Hu Qian asked in surprise, "You mean Zhao Qiang has amnesia?"
Xiao Wei said, "Yes, this is the most likely result I've calculated." Given Xiao Wei's calculation abilities, her prediction should be pretty accurate. Hu Qian was stunned, muttering to herself, 'He doesn't recognize us anymore, what are we going to do?'
Xiao Wei said, "Sister Qian, you don't need to panic so much. Even if the hard drive has been low-level formatted, there are ways to recover the data."
Hu Qian said, "You mean Zhao Qiang might regain his memory?"
Xiao Wei said, "I think he has completed the initial accumulation of knowledge, otherwise he would not have adapted to life outside so quickly. So next, he will gradually recover some of his urgent memories."
Hu Qian asked, "Does that include remembering us?"
Xiao Wei said, "The things he is most familiar with are the ones he is most likely to forget, because you are not by his side. So he will only remember what he needs most, such as making various equipment or controlling energy."
Hu Qian stood up: "I need to inform the others; we must go to him."
Xiao Wei said, "Be careful and don't be rash, otherwise I'm afraid it will disrupt the process of my brother's brain data recovery. If he never remembers you, that would be a huge loss for you."
Hu Qian laughed and said, "Don't worry, just treat it as a second love. The key is to make sure he is really Zhao Qiang. If Zhao Qiang makes us throw ourselves into the arms of other men, then we should really die. Otherwise, how can we face Zhao Qiang?"
Xiao Wei said, "I need to see him before I can make a judgment."
Hu Qian said, "Let's go to Yihai to find him right away."
Xiao Wei said, "Don't rush. Let's finish tonight's transaction first. If he can't produce the source code for the super antivirus software, I don't think you need to chase after Yihai. After all, that area is not within our control, and there might be danger there."
Hu Qian slapped her forehead: "That's right, I forgot in my haste. We'll talk about it after the transaction."
After leaving a message for the other party, Zhao Qiang looked at the photos of those girls for a while. He was reluctant to turn off the screen, so he downloaded all the photos in the space. Then, while continuing to look at the information Zheng Nan had given him, he cracked the source code of the antivirus software in the China Red operating system. He already had some impression of these things in his mind, and with the cracking ability of the super biochip, it was effortless.
The keyboard clattered incessantly. The super antivirus software wasn't a huge program to begin with, and the China Red operating system was also designed to be streamlined. An hour later, Zhao Qiang finished reading all the materials and cracked the source code of the super antivirus software. However, the cracked source code contained a large number of error codes. These were scrambled codes that Xiao Wei had specially created to prevent cracking back then, so Zhao Qiang had to rewrite the source code. Otherwise, it would have taken even less time.
Outside, Zheng Nan was chatting animatedly with three women. Being career women, they were extremely adept at controlling the atmosphere, and with their polite flattery and ingratiation, the four of them were having a very pleasant conversation. When Zhao Qiang came out, Zheng Nan didn't ask him about the information, but instead said, "Zhao Qiang, I think it's getting late, how about we all have a meal together?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, I've finished reviewing the information. Here's your external hard drive back. If you're going to take on this project, you'll need to be on-site."
Zheng Nan said, "The steel plant is in Lingjiang City. We can go there anytime if it's convenient for you."
Zhao Qiang said, "Alright, let's accept it then. Three million is quite a sum."
Zheng Nan was delighted: "Are you sure you can meet their quality requirements? Otherwise, we won't get the money."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "I can guarantee that the quality of the molten steel produced will be two percentage points higher than their requirements. This is a minimum estimate, and if things go well, the figure will be even higher."
Zheng Nan was pleasantly surprised: "Really? If that's the case, three million is too low. I'll have to negotiate with them, of course, provided that I can successfully get the project."
Zhao Qiang laughed: "Of course we won't complain about having too much money. It's up to you, Sister Zheng, to discuss this with them."
Zheng Nan said, "Let's discuss the price with them later, but no matter what price they offer, I'll only take a referral fee or kickback of 500,000, and the rest is all yours."
If the project exceeds three million, then five hundred thousand is equivalent to one-eighth or one-tenth of that amount, which is not unreasonable for Zheng Nan to take. After all, the business was arranged by someone else, and entertaining and giving gifts also cost money; he can't work for nothing.
