Just as Haifeng finished seeing Lei Jun out, his phone rang. It was his mother.
"Xiaofeng, are you busy?"
"Your uncle's daughter, Ye Lingzhi—the one you used to play with when you were little—just came back from studying abroad."
"She's job-hunting, so I told her to intern at your company. Find her a position, okay?"
"She's a bright girl. Graduated from a top university. Make good arrangements for her."
Haifeng stiffened.
Ye Lingzhi?
That name hadn't crossed his mind in years, but memories flooded when he heard it.
The Tyrannosaurus from His Childhood
Ye Lingzhi. Daughter of his uncle, Ye Guohua.
Refined name. Zero refinement.
As a child, she was a full-blown little tyrant.
She was a head taller than him at age seven and ruled over their playdates like a warlord.
If she wanted his toys, she'd take them. If he resisted, she'd beat him. If he still resisted, she'd cry—and the adults would blame him.
She once kicked him into a pond just for fun.
She was his ultimate childhood nightmare.
And now… she was coming back.
Haifeng instinctively wanted to reject the request. But his mother didn't give him a chance.
"I already told your uncle. It's done. She'll report to your company in a few days. Don't forget to set it up."
Click. She hung up.
Haifeng stood there in silence, still processing the call.
I'm the CEO of China Star…, and I'm about to get bullied by a girl I haven't seen in a decade.
No way.
He made a quick mental decision:
He'd assign her to a far-off subsidiary. One of the smaller branches. Somewhere far away from HQ.
Out of sight, out of danger.
The Next Morning – Audi Assembly Plant
Today was huge—for Haifeng, Audi Co., and every staff member.
The first domestic Audi A4, built entirely with a self-developed engine, was about to roll off the line.
Everyone in the company had gathered on the production floor for the moment.
"It's coming out!"
"We did it!"
"It's happening!"
The testing room doors opened, and a silver-gray Audi A4 rolled out.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The driver—one of the engineers—leaned on the horn, beaming, as the entire workshop erupted into applause.
"Light the firecrackers!!"
Haifeng gave the command, and a string of firecrackers roared to life.
Crack! Bang! Boom!
The air filled with celebration as cheers echoed through the factory.
This wasn't just any car.
It was their car.
Engine: in-house
Gearbox: in-house
Chassis: in-house
Full IP: 100% owned
This was the first entirely domestically developed Audi A4 to roll off the line in China.
Xu Zhilin stepped forward, standing proudly in front of the vehicle.
"Everyone—quiet for a moment."
"This Audi A4 was built with our blood, sweat, and brains.
You know who made it possible?"
The crowd turned as one, all eyes locking on Haifeng.
"President Lu!"
"President Lu!"
"President Lu!"
Chants broke out across the workshop.
"President Lu—say a few words!"
"Give us a speech!"