Zhao Qiang said, "You two don't need to worry about this. Just go and take a look. We'll leave once we've had our fill."
Chen Xinxin was still a little confused, but Zhao Ling smiled slyly: "You ripped someone off, but you deserved it. Who else would you rip off if not him? I just don't understand why we suddenly became so important."
Chen Xinxin looked at Wu Zhiming's almost masked face and realized something. However, she also couldn't understand why Wu Zhiming had changed his expression. Zhao Qiang hadn't secretly taught him a lesson. Even if Zhao Qiang could help him design the control program for the steelmaking equipment, other software companies could do the same. He didn't need to be so subservient.
Yihai City doesn't have many upscale residential areas, so there aren't many options. Zheng Nan's friend introduced Zhao Qiang to a property in a well-managed community. It's on the third floor, with two units, one on the east and one on the west, both waiting to be sold. One unit is a second-hand apartment, and the other was a model apartment that was originally decorated. It hasn't been sold yet because the price is too high. Another reason is that the decoration style of such model apartments is already set, so the pool of potential buyers is even narrower.
Seeing that both households could move in immediately and were right across from each other, Zhao Qiang figured there was probably no other place like it in Yihai City. So he instructed Zheng Nan's friend, "We're definitely buying this house. How about giving us two days to raise the funds?"
Zheng Nan's friend laughed and said, "Of course, I will definitely give Sister Zheng face."
Zhao Qiang said, "Since that's the case, let's not waste any more time. Let's go back and raise the funds immediately, and come back to make the transaction the day after tomorrow."
Wu Zhiming remained a loyal follower, saying nothing, but he gave Deputy Factory Director Wang a wink and pointed to the building. Deputy Factory Director Wang walked at the back, tugged at Zheng Nan's friend, and then the others went downstairs and left, leaving them behind alone.
After leaving the residential compound, Zhao Qiang said to Zheng Nan, "Sister Zheng, let's call it a day. It's getting late, how about we each take a taxi home?"
Wu Zhiming quickly offered, "I have a car, I'll take everyone home."
Zhao Qiang sighed, "It just feels different riding in someone else's car. Oh well, I'll just take a taxi."
Zhao Ling sighed as well, "If only I had my own car."
Chen Xinxin added, "Unless a pie falls from the sky and lands on me, I'd be very happy."
Zhao Qiang said, "That depends on what kind of pie falls into your lap. If it's a pie worth hundreds of thousands, I'd rather not take it."
Wu Zhiming's face twitched as he watched Zheng Nan, Zhao Qiang, and the others leave in separate taxis. He stomped his foot on the ground in anger: "Damn it, Zhao Qiang, you're ruthless. You're trying to bankrupt me!" But after cursing, Wu Zhiming had no choice but to hang his head in dejection. What good was his cursing? There were higher-ups above him, and his life and death were not in his own hands.
Back home, Chen Xinxin nervously asked again and again, "Zhao Qiang, do you think that idiot Wu Zhiming will really buy the building for us?"
Zhao Ling said, "That's for sure. Otherwise, why would he follow us like a dog? Don't you understand? He wants Zhao Qiang to help design the control program."
Chen Xinxin said, "This control program isn't something only we can design. What's wrong with Wu Zhiming?"
Chen Shuxian said, "It's obvious that Wu Zhiming is under external pressure, so he has to back down. You two shouldn't meddle. If you have time, help me in the kitchen to make dinner."
Zhao Ling said, "We should have asked Wu Zhiming to treat us to dinner again. We might as well take advantage of him."
Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. Chen Xinxin answered, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Wu Zhiming." He's back again right after we parted ways; he really is like a piece of chewing gum.
Chen Xinxin's face lit up with joy, and she whispered, "Mom, you're not here to invite us to dinner, are you? Don't bother."
Zhao Ling went to open the door and indeed saw Wu Zhiming, followed by his secretary who had left during lunch, looking travel-worn. Zhao Ling said irritably, "What are you doing here? Wasn't bullying us in Lingjiang enough? Are you planning to act like a hooligan in Yihai too?"
Wu Zhiming hurriedly said, "Miss Zhao, you misunderstand. I was truly possessed by a ghost in Lingjiang and was blinded by my own folly. I have offended you greatly. That's why I have come to Yihai sincerely to beg for your forgiveness. You can hit me or scold me, I will accept it all."
