Tan Jincheng ultimately did not accept Ying Jianren's invitation to sit on the podium with them, facing the barrage of reporters' cameras.
The signing was merely a ceremony; in reality, many details still needed to be discussed. Besides, he wasn't the main character today, so there was no need to steal the limelight.
Ying Jianren, on one hand, admired Tan Jincheng's calm and low-key demeanor, while on the other, he felt this young man was truly perceptive.
With such a young face, if he were to sit on the podium, what would be left for him?
Wouldn't all the attention be snatched by him!
"Then I'll have the staff find you a good seat. After all, you're one of the participants and should witness it,"
Ying Jianren said with a laugh.
"No need, I'll just find a corner to sit in. I'll leave the grand occasion to you, President Ying. I'm socially anxious."
"Socially anxious? What does that mean?"
Ying Jianren asked, a bit puzzled.
"Oh, social phobia, it means I'm afraid of crowded situations. I'll take off first."
He had gotten used to babbling these past two days and accidentally let it slip.
However, Tan Jincheng genuinely didn't particularly like such occasions.
Having experienced it once, the questions asked were too official, and he had to cooperate like a tool, which was boring.
But entrepreneurs like Ying Jianren loved such occasions, spouting official clichés smoothly.
"First and foremost, we thank Beicang for their trust in us. They have helped us solve our most pressing issues like a timely rain. We are very grateful to them!"
"At the same time, we will not let down Yongkang and Beicang's trust in us. We will work hard to build good cars, cars that ordinary people can afford!"
"Our first car is about to be launched, it's an SUV model. I believe everyone already knows this. Please look forward to it!"
"The price will definitely be a pleasant surprise!"
"Zhongtai 2008 will be the first SUV for young people!"
"Oh, right, Zhongtai 2008 is the name of our first model, signifying 'walking hand-in-hand with the Olympics'!"
Tan Jincheng, sitting in a corner, watched Ying Jianren on stage speaking passionately and almost burst out laughing.
What was supposed to be a simple official press conference had been turned into a new car launch and promotional event by him.
He really didn't miss any opportunity.
It must be said that Ying Jianren knew how to seize opportunities.
These official briefings were inherently boring, not just for the participants but also for the reporters, who simply wrote articles based on assignments without much creativity.
After Ying Jianren's treatment, it actually piqued the journalists' interest, especially the phrase "the first SUV for young people."
Using this as a news headline would surely be a sensation.
Thus, the press conference became lively.
"Learned another trick,"
Tan Jincheng muttered thoughtfully from his corner.
The last press conference he held with Beicang District was dull and lifeless, completely lacking the reaction that Ying Jianren's few words elicited.
When it came to stirring up emotions on the spot, these seasoned business veterans were truly more experienced.
"Can you disclose the price, President Ying?"
"Haha, it's not convenient to reveal that yet, but I can promise it will definitely be an appealing price. Our promotional video will be released soon, and then we'll trouble everyone to help spread the word."
"President Ying, may I ask your thoughts on this collaboration with Beicang? Under what circumstances did both parties reach this agreement?"
"It was a fortunate coincidence, you could say. Beicang showed great sincerity, and I thank them for that. Also, I must thank a young man who facilitated this collaboration and resolved our most pressing issues."
"President Ying, are you perhaps referring to the legal representative of Xinchi Intelligent Manufacturing? That name sounds somewhat familiar."
A reporter from the Yongcheng area asked.
"Yes, that's right. He is also the founder of Shanchi Technology. I believe everyone has heard of Shanchi Electric Vehicles, right?"
"I have heard of it. Their company's travel events are currently very popular online, well-received by cycling enthusiasts and netizens alike. I just don't know what this collaboration has to do with Shanchi Technology, and why they would hold shares in Zhongtai Yongcheng?"
"The details involve commercial secrets, so it's not convenient to disclose them. In short, we need to thank President Tan."
"Then why didn't President Tan attend today's event?"
"Oh, he has other matters to attend to."
Ying Jianren subtly glanced at the corner, seeing Tan Jincheng signal him to stop talking.
Shanchi Technology shone brightly last year, becoming a dark horse in the industry.
Some media in Zhejiang Province, especially those around Yongcheng, knew Tan Jincheng.
But most did not know him, as Tan Jincheng had only appeared in public once, aside from the annual meeting.
Fearing that Ying Jianren would continue to ramble, Tan Jincheng took the opportunity of a reporter asking a question to slip away unnoticed, as he was sitting in a corner anyway.
The matters on Yongkang's side were basically concluded.
The efficiency was quite high, finishing everything within four days.
After the press conference, he still had to make a trip to Yiwu, which he had promised Gu Qingqing earlier.
He wondered how she had discussed it with her parents.
So, Tan Jincheng returned to the hotel, took out his phone, and started messaging Gu Qingqing.
Speaking of dating a university student, it actually wasn't that different from having a girlfriend who works; during weekdays, they couldn't meet or call freely.
