Only now did Cui Bingbing truly burst into laughter, raising a fist halfway before thinking of his pitiful state at midnight and reluctantly pulling it back.

“Strange, I bought a ticket back to the company, how did I get off in Shanghai? But luckily I came to your place, otherwise I might have ended up in an isolation ward now.”

As Liu Jun spoke, Cui Bingbing searched through his bag and indeed found a train ticket back to the company. “You have me in your subconscious.”

“Hey, A’San, when you’re alone in Shanghai and have a headache or fever with no one to take care of you, what do you do? You should still come home.”

“Soon, I’ll smile my way home.” For the first time since last night, Cui Bingbing’s eyes showed tears. Also, for the first time since coming to Shanghai, her heart felt a trace of weakness. She had thought she would reject this shameless weakness, but the real her enjoyed Liu Jun’s gentle care. But time wouldn’t wait – she wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend, but didn’t even have time to cook him a meal. She had to rush to work.

Liu Jun was also very reluctant to part. Though still dizzy and feverish, he insisted on escorting Cui Bingbing downstairs, not letting her drive with insufficient sleep, saying he’d help her get a taxi. In the elevator, Cui Bingbing suddenly remembered something and laughed: “Last night when I fed you medicine, you refused to open your mouth. I said your dad came, beautiful women came, big bad wolf came – you ignored me completely, clenching your teeth tight as if deliberately opposing me. Finally, I tricked you by saying someone called and you had to take medicine, and you immediately opened your mouth. The effect… do you know who I said it was?”

Liu Jun didn’t know what truth serum he’d spoken or what foolish things he’d done while feverish that Cui Bingbing had caught, so he felt uneasy and didn’t dare guess randomly. He could only say the safest option: “My mom?” Seeing her shake her head, he laughed: “Did you say ‘environmental protection is here’?”

“Ha, why didn’t I think of that pressure point – I’ll save it for later. Yesterday I said Mr. Song, and you listened to him.”

“The more I do business, the more I feel this line isn’t easy, so I admire Mr. Song more and more.”

All the way, Cui Bingbing gave directions – this restaurant was good for eating and worth ordering certain dishes, that place was best for cupping therapy. She felt Liu Jun’s high fever might be partly related to heatstroke. Liu Jun put Cui Bingbing in a taxi, and when he returned, he was too lazy to think. Whatever Cui Bingbing said, he followed – eating his fill, getting cupping therapy, returning home with his neck area looking ghastly, then sleeping deeply again. Seeing Cui Bingbing’s text saying she’d be late for work, he went to a nearby supermarket to buy groceries. His cooking level only maintained basic sustenance, far inferior to Cui Bingbing’s. He’d been forced to learn from colleagues and classmates in Germany, so his style was very non-local. He didn’t have complete seasonings either. The only decent thing was heat control, which seemed somewhat related to his profession – could be considered thermal treatment. When Cui Bingbing came home mid-cooking, she refused to enter the kitchen to take over. Changing into home clothes, she leaned against the doorway, watching. Today, Cui Bingbing feels unprecedented security about their relationship.

Only now did they have time to speak properly. What Liu Jun had done on his business trip – he’d already told her in his daily morning and evening phone calls, so Cui Bingbing already knew. What she wanted to know was whether Liu Jun’s brain, finally functioning normally after an afternoon of deep sleep and recovery, had thought of remedial measures. She also knew Liu Jun was currently besieged from within and without. Behind him were large orders pressing, and delays meant heavy penalties. But without implementing environmental protection equipment for the foundry workshop, the casting production stage couldn’t proceed. Beside him, the management committee director was eyeing his wallet hungrily, while Liu Jun’s wallet had suffered serious capital flight with the foundry dust removal equipment. There was also the new R&D center construction project, opening its mouth daily for money. Everywhere needed money, money, money – deadly money. Cui Bingbing almost wanted to misappropriate public funds to help Liu Jun.