Zhao Ling prepared to close the door: "We will never forgive you. The psychological damage you caused Aunt Chen can never be repaired."
Wu Zhiming hurriedly squeezed in halfway over Zhao’s shoulder. “No, Miss Zhao, I didn’t even touch President Chen. If I offended you, you can punish me, but don’t deny me a chance.”
Chen Shuxian called out from inside the room, "Zhao Ling, let Secretary Wu in." He's been running around all afternoon, it hasn't been easy for him.
Zhao Ling reluctantly opened the door, and Wu Zhiming hurriedly stepped in, followed by his secretary carrying a large box. Wu Zhiming was very straightforward and pointed to the box, saying, "Miss Zhao, Miss Chen, these are the laptops you've been looking at. I bought one of each of the three colors. Please accept them."
Zhao Ling was taken aback: "What? Yihai doesn't have this model."
The secretary said, "Yes, Yihai Shopping Mall doesn't have this model. I drove back to Lingjiang at noon to buy it and then came back."
Zhao Ling gave her secretary a thumbs up, while Chen Xinxin pulled over the suitcase and started unpacking it. Zhao Ling joined in, and the two women excitedly forgot about Wu Zhiming. This relieved Wu Zhiming, otherwise, these two troublesome women would have kept him occupied, making it difficult for him to carry out his work.
Wu Zhiming opened the file package and pulled out a stack of documents, placing them on the table. "Engineer Zhao, this is the house you've chosen. The payment has already been made in full. Take this certificate and your ID card to complete the formalities."
Chen Shuxian was quite surprised; those two houses together were worth over a million yuan.
Wu Zhiming's secretary took two large bags from his briefcase, containing instruction manuals and keys. Wu Zhiming took them and placed them on the table, saying, "Engineer Zhao, President Chen, these are two BMW X5s. It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept them." Each X5 cost around a million, which met Zhao Qiang's requirements. He had previously implied that he didn't want a car costing several hundred thousand, but anything over a million would be considered high-class, so this was quite a windfall.
The two women who were unpacking the computer were stunned. Although they had thought that Zhao Qiang was ripping off Wu Zhiming, they did not expect that Wu Zhiming would be willingly ripped off to this extent. He was not just vomiting blood, he was vomiting his internal organs. The house was worth over a million, the two cars were worth over two million, the notes were negligible, and there were also the checks given before. Where did Wu Zhiming get so much money?
Zhao Qiang didn't mince words and handed four documents to Chen Shuxian, suggesting that she handle the formalities.
"Secretary Wu really went all out," Zhao Qiang laughed.
Wu Zhiming was somewhat embarrassed: "There's nothing I can do. I offended Engineer Zhao and General Manager Chen too deeply before, so I hope my sincerity can dispel their hatred towards me."
Zhao Qiang said, "You're quite capable, so I've forgiven you. But whether President Chen has forgiven you or not is up to her."
Wu Zhiming immediately turned around and knelt down before Chen Shuxian with a thud. "President Chen, I was a beast for making advances on you before." As he spoke, Wu Zhiming began to slap himself repeatedly. He really slapped himself until his mouth bled. Zhao Qiang admired his courage.
Chen Shuxian was, after all, a woman, and soft-hearted. Wu Zhiming hadn't taken advantage of her, and he had come to repent so sincerely, so she didn't intend to pursue the matter any further: "Secretary Wu, let's just let this matter go."
Wu Zhiming turned to Zhao Qiang with delight and said, "Engineer Zhao, President Chen has forgiven me. So, can you design a control program for our Lingjiang Steel Plant?" This was the real business; all the grand gestures before were for this step.
Zhao Qiang was actually prepared. The control program only took about ten minutes. The key was that he needed to be on-site to provide guidance and adjust the control data based on the errors on-site.
Zhao Qiang pulled a USB drive from his pocket and tossed it to Wu Zhiming, saying, "Take the program first, so you won't lose sleep tonight. However, I need to be there in person for the debugging. I'll be in Lingjiang by noon tomorrow. I hope to see the program installed by then, so I can start debugging."
