today, he had added a jacket when he first stepped out, but now, even in just a thin shirt, he still felt pleasantly warm.
In fact, the concept of warmth and cold had become irrelevant to Jufeng. Could one not enjoy the plum blossoms in thin clothing during the depths of winter? Could one not wear a thick coat while climbing a mountain in the sweltering heat? Shivering or sweating had largely become something he could control on his own. He had simply grown accustomed to letting go of all self-restraint in his daily life; if one did not know the difference between warmth and cold, how were they any different from being dead?
However, Zhu Yao's attire indicated her completely different stance from Jufeng's. She wore a fitted outfit in deep blue, sexy yet understated, regardless of wind, frost, rain, or snow—let alone the changing seasons.
The Golden Sea Building was the headquarters of Jinhai Industries, a magnificent structure known as the Golden Sea Tower. Its innovative design broke free from traditional constraints of mechanics, resembling a model showcasing a well-built physique. One could glean much from this striking edifice about the solid foundation and lofty ambitions of a manufacturing giant.
Jufeng led Liu Xing, with a blonde girl trailing two steps behind them. This eye-catching combination naturally drew many curious glances as they approached the Golden Sea Building. When Jufeng reached the front desk, he was greeted by a beautiful receptionist with poise.
"Hello, sir. Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist flashed a professional smile, her voice calm and melodious.
Jufeng elegantly returned her smile. "I am Jufeng. I spoke with Chairman Jiang over the phone earlier; could you please check for me?"
After waiting for half a minute, the receptionist warmly invited Jufeng and his companions upstairs. He continued to smile gracefully, causing the receptionist to momentarily lose her composure.
Handsome men were plentiful in today's society, but due to her profession and experience with countless people, the receptionist knew that true charm could only be discovered through one's eyes.
In the elevator of the modern building, Jufeng recalled the personal information Bill had prepared for him regarding Jinhai Industries' chairman. Jiang Sheng was forty-six years old and had a daughter who coincidentally attended Huan City University as well—his alma mater. His wife came from a revolutionary family, and their household was harmonious. Jinhai Industries was an elite commercial empire in Huaguo, overseeing numerous subsidiaries across various fields. As someone also in manufacturing, Jufeng found it puzzling why Jinhai Industries would compete for certain agency quotas against Huankezhao; it surely couldn't involve deception by passing off their products as those of Huankezhao...
Lost in thought, he arrived on the upper floor where an intelligent secretary awaited at the elevator entrance.
"Are you Mr. Jufeng?" she asked.
"I am."
"Please follow me."
The hallway was elegant and simple. Upon reaching Jiang Sheng's office door, Jufeng noticed a plaque hanging there that gave him a sense of camaraderie with his counterpart.
The two characters "Silent Valley," written in clerical script, conveyed a heavy sense of history and melancholy.
“Winding Path to Tranquility, Jiang Dong truly embodies a wonderful sentiment!”
Jufeng couldn't help but sigh, and his secretary Politeness smiled in appreciation before stepping aside to gesture for the three individuals to enter the office.
Calm, experienced, wise. This was Jufeng's first impression of the middle-aged man behind the mahogany desk after entering the room. Compared to Uncle Lu's gentle yet firm demeanor, this person exuded a sense of openness rather than pressure.
“Have a seat on the sofa; I have an urgent document to attend to. Please wait for me for a couple of minutes.”
Jiang Sheng's voice was warm and soothing. Even without looking up, his words brought comfort. Jufeng directed Liu Xing to rest on the sofa while he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. From there, he could overlook much of Yang City, with its modern streets and steel buildings interspersed with patches of greenery; the azure sky and fluffy white clouds made it feel as if the spring breeze could flow into the room. No matter how much pressure and gloom he had felt before, at that moment, everything seemed to dissipate.
Having returned from Outer Space, Jufeng was more easygoing and gentle than before, having developed many peculiar habits, such as standing by the window to gaze out. Although separated by just a pane of glass, the view seemed vastly different from direct observation. The window was not a barrier here but a medium—a vehicle that allowed one to see more clearly and farther.
As Jufeng became absorbed in thought, he failed to notice that Jiang Sheng had already completed his work. When Jiang Sheng lifted his head, his eyes were sharp and focused, especially enhanced by his gold-rimmed glasses, which made him appear even more like a learned scholar.
As a business magnate, one would expect Jiang Sheng to have little time for trivial pursuits; however, at this moment, he seemed remarkably calm. Instead of immediately reminding Jufeng, he quietly observed the young man before him. Among his peers, he could be considered outstanding; aside from his family background, his ventures in the Underworld and the establishment of his Express Delivery company were achievements beyond what others could reach. Yet compared to those wealthy heirs adorned in luxury with beautiful cars and glamorous companions, Jufeng appeared strikingly simple in his modest attire from night markets.
It was easy to discern a person's inner self through their eyes. Through his peripheral vision, Jiang Sheng caught glimpses of qualities that seemed lacking in today's society.
After a moment, Jufeng came back to reality and turned to meet Jiang Sheng's gaze, offering an apologetic smile.
“I apologize for my distraction, Jiang Dong. The view from the Golden Sea Building is simply too captivating; I momentarily lost myself in it.”
Jiang Sheng waved his hand dismissively and invited Jufeng to sit across from him as he prepared to discuss business matters. However, what surprised Jufeng was that Jiang Sheng's first words were somewhat unconventional.
