Break out of the courtyard

Chapter 825 The Beginning of 1991

Tuesday, April 1991, 1.

Shenzhen, Dapeng Peninsula.

Just as the Japanese were celebrating the New Year and the Americans were expanding their military presence in the Middle East, Zhang Heping, along with a group of guests, stood in a field of wasteland and held a simple groundbreaking ceremony for the Heping Chip Factory.

Although the ceremony was simple, it still included the necessary opening remarks.

Moreover, Zhang Heping and Hua Lao were rushing to start construction today because they wanted to explain the significance of establishing the chip factory and its future vision to the Hong Kong businessmen and investment delegation representatives.

“I’ve recently heard some people say how great the United States is!” Surrounded by admirers on a small hill, Zhang Heping glanced at Tang Ren’s second wife, who had been the one showing off her life in the United States the most lately.

"Besides having more houses and villas, and more cars and airplanes, I really can't think of anything good about them." Zhang Heping looked at the others and asked with a smile:

"Do they have good medical care?"

"maybe!"

Zhang Heping answered his own question: "A quarter of the medical devices, equipment, and medicines sold by Tingmei Trading last year went to the United States. From this perspective, the medical level in the United States has indeed improved!"

Zhang Heping's words made everyone around him laugh.

Tang Qiang glanced at his mother, who looked embarrassed, and his other aunts, feeling somewhat helpless. They knew perfectly well that his uncle's family disliked Americans, yet they had been spouting nonsense these past few days.

“Some people might say that the United States has good social welfare!” Zhang Heping smiled faintly: “Social security, medical insurance, and free education for those under 18 are indeed good benefits, but unfortunately, I and many others here do not have access to them.”

The wealthy women who came from Hong Kong Island all smiled and looked at Tang Ren's concubines when they heard this.

The other day, when they listened to those aunties bragging about how great the United States was, they all overlooked a crucial premise: money makes everything good.

Without money, how good can social welfare be?
Ignoring the embarrassed Tang family, Zhang Heping turned to the media from Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, and said solemnly, "This chip factory, which broke ground today, will produce 28-nanometer process chips, mainly supplying electronic devices in fields such as mobile phones, tablets, televisions, air conditioners, and automobiles..."

Although Zhang Heping did not mention military equipment, those present could tell from the armed guards that once this high-end chip was produced, it would definitely be prioritized for supply to military factories.

If you were to ask who had the most complex emotions on the field, it would be...

They weren't the Tang family's concubines, but the only two foreigners in the crowd: the Aso couple!

They wanted to send Japanese island experts and students to Shenzhen Peace Academy, but Zhang Heping only asked them one question: Have the Japanese island's history textbooks been revised yet?

Some people may find it hard to understand the mentality of the Japanese. Since they have already been defeated, why don't they admit their mistakes and face up to their history of aggression?
Is it so difficult to admit one's mistakes like a ruler does?
It's really difficult!

This involves multiple factors, including Japanese island culture and psychology, political maneuvering, international landscape, and education system!

Most importantly, the Americans did not thoroughly purge the upper echelons of the Japanese government after the war, and instead allowed the descendants of those war criminals to continue to dominate the Japanese government!
Would that kind of person ever admit their mistake?

Moreover, once they admit their mistakes like Germany did, they will face a flood of huge compensation claims!
Speech, ribbon-cutting, groundbreaking...

After the groundbreaking ceremony, Zhang Heping led these people on a tour of Heping Aerospace Company.

To the Aso couple's disbelief, there were blond and brown-haired foreigners in several of the factory areas!
No need to ask Zhang Heping!

The question is, have the history textbooks in Japan been revised yet?

The foreigners working in these factories manufacturing rockets, satellites, space stations, etc., are actually experts from the Northern Soviet Union who have been cultivated by Zhang Heping over the years, bringing their families with them.

The fact that the Nande Group traded train cars for airplanes shows just how bad the economy was in the Northern Soviet Union.

With faith there crumbling like dominoes, recruiting these Northern Soviet experts has become much easier since last year.

Moreover, Zhang Heping was willing to take in their families and arrange jobs for them.

