Chapter 73: Refusing the Prime Minister

Faced with the elder’s praise, Lin Chuanyan dared not let Lin Feng accept it directly; in such a situation, it was still proper for him as the senior to speak up more. He quickly replied on Lin Feng’s behalf to the Premier, “You are too kind. Lin Feng is just dabbling a bit, nothing worth mentioning!”

The Premier chuckled, “Chuanyan, you’re still trying to cover for the boy! Don’t worry—no one is here to take anything from him. We just want to have a chat. If we were interested in taking his achievements, we wouldn’t have invited you along to listen. Having you here is to witness that we aren’t taking advantage of the boy. If Old Master Lin comes after us later, we’d hardly be able to bear it!” The Premier saw that Lin Chuanyan was being courteous, while Lin Feng, ever since greeting them at the door, hadn’t said another word. So the Premier felt compelled to explain, lest the entire meeting be monopolized by Lin Chuanyan. From what he knew, Lin Feng was a tough character, and even Old Master Lin had often come up short when dealing with him.

Hearing the Premier’s clarification, Lin Chuanyan felt it inappropriate to keep speaking for Lin Feng, so he quietly sat aside to listen, intending only to step in if Lin Feng truly couldn’t handle the situation.

Seeing Lin Chuanyan settle down and refrain from speaking further, the Premier nodded in satisfaction before turning to look at Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi. It wasn’t until both of them nearly wilted under his gaze that the Premier finally remarked with a sigh, “Truly, heroes emerge from the young. The two of you are quite a match!”

The Premier’s words instantly left Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi red-faced with embarrassment. When had the country’s leaders become so gossipy, prying into people’s personal affairs?

It was one thing to be teased by others, but quite another to be teased by the nation’s top leaders. Xia Ruoxi, unlike Lin Feng, couldn’t remain calm—she blushed deeply and shyly hid behind Lin Feng, unable to face anyone. Lin Feng, with his thicker skin, recovered from his brief embarrassment almost instantly.

Irritated by the Premier’s teasing, Lin Feng said, “Please, sir, don’t make fun of us. May I ask what brings you to see us today?”

As soon as Lin Feng couldn’t hold back and asked the question, the Premier and Minister Zhao exchanged a knowing glance. At their age, a single look could communicate volumes.

“Impatient, are you? Of course we have business with you—did you think we’re here just to amuse ourselves at your expense? We have one official matter and one private matter to discuss with you, and we want to hear your thoughts,” the Premier said kindly.

Although the Premier’s tone was gentle, Lin Feng dared not take him lightly. Despite the elder’s kindly appearance, Lin Feng had heard his uncle’s detailed account of the Premier’s experience on his way over. This was not someone to be dealt with casually. Lin Feng cautiously tested the waters, “Premier Zhu, you are too generous. I’m just a kid, merely involved in a few trifling matters. I’m embarrassed to have troubled you at all.”

The Premier saw through Lin Feng’s feigned ignorance, but didn’t call him out on it. Smiling, he shook his head and said, “Young man, of all things to learn from your grandfather, you chose to play dumb and act the rascal! I know all about your family’s background. Your grandfather and I both came through the war years together, so there’s no need for such formality—just call me Grandpa Zhu. Today, we’re not here for a formal talk, just a friendly chat. Relax.”

Lin Feng was not one to miss out on a good opportunity. As soon as the Premier said this, he immediately adopted the new form of address without hesitation. To be able to establish ties with the Premier himself—such a connection in China would open countless doors for his future business plans.

“Grandpa Zhu, I’ll take the liberty of calling you that. Please, tell me, what is it you wish to discuss? To be honest, I’m still a bit confused,” Lin Feng said.

The Premier was pleased to see how agreeable Lin Feng was—quite unlike his reputation for being overbearing and arrogant. This only improved the Premier’s mood further. Gently, he said, “Since you’ve asked, I’ll get to the point. You must be wondering why we’ve called you here. Simply put, ever since your company’s products hit the market, I’ve kept an eye on you and your company—including the young lady beside you. I know all about your recent activities in Zhanhai City.”