“After sleeping this afternoon, I called friends everywhere asking for help. Finally found another unlucky enterprise with a complete casting set that they’d made for a buyer who paid half the deposit, but the buyer still hasn’t had money to pay the balance and take delivery after the agreed delivery date. The seller is anxious to process and liquidate – every enterprise is struggling these days. The price is good – even adding my advance payment that definitely can’t be recovered, it’s still lower than my original budget. I just verbally agreed with them that I want the environmental protection equipment. Tomorrow I’ll go directly to inspect the goods, and if they look good, I’ll haul them home immediately. No choice – time won’t wait. I can’t spend huge sums on custom-made equipment again, I can only… compromise my conscience.”

“I think you’re being a bit pretentious. Equipment custom-made by other companies is naturally also made according to national standards – don’t be so picky.”

“You don’t understand this aspect. In our field, environmental protection is purely a matter of conscience. Let me give you an example – take acid washing, a very common process in our metal processing industry. Most now use hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid. The former has volatility and corrodes workshop steel beams, so many manufacturers choose the latter. Wastewater after washing can’t be directly discharged into groundwater pipes – positive and negative ions exceed limits, and pH levels are wrong too. Generally, in production, lime is used to neutralize, raising pH to normal freshwater levels and precipitating sulfate ions as calcium sulfate. But as you learned in high school chemistry, calcium sulfate mostly precipitates in water as flocculent matter, but a small portion still dissolves in water. But just this small portion of free negative ions exceeds the discharge standard limits. To meet standards, water treatment equipment must be greatly upgraded, using expensive facilities like ion membranes. Not only is fixed asset investment high, but future operating costs are also high. But reality is that domestic processing industry profit margins are mostly very low – many enterprises can barely afford to dig a settling pond, throw in lime, and regularly clean accumulated sediment. Then, looking at our country’s extremely advanced, unattainably high discharge standards set to catch up with and surpass America and Britain, there’s only one path – since equipment can’t meet standards, but you can’t not do it, the only option is under-the-table operations to get an environmental assessment. Finally, since the referee has been corrupted into a brother, without supervision, why maintain daily environmental protection operating investments? Sewage simply goes straight in and straight out. Your South China environmental protection costs disappear like this, making your products more competitive in price wars. We in East China naturally follow suit, and eventually it’s a national chess game. If standards had been set slightly more realistically and enforcement had been stricter, environmental protection effects might have been better. But I only understand this retreat-advance principle now – before I only knew that if higher standards could be achieved, why not have high standards and strict requirements.”

Cui Bingbing, liberal arts background, who had long returned physics and chemistry to teachers, had a competitive personality and didn’t want Liu Jun to laugh at liberal arts students. She desperately listened to Liu Jun explain knowledge that should have been learned in high school, and amid dizziness and confusion, sternly pointed out: “You seem to have digressed – you’re complaining.”

Liu Jun laughed: “Allow me to smuggle in some private goods. But what I just said is indeed a very serious current reality. My originally expensive, specially designed dust removal equipment with a heavy design investment is like expensive water treatment with ion membranes. The set I plan to see tomorrow is like water treatment systems, with only settling ponds and basic water testing rooms. Those two foundries targeted by the director could tighten their belts and afford the latter, but they couldn’t afford the former even if they sold everything. For foundry dust removal investments like this, if I spend 500,000, I can achieve 85% dust removal efficiency. Adding another 500,000, the effect reaches 88% at most – just fooling laypeople. Adding up to 5 million achieves 98% at most. To do it thoroughly would mean I couldn’t afford it even if I sold everything. This is the environmental protection dilemma. Because the generated dust includes coarse and fine dust. Coarse dust is easiest to handle – use fans to blow it into sealed containers for centrifugal separation, add water spraying, and the exhaust smoke at least doesn’t look black to the naked eye. But we technical people aren’t afraid of coarse dust – we most fear fine dust flying everywhere. We all know it’s harmful and feel guilty if we don’t eliminate it. Then there are many methods, with investment and operating costs escalating dramatically – water curtain dust removal, various bag dust removal, electrostatic dust removal, etc., each with advantages and disadvantages. Of course, mixing them works best. Finally, tall chimneys should be used to send processed smoke and dust up to atmospheric convection layers, further diluting invisible fine dust density in the air to meet standard treatment. The principle isn’t difficult – it just requires a willingness to invest money. Now I can’t do that – tomorrow I can only buy treatment equipment that fools laypeople, otherwise delivery delays and compensation could make me lose everything and become penniless overnight.”

