On April 30th, the second day of the May Day holiday, in Yicheng.
Around 7:30 AM, Tan Lixin excitedly got out of his car and arrived at the electric vehicle shop he had previously invested in, knocking on the still-closed roller shutter door.
A moment later, a young man of about twenty-five or six, with sleepy eyes, rubbed them open and pulled up the roller shutter door.
"Brother-in-law, why are you here again?"
Tan Lixin looked at his brother-in-law with disdain and said,
"Why are you still asleep?"
"Doesn't it open at eight? It's only a little past seven,"
The brother-in-law said, somewhat speechless.
"The May Day holiday is a golden period for sales. If you open at eight, why aren't you up by seven-thirty? Is the banner I told you to make ready?"
"It's ready, but I haven't picked it up yet."
"Go wash your face quickly, eat breakfast, and get the banner. You need to hang it up right away; we've already missed a day."
"What about the shop? The staff haven't arrived yet."
"I'll watch it for you for a while; you go."
"Alright,"
The brother-in-law said helplessly.
He didn't know what had gotten into his brother-in-law these past two days; he kept coming to the shop before seven every morning, acting like a madman.
Normally, he would sleep until around nine, and the staff would open the door when they arrived.
Besides, who would come to buy a car that early?
If anyone did, it would be after ten.
Tan Lixin watched his lazy brother-in-law's retreating back, shaking his head, feeling disappointed.
Shanchi Technology had already sent an email on the evening of the day before yesterday, May 28th, at 5 PM, notifying all suppliers and retail terminals that, from the moment the email was received, all Shanchi Technology products could be sold under the title of "Exclusive Supplier for the Olympic Games."
Some sharp specialty stores in Yicheng had already rushed to make banners the night before last, and by yesterday, they were already hanging in their shops, starting promotions under this name.
He himself only noticed this matter after seeing the news.
When he came to the shop, he saw that this kid knew nothing, completely wasting a day.
This was a golden sales period!
Shanchi Technology notified all suppliers and retail stores immediately after the contract was signed precisely so that major businesses could use the Olympic name to boost sales during the long holiday.
Even he understood this principle, yet this kid said he missed it because he didn't check his computer email! It just showed how careless he was.
"Sigh, he's useless."
Compared to his nephew, this brother-in-law was miles behind him; neither educated nor capable, he couldn't do anything when he followed him before.
Now he was given an electric vehicle specialty store, and even with good business, he didn't apply himself.
He wasn't just earning a salary; he also received a share of the shop's sales.
Wouldn't selling one more car mean earning more money?
What couldn't he do with money in his pocket?
Young as he was, he wasn't thinking about making money, just idling his days away.
Then he looked at his grand-nephew—oh, he was incredible, even making it onto CCTV news.
His own electric vehicle brand was cooperating with the Olympic Games.
It truly was a case of comparing people to death and goods to garbage.
But this kid was truly defying the heavens.
What twenty-something young man could achieve such great success?
"Brother-in-law, I'm off now. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"
Hu Xiaoyong, who had finished washing up, shouted to his dazed brother-in-law.
"No, be careful while riding. Oh, by the way, is that steamed bun shop next door not planning to open anymore?"
"Yeah, why? If he doesn't open, I'll have to walk a few more steps for breakfast. It's a shame."
"When you bring the banner back, ask him about it and rent that shop."
"Huh? Rent it for what? I don't know how to make steamed buns."
"Make your head! Expansion, don't you understand what 'Official Vehicle of the Olympic Games' means? Forget it, forget it, just go. I'll go talk to him myself."
Tan Lixin was speechless.
"Oh, oh, oh."
Hu Xiaoyong quickly ran off.
What he was thinking was, what expansion?
Wouldn't expansion make him busier?
But he didn't dare say it.
He was a little afraid of his brother-in-law, who liked to scold him at the drop of a hat, but he couldn't deny that his brother-in-law was really good to him.
Hu Xiaoyong had no grand ambitions.
His brother-in-law was wealthy, so clinging to this powerful figure and earning tens of thousands of yuan a year was enough to live comfortably.
Strive like that grand-nephew he often mentioned?
Only an idiot would do that.
Why not cling to a powerful figure if you have one?
As long as his sister didn't divorce his brother-in-law, he was determined to hold onto this powerful figure.
He was very satisfied with this shop now.
He could sleep until nine every day, and the shop even hired two employees, so he wasn't busy for more than a few hours a day.
After work, he'd watch TV, play games at an internet café, or hang out with friends at the billiard hall.
He didn't know how comfortable this life was.
