Chapter 52

"Really, nothing's wrong?" Old Li asked uncertainly.

Furen waved his hand and said, "Nothing! Aunt Zhuang, let's continue discussing the issues with the Zhuang Family Watch Company!"

Zhuang Yuehua carefully examined Furen before slowly speaking, "Although the Zhuang Family Watch Company is a well-established brand, it hasn't seen much development in recent years. If it weren't for Uncle Ren's strong support, it might have... Nowadays, wireless communication and mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular, making the watch industry even more difficult. So I asked Uncle Ren for advice, and he said we could listen to your expert opinion!"

Furen humbly replied, "Aunt Zhuang, Uncle Li is flattering me. I actually know nothing about the watch industry. However, I can help you analyze current trends. As for how to expand the business, I believe Uncle Li has a keen eye for it."

Li Chaoren laughed heartily upon hearing this, "You, Alan, how come I never thought you were so eloquent before?"

Zhuang Yuehua, however, was more concerned about Furen's analysis, "Alan, go ahead and tell us!"

"Alright, since Aunt Zhuang mentioned mobile phones, let me start by analyzing the possible future development of mobile phones. This will help us understand where the potential for watch consumption lies." Furen glanced at Li Zekai as he spoke.

Little Li was quick-witted and immediately perked up his ears. Old Li also showed a look of interest.

Furen took out his phone and said, "Aunt Zhuang, look, this phone of mine has been modified. It can record audio, take photos, and shoot videos, and it also has GPS and many games. However, because it needs a color screen for video recording, just this 3.2-inch color screen, which was specially produced in a physics lab, cost me nearly ten thousand US dollars."

Although the Li family was wealthy, they always advocated frugality. Hearing this price, Li Chaoren and the others couldn't help but be taken aback. After the initial shock, Old Li began to show his keen business sense, "Alan, so you're saying that recording, taking photos, and shooting videos will be the future trends for mobile phones?"

Furen smiled, "Uncle Li, it's more than that..." He then briefly described the future of wireless networks and the concept of smartphones, almost leaving the three of them speechless.

Finally, Furen concluded, "When a 2,000-dollar phone can perform the functions of a computer, allowing people to search for news, play games, watch movies, take photos, and shoot videos, and even provide global positioning, people will wake up and never let go of their phones. Aunt Zhuang, do you think many people will still be willing to spend 2,000 dollars on a watch?"

This left Zhuang Yuehua speechless, and she looked very disheartened, as if the Zhuang Family Watch Company was about to go bankrupt. On the contrary, Little Li's eyes sparkled, wishing he could develop the smartphone Furen described right away and usher in the era of wireless interaction.

Li Chaoren, however, remained steadfast, seemingly asking Furen or reflecting on himself, "Is the watch industry destined to decline?"

Furen smiled, "Uncle Li, the statues in the temple are made of clay and wood, and they have little practical use in our lives, but the temple of Huang Daxian is always crowded with people!"

"Alan, what do you mean by that?"

"My point is simple. In the future, the working class, who have to manage their households, will generally not buy watches after buying phones, as they can check the time on either. Therefore, for watches to develop, there are two possible paths. One is to make watches more like phones, but the miniaturization of phone components is not yet advanced enough, so this will take a long time." He paused, sipped his tea, and continued.

Old Li, seeing that Furen was holding back, didn't get angry but instead asked humbly, "What's the other path?"

Furen extended his wrist and tapped the surface of his Breguet watch with his index finger, "Accurate timekeeping is just a basic function of a watch. If we make watches into jewelry, like the statues, they may not have much practical use, but they will always be highly sought after. As for how to expand brand influence and manage the business, I think no one is more skilled than Aunt Zhuang, right?"

Old Li and Zhuang Yuehua were stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, and they thanked Furen profusely.

After some more casual conversation, the butler came to inform them that most of the guests had arrived, and the Li couple planned to invite Furen to join them downstairs. Furen firmly refused, and Old Li and Zhuang Yuehua had to go ahead. At this point, Little Li pulled Furen aside and asked, "Alan, if we start developing the smartphone you described now, wouldn't we be ahead of the game?"

Furen glanced at him and sneered, "If you want to lose money, go ahead. I won't stop you, but don't drag me into it!"

"Lose money? How is that possible? Didn't you say..."

"What did I say? The miniaturization of phone components is still far from sufficient!" Furen took out his phone again, "Do you know how much this phone costs? Nearly 100,000 US dollars, and I had to pull a lot of strings to get it. Tell me, how many people can afford such a phone?"

Li Zekai was speechless for a moment. Furen patted his shoulder and said, "However, you can start building the brand slowly. Focus on building the brand, not on market share. Once the time is right, launch the smartphone, and you'll make a fortune."

