Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

Lu Yang had originally planned to return to Pengcheng on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, but it wasn't until after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month that he was able to settle things in the capital.

The day after the Lantern Festival.

He took his family and the rest of Liu Guangnan's team and chartered a plane to fly back to Shenzhen.

Liu Guangnan's team originally consisted of 65 people.

Also because of the collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to establish a new semiconductor laboratory.

It was divided into two.

Of these, 27 people decided to stay and remain on the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) payroll, but their salaries will be paid by Century Group, which is under Lu Yang's name. They will then collaborate with another semiconductor R&D team dispatched by CAS to conduct semiconductor research.

As for the laboratory address?

After bargaining.

Because Professor Zhou insisted on not being too far from the Chinese Academy of Sciences so that he could personally visit and inspect the facilities, he even stated that if he had the time, he would not mind personally participating in discussions and research and development.

Finally, Lu Yang was moved and decided to take another step back. So, with a wave of his hand, he bought a large courtyard near the first ring road, renovated it, and then lent it to the semiconductor laboratory for office use.

That's right, the key point is this word "borrow".

Courtyard houses are not hard to buy.

What's hard to buy are courtyard houses located near the first or second ring road, with three or even four courtyards or more.

This is not a problem that can be solved simply with money.

Lu Yang still benefited from Zhou Lao's influence. Accompanied by Zhou Lao, he went to the street office to sign a lease contract, proving that after buying the courtyard house, he would temporarily lend it to a research unit under the Chinese Academy of Sciences for research purposes at a monthly rent of 0.

The lease term is 20 years.

As for the money, it didn't cost much. Although this courtyard was larger than the three-courtyard house that Lu Yang had bought before, it only cost a little over 300 million yuan to finally acquire it.

Including the renovation costs, it will cost around 300 million yuan.

Lu Yang was willing to spend money and directly used Zhou Lao's connections to hire an old friend of Zhou Lao, a big shot in the Department of Ancient Architecture at Renmin University, and a group of students to carry out a modern renovation of the entire courtyard house without damaging the overall structure and solemnity of the ancient building.

Thus, Lu Yang's trip to the capital came to an end, albeit with a somewhat satisfactory conclusion.

However, before leaving, Old Zhou was still questioning him with doubt.

"What tricks are you up to, kid?"

"You went to such lengths, owing me a favor and having my old friend and his students personally help you renovate this courtyard house. It didn't have to be this complicated. Since I decided to locate the lab in Beijing, I could have easily solved the office location issue. Even if there was to be some funding, it should have been a joint effort between the lab and the government. But you insisted on paying for it privately, and then went through all that trouble to lend it to the lab. It's like taking off your pants to fart. There must be something fishy going on here, right?"

He stared into Lu Yang's eyes, trying to discern something.

Seeing that Lu Yang remained silent.

He shook his head and sighed, "I've been thinking about this all night and I still can't figure it out. Oh well, consider this your action as saving the lab some rent."

It's understandable if you don't understand.

Why do I need to figure this out if I'm not a reborn person?
Lu Yang could never tell him the true future value of the courtyard house.

This thing isn't as sought-after as apartments right now, let alone luxury villas, but if you look back in 10 years—

Then, it won't be a case of everyone complaining that it's just a bungalow.

It's not that you can't buy it even if you want to.

Luxury items that most middle-class people, who are not among the super-rich, can only look at but never touch.

Let's do some calculations while we're at it.

Lu Yang has now spent 300 million yuan to buy this super large courtyard house, and another 300 million yuan to renovate it, giving it both modern comfort and a retro look.

Once the lease expires in the future...

Lu Yang was in a good mood. If everyone cooperated well, the lease could continue to be provided to United Semiconductor Laboratory.

If we're in a bad mood, or if the collaboration isn't going well, or if we find a better place to house the United Semiconductor Laboratory as an office, we can simply relocate the laboratory, put the courtyard house up for sale, and easily recoup at least 10 billion yuan. Wouldn't that be great?
Of course, by then, Lu Yang will probably be flush with cash. Even if he doesn't become one of the world's richest people, he will likely be one of the few super-rich people in China.

That's okay.

It can also be remodeled.

More than 100 years ago it was a prince's palace of the Qing Dynasty, and more than 100 years later it can also become Lu Yang's personal palace.

Turn left when you go out.

You can see the red walls and vermilion gates of the Forbidden City in less than 10 minutes on foot.

Isn't this the perfect place to retire?
"Grandpa, guess."

Lu Yang gave him a mysterious smile, took the hand of his wife Yin Mingyue, who was seven months pregnant, and held his baby daughter Lu Xin'er in his arms. He turned and walked towards the boarding gate, leaving behind a carefree and unrestrained figure.

"Little bastard."

Old Zhou pointed at his retreating figure and laughed and scolded him.

