ABT Chapter 0119 Red Flag Red Flag

Watching Cheng Ke nibble on the buns, Li Fanyu felt quite conflicted.

I mean, sis, it's been almost twenty minutes and you've only eaten half a bun. Don't you think that's a bit harsh on the bun?

But seeing Cheng Ke's vacant expression, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her. I mean, even Cheng's dad, why stir up trouble by meeting his first love? If you have a good first love, why not just let it be? It only gets found out by the wife.

But, doing someone a favor, Li Fanyu sighed and comforted her, "Keke, I had a long chat with Uncle last night, and it seems he really didn't do anything wrong to Auntie. You have to believe this, otherwise, you can't insist on not divorcing Auntie."

Cheng Ke paused. "I know."

Li Fanyu was about to continue advising her when he heard her say that, immediately curious, "Did Uncle explain it to you last night?"

"No, my mom told me last night."

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, actually, my mom knew everything from start to finish. My dad got a call from Aunt Yao saying she was back from overseas, and then they went out to dinner together. My mom knew everything."

"Goodness!" Li Fanyu's brain short-circuited. This was too much information, a bit baffling.

Since Cheng's mom knew everything, why make such a fuss?

Fishing law enforcement? Are this couple also playing this game... it's terrifying to think about!

Cheng Ke finally stuffed the poor bun into her mouth and mumbled with her cheeks bulging, "My mom said that a man's little stirrings must be fully controlled and dealt with promptly. Even if she knows he's innocent, the motive is still off. So you have to make your position clear and stick to your bottom line. You must not give him any chance to harbor wishful thinking and nip the stirrings in the bud."

Li Fanyu was dumbfounded. This rhetoric sounded so secondhand. Was your mom from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Damn it!

Resting her chin on her hand, Cheng Ke sighed deeply and said softly, "Maintaining a relationship is so complicated. Fan Ge, do you think I'm so stupid and don't have the cunning methods my mom has? Will I be cheated on after marriage..."

Li Fanyu smacked his lips. "Are you so depressed because of this?"

Cheng Ke tilted her head. "Yeah."

"Oh my god..." Li Fanyu collapsed onto the bed.

Seeing his speechless look, Cheng Ke's eyes lit up, and she leaned over, "Hey, Fan Ge, did you have a first love?"

"Yes!" Li Fanyu buried his face in the blanket and answered in a muffled voice.

"Tell me, when did it happen, in high school? Or in your freshman year of college?"

"In kindergarten!"

"Wow, really? What kind of relationship did you have? Did you progress to anything?"

"Hmph, we even napped together on the same bed."

"Ah? What happened later? Did you keep in touch in elementary or middle school?"

"No!"

"Why not? Such a pure relationship."

Li Fanyu lifted his head, hands clutching the blanket, recalling the cause of his embarrassment. Covering his face, he said, "Later, I found out he was a boy..."

Cheng Ke was shocked beyond words. After a while, the flames of gossip ignited fiercely in her, and she grabbed his arm, "What happened exactly?"

"Kids go through a phase where they're curious about the opposite sex, you know?"

Cheng Ke widened her eyes and shook her head.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't resist lifting his skirt, and then I found out... we both had the same anatomy..."

Cheng Ke was shocked, "How could this happen!"

"Later... I heard that when he was born, the fortune teller said he had a short life and wouldn't live past ten unless he was raised as a girl before the age of six. So his naive parents gave him a girl's name and dressed him as a girl... I didn't know at the time! After lifting his skirt, I cried all afternoon—scared." 

Cheng Ke imagined the embarrassment of little Fanyu at the time, burst out laughing, and rolled around on the bed.

After teasing him for a while, Cheng Ke finally returned to her normal state. Seeing her disheveled appearance in the mirror, she screamed and rushed into the bathroom.

She washed her face while unable to suppress her laughter.

"Well, Fan Ge doesn't have a first love. If he did... well! It'd be one less trouble."

So, in a very good mood, Cheng Ke dragged Li Fanyu around the streets for the morning. But this time, there were no shopping perks because this girl didn't buy anything, just to spend more time with Li Fanyu.

After lunch, Li Fanyu returned to the factory.

The factory was still in its usual state, without production, the factory was like a person with no blood circulation, lifeless. Only when it started running and working was it considered a real factory.

A group of workers, led by Sun Guoyi, were maintaining and repairing equipment. If not for this, the workers would probably be gathered together playing cards.

Thinking of Cheng's dad's promise last night, Li Fanyu's heart felt like it was being gnawed by ants. Without waiting for the other party to contact him, he dialed the phone directly.

