Chapter 111: A Blazing Opening

In the end, Liang Xiaofeng returned empty-handed.

Zhao Guoyang had long since mapped out a detailed plan for his future. The Hongda Machinery Factory was to be the main base for revitalizing the Republic’s industry, and he would never abandon it lightly.

After seeing Director Liang off, Wang Ziqing patted Zhao Guoyang on the shoulder encouragingly as he returned to his room to rest.

Regardless of what Zhao Guoyang was truly thinking, his resolute attitude when he just declined Liang Xiaofeng’s proposal left Wang Ziqing particularly satisfied. There was no hesitation or ambiguity—just firm determination.

Back in his room, Zhao Guoyang was about to lie down for a short rest when the doorbell rang again.

Opening the door, he found Zhao Siyan standing there with a bright smile.

“Is the boss calling again?” Zhao Guoyang asked, puzzled.

“No, I just wanted to have a chat. What, not welcome?” Zhao Siyan tilted her head playfully.

“Heh, of course you’re welcome. Please come in,” Zhao Guoyang stepped aside.

Once seated, Zhao Siyan got straight to the point. “Zhao Guoyang, what were you thinking just now? Such a great opportunity—you gave it up so easily?”

Zhao Guoyang nonchalantly picked up a water bottle, pouring a drink as he replied, “What opportunity? Going to the Songjiang City Machinery Committee?”

“That’s right! What else could it be?” Zhao Siyan said, disappointed as if scolding a stubborn child.

Handing her the cup, Zhao Guoyang said calmly, “I know my own character best. Bureaucratic work isn’t suited to me. It’s better for me to focus on technical and production work in a real enterprise.”

“I understand that, but this opportunity... it’s so rare,” Zhao Siyan pressed anxiously.

“Ah, it’s nothing special,” Zhao Guoyang waved his hand dismissively. “Knowing where you belong is important. Once I’ve made up my mind, I won’t change it easily. Thanks for your concern.”

Seeing Zhao Guoyang’s unwavering resolve, Zhao Siyan was strangely moved.

As evening approached, Director Liang sent over the passes for the exposition. After receiving them, Wang Ziqing instructed Jiang Hong to distribute them to everyone.

Except for Mo Xiaotian, who had already left, each participant had one.

The pass read: “Songjiang City International Auto Expo Pass,” and in smaller print underneath: “Invited Member of the Songjiang City International Auto Expo Summit Forum.”

Zhao Guoyang paused as he read the two lines. He vaguely recalled the speech he had given at this very summit in his past life.

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After a night of rest and recuperation, the next morning, under Wang Ziqing’s lead, the group arrived early at the Songjiang International Exhibition Center.

Before eight o’clock, the center was already packed with people.

The organizing committee clearly hadn’t anticipated such a turnout. The crowd control at the entrances was insufficient, forcing staff to rush in to maintain order.

Inside, renowned automotive brands had long been ready. On brightly lit, colorful platforms stood the flagship products of each major automaker.

As the microphone echoed from the podium, the noisy chatter inside the exhibition hall fell silent. Everyone knew the opening ceremony of the auto expo was about to begin.

The ceremony was simple and efficient. Songjiang’s mayor, Huang Zhigang, personally delivered the opening speech. As he declared the expo open, fireworks burst forth—the fourth Songjiang International Auto Expo officially underway.

The crowd, long waiting for this moment, surged toward well-known brands like BMW, Volkswagen, and Toyota.

Due to the large number of visitors and the vastness of the exhibition center, Director Wang told them to look around freely for now and regroup at Gate 1 at noon. Zhao Guoyang was naturally eager, and Zhao Siyan volunteered to accompany him, providing some company.

Walking through the throngs of visitors, Zhao Guoyang’s gaze wandered across the various manufacturers rather than the vehicles themselves.

Seeing his apparent indifference to the stylish, trendy cars around him, Zhao Siyan was puzzled.

To her, having the chance to participate in such a prestigious international auto expo was precious and should be embraced wholeheartedly.

But Zhao Guoyang’s attitude clearly showed he didn’t take the expo seriously, which seemed strange.

What Zhao Siyan didn’t realize was that, in Zhao Guoyang’s eyes, these popular, cutting-edge models from major manufacturers were nothing but outdated designs from twenty years ago—utterly uninteresting to him.

Given sufficient time and foundational industrial support, Zhao Guoyang believed he could produce vehicles superior to these mainstream models.

Rather than focusing on new cars and technologies, what Zhao Guoyang urgently needed was to elevate the entire Republic’s mechanical manufacturing base.

Components like wheel hubs, rims, chassis—these were the real bottlenecks constraining the progress of the Republic’s automobile industry.

Of course, engine technology was also a major challenge. Considering the reality of the 1990s, Zhao Guoyang knew it would be a long time before breakthroughs in this area were feasible.

At least, it would be more realistic to talk about engine improvements after turbocharging technology became widely adopted.

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While Zhao Guoyang wandered aimlessly, unaware, a few people in the VIP lounge on the exhibition center’s second floor were discussing him.

The person sitting in the middle was none other than Huang Zhigang, the mayor who had just presided over the opening ceremony.

“Old Li, Director Fang, did you come all this way just for that young man with such unique insights in the auto industry?” Huang Zhigang asked.

The “Old Li” was naturally Li Kejian, whom Zhao Guoyang had met briefly before at Sanyang Group.

Since that meeting, Li Kejian had taken a keen interest in this extraordinary young man and had instructed Liang Hongjun, the head of Sanyang Group’s technical department, to track him down.

Soon after returning, Li Kejian received a call from Liang Hongjun confirming they had found him.

Li Kejian was surprised to learn from Liang Hongjun’s investigation that Zhao Guoyang was not even an employee of Sanyang Group, but a technician at one of their chassis suppliers.

Upon hearing this, Li Kejian immediately approached Fang Xuesen, the executive deputy director of the National Machinery Industry Committee, urging him to recruit Zhao Guoyang.

Fang Xuesen found it difficult to refuse Old Li’s request, and after understanding the reason behind Li Kejian’s persistent search, he too became deeply interested in the young man.

Thus, a top-down search operation was launched.

With so many people looking for a mere Zhao Guoyang, it was hardly a difficult task.

Soon, Fang Xuesen and Li Kejian obtained exact information: Zhao Guoyang from Hongda Machinery Factory was the person they sought.

Originally, Fang Xuesen did not need to attend the Songjiang International Auto Expo in person.

However, after consulting with Li Kejian, he decided to use the event as an opportunity to meet Zhao Guoyang face to face, which is why he attended the grand occasion.

Besides Mayor Huang, Director Fang, and Old Li, there was also an older scholar with graying hair in the VIP room.

Hearing Mayor Huang’s question, the scholar chuckled, “Heh, Old Li, it’s rare for someone to catch your eye. I’m quite looking forward to his performance.”