For the next two days, Liu Yutong’s schedule was largely devoted to matters involving Uncle Zhu.
On the first day, Uncle Zhu and several other officials accompanied her on an inspection tour of several key development zones planned for BS Province.
Uncle Zhu and the others hoped that the Wanlonghui Group would further increase its investment in BS Province, particularly in commercial consumption and the technology industry.
After several rounds of in-depth negotiations, two agreements were finalized.
The first was to continue expanding Wanlong Plaza into the province’s major prefecture-level cities, while also adding two major projects: a logistics hub and an agricultural-products deep-processing base.
Yang Xin, president of the Commercial Consumption and Retail Business Group, signed the agreements with the local governments on behalf of the group.
Yang Xin had now become one of the most publicly visible executives in the Wanlonghui Group.
Under his leadership, the commercial consumption and retail division held signing ceremonies, groundbreaking ceremonies, and grand openings of all sizes. He was almost always the one who appeared onstage.
He was increasingly coming to resemble the successful version of himself from his previous life. Both his appearance and bearing had taken on the air of a true corporate president, and he was completely at ease in front of cameras and the media.
Liu Yutong, meanwhile, continued to remain half-hidden behind the scenes. She never attended any occasion that required photographs or group pictures.
It wasn’t that she was being pretentious.
At her level, keeping a low profile was actually a good thing.
Being too prominent could easily lead to trouble.
Besides, the Wanlonghui Group had never relied on her personal image to drive its business. If it really wanted to depend on her personal brand, then she would have to make frequent public appearances—go on shows, give speeches, and even film promotional videos.
The two Mas, for instance, had completely different styles. Old Ma loved being in the spotlight, while Pony Ma preferred to stay out of it.
Liu Yutong was the same way.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of anything. She simply didn’t want to be harassed.
Just imagine: if everyone in the country recognized your face, could you still eat dan dan noodles at a street stall like an ordinary person?
Wherever you went, you’d probably be surrounded by onlookers.
Liu Yutong liked having a little freedom in her private life, so her photographs had never appeared on the internet, in the media, or through any other public channels.
On the rare occasions when one did get leaked, her subordinates would use various means to have it removed.
So even if people had heard her name, they might not know what she looked like.
As a result, the people who appeared publicly on behalf of the group were now mostly the heads of its various business divisions and several other core executives.
People like Yu Xin, Yang Xin, and Zhang Dalong, among others.
These individuals had gradually become the public faces representing the Wanlonghui Group.
The second matter concerned Wanlong Aerospace.
Liu Yutong and Uncle Zhu, representing their respective sides, signed a letter of intent. In the future, they might build a rocket-engine test stand and production bases for certain components in BS Province.
Located in southwestern China, BS Province was mountainous and covered in valleys. It was vast and sparsely populated, making it an ideal location from the perspectives of safety and confidentiality.
Of course, this was only a letter of intent for now. There was still a long way to go before the project could truly be implemented.
The subsequent environmental impact assessments, land acquisition, construction of supporting infrastructure, and coordination and approval procedures with the relevant departments would all take time.
In the best-case scenario, it might take a year or two. In the worst case, three to five years was entirely possible.
Uncle Zhu was already very satisfied.
After the signing ceremony, Uncle Zhu personally escorted Liu Yutong to the expressway entrance.
Liu Yutong was heading next to inspect schools built with funding from the Wanlong Charity Foundation and visit their teachers and students.
That was the matter she cared about most during this trip to BS Province.
As they were nearing the expressway entrance, Uncle Zhu suddenly asked Liu Yutong a question.
“Yutong, what’s your view on lithium mines?”
Liu Yutong turned her head slightly, somewhat surprised. “Why are you suddenly asking about that, Uncle Zhu?”
Just two days earlier, she had happened to run into Xu Yangeng and his wife, Zhou Wanqing, in the cafeteria at BS University. She hadn’t expected Uncle Zhu to bring up the subject less than forty-eight hours later.
“Just making conversation,” Uncle Zhu said.
Then he continued, “It suddenly crossed my mind, so I thought I’d ask. Do you have any plans to invest in the new-energy sector?”
Liu Yutong thought for a moment and answered honestly, “I’ve only gained a basic understanding of the battery industry. So far, I haven’t found a suitable entry point.”
“Are you interested?” Uncle Zhu asked again.
“Yes, I am,” Liu Yutong replied immediately.
Uncle Zhu nodded and gave a quiet hum, but said nothing more. The conversation ended there.
Liu Yutong was completely puzzled, but she didn’t ask any further questions. The two of them parted ways at the expressway entrance.
Meanwhile, the several trucks loaded with gifts that Yun Cheng had arranged were also in place. They were filled with presents Liu Yutong had prepared for the teachers and students at the schools she would be visiting.
Once everyone had assembled, a convoy consisting of several cars and several trucks set off directly for the city that had suffered the worst damage in last year’s disaster.
For most of the journey, Liu Yutong found herself thinking about what the schools looked like now and how the students were faring in their studies and daily lives after moving into their new buildings.
After the devastating earthquake last year, the Wanlong Charity Foundation funded the construction of more than a hundred schools in BS Province, covering several counties and more than a dozen townships in the hardest-hit areas.
More than a year had passed, and she still hadn’t visited any of them in person.
The convoy drove along the expressway for nearly two hours. After exiting, it turned onto a provincial road and continued for another forty minutes. Gradually, the houses on both sides grew denser, and the outlines of the townships came into view.
As they neared the school in the first township, Liu Yutong asked again, “Are you sure none of the gifts for the school are missing?”
“We checked everything, Miss,” came the reply. “As you requested, every child has a gift: a schoolbag, a stationery set, candy and snacks, and a red envelope. We also prepared separate gifts and red envelopes for the teachers.”
“Good.”