It seemed like a big deal was about to be struck, worth millions. Chen Xinxin and Zhao Ling were very excited and grabbed Zheng Nan's hand, saying, "Sister Zheng, you're our lucky charm! This is even faster than making money repairing cars!"
Zheng Nan chuckled: "You guys are guarding a gold mine by keeping an eye on Zhao Qiang. You'd better keep a close eye on him. He's so handsome, you don't want him to be snatched away by other girls."
Chen Xinxin and Zhao Ling, however, were quite relieved: "No, no one is as good as the two of us."
The five of them had a very pleasant lunch together. Afterwards, Zheng Nan drove the four of them to Lingjiang. Zhao Qiang said that since they had agreed, they should get things done right away so as not to worry about it. Zheng Nan was also impatient, so he immediately called the other party to inform them to prepare for the afternoon's arrival.
In fact, Zhao Qiang had other reasons for leaving Yihai at this time. He was afraid that Li Zhongyuan would have some tricks up his sleeve for Chen Shuxian and Chen Xinxin, so he wanted to leave Yihai and change his environment to disrupt the Chen family's plans. This would reduce the pressure on his side and turn the tables, leading the enemy by the nose.
As expected, Zhao Qiang's departure disrupted the Chen family's plans. The manpower they had gathered over the course of a night and most of the day was found missing before they even entered Yihai. Upon learning this news, Old Master Chen had no choice but to suspend his actions. He needed to wait until Chen Shuxian had stabilized before he could seize an opportunity. After all, Zhao Qiang was no ordinary person. If they were to launch a sneak attack on Chen Shuxian in front of him, the chances of success would be extremely low, and there was also a risk of the news leaking out. If his eldest son found out, the Chen family would be rife with internal conflicts.
Lingjiang is the provincial capital, and its scale is far beyond that of Yihai. A borrowed Audi carrying Zhao Qiang and the other three slowly drove into the city. The Audi first stopped at a hotel, and the driver, Zheng Nan, got out and said to everyone, "We'll stay here for the night. I'll call a friend to help rent a Mercedes for tomorrow. Also, we need to change everyone's clothes."
Zhao Ling was puzzled: "Aren't you going to the steel mill to design automation programs? Just go there directly. Why dress up? You can change into work clothes after you get to the factory. Don't you already have an Audi? Renting a Mercedes is such a waste."
Zheng Nan laughed and said, "Zhao Ling, our outfits might not catch the eye of the steel plant leaders, so we need to look presentable to get their attention. Otherwise, it will be difficult to close this deal. I don't care about my role as the introducer, but one of you four needs to serve as the general manager. How about Sister Chen? Zhao Qiang can serve as the chief engineer, and you and Xin Xin can serve as the general manager's secretary and the chief engineer's assistant, respectively."
As the saying goes, "Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse." When discussing business, one's image is very important. Otherwise, the other party will look down on you, and it's uncertain whether they will even hire you to design the automated steelmaking furnace program. After all, Zheng Nan's friend is just a go-between; whether they can secure the business depends on the capabilities of Zhao Qiang and his team. If they make a bad impression on the steel plant leaders on the first meeting, then things will get complicated.
Chen Xinxin said, "I'll be Zhao Qiang's assistant, and Zhao Ling, you'll be my mom's secretary."
Chen Xinxin got there first, leaving Zhao Ling with no choice but to accept the role of secretary. It was nearly evening by then, and Zheng Nan led the four of them on a shopping spree. Finally, before dinner, they were all dressed up. Zhao Ling and Chen Xinxin's business attire was nothing special; it simply made them stand out more. However, Chen Shuxian, who had always been a housewife, suddenly transformed into a career woman, creating a significant visual impact on Zhao Qiang. Even Chen Xinxin exclaimed, "Mom, this outfit suits you so well! I'll never allow you to wear those old, worn-out clothes again!"
Chen Shuxian sighed helplessly. She had worn these clothes before, but now that she was a down-on-her-luck housewife, how could she cook while wearing such a smart business suit?
Zheng Nan also praised, "Sister Chen, this outfit suits you so well! You have the air of a modern urban professional. I dare say that if you stand in front of the steel mill leaders tomorrow, we'll have a 50% chance of winning the business."
Chen Shuxian said, "I'm getting old, so stop trying to flatter me. I hope people won't see through me tomorrow, or we'll lose face all the way to the provincial capital. It doesn't matter if our identities are exposed, the key is that you, Xiao Zheng, will have a hard time explaining this."