“Won’t that give the management committee director ammunition against you?”

“Looks like I can only surrender to him. Being human… You see, what integrity, what principles, what conscience – in the end everything must submit to survival.”

Cui Bingbing heard this clearly and finally caught her breath: “Will the director, because you didn’t obediently pay tribute earlier and only surrender when desperate, instigate environmental protection to squeeze you?”

“I estimate he can’t do that. Environmental protection took money from me once before, so they wouldn’t dare not take it a second time. And whatever equipment I buy tomorrow, given the director’s few skills, he still can’t catch me. But I’ll have to show him some gesture to avoid putting environmental protection in a difficult position.”

Cui Bingbing breathed a long sigh of relief: “This time you’ll lose a bit more money and face more twists, but looking at you now, you should have everything under control. Hey, I was worried sick about you just now, but turns out you knew exactly what to do all along.” But seeing Liu Jun’s expression was a bit strange, she couldn’t help asking: “What, is there something else you can’t solve?”

“Won’t say – if I tell you, you’ll laugh at me.”

“Come on, isn’t it just being extorted for a red envelope by the director? Who hasn’t seen red envelopes after mixing around for so many years? Not seeing them would be laughable. Say it, say it – I won’t laugh at you. Look, you got your summer heat out through cupping, so speak out your pent-up frustrations too.”

Liu Jun still hesitated before saying, “Using time pressure, contract deadlines, and survival needs as excuses seems reasonable, but it is a shame for engineering technical personnel.” Seeing Cui Bingbing quickly cover her mouth with both eyes becoming crescent-shaped, Liu Jun could only say helplessly: “Laugh then – I know you’d think such words are silly.”

“Although… but as a private business owner, your main job is enterprise survival. I think such thoughts need restraint. Besides, even if you were just a pure research worker, you’d still have to consider research costs.”

“Of course I restrain myself – I’m just privately complaining to you. This is what I most admire about Mr. Song – he can balance his interests and work very well, not being as willful as I.”

“No, I suddenly feel you should be willful – more human. Success matters, but humanity matters too. I want humanity.”

Liu Jun smiled. Though things went through many twists and turns, at least there was great fortune in misfortune – luckily, finding a ready-made set of environmental protection equipment. Not only could the schedule be advanced, but costs wouldn’t exceed the budget by much, and he’d already figured out all the steps to solve the problem. He was also willing to compromise, but really couldn’t feel happy. There’s something called faith, which some people treasure in their hearts.

Soon, Cui Bingbing finally got the chance to smile her way home. She was assigned back to her hometown to assist a senior banker in establishing a branch.

At year’s end, Qian Hongming drove a brand new BMW X5 to Tengfei’s new R&D center in the technology park to discuss something with Liu Jun. This time, he was truly traveling in splendor at night. He’d rushed from Shanghai in the morning to handle some business, then went home to unload luggage and kiss his wife and daughter. Without time to finish a cup of hot tea, he came out in the dark against northwest winds to find Liu Jun. He heard Liu Jun was simply living in the R&D center villa lately, so he told Liu Jun not to come out – he’d go see how Jiali’s garden design turned out.

