Tan Lihua said the reason he came to Beicang was because he missed his daughter.
In reality, he was quite fed up with the social interactions in Yicheng.
Even if Zhang Xupeng hadn't brought him, he was planning to drive over himself to escape for a few days of peace, using his son's birthday as an excuse.
Unlike Zhang Guolong, he couldn't drink alcohol, and these drinking gatherings where he couldn't drink were truly unbearable, yet he didn't know how to refuse.
"I told you, can you be a bit quieter when doing business? You're constantly making such a big splash. I've never seen any entrepreneur like you. Didn't we agree to keep a low profile?"
At the dinner table, Tan Lihua couldn't help but complain about what happened after he went back for May Day.
It's worth mentioning that Gu Qingqing was the only one at the table who couldn't speak Yicheng dialect, so the family conversed in Mandarin.
Gu Qingqing felt Tan Lihua's complaints the most deeply; since Shanchi Company secured the Olympic sponsor deal in April, its moves have been successively bigger, and the stir it created has also been successively greater.
"I am quite low-key, being a low-key person, but doing things high-key."
"But you've been too high-profile, you've killed your old man! You tell me, how unbearable it is for a non-drinker like me to always be dragged to drinking parties?"
"Uncle Zhang didn't go?"
Tan Jincheng asked curiously.
Tan Lihua glanced at the two and sighed,
"He went too, but he's a bit better than me; he can still have a couple of drinks. Plus, Peng Ya often goes back and helps him fend off many drinking parties."
The year they graduated from high school, the two of them were a handful, and both families could be said to be in the same boat, searching everywhere for their sons.
At the time, they really wished they could stuff those two rascals back into their bellies.
Unexpectedly, three years later, he and old Zhang saw their statuses rise significantly because of the impulses of their sons back then.
Leaders they couldn't meet before now meet them, and dinner parties they couldn't get into before, they now sit at the head table.
Where can they go to reason with that?
"It's true, sigh, I'm tired of all the eating and drinking. Staying in Beicang is much more substantial. Frankly, I regret building the factory back home,"
Zhang Xupeng also complained.
"Don't dream, it's the same everywhere once a business grows big. Ask my mom how many dinners I've had at home."
Zhang Suzhi nodded in agreement:
"Not just Jincheng, even Qingqing rarely eats at home now. This child is still studying, why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
"The company is currently in a critical development phase; things will get better after a while."
The topic was too high-level for Zhang Qingliang and his wife to chime in.
As for Zhang Wenzuo and Tan Jinyue, their only responsibility was to eat.
Tan Jinyue still felt a bit unfamiliar with her father, but she was very clingy to Tan Jincheng, insisting on sitting next to him.
This wasn't the first time Tan Jincheng had fed a child.
"Dad, if you find it annoying, just stay here for a few more days. Our company is having an anniversary celebration soon, and it will make an even bigger stir, so if you go back, you might be even less at peace."
Zhang Qingliang could chime in on this:
"Is that the company-wide salary raise? Hasn't that already spread?"
"What company-wide salary raise?"
"It's the first anniversary, so they're giving all employees a raise. Lamei and I both got one; we got 20%, and management got 15%. This has been a big deal in Beicang lately, many people know about it."
Tan Jincheng nodded:
"Yes, this is just a part of it. Tomorrow, I'll go to the company to announce something even bigger. So, if Dad finds the constant dinner parties at home uncomfortable, you should just hide out here for a few days. Plus, Jinyue can get more familiar with you; she's almost forgotten you."
Anyway, nowadays, nobody would complain if Tan Lihua worked a few more or a few less days.
It's also quite nice for the family to reunite for a few days.
The anniversary celebration publicity plan is certainly not as simple as just giving employees a raise.
Shanchi Group will use this opportunity to announce a comprehensive three-year plan.
This time, it will be a high-profile announcement, not like before when it was hidden away.
Moreover, the details of this publicity will include the entire group, with businesses covering apparel, electric vehicles, and lithium battery factories, not just Shanchi Technology.
This is also why Tan Jincheng had Zhang Xupeng directly buy the factory.
Although Jinpeng Industry operates independently, it must also cooperate with the group's overall planning, as Jinpeng Industry is now a subsidiary of the group.
Buying the factory incurred a higher cost, but in terms of time, it was a huge gain.
Labor costs have not yet risen.
For labor-intensive enterprises like apparel and electric vehicles, making money is easiest before industrial upgrading.
"Alright then, I'll stay a few more days. I'll make a call in a bit to request a few extra days off."
Tan Lihua didn't bother asking what the anniversary projects were; he'd find out in a couple of days anyway.
His son was right; he really should come over more often in the future, otherwise, his daughter genuinely wouldn't recognize him.
During the cake-cutting after dinner, Tan Jinyue was naturally the happiest.
She and Tan Jincheng put on small birthday hats and made wishes together.
Zhang Wenzuo wasn't as afraid of his cousin anymore, but he was still a bit shy compared to being in his own home.
Children from rural areas often show such behavior when they first come to the city, and the children in the company's daycare were no exception, perhaps due to confidence issues.