“I am older than you by a generation; let’s call you Esteemed Nephew. I heard about your success in Victory in Pingcheng, so I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate you.”
A look of astonishment briefly crossed Jufeng ’s face, but his sense of familiarity with Jiang Sheng deepened. He smiled slightly and replied, “Isn’t this meeting meant for discussing cooperation with Uncle Jiang? Until we resolve these chaotic matters, I wouldn’t dare approach you without proper preparation.”
Jiang Sheng nodded in satisfaction, removing his gold-rimmed glasses with a smile that conveyed warmth towards his junior.
“My sister Sister Ni was right; among the younger generation, you truly stand out! It’s no wonder she spent so much time praising you.”
The implications within Jiang Sheng’s words were significant. Just as Jufeng had been taken aback earlier, this revelation struck him again like a second thunderbolt. What connection did your sister have with me? Was it merely because they attended the same school? Yet I’ve kept a low profile at Huan City University. Aside from Tong Bailong and those two roommates, it seemed few would remember me distinctly—this was quite perplexing.
"Wait a minute, Sister Ni from the Jiang family, I feel like I've seen her somewhere. Could it be in Mechanical Engineering..."
Suddenly, Jufeng's eyes widened, and he leaned back, staring intently at Jiang Sheng, a sentence brewing on his lips but never escaping.
Jiang Sheng, however, laughed heartily, revealing a triumphant expression as he answered his own question, "That's right, I am Xue Er's father."
While Jufeng was shocked, he had already anticipated this answer. Yet hearing it directly from Jiang Sheng still left him in a state of disbelief. It turned out that the person he had been at odds with in Magellanic Star was actually family not recognizing family!
After a long moment, Jufeng finally regained his composure. The news had hit him too hard to digest. He scrutinized Jiang Sheng to confirm that he wasn't joking and soon burst into laughter. Jiang Sheng joined in the laughter, leaving Liu Xing in the room utterly confused.
"Uncle Jiang, you really had me fooled! If I had known you were Xue Er's father back in the Large Magellanic Cloud, I would have graciously stepped aside instead of competing with you!"
Jiang Sheng stopped laughing. "At that time, I certainly didn't know either. Coincidentally, Xue Er came to see me earlier and I had your information on my desk; that's how I found out. But you needn't worry about stepping aside; you earned the agency for Huankezhao through your own strength and have already shared quite a bit of the market with us—it's more than enough."
Jufeng knew this was just polite talk; if he had truly stepped aside, it would have been disrespectful to Jiang Sheng. After their playful banter, Jufeng couldn't help but recall his earlier confusion. Since Uncle Jiang was not an outsider, he might as well ask directly.
"Uncle Jiang, I've always had a question. Based on what I've learned about Jinhai Industries since returning home, you primarily focus on manufacturing. Logically speaking, you should be in competition with Huankezhao. Even if there are differences in customer bases that prevent actual competition, there's no need for you to fight for that small share of Huankezhao. Of course, my question might touch on business secrets; feel free not to answer if it's too sensitive."
Jiang Sheng smiled and stood up. Jufeng followed suit as they walked side by side to the window. Outside, the sun shone brightly, casting brilliant rays everywhere.
"Look at this beautiful landscape; isn't it inspiring?"
Jufeng nodded silently. What hero wouldn't want to make their mark on history and achieve greatness?
"However," Jiang Sheng continued, "the high-tech manufacturing sector—especially weapon and machinery manufacturing—is completely dominated by companies from Outer Space. As a leading figure in Huaguo's manufacturing industry, how can you sleep soundly at night?"
"Since its establishment, Jinhai Industries has had one goal: to surpass Huankezhao in high-tech manufacturing. After decades of hard work, we've achieved remarkable results but still can't reach Huankezhao's level. In the past, we invested heavily in purchasing Huankezhao's top products for disassembly experiments; unfortunately, they provided little insight and were mostly useless afterward. That's why Uncle Jiang wants to secure a share of Huankezhao's market—to acquire more core technologies for our research and development."
"In recent years, more and more talents have emerged; Xue Er is an outstanding representative among them. However, Earth is indeed lacking in high-tech manufacturing expertise compared to others. Therefore, I hope to send Xue Er to Outer Space for further studies so both sides can progress simultaneously. I wish that one day Jinhai Manufacturing can surpass Huankezhao!"
Jiang Sheng rarely had the opportunity to express his thoughts in front of outsiders. Meeting Jufeng felt like a long-awaited reunion; naturally, he opened up more than usual. Standing beside Jiang Sheng, Jufeng could deeply sense the blazing passion within this business mogul's heart and found himself inspired by it as well.
"Don't worry, Uncle Jiang. Leave Xue Er's education to me. Now that Express Delivery and Jin Hai have become allies, Wind will definitely spare no effort to support you!"
Jiang Sheng patted Jufeng's shoulder with satisfaction, beginning their final conversation of the day.
"Wind, do you know what I admire most about you? It's your long-term vision."
"The fact that you're willing to invest time and energy into understanding the intentions above shows that your perspective is broad enough. Uncle Jiang has been navigating the business world for so many years and has come to understand a profound truth—success and failure often do not solely depend on the battlefield!"
"What difference is there between the business world and the Underworld? Sending Xue Er to study and seek the core secrets of Huankezhao isn't stealing; it's learning. In the end, whether we win or lose in the market, does that truly mean we have failed?"
"No! The future belongs to us!"
(To be continued)
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