Zheng Nan said, "Sister Chen, don't worry. Although my friend isn't entirely sure, he's taking a cut in the process, so he'll definitely do his best to help us. Plus, Zhao Qiang's skills are absolutely top-notch."
The four returned to their hotel looking refreshed. At that moment, the Mercedes-Benz that Zheng Nan's friend had helped rent arrived. Considering that none of the four had driver's licenses, they had to rent a driver as well. They agreed to set off at 7:30 the next morning.
Volume 2 [453] Troublesome Business
【453】Difficult Business
After dinner, everyone gathered together to discuss some details. Although identity wasn't important, the key was to design the procedure well. However, the steel plant leaders couldn't just let anyone into the plant and mess with those advanced equipment, so appearance and identity had to be taken seriously. Zheng Nan even had Zhao Qiang and Chen Shuxian rehearse. Chen Shuxian was a woman with an air of elegance, and Zhao Qiang was convincing in every way, so there were no problems. Only the two girls' giggling made Zheng Nan a little uneasy, but considering their young status, even if there were some minor mistakes, it shouldn't affect the entire business process.
Zhao Qiang, of course, hadn't forgotten his appointment with Hu Qian to trade the source code of the super antivirus software that evening. However, internet access was inconvenient in Lingjiang, so Zhao Qiang secretly went to an internet cafe and left a message for Hu Qian on QQ, postponing the transaction. He didn't specify the date, as he needed to see how things went on here. As for how Hu Qian would berate him for breaking his promise, that wasn't Zhao Qiang's concern. After leaving the message, he immediately logged off and left, not giving Hu Qian a chance to scold him.
The night passed peacefully. The next day, after breakfast, the five of them took two cars straight to the steel plant. On the way, Zheng Nan called her friend and received extremely bad news: several groups from Lingjiang City had arrived at the steel plant. Many software companies were eyeing this business, and the competition was fierce, making it difficult to secure the deal smoothly.
Although Zhao Ling was dressed in a serious business suit, her personality remained as carefree as ever. She said, "What's there to be afraid of? With Zhao Qiang here, those people are trash. We'll just kick them aside."
Chen Xinxin also said, "That's right. As long as Zhao Qiang shows them what he's capable of, those people will back down."
Zheng Nan chuckled: "I hope so. Let's pray that everything goes smoothly, otherwise all the effort we put in to come all this way will be for nothing."
The steel plant was located outside the city, and it took about an hour to drive there. Zheng Nan's friend, a man in his forties named Sun, was already waiting. He was the head of a department at the steel plant. Zheng Nan got out of the car and warmly shook his hand: "Section Chief Sun, we've arrived. What do you think we should do? Since so many competitors have come, shouldn't we arrange for us to meet with the leaders right away, so that everyone can be prepared?"
Section Chief Sun said, "Of course. I've already spoken with Secretary Wu. I'll take you to the conference room now. Several local software vendors are already there discussing things."
At this moment, the three women got out of the Mercedes-Benz. Section Chief Sun's eyes lit up. Chen Shuxian, who was in the lead, had bright eyes and an unapproachable aura. Zhao Ling behind her had a smile on her face. Her professional attire showed off her beautiful figure. Chen Xinxin's full breasts were even more alluring under the tight professional attire. These three women were all top-notch.
Zheng Nan coughed, and Section Chief Sun blushed and came back to his senses. Zheng Nan took the opportunity to introduce him, and Section Chief Sun made a gesture of invitation, saying, "Let's go, everyone. I think your outstanding team alone is enough to surpass those software companies in Lingjiang."
Zhao Qiang entered the conference room and scanned the people inside. Judging from the seating arrangement, there were already three parties competing for this project. However, Section Chief Sun was right; the other side's lineup was far inferior to his own. Although the team they sent was also a mix of men and women, the men were all older, and the women wore heavy makeup, which made people uncomfortable.
Section Chief Sun jogged over to Secretary Wu of the steel plant and whispered a few words, pointing to Zheng Nan's group for Secretary Wu to see. Secretary Wu glanced up and his expression brightened; the power of a beautiful woman was truly extraordinary.
Chen Shuxian quickened her pace, met Secretary Wu's gaze, and extended her hand. Secretary Wu naturally shook hands with Chen Shuxian warmly, "President Chen, hello, hello, I am Wu Zhiming, welcome to our place, you must have had a long journey."
