Chapter 125 - The Summons
News of Zheng Zhenchuan slamming the table quickly reached Yuanchip.
While Su Yuanshan admired Zheng's courage, he couldn't help but feel a deeper sense of concern.
There was no doubt that Zheng Zhenchuan was a clever man.
He knew that playing the "bad guy" could not be left to Yuanchip — it had to be him.
Moreover, as the leader, Zheng Zhenchuan absolutely could not resign — unless he could take everyone with him and collectively jump ship to Yuanchip.
But if that happened, it would be tantamount to Yuanchip declaring full-scale hostility against the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
And that was not the outcome Yuanchip wanted.
In a certain sense, the Academy represented the will of the state.
Yet Su Yuanshan also had no choice but to adopt a firm posture.
At the root of it, both sides were engaged in a tug-of-war —
a tug-of-war, ironically, aimed at achieving cooperation.
Since Yuanchip had set clear bottom lines, and Zheng Zhenchuan had dramatically "defected" to wave the flag, it was now up to the higher-ups to decide how to respond.
Three days later, a phone call reached Su Xinghe's office.
Upon receiving the call, Professor Su didn't say a word —
he immediately rushed to Yuanchip.
...
Seeing his father arrive unexpectedly with a serious expression, Su Yuanshan was slightly alarmed.
Still, he kept a calm face, invited his father to sit down, and personally brewed a cup of tea for him.
"Xiaohui, can you excuse us for a moment?"
Su Xinghe said.
Zhou Xiaohui, who had been sorting through documents, smiled and quickly replied,
"Of course, President Su."
Realizing that this father-son conversation must involve important matters, she swiftly left the room, closing the door behind her and standing a good distance away to prevent anyone from disturbing them.
"Dad, you're making me nervous," Su Yuanshan joked.
"What's going on?
Is the tax office coming after us?"
He tried to lighten the mood, but inwardly he was a little anxious too.
Su Xinghe looked at his son, his expression grave.
"The Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation —
these four departments have summoned me to Beijing for a meeting."
"What?"
Su Yuanshan almost bit his tongue.
"A summons?"
"Yes..."
Su Xinghe nodded.
"On the way here, I called an old classmate at the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics.
He wasn't very clear about it either, but he guessed it might be related to our collaboration with the Optical Instrument Institute...
and also to the EDA spin-off we're planning."
Su Yuanshan slowly regained his composure.
It was clear that even though his father was purely academic, that didn't mean he lacked political awareness.
Being summoned by four ministries at once — he naturally assumed the worst.
However, from Su Yuanshan's point of view, as long as it wasn't the State Administration for Industry and Commerce or the Tax Bureau knocking at the door,
there was nothing to panic about.
So he smiled and said,
"Dad, don't worry.
It should be fine."
"It's not that I'm worried," Su Xinghe said seriously,
"I just lack experience.
These four ministries are theoretically our supervisory bodies.
Them all calling us in together...
It feels like the Academy is looking for backup to teach us a lesson."
"Haha, Dad, your instincts are right,
but your description is a little off," Su Yuanshan chuckled.
"It's not about backup — it's about calling in the parents."
He wasn't wrong.
He didn't deal much with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, but he had plenty of contact with the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics and the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
EDA exports had to go through Foreign Trade, and the Machinery Ministry was the supervisory body of the University of Electronic Science and Technology — practically a "mother" organization.
Given that half of Yuanchip's staff were from UESTC,
the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics was essentially the "grandmother."
Realizing this, Su Yuanshan quickly calmed down and analyzed the situation:
"Dad, we've always had a good relationship with the ministries.
We've helped them save face many times.
And the Foreign Trade Ministry — come on,
we've brought in so much foreign exchange.
I think the Academy made a mistake calling for help this time."
"Maybe," Su Xinghe said seriously,
"But never be too optimistic.
Always assume the worst.
Even if our relations are good — we belong to different classes."
"Come on, Dad,
if we start talking about class struggle, there's no point discussing anything," Su Yuanshan laughed.
"When is the meeting?"
"The day after tomorrow.
We need to leave for Beijing tomorrow."
Su Yuanshan didn't hesitate.
"Alright.
I'll prepare today.
Tomorrow, I'll go with you."
Su Xinghe quietly exhaled in relief.
"I'll take a walk outside.
You get back to work."
Su Yuanshan smiled and nodded.
He knew his father was nervous.
But even if his father wasn't nervous, Su Yuanshan would still have to accompany him.
Father and son going into battle together —
with Su Yuanshan's reputation in Silicon Valley, his fame at home, and the nickname "Wonder Kid" spreading domestically —
even if things got tense, the ministries would have to tread carefully.
Returning to his seat, Su Yuanshan saw Zhou Xiaohui re-enter the office.
He instructed her,
"Sister Xiaohui, notify the project leaders.
Have them prepare reports on their current progress.
I want them on my desk before the end of the day."
...
The next day, Su Yuanshan and his father boarded a flight to the capital, carrying all the necessary documents.
Upon landing, Pan Xiaojun personally picked them up in an Audi and drove them to the hotel.
Since June, Pan Xiaojun had been running Yuanchip's Beijing branch.
At the same time, he had enrolled in the correspondence program at the Beijing Institute of Electronic Engineering.
He wasn't just pursuing the degree for the sake of it —
he genuinely wanted to learn.
In his own words:
"I want to make up for lost time through real skills.
After getting my degree, I'll go for a master's.
I won't embarrass Yuanchip."
Su Yuanshan greatly admired this stubborn determination.
"President Su, my phone is always on.
If you need anything, just let me know,"
Pan Xiaojun said after settling them into their hotel.
The meeting location was set at the Beijing branch's conference room.
Though it was just a branch office,
it was in the capital —
and thus represented the highest standards among all Yuanchip's branches.
The office was spacious, brightly lit, and luxuriously decorated —
absolutely worthy of Yuanchip's image.
"Don't worry.
It's just a simple conversation," Su Yuanshan reassured Pan Xiaojun when he saw the young man looking tense.
Pan Xiaojun smiled,
"I'm not nervous.
It's just...
thinking about the EDA department spinning off — it feels weird."
"Haha,
today we're family; tomorrow, we'll still be relatives," Su Yuanshan said meaningfully.
"There will be plenty of chances to work together again.
Yuanchip's business isn't just about EDA."
Pan Xiaojun nodded heavily and thoughtfully closed the door behind them.
To outsiders, this father-son trip to Beijing looked like walking into a dragon's den.
But in Pan Xiaojun's eyes —
this was another opportunity for Yuanchip.
Young President Su was not someone who missed opportunities.
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