In the night, the technology park roads were spacious and quiet. Though greenery hadn’t formed shade yet, you could see the scale. Only occasional construction vehicles working overtime passed on the roads. Tengfei’s R&D center was similar – in the darkness, you could see thin branches everywhere, but you could imagine the lushness when spring came. Following security directions, Qian Hongming parked at the door of a villa with simple, strong lines. Opening the door, he heard piano sounds from inside – Liu Jun was practicing, playing inconsistently, but in the quiet night, even Qian Hongming, who didn’t understand instruments, found it quite flavorful. He wanted Xiao Suihua to start learning piano too. He’d watched Liu Jun practice noble piano since childhood, while elementary music teachers then used accordions, and junior high teachers used small organs – the difference in instrument sound quality was so distinct. Qian Hongming still remembered the excitement when he first touched snow-white piano keys after managing to become Liu Jun’s friend. He also remembered going to a music store, and among the dazzling array of instruments, he saw the cheapest and most crude bamboo flute, but even then, he couldn’t afford the bamboo flute. Recalling the past, Qian Hongming couldn’t help but stroke his beloved car for a long time.

But soon the piano stopped, replaced by running footsteps, and Liu Jun in a sweater emerged from the villa door. “Let me see your new car.” Liu Jun casually took the keys from Qian Hongming’s hand. “Go inside – it’s cold out here, you’re wearing too little.”

“Knowing you’re a pampered young master with sufficient heating at home, why would I bother with a coat?” Qian Hongming didn’t go in, hugging his arms and stamping his feet while watching Liu Jun get into his car. He saw a black Audi A6 2.4 parked nearby – he estimated this was the new business vehicle Liu Jun had mentioned buying. This car was common, so he was too lazy to look closely in the cold wind. “Didn’t you say the company’s been operating well lately? It’s not like you don’t have money – why not buy a car with personality that you like?”

“Bought equipment – planning to completely surpass Shi Yiji’s processing standards within the next year. But their volume will take me another two years to surpass.”

“What’s your company’s current loan limit, and have you used it all?”

“They raised my limit by 20 million, but now they’re willing to issue acceptance bills for me without counting against the limit. I don’t worry about working capital at all now. So I misappropriated working capital loans and bought several sets of top equipment in one go. Our whole R&D center is thrilled, counting the days waiting for the equipment to arrive at the port. But I’m in trouble – calculating money, money, money every day, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Most headache-inducing are loan repayment days – sometimes I have to visit pawn shops to raise funds.”

“Pawn shops are indeed good things. After buying this X5, I was cash-strapped and often visited pawn shops too. Haha, this car nearly killed me. I originally wanted to open a pawn shop to make my capital rotation smoother, but those licenses are hard to get. Compared to those who got licenses, my local roots are still shallow-very shallow. I can’t find anyone who can help significantly. Sometimes, no matter how much money you have, you can’t find places to stuff it – people don’t dare accept money of unknown origin.”

Since Liu Jun bought two plots of land to build new projects at the end of last year, the company’s capital flow often struggled on repayment days, frequently dealing with private capital flying pawn shop flags. He knew some operational details, so hearing Qian Hongming say this, he laughed: “You’re already directly lending at high interest rates, yet still want to obtain that legal license? Go inside – it’s cold out here. How many days are you home? Lend me this car to drive.”

“Okay, I’ll come get it back in three days. What do you think about opening a real estate agency?”

“Your sister? Didn’t you say her marketing was going well? Planning to go independent?”

“I want my sister to jump out and cooperate with me in a real estate agency. My thinking is still hoping to use a real estate agency to better operate the capital flow I can mobilize – not letting a penny run idle, while also mobilizing larger capital flows through the agency…”

“Don’t understand. A’San isn’t here either – went to Shanghai for evaluation. No one here understands you.”

“You’re both people with status. Since you’re already openly living together, why not get a marriage certificate?”

“Don’t know. I submitted wedding rings and guarantee letters to A’San, but she still says I lack sincerity. Haha, she’s the one with no time to have children – making excuses.”

Qian Hongming shook his head, unsure whether he or Liu Jun was more open-minded. “Don’t make coffee – I have sleep problems. Drinking coffee at this hour means I’ll be tossing and turning all night. Come listen to me explain the capital operation route I’m planning after adding the real estate agency link. Don’t play dumb – it’s very simple, you’ll understand immediately.”

“Have A’San come back to talk with you. She also mentioned being able to ask agencies to juggle funds.”

