Chapter 215 - 151: When Acquaintances Meet, It’s Exceptionally Awkward

"Besides, if I’m not mistaken, I’m not the only one in the country with this idea."

Zhang Liang fell silent, lost in thought.

Zhang Niu quickly chimed in, "That’s right, that’s right."

"If we don’t do it now, foreigners will. We might as well be the first, develop quickly, and establish ourselves as the authority."

"If it really comes to it... can’t the government just assign a few people to keep an eye on things?"

Zhang Liang considered this carefully.

’It’s true, a lot of people in the country want to get into this, but they’re all still in the preparatory stages.’

’An alliance like Zhang Niu’s, however, is the first of its kind.’

’This trend is unstoppable. If not Xu Huo, there will be others. If the Eastern Country doesn’t do it, other countries will.’

’But...’

"Anything else is fine—R&D funds for the phone, or supportive policies, all of that is possible."

"But for this, I don’t have the authority."

Zhang Liang paused before speaking.

"I’ll have to submit an application to my superiors. They’ll make the final decision."

Hearing this, everyone in the private room raised their eyebrows, a flash of delight on their faces.

"Deal! Your word is good enough for us. We won’t make things difficult for you, just follow the normal procedure!"

Zhang Niu said cheerfully.

His own interests lay with the phone itself. The others were focused on monetizing the software’s user traffic. Although that also required virtual currency, it was something they ultimately didn’t dare to touch.

Only Chao Zi’s food delivery service needed it, but he was already tied to Xu Huo.

Xu Huo’s contract wasn’t something that could be bought out for a pittance...

On an individual level, not even mentioning power or influence, he probably made more money in this field than Zhang Niu himself!

"In that case, that’s about all for today’s gathering."

A smile spread across Zhang Niu’s face as he stood up.

"This must be kept confidential. Not a single piece of information can be leaked!"

The few people around him nodded. They were all trustworthy, and the foundation of that trust was their ability to keep a secret.

And since they had discussed everything that needed to be discussed,

they had no desire to linger. One by one, they hurried out, anxious to get going.

Time waits for no one.

The technology needed for smartphones was basically mature. A rival company could pop up any day and announce their product first, so it was best to hurry.

"I’m heading back to the company to get things set up."

"Old Niu, I won’t say more. Thanks!"

"Mr. Xu, this is my business card. If you need anything in the Capital City in the future, please don’t hesitate to call me."

"Mr. Xu, I have a daughter who this year is..."

"Isn’t your daughter still in school?"

"Mr. Xu isn’t that old either. Waiting a couple of years..."

A few people poured a glass of wine, gave a slight nod to Xu Huo, then downed it in one gulp and left.

’The only middle-aged woman, however... had her eyes on Xu Huo himself?’

’But it was probably just a joke...’ Wang Chao thought. ’Mainly because Xu Huo politely declined.’

’If he had actually nodded, she might have really brought her daughter over!’

’Rich, capable, handsome, young, and with a gentle personality—he’s practically the perfect son-in-law!’

"All this good food is going to waste..."

Wang Chao muttered.

He wanted to get it to go, but it was pointless. The hotel room didn’t have enough space for all these dishes, and even if it did, there was no way to reheat them.

Of course, more important than the food was...

Wang Chao casually shifted his feet, nudging Xu Huo toward the exit.

"Hold on."

Zhang Liang’s voice rang out, and Wang Chao’s heart dropped with a THUMP.

"Group Leader Zhang, you can’t just arrest people without a reason! We have to rely on evidence, not superstition!"

Wang Chao blurted out, causing Zhang Liang’s face to darken with exasperation.

"I haven’t even said anything yet."

"Oh, then you go first," Wang Chao said.

"When did you two arrive in the Capital City?"

"A while ago. We got here on the eighth, so it’s been almost ten days."

Wang Chao replied in a low voice, then quickly added in his own defense, "Everything that happened before was just a coincidence."

"I wasn’t asking about ’before’!"

The dark lines on Zhang Liang’s face grew even more pronounced.

’This little bastard...’

’He knows exactly what I’m talking about, doesn’t he!?’

"Well, nothing has happened this time. Brother Huo and I have been cooped up in the hotel, we haven’t even stepped out the door. It’s been perfectly safe."

Wang Chao said, then after a moment’s thought, added:

"The Capital City is perfectly safe, too."

"You don’t have to tell me that!" Zhang Liang snapped.

An awkward smile appeared on Wang Chao’s face.

After a long moment, the other man finally spoke.

"Are you two... planning to settle down in the Capital City?"

Xu Huo shook his head. "No."

"We’ve rented a plot of land in the Capital City. We’re using the snowy period to do some renovations."

"Xiao Xi has also finished training the pastry chefs. If all goes well, we’ll be leaving soon."

"How soon is ’soon’?" Zhang Liang asked.

