King of Technology: A Fresh Start in 1983

As 1992 was drawing to a close, the three of them managed to get together for dinner once again.

Seeing that the dishes on the table had been completely wiped clean, He Fan said smugly, "What are you planning to do tomorrow night?"

"Although you've always enjoyed my cooking, I can't possibly be expected to serve you on New Year's Eve, can I?"

Zhan Yiling suggested, "How about we go to the revolving restaurant at the International Hotel? I just don't know if we can still make a reservation."

He Fan pondered for a moment and then shook his head: "Not tall enough."

Zhan Yiling looked puzzled: "That restaurant not only has a view of Chang'an Avenue at night, but also offers all kinds of seafood. How high-end do you want?"

He Fan continued, "It's not that the class isn't high enough, it's that the level isn't high enough."

"Where do you want to go?"

"If you're going to go, go to the Jingguang Center, on the 52nd floor. You can see the entire night view of Beijing."

He Fan was full of confidence. "I'll treat everyone tomorrow. I'm the richest person I've ever been, so we have to go to the highest restaurant in the capital."

Zhang Wei, who had been sitting silently to the side, said, "You two can eat tomorrow, I won't get involved."

He Fan glanced at him sideways: "Zhang Wei, what do you mean? Don't want to be a third wheel anymore?"

"You've been a third wheel for so many years, have we ever complained about you?"

Even if we dislike you in our hearts, we have never abandoned you.

Zhan Yiling immediately chimed in, "That's right, Zhang Wei. The three of us should definitely be together and have fun on New Year's Eve. You're all alone, how lonely and pitiful!"

"That's right! Although General Manager Zhang has been promoted and received bonuses recently..."

He Fan continued sarcastically, "But did I, He Fan, force you to pay? You don't need to make excuses to avoid us, do you?"

Zhang Wei ignored He Fan and continued Zhan Yiling's words: "I'm not alone, I'm not lonely."

He then added, "Our Tiangong team is having a dinner gathering tomorrow night."

Zhan Yiling couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Really? Who holds an annual meeting on New Year's Eve? Employees should all go home to reunite with their families, right?"

"Chen Jianghe can't possibly be so ignorant of even this most basic principle, can he?"

"Hey, I heard from Zhao Lin that Chen Jianghe and Su Wanqing seem to have hit it off recently... How come you've never mentioned this to me, Zhang Wei?"

"Is it even necessary to say?"

He Fan said disdainfully, "Two blockheads, all they do is talk about technology, what sparks can they possibly create?"

Zhang Wei didn't want to discuss this topic: "Uh, tomorrow is for some of my key staff members. They've worked hard all year, so I'll treat them."

"Oh, I'm sorry, it was my oversight. I forgot that Mr. Zhang now has a large group of subordinates around him, and you really should try to win them over."

Zhan Yiling then said with a mischievous grin, "How about you arrange for it to be at the Jingguang Center as well?"

Zhang Wei blushed and said, "The Jingguang Center is too expensive. Besides, my assistant has already booked it."

He Fan's face immediately lit up with disdain: "You're really getting worked up just because I said you're fat. You're obviously just showing off that you have an assistant."

Zhan Yiling gave He Fan a push and chimed in, "Look at what you're saying! How is this showing off?"

"It's normal for a CEO's assistant to have their own assistant; it's purely for work purposes, right, Zhang Wei?"

Zhang Wei was so cornered by the two of them that he had no way to defend himself or even retaliate.

He could only awkwardly gulp down a large glass of plain water, one mouthful after another.

...

At his last dinner in 1993, Zhang Wei wasn't with any of his key subordinates...

Sitting opposite him was a beautiful, vibrant young girl named Lin Yidan.

The two of them discussed for several days where to hold this meaningful dinner.

Lin Yidan had only one requirement: warmth.

She hopes that when she looks back on it in the future, she will feel a warm glow.

At this moment, the two of them are sitting in a popular charcoal hot pot restaurant on Dongsi North Street.

A huge copper charcoal hot pot was placed between the two people.

Every time Lin Yidan wanted to talk to Zhang Wei, she had to tilt her head to one side.

Only by avoiding the tall, upright chimney can you clearly see Zhang Wei's entire face.

Lin Yidan glanced around and saw rows of tables steaming with heat, and then she saw rows of red faces.

He couldn't help but complain somewhat listlessly, "This place is so noisy and chaotic, it has no charm at all..."

While mixing the seasonings, Zhang Wei explained, "You kept emphasizing that it should be warm and cozy, but what I want is to be comfortable and relaxed."

"Look, this place perfectly caters to both of our preferences, isn't it wonderful?"

Lin Yidan sighed helplessly: "It seems that from now on, I must make sure that every instruction is given very clearly and explicitly."

"Absolutely no adjectives can be used, and you absolutely cannot expect to understand. Hey!"

She tilted her head and continued, "Could you tilt your head to the left?"

"If we both tilt our heads to the right, neither of us can see the other!"

"Understood, men on the left, women on the right," Zhang Wei replied readily.

Lin Yidan couldn't help but chuckle: "Haha, now that you mention it, I'm reminded of the toilets on airplanes, which are also on the left for men and the right for women."

Zhang Wei glared fiercely at Lin Yidan through the smoke from the hot pot.

Just as the two were about to start cooking the meat, Zhang Wei's pager went off.

He glanced down at it, then stood up to return the call.

Lin Yidan said, "Who would be in a hurry at this time? It's probably some girl who wished you a Happy New Year, right?"

Zhang Wei shook his head and said, "It's Wei Chen, the vice president of my department. He probably has something urgent to discuss..."

Zhang Wei quickly went to the cashier and borrowed the phone to make a call.

Wei Chen said anxiously on the other end of the phone, "Boss, there's an emergency!"

"Today I received calls from three distributors, all saying that General Manager Zhao asked if they would be willing to resell a batch of AST386 at an incredibly low price!"

"They couldn't make up their minds and wanted to get my opinion."

Zhang Wei quickly asked, "Which three distributors specifically?"

After Wei Chen immediately told Zhang Wei the details of the three distributors, he added, "These three have been working very hard, and they've sold out of all their stock."

"I was worried about not having anything to sell, so I'm quite interested in Mr. Zhao's goods."

I suddenly remembered the inventory data I provided to Zhao Xiaobo's distributors a few days ago...

Zhang Wei said worriedly, "President Zhao must have contacted more than just these three companies."

"He has six or seven hundred AST386 units. He needs to set up at least ten dealerships to sell them quickly and recoup his investment."

"It's possible he asked these three companies first. Of course, it's also possible that he told me because these three companies are closer to me."

Wei Chen continued, "The other companies might have already made up their minds to close this deal behind our backs."

After finishing his analysis, Wei Chen asked, "Do you think we should ask President Zhao?"

"If he really ships this batch of goods, it will completely disrupt our original sales plan and schedule."

"Those agents who didn't receive the goods will definitely complain that we're not treating everyone equally."

"And those distributors who received the goods will definitely affect the sales of later new models..."