Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

More importantly, in Lin Dong, President Zhao saw himself twenty years ago, when he went south to Shenzhen alone, also penniless, yet daring to gamble everything on a future.

However, this young man has a clearer vision and a stronger hand.

The scales in his mind had completely tipped between the enormous risks and the even greater potential rewards.

"Twenty-five million." President Zhao said, but the number he gave made Lin Dong and Uncle Cai slightly take aback—this was five million more than what Lin Dong had asked for.

Seeing a hint of surprise in Lin Dong's eyes, President Zhao revealed a wild, investor-like smile for the first time: "President Lin, you want 20 million, which is calculated according to your plan."

The 25 million I approved is a reassessment of your worth as a person and the returns you can bring. The extra 5 million is my personal additional investment in you.

Without further hesitation, he picked up a pen and signed his name and comments on the preliminary review form with great force.

"Based on a comprehensive assessment of the company's growth potential, core asset value, and founder's potential, this project possesses significant strategic value. We recommend approving a technology finance loan of 2500 million yuan and designating it as a key client for support. —Zhao Changyuan"

Just then, the office door was knocked on and pushed open.

Manager Li from the risk control department walked in with a document. When he saw the amount on the document that President Zhao was signing, his expression changed visibly.

"Zhao Xing, we've just finalized our preliminary risk control assessment for this large loan and were just about to report it to you..."

Manager Li placed the documents on the table, his tone tactful but skeptical, "The company is too new, and the valuation of the collateral is already close to the limit, especially... we understand that this General Manager Lin has only just graduated from high school."

Should we reconsider this limit and the associated risks? At this time, it's better to be cautious.

The "period" he referred to was the critical and sensitive period when the branch manager was about to retire and several vice presidents were competing to take over.

At this critical juncture, a huge loan that could potentially spark controversy would undoubtedly give others ammunition against them.

Zhao Changyuan raised his head, glanced at Manager Li, and his gaze was sharp.

Instead of answering directly, he pushed the signed document toward Lin Dong.

"Mr. Lin, the terms are as we agreed. The payment will be in your company account within a week." His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness.

Then, he turned to Manager Li, whose expression was complex, and spoke in a calm tone, yet every word carried immense weight:

"Old Li, the responsibility of risk control is to uphold the bottom line, not to confine ourselves to a self-imposed prison."

If ICBC doesn't even dare to support someone who, at just eighteen, can assemble a top-tier team, establish an international presence, and target core patents, then in the future, we'll only be fit to count money for those bosses who only know how to mortgage their properties.

"I, Zhao Changyuan, will take full responsibility for this loan. If it succeeds, it will be a success for the branch; if it fails, it will be my personal misjudgment, and it has nothing to do with you. But I must sign this document today."

Manager Li opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words and silently left.

He knew that Zhao Changyuan was not just investing in a project, but was using his future to play a much bigger game.

The office fell silent again.

"Thank you for your trouble, Director Zhao." Lin Dong put away the documents, understanding the unspoken message.

He knew that this loan represented much more than just money.

"I'm investing in my foresight."

Zhao Changyuan waved his hand, his tone returning to normal, "I trust my own judgment."

"We will absolutely not let your investment go to waste."

Lin Dong's words sounded like a promise, and also like a declaration.

He didn't offer any more words of thanks or assurances, because the best reward was the result itself.

After leaving the bank and getting into his car, Uncle Cai finally breathed a sigh of relief; the back of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat.

"President Lin, Bank Manager Zhao... he's betting everything on us."

Uncle Cai's voice was still a little tense, "Twenty-five million, and they even offered to increase the offer... This pressure..."

"The pressure is on him, not on us."

Lin Dong looked out the window at the rapidly receding street scene, his tone calm and undisturbed.

"He was betting on his vision and future. All we did was to make the journey faster and more stable, which was the path that was going to be completed anyway. That shipment from San Francisco was his first quarterly report."

Uncle Cai composed himself and immediately followed suit: "Yes, I understand. So, what's next, the visa and the itinerary?"

"Proceed as quickly as possible." Lin Dong glanced at the calendar. "The loan should be in the account within a week, and I need to get my visa at the same time."

"clear!"

A week flew by in a tense atmosphere.

The finance department confirmed that the 25 million had been deposited into the company account without any discrepancy.

Almost simultaneously, Uncle Cai placed Lin Dong's passport with the visa affixed and a thick file bag on his desk.

"Mr. Lin, everything is taken care of. The flight is a direct flight to San Francisco the day after tomorrow afternoon. The document bag contains the updated shipment details from Lao Chen, the warehouse address, and the phone numbers of two reliable local contacts he provided. The hotel and car have also been arranged."

Lin Dong checked the passport, picked up the document bag, but did not open it.

He already knew all the information inside; these were just necessary props.

"I'm leaving the family business in your hands," Lin Dong concluded. "Especially the R&D team. While I'm away, the progress can't be slow. If there's anything you're unsure about, contact them by phone."

Zheng Hao nodded emphatically: "Don't worry, Brother Dong, I'm here, and they're here too."

Uncle Cai also said, "President Lin, please be careful while you're out there. After all, those transactions aren't on our territory."

"Okay." Lin Dong responded and put his passport and document bag into his backpack.

There was no farewell, no grand pronouncements.

The following evening, Lin Dong, like any ordinary business traveler, carried his bag and joined the flow of people departing from the international airport at Shenzhen Bao'an Airport.

Go through security, wait for your flight, and board the plane.

As the plane roared into the sky, the dazzling lights of Shenzhen outside the window gradually shrank into a patch of light at his feet. Lin Dong leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

Even after the money arrived, there was still a long way to go in the supply chain.

We have precision manufacturing capabilities, but the screen, battery, camera, and a bunch of core chips and sensors are all in the hands of others.

The talent pool is an even bigger headache. We haven't found anyone for the three key positions: structure, radio frequency, and drive. And most critically, we don't even have a trace of chips and systems.

Uncle Cai should be getting a response by now.

It's been so long, and there's still no news. Even if it's hard to dig, there should be some rumors by now.

Could it be that it's really been completely covered up by some giant...?

He let out a breath. Thinking too much was useless; he'd just have to wait until he landed and then take it one step at a time.

The cabin was plunged into a deep, slumbering darkness, with only the low rumble of the engines carrying him into the distance.