Hmm, finding a girlfriend would make it perfect.
He was a boss now, after all, so finding a girlfriend shouldn't be difficult, right?
After buying two steamed buns and getting on his electric bike, Hu Xiaoyong went to pick up the banner.
"Official Vehicle of the Olympic Games? Is that a big deal? Isn't it still the same car?"
He had actually seen it already, but hadn't taken it seriously.
Of course, he couldn't tell his brother-in-law that he had already seen it.
More than that, he was excited that Shanchi Technology had signed Zhou Jielun as an endorser.
He just wondered if, through his brother-in-law's connections, his grand-nephew could get him an autograph from Zhou Jielun.
"Quickly use the nunchucks, hmm-hmm-ha-xi; quickly use the nunchucks, hmm-hmm-ha-xi."
——
"Did I just see things? That young man on the news, sitting on the stage and shaking hands with a high-ranking official, why did he look like Jin Cheng?"
Liu Huiru asked, somewhat unsure.
People of their generation had a habit of watching the news.
Although Liu Huiru didn't particularly like it, Old Zhang at home loved it, and she would occasionally watch a bit with him.
"You're not seeing things, it's Little Tan,"
Zhang Guolong took a breath and nodded.
He knew the name Shanchi Technology.
The moment the announcer reported it, he watched very intently.
It wasn't until the fleeting young figure appeared on stage that Zhang Guolong completely confirmed it.
"Is Jin Cheng that amazing now? He's even being reported on CCTV news."
"The Olympics is a big deal; it's definitely major news. It's truly extraordinary that Little Tan can cooperate with the Olympics."
"When he was a child, this kid was indeed more clever than our Peng Ya, but I never expected him to be this incredible. Has his company grown so big?"
"Brands that can cooperate with the Olympics are major brands. Looking at it this way, it has indeed developed very quickly. But you shouldn't always talk about our kid like that; he's actually very impressive already. Besides, he opened a factory here and can often come home, which is already very good."
"What's the use of coming back? Isn't he still working on construction sites? He's barely ever home."
"That's enough, that's enough. This is already very good. Didn't Old Tan's wife tell you? He lives with his son in Beicang and they rarely see each other. Being too successful can also be quite annoying."
"Haha, that's true. Before, when I heard Old Zhang say that, I thought he was showing off. Now it seems it might be true."
At the same time, Chen Zhongping also saw the news at home.
He didn't know Shanchi Technology, but he recognized Tan Jincheng's name and appearance, so he called Chen Shuyi over and asked.
"What's that classmate of yours, your cousin's eldest nephew, been up to recently?"
Chen Shuyi was confused:
"Dad, why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"I just saw someone named Tan Jincheng on the news, and he looked just like him. I'm just confirming I didn't see wrong."
"Was it Shanchi Technology, which signed with the Olympics?"
"Yes, yes, that one."
"Then it's him. Their company's electric vehicles were chosen as the official vehicles for the Olympic Games,"
Chen Shuyi said with a smile.
TV news has a certain delay; this news had already spread online, so it wasn't news to her.
"Didn't he run a website? How did he get into electric vehicles?"
Chen Zhongping asked, looking puzzled.
"That's ancient history, Dad. You should go online when you're free, otherwise, you won't keep up with the pace of society. He's a billionaire now."
"What? A billionaire? What are you talking nonsense about?"
This time, he was shocked.
"To be precise, his net worth should be one billion. That's how the media reports it. As for the exact amount, probably only he knows,"
Chen Shuyi slowly explained.
Like her father, she was also very shocked when she first saw the news.
However, the data released in the news stated that Shanchi Technology would have no problem achieving its annual sales target of 200,000 vehicles this year.
In terms of sales and enterprise valuation, Tan Jincheng, who holds a 95% stake, now undoubtedly has a net worth in the billions.
The newspaper called Xinjing Bao is jointly published by Guangming Daily and Nanfang Press.
Their news would not be fake; at most, there might be some discrepancies in the data.
In other words, her former deskmate became a billionaire three years after graduation?
How did he do it?
"Can things online be trusted? Isn't it just nonsense?"
Chen Zhongping still asked, somewhat disbelievingly.
"They are official media, not rumors from some forum. If you don't believe it, go online and see for yourself."
"I really don't believe it. In just a few years, someone who ran an online shop became a billionaire?"
After saying that, Chen Zhongping went to the study and turned on the computer.
After checking, he didn't say a word.
Chen Shuyi, who had followed her father in, secretly found it amusing.
