Chapter 506: The Senate
Yuanxin's equity control structure had been in the works since the year before last. Last year, Yuanxin Holdings was formally established, and the founding members were listed as shareholders. Today, the founding team consisted of exactly sixty people.
Most of them had joined at the very beginning of Yuanxin's journey—they were founding elders in every sense. The others were individuals who had made extraordinary contributions or had chosen to board the ship of what had become a technological behemoth.
These sixty people held control over most of Yuanxin's power and wealth.
Even Xi Xiaoding, in the face of the approaching redistribution of power and capital, had to take it seriously. He knew that although Su Yuanshan and Chen Jing had been planning this for a long time—and the original concept was born from discussions among the three of them—until the moment of formal announcement, everything could still change, still be adjusted.
Xi also understood that Su Yuanshan valued his opinion deeply. After a long pause, he finally shook his head and said, "Xiao Shan, I don't have much to say. If you're asking for my thoughts, well… I've never had great material desires. I'm happy with what I have. And I trust that if there's ever a time when I really need financial support, you won't abandon me."
Su Yuanshan hadn't expected this kind of answer and nodded with a smile. "Right. Giving you a hundred or two million wouldn't be a problem."
"Heh. That's why I don't think my low desire should shape decisions for others," Xi said with a pause. "And, the longer Yuanxin operates, the more it becomes clear… many of these people weren't part of the first wave, but plenty have been with us since we were working out of the Jiangdu office building. In many ways, they form the backbone of everything we've built."
"Agreed," Su Yuanshan nodded again.
"So I suggest you make sure to reserve enough equity for rewards."
"Do you think the reserved shares should remain within Yuanxin Technology? Or Yuanxin Holdings?" Su Yuanshan asked quickly. "Right now, Chen Jing and I plan to keep them in Yuanxin Holdings—for future IPO flexibility, if necessary."
"Hmm…" Xi pondered again.
Once the shareholding reform was completed, Yuanxin Technology would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Yuanxin Holdings. If employee incentive shares were retained in Technology, then Yuanxin Tech would have two major shareholders: the incentive shares and Yuanxin Holdings' founder equity.
"I'm not a business structure expert. You two can decide that," Xi finally said with a wry smile. "But if we're not planning to go public in the short term, we must guarantee proper benefits and dividends. Otherwise… people lose heart, and then it's hard to lead them—your words, not mine."
"Uh… anything else? No other demands?"
"What else would I ask for? That's it."
"Then I've got a request," Su Yuanshan exhaled deeply, smiling. "Senior, you're going to be our first roundtable chair."
…
The next day was the busiest day of the year between Yuanxin's tech park and the airport. From morning till night, shuttle cars came and went nonstop, bringing back the giants of the company from all across the country.
Among them were Chen Jing, Wang Rui, Duan Yongping, as well as Wang Chaoxin from Zhongxin, Zhang Rujin and Liang Mengsong from Deyuan.
Naturally, many of Su Yuanshan's fellow senior engineers and veterans like Li Mingliu and Gao Xiaodi were also in attendance.
To ordinary employees, the fact that so many big shots had returned probably meant the annual meeting would be especially grand this year. But to the executives, they knew this was the moment that would decide Yuanxin's future power structure.
Su Yuanshan didn't personally receive everyone. After greeting Chen Jing, he left the welcoming duties to Zhou Xiaohui and the administrative director Liu Hongyan, and instead went with Chen Jing and Xi Xiaoding directly to his office—none of them even bothered to return home first.
This was a true closed-door consultation.
"This is the draft proposal." Chen Jing pulled two documents from her briefcase and handed one each to Su Yuanshan and Xi. She walked over to the water dispenser, retrieved a box of tea from Su's bookshelf, and began brewing.
Tea in hand, she sat by the couch and softly began explaining as the two reviewed the document: "According to the principle of 'equity does not determine position,' I believe the three-tier 'layer cake' structure we've discussed is the most effective."
The three-layer structure was as follows: the first layer was all shareholders of Yuanxin Holdings—including the founders and employees with incentivized equity. The second layer was the current sixty-person founding team. The third layer was a twelve-person executive board elected from within the sixty, with a rotating chair.
