Age of Legends

Chapter 352 Shen Nuo's Ingenious Plan to Secure the World (Part 1)
But Zhang Chen would often stop there, only feeling the girl's two attempts to please him, her slight trembling in his arms, and the sensitivity of his grip on her waist.

There's no need to take the forbidden fruit at this time. The girl beside me is still just beginning to shed her naivety and has psychological fears and barriers about sex.

Mutual affection requires a slow and steady approach to cultivate the sweetness and tenderness that can be savored over time.

After that, the two of them enrolled in driving school during the holidays. Basically, most people get their driver's licenses around the time they graduate from high school.

Around the same time, Shen Nuo's family also had a family dinner.

The changes that happened to Shen Nuo's family in April and May became a source of sighs for everyone in the family. Everyone knew about the crisis in Shen Mingbo's company. However, after that, some things were overshadowed. On the one hand, under the tide of the times, various business opportunities often appeared for the people in the family who were in business. Everyone was busy doing these things and did not pay too much attention to Shen Mingbo's side.

It's not good to be overly concerned. If you ask if they're in trouble, will you help? If Shen Mingbo asks you for money, it's most likely because the factory is in dire straits. But if things remain quiet during this period, they should be able to keep going most of the time. That's the general consensus.

On the contrary, the news that Shen Nuoyi had been admitted to Tsinghua University caused a stir in the family group, which surprised and delighted everyone.

Unable to wait for Shen Mingbo to hold a celebration banquet for his college admission, Qin Tangxi's father, Qin Liping, specially organized this dinner to celebrate Shen Nuoyi's success.

On the other hand, since Qin Liping and Han Zhouxuan's families were also acquainted, Han Zhouxuan's mother, Qin Chao, also wanted to mediate after hearing that Han Zhouxuan and Shen Nuoyi's relationship had become estranged.

So Han Zhouxuan's family was also at this dinner party.

Han Zhouxuan, who was traveling abroad, was reluctantly dragged back by her family to attend her best friend's celebration banquet for being admitted to Tsinghua University.

Shen Nuoyi's relatives from the Qin family arrived first for lunch. After noon, everyone went to the restaurant where Qin Liping was hosting them to play mahjong. During the Qin family gathering, they talked about things they had heard recently.

Qin Yu, the second uncle of the Qin family, said at the mahjong table: "Brother Shen, I heard that Taixun has stopped blocking them and has added their factory back to the list of partners."

Qin Liping then said, "What I really mean is that Liu Yan is a person of strong emotions. If she's dissatisfied with someone, refuses to cooperate, or fires someone internally, but after she's calmed down, if she feels she's made a mistake, she'll admit it and try her best to make amends. Actually, when I heard that Taixun blocked Boss Shen's company, although I found it a bit unbelievable, I thought it might just be a momentary impulse on Liu Yan's part, and she would have to change her ways later..."

“In business, you can’t stay angry forever. Otherwise, how could Taixun have grown to such a large scale?”

Everyone nodded in agreement with what Qin Liping said.

At that time, Liu Yan was only feeling sorry for her son and, in a fit of anger, imposed some sanctions on Shen Nuo's family's company. However, her son still liked Shen Nuoyi, and now Shen Nuoyi had been admitted to Tsinghua University.

Furthermore, Pei Yan's relationship with Liu Yan seems to be strained due to this matter, and Liu Yan probably still wants to ease the tension, so she added Shen Nuo's company back to the cooperation list, which should be a great convenience for them.

In this way, the factory issues that Shen Mingbo had previously caused them so much worry and headaches should be resolved.

Putting that matter aside, the Qin family started talking about business matters.

Speaking of which, the Qin family also saw a business opportunity. They used to make furniture and home appliances, but with the rise of the real estate industry in Rongcheng, the demand for integrated furniture and appliance sets also increased.

During this period, the Qin family collaborated with local real estate companies to provide whole-house customization and appliance and furniture matching services, which enabled them to make great strides forward.

For example, Qin Liping's "Qinfeng Electrical Appliance Supporting Factory" has now been upgraded from a "factory" to a "group" due to its bulk supply to developers.

On the Qin family side of the related industrial chain, everyone has made money and feels very confident. Nowadays, even when playing cards, they play "blood battle to the end" with a minimum bet of 100 yuan, and they don't even blink when they win or lose tens of thousands of yuan in a single game.

