From Wage Slave to Tycoon

But this was good, too. It added a little surprise to tomorrow’s annual meeting.

The group chatted a bit more about the annual meeting, mostly asking if anyone had a talent they could perform, like singing a song or something similar.

Just as the conversation was getting lively, Su Chen’s phone, which he had placed on the table, started to ring.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ~

All eyes fell on the phone. When they saw the caller ID was Xiao Chen, Si Cong had the strongest reaction; his face tensed, and his eyes widened noticeably.

Su Chen picked up his phone, apologized to the others, and walked straight into the study.

"Si Cong, what was that about? Why such a strong reaction?" Although Chen He’s voice was quiet, Deng Chao and the others heard him perfectly clearly.

Si Cong just shook his head, clearly having no intention of explaining. Chen He and the other two could see that something was off with him, as if the topic was taboo.

The three exchanged a look, then sat back quietly and closed their eyes to rest.

Once inside the study, Su Chen immediately answered the call.

"Hello, Brother Cheen. What important instructions do you have for me?" Su Chen asked teasingly.

"You punk, still trying to be funny? Instructions? What instructions could I possibly give you? I’m calling to tell you there’s been a break on that matter you mentioned before!"

"Hm." Su Chen’s tone immediately turned serious. He knew Xiao Chen was talking about the task he had entrusted him with before leaving the Imperial Capital—finding a place to build a factory complex. After all, both chip research and the manufacturing of ultra-high-end CNC machine tools required the construction of large-scale factories.

If they could find a suitable location now, he could save a considerable amount of time and energy.

"Brother Cheen, stop keeping me in suspense. Just tell me where it is!" Su Chen said bluntly.

"After a professional screening, there are two locations that seem suitable for you. The first is Peng City in the south. It’s a hub for high-tech industries, which will be a great help in recruiting the talent you need. The downside is that the available land area isn’t very large."

"You know Peng City—every inch of land is worth a fortune these days. We can only look for places in the outskirts, and even then, the upfront investment would be massive!"

"The second option is the Northeast. You know that as times have changed, many places in the Northeast have fallen into decline. A number of factory complexes have closed down. If you build your factories in the Northeast, you can pick any location you want. If you take a fancy to any of the shuttered factory complexes, they’ll even give them to you for free!"

Su Chen pursed his lips. Peng City was within his expectations, but what he hadn’t anticipated was Xiao Chen’s second recommendation—the Northeast.

There was surely a reason Xiao Chen had recommended the Northeast. It was undoubtedly in the hope that Su Chen’s industry could drive local development; otherwise, he wouldn’t have said they would give the factory complexes away for free.

After a moment of silence, Su Chen said, "Brother Cheen, let me think it over first."

"Alright. Call me directly once you’ve made up your mind!"

"Okay."

Just as Su Chen was about to hang up, Xiao Chen’s voice came through again. "Oh, right, I almost forgot something!"

"Something else?"

"Yeah. The Elder asked me to pass on a message. If you have time during the New Year, come visit the Imperial Capital!"

This time, Su Chen was completely stunned. ’Elder Xiao is actually inviting me to visit for the New Year? Isn’t that just asking me to pay a formal New Year’s call? Does this mean I’ve finally earned the old man’s genuine respect?’

For a moment, Su Chen’s thoughts were a tangled mess. When he finally came to his senses, he realized the call had already ended.

’I can’t figure it out just by thinking about it now. When I meet the Elder, I’ll naturally find out what’s going on.’

He composed himself, rubbing his face which had grown stiff from contemplation, then opened the study door and went out.

Walking over to the sofa, he clapped his hands and said, "It’s getting late, let’s all go get something to eat. We’ll treat it as a welcome dinner for Deng Chao and his wife!"

"Mr. Su, you’re going to too much trouble," Deng Chao said with some embarrassment.

"What do you mean, ’too much trouble’? Deng Chao, you’re being way too reserved. Today, we’re going to eat him out of house and home! Order only the most expensive items on the menu!"

"You know the saying: be frugal when it’s your own money, be ruthless when it’s someone else’s. How can we pass up such a rare opportunity!"

Si Cong slung an arm around Deng Chao’s shoulder, leading him toward the door as he spoke.

Hearing Si Cong’s words, Su Chen knew that with him around, his wallet was in for a rough time today.

He shook his head and let out a long sigh.

’I’ve really made some poor choices in friends!’