Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2880 Targeted Interview
To be honest, as the saying goes, the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow. The Ye family is now quite famous. Although they haven't offended anyone, people's hearts are unpredictable.

Some people target you without any reason; it's just jealousy or dislike.

Therefore, this wedding in Junken City became the focus of attention for a time.

It turns out that some people had gossiped about Ye Mao's wedding, but Ye Mao was the son of Ye Yuze and Yu'e, and his political achievements were excellent, so they couldn't cause any trouble.

But Marshal Ye was different; he was the son of Ye Yuze and a Ukrainian woman, so his father's status was illegitimate.

Although many wealthy people nowadays have multiple wives and concubines, no one talks about it openly.

Actually, even if I told Ye Yuze, he wouldn't care. I only have one wife, so what if I have a few extramarital affairs?
He didn't care, but those with ulterior motives started to make trouble for the Ye family. For example, Ye Yufan and Ye Mao.

After all, their identities are sensitive, and politics can sometimes be played very dirty.

For example, briefly expose the Ye family's relationships and status, as well as Ye Yuze's children, in newspapers, magazines, or online.

Immediately, a wave of onlookers will start to criticize and condemn Ye Yuze, as if overnight, all the contributions he has made have disappeared, and he has become a morally corrupt and wicked hypocrite.

In the editor-in-chief's office of a newspaper, the editor-in-chief, Xie, was smoking a pipe and looking at the reporter standing across from his desk.

Young reporter Wu Mei had just graduated and stayed at the newspaper after an internship. Because of her hard work and willingness to take risks, everyone spoke highly of her.

Of course, Wu Mei must have some connections; otherwise, how could she have stayed at such a big newspaper? You know, these days, employment isn't just about academic qualifications, but also about ability.

After all, the capital city is a place where talent is abundant, and for a student like Wu Mei, who graduated from an ordinary university, getting a job in such a place is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Whatever the reason, she is now a full-time employee and is full of fighting spirit, determined to make a name for herself.

Xie looked at Wu Mei with a glint in his eyes. This girl was so beautiful, she looked exactly like her mother when she was young.

Xie still clearly remembers what her mother, Ulan, looked like when she first entered university. She was known as the "Sarilang of the Grassland," and the days when those livestock lined up to write her love letters.

Unfortunately, although Xie was one of them, he did not succeed. Unsurprisingly, the beauty was won by a rich second-generation.

Even now, Ulan remains a regret in his life, one that can never be made up for...

“Wumei, you are a very capable child. You hate evil and are not afraid of power. However, Ye Yuze is not easy to deal with. Don’t put yourself in danger.”

In fact, Xie had no conflict with the Ye family, and didn't even know them. All his knowledge of the Ye family came from his background as a media professional.

I don't know why, but he felt very uncomfortable just hearing that name. This sudden outbreak of public opinion gave him an opportunity.

"Damn it, even if I can't ruin his reputation, I'll at least disgust him a little."

He naturally knew that targeting other members of the Ye family was too risky, given their status. Ye Yuze, on the other hand, was just a businessman, and he was more confident in dealing with such a person.

Therefore, after a little guidance, Wu Mei, this passionate young woman, volunteered to peel back the glamorous facade of Ye Yuze, the capitalist.

The plane pierced through the thick clouds and began its descent. Looking down through the small porthole, Wu Mei's heart skipped a beat. Was this the military reclamation city?
There was no grotesque scene of a giant factory shrouded in thick smoke as I had imagined. What stretched as far as the eye could see was a city laid out like a precision circuit board.

Wide roads, like smooth conductors, connect modern factory areas gleaming with glass curtain walls, lush parks, and neat residential areas.

Further away, the dark green windbreak forest belt stands stubbornly on the edge of the once desolate Gobi Desert, like a loyal guard.

In the city center, several futuristic, streamlined buildings rise from the ground, reflecting a cold yet confident light under the intense northwest sun, like several technological swords piercing the sky.

This scene was completely different from the industrial fortress she had imagined, which was controlled by the "unscrupulous capitalist" Ye Yuze and was bound to be full of exploitation and filth.

A very subtle wavering, like an undercurrent beneath the water, quietly brushed against her originally hardened defenses.