Now, Qin Liping sighed, "Old Shen missed this opportunity. If it weren't for the deal with Taixun, he could have signed a contract at the housing fair in May or June and provided supporting services for the real estate and home furnishing industries. If he had gone down that path, he could have taken another step forward and wouldn't have had to rely on foreign trade."

Everyone sighed that Shen Mingbo had missed his opportunity, and Qin Liping's way of addressing Shen Mingbo had also subtly changed. He used to call him "Brother Shen" or "Brother Shen," but now he called him "Old Shen." At first glance, it sounded more intimate, but the word "brother" had been omitted without his notice.

The Shen family arrived before lunchtime. By the time the Shen Mingbo family arrived, everyone had finished their card game and dispersed. They were very enthusiastic in welcoming the Shen family and all looked at Shen Nuo with great interest.

After all, he is currently the only person in the family who can attend one of the top universities in China.

So, in front of all the younger family members, Shen Nuoyi once again became the point of reference for their elders' constant nagging. Qin Tangxi, on the other hand, had been subjected to this combination of attacks many times before and was already immune to it. She simply stared at Shen Nuoyi, her eyes fixed on him, hesitant to speak.

Qin Liping walked over to meet Shen Nuoyi's family, chuckling as he put his arm around Shen Mingbo's shoulder: "Old Shen, your Nuoyi has really done well this time. I'm still worried about which foreign school to send Tangxi to after she graduates from high school. I wish she had Yiyi's grades!"

Shen Mingbo paused for a moment, then smiled and remained silent.

Shen Nuoyi sat among the crowd, and the Qin family members all looked at her. Feng Feng, the wife of Qin's second uncle, said, "Hey, Yiyi, we were all very worried about what happened at your family's factory a while ago. Fortunately, you did well in your exams and brought honor to the whole family! Now your father has something to look forward to, and things will only get better!"

It's no wonder Feng Feng spoke with such a relieved tone. In fact, most of the family members present felt the same way. Just a few months ago, they received information that Shen Nuo's company might go bankrupt, and it was highly likely that this usually high-and-mighty family princess would fall.

There are genuine concerns among them.

Some people expressed their concerns verbally, but privately they discussed: "What if Shen Nuoyi's condition affects her mental state and she does terribly on the exam?" "Sigh, such a good girl, it might be ruined!" "I've seen too many... all of them had family troubles at crucial moments. They were fine before, good grades, good looks, but then they went out to work to pay off their family's debts, and some even went astray... It's a tragedy..."

This kind of discussion.

However, in reality, Shen Nuo's family still weathered the crisis peacefully, and Shen Nuoyi obtained a ticket to a top university with extremely high scores and grades that were not affected.

The situation has changed again.

Surrounded by admirers is natural; the envy and awe for that kind of halo are inherent in human nature. Many of them, however, have completely forgotten how they avoided Liu Yan like the plague when they learned of the accident at Shen Mingbo's factory.

But all that is in the past now. Taixun Group has lifted the restrictions, and Shen Nuoyi has been admitted to Tsinghua University. Everyone is happy.

And so the family was once again united in joy and harmony.

Among the men, Second Uncle Qin Yu glanced at Shen Mingbo and said somewhat easily, "Brother Shen, the recent troubles at the factory should be over now... Has President Liu Yan contacted you again to talk to you?"

Qin Yu's words immediately drew everyone's attention. After all, all they had seen was that Tai Xun had re-announced the list of partners, and the Shen family's company had been added back, but they didn't know the specifics of the situation.

This could mean that Shen Mingbo and Liu Yan have reconciled, and this signal is even stronger. It could mean that there's been another turning point between Shen Nuoyi and Pei Yan, which is a big deal.

Shen Mingbo looked over and smiled slightly: "No, we've stopped using Thai News' quota. As for why they put us back on the list, I don't know. Nobody has communicated with me about it."

Everyone was taken aback. What did that mean?

Shen Mingbo needs quotas to obtain upstream panels, assemble modules, and sell them. These quotas are obtained under the name of Taixun. Without quotas, he can't get materials from Japanese and Korean manufacturers and can't produce finished products. What does it mean that Taixun's quotas are no longer being used?
Qin Liping, thinking Shen Mingbo was still angry, said, "Oh, business is business, making money is the most important thing. Don't get upset about this. I think Taixun has already lowered its stance and is just waiting for you to communicate with them. How about this, I'll arrange for you to have a meal with President Liu Yan. That way, the misunderstanding will be cleared up. It just so happens that Nuoyi got into Tsinghua University, and President Liu's son also got into Tsinghua University. Both of your children have bright futures, and you'll have more contact in the future..."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Tai Xun's son, Pei Yan, also got into Tsinghua University, which was almost expected. Unlike most rich kids whose fathers are heroes and whose sons are scoundrels, Pei Yan's excellence is recognized throughout Rongcheng, and it also raises some questions... Why did Pei Yan also choose Tsinghua University?