—This was the structure Su Yuanshan had finalized after referencing multiple governance models and even consulting national leaders. Those paying close attention would notice it mirrored the structure of China's political system.
"Voting rights go as follows: you retain two permanent votes, the rotating chair gets two votes, and all others have one vote," Chen Jing continued. "Although… that's an even number. Want to have three votes instead?"
"…" Su Yuanshan looked up and saw Chen Jing grinning at him. "Jing-jie, don't joke. If I don't even have the ability to persuade the group, then even ten votes won't mean anything."
Xi Xiaoding smiled faintly but said nothing.
No matter the proposal, he'd just sign off and vote in Su Yuanshan's favor.
Chen Jing sighed gently. "Xiao Shan, people's hearts are unpredictable."
"People's hearts may be hard to predict, but the future is even harder," Su Yuanshan lowered his gaze and said calmly, "If I say I can see the future, who dares to doubt me?"
Xi Xiaoding: "…"
Chen Jing: "…"
"Hehe." Even Su Yuanshan realized he was overdoing it and chuckled. "Still, three votes sounds fair. I'm young—I should show a bit of superiority. And hey, I'm giving up a chunk of flesh here…"
They all laughed together.
It was true: Yuanxin was still, on paper, a private company, and Su Yuanshan remained its largest shareholder.
Everything being distributed now was from his personal stake.
"Executive board members will be selected every five years; chair rotates annually," Su Yuanshan mused aloud. "Feels like an election. If someone didn't know better, they'd think we were running a micro-nation."
"Don't be dramatic. Who's that bored?" Chen Jing rolled her eyes. She could see both had finished reviewing the draft and were starting to take it seriously.
"So then, who chooses the first twelve executive board members? Vote or appointment?"
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Chapter 507: Dividing the Cake
This time, Su Yuanshan didn't hesitate at all. "Direct appointment."
"The names?" Chen Jing immediately locked eyes with him.
"The three of us are set, and Xi will be the first roundtable chair."
Xi Xiaoding, who had spent the entire previous day being dragged through philosophical discussions by Su Yuanshan, was already exhausted. He nodded without protest. "It's just a few extra signatures, no big deal."
"Okay, and the rest? Are we still dividing by enterprise and research branches?" Chen Jing naturally didn't object to Xi being the first chair—after all, it had been her suggestion. And Yuanxin Holdings, by design, wasn't meant to directly interfere in Yuanxin Technology's day-to-day operations.
"Yes. We're a technology-driven company, and the importance of R&D is unquestionable."
"Then who else?" she pressed.
"Why don't the three of us each nominate one candidate?" Su Yuanshan suggested with a smile, seeing their hesitation.
"Sure. I'll go first—Duan Yongping," Chen Jing said without blinking.
Duan Yongping had, by now, become the de facto president of Yuanxin, shouldering much of Chen Jing's workload and stress. Without him, given how rapidly Yuanxin had expanded last year, it's doubtful Chen Jing could have kept up physically, even if her capabilities weren't in question.
Thanks to Duan, Chen Jing could now focus primarily on cross-border cooperation as CEO and chairwoman, leaving the operational grind behind. She no longer had to fly across the country nonstop.
Xi nodded. "Then I nominate Li Mingliu."
"I'll nominate Zhang Rujin," Su Yuanshan said, seeing them both turn to him. He chuckled, "Old Zhang will probably only serve this one term. It'll give him a little more motivation to build up Deyuan."
"Then I'll nominate Wang Rui," Chen Jing said quickly. Seeing Su and Xi both leaning toward R&D and manufacturing choices, she rolled her eyes. "Wang Rui is your senior brother, isn't he?"
"So is Jiang Qingchuan... but I'm not nominating him," Su Yuanshan grinned. "I'll help you nominate Wang Chaoxin. He officially joined the Yuanxin family this year, and he's extremely capable. Arguably no weaker than Old Duan. He's just been limited to smaller sectors. But that might be a good thing—packaging and testing will become as critical as chip design in the semiconductor world, and he'll become a giant in that field."
Chen Jing nodded. "Alright, how many is that?"
"Seven."
"Actually," she hesitated for a moment, "I was thinking of nominating Zhu Yuanxin."
