After getting in the car.
A group of people in two rcedes-Benz cars headed toward the urban area.
It was the year 2005, and the traffic situation in Beijing was not as frustrating as it was in the later era, but the signs of congestion were erging. This was inevitable due to the increasing wealth of the population, the decreasing price of cars, and the unbalanced economic developnt across the country.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen were the industrial clusters with scale advantages. For many professions, leaving these places would basically make you unable to use your skills. For example, if you were in shipbuilding, you had no option but to go coastal.
Tang Qing didn’t have a solution as this gravitation was basically a tough nut to crack. Where there are more people, there are more opportunities. Where there are more resources, more people will go there. Beijing, as the power center of the country, unavoidably attracts people to co.
If we started from scratch, we could disperse industries and establish a regional characteristic economy, planning what to do where, and then constructing and developing based on this. But now, there is no clear solution since the country wants to centralize resources and workforce for developnt. Once the economic environnt becos stable, and export-oriented economy turns into dostic demand-driven, we could truly break this deadlock.
But that’s a story of ten years later, as the ti for large-scale internal migration of industry is not ripe.
Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue were sitting in the back seat of Chai Ren’s car, while Li Kai and Feng Sen in the car behind.
Chai Ren inherited the gabby personality of Beijing people. He talked endlessly about different topics, especially as he was well-inford and rational, which was very lively. It seed as if he was a codian, which was quite interesting.
Chai Ren knew that Tang Qing was a man of few words, and seeing Lin Jiaxue also being quiet, he naturally took on the responsibility of lightening the mood. Fortunately, this was not a challenge for him, so the journey wasn’t dull.
About an hour later.
They arrived at a hotel near the Second Ring Road. The hotel covered a large area and had a unique na.
"Autumn Palace"
Tang Qing murmured. He had never heard of this hotel brand in his previous life and thought that Chai Ren would take him to a big international hotel instead of this place, which must certainly have sothing exceptional.
Seeing Tang Qing’s expression, Chai Ren explained:
"Tang brother, this is opened by a good friend of mine. It’s a stand-alone hotel with high consumption and not very famous. But its facilities are excellent, and it’s fully equipped for food, drinks, and entertainnt."
"I see." Tang Qing nodded.
Later.
People entered into the hotel. The two beautiful greeters at the door respectfully welcod them. Tang Qing didn’t care much. Though Feng Sen was worldly, Li Kai felt quite uncomfortable being addressed this way.
At the front desk.
"Book the two best suites for ." Chai Ren said directly.
As a regular custor, the receptionist naturally knew Chai Ren and respectfully said: "Okay, Little Master Chai, please wait a mont." She didn’t ntion the price as the billing thod here could be settled monthly. Especially for people like Chai Ren who wouldn’t possibly default on paynt, all consumption matters could be handled in one sentence.
How vulgar to talk about money.
After signing in for the room.
Chai Ren handed over two room cards. Tang Qing looked at the word ’Heavenly Room-Chen’ on the card and beca amused. This hotel was a stickler for details instead of having sothing like a ’Presidential Suite’.
Did they also have Earth Room and Human Room?
"Tang brother, you guys go put your luggage first. I’ll order the food now, and later we can have a good drink." Chai Ren interrupted Tang Qing’s thoughts.
"Sure."
After that, a few people got on the eighth floor and arrived at the so-called Heavenly Room under the guidance of a beautiful staff.
"How many Heavenly Rooms do you have?" Tang Qing asked curiously.
"Good day, sir. We have a total of twelve Heavenly Rooms in the ’Autumn Palace’ hotel, corresponding to the twelve earthly branches. You are staying in ’Chen’, and the other two guests in ’Shen’." The staff warmly introduced.
Tang Qing nodded his head.
That’s rather interesting. They made use of the twelve earthly branches for the rooms. Either the owner of the hotel was pretentious, or truly erudite, or perhaps even an artsy youth.
"Sir, here is your room."
They arrived at a room, and the staff made a gesture indicating to please enter.
Hearing that, Tang Qing looked up and saw a giant ’Chen’ character written in gilt on the door. The character exuded a subtle aura of dominance. Tang Qing thought that this calligraphy was pretty solid and obviously was from a master hand.
"You guys follow the staff to put down your stuff in your rooms." Tang Qing turned to Li Kai and the others.
Watching the staff leading the two to continue their way forward.
Tang Qing took out his card and swiped it. With a ’beep’, the door opened.
Stepping inside.
A huge living room ca into view, and a large floor-to-ceiling window similar to the one in his office at Sheng Tang. The one-way mirror reduced the sunlight’s glare and was very practical.
Then, after putting down his luggage, Tang Qing looked around the place.
There were two bedrooms, each with an independent toilet, and an entertainnt room where you could play cards, ping pong, sing. It was extraordinarily luxurious. This was probably equivalent to a Presidential Suite.
Seeing Lin Jiaxue moving to one of the rooms.
