People in the Republic of China era began to rise from industry.

The Zhang Mansion, which covers a considerable area, was bustling with activity today.

The nearby streets were filled with all kinds of cars.

The disciples of Renlu, with white silk ribbons tied around their arms, solemnly maintained order and welcomed the guests who came to pay their respects.

Unable to drive in, Lin Yi got out at the intersection and followed Uncle Nan into the Zhang Mansion, which was filled with mourning clothes.

The mourning hall was set up in the courtyard, with a slightly decorated coffin made of Phoebe zhennan wood, which looked imposing.

Just like when Zhang Xiaolin was alive.

Bow and offer incense.

Offering condolences to the widow.

They say you have to wear mourning clothes to look pretty.

On this special day, the concubines of the Zhang family perfectly exemplified this saying.

Her face was streaked with tears, making her look pitiful.

Although Lin Yi didn't have any particular fetishes, he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

It's really pretty.

However, he did not respond to the tearful gaze of one of them.

Once the standard procedure was completed, Lin Yi didn't even need to say anything; Uncle Nan, a familiar face in Shanghai, led him through the crowd.

Most of them would give a brief introduction, followed by a few words of mutual flattery, just to get their faces known.

As for the gang members, they also paid their respects to Wong Kam-yung and To Yuet-sang respectively.

The former had a dignified look, exuding the aura of a big shot.

The latter was quite amiable and even inquired about Lin Andao's situation.

“I have been friends with Brother An Dao for many years. I never expected that he would suffer such a misfortune.”

“Nephew, Brother Jingnan, please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything I can help you with.”

"Thank you, Mr. Du."

"Thank you uncle."

They exchanged polite greetings, then went their separate ways, busy with their own social interactions.

It took quite a while to finally meet all the people I needed to get to know.

After all that fuss, my mouth was dry.

It's a pity that Zhang Xiaolin's family doesn't know how to behave.

On such an important occasion, not only was there no buffet, but they didn't even prepare tea for the guests.

They really have no manners whatsoever.

As he was complaining, the memorial ceremony officially began.

Huang Jinyong read a memorial article to commemorate Zhang Xiaolin's life.

Lin Yi naturally had no interest in these things.

I stood listlessly at the back of the crowd, waiting for the ceremony to end so I could go back to the company.

I just met some well-known figures in the banking industry.

He plans to visit each of them tomorrow and try to finalize the loan within three days.

"What should we do about this?"

The people around them were clearly not focused on the memorial service for Zhang Xiaolin.

The two of them were talking quietly.

"After all, Song Wenchang has spoken. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, even if someone is interested, I'm afraid no one would dare to agree to invest money in us to our face."

One of them offered words of comfort, but his words lacked conviction.

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Lin Yi turned his head and glanced at it, thinking to himself that it was all fate.

He knew the two of them.

It was at the Meilin Theater that night that Mr. Fan and his companion, whom he had met twice before, met.

At this moment, both of them looked worried.

He also didn't notice Lin Yi standing next to him.

"Zhang Xiaolin died at the worst possible time. If it had been a few days later, we would have been lucky."

Mr. Fan was startled by his companion's words.

Saying such things in this situation would be dangerous for the disciples of Renlu, who might even kill someone.

He turned his head left and right in a flustered manner, and then his eyes met Lin Yi's.

In an instant, Boss Fan's face was filled with embarrassment.

He managed to force a smile, nodded at Lin Yi, then turned and glared reproachfully at his companion.

Fortunately, the other party was just like them, only there to participate in the memorial ceremony.

If the people of Renlu, who haven't found the murderer yet, heard this, they would probably vent their pent-up anger on the two of them.

"Gentlemen, excuse me for disturbing you, but what industry are you in?"

Lin Yi then took the initiative to come closer.

He was genuinely curious about what kind of business the two were involved in that could have both Song Wenchang and Zhang Xiaolin interested in it.

Boss Fan glanced at him.

That night, we had a quick chat at a wonton stall outside the Meilin Theater.

He was already in a bad mood at the time, and then the major event of Zhang Xiaolin's murder happened.

Therefore, I didn't have any impression of Lin Yi.

However, he did see Lin Yi socializing widely with Uncle Nan earlier.

Those who chatted and laughed during that time were all prominent figures in Shanghai.

This alone shows that although Lin Yi is young, he has quite a background.

He was a respectable businessman and never wanted to offend anyone.

So, despite his reluctance to speak further, he forced a smile and said, "My name is Fan Zhongxu, the general manager of Yongli Company."

"Yongli Alkali Plant is my business."

Hearing that it was an alkali plant, Lin Yi's eyes lit up: "Industrial alkali?"

In another timeline, he runs a technology company.

If someone had mentioned the word "alkali" to him before, his first reaction would definitely have been baking soda.

He remembers this thing from when he was a child.

Using sourdough to leaven steamed buns will give them a sour taste.

But adding a little baking soda can neutralize it.

However, if too much is added, the steamed buns will definitely turn yellow and bitter.

If you honestly complain that your mom didn't steam the buns well because they taste bad, you'll most likely get a beating.

Those are all childhood memories.

His understanding of alkali new materials came from the information about High Energy No. 1 and special steel raw materials.

Therefore, industrial alkali is very important to him.

"Yes."

Fan Zhongxu nodded, showing no intention of engaging in further discussion.

Anyone involved in heavy industry and the chemical industry knows that almost no product can function without alkali.

The fact that this young man could ask whether Yongli Alkali Plant produced industrial alkali clearly shows that he is not involved in industry.

Talking about products with someone who doesn't understand the industry is like casting pearls before swine.

In addition, he is currently embroiled in numerous legal troubles and has no time to waste chatting with someone who doesn't know anything about the subject.

Lin Yi could sense that he wasn't very interested in talking.

But it doesn’t matter.

How can a businessperson give up just because the other party doesn't want to talk?

He had originally planned to start organizing the production of raw materials after securing the loan.

This is a good opportunity to learn more about it.

"I've heard that iron smelters have a huge demand for industrial alkali, so your company must be doing quite well, right?"

"This gentleman is clearly an amateur."

Fan Zhongxu's companion spoke rather rudely.

With a hint of disdain in his eyes, he said, "It's not just the steel industry that needs industrial alkali; chemical plants have an even greater demand."

"To be honest, Yongli is the first and currently the only company in China that can produce industrial alkali."

"The only one?"

Lin Yi frowned slightly.

Given the importance of industrial alkali, the fact that there is only one manufacturer in China clearly demonstrates the weakness of China's industrial sector.

And most importantly, he will definitely need to use industrial alkali in the future.

If domestic needs cannot be met, it means that we could be held hostage by foreign countries at any time.

Lin Yi knew all too well what that felt like.

"Of course, the foreigners keep the production technology a secret. We paid a lot of money to get it back then."

"It's not for anything else, it's just to stand up for the Chinese people, so that we don't have to depend on foreigners for everything."

As Fan Zhongxu's companion spoke, he couldn't help but say angrily, "But there are some people in this world who always think about getting something for nothing and putting money in their own pockets."

"They don't care at all what we've been working so hard for."

“Sted, you’ve gone off on a tangent.”

Fan Zhongxu quickly pulled him up.

My longtime friend has never been one to keep secrets.

If we don't stop him, he might call out Song Wenchang's name.