He took a deep breath, slammed his cane on his hand, and then turned to the middle-aged man he had appointed as the head of the joint semiconductor laboratory, saying, "Xiao Wan, your senior brother Qian can't come, so the laboratory will be handed over to you from now on. You will be in charge of it. From now on, you only need to be responsible to me and President Lu. The task is very difficult, but you still have to maintain your integrity, understand?" This old man's student was probably around 40 years old.

A square face.

Not very young.

However, among researchers, he is considered to be in his prime.

To be chosen by Elder Zhou and entrusted with such an important task, being dispatched to serve as the head of this joint semiconductor laboratory, one must certainly have some skills.

Technically, it should be just as good.

The word "excellent" can be perfectly applied to this square-faced middle-aged man.

However, Old Zhou's expression remained complicated, and he even felt a little reluctant. His concern was not that the student he had chosen lacked ability, but rather whether he could resist the temptation.

Can we uphold the fine tradition of hard work and struggle?

Previously, everyone was buried in their research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, oblivious to what was happening outside, and received a fixed salary. At most, when they made a result, they would receive a small bonus from the higher-ups, not much, ranging from tens to hundreds of yuan, but enough to make them so happy that they couldn't sleep for several nights.

But this time and that time.

There is the cautionary tale of Lianxiang Xiaoliu.

This student is now in charge of a joint semiconductor laboratory with an annual investment of no less than 1 million RMB. The weight of this responsibility is immense. If he fails to resist the temptations and loses his principles, and makes a mistake he shouldn't have made, it will be too late to make amends.

Following Zhou Lao's words, the middle-aged man turned his gaze away from Lu Yang's back and said confidently, "Please rest assured, teacher, I will definitely live up to your expectations and strive to achieve results as soon as possible, so that outsiders will not look down on your student."

This square-faced man was very excited, after all, 100 million yuan was about to be injected into the United Semiconductor Laboratory's account.

Which researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has ever fought such a costly battle?

He was also appointed as the person in charge.

Goodness, he's got all the bugs stacked up. If the teacher hadn't been there, he would have run off to celebrate long ago. You can tell just by looking at the chubby fat on his face that he's incredibly excited.

"alright."

Old Zhou had no more feelings for admonishing him. He shook his head, turned around with his cane, and sighed softly as he walked away. His aged voice came, "You'd better take care of yourself. Don't let me hear any news of your corruption in the future, or I will no longer consider you my student."

Changing the coach at the last minute was clearly too late.

Moreover, even if he sent someone else, there was no guarantee that they would be as trustworthy as his own student. Helpless, he could only say this upfront: if he reminded them like this and they still went off to be happy, and continued to be greedy in the future, that would be their fate, and no one could save his student.

The times are like a mountain. The older generation of scientists carved out a path through barren land, turning their youth into foundation stones. But whether the young people who have taken up the torch can inherit the revolutionary spirit of the older generation and continue to carry forward the spirit of hard work and perseverance is something no one can guarantee.

With the help of staff, Mr. Zhou, leaning on his cane, walked further and further away, his figure becoming increasingly blurry.

The old man's body was already hunched over.

But the backbone in my heart remains straight.

Three hours later.

At Shenzhen Huangtian Airport, a large airplane, which had just flown down from the clouds, slowly taxied and came to a stop on the runway.

The cabin door was opened.

Led by Lu Yang, Lu Yang and his group disembarked from the plane one by one.

Before they could even get into the car sent by the group, they were intercepted.

"Good brother, I've been waiting for you for ages."

"Come here, let me hug you. I've missed you so much."

Xiao Jun and Mu Qizhong suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rushed in front of them.

To put it bluntly, I miss my good brother Lu Yang terribly.

But when they actually got to the group of people...

She didn't even glance at Lu Yang.

He pulled Lu Yang aside, his eyes gleaming like a thief, and sized up Liu Guangnan's team—these were all high-level intellectuals with extraordinary bearing, dragging suitcases.

"Wonderful! These are all scientists you brought from the capital, right?"

Xiao Jun clapped his hands and laughed.

"Hmm, not bad, they are all outstanding individuals!"

Mu Qizhong nodded repeatedly; he was just there to watch the spectacle.

"Let me introduce myself first. I am Xiao Jun, the president of Little Prodigy Electronic Technology Company. When you come to Pengcheng, you can't help but mention our Little Prodigy."

Xiao Jun patted his chest, his face full of pride, "You must have all heard of our Little Prodigy brand. Little Prodigy learning machines and Little Prodigy VCDs are our company's flagship products, which are popular all over the country. I wonder if any of you would be interested in working for Little Prodigy? We can discuss the salary and benefits."

Damn it, they're trying to poach me, they've come all the way to my doorstep.

Lu Yang's face turned green. (End of Chapter)