Age of Legends

Chapter 238 The People Who Returned from the Ruins

Zhang Chen was also surprised by what Zheng Xue said. He knew Zhang Zhonghua's past and future, and that Zhang Zhonghua, as an engineer on the 29-inch technology line of Nanguang Company, had once said that "if the line hadn't been withdrawn back then, Nanguang Company wouldn't have gone bankrupt so quickly..."

In this life, Zhang Chen also supported his entrepreneurship. On the one hand, there were the words he had said, and on the other hand, he had seen a 29-inch flat-screen TV in his later life, so he knew that there were companies that had successfully developed this technology. If it hadn't come out yet, it meant that there was a market and a certain future. Therefore, he always encouraged Zhang Zhonghua to go ahead and start his own business.

Of course, Zhang Zhonghua would never have done this in the past, but in this life, Zhang Chen's grades reached the first-tier university admission line, and his family made their first fortune through real estate speculation. So Zhang Zhonghua took the first phase of government loans and began his research, which he still regretted.

How could he not study it? All his youthful vigor and future ideals were pinned on this path. In his later years, he worked hard selling fruit with Huang Huifen from dawn till dusk. Where was his true ideal? It was nothing more than being forced to grovel by the pressures of life.

Now that he finally had a chance to pursue his dream, Zhang Zhonghua went ahead and went in.

Zhang Chen never expected that his neglect of his elderly father would lead to such a huge problem for Zhang Zhonghua.

He originally thought that Zhang Zhonghua could sell the technology for a profit to relevant companies that needed it, which would fulfill his wish. The technology was like his own child, and it was also his wish that it could be put into practice.

Unexpectedly, the turning point came so quickly. It turned out that Nanguang Company approached Zhang Zhonghua to restart the 29-inch flat-screen CRT technology line.

Shen Nuoyi didn't know much about Zhang Chen's family situation, and she hadn't deliberately looked into it before. But now, hearing Zheng Xue's words, she became somewhat interested. After Zhang Chen returned to his seat and evening self-study began, Shen Nuoyi asked Zheng Xue, "What exactly is going on with Zhang Chen's family?"

Zheng Xuecai took a closer look at her and said, "Wow, you really are different now!"

Previously, Shen Nuoyi would never inquire about other people's situations. In fact, although the scene of Shen Nuoyi and Zhang Chen holding hands and walking out of Yude caused quite a stir the night Pei Yan came, Zheng Xue still felt a bit unreal, because it is possible that Shen Nuoyi was put in a difficult position at that time, and many times she had no choice but to act in a hurry.

But it was only at this moment that Zheng Xue realized that Shen Nuoyi was different from before.

Although Shen Nuoyi felt slightly embarrassed by Zheng Xueyi's words, she did not shy away from them, because she genuinely wanted to learn more about Zhang Chen.

So Zheng Xue told Zhang Chen about his family situation as she knew it, including the information her mother, Secretary Wang, had received.

Of course, in a large organization, there are those who are jealous of Zhang Chen's family and those who can't stand them. But Secretary Wang, Zheng Xue's mother, has a good relationship with Huang Huifen because she knows Huang Huifen's personality and used to take care of her a lot. From Zheng Xue's perspective, she can get a complete picture.

Zheng Xue was speaking, and Shen Nuoyi listened quietly.

"So, his father took a leave of absence without pay, saying he was starting his own business. But the company thought he had taken the reserves from the previous technology line. Now it seems that a foreign company wants to form a joint venture with Nam Kwong Group to produce 29-inch color picture tubes. Now the company has thought of his father and seems to be planning to bring him back."

"I see..." Shen Nuoyi listened.

Looking at her obedient appearance, Zheng Xue said, "Look, you're just like me when you teach me how to solve problems."

Shen Nuoyi's face flushed slightly.

Zheng Xue said, "Oh well, we can't control it anyway, it's not our business."

Shen Nuo nodded slightly.

This was indeed beyond her control, but she was starting to notice Zhang Chen and his family's every move.

When the bell rang to end evening self-study, Shen Nuoyi's mother, Ning Wenjing, was waiting outside in her car and also picked up Zheng Xue and gave her a ride home.

Zhang Chen and Wang Shuowei were rushing home, so they said goodbye to each other.

Zhang Chen's farewell to Shen Nuoyi wasn't very obvious. When the bell rang and Zhang Chen packed his bag and got up, he said to Shen Nuoyi and Zheng Xue as he passed by, "I'm leaving now."

Shen Nuoyi hummed in agreement and said, "Be careful on the road."

Zheng Xue, standing nearby, scoffed and said, "Shen Nuoyi, the way you talk makes me feel like you're rewarding Zhang Chen every day!"