"Hmm?" Both Su Yuanshan and Xi looked surprised.
Zhu Yuanxin was the head of the capital design center—a local warlord, essentially. But this round of twelve wasn't about who held power or even operational excellence—it was about strategic vision and capacity to meet future challenges.
Moreover, Zhu had joined Yuanxin relatively late. He was appointed during a time when no one else was available to run the design center, so his qualifications and achievements didn't quite match the level needed for a place in the highest leadership.
Not to mention, he wasn't even among the original sixty shareholders—he was set to receive his incentive shares in the first batch.
Seeing their doubtful gazes, Chen Jing hesitated briefly before continuing: "I worked alongside Zhu Yuanxin in the capital for a full year. Even though I'm the chair of Yuanxin, the entire tech park there has been under his control. I've barely interfered."
"So, from site planning to full operation, from an initial team of just over 30 people to more than 300 now—Zhu Yuanxin has managed the design center with precision and discipline. And..."
"Though I never meddled in the center's day-to-day, you both know how close the siheyuan complex is—the offices, dining area, everything. So we talk a lot. I can't rule out the possibility that he tried to impress me deliberately, but if we just look at the facts—Zhu has seriously reflected on the future of product design."
"His ideas aren't just fanciful dreams. He analyzes things from an aesthetic, cultural, and international design perspective. He's been leading a research group at the center focused on foreign design trends, and they're about to release some in-depth reports. I read a draft the other day—it's extremely well done."
Chen Jing picked up her teacup, blew lightly, took a sip, and continued, "Since we're aiming for the IBM model, then product design must become a top-tier domain. I believe Zhu has the ability to make Yuanxin's design center not just the best in China—honestly, it already is—but the best in the world."
She turned to Su Yuanshan. "Design is something you've always valued. So… I'll let you decide whether to approve or not."
Su Yuanshan hesitated.
He had to admit, Zhu Yuanxin's last few designs had truly impressed him. But he hadn't expected Chen Jing to rate him this highly… And this was supposed to be a moment to reward the "elders"...
Seeing Su's hesitation, Xi and Chen exchanged a glance. Xi finally smiled and said, "Xiao Shan, don't limit yourself by conventions. I trust Chen's judgment."
"And so do I," Su said without hesitation. "Jing-jie's standards are even stricter than mine. If she's confident, then I'm in."
Chen Jing gave a light cough and shot him a subtle glare, eyes sparkling.
"Alright, no more back and forth," Su Yuanshan said, taking a deep breath. "If Liu Bei dared to use Wei Yan, then I can use Zhu Yuanxin."
"Oh? So you're comparing yourself to Liu Bei now?" she teased.
"Just a metaphor, come on. That makes eight. Who's next?"
"Jiang Qingchuan," Chen Jing said without missing a beat.
Now that Duan Yongping had fully taken over day-to-day management of the tech park, Jiang had become the de facto leader of the industrial zone, overseeing Yuanxin's largest physical and personnel footprint.
Though Jiang came from a technical background, now that he was leading the OEM manufacturing complex, he belonged firmly in the "enterprise" camp.
"What about Lao Tian and Lao Qin?" Xi asked, looking at Su Yuanshan, then at Chen Jing. "Aren't we tipping the scale a bit on R&D?"
"No problem. I count as enterprise-side—I'm backing Jing-jie," Su Yuanshan replied cheerfully.
Chen Jing laughed and gave Su Yuanshan a sidelong glance. "Maybe R&D isn't overrepresented… but your senior brothers sure are."
"What can I say?" Su Yuanshan shrugged. "If you can find someone better than them, I'll gladly reconsider."
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Chapter 508: The Roundtable Conference
"Everyone's here?" Su Yuanshan looked at Chen Jing.
"All present."
"Hmm… but Jing-jie, didn't you sneak in an extra pick?" Su Yuanshan counted on his fingers, then teased, "Look—I've got Jiang and Wang, both my senior brothers, plus Old Duan, and now Zhu Yuanxin too..."
Chen Jing didn't mind the jab and replied with a grin, "Shall we kick someone out then?"
"Uh… let's not make enemies." Su Yuanshan chuckled and quickly scribbled the finalized names in his notebook.