Li Zekai's eyes twinkled, "Alan, since it's so profitable, why don't we start a company together?"

Furen waved his hand, "I have enough money and don't want to go through the hassle."

Seeing this excuse, Little Li had to settle for, "Can you give some guidance from time to time?"

"Sure, no problem!"

Zhuang Yuehua's birthday party was very simple, almost austere, with fewer than ten tables, and the dishes were all home-cooked vegetarian dishes. However, the relatives of the Li and Zhuang families, who were clearly no strangers to such gatherings, still chatted and laughed, making the atmosphere lively.

Old Li wanted to invite Furen to sit at the main table, but Furen didn't wait for him to finish speaking and dragged Little Li to a table full of young people. The young people felt honored, as they were all distant relatives and never expected Li Ershao to sit with them.

As for Furen, the young people didn't pay much attention to him, thinking he was just another distant relative who had climbed up the Li family's social ladder. They were about to greet him and get to know him when Furen said, "Little Li, are these all your relatives? Introduce me!"

What?!

What's going on?

Calling Li Ershao 'Little Li' is like cursing him. How dare he!

All the young people were stunned. A few quick-witted ones were about to scold Furen, but Li Zekai stood up and pointed to a young man with a square face and thick eyebrows, "Alan, this is my cousin, Zhuang Sheng! This is..."

Everyone was instantly petrified, unable to understand why Li Ershao didn't mind Furen calling him 'Little Li'.

After the introductions, Furen sat confidently and introduced himself, "Everyone, my name is Furen, and I'm a police officer!"

Everyone was stunned again. The Li and Zhuang families had never had a police officer in their lineage. Where did this police officer come from, sitting at Aunt Zhuang's birthday party?

Zhuang Sheng, with his thick eyebrows and robust build, brightened up and greeted him, "Officer Furen must be an elite in the police force; otherwise, my uncle wouldn't have invited you to Aunt Zhuang's birthday party!"

In fact, Furen was thinking about Zhuang Yueming the whole time. When Zhuang Sheng mentioned his uncle and aunt, Furen realized he was talking about Li Chaoren and Zhuang Yuehua. He then recalled the family relationships and was surprised, "Little Li, didn't your mother say she doesn't have a younger brother? Why does Zhuang Sheng call her aunt?"

Everyone was taken aback, but Li Zekai knew what Furen was asking and quickly whispered in his ear, "Zhuang Sheng is my mother's cousin's son. My mother doesn't have any biological brothers!"

Furen was stunned for a moment but then understood. No wonder Little Li had reminded him before sitting down that all the young people at this table were distant relatives. It turned out that the relationship had already been distant from the parents' generation. As the saying goes, 'One generation is close, two generations are cousins, three and four generations are strangers.' This described the relationship between Little Li and Zhuang Sheng. It seemed that Old Li still took good care of his relatives.

After clarifying this, Furen, though disappointed, still greeted Zhuang Sheng with a smile.

However, Zhuang Sheng seemed a bit stubborn and pressed on, "Since Officer Furen is an elite, how about your martial arts skills?"

Li Zekai's face turned serious upon hearing this and whispered to Furen, "My cousin is a martial arts enthusiast and even joined a martial arts club. Alan, you have to be patient with him!"

Understanding the situation, Furen touched his nose and went along with Zhuang Sheng's wishes, "Sure, sure, my martial arts skills are average, but I can handle four or five thugs!"

"Then how about we find some time after the meal to spar?" Zhuang Sheng seized the opportunity.

Furen sneered, "I'm afraid it won't be possible these next two days."

Zhuang Sheng, though passionate about martial arts, was not unintelligent. He paused and then said, "If it weren't for the law against assaulting police officers, I would have wanted to fight a police officer long ago. How about we find some time next week?"

Seeing Zhuang Sheng's aggressive attitude, Little Li was very unhappy and was about to scold him, but Furen teased, "I've never seen someone so eager to get beaten up!"

This remark made the young people a bit gleeful, as they thought it would add some excitement to their otherwise dull lives, regardless of who beat whom.

Zhuang Sheng, being a martial artist, was full of youthful vigor and didn't back down from Furen's provocation, "Officer Furen, until we actually spar, it's not certain who will beat whom!" He then picked up a pair of chopsticks and broke them into four, then eight, and finally sixteen pieces.

This display of strength stunned the young people at the table. Li Zekai, however, looked displeased and almost lost his temper. Furen patted his back and said with a forced smile, "Zhuang Sheng, right? How long have you been practicing Iron Sand Palm? It looks powerful, but it's fundamentally flawed."

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