At this time, Cheng Boxian had just finished the meeting and returned to his office. Seeing Li Fanyu calling, he quickly picked up the phone and asked, "How's Keke?"

Li Fanyu looked like a lackey, "Uncle, don't worry, she's back to normal now. She even went shopping in the morning."

"That's good, thank you, little Fan, for your trouble."

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing. Um, Uncle... about the engine..."

Cheng Boxian slapped his head. "I checked for you, and there's actually a car company that's quite suitable. But to secure that order, I don't think you can handle it on your own. You'll need someone from the government to step in."

Li Fanyu was ecstatic. As long as there's an opportunity!

"Which company?"

Cheng Boxian paused. "Hongqi."

"Hongqi?!"

Li Fanyu was stunned. What's with this thunderous feeling?

Hongqi Automobile, the second oldest brother in the Chinese automotive industry! Why say second? Because the first automotive factory in China was Dongfeng.

In 1957, the Republic's eldest son, Yi Qi Company, began researching sedans, but sedans were virtually non-existent in China at the time. So they had to directly copy foreign cars, but fortune favors the prepared mind. At that time, Yi Qi used sheet metal workers and cobblers to create a Dongfeng brand sedan—CA71. Why called Dongfeng? Because the great leader Chairman Mao once said; the east wind prevails over the west wind.

CA71 was directly "borrowed" from the French SIRNCAVEDETEE's design, with a Mercedes-Benz 190 chassis. However, no matter what, it can be considered the maiden voyage of Chinese cars.

But this car had problems less than six months after it left the factory—it kept breaking down. You have to understand, cars in those days weren't for ordinary leaders, they were for top leaders! You can't expect top leaders to go out and run errands with a repairman in tow, can you?

So, in the year after Dongfeng, the second oldest brother, Hongqi, was born. Hongqi's strategy at the time was still ambitious. They directly "referenced" the American Crown Imperial and named it Hongqi CA72. Although it was suspected of being a knock-off, CA72 was generally reliable. At least it wouldn't break down while driving. And with its high positioning, it was quite suitable as a leader's vehicle. It's worth mentioning that Hongqi was lucky. Shortly after it came off the assembly line, it coincidentally coincided with the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.

It appeared frequently in a series of celebratory events, establishing Hongqi's status and becoming an indelible classic of a generation.

However, in the automotive industry, if you don't advance, you're doomed to be eliminated. Hongqi, not seeking progress, tasted the sweetness of imitation and successively imitated the American Oldsmobile, the President City, and finally learned from the Japanese, making a Hongqi version of the Toyota Crown. Gradually, it strayed farther and farther from the right path, quietly fading away.

But even though Hongqi had made a series of blunders for decades, causing production to stop at one point, it still stood firm. However, it could only be seen at the National Day military parade, becoming a complete spiritual symbol and political symbol.

In recent years, the declining Hongqi always wanted to make a comeback. It released luxury sedans, luxury SUVs, and so on. But it's painful to say, the second oldest brother has always been imitating and never thinking about surpassing. After eating into the old bottom line for decades, it's really hard for them.

(For those interested, you can search for Hongqi's luxury SUV and then compare it to the Land Rover Range Rover. Then take a look at their respective prices, and you'll know what's funny.)

And now, they finally realized—the times have changed.

To succeed in China, you can't go for the aloof route anymore. Previous success was because no one had cars, so when they saw the leader's vehicle, they would naturally admire it. But that's admiration for privilege, not for the car itself.

Only by getting close to the masses is the best chance for a rebirth.

So, after painful consideration, Hongqi decided—put out a hundred billion, develop a new car!

But before even a tenth of the hundred billion was spent, Hongqi's old problem resurfaced. Some technical difficulties remained unsolved, and the thought of borrowing and seeking help came back.

Currently, they're developing a C-class car, also known as mid-to-large-sized in the market.

The current technical difficulties mainly focus on the engine, gearbox, and platform technology. So with a wave of the executives' hands, they imported the platform from Germany, used the gearbox from the United States, and decided to use Mitsubishi for the engine.

Once this news came out, it immediately sparked a backlash in the domestic market. —Didn't you say you wanted to be independent? A hundred billion yuan! Has the flag been planted on the dog? Has the dog entered the dog meat restaurant?

So now, Hongqi is in a dilemma. If they make it themselves, they definitely won't be able to do it in a short time. Importing it, the car's reputation won't be good, and the comeback battle definitely won't be fought.

And the flag is occasionally dug out by good-hearted people to remind them.

This is very awkward.

After listening to Cheng Boxian's analysis, Li Fanyu's eyes lit up; independence, our ZGX888 is also independent! The second oldest brother Hongqi, we're a perfect match...

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