She recalled that when they were learning to drive together, just because Tan Jincheng gave her a ride once, her father thought he had other intentions and forced him to call him "Great Uncle."
Did he really think she couldn't see through that attempt to use a generation gap to stop the other party's little thoughts?
It was simply because he looked down on the other person for not studying and for running an online shop, which wasn't considered a proper job.
"Xinjing Bao is a legitimate media outlet; you can check their organization. Such reports shouldn't be false. Besides, you saw it on the news yourself. A company that can cooperate with the Olympic Games must have considerable strength."
"Well, now that a junior has become a billionaire, what are your thoughts, Great Uncle?"
Compared to the spread of news among ordinary people, this news spread even faster within government departments.
Tan Jincheng's previous deliberate low profile could no longer be completely concealed in Yicheng.
Suddenly, leaders from countless departments learned that Yicheng had produced a 20-year-old billionaire, and he was involved in a tangible business!
Even Tao Qinian received many calls of greetings, scolding him for being unethical and wanting to enjoy the spoils alone.
Tao Qinian could only give a wry smile.
What spoils did I enjoy alone?
I didn't gain any advantage from that kid; I merely secured a logistics park.
Although he didn't lose out, it couldn't really be called gaining an advantage.
However, he did gain a considerable advantage from his business partner; a garment factory was far more suitable for Wangjiang's economic development than a logistics park.
Early on the 29th, the long holiday had already begun, but Tao Qinian still instructed his secretary to go to Zhang Xupeng to inquire about Tan Jincheng's schedule after the May Day holiday.
He didn't understand the specifics of how a business operated, but from a strategic perspective, anyone with a bit of insight knew that being chosen by the Olympic Games this time was a once-in-a-lifetime expansion opportunity for Shanchi Technology.
Currently, Shanchi Technology only had one industrial base under construction in Beicang.
With the opening of the electric vehicle market and rising sales, Shanchi Technology would definitely build a second, or even a third, industrial base before the Olympics.
Furthermore, Tan Jincheng also revealed in his announcement that Shanchi Technology had already begun self-research and production of batteries with research institutes.
In addition, core components such as electric vehicle motors and controllers would also be self-researched and self-produced in the future.
A complete vehicle assembly base, battery, motor, and controller factories—any one of these factories would be a coveted prize for a local government like Wangjiang.
They had to fight for it no matter what.
An industrial base was out of the question; he probably never considered Wangjiang.
Since the other party had the confidence to run for Olympic vehicle selection, presumably, a second or even a third industrial base had already been planned, and that plan naturally did not include Wangjiang.
Otherwise, last time he wouldn't have just set up a logistics park here; he could have directly started a complete vehicle assembly workshop.
Motor and controller factories?
A bit difficult, but they could strive for it.
Wangjiang could be a sub-assembly workshop, radiating to the Southwest market via waterways.
Furthermore, a battery factory could also be pursued, following the same logic as the motor and controller factories.
It was just that this young man was truly difficult to deal with.
Compared to other places, the county offered no advantages other than cheap land.
He would likely have to rely on his father for favors again.
Sigh, attracting investment was really difficult.
"What, Tan Lihua isn't at the factory? He went to Beicang to visit his son? Their whole family went to Beicang? What are you good for? Why didn't you try to keep them?"
"Uh, leader, Tan Lihua is just an ordinary technical worker. Even if he went abroad, we wouldn't have a reason to stop him, let alone just leaving the province. Besides, today is an official holiday."
"You're his direct superior, are you really so unconcerned about your subordinate? Tell me immediately when he returns after the long holiday."
"My mistake, my mistake. But Tan Lihua took a few days off, saying he wanted to spend more time with his wife and children there. He probably won't be back for another week."
"...Forget it, forget it. Just remember to tell me when he's back. Also, don't let anyone resign. If you can promote him, do it. His qualifications are sufficient."
"Okay, I understand. This was my oversight."
Li Shiqi hung up the phone and pursed his lips. What were you doing before?
I told you earlier that Tan Lihua's son was not simple.
I asked if Tan Lihua could be promoted.
What did you say back then?
"We are two separate systems from the local government; we don't need to bother with that."
So what if they were two separate systems?
Didn't you have personal connections and friends locally?
He must have gotten anxious.
But what he said was right; they absolutely couldn't let Tan Lihua resign and leave.
His wife had already taken early retirement, and if he left too, the first one to be reprimanded would definitely be himself, his direct superior.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, a billion-dollar net worth. Tan Lihua, that old man, has certainly become honored through his son, hasn't he?"
(End of Chapter)