However, there is no free lunch in this world. Zhang Heping also had one requirement for them: they had to become Hong Kong citizens!
Compared to directly acquiring mainland citizenship, the increasingly internationalized Hong Kong is clearly more acceptable to those experts from the Northern Soviet Union.

"Hello, Teacher Zhang!"

A group of young boys and girls greeted Zhang Heping and his men as they arrived, then quickly stepped aside.

“These bad students!” Zhang Heping pointed at the group of boys and girls, then turned to Director Wang and Liu Yuan behind him and said with a smile, “Write down their names. They won’t even let the workers here rest during the New Year’s Day holiday! This year, during the Spring Festival holiday, let them come and take over the night shifts for those workers.”

An elderly man in a Zhongshan suit asked in confusion, "How did these students get in? Didn't the security guards at the gate stop them?"

The elderly man in a suit standing beside him smiled and replied, "Students from Shenzhen Peace College can come here for internships or visits by showing their student IDs."

"Doing this will encourage them to study hard and also enable them to apply what they have learned; otherwise, they will learn knowledge but not know what to do in the future."

Liu Yuan stepped out of the visiting group, waved to the group of nervous boys and girls, called them aside, said something, and then the students ran out of the factory with smiles on their faces.

Afterwards, Zhang Heping led everyone up the mountain to take a look at the site of the controlled nuclear fusion device under construction below.

Just as he was about to lead everyone away, someone pointed to a cylindrical building on a hilltop and asked, "What's that building over there for?"

"The astronaut training base is temporarily closed to the public," Zhang Heping casually explained, before heading down the mountain first.

The others glanced at the buildings on the mountain with a hint of curiosity, then followed and left.

Only the Aso couple stayed a while longer, seemingly memorizing all the buildings and roads on and off the mountain, before they trailed behind the group and descended the mountain.

After leaving Dapeng Peninsula, Zhang Heping led everyone to visit factories such as Tingmei Luggage, Tingmei Daily Chemical Products, and Heping Health Products.

When the group returned to the Peace Hotel, it was already past 6 p.m.

Because each of them was dragging a newly acquired Tingmei suitcase and various products inside, they were delayed at the hotel security checkpoint.

By the time these people entered the banquet hall on the third floor, the performances on the stage had already gone through five or six acts, leaving the performers feeling frustrated and regretful that they had missed their chance to shine.

After spending the previous few days together, the Hong Kong businessmen and the mainland investment delegation representatives had met several times.

After visiting together today, we got to know each other better, so there are far fewer people who need Zhang Heping and Chen Shuting to act as matchmakers.

However, due to transportation problems and the lack of pillar industries in the northwestern provinces, very few Hong Kong businessmen are willing to invest there.

Even if some Hong Kong businessmen agree, it's only a verbal promise, indicating that they will conduct on-site inspections later.

After Zhang Heping and his family arrived at the banquet hall, representatives from several provincial investment promotion delegations approached Zhang Heping to complain. Unfortunately, Zhang Heping only agreed to build the expressway and had no interest in other projects for the time being.

Fortunately, the main purpose of the investment promotion delegations from various provinces was to discuss the construction of the second phase of the expressway with the Heping Group. The fact that they did not attract any additional investment did not have much impact on their mission, so they did not have to keep pursuing Zhang Heping, who was celebrating his birthday.

Putting aside business matters, tonight's birthday party actually has another important mission: to let young people get to know and connect with each other.

Therefore, when Zhang Heping went to Heping Aerospace Company today, he also called his nephew Chang Le over.

"Oh dear! I'll just have a small sip to see what an 8 yuan bottle of red wine tastes like."

"You can drink it after you have the baby. If you don't believe me, I'll hide a bottle of red wine for you to take home and keep."

"Zhao Laoliu, are you serious? You can't even let Ding Ning have a sip of red wine!"

Zhang Heping, holding a glass of orange juice, walked over to the corner where Liu Yuan, Huang Wenli, and Zhao Jianguo were, and asked with a smile, "What's going on with you all?" "Heping, you've come at the perfect time!" Huang Wenli said excitedly, "Sixth Brother forbids Ding Ning from drinking red wine. You're a doctor, so tell me if he can drink it or not?"

