Returning to Tengfei, Liu Jun dove into the new casting workshop installation site and stayed there until late at night. Even when Tengfei first opened for business, with inexperienced staff and comprehensive expansion, Liu Jun had put in roughly the same amount of effort as now. This time, however, the company’s research and development center had taken matters into its own hands, achieving high-level domestic production of the casting workshop equipment while maintaining equivalent efficiency. This greatly reduced fixed asset investment and shortened the construction period.

However, problems also arose due to this domestic production approach. Parts that Tengfei could make themselves were naturally solved by purchasing materials and processing them in-house. But mechanical processing is vast and profound – what a small company like Tengfei could solve was truly limited. Many components had to be outsourced for processing, some were standard parts that could be purchased from the market. But the processing quality, materials, and processing cycles kept Liu Jun and other supervisors busy to death. They had already predicted this, so they supplied their materials and sent their people to supervise at the processing sites. Even so, problems kept cropping up endlessly. Everyone couldn’t help but sigh that if this level of worry were converted to cash and added to the cost of domestic equipment, the total cost of domestic equipment wouldn’t be much lower than foreign purchases. This example reminded Liu Jun – if his products could achieve complete sets and thoroughly resolve customers’ concerns about all aspects of domestic equipment performance, would the market prospects look promising? Would the company’s revenue generation look promising? Of course, the prerequisite was that his Tengfei would need to add more equipment, or once again endure the pain of outsourcing.

Shen Huadong’s Shi Yiji, on the premise of choosing cooperation methods and products with foresight, had entered full acceleration mode after three months of warm-up exercises. Shen Huadong was extremely busy. However, seeing Liu Jun come to Shi Yiji to supervise a batch of processed parts, and since the two rarely met recently, he dragged Liu Jun to have dinner together, calling a group of friends around the same age. At the table, everyone exchanged information about everything – either providing information or contributing a piece of the puzzle, working together to piece together a rumor. Liu Jun heard about something – that the director of the Industrial Zone Management Committee had been criticized at the monthly work meeting. Combined with the ancient saying “when a new emperor ascends, his courtiers change,” what misfortune would this criticism bring to the Industrial Zone Management Committee director? Liu Jun couldn’t help but think of that fawning smile on the director’s face as he watched the official car disappear after Secretary Cao left. Everyone at the dinner table said the director was now desperately fighting to keep his position.

After dinner, everyone turned and went to a bar next door. Liu Jun immediately spotted a familiar Porsche in the parking lot and nudged Shen Huadong. Shen Huadong looked and said, “She’s here too? She told me before that she doesn’t go to these kinds of places in this city to avoid affecting Mr. Song’s reputation. When she was in America, she was quite mainstream – a complete native.”

As the group entered the bar, it was Shen Huadong’s turn to nudge Liu Jun, pointing out a middle-aged woman. “Look, you can tell from her posture that she’s looking for a one-night stand.”

Liu Jun took one look and immediately shrank his neck, turning his face away. Wasn’t this Qian Hongying? Qian Hongying occupied a table by herself, with an LV bag and a drink on the table. She looked around but didn’t seem to be waiting for anyone. Regular bar patrons all knew what this kind of body language meant. Liu Jun felt somewhat surprised. Shen Huadong was curious, but Liu Jun lied, saying she was an acquaintance and they shouldn’t disturb her good business. But after sitting down, he couldn’t help turning back for another look, feeling even more contemptuous – so all that talk about not being able to make a living before was just an excuse.

But with that backward glance, he saw a group of younger men and women, among whom was a girl who had tied her hair back with a wide headband, wearing a silver camisole and denim hot pants – very hot and fashionable. Liu Jun thought, isn’t this Song Yunhui’s daughter Song Yin? He pointed Song Yin out to Shen Huadong. Shen Huadong said seriously for once, “Is she eighteen yet? Did she drive that car in the parking lot? Who are those friends with her?”

Liu Jun laughed, “No wonder the little girl called me Uncle Liu when we first met – I really am getting old, look at you firing off a string of nagging questions as soon as you see her.” He thought for a moment and said, “I also suspect she’s driving without a license, but as long as she doesn’t cause trouble, probably no one in this city would stop her car. I’ll call Mr. Song.”

Shen Huadong was stunned for a moment and said, “Uncle Shen… no, Big Uncle Shen isn’t going to care about a wayward girl, at least we’re acquainted. Uh, why does that sound so sleazy?”

Liu Jun smiled and went out, taking a glance at Qian Hongying on the way. He saw a handsome, muscular man sitting across from her, while Qian Hongying maintained her original posture. Liu Jun was speechless and naturally wouldn’t call Qian Hongming to tattle.

Song Yunhui became anxious when he received Liu Jun’s call. “Xiao Liu, thank you, thank you. I’m on a business trip with my wife. Her grandparents just said she disappeared the moment they turned around – turns out she ran to a bar. Please help me keep an eye on her. If it’s normal socializing, let her play, but if there’s any trouble, please escort her home.”

“A bar… means drinking, and after drinking…”

“Please escort her home immediately, thank you, I’m begging you.”