Even though Su Yuanshan could "see the future," his energy and expertise were limited—he couldn't be everywhere at once. These people represented the finest minds across various fields in China today. And in the next five years, they would undoubtedly become the most influential business leaders within Yuanxin.
Su needed their collective intelligence to steer this massive ship through inevitable storms.
As for the direction of the ship? That had been set long ago—research-first, self-reliance-first. It was a path full of hardship, but there was no turning back.
Once the list was confirmed, the three of them went through the rest of the structural details again. After a short round of discussion, Su Yuanshan decided to leave some topics open for the evening roundtable meeting, to hear broader input.
Then, the three began contacting the first batch of executive board members.
By 7 p.m., after dinner, the summoned leaders began arriving at the Yuanxin conference hall one after another.
…
Duan Yongping and Jiang Qingchuan arrived together.
They had worked alongside each other in the Special Economic Zone for quite some time. There had been plenty of rumors about rivalry and power struggles between them—some even attributed it to their subordinates, who often fought fiercely over power and influence. But between the two men themselves, there was a strong mutual understanding, and they hadn't let their teams' scheming mislead them.
Privately, they were quite friendly.
"Old Jiang, is your pop star wife coming this time?" Duan nudged Jiang's arm and joked as they neared the admin building.
Despite being extremely familiar with the location—he had been running things in Chen Jing's place for over six months—Duan couldn't help feeling excited and nervous. Just two years ago, he hadn't even joined Yuanxin. And now he was walking into what could be described as the pinnacle of power.
"Yeah, she's on the schedule." Jiang had his hands in his pockets, unusually relaxed. He glanced at Duan's serious expression and smiled. "Old Duan, you nervous?"
"Mm, mostly because Shan keeps acting so mysterious." Duan chuckled self-deprecatingly as they walked into the elevator. "We still don't even know who all's been invited tonight—do you?"
"No idea," Jiang said, then looked at Duan sideways. "But I don't believe for a second that you haven't guessed."
Duan simply shook his head with a smile. "Haha, not gonna speculate."
Truthfully, he had a pretty good sense.
Even if he didn't know who the first twelve board members were, he was familiar with the structure Yuanxin Holdings had in mind.
Twelve people—like the Knights of the Round Table.
Given the current state of Yuanxin's development, the twelve were certain to be individuals with major influence over the company's future. The rest was easy to infer.
Exiting the elevator, they kept pace, stepping aside for the administrative staff still burning the midnight oil. Just before reaching the conference room corridor, they ran into Zhou Xiaohui.
"Secretary Zhou," Duan greeted her, momentarily surprised. Was Su Yuanshan positioning her directly now? But his face didn't betray the thought—he simply smiled. "You're here early."
"Mm. This road's mine tonight. If you want to pass, you'll have to pay the toll," Zhou Xiaohui joked, then stepped aside with a flourish. "Gentlemen, please."
The two exchanged a quick glance but said nothing, nodding politely as they entered the room.
The meeting room was the same as always. A few others had already arrived.
But what stood out was that sitting at the head of the table—where he had never sat before—was Su Yuanshan.
To his left and right were Xi Xiaoding and Chen Jing, already seated.
…
At exactly 7:00 p.m., the first executive board meeting of Yuanxin Holdings officially began.
Su Yuanshan presided, flanked by Xi Xiaoding, Chen Jing, Qin Weimin, Tian Yaoming, Li Mingliu, Zhang Rujin, Jiang Qingchuan, Wang Rui, Duan Yongping, Wang Chaoxin, and Zhu Yuanxin. All twelve had taken their seats.
"Frankly, I don't like hosting meetings," Su Yuanshan began, his eyes scanning the room with a smile. As he saw nods and smiles in return, he shrugged self-deprecatingly. "So I'm just here to represent Yuanxin's founding team and give a brief opening. Then I'll hand the mic to Dr. Xi Xiaoding."
"In front of each of you is a document. This outlines the proposed shareholder structure and governance model for Yuanxin Holdings. Please read through it and speak freely afterward."
He paused for a beat, his expression turning sincere. "My senior brothers, my mentors… this is a serious matter. I hope everyone will speak openly."
"Now, I'll turn the floor over to our Chairman," Su said, standing and motioning toward Xi, leading the group in a round of applause.
