Someone like Xu Jing could succeed if given a chance. If he hadn’t met Xia Xiaolan, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him and Ma Hai to find jobs matching their expertise. After working for a few years, without even mentioning a salary in the tens of thousands, as long as their abilities were recognized by the company, becoming middle class in America would have been effortless. Don’t look down on being middle class just because they’re not wealthy – among those who came to study in America in the 1980s, how many became rich? After twenty or thirty years, while some reached life’s peak, most who stayed in America merely achieved middle-class status.

Xiang Li abandoned Xu Jing and chose Li Yong – even Xia Xiaolan couldn’t understand her thinking! Everyone has their aspirations, and not everyone has good judgment. Xiang Li was a typical case of poor judgment.

Xu Jing didn’t want to discuss her either. He didn’t feel that just because he could create something, he would immediately rise from servitude. Without Xia Xiaolan’s financial support, his and Ma Hai’s abilities would be severely limited:

“Junior Sister Xia, Ma Hai and I will graduate this summer. When do you plan to return home to set up the factory and mass-produce the electronic dictionary?”

The signed agreement offered two choices: either follow Xia Xiaolan back to China, with him and Ma Hai investing their technology as shares, which would certainly be diluted, or sell the product outright to Xia Xiaolan after its success, with him and Ma Hai taking the money and leaving.

Neither Xu Jing nor Ma Hai wanted to part with their personally developed creation. Having already discussed it, they planned to return to China with the product. Worried that Xia Xiaolan might not wait for them, they hastened to emphasize their intentions.

Xia Xiaolan waved what she was holding: “Senior Brother Xu, there’s no rush. Do you think this is the final product? You and Senior Brother Ma still have time. Before you leave America, I want the search time to be as short as possible. Forty-seven seconds is still too slow – getting under thirty seconds is the minimum requirement, ideally within ten seconds. We can sacrifice other features for this!”

Which is faster – looking up words in a paper dictionary or an electronic one? The electronic dictionary couldn’t be much slower.

Although Xia Xiaolan could sell this version as is, considering that some consumers would be students, even someone as ruthless as she wanted to give students better value for money… Though her conscience was limited, it still troubled her slightly. There was also the matter of brand loyalty – students might be poor now, but in a few years, they would become the main consumers!

Education should start from childhood – what kind of consumer guidance wouldn’t start with students? Either don’t do it at all, or make it the best.

While marketing strategies were important, quality and reputation were the foundation.

Xu Jing and Ma Hai immediately felt the pressure. Thirty seconds seemed achievable with effort, but ten seconds? It felt like another unreasonable demand from an ignorant nouveau riche boss.

“That’s impossible—”

“Senior Brother Ma, do you know what dreams are? They’re about making the impossible possible. Just like a month ago, did you and Senior Brother Xu ever imagine you’d receive a $60,000 investment?”

Xia Xiaolan’s counter-question left Ma Hai speechless!

$60,000?

He and Old Xu had been wondering how to scrape together $6,000 for their urgent needs.

The heaven-sent $60,000 from Xia Xiaolan had completely solved their worries.

From cobbling together broken parts to ordering new, quality components – how wonderful it felt to use good materials… However, all this came at a price. He and Old Xu had gone from being “wild” to being “domesticated” by Xia Xiaolan. Using her money meant following her orders.

Junior Sister Xia, no, Boss Xia’s requirements were worth striving for.

Ma Hai became compliant, Xu Jing had no objections, and President Xia was very satisfied.

Worried these two men who didn’t even have time to shave might starve, she asked the apartment manager about any full-time housewives nearby.

For some money, she arranged for someone to prepare two extra portions while cooking, covering all three meals for Xu Jing and Ma Hai.

Finally settling on a price of $140 per week for two people – not a low food standard.

“Where else could you find such a good investor as me?” Xia Xiaolan muttered as she left the apartment.

Staying indoors was fine.

Better to complete the product in one go, avoiding external interference.

What did momentary criticism and doubt matter?

Better to remain silent until making a stunning debut. Thinking of Xiang Li’s smug expression at last night’s party, calculating how to make her bleed money, Xia Xiaolan felt annoyed.

Song Minglan must be furious.

She would take it out on Li Yong and Xiang Li, the party organizers.

But that wasn’t enough.

If Xu Jing and Ma Hai succeeded, that would be a real slap in the face for Xiang Li.

At New York’s Kennedy International Airport.

A plane slowly descended.

After the wings stopped gliding and the fuselage stabilized, the cabin door finally opened.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade’s American inspection group had New York as their first stop. After a day and night of travel, the various state-owned enterprise executives felt the reassuring sensation of their feet on solid ground, though none had much energy left.

Those who could join the trade inspection group were at least vice-president level, all over 40 years old. Middle-aged people couldn’t match young people’s physical strength and energy. No matter how excited they were about going abroad, they couldn’t withstand the fatigue of long-distance flight!

However, among the delegation’s accompanying staff, the elite members who had endured all sorts of hardships during training and missions remained spirited.

What was this minor discomfort to them? Each stood energetically.

Even without uniforms, their waists and legs stood as straight as young poplars.

Among the row of young poplars, one particularly outstanding and spirited member came out pulling a suitcase, catching even Song Minglan’s eye as she waited for her connection.

Whether male or female, wasn’t it natural to look at someone attractive?

Which unit had sent this member? He was truly handsome.

Song Minglan finally spotted her father Song Zhicheng in the crowd.

“Father!”

Song Minglan waved.

Song Zhicheng smiled sheepishly: “That’s my daughter. She just started studying in America recently, and got herself a scholarship.”

Everyone around began flattering them.

For ordinary people, getting a government-funded study spot was impossible.

For the executives in the delegation, government funding was easy to get, but scholarships were hard to obtain.

“Old Song, you’ve been hiding such an excellent daughter from us – that’s not right!”

“Indeed, we’ve been flying together for so long, and you managed to keep this quiet.”

Song Zhicheng repeatedly asked for mercy.

Song Minglan’s study abroad had been on his nephew Huo Chenzhou’s advice. Although the Song family had their internal conflicts, Huo Chenzhou’s suggestion hadn’t been wrong. Letting Song Minglan study abroad was truly correct – it elevated a girl’s status.

“Minglan, come greet everyone. This is Uncle Li, this is…”

Song Zhicheng introduced everyone to his daughter, and Song Minglan gracefully greeted them.

Song Minglan’s beautiful features and elegant demeanor brought a great face to Song Zhicheng. After the father and daughter boarded the waiting bus, Song Minglan finally had a chance to speak, “Dad, which one is Zhou Cheng?”

The team members were all relatively young and quiet, with no forms of address between them. Song Minglan couldn’t identify him.

Song Zhicheng pointed forward, and Song Minglan was surprised: that the most outstanding young poplar was Zhou Cheng.

Xia Xiaolan knew how to pick partners – both mother and daughter had incredibly sharp eyes!