Xu Huo calculated for a moment and said:

"Anytime."

Hearing this, Zhang Liang finally relaxed completely. He looked at Wang Chao with a smile.

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I actually have a pretty good impression of you."

"You’re a spirited young man, very ambitious. I hope you succeed in your business venture soon."

Wang Chao was stunned and deeply moved. "In that case, how about I stay in the Capital City? I can be in charge of the branch office."

’In charge of the branch office?’

Xu Huo paused, about to nod subconsciously.

Their original plan was to hire a professional manager to run it, but if Wang Chao wanted to stay...

He was far more dedicated than any professional manager!

Having him stay here would indeed be a huge help.

But before Xu Huo could respond, another voice cut in.

Zhang Liang spoke up:

"If you’re going to put it that way..."

"Then again, the Capital City isn’t short on one or two entrepreneurs, nor is it lacking a major corporation."

"On the contrary, places like Linlan City and Jiangsan City are the ones that need them more!"

As he spoke, he placed both hands on Wang Chao’s shoulders, revealing a dangerously friendly smile.

"You’re a good kid."

"You’d be even better if you stayed far away from the Capital City."

"Group Leader Zhang, everything before was really just an accident..." Wang Chao’s heart was breaking.

But Zhang Liang clearly had no intention of listening to his nonsense.

"Alright, I’ll take the file with me for now."

"I can’t guarantee whether it’ll be approved by the higher-ups. As for you two... hmm, there’s not much to do in the Capital City, not many tourist spots. You should probably head home as soon as possible."

Zhang Liang stood up, not even staying to eat, and headed for the door as he spoke.

"It’s warmer in the south."

"You should go south."

Wang Chao: ...

At this, Wang Chao sighed. His heart had gone numb.

He looked up, out the window, at the light, falling snow.

He felt like he should be standing under a streetlight, illuminated by its glow, tilting his head back to scream "No...!"

"Don’t catch a cold. Let’s go back."

The door opened, and a gust of cool wind swirled around him, chilling his flushed face and making him shiver.

Xu Huo patted him on the butt, shrugging on his coat as he headed out.

"Oh."

Wang Chao hurried to follow.

...

...

Zhang Liang was troubled.

He felt that the source of his worries was a bit childish and unbefitting of his position.

But regardless, he was still troubled.

’Two people have slipped into the Capital City under my nose...’

Back in his office, he stared at the file in his hand with a furrowed brow, a bad feeling creeping over him.

"What’s wrong, Chief?"

His subordinate standing beside him asked, a look of suspicion on his face.

’As far as I can remember, the Chief hasn’t taken on any difficult assignments recently,’ he thought. ’So why the long face?’

"No, it’s about Wang Chao."

Zhang Liang shook his head.

"Wang Chao? Who’s that?" the subordinate asked, looking confused.

Zhang Liang paused. His subordinate had met Wang Chao before, but from the looks of it... he had most likely forgotten.

"Wait, Chief, don’t tell me he’s on the same level as Advisor Xu?"

A sudden realization seemed to dawn on the subordinate, and his eyebrows shot up.

Xu Huo’s name was currently very well-known within the Special Fifth Bureau.

The vast majority of members had never met Xu Huo, but they loved to talk about his exploits.

There was no helping it.

Tied up on a smuggling ship, outnumbered, facing five people with firearms and still managing to turn the tables and kill them, crushing a man’s skull with a single punch...

These deeds had left those who witnessed them speechless, and those who heard the stories afterward were left questioning their reality.

Zhang Liang said diplomatically, "In a sense, yes."

The subordinate’s eyes lit up, but before he could say anything, Zhang Liang added:

"Go check what’s for dinner in the cafeteria."

The subordinate paused for a moment, then headed out.

CLICK.

The door closed, leaving Zhang Liang alone in the office.

Zhang Liang picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Chief, I have something to report."

"There’s a technology proposal here that’s requesting official support, but it involves some sensitive matters that require your decision."

Zhang Liang explained the contents of the proposal.

This was the kind of thing that was better to get started on sooner rather than later.

It couldn’t be helped. Anything with nationwide coverage took at least a decade to implement from the ground up.

Take compulsory education, for example, which benefited countless people. It was approved in ’86, and even with mandatory attendance...

...there were still many who hadn’t attended school by the year 2000.

If something that beneficial took so long, it would be even harder for something like "digital currency," which seemed far riskier.

It would take ten-plus years of implementation to see any real effect.

But if it were rolled out at the same time as the new phone, with government backing, it could save a lot of trouble and time.

"Of course, there’s a second matter."

Zhang Liang hesitated before voicing his other concern.

"Yes, two people have infiltrated the Capital City..."

"Two people infiltrated?"

The person on the other end of the line paused, then a resonant, powerful voice replied.

"Who?"