Chapter 15: Your Destination Is Merely the Beginning of Mine

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Zhang Ziqiang said, “Let’s go, let’s go. My dad’s still waiting for you.”

Cheng Shi slept the whole way in the car.

Zhang Ziqiang grumbled in his heart, “Damn it. Acting as a bodyguard for this pretty boy every day. It’s really infuriating.”

The thing was, this kid was tall and handsome, and just wearing a slightly worn white T-shirt and jeans made him turn heads wherever he went.

It felt like all the advantages were concentrated in him alone, which was infuriating.

Yet, oddly enough, Zhang Ziqiang found this kid quite interesting.

Very few people had such backbone and personality. After learning he was the son of the factory director, he didn’t show an ounce of sycophancy.

Cheng Shi was sound asleep and, when woken, stretched lazily and mumbled, “A car with air conditioning really is comfortable.”

Zhang Ziqiang felt he could turn the tables and said proudly, “Of course. This is an imported car from Neon.”

Cheng Shi replied calmly, “This is the eighth generation of this model. It has many advantages, and many disadvantages as well.”

Zhang Ziqiang scoffed, “Ha, nonsense. This car is imported as-is; you’ve never even seen one, what do you know?!”

Cheng Shi said, “Not only have I seen it, I’ve taken it apart and studied it. Aside from high fuel consumption and strong interior odors, there are numerous mechanical issues.”

Zhang Ziqiang challenged, “Alright, alright, tell me then. I don’t believe you.”

Cheng Shi explained, “First, the chassis is low. Second, the shock absorption isn’t ideal, so it’s only good for city driving. If you go to the countryside, it scrapes the chassis constantly and feels like rolling dice. Third, due to insufficient mechanical precision and poor aerodynamic design, the wind noise is loud, sound insulation is poor, and there are all sorts of strange noises. So the comfort level is just so-so. It’s only a bit faster than a bus. Don’t believe me? Ask your driver.”

Zhang Ziqiang turned to the driver for confirmation.

The driver smiled quietly but said nothing.

Though Cheng Shi was right, he didn’t dare agree openly.

This was a brand-new car bought by Zhang Guohua, treated like a precious treasure—he wanted everyone to know it.

If he spoke out of turn and Zhang Ziqiang reported it to the director, Zhang Guohua would be furious.

Most people prefer to hear flattering words rather than the truth.

However, Zhang Ziqiang already understood the implication from the driver’s awkward smile and grew even more astonished: How did this kid know so much?

After a moment, he came up with a retort and chased after Cheng Shi, saying, “You’re just sour grapes because you can’t afford it. You can’t even buy a domestic car, and even if you could, domestic cars aren’t better.”

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Cheng Shi stopped and turned back calmly: “One day, our domestic cars will surpass Neon’s. How can you expect others to believe and respect you if you don’t believe in yourself? Start working hard now, or you’ll soon be left behind by this rapidly advancing world.”

Zhang Ziqiang stood there stunned, as if someone had just knocked him on the head.

Cheng Shi pushed open the door and entered the director’s office.

Zhang Guohua, anxiously waiting, saw Cheng Shi like a drowning man spotting a lifebuoy and hurried over, “You’re finally here.”

Cheng Shi took out a bearing: “One hundred and fifty each, total one thousand five hundred.”

Zhang Guohua exclaimed, “What?! The price went up again?”

Cheng Shi replied, “You asked for it urgently. My labor intensity doubled, so the price naturally is higher.”

Zhang Guohua held back his anger, “Young man, this isn’t right. This is extortion.”

Cheng Shi smiled, “Well, if you don’t want it, fine. The country keeps emphasizing market economy every day. Market economy means scarcity drives value. Technology is the primary productive force. Can you get this bearing anywhere else at this price? No. So my price is fair. Besides, your workers get overtime pay; why can’t I? Are individual businesses not people?”

He began packing the bearings into his bag.

Zhang Guohua said, “Alright, alright. Hey, why do you get so impatient all of a sudden?”

Cheng Shi answered calmly, “You yourselves are clearly outmatched but still act superior and refuse to admit defeat.”

Zhang Guohua was embarrassed and a bit angry but helpless, so he called the finance department for the money.

Cheng Shi reminded him, “Remember to issue a purchase order.”

Zhang Guohua said, “How about we sign a purchase contract?”

At that moment, he realized a contract would not only protect Cheng Shi but also himself.

If this trend continued, and tomorrow he asked for twenty bearings, Cheng Shi might charge two hundred each.

Cheng Shi shook his head, “No contract for now. Once I start a company, then we’ll sign an official contract.”

Damn, the kid didn’t bring this up yesterday not because he didn’t understand the business, but because he planned to raise prices anytime.

Zhang Guohua became anxious, “If you won’t sign a contract, how do we hold you accountable if there’s a quality issue?”

Cheng Shi glanced at him lazily, “You’ve even found my place; what are you worried about?”

Zhang Guohua’s heart was bleeding.

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One thousand five hundred yuan.

Fifteen crisp hundred-yuan bills!!!

That’s almost the equivalent of an ordinary worker’s annual salary.

Everyone stared at Cheng Shi as he counted the money calmly, silently thinking: With so much money, this kid must have known we’d pay him all along.

It was infuriating.

Cheng Shi held the money and purchase order: “If there’s nothing else, please send me back.”

Zhang Guohua said, “Ten more bearings tomorrow. Also, I’ve got a part with even higher precision requirements. See if you can make it.”

Cheng Shi replied, “That depends on what part it is and the specific precision required.”

Zhang Guohua took a part out of the drawer.

Cheng Shi examined it carefully; it was a connecting rod journal on a crankshaft.

Zhang Guohua explained, “The crankshaft transmits power and drives other components in the engine. Any tiny error affects engine performance and lifespan. The connecting rod journal is the most complex and crucial part of the crankshaft. The bearings you're making require a precision of thirty microns, but every part of the crankshaft must reach twenty microns.”

Cheng Shi understood the importance of the crankshaft and knew the connecting rod journal connected to the big end of the connecting rod, converting the piston’s reciprocating linear motion into the crankshaft’s rotational motion.

Therefore, the connecting rod journal endures enormous force from the connecting rod, demanding very high design and manufacturing standards.

However, in this era, domestic cars certainly didn’t meet the precision Zhang Guohua mentioned.

Bearings required about fifty microns; crankshafts, thirty microns.

Zhang Guohua deliberately doubled the precision demand, clearly testing Cheng Shi’s technical limits.

Too bad—my starting point is far beyond your finishing line, so you won’t succeed in testing me.

Cheng Shi deliberately frowned, “This is much more difficult. Bring me the blueprints so I can work according to them.”