“No, I need your opinion. Use your logic to help me analyze whether this path works – yes, a road show, or war gaming.”

Liu Jun was somewhat puzzled. There was Cui Bingbing, such a good insider, who just waited two days, but Qian Hongming wouldn’t ask her, insisting on asking someone clueless. But he found it hard to refuse Qian Hongming’s eager eyes, so he reluctantly sat down to listen to this incomprehensible discourse.

Qian Hongming described problems very systematically, using capital flow routes as an outline, from how his import-export trading company leveraged and amplified self-owned funds through banks and other financial tools, how it combined with second-hand real estate agencies, and how it obtained customer advance payments from agencies to feed back self-owned funds. During this, Liu Jun could only ask two questions: “How did you think of this?” and “What are the risks in this step?” For the former question, Qian Hongming often began with a proud smile, then carefully told Liu Jun about certain cases he knew to prove he wasn’t fantasizing. For the latter question, Qian Hongming didn’t hide anything. Under Liu Jun’s questioning, he spoke factually while making reasonable predictions based on current conditions. The two tried to dig deep into the risks that might arise in reality and their probabilities. Therefore, when Qian Hongming finished explaining everything, it was already midnight. The cigarette pack Qian Hongming had just opened was already half gone.

“Is it feasible? Liu Jun, you don’t need to speak as a friend – just evaluate a project with a neutral attitude.”

“It’s risk, but also opportunity…”

“Yes, everyone says that. My sister is afraid, saying that with limited capital strength, such risky amplification of capital through multiple channels could mean that if any link breaks, we’d be crushed to pieces, unable to repay. But I told her that playing this way uses funds from banks and other financial institutions and second-hand house buyers – we’re just borrowers of strength. We earn capital intermediary fees. Our self-owned capital can gradually withdraw, or even be placed offshore.”

Liu Jun instinctively disliked Qian Hongying. Even though a thought flashed through his mind that Qian Hongming’s operational thinking was very irresponsible to investors, he still opposed Qian Hongying: “This can indeed be calculated for critical values. We can establish a model to calculate how much each mortgage loan should be controlled within limits, so that when one, two, or even three bad debts occur, this capital channel won’t be damaged. But this model… You have too many preconditions. I’ll have to find our center’s Xiao Ke tomorrow to work together on how to do it. Making money naturally requires certain risks, especially for startups. With society’s development to this point, places where you can make money with little or no risk – where would our turn come? Even if it’s our turn, it’s thin profit.”

Qian Hongming immediately grasped the key point, asking urgently: “What model? How to establish it?”

“Mathematical model of course. Who told you to stubbornly embrace applied science when choosing subjects? I wrote to you then – didn’t forget, did I – telling you to work harder and study mathematics double major, definitely master basic science. You refused, insisting on work-study…”

“Don’t be someone who doesn’t know hunger when well-fed. If I’d studied a double major, then, where would I get meal tickets?”

Liu Jun quickly fell silent – that period was a major taboo for both. He stole a glance at Qian Hongming and saw him unconsciously put his left hand to his lips again. He quickly changed the subject naturally, roughly explaining the thinking for establishing models. Qian Hongming indeed didn’t quite understand, but his eyes again showed eagerness. He came here to teach Liu Jun step by step, waiting for Liu Jun to give him a positive answer. “So what do I need to do?”

Liu Jun said unquestionably: “As long as the methods and data you just provided are correct, you just need to wait. I’ll give you an investment model under multiple variables for you to choose from.”

Qian Hongming seemed to hear certainty in Liu Jun’s tone: “Do you also establish similar models for your company’s borrowing, investment, and development?”

“Of course – otherwise make decisions by slapping heads?” Liu Jun arrogantly added with pointed meaning: “We always need some actions to absorb knowledge power to distinguish ourselves from others. We don’t make baseless worries and rejections. That, in daily life we call blind – fucking – worry.” Liu Jun seemed to see Qian Hongying speechless, frowning, and silent. He felt a painful satisfaction from successful retaliation.

