Chapter 14: The Tyrannical Female CEO

"I know," Chen Geng nodded, but his attitude remained firm: "I've already made up my mind."

Li Jianguo really didn't want Chen Geng to go through with this. He frowned and said, "How about this, think it over again, consult your parents, and we'll talk about it in a few days."

No parent would not consider their child's future. Li Jianguo thought that Chen Geng's parents would never let their child give up a bright future to return to that poor, desolate place, right?

Chen Geng's parents, of course, didn't want him to return from the capital. Chen Hongjun mumbled and couldn't say much. He had even slapped Chen Geng to make him go back. Chen Geng's mother, Yuan Jia, reacted intensely: "Brat, let me tell you, you stay in the capital and behave yourself. If you dare to move, I'll break your legs!"

She had the air of a tyrannical female CEO.

Chen Geng understood why his mother was so angry. If he were in her shoes, he might have reacted even more intensely. But since he was the son trying to persuade his mother, he had to show the proper attitude: "Mom, you know my temperament isn't suitable for being an official. If you want me to mix in the political arena, I might end up being played by others. I'm a liberal arts student, it's better for me to focus on technology..."

"So you want to come back?" Yuan Jia said irritably.

"Ha ha..." Chen Geng laughed.

A mother knows her son well. Though she was angry, she also knew that Chen Geng was smart, but his emotional intelligence wasn't suited for politics. If he stayed in the political arena, he might really be played by others. She rubbed her temples in frustration and changed her tone: "There are plenty of good units you can go to. Aren't they all better than your father's unit?"

"Mom, you've worked for so many years, don't you know? Even if I'm a student from Tsinghua, in those units, it's still about seniority. Who knows how many years it will take for me to have a say?" Chen Geng smiled. "But if I go to my father's unit, what do you think the chances are that I can take charge of a department? At least I'll be a leader, and you'll be proud, right?"

Yuan Jia was silent. She knew her son was right. In any unit, seniority was a big issue, and the larger the unit, the more severe the problem. If her son really went to a big state-owned enterprise like FAW or SAIC, it would be at least 10 to 8 years before he could take charge of a department. On the contrary, if he returned, the chances of taking charge at the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory of the East China Military Region were very high, after all, he was a graduate from the Ministry of National Defense.

After a long pause, Yuan Jia finally said, "But... you worked so hard to get into Tsinghua, and now you're suddenly coming back. People will think you made a mistake at your unit. How can I hold my head up at work?"

Chen Geng laughed immediately. This was his mother's style!

Yuan Jia's concern was practical. People always aim high, and it was natural for the Chen family's child to stay in the capital after graduating from Tsinghua University. Chen Geng could already imagine how much his mother had boasted about him, saying how great her son was. But now, the legendary Chen family boy suddenly returned, and everyone would assume he had made a mistake. Who would leave the capital unless they had to?

Chen Geng didn't want his mother to bear such a stigma, and he didn't want to be the subject of gossip and suspicion. The consequences of being suspected were severe. First of all, how could a guy who was kicked out of his unit have any authority?

"That's easy to solve," Chen Geng smiled. "My father's factory has problems with the 212 Jeep. Let him show his integrity and bring his son, who studied automotive engineering, back from the capital to solve the problem. If everyone knows it's my father's integrity, no one will say anything... after all, he's done it before."

Last year, in 1984, Beijing Automotive Corporation (BAIC) cooperated with American International Harvester to introduce the Jeep Cherokee. Using some of the Cherokee's technology, they improved the 212 Jeep and launched the 2020 Jeep. With the new technology and product, BAIC generously spread the 212 Jeep's technology nationwide. Any company that could get an introduction letter from their provincial industrial department could obtain the complete set of blueprints from BAIC for free.

Over 200 companies across the country obtained the blueprints. The Third Military Equipment Repair Factory, though a stepchild, not only got the complete set of blueprints but also, through military connections, secured an additional 200 engines per year from the Capital Engine Factory. This meant the factory could produce up to 200 212 Jeeps annually.

However, the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory was just a military equipment repair unit and lacked the industrial assembly capability for cars. The first batch of 20 212 Jeeps they produced had numerous issues, so much so that even the East China Military Region, which had ordered them, couldn't tolerate it. After receiving the faulty 20 212 Jeeps, they forgot their promise to purchase more... The same went for the First and Second Military Equipment Repair Factories, which also obtained the blueprints. But now, Chen Geng saw this as a good opportunity.

Yuan Jia was shocked by her son's idea!

She didn't even have the heart to criticize her husband for his "integrity" and quickly said, "Son, listen to Mom. The 212 Jeep is a pit. You can't jump into it. Your father's factory is already in trouble over this..."

"Mom, I'm not stupid. How could I jump into a pit I know is there?" Chen Geng smiled. "Don't worry, it's just an excuse to come back. I know what's important. And if I come back, we can be together as a family. Mom, you don't want to see me only a few times a year, do you?"

Chen Geng's words hit Yuan Jia right in the heart. Despite her pride in her son, the thought of him being alone in the capital, with no one to take care of him, made her heart ache. She worried about whether he had someone to wash his clothes, if he was being bullied at work, if he had a girlfriend, and what kind of family and temperament that girl had... If he were by her side, at least she wouldn't have these worries.

Yuan Jia's tone softened: "What you said makes sense, but... it's still a national ministry. Let me think about it."

She was still reluctant to let go of her son's job. Working at the Ministry of National Defense was prestigious. Every time she saw the envious looks of the doctors at her hospital when they talked about her son, she felt that her life was worth it. But if her son came back, those envious and jealous colleagues might gossip behind her back, saying all sorts of nasty things.

After hanging up, Yuan Jia's mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't focus on work. Since there was nothing much to do at the hospital today, she decided to go home.

But the office director wouldn't let her go so easily. With a curious look, he asked, "What's wrong? Is your son's job not going well?"

"No," Yuan Jia shook her head. She originally wanted to say she was tired and needed to rest, but somehow, her words changed... "I'm just upset. My husband is being unreasonable, insisting that Chen Geng come back."

The office director was stunned, his brain shutting down for a moment before he exclaimed, "Is your husband okay?"

The gap between the Ministry of National Defense and the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory was like the distance between Earth and the moon. Parents always pushed their children forward, not the other way around. Was Chen Hongjun's brain malfunctioning?

"Who says it isn't?" Yuan Jia said with a worried face. "I don't know what kind of spell this old man has cast on that little rascal. I'm so worried..."

"You should go home and talk to your husband. This is a big decision for your son's life," the office director urged, genuinely concerned. "The capital is a special place. The central leaders are there. So many people want to get in but can't. Your son staying in the capital is a great opportunity that many envy. How can you let him leave so easily? No! Absolutely not!"

"Who says it isn't," Yuan Jia frowned. "Director, I have to go. If my husband dares to make my son come back, I'll never forgive him."

"Go, go," the office director nodded. "Maybe I'll come over tonight to help you talk some sense into him?"

"No need," Yuan Jia waved her hand. "If he doesn't agree, I'll divorce him!"

Yuan Jia could already imagine that within two hours, the news of Dr. Yuan's husband "selflessly" asking his son to return to the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory from the Ministry of National Defense would spread throughout the entire hospital.

PS: My son had a follow-up check today, which is why this chapter is late. The results weren't good, and I'm feeling a bit down. Please bear with me, everyone.