Wu Zhiming trembled with excitement, repeatedly saying, "I guarantee I'll complete the mission, I swear on my life..."
Zhao Qiang pointed to the door and said, "Then let's go. We really don't want to see you."
Wu Zhiming gripped the USB drive tightly and backed out the door: "Let's go, we'll disappear right away."
The footsteps going downstairs faded into the distance. Chen Xinxin and Zhao Ling were still immersed in great surprise. They opened the window and could see two BMW X5s that had not yet been registered. There was simply no time to register them. Wu Zhiming could handle this small amount of money and paperwork without them. Chen Xinxin rubbed her eyes, and Zhao Ling pinched her arm.
"Xin Xin, we have a car and a house now."
Chen Xinxin burst into tears of excitement: "Yes, I never even dreamed of this!"
Zhao Qiang tossed a file bag containing keys to each person, then entrusted the property matter to Chen Shuxian. Chen Shuxian asked, "You need to give me your ID card, otherwise it will be difficult to complete the registration."
Zhao Qiang said, "Use Auntie's name, or Xin Xin and Zhao Ling's names."
Chen Shuxian hesitated for a moment: "Zhao Qiang, this gift of yours is far too generous."
Zhao Qiang laughed and said, "Auntie, do you still consider me an outsider?"
Chen Xinxin hugged her mother and said, "Yes, Mom, I told you I had faith in Zhao Qiang. See? Now we're rich!"
Zhao Ling pointed towards the door: "Let's go downstairs to celebrate that I'm going to my driver's license lesson tomorrow!"
Not wanting to spoil the two little girls' mood, Chen Shuxian went downstairs with everyone. They found a clean restaurant and ordered a table full of food. In fact, only Zhao Qiang could finish it all, as the three women's appetites were limited. However, they drank quite a bit of wine and were very happy. Suddenly, someone delivered a car, a house, and even cash checks. It was like a dream.
The next morning, Chen Xinxin and Zhao Ling were reluctant to get out of bed for a long time. Firstly, they had drunk too much, and secondly, the two girls were a little scared, worried that what happened last night was just a dream. It wasn't until they saw the car keys quietly placed on the table that the two girls dared to believe it.
As Zhao Qiang put on his clothes, he said, "Let's go back to Lingjiang City and finish things up there."
Zhao Ling asked, "Do you want us to accompany you?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Li Zhongyuan is still secretly waiting for an opportunity to act. I can't leave you alone in Yihai City."
Chen Xinxin said, "We'll drive there ourselves, call Sister Zheng, and then find another driver."
Zhao Qiang said, "Your mother should be able to drive, but it's unclear whether she still has a driver's license."
Chen Xinxin asked in confusion, "How do you know my mom can drive? I've never seen her drive before in my life."
Zhao Ling said, "You're so stupid. Your mother was Chen Guangwei's mistress back then. Do you think she could drive?"
Chen Xinxin slapped her forehead. "God, I almost forgot I have a cheap dad. Come to think of it, I was rude yesterday. I am the eldest daughter of the Chen family. What is a house and a car? I should rip off Wu Zhiming again."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's enough. He's already vomited a lot of blood. Killing him any more would be counterproductive."
Chen Xinxin said, "Alright then, let him go. Let's quickly wash our faces and comb our hair, we need to leave soon."
Volume Two [460] Talents
[460] Talent
On Chen Kezong's desk was a document containing measured data from Lingjiang Steel Plant. Compared to the original control program, the redesigned control program increased automation by 40%. Of course, a significant portion of the hardware was also modified, but the cost was minimal. This not only saved manpower but, more importantly, reduced human error and improved steelmaking quality.
The entire steelmaking system's software has been updated. Results from the past two days show that system response time has been reduced by 40%, and the accuracy of steel production standards has increased by 30%. Several other hardware processes are currently undergoing upgrades. Once completed, the overall quality and output of the steelmaking system will increase by 50%. This single upgrade has propelled Lingjiang Steel Plant into a world-class steel enterprise.
Chen Kezong was surprised, and Wu Zhiming, as the person involved, was even more surprised. Now he finally understood why the Chen family patriarch had specified Zhao Qiang to design this control program. So that's it! This Zhao Qiang is truly a genius. Wu Zhiming no longer regrets having swallowed his pride and lost millions; otherwise, he would have known he was already in the bone-dissolving factory. Because if the Chen family patriarch didn't get such an important program, he would definitely kill him.