Zhang Heping reached out his right hand towards Ding Ning, who was six months pregnant.

Ding Ning raised her left wrist in cooperation, waiting for Zhang Heping to take her pulse.

Zhao Jianguo stood behind and winked at Zhang Heping, as if to say, "You have to help your brother uphold his position in the family."

"The red wine tonight has a high alcohol content, I didn't dare to drink it. What were you thinking?" Zhang Heping withdrew his hand with a hint of reproach, and looked at Huang Wenli and Liu Yuan, saying, "Letting Huai'er drink, how could you even think of that!"

"Do you know that alcohol can cross the placental barrier and enter the fetus, affecting its normal development? What if it causes neurological defects or facial deformities?"

Seeing that Zhang Heping was giving him so much face, Zhao Jianguo secretly gave Zhang Heping a thumbs up.

As a result, Zhang Heping looked at him the next second and said, "Sixth Brother, if you want to take the red wine, just take it openly. Why do you have to hide it on your person and bring it back?"

Zhang Heping teased Zhao Jianguo, then clinked glasses with them, had a few words with them, and then went to greet the others.

When Tang Ming, the father-in-law, and Tang Ren, the brother-in-law, were talking to the shipping magnate, Zhang Heping walked over and interrupted their negotiations regarding the sale of Hutchison Whampoa shares.

Tang Ren chuckled and said, "He Ping, we were just discussing with the shipping magnate the possibility of Hai Lu Kong Company acquiring Hutchison Whampoa's port business. Do you have any plans in this regard?"

"You'd have to ask the board of directors of the Sea, Land, and Air Company about this. As you know, I generally don't get involved in the affairs of the subsidiaries," Zhang Heping replied casually, then raised his orange juice and clinked it against the others.

After asking Bao Chuanwang how many oil tankers he had bought, Zhang Heping approached another group of people.

Before acquiring Hutchison Whampoa's shares, Bao had consulted with Zhang Heping.

He only contacted other families to launch an acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa after Zhang Heping made it clear that he had no interest in the company.

To what the shipping magnate Bao did not expect, the Hutchison Whampoa shares that Tang Yi was unwilling to sell were like a hot potato to his children and grandchildren, who were all eager to sell them.

If it weren't for the cash flow problems that Bao and his associates were facing at the time, they wouldn't have even given Tang Yi the remaining 4% of Hutchison Whampoa's shares.

Otherwise, Tang Ming and Tang Ren wouldn't be here discussing with him how to sell Hutchison Whampoa shares.

As for the seemingly evasive words Zhang Heping had just said, Bao Chuanwang understood them.

Will the sea, land, and air company acquire Hutchison Whampoa's port business?

Zhang Heping said that this matter should be asked of the board of directors of the sea, land and air company, and that he generally does not get involved.

The problem is that Hutchison Whampoa's port business involves tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars, so how could Zhang Heping not get involved?

Therefore, Zhang Heping said this to save face for the Tang family, subtly telling them not to spread rumors in his name!

At the same time, it was also a way of telling the shipping magnate that I was not involved in this matter because I genuinely had no interest in Hutchison Whampoa and that this matter would not even reach him.

If Tang Ren had just been selling his Hutchison Whampoa shares, even if Zhang Heping had sensed it, he would have turned a blind eye and let them get away with it.

However, Tang Ren had already sold all of his Hutchison Whampoa shares several years ago when he entered the Japanese stock market!

What they were just talking about was Tang Yi's 4% stake in Hutchison Whampoa, which displeased Zhang Heping!
Even if Tang Yi is dead, Zhang Heping's name cannot be used to benefit Tang Yi's descendants!
Compared to the social engagements of Zhang Heping, Tang Xin, and Chen Shuting, Ma Xiuzhen, Zhang Bing, and Zhang Pandi had a much simpler time. They sat on the side with Elder Hua and Director Wang, eating fruit and occasionally whispering to each other about who the person who had just struck up a conversation with Zhang Bei, Zhang Nan, and Zhang Nian was.

