Manufacturing Is the Foundation of a Nation

Wu Chen turned around and saw Jiang Hongyue walking toward them with a woman. It was Jiang Nan's mother, Lai Shuxian.

They had probably come to check on their daughter because she still hadn't returned so late.

Luckily, he hadn't been making any glib, inappropriate jokes just now.

Wu Chen went up to them with a smile and offered his hand. "Factory Director Jiang, Auntie Lai, hello."

Jiang Hongyue shook his hand and teased, "Teacher Wu, you're young and accomplished."

"I'm not that young anymore. I'll be twenty-six after the new year, or twenty-seven by the traditional reckoning. But my achievements are nothing compared to yours and Teacher Jiang's."

Wu Chen offered a few casual compliments.

He didn't want to spout such oily official pleasantries, much less enjoy it. That was why his dealings with companies had always gone poorly in his previous life.

But after being reborn, he had come to see through many things.

Pleasant words cost nothing, yet they had value.

Jiang Hongyue smiled and waved a hand.

In truth, he really hadn't suffered much when he was young. His parents had carried him all the way.

Meanwhile, Lai Shuxian was also looking at Wu Chen with approval.

She wore an ivory knit top and a pair of navy wide-leg trousers. Her features closely resembled Jiang Nan's, though she had a more graceful, dignified air. She had taken excellent care of herself and looked nothing like a woman in her forties.

Lai Shuxian greeted Wu Chen with a smile, then pointed to a small truck driving in through the factory gate.

"Teacher Wu, Nannan told me you could start work this week. As her parents, we haven't helped much, so we brought some small gifts. You can hand them out to the workers when the time comes, to wish you a prosperous start."

Wu Chen thanked her sincerely. "Thank you, Auntie Lai."

He and Jiang Nan were good at academics, but when it came to navigating social obligations, they really couldn't compare to Jiang Hongyue and Lai Shuxian.

Jiang Nan said nothing, simply calling Chen Yongkang and the others over to unload the gifts.

Wu Chen went over to lend a hand as well.

Unlike the flashy gift boxes from internet companies, the gifts Jiang Hongyue had brought for the start of work were practical.

A premium insulated cup, a pack of free-range eggs, and two jugs of brand-name peanut oil.

They weren't anything expensive, but Chen Yongkang, Li Bin, and the others were pleasantly surprised.

After all, the factory had been idle for a long time, and everyone was anxious about the future.

Now they could suddenly start work again, there were plenty of orders, and there were gifts on top of that. All at once, everyone was as fired up as if they'd been injected with chicken blood.

With everyone pitching in, they quickly moved all the gifts into the warehouse. They could be handed out when the workers arrived the next day.

By the time they finished, it was getting late, so Wu Chen told everyone to go home first.

As he was clearing away the remaining late-night snacks, he saw Chen Yongkang putting two bottles of cola into his bag, so he handed him the few bottles left over as well.

"Old Chen, I didn't know you liked this stuff so much."

Wu Chen made the joke casually.

After all, people tended to join the health-conscious ranks without realizing it once they reached middle age, and rarely drank carbonated beverages.

Chen Yongkang gave an embarrassed smile. "My son likes to drink it after playing ball."

Wu Chen nodded and said nothing more.

After everyone had left, peace finally returned outside the factory building.

Jiang Hongyue watched Chen Yongkang's departing figure, looking a little wistful.

He sighed and said to Wu Chen, "Even Chen Yongkang, a workshop director, is so hard up. Manufacturing really is a tough business these days."

Wu Chen wholeheartedly agreed. "It is."

Jiang Hongyue continued frankly, "Actually, it's not just low-end manufacturing. Even our factory is having a harder and harder time, which is why we're in such a hurry to use your plan. You mustn't let us down, Teacher Wu."

Wu Chen said seriously, "I guarantee there won't be a problem."

"That's all I needed to hear."

Jiang Hongyue laughed heartily, then asked, "There are quite a few university teachers starting businesses these days, but they've all gone down the internet route. What made you think of going into industry, Teacher Wu?"

The global climate was poor in 2008, but things at home still seemed to be flourishing.

