Chapter 138 There Is Still a Long Way to Go

Aso Yuji's words completely shocked everyone present.

Not only the top executives of international automotive giants, but also important Chinese guests including Mao Zhichang and Zhang Guangyao wore expressions of utter astonishment.

Facing the mixed gazes of surprise and envy surrounding him, Zhao Guoyang appeared quite calm.

He smiled slightly, took the microphone, and said calmly, "Thank you, Mr. Clark and Mr. Yuji Aso, for your high regard. However, I am quite attached to my homeland and do not wish to work too far away from home, so I can only say I am sorry..."

Zhao Guoyang's understated words left people with a sense of disbelief.

One had to realize that the offers just made by the executives from both General Motors and Honda Corporation were already exceptionally high.

This could be seen clearly from the shock plastered across the face of Xiao Guodong, the head of the Technical Development Department at Songqi Group.

Yet Zhao Guoyang had turned them down without hesitation, without even a moment's thought.

Was he truly that steadfast, or was he simply unaware of the lavish treatment offered by foreign enterprises?

This doubt was quickly dismissed by everyone present. The reason was simple: given Zhao Guoyang's earlier fluency in German, English, and Japanese, how could he possibly be completely ignorant of such matters?

Without a doubt, this young man was genuinely unmoved by these offers.

As for whether the proposed compensation had simply fallen short of his expectations, that was beyond anyone's knowledge.

However, in Western values, individual will is still deeply respected. Since Zhao Guoyang had clearly expressed his stance, the automotive giants did not press the matter further.

Even so, without exception, the faces of Clark, Yuji Aso, and the others betrayed a deep sense of regret.

Following this small interlude, the tone of the summit gradually shifted.

Previously, some of the international automotive executives in attendance had looked down to varying degrees upon the experts, scholars, and automotive tycoons of the Republic, with their words carrying a subtle undertone of contempt.

Yet after Zhao Guoyang's stunning emergence, their arrogant demeanor was reined in considerably.

In their subsequent interactions with Mao Zhichang, Zhang Guangyao, and others, a tangible sense of respect was added.

Zhao Guoyang observed all these details. Seeing that he had finally managed to do something worthwhile for domestic automotive enterprises, he felt a weight lift from his mind.

At the same time, Zhao Guoyang was well aware that domestic automakers still had a long and arduous road ahead before they could truly win the respect of others in terms of industrial scale and manufacturing technology.

...

The summit concluded in a friendly, peaceful, and harmonious atmosphere.

With Songjiang Mayor Huang Zhigang taking the stage to deliver the closing remarks, the three-day Songjiang International Auto Expo finally came to a successful and complete close.

As soon as the meeting ended, Zhao Guoyang exchanged a subtle glance with Zhao Siyan beside him, and the two quietly slipped out of the conference hall.

Finally breathing in the fresh outdoor air, Zhao Guoyang couldn't help but open his arms and take a long, deep breath.

Seeing his look of sheer enjoyment, Zhao Siyan chuckled and said, "I must say, Zhao Guoyang, you really seem to love every blade of grass and tree on our Chinese soil, even finding the simple act of breathing the air so delightful... You have no idea, when I heard you turn down Honda's offer just now, I spent quite a while trying to wrap my head around it."

Zhao Guoyang twisted his neck from side to side and replied offhandedly, "What is there to not wrap your head around? No matter how eloquently the Americans and the Japanese paint their pictures, and no matter how many benefits they promise, wouldn't I still just be a hired hand once I went over there? At best, the title would just sound a bit fancier. By comparison, I'd rather build an enterprise of my own."

"Yes, yes, of course I understand the logic. But the compensation they promised is real, you know."

"According to a senior of mine who just graduated, a section chief at a large Japanese enterprise like Honda makes forty to fifty thousand dollars a year. Even with lofty ambitions, why go out of your way to turn away money?"

Seeing Zhao Siyan's apparent incomprehension, Zhao Guoyang continued to explain, "I understand what you're thinking. You believe that with this opportunity, I could go work at a large foreign enterprise for a few years, make a fortune first, and then come back to do what I actually want to do, right?"

Seeing Zhao Siyan nod, Zhao Guoyang waved his hand and said, "That lacks any real challenge. Don't you think it would be far more interesting to build a small, weak enterprise from scratch and grow it into an international giant like General Motors or Volkswagen?"

Hearing this, Zhao Siyan's eyes sparkled with brilliant light, much like a starstruck fan gazing upon her idol.

A series of beeps shattered the brief tranquility between them.

Zhao Guoyang picked up his pager and glanced at the screen. It displayed only four words: "Sister Bai, call back immediately!"

Seeing this message, Zhao Guoyang furrowing his brows slightly, muttering inwardly: Could something have gone wrong with the first batch of goods Monkey shipped out?

Yet, upon second thought, Zhao Guoyang quickly dismissed the notion.

To be fair, Monkey was quite reliable in his work. Zhao Guoyang had already given him very careful and detailed instructions regarding the precautions to take when shipping this batch of hair clips.

Given Monkey's steadiness, no problems should have arisen.

Besides, reckoning that two or three days had already passed without Monkey sending any distress messages, things must have been handled properly.

With this thought, Zhao Guoyang figured that Bai Ruth calling for him was likely not due to any mishap with the cargo, but rather because of some other urgent matter.

He turned to Zhao Siyan and said, "Siyan, I need to go make a phone call. Wait for me here for a moment. Just in case Professor Zhu and the others come looking, they'll be able to find us."

"All right! Go make your call. I'll wait right here for you and go nowhere," Zhao Siyan agreed cheerfully.

Zhao Guoyang found a nearby telephone booth and immediately dialed Bai Ruth's number.

The call connected quickly, and Bai Ruth's soft, gentle voice came through the receiver.

"Hello, is that Guoyang?"

"It's me, Sister Bai. What's the emergency? Is it about the goods not having arrived yet?" Zhao Guoyang asked hurriedly.

Bai Ruth let out a soft chuckle and said, "Look at you, all in a rush! Of course not! Your friend's shipment of hair clips arrived yesterday. The reason I sent you that message today is to let you know that the entire inventory has already been bought out."

"What? Sold out?" Zhao Guoyang was somewhat taken aback. He knew they would sell well, but he hadn't expected them to go quite this fast.

"Well? Surprised? Unexpected?" Sensing Zhao Guoyang's astonishment, Bai Ruth said with a smile.

"This... truly is quite unexpected," Zhao Guoyang said, his mind quickly settling down.

Yet he followed up with a question, "Sister Bai, you just said the shipment only arrived yesterday. Even counting inventory checks and packaging, shouldn't that take at least a couple of days? How did everything sell out in just one day? What on earth happened?"

Hearing Zhao Guoyang's puzzled tone, Bai Ruth proceeded to recount the situation to him in detail.