dkrc Chapter 155 First Visit
Chapter 155 First Visit
At 10 a.m., Ling Yun drove to An Shiyu's building.
He wore a light gray shirt, dark trousers, and polished leather shoes today. Three gift boxes were on the back seat: West Lake Longjing tea, a Hero fountain pen, and a silk scarf.
An Shiyu came out of the building, saw him, and smiled.
"So formal?"
"It's your first time meeting your parents, so you need to take it seriously." Ling Yun got out of the car. "How was it? They knew I was coming, right?"
"I know. I told them yesterday." An Shiyu took his arm. "Don't be nervous, my parents are very easy to talk to."
"Your dad is an economics professor, so he might want to test my economics skills."
"My mom is the key," An Shiyu said softly. "She's a professor at the School of Marxism, and she has a very insightful perspective."
The door on the third floor was already open.
An Luping stood at the door, in his fifties, wearing glasses and a light blue short-sleeved shirt.
"You're here? Come in."
"Greetings, Uncle." Ling Yun bowed slightly.
Cui Jing came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron, with a gentle smile.
"Xiao Ling is here. Sit down and have some tea."
The living room wasn't large, but it was tidy. The bookshelves were filled with books, and calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls. The sofa was beige, a bit old, but very clean.
Lingyun placed the gift box on the coffee table.
"A small token of my appreciation."
An Luping glanced at it.
"You're too kind, please have a seat."
An Shiyu brewed tea, and Ling Yun sat on a single sofa with his back straight.
"I heard from Shiyu that you run an electronics factory?" An Luping asked.
"Yes. Xinghuo Electronics Factory makes computer components," Ling Yun said. "We also have investments in the United States, mainly in operating systems and hardware standards."
"Operating system?" An Luping's interest was piqued. "Competing with Microsoft?"
"It's being generated."
Are you confident?
"We have an advantage in technology, but we are still far behind in terms of ecosystem," Ling Yun said frankly. "So we are also developing games and applications, hoping to gradually build an ecosystem."
An Luping nodded.
"You also made investments in Southeast Asia before?"
"Yes. Mainly forward contracts for the Thai baht and some other currencies."
"You made a profit?"
"I made some money."
An Luping adjusted his glasses.
"Don't you think this is speculation?"
Ling Yun thought for a moment.
"Uncle, from an economic perspective, this is the process of market pricing discovery. The Thai economy itself has problems: high foreign debt and a large real estate bubble. Our actions only accelerated the return of prices to their intrinsic value."
"But this process will hurt many people."
"Yes," Ling Yun admitted, "but the bubble bursting is inevitable. Even if we don't participate, others will. Moreover, most of the money we earn will be invested in real industries and technological research and development, such as expanding electronics factories and developing operating systems."
An Luping didn't say anything, but took a sip of tea.
Cui Jing brought over some fruit.
"Let's stop talking about work. Xiaoling, have some fruit."
"Thank you, Auntie."
"I heard from Shiyu that you're a year older than her?" Cui Jing sat down.
"Yes. I was born in 76."
What do your parents do for a living?
"My father worked at a stone quarry, and my mother was retired and stayed at home. I have an older sister who works at the Foreign Trade Bureau."
"That's good." Cui Jing smiled. "Shiyu said you're very busy and often travel around."
"I've been a bit busy lately," Ling Yun said, "but things will stabilize in the future, and I'll focus my main energy on China."
"Being busy with your career is a good thing, but you also need to take care of your health."
"Thank you for your concern, Auntie."
An Shiyu sat next to her mother and secretly winked at Ling Yun.
At noon, Cui Jing cooked six dishes: steamed fish, braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cucumber salad, tomato and egg soup, and candied sweet potato.
"I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just made something simple," Cui Jing said.
"I like them all very much," Lingyun said. "Auntie's cooking is really good."
During the meal, An Luping asked about the electronics factory.
How many workers does your factory have now?
"More than 1,500 people, and we plan to expand to 2,800 people by the end of the year."
"What are the salary and benefits like?"
"Ordinary workers earn between 600 and 800 yuan per month, while skilled workers earn over 1,000 yuan."
"Not bad," An Luping nodded. "Better than many state-owned enterprises."
