From Wage Slave to Tycoon

Chapter 170: Chapter 133: The Future of Byte is in Your Hands

"Please."

Su Chen handed over the freshly poured cup of tea.

Zhang Yiming quickly accepted the cup with both hands. He took a small sip, a delicate tea fragrance filling his mouth.

"The tea here at the State Guesthouse is on another level. The aroma is so smooth and lasting. This is truly premium-grade tea!" He was a tea aficionado of sorts; otherwise, he wouldn’t have flaunted his own collection the first time he met Su Chen.

"Haha! If you like it, President Zhang, you can take that canister with you when you leave," Su Chen said, gesturing with his chin toward the tea canister on the table.

"Ah, that’s not very appropriate, is it?" To be honest, Zhang Yiming was tempted. This was, after all, top-tier tea from Building 7 of the State Guesthouse. Taking it back would allow him to bask in some reflected glory.

Su Chen smiled calmly. "It’s no problem. I’ll just have them send another canister over."

Zhang Yiming was left speechless. ’He couldn’t very well ask Su Chen how he had so much pull, could he?’

He knew this was Su Chen’s way of demonstrating his power. Accepting the tea would be a sign of submission.

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Yiming’s gaze turned resolute. "In that case, Mr. Su, it would be rude of me to refuse!"

"Have some more tea." A smile played on Su Chen’s lips.

The two chatted about their companies’ future prospects as they drank their tea.

"President Zhang, how’s that proposal we discussed coming along?" Su Chen asked casually.

Back in Ice City, Su Chen had come up with this project for Byte, but he didn’t know if Zhang Yiming had pursued it.

"Mr. Su, are you talking about the proposal you mentioned at the office?" Zhang Yiming’s interest was piqued.

After talking with Su Chen, he had convened a meeting with the company’s senior and mid-level managers that very day to discuss the proposal.

After discussions with senior management and the R&D department, they concluded the software had a huge market potential. Zhang Yiming immediately assembled a dedicated R&D task force to build out the project.

In just two or three short months, the project was nearly complete. All that remained was for it to be tested by the market.

Su Chen took note of the change in Zhang Yiming’s expression. Seeing his excitement, he knew the project must be close to completion.

"So you’ve already finished the project?" Su Chen asked, probing for confirmation.

"Yes, it’s finished. We’re currently debugging and expect to launch before the end of the year!"

"I’m sure this project will be a massive hit!" Zhang Yiming said with great confidence.

"I’m sure of it, too. By the way, have you come up with a name for the app?"

"Right now, the app is called A.me! It’s supposed to mean ’Adore Me!’" Zhang Yiming looked a little embarrassed after saying it, as if realizing how narcissistic it sounded.

Su Chen was a bit taken aback by the name. He glanced at Zhang Yiming and shook his head slightly.

"I’m not a fan of that name. Since we’re the ones who built this app, why would we pick an English name? Anyone who doesn’t know better might think it’s a foreign app. I suggest we choose a Chinese name."

Zhang Yiming thought about it and realized he had a point. A homegrown app should have a Chinese name; it would feel more relatable.

’At least users won’t be put off when they see the name. If it were in English, most would just swipe past it.’

"Do you have any good name suggestions, Mr. Su?" Zhang Yiming asked, testing the waters.

"Uhh..." The question stumped Su Chen. He had just been talking big.

’Asking him to come up with a meaningful name on the spot was a bit much.’

After a long silence, Su Chen finally spoke. "Douyin... How about that name?"

"Dou...yin? Douyin!" Zhang Yiming repeated the name over and over, as if mesmerized.

After muttering to himself for a while, Zhang Yiming suddenly exclaimed, "Yes! That’s a great name! Douyin—music born from amusement!"

"From now on, Byte’s short-video social app will be called Douyin!"

Seeing how excited Zhang Yiming was, a flicker of awkwardness crossed Su Chen’s face. He had just pulled the name out of thin air to placate him. ’Music born from amusement... right.’

Su Chen couldn’t keep up with that level of creative interpretation.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. A knock at the door pulled both men from their thoughts.

"Come in!"

The tea room door opened, and Chen Fei walked in.

"Sir, Brother Yang sent me to tell you it’s time to eat."

Hearing this, Su Chen glanced at the time. It was already 12:10. He and Zhang Yiming had been talking for nearly an hour.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yiming quickly stood up. "Mr. Su, I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll head back to the office now."

’He’d originally planned to discuss buying back some shares and negotiating for more say in the company, but in the end, he didn’t even dare to mention it.’

Su Chen nodded slightly and didn’t offer for him to stay and eat.

"Alright. Chen Fei, see President Zhang out." After speaking to Chen Fei, he turned back to Zhang Yiming. After a moment’s thought, he said, "Handle things at Byte as you see fit. I won’t send anyone to interfere. You have full authority over the company’s affairs."

