Age of Legends

Chapter 326 Opportunity
Logically speaking, it's really inappropriate for the two of them to be sitting in the garden, on a bench, under the streetlights of ginkgo and hibiscus trees, talking about such things instead of whispering sweet nothings to each other. But what can they do?

Zhang Chen had vaguely known what Shen Nuo's family did before; her mother seemed to be a minor leader in the broadcasting industry, and her father seemed to be involved in the production of embedded panels for small home appliances. But when Shen Nuo mentioned that her father had invested in LCD module production equipment, Zhang Chen was immediately captivated by the word "LCD."

This isn't a new term; on the contrary, LCD is actually a trend. It's perfectly normal for Shen Nuoyi's father, who works in embedded panels, to have access to these technologies and to transition in this direction.

Zhang Chen understood that for his father's joint venture, CRT flat-screen TV technology was just the last hurrah. At most, it would be five years before CRT completely disappeared from the historical stage. With the significant decrease in the cost of LCD and the improvement in display quality, LCD would completely replace CRT.

So even though Zhang Zhonghua now possesses the key electron gun technology for 29-inch flat-screen TVs and has become the leading Chinese technical figure in the LG Philips Chenguang joint venture with immense power, his primary and most important task is to seize the last vestiges of his success and quickly transition to LCD technology.

It wasn't that Zhang Chen didn't believe in Zhang Zhonghua's ambition as a former open university student. Rather, it was because Zhang Zhonghua's life's work had brought him the highest achievement and glory he had ever attained, and Zhang Chen was afraid that he might cling to the past and be unwilling to move forward.

Moreover, the power struggle between the South Korean and Chinese sides began from the very inception of the joint venture. Currently, the technology Zhang Zhonghua possesses allows the South Korean side to enter the Southeast Asian market and gain more profits. However, when the market changes and profits shrink, the South Korean side will undoubtedly resort to underhanded tactics. For example, they might try to control core materials and components like phosphors and cathode ray tubes from the supply chain, thus stripping the Chinese side of its control.

Alternatively, during the cooperation process, they might secretly register Chinese upstream and downstream patents, effectively blocking China from the patent front, ultimately forcing China to compromise and suffer losses. After all, this is a tactic that South Korea loves to employ.

Ultimately, South Korea's technological accumulation and supply chain support are too strong. In the long run, Zhang Zhonghua cannot compete with South Korea in this field. The only way forward is to take advantage of the current joint venture and gain a foothold in LCD technology in order to compete for a leading position in the future.

Zhang Chen was not despairing. Coming from the future, he had this awareness: when China could only repair and sell scraps from established developed countries to make a little money, could you imagine that China would achieve the kind of breakthroughs in LCD technology that we see today?
The success of BOE is not the only example to learn from. In the future, this ancient yet young nation will strive to catch up in shipbuilding, the military field, and other industrial gems, and claim those crowns.

However, the current limitations mean that if you were to talk about this prospect with anyone, you would likely be criticized.

Of course, Zhang Chen felt that Shen Nuoyi's father was actually in a uniquely advantageous position, which could become an opportunity for his father to start transitioning to LCD technology. The two sides might actually be able to negotiate.

"Things have come full circle. If nothing unexpected happens, I think my dad can really be of help," Zhang Chen said.

“Your dad…” Shen Nuo blinked. She had heard rumors about Zhang Chen’s family, but like Zhang Chen’s previous speculations about her family, they were just rumors. They hadn’t talked to each other about it, so how could she know the whole story from just a few words from others?

"If it were him last year, when he was still a marginal engineer facing a job reassignment, of course there would be no way. But things are different now. My dad has now established a joint venture glass tube factory with Nam Kwong Company and LG Philips of South Korea. Although it's just a glass tube factory, it has connections with the OEM manufacturers it supplies. Maybe we can find some supporting facilities for your dad, so the equipment investment won't be a waste. Even if it's not that, we can let my dad see what he can do. Perhaps he can invest in your company and make some supporting construction and investment in the future."

Zhang Chen says whatever comes to mind.

Seeing how easily he handled it, Shen Nuo asked, "You seem to know a lot about these things. How do you know?"

“I read a lot of casual books. I haven’t read many serious books,” Zhang Chen laughed. “Plus, I’ve been influenced by what I’ve seen and heard all along, and now my parents are both business people.”

Shen Nuo nodded, which dispelled her doubts.

She then said softly, "Then... should I mention it to my dad?" Although Zhang Chen said his father had a way, and sounded very confident, Shen Nuoyi wondered if she could do something about it.

"No need. You should remain unaware of this matter. I'll have my dad talk to your dad and see if there are any opportunities for cooperation." Zhang Chen certainly didn't want to make things worse. If Shen Nuoyi talked to her father, it might make the situation uncontrollable. On the contrary, given Zhang Zhonghua's current status, he could actually have some influence with Shen Nuoyi's father.

"In short, this isn't charity. I genuinely believe that your dad can even help my dad. This is an opportunity for cooperation, simply because we two acted as matchmakers," Zhang Chen said.

"Mm." Shen Nuo nodded, unsure if she truly understood, but she still said earnestly, "Zhang Chen, thank you."

The two had been chatting for most of the day since they started eating, and now evening self-study was almost over. But they hadn't packed their backpacks yet, so Shen Nuoyi and Zhang Chen went back to school, entering through the back door of the classroom.

The discipline had become somewhat lax towards the end of the evening self-study session, but the arrival of the two individuals still drew everyone's attention.

After all, the news that Pei Yan was waiting for Shen Nuoyi at the door had already spread. But what spread more often was the story of Shen Nuoyi exchanging a few words with Pei Yan before chasing after Zhang Chen.

Needless to say, everyone understood that Pei Yan had suffered a complete defeat in this battle. However, as people listened to the rumors, a few thoughts couldn't help but cross their minds.

Shen Nuo ignored Pei Yan, the young master of Taixun Group, and chose Zhang Chen instead. So what will happen to her family in the future?
Wang Shuowei, who hadn't thought that much about it, was overjoyed to see his friend return. He had already heard various versions of the story circulating at school and was eager to find the person involved to verify it.

As Wang Shuowei watched the two enter through the back door, he was giving Zhang Chen a meaningful look when he noticed that a pair of eyes seemed to be fixed on him.

He looked at Shen Nuoyi with a puzzled expression. Hey, before he could even ask Shen Nuoyi for confirmation, she had been staring at him since she walked in.

What happened? What did the two of them talk about? Hey, how can you talk about your good friends like that in private? You should be more outspoken and praise them to their faces.

Shen Nuoyi's seat was in Group 1, while Wang Shuowei and Zhang Chen's seats were in Group 2 towards the back. So, Shen Nuoyi, who entered the classroom first, passed by Wang Shuowei's seat. Just as Wang Shuowei was about to ask a question, she suddenly said something that made Wang Shuowei suddenly freeze in surprise.

Zhang Chen sat back down, while Wang Shuowei was still completely bewildered. He asked, "Shen Nuoyi just told me that silence is sometimes a virtue. What does that mean?"

Zhang Chen silently mourned for his best friend, who was mistaken for the intelligence chief, saying, "Literally, shut up."

"Oh my god..."

(End of this chapter)