"We're a private enterprise, and to retain our employees, we need to give them something to look forward to," Ling Yun said. "We've given out bonuses twice this year, and the New Year's gifts were generous. The workers are very motivated."
Cui Jing listened and nodded slightly.
"Xiao Ling, the homework system you created was to break the monopoly, right?"
"Yes," Ling Yun said. "Technological monopolies hinder innovation. Our open-source and free approach aims to lower the barrier to entry and allow more people to participate."
"That's a great idea," Cui Jing said. "Marx said that productive forces determine relations of production. New technologies will give rise to new relations of production. What you are doing is promoting the development of productive forces."
Ling Yun was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Cui Jing to understand things from this perspective.
"Auntie is right, we do want to promote technological progress."
After dinner, An Shiyu helped wash the dishes. Ling Yun wanted to help, but Cui Jing stopped him.
"You are a guest, please have a seat."
An Luping brewed a pot of fresh tea.
"Let's go sit on the balcony."
The balcony wasn't large, and it had a few potted plants on it. The two of them sat in wicker chairs.
"Shiyu said she chose a job at the library," An Luping said. "What do you think?"
"I respect her choice," Lingyun said. "She said that two people can't both be busy with their careers. She doesn't have much ambition for her career, and she'll leave the task of earning money to support the family to me."
"She's been like this since she was little." An Luping looked at the trees in the distance. "She likes quiet and reading. Library work suits her."
"I think so too," Lingyun said. "Besides, she has plenty of time to do what she likes."
"What are your plans for the future?"
"I'll be focusing back on China soon," Lingyun said. "The electronics factory in Jinan is expanding, the internet cafes are getting bigger, and we're also building a research and development center in Shenzhen. Shiyu is in Jinan, and I'll be spending most of my time there."
"What about in the long run?"
"In the long run..." Ling Yun thought for a moment, "I want to create China's own computer brand, with complete self-sufficiency and control over everything from hardware to software. Operating system, chip design, complete machine manufacturing... step by step."
"The goal is very ambitious."
"We have to take it one step at a time," Ling Yun said. "We'll start with components, then move on to complete systems, and finally build an ecosystem."
An Luping looked at him.
"You have great ideas and you're very capable. I feel at ease with Shiyu being with you."
"Thank you, Uncle."
"However," An Luping changed the subject, "the business world is like a battlefield, you need to be careful. Especially what you're doing now, you're taking away other people's interests, and some people will be unhappy."
"I know," Ling Yun said. "I'll be careful."
"If you need any help, you can come to me," An Luping said. "Over the years, I've had quite a few students in the economics department. They've come from both the political and business worlds."
"Thank you, Uncle."
At 3 p.m., Lingyun prepared to take his leave.
Cui Jing took out a box.
"This is a gift from Shiyu's dad and me."
Lingyun opened it; inside was a fountain pen. It was black and very simple.
"You need to sign documents frequently, so use a good pen," Cui Jing said.
"Thank you, Auntie."
An Shiyu saw him downstairs.
"How are you? Nervous?" she asked with a smile.
"I'm nervous," Ling Yun said honestly, "but your parents are very nice people."
"They really like you," An Shiyu said. "My dad is usually not very talkative, but he talked to you so much today. My mom even gave you a gift."
"I like them very much too."
As they walked to the car, An Shiyu grabbed his arm.
"Lingyun".
"Um?"
"When...are we getting married?"
Ling Yun looked at her; her eyes were bright in the sunlight.
"We'll get married when you're ready."
"I'm ready," An Shiyu said. "I've been ready since the day I decided to be with you."
Lingyun took her hand.
"Well... let's do it at the end of the year. We'll have the wedding after I finish what I'm doing."
"it is good."
Before getting into the car, An Shiyu tiptoed and kissed him.
"Be careful on the road."
"Um."
As Ling Yun drove away from the residential area, he glanced at the rearview mirror. An Shiyu was still standing downstairs, waving.
He felt a warm feeling in his heart.
This is the first time I've felt like I'm at home.
It's not just about his career and their relationship, but also about the approval of both families.
He knew that the road ahead was long and there would be many challenges.
But with this group of people supporting him, he felt even stronger.