She gripped the interview notebook on her lap tightly. On the cover, she had written heavily in red pen:

"Ye Yuze: The Shadow Under the Halo?" The fingertips turned slightly white from the pressure he applied.

She took a deep breath and silently recited Editor-in-Chief Xie's seemingly important but actually suggestive words before her departure:
"Little Wu, the truth often lies beneath the most glamorous surface, especially with someone like Ye Yuze—the waters run deep. Dig boldly; the newspaper is your strongest backing!"

This support, in her eyes at this moment, seemed more like an invisible giant net urging her to plunge into an unknown battlefield.

Stepping out of the airport, the dry air, carrying the unique fragrance of grass and trees, rushed towards me, completely dispelling the stuffiness in the cabin.

A rugged SUV, painted a matte military green, silently glided up in front of her, its simple yet powerful "Warrior" emblem on the hood gleaming in the sunlight.

This is the top-of-the-line model in the Warrior Group's civilian series, representing the crown jewel of the military reclamation city's industry.

"Ukrainian journalist? Welcome to the Military Reclamation City!"

The driver was a capable young man with a cheerful smile. "President Ye asked me to pick you up. He's still in the chip lab right now and can't get away, but he'll see you in person later."

His tone was natural, carrying a local's almost instinctive familiarity and respect for "General Manager Ye," without the slightest restraint when facing a "superior," but rather as if he were talking about a trustworthy, busy elder.

The car smoothly entered the city's main road. Wu Mei's gaze greedily swept across the scenery outside the window. The streets were wide and clean, and the trees on both sides were clearly well-maintained, lush and verdant.

What struck her most was the state of the pedestrians. There was none of the hurried pace and apathy common in big cities. Whether it was an engineer in overalls or a housewife carrying shopping bags, everyone wore a relaxed and content expression, their steps leisurely. A few teenagers in high school uniforms sped past on stylish electric bicycles, leaving behind a trail of carefree laughter.

In the corner park, a group of elderly people were leisurely practicing Tai Chi. Sunlight shone on their stretched bodies, creating a peaceful and harmonious scene.

How could this be a city shrouded in the shadow of hypocrisy? It is clearly a well-functioning, vibrant, and ideal home.

"This place...is really nice."

Ume couldn't help but sigh softly, her voice carrying a confusion she herself didn't even realize.

"Absolutely!" the driver said with pride. "More than twenty years ago, when I first came here with my dad, this was the most impoverished farm in the Gobi Desert. The sandstorms could bury people!"

"We had to ration our water, and when the wind blew, our mouths were full of sand, and we couldn't even open our eyes. Look at us now!"

He patted the steering wheel. "The road was built with funds raised by General Manager Ye; the trees were planted by experts and people one by one; the school, the hospital, the park... weren't all started by him? Without General Manager Ye, Junken City probably wouldn't even be a decent town now, let alone become like this!"

“Leading the way in fundraising?” Wu Mei keenly grasped this phrase.

"That's right! Back when we were making Warrior Motors, the factory almost went bankrupt and we couldn't pay wages. It was General Manager Ye who first emptied out all the savings he had made in Russia, and even staked his entire fortune. He also mobilized everyone to pool their money, and that's how we got through the toughest hurdle!"

The driver spoke with some emotion, "Later, when our cars sold well and we made money, the first thing he did was to pay back all the money we had pooled together, with interest! Not a penny less! Tell me, how could we not trust him and remember his kindness?"

Wu Mei fell silent, lowering her head to open her interview notebook. The driver's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring the first real ripples of unease in her heart.

This created a sharp and unsettling contradiction with the "black material" she had meticulously prepared before her departure—the irrefutable accusations on online forums that "Ye Yuze embezzled collective assets" and "made his fortune by exploiting workers."

She subconsciously crossed out several pre-set questions with a strong negative connotation in her notebook.

Ume's schedule was packed. Over the next two days, she visited the Warrior Automobile Assembly Plant.

Inside the enormous factory, automated production lines flowed like precise silver rivers, efficient and quiet. On the assembly lines, the latest hybrid SUVs and all-electric supercars were undergoing final assembly.

The workers were focused and skilled, their eyes revealing a confidence in mastering the core technology.