“What!” Lin Chuanyan, sitting to the side, couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise at these words, but he refrained from pressing further and kept his seat, listening to the conversation unfold.

Lin Feng maintained an outward calm, but inside he was in turmoil. He hadn’t expected to attract national attention, and his greatest concern now was whether the existence of Mo Tian would be discovered by the authorities—a secret he guarded above all else. Pretending composure, he said, “I didn’t expect to be so honored as to catch Grandpa Zhu’s eye. But I still don’t know the real reason you’ve called me here.”

The Premier looked at Lin Feng with approval. No wonder he was known as the undisputed top young man in Beijing. He truly lived up to his reputation—calm and unflappable.

“To put it simply, the official matter is a chance for you to make some money. The nation would like to cooperate with your company. Your computers and operating system have received rave reviews both at home and abroad, and sales are booming. I hear there are plans to expand abroad next year. That’s excellent! It’s rare for us to have a company breaking into the international market, and yours has done it in less than half a year. Remarkable! Truly worthy of your reputation,” the Premier said happily. Lin Feng’s company truly brought pride to the nation. For years, China’s high-tech sector had little to show for itself, but Lin Feng’s Futuristic Technologies had risen out of nowhere to fill that gap, delivering a resounding slap to those countries that doubted China’s technological prowess. The more the Premier spoke, the more delighted he became.

After the Premier finished, Lin Feng didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he pondered the potential interests involved in this deal. He and Xia Ruoxi had anticipated this very issue last night at the Lin household, so when the Premier brought it up, Xia Ruoxi looked at Lin Feng anxiously, uncertain how he would navigate this tricky dilemma.

The Premier was indeed a seasoned veteran. Just by seeing Lin Feng’s silence and Xia Ruoxi’s anxious glances, he sensed there was more to the story than he knew. Looking at Lin Feng with curiosity, he asked, “Lin Feng, what’s wrong? Are you troubled by this business opportunity, or do you not wish to do business with the state?”

Lin Feng thought long and hard but couldn’t come up with a better way to explain. At last, he replied honestly, “Grandpa Zhu, I’ll speak plainly. I really don’t want to take on this deal—at least not right now.”

Lin Feng’s reply startled Lin Chuanyan, who couldn’t help but give Lin Feng a warning look and whispered, “Be careful with your words. Think it through before answering the Premier.”

The Premier was surprised as well. No company had ever refused cooperation with the state or turned down a government contract. But instead of taking offense, he simply wanted to know the reason. So he asked Lin Feng, “You always manage to surprise me, though this time it’s more of a shock. Can you tell me why you’re refusing?”

Lin Feng had been watching the Premier’s expression the whole time. Seeing that the Premier remained calm and gentle even after hearing his answer, Lin Feng felt uneasy. It’s impossible to gauge the true thoughts of someone of the Premier’s age. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding—even if the Premier hadn’t asked—Lin Feng knew he had to explain himself clearly. Offending the country’s highest authorities was no trivial matter; if he did so, his future in China would be bleak.

“Grandpa Zhu, here’s the situation. I need to clarify: as you mentioned, our company plans to enter the overseas market next year, but our current production capacity is only just enough to meet domestic demand. Once our international agents are confirmed, we’ll have to open a new production line just to supply the foreign market. So, right now, I really don’t have the capacity to fulfill your order—that’s one simple reason. But there’s a more important factor: around June next year, our company will launch the second generation of our computers, featuring our own self-developed high-definition displays and hard drives. I could sell you the first-generation products now, but I’d recommend waiting for the second generation to place your order,” Lin Feng explained, deciding to reveal some of his business plans ahead of schedule to be more persuasive.

“What? You mean your company will launch a new computer next year, and you’ll be producing your own high-definition displays and hard drives?” The Premier was so astonished by Lin Feng’s words that he stood up. Even Minister Xie, who had remained silent until now, stared at Lin Feng in disbelief, as if trying to see through him and judge whether he was telling the truth.

As for Lin Chuanyan, sitting to the side, he was completely stunned by Lin Feng’s revelation.