34: Chapter 34 Picking up the passenger!

Shen Fei was slightly stunned as he looked at the message.

Zhang Mingzhu? The daughter of Secretary Zhang Shiqing.

This counts as... a blind date.

He shook his head and chuckled. Since his rebirth, he had poured almost all his energy into his career, and he had absolutely no thoughts regarding romantic matters.

But now it seemed that some things could not be avoided.

However, that was fine too!

As long as Transsion was developing in the Chinese market, some connections indeed needed to be cultivated, though he didn't know what Miss Zhang thought about this relationship.

He hoped she wasn't someone difficult to deal with.

He put away his phone and walked toward the office. After all, compared to a blind date, he was more concerned about when the first version of the T OS would be up and running and the progress on Huang Tianya's end.

But not long after, his phone screen lit up again.

This time, it was a photo sent by Shen Fei's mother...

Looking at the girl in the photo, Shen Fei's heart suddenly skipped a beat; it seemed like he was smitten.

That was a photo of Zhang Mingzhu by the Weiming Lake at Peking University. Under the warm autumn sun, she was wearing a beige knitted cardigan and a blue long skirt, her long hair loosely tied at the back of her head, revealing a smooth forehead and gentle brows and eyes.

She was holding a stack of books and smiling lightly at the camera; her smile was clean and soft, like a young lady from a wealthy family who had walked out of a Republic of China pictorial.

It indeed fit the older generation's aesthetic of "a peaceful and prosperous country." Dignified, generous, and scholarly, yet not appearing old-fashioned.

Beneath the photo, his mother sent another message: "Mingzhu arrives at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport at 2 PM the day after tomorrow, flight number CA1837."

"Xiaofei, treat her well. She hasn't been here in nearly 20 years, so it's basically a strange place for her. You should... take her to eat something delicious."

"Also, I really like this girl, so don't you dare mess it up for me."

Shen Fei looked at those clear eyes in the photo, his finger hovering over the screen for a few seconds, before finally replying: "Got it, Mom. I'll arrange everything."

"I'm not asking you to 'arrange' things; I'm asking you to... be sharp."

"Understand? Understand!"

Putting down his phone, Shen Fei walked back toward the office and picked up the investment report for Huawei, but he couldn't read it at all.

Fine, he admitted that his state of mind was in disarray.

Blind date... relationships... Zhang Mingzhu in the photo was certainly not off-putting, but he didn't know what the other party thought about this sudden arranged marriage?

Did she feel any resentment?

Just as Shen Fei was thinking about how to host her and what tone to use, his phone vibrated again. This time, it was finally a message from Huang Tianya.

"Mr. Shen, there is progress on the Huawei terminal business side."

"Li Mu just sent word that although Huawei terminal has ostensibly rejected the idea of selling, they haven't completely given up."

"Our 4 billion USD offer for 50% equity still has a chance."

"However, this chance is very slim. After all, those two companies suddenly lowered their valuations, which might have caused some hesitation internally, allowing the opposition to gain the upper hand."

Shen Fei finally heard some good news again. 4 billion USD was considered an astronomical price at the end of 2008, especially as pure cash flow.

But in the future, Huawei terminal would become a mobile phone behemoth with annual sales of hundreds of millions of units, along with various other profitable businesses; this investment was absolutely worth it.

Most importantly, the other party could help Transsion solve certain communication issues.

"So we increased our offer to 4.2 billion USD: 50% paid in a lump sum, and the remaining 50% to be paid immediately after the handover is completed."

"Mr. Ren should be tempted," Huang Tianya continued to analyze.

"Huawei's cash flow is very tight right now. The financial crisis has begun to spread globally, and their overseas operations have shrunk significantly."

"This 4 billion-plus USD can solve their urgent needs, and I've also promised not to interfere with control."

"But I estimate there is still considerable internal resistance."

"After all, the terminal department has ended its losses this year, with an annual revenue of 3.5 billion USD and a net profit close to 400 million USD. This is their future."

"Help me schedule a meeting with Mr. Ren." Shen Fei made a decision immediately. Since they were hesitant, he would help him resolve this lingering concern.

"Set the time for next Monday, he can decide the location, I want to talk in person."

"After talking for so long, it's time for me, the final big boss, to show my face."

"Okay."

"Tell Mr. Ren that Huaxin Investment is willing to talk. The price is negotiable, but what we want is not just a financial investment, but strategic synergy. This money must be used for R&D..."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Fei finally let go of his internal conflict and opened his computer to pull up the detailed information on Huawei terminal.

In 2008, Huawei terminal was still in a difficult transition period.

Traditional mobile broadband, such as data cards or internet modules, shipped 22 million units in 2008, capturing over 40% of the global market share and firmly holding the number one spot globally.

As for fixed-line terminals, the global market share was also around 30%, tied for first place globally with Alcatel-Lucent.

As for the mobile phone business, it also shipped about 33 million units, but previously it mainly produced white-label phones for carriers, resulting in thin profits.

Mr. Ren had already realized the importance of the consumer market and began forming an independent brand team, but the investment was huge and the results were minimal.

It was only because other departments were quite profitable that they could support the mobile phone business. However, with the impact of the financial crisis, there was quite a lot of talk within the board of directors about selling the terminal business.

If he could invest at this time.

Shen Fei quickly calculated his bargaining chips in his mind. Transsion's ground promotion department, the self-developed chips and systems currently under development, and those enhanced chips were all things Huawei lacked.

And Huawei's technical accumulation, patent pool, and business connections were all things Transsion urgently needed.

Complementary, a perfect complement.

Just as Shen Fei was processing things.

On the other side, in Beijing, Zhang Mingzhu's mother also took out a photo of Shen Fei. It was a photo taken by Li Ziqi when Shen Fei was working that day.

He was already handsome to begin with, and with his serious working demeanor, he gained some extra points. As for the result, it was similar to Shen Fei's reaction.

...

Two days later, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.

Shen Fei arrived at the arrival gate half an hour early. Regarding the reception, he still chose to start as a stranger/friend.

So today, he wore a light gray casual outfit, without a tie, appearing relaxed yet not lacking in courtesy.

He held a pickup sign in his hand, with the three characters for "Zhang Mingzhu" written on it.

In 2008, things were far from as convenient as in later generations; a pickup sign was still a very useful thing.

The flight arrived on time at 2 PM, and the crowd began to pour out.

Shen Fei scanned the crowd with his eyes while holding the sign, and soon he saw the figure from the photo.

Zhang Mingzhu walked out pushing a small suitcase. She was even thinner than in the photo, wearing a simple white shirt and khaki trousers, with a light blue knitted cardigan worn over them.

Her long hair draped over her shoulders, and she wore a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, her temperament gentle and intellectual.

She also saw the pickup sign, paused for a moment, and then walked straight over.

"Shen Fei?" Her voice carried a hint of questioning, but it was very gentle, and also mixed with a slight Northern accent.

"Miss... Miss Zhang, you've had a long journey." Although he had been prepared, Shen Fei still felt a bit awkward and could only hurriedly take the suitcase from her hand.

"The car is outside."

"Haha, you're acting a bit like a waiter. You're too nervous. Be more natural, just call me Mingzhu." She smiled slightly. "Sorry to trouble you, coming all this way to pick me up."

"It's only right!"