As applause rang out, Xi Xiaoding stood and gave Su a knowing, helpless smile. He adjusted his jacket, then switched seats with Su and took the chairman's seat.
Su's authority only needed to be displayed for a moment—it was already enough.
…
"As you review the document, I'll briefly explain our role as executive board members and our relationship to Yuanxin Technology," Xi said, taking a sip of tea and addressing the group calmly.
"First, we are the executive board of Yuanxin Holdings. We represent the interests of its sixty-some shareholders—and those who will earn shares through outstanding contributions in the future."
"Second, our roles here do not affect our respective positions and duties within Yuanxin Technology."
"Lastly—and most importantly—our purpose is to ensure that Yuanxin Technology has the strength to meet future challenges. It is not to maximize benefits for any particular stakeholder."
That last line was delivered with noticeable weight.
When Xi had discussed whether this should be explicitly stated with Su and Chen, both had agreed that it would be inappropriate for either of them to say it.
But coming from Xi? It couldn't have been more perfect.
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Chapter 509: Defining the Path
Words that essentially called out any attempt to form cliques—only someone like President Xi, with his transcendent status, could say them without provoking unnecessary speculation.
President Xi had already been promoted to full professor the year before—making him the youngest in the country to achieve that rank. The University of Electronic Science and Technology was also actively working to push his candidacy for the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Su Yuanshan was all for it.
Xi Xiaoding's achievements and capabilities were indisputable. Four years ago, during a time of national scientific uncertainty, he had chosen to return home from an Ivy League school to join Yuanxin. There, he founded what became known as the crown jewel of China's semiconductor field—Yuanxin's EDA division. He then led Pandora Lab to develop YXLAB, a software suite now mentioned in the same breath as MATLAB and Maple.
Thanks to that, China finally had its own suite of professional mathematical tools.
Now, he was spearheading leading-edge AI and deep learning research at Pandora Lab, pushing ahead of international counterparts.
All of this made his earlier work—such as his book An Introduction to Elementary Algorithms—seem almost trivial in comparison.
Yet the book had already become legendary in programming circles. There was a joke now widely circulated among university students: "What's the most misleading book title of all time?"
The answer: An Introduction to Elementary Algorithms by President Xi.
It looked like a beginner's guide, but in truth, you could study it straight through to a PhD.
With accolades like that, Xi was undoubtedly a strong contender for the Academy. The only things working against him were age and formal seniority.
…
After his pointed but necessary remarks, the room fell into quiet smiles, and everyone returned to their documents.
Ten minutes later, eyes gradually lifted toward the chairman—then toward Su Yuanshan.
"You've probably noticed," Xi said, "that my role as chairman is temporary—a one-year term. Still, even as a temporary position, each round's chairman will hold two votes. Meanwhile, Su Yuanshan—who retains the authority granted by the founding shareholders—will permanently hold three votes."
"Then doesn't that mean the chairman has five votes?" Tian Yaoming, seated next to Su Yuanshan, nudged him with a whisper.
"Senior Tian, your math needs work."
"Uh… four votes," Tian grinned sheepishly, embarrassed by his elementary error. "Haha… should I just delegate my vote to you?"
"...Let's try to be professional."
Their whispered exchange drew a few chuckles from around the table. After all, this was the moment everyone had been anticipating—the "dividing of the cake." No one was about to ruin the atmosphere with formality.
And based on the initial composition of the executive board, it was clear that nearly all members were leaders of Yuanxin's core divisions—and more than half were Su Yuanshan's senior brothers. With Qin Weimin, Jiang Qingchuan, and Wang Rui among them, it was clear Su held considerable sway.
To those of a conspiratorial mindset, the structure looked reminiscent of the late Qing Dynasty's imperial cabinet—filled with royals.
But everyone here also understood one thing: Yuanxin had reached its current heights largely because Su Yuanshan had absolute control over the company's direction.
And that control wasn't a matter of title—but of real capability.
…
"I'd like to make a suggestion," Zhang Rujin said, noticing the room had begun to loosen into informal chatter. He nodded to Chen Jing, then looked around at the group.
"Dr. Zhang, please," Xi gestured politely.