His 21st birthday, with family, a partner, relatives, and friends, was quite good.
---
August 20th, Monday.
Tiangang Grand Hotel Conference Hall.
Just past eight in the morning, Zhou Ao and Chen Jinwen came together to check the venue.
A press conference was scheduled here today, and Shanchi had invited many media outlets from both within and outside the province.
This was the first time Shanchi had actively invited media to hold a press conference since its establishment.
Compared to Lüyuan, which preferred to hold press conferences in Hangcheng, Shanchi's first press conference was, after much consideration, decided to be held in Beicang.
On the one hand, Shanchi's marketing department lacked experience in organizing such large-scale press conferences, and it would be easier to address any shortcomings at their home base in Beicang.
Additionally, the Beicang District Government would assist Shanchi's staff.
On the other hand, holding the first one in Beicang also carried more commemorative significance, even though transportation was much less convenient compared to Hangcheng.
Zhou Ao was the planner for this event.
After his proactive report, Tan Jincheng trusted him even more, directly entrusting many events to him for planning and allowing Zhou Ao creative freedom, which also served as a training exercise for him.
About half an hour later, Zhao Jinsheng arrived with a man of similar age.
The man, surnamed Wang, was an official from the Beicang Propaganda Department, responsible for liaison and assistance with this press conference.
"How is it? No problems, right?"
Zhao Jinsheng asked.
Zhou Ao and Chen Jinwen greeted the two with smiles, replying,
"No problems at all. We prepared all day yesterday; we're just waiting for our boss to arrive."
Zhao Jinsheng nodded and said,
"That's good. If you don't understand anything, ask Brother Wang. It's your first time doing this kind of event, so not knowing the procedures is nothing to be ashamed of."
He had other things to attend to and wouldn't stay long, and in fact, he already knew the content of the event.
Before nine o'clock, media outlets began arriving one after another.
Shanchi had invited several well-known media in the industry and mainstream media from Zhejiang Province, covering their travel and accommodation, providing very thoughtful service.
The first to arrive were the local media from Beicang and Yongcheng, who lived nearby and came early to secure good positions.
Many of these reporters were already well-acquainted privately and were also quite familiar with Zhou Ao.
After exchanging greetings, they each found a good spot and began to chat.
"Hey, do you guys think Boss Tan inviting so many media outlets and making such a big display means he's planning some major moves?"
"Probably. This is truly the first time Boss Tan is personally attending a press conference; this young boss doesn't seem to like appearing in public."
"Who said that? He attended the Olympics last time, didn't he?"
"That doesn't count; that was a mandatory appearance. This is the first time he's actively invited the media like this."
"That's true, it is the first time he's taken the initiative. But Shanchi's development is truly fast."
"Exactly, in just one year, its electric vehicle business has squeezed into the top four nationwide. That's really impressive."
"Another Shenzhou, but Shanchi's business is much more diverse than Shenzhou's, with electric vehicles, apparel, batteries, and components. It's really unclear what it will develop into in the future."
"You missed one. Shanchi, or rather Boss Tan, has more businesses than just these. There's another business that's been quite popular recently; perhaps you've even used it."
"What business?"
"You know Kaixinwang, Friends Buy and Sell, and Parking Space Battle, right? Those are also Boss Tan's ventures. The registered users have already exceeded 2 million, which is simply terrifying."
"Holy cow, no way, Kaixinwang is also Boss Tan's? You've got to be kidding me. That Friends Buy and Sell game is really addictive; I've turned my colleagues into slaves."
"Yeah, no way. How could Kaixinwang be Boss Tan's? Isn't he in traditional industries?"
"Haha, I'm not entirely sure if Kaixinwang belongs to Boss Tan, but it definitely has a strong connection to him. That day I was so addicted to playing that I looked up the entity behind Kaixinwang, called Chenzi Technology. I found that its registered address was right there in our Beicang Financial Building, so I got curious and investigated."
"And then?"
"Then I saw Boss Tan's girlfriend there. Since I had interviewed him before and seen his girlfriend, I inquired and found out that the CEO of Chenzi Technology is his girlfriend. What do you think, does he have a connection?"
"Wow, so it really is related to Boss Tan! I must ask about this later. 2 million users in one and a half months since Kaixinwang launched, it's been a sensation on the internet. I can't believe it's a Beicang company."
"He can also play in the internet industry? What a bizarre character, he seems even more impressive than Ding Sanshi, who can't do traditional business."
"There's still a big gap compared to Ding Sanshi, Kaixinwang's scale is still too small, it can't be compared."
"It can't be compared now, but you have to know that Kaixinwang has only been online for a month and a half, and it already has over 2 million users. Who knows what it will become?"
After that, everyone sighed in admiration.
He was involved in both traditional industries and the internet, and he was doing well in both.
What was even more terrifying was that the person at the helm had just turned 21!
As time passed, more and more reporters joined the group chat.
Reporters are naturally social, and regardless of whether they knew each other, they made sure to gather information from colleagues beforehand.
As they chatted, everyone became increasingly curious about what Tan Jincheng intended to do by holding a press conference today.
(End of chapter)