It was truly hard for people at that point in time to imagine that the aftershocks of the subprime mortgage crisis would spread all the way to 2025 without subsiding.

But perceptive people had already noticed that the internet was indeed the next big opportunity, on the eve of a period of explosive growth. Investors dared to invest, bosses dared to dream, and employees dared to get to work.

Some people even advocated "being the world's office instead of the world's factory," and learning from the Indians.

So, to many people, entering manufacturing at this time was going against the current.

That was why Wu Chen's answer to Jiang Hongyue's question was brief and clear.

"The economic base determines the superstructure. Manufacturing is the future."

He could earn less money, but he needed the confidence to face the Ugly Country when it tried to choke him off in the future.

Jiang Hongyue was taken aback. He hadn't expected Wu Chen to think that way.

After all, the young elites he had met over the years could talk of nothing but the internet, livestreaming, and the entertainment industry. Their heads were full of ways to make a quick buck.

There really were few people willing to work steadily in industry.

"Then aren't you envious of how quickly people in the internet business make money, Teacher Wu?"

Jiang Hongyue couldn't help asking.

Wu Chen smiled. "I have ways to make money quickly too, but as long as manufacturing backs me up, the money will come even faster. And it won't be loose sand, but a real gold mine."

Once he could manufacture his own graphics cards and establish a computing center of his own, he wouldn't have to pay extra for computing power.

Not only that, he could boost the local economy and increase his social influence, while also becoming a source of support for the country in the future.

Otherwise, he would end up like the future OpenAI, working for Nvidia.

Its so-called money-making was nothing more than trying to spiral into the heavens by stepping on one foot with the other.

"Then let me wish you success in advance, Teacher Wu. And don't worry about finding buyers. I'll keep an extra eye out for you too."

Jiang Hongyue was completely reassured.

Although he couldn't imagine Wu Chen's full plan, he could certainly sense his confidence.

And since twenty percent of Wu Chen's earnings belonged to Jiang Nan, he paid it particular attention.

Just as the two men were discussing economics and politics, Jiang Nan and Lai Shuxian also emerged from the factory building.

While Jiang Hongyue leaned more toward management, Lai Shuxian came from a technical background, so she had just taken a careful look around the factory.

Before she reached them, Jiang Hongyue tossed the cigarette butt in his hand onto the ground.

Lai Shuxian came over and glared at him, then turned to Wu Chen with a very happy smile.

"Teacher, Nannan says you oversaw the modifications to this production line?"

"Yes, Auntie Lai. At the time, there were mainly a few problems..."

Wu Chen briefly explained the situation.

Unlike his conversation with Jiang Hongyue, the matters Wu Chen discussed with Lai Shuxian were more practical.

From broad ideas about technological upgrades and iterations to a solution for a single precision issue, he explained everything in as much detail as he could.

After listening, Lai Shuxian couldn't hide the smile on her face, and the sight made Jiang Hongyue's scalp tingle beside her.

At home before, both he and Jiang Nan had mentioned Wu Chen's name.

Besides, their daughter had invested so much money. Although Lai Shuxian said nothing, her mind was as clear as a mirror, and she had long since investigated Wu Chen from top to bottom.

After so many years of marriage, he could naturally tell that his wife was looking at Wu Chen as a prospective son-in-law. She was probably already turning over how to arrange the two's marriage in her mind.

As for him, ever since learning why Wu Chen hadn't obtained his doctorate, he had let go of his prejudice.

And from their conversation just now, he could tell that Wu Chen was a down-to-earth young man.

But the problem was that, from watching Wu Chen and Jiang Nan interact, he couldn't sense any sign that they were dating at all!

If they tried to force a match, it might even provoke resentment.

Fortunately, Lai Shuxian wasn't someone who spoke carelessly either.

She only asked a technical question now and then, without revealing much of what she was thinking.

When they finished talking, Lai Shuxian glanced at her watch and suddenly asked, "Teacher Wu, it's so late. How are you planning to get home?"

It was more than fifty kilometers from here to where Wu Chen lived.

It was almost three in the morning, so there certainly weren't any buses running.