Tang Qing quickly took his luggage and followed her.
"You.. what are you doing?" Lin Jiaxue was startled by Tang Qing’s action.
"Living together." Tang Qing said with a laugh.
"Didn’t you say we only would in college.." Before she could finish, Lin Jiaxue’s face turned red.
"Yes, but I won’t do anything. I just want to sleep holding you." Tang Qing said earnestly. He was speaking the truth with no ill intentions, but he rembered his earlier words, ’we’ll only look’, and ’only rubbing a bit’. Sohow, these statents felt awkward.
Speechless.
Strange ntal leaps.
"Really?" Lin Jiaxue asked.
Tang Qing patted his chest, saying righteously: "Of course, believe , we’ve co this far over the years, so what’s one more month? Co on, let’s tidy up and go get sothing to eat."
"Well... okay."
Lin Jiaxue hesitated for a mont before agreeing. To be honest, this was probably the first ti they were to share a room since middle school. They used to be neighbors in the village, their hos close by, and they often ended up sleeping in the sa room.
Thinking about this.
Tang Qing found it amusing. As a kid, when he and Lin Jiaxue used to sleep together, it was always Lin Jiaxue who woke up first, then used various ans to drag the lazy Tang Qing out of bed. Thinking about it now, that was so real childhood.
Once done talking, the two entered the master bedroom.
As Tang Qing looked around.
Good lord.
The bed was freaking huge.
The sense of proportion was utterly lost. It was four ters long and three ters wide. You could toss and turn on it however you wanted and still not roll off... wait, where was this train of thought going?
Tang Qing cast aside certain ’dirty’ thoughts.
He had to be serious now.
Next.
Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue started unpacking their luggage, taking out their personal belongings. But it was Lin Jiaxue doing most of the toiling, while Tang Qing was going around checking every room for eavesdropping or surveillance devices.
One must always guard against others.
He knew all too well how valuable the spy equipnt in the mall had been lately. He didn’t want to be treated the sa way. If he allowed sothing untoward to happen here, that would be just too embarrassing.
Tang Qing shove his hand into his pocket.
The next mont.
A tal block the size of a mobile phone appeared in his hand. It had only one button and weighed quite a bit.
Tang Qing imdiately pressed the button.
This was a piece of equipnt that the scientists had modified from the anti-spy device that had appeared in the mall before. It could detect the location of all electronic components within fifty ters, even if they were inactive. A neat little piece of black tech.
Upon pressing the button.
Nothing happened. The small box didn’t transform into an Autobot, only the miniature device inside had been activated and started working. After five seconds, a tiny chanical clicking sound could be heard from the block. You could only hear it if you held it close to your ear.
Tang Qing knew this ant the scan was complete.
Then, this gadget was tossed by him into the warehouse in the mall.
The products that the scientists designed submitted to the system as blueprints and specific paraters could be produced and sold by the mall. As a product produced by the mall, it naturally also offered storage services.
Actually, the production volu of the mobile phone and MP4 in the territory would be unlimited if they were placed in the mall. Could this not completely break away from the factory’s limitations? Tang Qing had thought of this great functionality.
That’s because, if he did that, things would beco really complicated.
Currently, no one can explain where the production equipnt and technology for the core components of these mobile phones co from. If even the source of the mobile phones is unaccounted for, how can a factory without any, or just a shabby one, explain the production of tens of millions of electronic devices every year?
Isn’t this just asking for trouble?
Did they really think everyone’s IQ is on the level of ’braindead’?
Therefore, factories are essential. Also, because this involves the provision of technology in the later stages, Tang Qing did not choose to let the mall produce these items. He only used it as an ergency asure, and only sold industrially finished products with high-technology content in the mall. As raw materials couldn’t be sold, Tang Qing had to rely on a procurent company.
The mall.
Was his last resort.
Specifically used for deciding destinies, it was not to be used rashly.
Just at that mont.
A text ssage appeared on his mobile phone.
"Boss, there are no surveillance or eavesdropping devices in the room."
The command center received the information sent back by the small box, analyzed it imdiately, and then sent the result to Tang Qing.
Upon seeing that everything was fine in the text ssage, Tang Qing imdiately deleted it.
There being no problem was good.
If there was a problem, he would make them regret it. It didn’t matter who they were, anyone who dared target him would have to prepare to pay the price.
PS: Today ends with these two Chapters.
Those who are attentive might have noticed that Mouse has one more work under his na. Yes, that’s the work Mouse wrote in 2012. It had over a hundred thousand words, but because it involved gangs, it got blocked and I left it be.
In the last two days, Mouse applied for the ban to be lifted, deleted everything, and started over, not for anything else but for the sake of it. There won’t be regular updates, after all, every story must have a beginning and an end, and this was Mouse’s first book, Mouse has an emotional attachnt to it. If anyone is interested, you’re welco to bookmark it, but please, don’t rush the updates for that book. Otherwise... I’ll be on my knees.
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