Chen Shuxian said, "Secretary Wu, you're too kind. We're a bit late, please forgive us. I think we shouldn't take up everyone's precious time, so let's join the meeting right away?"
Wu Zhiming said, "Welcome! Just looking at President Chen's team, their presence is truly inspiring." As he spoke, Wu Zhiming glanced at Chen Xinxin, whose large, bouncy breasts were quite impressive. Wu Zhiming had experienced many romantic encounters, but this was the first time he had met a girl with such a pure appearance yet a sexy figure. However, Chen Xinxin didn't seem interested in him, Secretary Wu, which made Wu Zhiming feel like he had wasted his time and was slightly annoyed.
The appearance of Zhao Qiang and his group posed a great threat to the three groups in the conference room. Just from the appearance of the three women who had just arrived, they knew that this company was not ordinary. Otherwise, where would they find three such beautiful women to undertake this mission? It seemed that the competition below would be fierce. As a result, the three local teams in Lingjiang were full of hostility towards Zhao Qiang and his group.
Wu Zhiming said, "Since there are new bidders, let's say it again: three million is the reserve price. You all need to offer the most reasonable price. We will choose the bidder with the lowest price."
Chen Shuxian had already memorized the situation, and now she couldn't help but ask, "Secretary Wu, didn't we say that we should adjust the project cost according to the results? If we only look at who offers the lowest price, what's so difficult about that? We can easily win the bid by offering just a few dollars. But is that useful?"
Wu Zhiming wasn't angry. He smiled and explained, "President Chen, I think you're new here and don't know the situation yet. Our bidding documents state that failing to meet the design standards is unacceptable, and we'll even have to compensate us for any losses."
Chen Shuxian asked, "What if it exceeds the standard?"
Wu Zhiming said, "If the control procedures exceed the minimum requirements, we will appropriately increase your reward based on the listed price."
Chen Shuxian glanced at Zheng Nan. This was different from what everyone had initially imagined. They thought that coming here would secure the project, but who knew there would be so many troubles. Zhao Qiang was also a bit of a headache. He hated coming to discuss business. He just wanted to get things done. But if the steel mill didn't give him a chance to prove himself, there was nothing he could do.
Zheng Nan discussed with Zhao Qiang, saying, "Since your design speed is extremely fast, how about we take over this project at a lower price, and then improve the quality a bit more, so we still won't lose money?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Alright, since we've already come all the way to Lingjiang, we might as well make some money."
Zheng Nan said somewhat apologetically, "I didn't expect there to be competitors, otherwise there wouldn't have been so much trouble."
Zhao Qiang said, "It's nothing, Sister Zheng, you don't need to blame yourself. It's not that easy to get money."
The task of today's meeting was simple. Wu Zhiming introduced the situation, and then all parties submitted their bids. Because it was not a formal and public bidding process, there was no need to pay a deposit or anything like that. The bids will not be announced today; they will be announced tomorrow after the steel plant leadership team reviews them. The rest of the time was spent leading everyone on a tour of the steel plant.
Wu Zhiming always seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally walking beside Chen Shuxian, and even tried to pull Chen Xinxin and Zhao Ling along. However, the two girls only followed behind Zhao Qiang, while Chen Shuxian had to put on a smiling face and chat with Wu Zhiming, otherwise, if Wu Zhiming turned hostile, there would be no hope of anything. Although Wu Zhiming couldn't get close to the two young girls, he was quite satisfied with Chen Shuxian, and given his age, Chen Shuxian was more attractive, while Chen Xinxin and Zhao Ling seemed rather immature.
Wu Zhiming said, "President Chen has come from afar. I will host a banquet for everyone at noon, and then I will host a separate welcome dinner for you all in the evening, how about that?"
Chen Shuxian declined, saying, "Secretary Wu, you're too kind. We can just have a simple lunch together, but there's no need for dinner."
Wu Zhiming said firmly, "How can that be? Not only do you have to come, but your secretary and assistant also have to come. If you don't come, you're disrespecting me. As long as we sit down and talk properly, I think there's a very high chance that this project will be awarded to your company. Let alone three million, even four million is possible. I have high hopes for you, President Chen."
Wu Zhiming's meaning was quite clear: he was interested in these three women and wanted to exchange them for the design of an automated steelmaking furnace control program. He was even willing to increase the design fee as a kind of overnight allowance for the three women. Such power-for-money transactions were too common, and Wu Zhiming did them without the slightest shame, instead considering it perfectly reasonable.