At that moment, Shen Mingbo reached out and waved his hand, saying, "No need!"

Everyone was stunned again.

Qin Yu smiled and said, "In my opinion, Brother Shen is a man of strong emotions and is still angry. Don't be angry about this. Since Tai Xun has humbled himself, let's give him a way out."

Qin Liping wasn't displeased that Shen Mingbo interrupted him, and said, "Actually, what you two lacked was someone to act as a matchmaker, so let me do it..."

He and Liu Yan of Taixun were merely acquaintances; their relationship wasn't particularly close. However, if he could facilitate a connection between them, his standing with Liu Yan would likely rise. Taixun Group was arguably the leading company in Rongcheng's electronics industry, and the benefits of further developing a relationship with a queen-like figure like Liu Yan would be immeasurable.

Shen Mingbo got straight to the point: "To be honest, the previous incident with Taixun made me realize that my approach was wrong, and now I have decided to change my approach."

Although everyone seems to be advising Shen Mingbo, their calm and composed demeanor makes them carefully consider and pay close attention to every word he utters.

"A different approach?" Qin Liping narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

“I now realize that doing OEM for Taixun wasn’t the right approach. So I plan to upgrade the company’s image and move towards developing our own brand of products,” Shen Mingbo said.

"Oh, you're not doing OEM export anymore?" Qin Yu was slightly taken aback. "Then what about your previous investments, those production lines you invested in with loans?"

"I have my own production line, why would I do OEM for others?" Shen Mingbo looked at Qin Yu and asked rhetorically.

Qin Liping said in a deep voice, "Building an independent brand is a long process. Take us for example, we've been in the furniture business for over a decade, and we've only just managed to gain some recognition in Southwest China. You're talking about starting out, but without a large company like Taixun, how are you going to get panels from Japanese and Korean manufacturers? Right now, the best panels are all in Japan and Korea; there's none in China. And where will you get the orders?"

Shen Mingbo laughed and said, "Making small-sized LCD panels is currently a blank area. We'll set up our own driver IC team, develop our own drivers, match them with the panels, and manufacture them. We won't have to worry about orders. The main thing is that I really don't want to do OEM for others anymore. There are too many restrictions. It's more reassuring to create our own brand."

"That's not easy," Qin Liping said with a smile.

"We've already secured a backlight factory, and the first batch of color screens will be trial-installed next month, then supplied to Sharp's factory. My equipment will all be able to use them," Shen Mingbo said with a smile.

Everyone was completely astonished.

When did Shen Mingbo transform so smoothly? He already has a backlight factory and knows the entire process of building his own brand. Did Shen Mingbo suddenly strike it rich? Or is he being guided by a mastermind behind the scenes?
The Ning family members usually didn't participate much in their business discussions. However, Ning Junshan, the uncle who was willing to lend money to Shen Mingbo at a crucial moment, paused for a moment and asked, "Mingbo, you were previously unable to repay your loans. So where did your backlight factory come from?"

Shen Mingbo could play tricks on the Qin brothers, but he was much more humble towards the Ning family, especially his uncle who was very supportive of him. Facing Ning Junshan, he smiled and said, "I was worried about the loan for my equipment before, but after I decided to make my own brand of color screens, the city gave us some support."

The city is providing support!?

Those in the Qin family's business circle roughly understood.

Previously, it was thought that after Thai News released the list of partners, Shim Myung-bak would reconcile with Thai News. Who knew that neither of them would respond to the other? Instead, Thai News released the list but showed no sincerity in trying to talk to Shim Myung-bak again.

Shen Mingbo, however, was fearless, clearly having somehow managed to pull in reinforcements.

Therefore, the brothers Qin Liping and Qin Yu knew that their plan to act as a go-between and cultivate a better relationship with Liu Yan had been thwarted.

Shen Mingbo has now openly laid an ambush, and he won't tell anyone who his reinforcements are.

But who exactly is snatching food from the tiger's mouth behind this? Don't they know that Taixun Group is not to be trifled with?
Throughout the entire process, Ning Wenjing remained completely oblivious to her husband's business prospects, seemingly having complete faith in him from beginning to end.

(End of this chapter)