The technical director pointed to the huge patent wall at the end of the workshop, which was densely covered with Warrior Group's global patent certificates in power batteries, electronic control systems, and new materials, his tone filled with undeniable pride:
“Ukrainian reporter, do you see those certificates with red borders? Those are our unique ‘moat’ technologies.”

"It is no exaggeration to say that the lifeline of the global new energy vehicle industry is in the hands of our Junken City. Without President Ye's immense pressure back then, pouring almost all of the profits into R&D, and personally traveling around the world to recruit top talents and purchase the most advanced experimental equipment, we would never be where we are today."

In the afternoon, she entered the heavily guarded military reclamation electromechanical chip research and development center. A special, clean scent permeated the air.

Through the thick observation glass, she saw the world's most advanced lithography machine operating quietly in the cleanroom. Accompanying her was an elderly engineer with gray hair but eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"The 'Kunlun Chip' that we have successfully fabricated here has performance indicators that are on par with the world's top products, and even surpass them in some special fields."

The senior engineer pointed to the complex circuit diagram on the screen and said, "General Manager Ye often said that chips are the heart of industry. If the heart is not strong, the body is weak no matter how strong it is. For this 'heart,' he was called a 'spendthrift' and people said that the investment was a bottomless pit. At the most difficult time, when the capital chain was about to break, he mortgaged his own aircraft and overseas assets, and withstood the pressure to save the project."

He paused, his voice low, "That airplane was his most cherished possession when he was young. On the day it was mortgaged, I was outside his office and heard him... looking at the model airplane, whispering, 'Old friend, I'm sorry to have to make do with this for a while.'"

A barely perceptible glint of moisture flashed in the old man's eyes, only to be replaced by a hardened expression. "Right now, in the world's high-end manufacturing industry, who dares to say they can do without our 'Kunlun Chip'?"

Before the shock of these technological advancements could be fully digested, Wu Mei ventured deep into the city.

In a tree-lined park, she encountered several elderly veterans who were playing chess and sunbathing. Upon learning that she was a reporter and wanted to learn about Ye Yuze, the old men immediately gathered around her enthusiastically.

"Young comrade, you really need to write a good article about Ye boy!"

An elderly man, missing a front tooth but still very energetic, had a loud voice and held onto Wumei's hand tightly.

"Back then, his father, Ye Wancheng, was our old company commander. He was a tough guy! Ye grew up in the company, and his stubbornness is exactly the same as his father's!"

Another elderly woman chimed in, her eyes filled with loving kindness:
“Yuze is such a kind-hearted kid! That year, the Wang family’s son from the next company got into college but didn’t have the money to go. Old Wang was so anxious that he almost jumped into the dam (water pit).

When Yuze found out, he silently gave all the money he had saved for years, the money he had intended to use to get married, to Old Wang!

The old lady wiped her eyes. "Tell me, how bad could a child like that be?"

“Exactly!” An elderly man wearing an old military cap nodded vigorously.

"And that year there was a severe drought, and the crops were on the verge of total failure. It was he who led a few brave men to venture into what was then a 'forbidden zone' that no one dared to touch, and found an underground water source!"

"The day the irrigation canal was completed, everyone in the company cried! And him? He was so exhausted that he collapsed and fell asleep by the canal, covered in mud... How old was he then? Only a teenager, right?" The old man gestured with his rough fingers.

The elderly people chatted amongst themselves, and those stories, buried in the Gobi Desert sands, carrying the scent of earth and the warmth of blood and sweat, flowed like a gentle stream, slowly nourishing Wu Mei's heart.

Ye Yuze's image, which was depicted in her mind as a despicable capitalist by online rumors and the editor's hints, was quietly covered with layer after layer of vivid, full, and even heroic and tragic colors.

The aggressive questions that had been pre-set in the notebook about "chaotic private life" and "moral flaws" now seemed so pale and out of place.

She held the pen, wanting to write something several times, but felt that those cold words were simply unable to bear the burning memories and sincere emotions before her.

An unprecedented sense of confusion and powerlessness gripped her. Her steadfast belief that "ability cannot excuse personal morality" began to crumble for the first time in the face of the ubiquitous and heartfelt respect and love for Ye Yuze in the military reclamation city.