Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 6 Tie Zhu is not stupid

As night gradually enveloped Huabeiqiang, the LED lights on the back seats of electric vehicles on both sides of Beiai Road to the north slowly lit up, revealing the mysterious electronic ghost market.

This is a magical place; it opens precisely at midnight and closes precisely the next morning.

Once you arrive and leave, you can instantly become a rich second-generation.

You can buy a green Submariner with a mechanical and electronic hybrid system for 200 yuan here, and a Rolex for 100 yuan.

At the prairie barbecue stall at the end of the street, as the owner sprinkled spices, three feet of blue smoke rose up.

The meat skewers on the grill sizzled and dripped with oil, emitting a fragrant aroma that drew the attention of passersby.

There are more than 30 tables and chairs inside and outside the shop, and most of them are stall owners wearing durable T-shirts, raising their wine glasses and clinking them together.

This place isn't far from Huabei Qiang's market, and after having barbecue, you can also check out the market trends nearby.

Everyone sat around the simple table and chairs, some talking loudly, others eating heartily, their laughter and the clinking of glasses creating a lively atmosphere.

Chen Mo and Zhao Tiezhu sat in a corner outside the barbecue stall, and the proprietress brought over two bottles of chilled beer.

Chen Mo wiped the water droplets from the mouth of the chilled beer bottle with the back of his hand, then opened it with a bottle opener with a "bang" and handed it to Zhao Tiezhu.

He asked, "Tiezhu! Have you found out about the battery lab?" He flicked the beer cap into the trash can under the table with his finger.

Zhao Tiezhu's mouth was dripping with oil from the lamb skewer he had just bitten into, and some chili powder dripped onto his patina-covered shirt. He grabbed a handful of the chili powder haphazardly, then put down the skewer, took a beer, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped down a large mouthful before wiping his mouth.

"Brother Chen! After all this time, I actually found a small company in the suburbs of Longhua. They have a battery lab there."

At this point, Zhao Tiezhu paused, pulled out two tissues with his oily fingers, hastily wiped his mouth, rubbed the oil stains in his hands, and casually threw them on the ground.

Zhao Tiezhu raised his bottle and clinked it against Chen Mo's, then took a big gulp.

"Phew~ But they said they need us to provide detailed information about the battery before they'll decide whether to rent it to us."

After hearing this, Chen Mo put down his beer but did not respond immediately.

Having lived two lives, he has long lost the naivety of his early days and no longer innocently believes that the world will revolve around him because of his great "ideals".

Even if you have mastered some advanced technology, if you lack resources and connections in the early stages, you may have to compromise to get things done.

Anyone can shout slogans, but when it comes to actually doing things, those who can take one step at a time and get things done are truly remarkable.

Seeing that Chen remained silent, Zhao Tiezhu quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Brother Chen! Just give us some basic information, don't leak the core technical data."

Chen Mo chuckled, picked up his bottle and clinked it against Zhao Tiezhu's, teasingly saying, "Tiezhu! You really think your brother Chen knows less than you?"

Seeing that Chen Mo had let go of his usual college student arrogance, Zhao Tiezhu also joined in the laughter, and the two exchanged a few jokes.

Zhao Tiezhu suddenly changed the subject and asked curiously, "Brother Chen! Why don't you just go to the school and find Professor Lin? He must have a lab there!"

Just as Chen Mo was about to answer, Lao Wang, who had been sitting in the shop, suddenly came out.

"College student! He's just making empty promises to Sha Zhu again!" Old Wang, the owner of the stall next to Orange Technology, had been eyeing Chen Mo's small Orange Technology workshop for a long time.

Upon hearing the words "Foolish Zhu," Zhao Tiezhu's playful smile froze instantly, replaced by a face full of anger.

He turned around abruptly, veins bulging on his neck, eyes wide open, glaring fiercely at Old Wang.

"Old Wang! You fucking say that again!" Zhao Tiezhu roared as he strode towards Old Wang, stomping his feet on the ground with a resounding thud, displaying an indomitable spirit.

Upon arriving, Zhao Tiezhu, who was not tall and even somewhat thin, exuded a fearless aura that forced Old Wang to take a half-step back.

"Why do you call me 'Idiot Pillar'? Are you bullying me, or do you just want a beating?"

Zhao Tiezhu's left index finger was almost poking Old Wang's nose, while his right hand gripped the bottle opening from the back, his knuckles white and his muscles tense, giving him the air of someone who would crack Old Wang's skull open at the slightest provocation.

Old Wang forced himself to remain calm and sneered, "What's wrong? I just said a few words and you got all worked up. What kind of spell has this college student cast on you? His company is doomed to fail sooner or later!"

"Bullshit!" Zhao Tiezhu waved his hand, withdrawing his finger from pointing at Lao Wang: "Brother Chen is capable, you're just jealous. If you don't take 'Silly Zhu' back today, I'm not done with you!"

After saying that, Zhao Tiezhu took another step forward, his chest heaving violently.

To be honest, Zhao Tiezhu wasn't afraid of Lao Wang. He had nothing to lose and was not afraid of those who had something to lose. He had long understood that he had to fight for whatever he wanted.

If Zhao Tiezhu were to publicly acknowledge the title "Silly Pillar" today, how could he ever face anyone again?
The surrounding diners gathered around and whispered among themselves.

Originally, Lao Wang came to cause trouble for Chen Mo, but now the atmosphere between him and Zhao Tiezhu is tense.

Zhao Tiezhu was a rough but shrewd rogue. He deliberately caused trouble for Lao Wang just now because he saw that Lao Wang was up to no good, in order to help Chen Mo, who was "not good with words," out of a predicament.

Hmm! If Chen Mo hadn't been reborn, he would still be a shy, cultured man, unwilling to lower himself to confront Old Wang.

Old Wang's face turned pale and then red from Zhao Tiezhu's provocation. His eyes darted around in a panic, and when he saw that everyone was staring at him, and then saw Zhao Tiezhu's posture as if he was about to attack at any moment, he shuddered.

He curled his lip, gave a dismissive snort, but unconsciously took a big step back and waved his hands in the air.

"Tiezhu! Fine, fine! I, Old Wang, was just being cheeky today. I'll take back that nickname, okay?"

Even so, there was still a hint of resentment in Old Wang's tone, and he muttered under his breath at the end, trying to save face.

"Isn't it a waste to have such poor skills? I don't know what future you can have with those arrogant college students."

Zhao Tiezhu then relaxed his tense nerves slightly and turned to sit down.

However, Old Wang's eyes darted around, and when he saw that Zhao Tiezhu was no longer staring at him, he felt he couldn't save face, and his anger flared up again.

He then turned his attention to Chen Mo, the "easy target" who hadn't uttered a word, cleared his throat, and started yelling in his hoarse voice again in his direction.

"Oh! I was wondering who was so arrogant as to claim they'd developed a new battery. Turns out it was our audacious Mr. Chen!"

"You've only been out of school for a few days, and you're already boasting about developing some new battery?"

(End of this chapter)