As for Zhang Feng, that girl, she was asked to participate in the Super Girl competition on RTV before, but she was too shy and didn't go for two consecutive years.

Tonight, she went to the other side of the stage to be a pianist and accompany the audience, with two little guys, Zhang Nuo and Zhang Hao, sitting next to her.

As for the siblings Chang Wen and Chang Le, it's unclear where they got the notebooks and pens, but they're currently gathered around the stage, asking the celebrities who have finished their performances for autographs.

It has to be said that some celebrities have really poor awareness of security. Not only do they dare to sign their names on blank sheets of paper, but they also sign their real names instead of their stage names.

Zhang Heping glanced at the signature on the notebook, then took his niece and nephew to the next lounge.

"Zhou Huimin!"

The sudden arrival of Zhang Heping, the low-profile richest man, already surprised these celebrities.

At that moment, everyone in the room looked at Zhou Huimin, the woman whose name had been called, when he called out the name of a beautiful female celebrity.

Qu Zhouping, the head of ATV (Rediffusion Television) who organized tonight's program, and Zheng Lijun, who had already finished her performance, approached Zhang Heping, who was taking notes in his notebook, with a puzzled look.

"I regret to inform you that because you just signed your real name, you now owe my nephew 520 million yuan!" Zhang Heping said, holding up the notes he had just written in front of the little girl, who was pale with fright, so she could take a quick look.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Heping grabbed Chang Le by the neck, who looked bewildered, and pulled him forward to face the bewildered Zhou Huimin.

"So, do you think the unit after 520 million should be 'kiss' or 'flying kiss'?" Zhang Heping put away his notebook and asked Zheng Lijun with a smile.

Zheng Lijun has a somewhat eccentric personality and likes to tease people. She immediately asked, "Why not 'hug'?"

"It's alright, there's still the idiot's real name on this. We'll just use 'hug' as the unit for the IOU later." Zhang Heping said with a smile, handing the IOU with the unit of measurement just written to the bewildered Zhou Huimin. "Here, stamp it!"

Seeing that the pretty young girl didn't react, Zheng Lijun walked over and whispered a few words to Zhou Huimin.

Then, Zhou Huimin blushed, brought the notebook to her lips, and kissed it.

"I'm not teasing you anymore!" Zhang Heping handed the pen to Zhou Huimin, who was slow to realize what was happening, and then said to the others, "Those who signed their real names instead of their stage names on the blank paper earlier, come over and write an IOU yourselves, so you'll remember this lesson."

"Thank you all for your hard work tonight. If you don't have any scandals with the people in the banquet hall next door, feel free to go and have a seat."

"Let's go, you two!" Zhang Heping glanced at Qu Zhouping and Zheng Lijun and said with a smile, "I just looked all over the banquet hall and couldn't find you two. Turns out you've been hiding here."

Qu Zhouping replied with a smile, "Boss, I'll talk to them about the autograph, and I'll come over to toast you later!"

Zheng Lijun happily followed, while Chang Wen and Chang Le were surrounded by those celebrities. It's unknown what they thought about it afterward.

As the banquet drew to a close, the Zhang brothers, Long and Hu, who had been tinkering with the drone outside for a long time, finally ran into the banquet hall and grabbed some food.

Then, I heard them call everyone, including their father, to go outside and watch their drone light show.

After Zhang Heping led everyone downstairs, they heard the sound of motors taking off.

Not long after, a circular red light display with a diameter of over 100 meters appeared in the sky.

The next second, bursts of yellow and white fireworks fell from the circle of red light, eliciting gasps of amazement from the crowd.

"This is the first time I've ever seen fireworks go off upside down in the sky. This must be called a fireworks rain!"

"Look! The red circle has disappeared, and a yellow five-pointed star has appeared in the middle!"

"Five five-pointed stars, this is..."

Amidst gasps of surprise from those around, the sky suddenly turned red, and five yellow five-pointed stars appeared in the upper left corner...

(End of this chapter)