“Liu Jun, first give me an answer under one variable: national economic stable development with slight fluctuations, enterprise development relatively stable, debts borrowed and repaid. At most, a 5 million debt can’t be recovered.”

“Then what’s there to hesitate about? With your current personal assets, you can already handle 5 million bad debts.” Liu Jun thought this mere 5 million bad debt estimate was Qian Hongying’s small thinking – where would Qian Hongming come up with such numbers? He subconsciously gave the fastest answer.

Qian Hongming finally smiled from his heart: “Except for making mathematical models, which I can’t do, for everything else, I think the same as you.”

Seeing Qian Hongming finally relax, Liu Jun also breathed a sigh of relief: “Don’t flatter me. How much do I know compared to how much you know? You’re an industry insider, I’m an outsider. You’ve done well these years – accurate vision, precise targeting, quick action. I can hardly catch up. Ah, are you beating around the bush to tell me tricks?”

Qian Hongming laughed heartily: “How could that be? How could that be? Without talking to you first, I’d be at sixes and sevens. Now I can go back and sleep well, and talk properly with my sister tomorrow. Liu Jun, if you have spare money in the future, bring it to me to operate. You can rest assured – I’m fully experienced now.”

After Qian Hongming left, Liu Jun was completely puzzled, unclear why Qian Hongming would ask someone clueless, and later was even more insincere – he hadn’t even given the mathematical model yet, but Qian Hongming already said he could sleep peacefully. Too fake polite. Liu Jun could only stop thinking about it. As promised, the next day, he found Xiao Ke to build a complex model together. Looking at it from all angles, except for major collapse or suddenly having a bunch of debtors unite to default, generally, there shouldn’t be major problems. Liu Jun told Qian Hongming the results. Qian Hongming said it was decided then – he’d already convinced his sister and would start preparing the real estate agency today, quick victory.

Liu Jun drove Qian Hongming’s BMW X5 for several days, loving it dearly, but ultimately had to return it. He drove into the city, and passing a gas station, unhesitatingly turned in to fill the already nearly full tank to full. Coming out of the gas station, he wondered if that was too deliberate. Passing the former luxury restaurant, it had been transformed into a club with deep courtyard gates. Liu Jun remembered Shen Huadong mentioning that this newly opened club required card access – non-members couldn’t enter. No longer under Mr. Song’s brother-in-law’s control, it seemed to be operated by a Hong Kong-funded company.

Liu Jun headed straight to Qian Hongming’s home. The Qian family’s living room vertical air conditioning was quite warm. Xiao Suihua had grown big enough to bounce around everywhere. Seeing Liu Jun, she looked like she didn’t recognize him. Liu Jun then realized that in this year’s busyness, he seemed to have no memory of Jiali asking for his help. Thinking again, Jiali’s parents had already moved over, so naturally it was inconvenient to trouble him with tasks. The whole family was cheerful. Besides Xiao Suihua growing again, Qian Hongming and Jiali hadn’t changed much – even their weight hadn’t changed obviously. Jiali still didn’t talk much, with a light and breezy attitude, but very sincere, even bringing out Xiao Suihua’s precious snacks to treat Liu Jun.

Looking out from the Qian family living room’s large window, not far away was Yang Xun’s magnificent five-star hotel, now in trial operation. Liu Jun knew that Yang Li had become a frequent flyer this year to introduce internationally famous hotel groups, but the returns were rich. The hotel’s brilliant logo at night was recognized by 100% of frequent flyers worldwide. Undoubtedly, the hotel’s opening elevated Yang Xun’s status further. Even though Yang Xun looked young, in venues where he appeared, no one dared treat him as an individual business owner anymore. People in this city who called him “Yang Xun” could be counted on the fingers. “Mr. Yang” had completely replaced “Yang Xun” as his synonym.

Liu Jun looked at the hotel’s crown-like, brilliant rooftop in the night with mixed feelings. Though Yang Li had given him a VIP card with a prominent number, he decided he wouldn’t go there to consume.