"Grandpa," Li Zhongyuan called softly from the side, reminding Chen Kezong, who was reading documents, of his presence.
Chen Kezong looked up and asked, "Zhongyuan, what do you think of Zhao Qiang?"
Li Zhongyuan said, "You shouldn't offend him, but if you can't win his heart, it's best not to get too close to him."
Chen Kezong said, "What if we could win his heart?"
Li Zhongyuan said, "It will definitely be of great benefit to us. However, Grandpa, there is something that worries us. Zhao Qiang was originally from the North, but he suddenly came to the South and refuses to leave. What is the reason for this?"
Chen Kezong said, "I'm also investigating this matter. It seems that Zhao Qiang no longer knows the Hu and Yang families, otherwise they should have been in contact long ago."
Li Zhongyuan said, "Yes, I've thought so too. The last time I saw him, he seemed strange. He must have forgotten a lot of things. Maybe the subordinates of the six masters caused him some harm when they came to take revenge, so he lost his memory."
Chen Kezong laughed and said, "He may have forgotten the things we didn't want him to know, but his abilities haven't diminished at all. Look at this document. Because of his small improvements, Lingjiang Steel Plant has now jumped to the level of a world-class steel enterprise. This is absolutely a huge benefit to the improvement of our entire southern weapons industry. Talented, truly talented."
Li Zhongyuan said, "Zhao Qiang is extremely lecherous and has feelings for girls. Grandpa, I think we should start by getting to Zhao Qiang through women."
Chen Kezong said, "But ordinary women won't catch Zhao Qiang's eye, and once Zhao Qiang sees through them, it will backfire on our plan."
Li Zhongyuan considered for a moment and said, "Grandpa, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
Chen Kezong said, "Speak."
Li Zhongyuan said, "Based on my observation, Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinxin are already living together."
Chen Kezong was extremely displeased. Although he did not acknowledge Chen Xinxin as his granddaughter, Chen Xinxin had the blood of the Chen family flowing in her veins. For Chen Xinxin to live with a man out of wedlock, and for two girls to sleep with one man, was even worse than her mother's behavior back then. It really is true that like mother, like daughter.
Li Zhongyuan said, "Grandpa, please don't be angry. I know that Chen Shuxian and her daughter have upset you, but if this matter is beneficial to our Chen family, what do you think is not worth sacrificing, even our reputation?"
Chen Kezong said with a pale face, "You mean you want me to agree to Chen Xinxin recognizing her ancestors?"
Li Zhongyuan said, "That's not necessary. Actually, I also support my eldest uncle taking over the Chen family business, since my second uncle's abilities are still somewhat lacking."
Chen Kezong remained silent, so Li Zhongyuan continued, "It doesn't matter whether Zhao Qiang helps you or my uncle, so I think you don't need to lift a finger to win him over. Just let my uncle go see Chen Shuxian, and he'll handle everything himself. He won't even need to say anything. Once they recognize each other as father and daughter, Zhao Qiang will have to help them even if he doesn't want to."
Chen Kezong sighed. This nephew is really talented. It's a pity that the Chen family business can only be passed down to sons, not daughters. Even if it is passed down to a daughter, it should be to a granddaughter, not a niece. Otherwise, Li Zhongyuan would be a perfect fit.
Chen Kezong remained silent. Li Zhongyuan couldn't help but say, "Grandpa, don't hesitate. If Zhao Qiang suddenly remembers things in the North, or if someone from the North tells him about the past, then we'll have no chance at all."
Chen Kezong then nodded and said, "Zhongyuan, your idea is good, but it's still not foolproof. What if your eldest uncle runs away from home with Chen Shuxian? Wouldn't I end up with nothing? Do you really expect your two cousins to take over the Chen family business?"
Li Zhongyuan said, "Grandpa, you are worrying too much about this. As long as you don't force my eldest uncle, he won't leave this family. So the key is your attitude."
Chen Kezong suddenly smiled mysteriously. "Your uncle sent you here as a mediator?"
Li Zhongyuan was startled: "Grandpa, please don't misunderstand, my uncle knows nothing about this."