"Right now, Yuanxin's operations span two major domains: semiconductors and electronic products. It's time for us to clearly define who we are. Are we a semiconductor company? Or are we an electronics and digital products company?"
He looked to Su Yuanshan for an answer.
As the head of Deyuan Semiconductor, Zhang knew better than anyone the sheer strength of a dominant wafer fabrication plant.
Just look at Intel. With nothing more than CPU design and manufacturing, it had become the world's leading semiconductor company—both in revenue and in profitability.
In comparison, electronic consumer products were considered "lower-tier" industries.
But everyone also knew that growing a semiconductor business, especially a foundry, required massive capital investments and continuous long-term support.
Just last year, when Deyuan prepared to expand a dedicated flash memory production line in the Special Economic Zone, Yuanxin had trouble keeping up with the financial demands.
Had Zhang not been sitting at this table today, he might have hesitated to bring this up—for no matter how shares shifted, the foundry remained his life's work.
But now, as a founding member of Yuanxin Holdings and a member of the executive board, he had the duty to consider the company's long-term direction on behalf of the entire group.
"Uncle Zhang raises an excellent point."
Su Yuanshan nodded toward Zhang with appreciation, then looked around the table. After a pause, he added, "Our executive board doesn't have administrative authority. Our role is to reflect, deliberate, and help shape Yuanxin's long-term trajectory."
"That's why Chairman Xi emphasized that we should speak freely."
"So since Dr. Zhang brought it up, I'll ask this now—what do you all believe Yuanxin's future path should be?"
He let his gaze pass over each person at the table before settling on Chen Jing.
This was the moment when someone needed to play the supportive foil.
As chairman, Xi couldn't do it—it would seem too orchestrated.
And Su's own senior brothers couldn't do it either—that would look like stacking the deck.
Only Chen Jing was suitable.
Chen met Su's eyes, blinked playfully, and tossed her hair slightly as she smiled. "Why do we have to pick a label at all?"
"Well said." Su clapped lightly. "Why choose just one?"
"From the very beginning, Yuanxin has always walked a dual path," Su continued, scanning the room again before looking back at Zhang. "Enterprise and research. Independent development and collaborative R&D. Even Xinghai and Yuanxin themselves represent two distinct tracks."
"So when it comes to our roadmap, we'll also choose both."
"Semiconductors are the foundation of all electronic devices. Chip manufacturing is the crown jewel of our industry. We cannot—and will not—reduce our investment there."
"But consumer electronics and digital products—those are what touch the world directly. They can often reshape reality more tangibly than chips themselves."
He smiled gently at Zhang.
"So, Uncle Zhang, we're taking both paths."
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Chapter 510: Zhu Yuanxin's Promotion
With Xi Xiaoding's closing remark, "Let's not take up everyone's rest time," the first executive board meeting of Yuanxin Holdings officially came to an end.
Sitting at the farthest seat, Zhu Yuanxin quietly observed everyone's reactions. When he saw Su Yuanshan's senior brothers casually packing up their things and joking about heading to a bar together, he followed their lead and gathered his own documents. It wasn't until Su Yuanshan, Chen Jing, Xi Xiaoding, and Zhang Rujin exited while chatting that he stood up and followed behind Duan Yongping.
Of all the people in that room, aside from President Chen, he was most familiar with Duan. In the midst of his excitement, standing beside someone he knew helped him stay composed and not lose his cool.
After all, he had never expected to be present at this meeting.
As he walked out of the conference room into the hallway behind Duan Yongping, the latter suddenly turned around with a smile, "By the way, Old Zhu, President Chen wants you to stop by her office."
"Right now?"
"Yeah, now." Duan nodded with a grin. He hid his surprise well—truth be told, it wasn't just him. Probably no one had anticipated that Zhu Yuanxin, the director of the most recently established design center up in the capital, would be invited to this meeting.
Indeed, Zhu wasn't even a vice president yet—he was still at the director level.
"Alright, I'll head over." Zhu hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked, "Any idea what this is about?"
"I have a guess—but President Chen handed me a note, didn't say much." Duan chuckled. "But my bet is it's about adjusting your administrative rank. You're in charge of an entire tech park—it's long overdue."