Zhang Yiming, who had been feeling a bit down, instantly broke into a wide smile. "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Su," he said excitedly.

Su Chen’s words clarified his stance and put Zhang Yiming’s mind at ease. This trip had been a fruitful one for him.

"Go for it! Make Byte a unicorn in the short-video social media space!"

Su Chen raised the cup of long-cooled tea and downed it in one go.

.........

"Hey, you guys could have started without me. Why are you still waiting?"

When Su Chen arrived at the private room, he found Shuraya and Jiangyang staring blankly at the cold appetizers on the table, their hands poised over their chopsticks.

"Could we really start without you?" Jiangyang shot Su Chen a look that spoke volumes.

Even Shuraya, who was beside him, nodded in agreement.

Su Chen gave a helpless smile and said to the waiter standing quietly nearby, "You can start bringing out the food now."

A moment later, four or five waiters entered, pushing serving carts.

The Boiled Cabbage in Superior Broth that Su Chen had been dreaming of was placed before each of them. It came in a small bowl, about the size of a grown man’s fist.

Lifting the lid, a delicate fragrance wafted over them. The cabbage in the bowl bloomed like a white lotus in a clear pond.

The dish looked like a work of art, and for a moment, Su Chen couldn’t bring himself to dig in.

He glanced at Jiangyang and Shuraya, who were already digging in with gusto. Su Chen chuckled and shook his head. ’Man, I’m being so dramatic.’

With that, he lowered his head and began to eat as well.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Lion’s Head meatballs, Sautéed Eel, Crystal Pork Aspic...

One exquisite dish after another was presented to the trio. The air filled with fragrant aromas, and they ate with great satisfaction.

"Ah, that was so delicious! How can food this good even exist?" Shuraya exclaimed, leaning back in her chair and patting her full stomach.

"Haha! Shuraya, Huaxia is vast and its resources are plentiful," Jiangyang said with a laugh. "Every region has its own unique culinary culture. What we ate today are just the most representative dishes. If you ever have the time, you should travel around and taste the food from all over Huaxia!"

But the moment he finished speaking, he felt a murderous glare fall upon him.

He turned his head and met Su Chen’s "death stare." He immediately realized what was happening—Su Chen was worried Shuraya would actually want to tour the country tasting food and that he, Su Chen, would be roped into being her personal guide!

Jiangyang gave an awkward chuckle and said no more.

But the words were already out; there was no taking them back.

"Oh, I’d love to taste the food from all the different regions, but sadly I don’t have the time!" Shuraya’s mood instantly soured at the thought of having to return to Paris right after the donation ceremony.

Hearing this, Su Chen’s expression immediately brightened into a smile. "There will be plenty of other chances. Next time you come to Huaxia, I’ll have Jiangyang take you on a food tour across the entire country."

He had learned his lesson. ’You have to say the right things, but that doesn’t mean *I* have to be the one responsible.’ He’d just passed the buck directly to Jiangyang.

Jiangyang, however, was dumbfounded. ’How did this get dumped on me?’ Su Chen was totally abusing his power to get even!!

"Wonderful! I’ll be counting on you next time I visit Huaxia, Mr. Jiang!"

"Haha... No problem. Call me anytime!" Jiangyang wanted to cry but had no tears. He finally understood what Su Chen had been trying to avoid.

After dinner, instead of returning to their rooms, they headed straight for the game room, ready for an all-out war until nightfall.

.........

For the next few days, Su Chen and his friends didn’t leave the guesthouse at all. Their time was spent either on the way to eat delicious food or on the way to the game room.

"Ugh, we can finally stop playing mahjong. I’ve played more in the last few days than in my entire life!" After so many games, Su Chen felt like he was about to get calluses on his fingertips.

"Tell me about it. Even as a mahjong enthusiast, I’ve practically evolved into a mahjong master," Jiangyang added, lounging lazily on the sofa.

Today was New Year’s Eve, the day before the national treasure donation ceremony. To make sure she was well-rested and to avoid any mishaps, they had Shuraya take it easy and rest in her room for the day.

"By the way, Old Su, are you going to the donation ceremony at the National Museum tomorrow? I heard it’s a huge affair, almost on the level of a state visit. They’ve invited dozens of major media outlets from home and abroad."

"You can go if you want, but I’m not going. Besides... that sort of event isn’t really my scene."

"I’d rather be back in my own place, relaxing with some lamb hot pot."

Su Chen refused without a second thought. All he wanted was to see Shuraya off so he could return to his carefree life, instead of being exhausted every single day like this.

"Hehe, in that case, I’ll gladly take the opportunity!" Jiangyang said with a grin.

Being able to attend the donation ceremony was a boost to Jiangyang’s credentials. As mentioned before, even for scions from the Imperial Capital like him, building up one’s resume was essential for advancement. Otherwise, you just become a joke.

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ~

Just as Su Chen was about to ask Jiangyang what their plans were for New Year’s Eve, the phone on the table started to ring.