Inside the huge factory, a brand-new steelmaking machine was waiting to be put into use. Wu Zhiming pointed in the direction of the factory and said, "The equipment is inside. Whoever wins the bid can go to the machine room to design the program. After the acceptance is passed, we can get the project payment. If it weren't for the poor evaluation of this control program by foreign countries and the precedent of replacing the control program, we wouldn't have thought of redesigning it. That would be an unnecessary increase in costs. Everyone, please don't disappoint the factory."
Zhao Qiang said, "Can we go in and take a look? We can also familiarize ourselves with the environment first, and then we can make the most of it later."
Wu Zhiming smiled and shook his head, saying, "There are still some projects inside that are not finished. It would be too dangerous to go in now. Let's wait until everyone's bids are released before we talk about it. Those who do not win the bid are not allowed to enter or leave the restricted area of the machine room without authorization. This equipment is very advanced internationally, and the factory has confidentiality measures in place. There is nothing I can do about it."
Zhao Qiang said nothing more, and everyone continued their tour. They didn't see much before lunchtime arrived. Accompanied by several factory leaders, they ate together, and then left in the afternoon to await the announcement of the winning bidder the next day. Zheng Nan spoke privately with Section Chief Sun for a while, then returned and said, "Things have developed somewhat unexpectedly."
Zhao Qiang said, "Wu Zhiming wants us to pay a price, doesn't he?"
Zheng Nan said, "When Section Chief Sun went to probe him, Wu Zhiming said on the surface that he was quite interested in our company and wanted to see our design capabilities, but he wanted Sister Chen to have dinner with him that night. Only after dinner could we showcase our company's design strength."
Chen Xinxin cursed, "He's trying to take advantage of me."
Zheng Nan said, "That should be the meaning. I have already asked Section Chief Sun to politely decline. Regardless of whether this business deal can be completed or not, I cannot joke around with everyone."
Zhao Qiang said, "In that case, we won't be able to secure this business."
Chen Xinxin said, "Do you really expect my mom to sacrifice her looks to win the bid?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Of course not, it's just that I won't feel at ease if I don't make that old lecher pay the price." Zhao Qiang wanted to beat someone up again; he felt an uncontrollable violent impulse deep inside him.
Chen Xinxin said, "How about I seduce him, and then you guys go in and catch him in the act? Then I'll turn around and accuse him of something. Officials who expose his dirty secrets without handing over the control program to us should be most afraid of scandals."
Zhao Ling said, "That's a good idea."
Zheng Nan said, "It's not worth it. We're still on their turf. We'd rather not do this business than lose more than we gain. If it damages Xin Xin's reputation, it'll be a lifelong issue." Another issue Zheng Nan needed to consider was maintaining harmony. If things really turned sour, both she and Section Chief Sun would be implicated, especially Section Chief Sun, who probably wouldn't be able to stay at the factory anymore.
Chen Shuxian is now the most qualified to speak. On the surface, she is the leader of this group. Besides, Chen Shuxian was once a strong woman in the workplace. It was only after her affair with Chen Guangwei that she went into seclusion and started frying dough sticks on the streets. However, her ability to judge things did not disappear because of frying dough sticks.
"We can't rush this. Let's wait and see how things go tomorrow. If Wu Zhiming can really decide who wins the bid, then we need to test his limits, even if it means setting him up. But if he can't control the bidding process at all, we might not be able to get the business even if we sacrifice our virtue."
Zheng Nan said, "Yes, let's wait a bit. I'll give Section Chief Sun some more operating funds and have him keep an eye on the work of the review team."
At 10 p.m., Section Chief Sun sneaked into the hotel. Everyone gathered in Zheng Nan's room to discuss the progress of the matter. Section Chief Sun said, "Secretary Wu is very angry."
Zheng Nan asked, "What exactly is going on?"
Section Chief Sun said, "A female manager from a local company, Kehai Software, accompanied him to dinner. Secretary Wu drank quite a bit and kept complaining when he came back, saying that the female manager from Kehai Software was not even remotely comparable to General Manager Chen. But General Manager Chen didn't know what to do, so there was nothing he could do. I estimate that our chances of winning the bid are extremely low."
Zheng Nan said, "The price we offered wasn't high; it's impossible for someone to snatch it away."