The courses for freshmen and sophomores were still quite demanding.
University enrollment expansion wasn't as excessive back then; even getting into a vocational college was highly valued, and students studied diligently, contributing to a good academic atmosphere.
This was the daily routine for most students, though there were certainly some who became addicted to the internet and dropped out.
Who would have thought that the internet, considered a scourge at this time, which parents tried to avoid, would in the future affect generations, and that elementary school students filming short videos and university students live-streaming in dorms would become a new trend?
The internet was a good thing.
Although Tan Jincheng disliked the methods of capital operation and was very disgusted by internet companies resorting to lending in the end, he wasn't someone who couldn't adapt to change.
Focusing on physical industries was not wrong, but with the development of trends, if you don't keep up, you'll be left behind.
This is especially true for traditional businesses.
Connecting businesses with the internet to maintain competitiveness is a necessity.
The overall strategy was similar to that for cars: using Zhongtai's opportunity to build a factory in Beicang to learn and participate, accumulate technology and connections, paving the way for the development of new energy vehicles.
The internet was also similar: establishing its foundation in the Web 2.0 era, laying the groundwork for the advent of the smartphone era.
"My things are almost done here. I can go to Yiwu tomorrow morning. Are you coming back for the weekend? If you are, I'll have the company driver take you."
Tomorrow was Friday.
Yongcheng wasn't far from Yiwu, so it wouldn't be a problem to rush back for the weekend.
The message was sent, but there was no immediate reply.
Gu Qingqing was probably in class, and Tan Jincheng didn't mind.
He opened his laptop, and just remembered that a reporter at the press conference had mentioned the travel promotional videos currently serialized on Tudou.com.
Tan Jincheng hadn't paid attention to them for a while.
After the project was planned and he participated in the early stages, Tan Jincheng had handed it over to the marketing department, with Zhou Ao, who was previously responsible for planning the Beicang direct store, taking over.
Through his participation in several planning initiatives, Zhou Ao had proven his capability to be responsible for the marketing department's work.
The cycling event started on the Lantern Festival.
Today was the ninth day of the second lunar month.
They had already ridden into Guangdong Province, and over 20 videos had been uploaded to Tudou.com.
The basic video matrix for the cycling tour was complete.
He didn't watch the specific content of the videos, but clicked on a few with many comments and skimmed through them.
The style was similar to a certain UP streamer surnamed Xu on Bilibili in his previous life, so the comment section inevitably had some similarities.
For a moment, Tan Jincheng felt as if he was back in his previous life, confined to Beicang District for three years, unable to travel.
For the last year and a half, he almost daily watched his videos to experience moments of freedom.
Speaking of which, Tan Jincheng was also an "old A-B" (veteran Bilibili user).
After scrolling through comments for a few minutes, he received a message from Gu Qingqing on his phone:
"Okay, then I'll leave early tomorrow afternoon and make it back for dinner."
"No problem, I'll call your uncle and auntie in a bit to tell them I'm coming over tomorrow and about you arriving home tomorrow evening."
"Okay, I'll tell them too."
"Have you told them about Chenzi Technology? If not, let's tell them together tomorrow night."
"I did. My dad didn't say much, but he said if we want to invest, just invest, it doesn't matter. He sees it as support for us, letting us go ahead, but he didn't specify the exact amount."
"Father-in-law is awesome! I'll definitely 'borrow' a good bottle of wine for him tonight."
"Get out of here, who's your father-in-law? And where are you 'borrowing' wine from? Weren't you going to discuss a collaboration? How did it go?"
"With your husband on the job, of course there's no problem. I'll 'borrow' a bottle of wine from the boss of Zhongtai. He invited me to his home tonight as a guest."
"Zhongtai? Never heard of it. How come discussing a collaboration involves visiting their home as a guest? Generally, being invited to someone's home indicates importance, right? Don't be foolish and actually ask for wine. My dad can drink anything; just buy a random bottle from the supermarket."
Tan Jincheng smiled, Old Gu would be furious if he heard that.
The talk of "borrowing" wine was just a joke.
Not only could he not "borrow" it, but he also had to bring a gift.
Fortunately, he had been in business in both lives, so his car trunk always had some cigarettes and alcohol for unexpected needs.
After chatting with Gu Qingqing for a while, Zhao Xinyi, who stayed on-site to observe the situation, called to say the press conference was over.
After the press conference, the Beicang District team would pack their bags and prepare for their return without delay.
Wu Jianzhong would also go back with the Beicang group.
For a long time to come, Wu Jianzhong would remain in Beicang, responsible for the preparatory work of the new factory.
As for the Yongkang factory, Ying Jianren would temporarily take over and prepare for the new car's launch and sales plan.
An interesting detail: Zhongtai's factory name was still Zhongtai Manufacturing Co., Ltd. At first listen, it didn't sound like a car manufacturing company at all.
(End of Chapter)