Armed with this imperial edict, Liu Jun went back inside to find Shen Huadong already sitting among the group of young people. Liu Jun usually felt quite young himself, and people at work often praised Boss Liu as young and promising. Now seeing his peer Shen Huadong completely out of place among these young people, in this setting, older people seemed sleazy. When he got closer, he saw Song Yin treating Shen Huadong with indifference, while Shen Huadong looked embarrassed – there was a generation gap, and they had nothing in common.

Liu Jun walked over and said to Song Yin, who barely acknowledged him, “Dongdong is driving a Maserati today. Later, we’re going to race on the newly built, unopened road that his family has a major stake in. I see you’re driving a 911 – want to come?”

Shen Huadong immediately understood and said, “Can the little girl handle racing? If a little girl can drive in a straight line, she’s already an expert. Would I have the nerve to race with a girl? That time she couldn’t even turn corners on your jet ski – not enough arm strength.” As he spoke, he half-pushed, half-pulled himself up.

Liu Jun grabbed him and laughed, “What’s the hurry? Song Yin driving slowly is what makes her an expert…”

“Who says so? Right now, right now.” Song Yin generously slapped down five hundred yuan, said goodbye to her friends, and left first.

Liu Jun and Shen Huadong exchanged glances and smiled, following Song Yin out. Passing by Qian Hongying’s table, Liu Jun saw that the muscular man from before was gone, and sitting across from Qian Hongying was a businessman-looking man. The two seemed to be discussing work, both with serious expressions on their faces. Qian Hongying also saw Liu Jun. Their eyes met with complete coldness, and naturally, neither greeted the other. Shen Huadong found this strange.

Liu Jun followed Song Yin to the Porsche and only then spoke again: “Your dad asked me to escort you home. I thought if I said this in front of your friends, it would be very embarrassing for you, so I thought of a cool-sounding reason to lure you out. Go home – I’ll drive for you. Your dad says you don’t have a license.”

“You’re so boring – first tattling, then lying. And you claim to be an uncle, really not…” Song Yin forcibly swallowed her curse words, turned to go back to the bar, but was blocked by Shen Huadong. Her face was full of resentment, but she still refused to curse out loud.

“Have you heard me play piano? How was it? I played Chopin’s Nocturne in B-flat major quite charmingly, didn’t I?” Liu Jun changed the subject to avoid conflict.

“A Jun, exactly how many CDs have you given out? I’ve met at least ten people who have your piano CD – quite narcissistic of you.”

Liu Jun said with a grin, “I’ve given out sixty-eight so far. Ten days after giving out each one, I do a spot check to see who threw it aside without listening.”

Song Yin was young after all. Despite being angry in the relaxed atmosphere the two uncles tried hard to create, she couldn’t help but speak up: “You play all Chopin – how many people can understand it? At most, they understand ‘Minute Waltz.'”

“You understand Chopin, too? Tell me about my ‘Fantaisie-Impromptu’ – I always feel I didn’t play it well. Even though I can play it through coherently without missing a single note, it always seems to lack something when I listen to it – depth, profoundness, or what? Did you hear what was missing? But it’s my favorite piece…”

Shen Huadong watched with amusement as this bad uncle, scarred all over from rolling around in society, talked about elegant Chopin while his hands kept making small movements, luring the innocent girl Song Yin into the car to sit obediently. Then he saw the bad uncle grin as he jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off like lightning, probably afraid the little girl would wake up and change her mind – he didn’t even say goodbye to him. When Shen Huadong went back to the bar and told everyone, they all died laughing, not at anything else, but at how the two grown men were being such busybodies.

But Qian Hongming’s call quickly followed, his voice full of laughter: “Liu Jun, I heard you were picking up a little punk girl at a bar? When did your taste get so heavy?”

Liu Jun didn’t like the sound of this at all. “I’m taking Miss Song home. I made a promise to A’San that I wouldn’t do anything to betray her.” He thought it must have been Qian Hongying who called Qian Hongming – what exactly had that woman said?

Qian Hongming laughed, “Heaven knows, earth knows.”

Liu Jun was furious. What did Qian Hongming mean by this? It seemed like he was eager for him to be covered in mud, too.

Song Yin misunderstood and said angrily, “Is there anything wrong with going to bars with classmates? We’re all adults, we have mature judgment of right and wrong.”

“Of course. I started dating and singing rock music in junior high, and the adults made such a mess of things. Now it’s my turn to be an adult and mess up your fun – isn’t that how life goes in cycles? What’s right or wrong about it?”

“Since you understand, why are you helping the tyrant?”

“I’m an adult now. Though I understand, I don’t approve.”

“My dad is the eldest, not the third.”

“Uh, A’San is my girlfriend. My friend thought I was luring a young girl from a bar and was criticizing me for betraying my girlfriend.”

“Do you do this kind of thing often? Otherwise, why would your friend misunderstand you? Take my dad, for example – I would never misunderstand him.”

Liu Jun was hit in a sore spot by Song Yin and felt extremely depressed. Qian Hongming wasn’t misunderstanding him because he had a track record, but was trying his best to deliberately misunderstand him. What did that mean?

“See, you’re not qualified to control me.” Although Song Yin didn’t curse, she wasn’t polite with her words.

Liu Jun ignored her, glumly escorted Song Yin home, handed her over to her grandparents, and took his leave. He felt unhappy the entire way, and for some reason, particularly unhappy in his heart.