In truth, Duan was doing Zhu a favor. As Chen Jing's assistant, he already knew who was due for promotion this year—and Zhu was at the top of the list for vice president candidates.
"Uh…" Zhu was caught off guard and didn't know how to respond. He managed a vague smile. "I think I'm fine as is."
"Haha, no need to be overly modest—get going."
…
Zhu took a deep breath to steady himself. He didn't take the elevator but instead chose the stairs, descending two flights.
Now that the meeting had ended, most of the administrative staff had also clocked out. Zhu made way for the remaining employees and continued toward the chairman's office.
The door was ajar, and he could faintly hear conversation from inside.
Zhu cleared his throat softly and knocked gently before slowly pushing the door open.
Chen Jing's office had the same layout as Su Yuanshan's. The outer room was for the secretary, and inside was the main office. At the moment, the secretary's area was empty but lit, indicating the secretary had already gone home.
The inner office door, however, was wide open. Zhu could see Su Yuanshan sitting while Chen Jing stood nearby, the two engaged in casual conversation.
"Senior Zhu, come in," Su Yuanshan called out as soon as he spotted him.
"President Su, President Chen." Zhu quickened his pace and stepped into the office—he vaguely remembered this was only his second time entering this space.
Seeing Zhu enter, Chen Jing turned with a smile, grabbing a tin of tea as she said, "Old Zhu, no need to be formal, we're just having a quick chat."
"Sure… Oh, let me do that, President Chen," Zhu stepped forward quickly—how could he let the chairman make tea for him?
"It's fine. You two chat."
Zhu sat across from Su Yuanshan and quickly realized it wasn't Chen Jing who had called him here—it was Su himself.
"Senior Zhu, got any plans for tonight?"
"None. Was just planning to go back and summarize the meeting notes."
"Come on, notes can wait. Tonight was just a relaxed gathering for everyone to blow off steam," Su smiled. "And I wanted to chat with you a bit more. Nothing serious—just a talk. You probably guessed by now that your seat at the executive board meeting was thanks to President Chen's strong recommendation, which both Dr. Xi and I supported."
Zhu took a quiet breath. Guessed it? I had no clue…
To be honest, he hadn't expected to be in the 60-shareholder group this year, let alone a board member. His expectations were modest—he was just hoping for a promotion to vice president.
From the moment Chen Jing had called him that afternoon until the end of the meeting, he'd been in a daze.
"Old Zhu, care to guess why I recommended you?" Chen Jing said, bringing over a cup of tea and sitting beside Su on the couch. She brushed her hair aside, smiling at him. "Don't be nervous—this isn't office hours. And in the boardroom, there's no hierarchy among us. We're friends and partners."
Su added with a smile, "Well said, President Chen."
Seeing how relaxed they were, Zhu finally managed to calm down. His thoughts started racing as he raised his cup… and promptly burned his lip.
He coughed, a little embarrassed, and managed a smile. "If I said I had no idea… would you hit me?"
Chen Jing laughed. "Haha, go ahead and try."
"I have a guess," Zhu said as he exhaled and looked at the two of them. "During the meeting, both of you stated clearly that Yuanxin would not choose just one path."
"If we're not picking one path, then that means Yuanxin is preparing to compete in the global electronic and digital product arena—and that includes competing with our partners, like Sony."
Su and Chen both nodded slightly, motioning for him to continue.
Seeing their expressions, Zhu felt more certain. He gathered himself and said, "In electronics and digital products, there are only two core competitive edges: technology and design. Thanks to Yuanxin's rapid growth in recent years, we've already built a strong technical foundation. That leaves design. And as the head of the design department—"
"As the head of design, you'll be the one guiding the future look and feel of every Yuanxin product," Su cut in. He was still smiling, but his tone had grown serious.
"Senior Zhu, that's a heavy responsibility."
"Yes." Zhu took a deep breath and unconsciously sat up straighter. "That's why we've established a dedicated team to study and analyze the world's best product designs. Our aim is to understand global aesthetic trends. Perhaps you, President Su, believe that top-tier designers should lead those trends. But even though I lead Yuanxin's top design center, and I dare say we're the best in China, I must admit… in consumer electronics, we still have a lot to learn."
Su Yuanshan exhaled silently in relief.
So he's still grounded.
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