Shen Nuo was embarrassed and argued with her again: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm perfectly normal!" Zheng Xue had an expression that said, "You know whether you're normal or not."

After leaving the classroom with Wang Shuowei, Wang Shuowei said, "Why don't you and Shen Nuoyi have a fight sometime?"

Zhang Chen looked puzzled. "Hmm?"

"Otherwise, I'd be miserable every day." Wang Shuowei was honest, fully expressing his heartbreaking feelings of seeing his brother driving a Land Rover.

After leaving the school gate, Wang Shuowei asked again, "What's the situation with your dad now? It seems like Nanguang Company is making quite a stir..."

"I don't know, I'll go back and ask."

"Okay, let me know when you've found out. My dad might ask more questions."

Zhang Chen nodded. When he got home, his parents were already there. They were both in the living room, looking very serious. Before entering the house, Zhang Chen could hear Huang Huifen's voice, so the two of them had obviously been talking and discussing something.

When Zhang Chen came in, Huang Huifen's voice became quieter.

Zhang Chen looked at the two of them and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Zhonghua then said, "Let your son be the judge."

Zhang Chen looked at his mother, Huang Huifen, who seemed to have lost her confidence and said in a lower voice, "Actually, it's like this: your dad's company wants him to go back to the new company to set up a new production line. They'll give him the technical skills, the salary of a senior engineer, double what he earned before, plus all sorts of performance bonuses. The total salary is really high! And he's signing a five-year contract. Look, he's even taking out loans to start this company. I don't even know if it will work out. I think he should be more cautious..."

Zhang Chen was also quite annoyed, but seeing Huang Huifen, who was usually loud and domineering at home, looking so hesitant in front of him, Zhang Chen felt both amused and annoyed. He said, "Mom, do you think Dad's job was a secure one? The company just transferred you to a different position. To put it nicely, it was a job transfer; to put it bluntly, it was optimization, elimination. Do you expect me to go through that kind of life again?"

Huang Huifen said, "Isn't this a way for me to make money...?"

“You haven’t even earned your money yet. The bank loan and the investment from Yipin Real Estate were obtained by my godmother and me,” Zhang Chen said. “And don’t you understand my dad? He doesn’t want to go through that process again.”

Huang Huifen suddenly lost her confidence, glanced at Zhang Zhonghua, and said, "I'm just afraid he won't be able to finish it and will end up in debt..."

“My dad’s company now needs his skills, which means there’s a market for them, so he’ll definitely be able to make it work.”

Huang Huifen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, okay, I'll do as you say! Tell your dad what to do!"

There was nothing she could do; her son now held considerable sway in the family, and Huang Huifen dared not contradict him. Besides, to be honest, she was well aware that Nanguang Company was struggling due to its rigid system and personnel issues. A large company with unstable roots and a shaky crown meant their small family was on the verge of collapse. She certainly didn't want to go through that again; she wanted to control her own destiny. Having tasted success herself, Zhang Chen's words had made her reflect on her actions.

"Besides, even if we sign a five-year contract, it's hard to say whether Nanguang Company will still exist after five years!" Zhang Chen scoffed.

He knew that there were eight major CRT factories in China, and their output and market had been booming. But in reality, the root cause was that foreign companies had placed their outdated production capacity in China and relied on cheap, low-cost labor to occupy a huge consumer market.

Domestic manufacturers, having acquired these technologies, aggressively expanded their production capacity, reaching their peak around 2000, including Nan-Kuang Company. However, in the grand scheme of things, this glory was merely the afterglow of a setting sun. Foreign capital was essentially just placing outdated production capacity in developing China, extending its lifespan and reducing costs. In essence, they were squeezing the last profits from these obsolete technologies before withdrawing their investment.

So it seems that the eight major CRT manufacturers in China are making new breakthroughs and expanding their production capacity every year, with local governments providing funding, personnel, and land to help them grow bigger and stronger. The seeds of disaster have already been sown. Domestic manufacturers have relied heavily on foreign technology imports, resulting in a lack of mastery of core technologies and independent innovation capabilities. With technological iteration and LCD replacing CRT, the once-glorious eight major CRT manufacturers in China collapsed overnight.

All the grand buildings and banquets that had been built collapsed in an instant that night.

Zhang Chen had seen this kind of future before, right here, right in this home.

This house, which will become a cluster of old residential buildings slated for demolition, is the last remnant witnessing the decline of this industry.

When Zhang Chen awoke from this ruin, he saw the last rays of light of this declining industry.

Now, how should he play the card of his own father?
(End of this chapter)