10: Chapter 10: Foundation and Voyage

Spark Technology's rapid advancement in the capital markets and its grand strategic layout did not affect the efficient operation of the company's daily internal functions. On the contrary, a more mature and stable management system was quietly taking shape, and within it, Lin Wan's growth and contributions were particularly dazzling.

Over the past six months, Lin Wan has shown amazing potential and excellent organizational talent, evolving from a presidential secretary who initially supported a mess single-handedly to the core hub that now coordinates various departments and ensures the smooth operation of the company's massive machinery. She not only perfectly handled the various matters Su Chen assigned to her but also took the lead in initiating a quiet yet highly effective revolution in the company's administrative system.

She spearheaded the formulation of the 'Spark Technology Office Efficiency Improvement Plan,' introducing advanced collaborative office software to fully digitize tedious offline approval processes. She optimized systems for business travel, procurement, and more, successfully compressing the annual administrative budget by 15% while ensuring efficiency and employee experience. She also established a cross-departmental administrative collaboration mechanism, regularly launching 'Quarterly Logistics Satisfaction Surveys' and continuously optimizing services based on feedback, which significantly improved collaboration efficiency and satisfaction with logistics support across all departments.

Her efforts and achievements were plain for everyone to see. This was especially true for Su Chen.

On this day, Su Chen called Lin Wan into his office and handed a brand-new appointment letter to her.

“Lin Wan, by decision of the company management, you are appointed as the Administrative Director of Spark Technology, fully responsible for the construction and operation of the group's administrative management system.” Su Chen looked at her with appreciation and affirmation in his eyes. “This is what you deserve. Without you, Spark wouldn't have lasted until today, let alone be operating as efficiently as it is now.”

Lin Wan looked at the weighty title on the appointment letter, her eyes stinging slightly. Moving from secretary to director was not just a promotion; it was a high level of recognition for her abilities and value. She took a deep breath, accepted the letter, and said firmly, “Thank you for your trust, President Su. I will definitely do better.”

“I believe in you.” Su Chen nodded with a smile. “I'll leave the new strategic planning, system optimization, and cost control to you. Take good care of our 'home'.”

To thank Lin Wan for staying loyal during the company's lowest point and for her consistent, outstanding contributions, Su Chen specially booked a table on a Friday night at a rooftop restaurant famous for its exquisite French cuisine and stunning city night views, inviting her to dinner.

The restaurant's environment was elegant and private, with soft lighting reflecting the myriad lights of the city outside. Away from the serious atmosphere of the office, both of them appeared much more relaxed.

“Speaking of which, do you remember what it was like when I held the first all-hands meeting?” Su Chen sliced the foie gras on his plate and smiled as he brought up the past. “There were only about thirty people in the audience, and every single one of them looked dejected. I didn't actually have any confidence at the time; I was just holding it together by sheer force of will.”

Lin Wan pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes filled with reminiscence. “How could I forget? When you were on stage talking about drone parameters and costs, Engineer Wang and the others' eyes went wide. My palms were drenched in sweat then, terrified that something would go wrong. Thinking back now, it feels like a dream.”

“It must have been really hard for a young girl like you back then, having to deal with so many creditors and angry shareholders.” Su Chen raised his wine glass. “This toast is for you—to the hardest times we faced, and for the fact that you didn't leave.”

Lin Wan hurried to raise her glass in response, the red wine shimmering with a magnificent hue under the lights. “President Su, please don't say that. It was all part of my job. Besides, you were the one who led us to create a miracle.” She took a small sip, a faint blush appearing on her face.

“Call me Su Chen. It's after hours, no need to be so formal.” Su Chen set down his glass, his tone becoming more casual. “By the way, why didn't you leave back then? With your abilities, it shouldn't have been hard to find a better job.”

Lin Wan fell silent for a moment, her gaze drifting to the night view outside the window. She said softly, “I came to Spark right after graduating from university; the Old Chairman Su interviewed me personally. The company was like a second home to me. Seeing it fall from glory to ruin made my heart ache. And...” She paused, turning to look at Su Chen with a look of pure trust. “I don't know why, but at that time, I felt that you were different than before. Perhaps... you really could bring about change.”

Su Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he avoided her overly clear gaze, saying jokingly, “It seems that after my transmigration... oh no, I mean after my epiphany, my aura really did become different.”

Lin Wan was amused by his words. “President Su... Su Chen, you're actually quite humorous.”

They looked at each other and smiled, the atmosphere becoming increasingly harmonious. They chatted about the company's future plans and interesting stories from their lives. Occasionally, Su Chen would tell a harmless dry joke, making Lin Wan cover her mouth and laugh softly. In this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, a subtle sentiment beyond that of superior and subordinate seemed to be quietly growing, planting seeds of infinite imagination for the future.

However, not all changes were filled with laughter. As the company's scale expanded rapidly, the R&D team swelled from dozens to hundreds, and management pressure increased geometrically. Technical Director Wang Ming, a PhD from Jiaotong University and a veteran who had been with the company for nearly ten years, increasingly felt overwhelmed.

He loved technology and enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that came from solving difficult problems. But now, most of his time was occupied by endless management meetings, project coordination, resource allocation, and personnel issues. This left him exhausted and even affected his focus and passion for the technology itself.

After careful consideration, Wang Ming knocked on the door to Su Chen's office.

“President Su, I... I want to resign from the position of Technical Director.” Wang Ming's voice was low, but his gaze was firm.

Su Chen was somewhat surprised, but seeing the undeniable fatigue on Wang Ming's face, he understood. “Engineer Wang, is the management pressure too great?”

Wang Ming nodded heavily. “Yes. I'm someone who's better suited to being in the lab, dealing with blueprints, code, and instruments. Leading such a large team and coordinating so many projects—I really can't do it, and it's painful. I'm afraid that if I continue like this, not only will I fail at management, but even my own technical skills will wither. Please allow me to step down and serve as the Chief R&D Engineer. I will lead the core team, focus on the most critical technological breakthroughs, and build up a technical reserve for the company's future.”

Su Chen looked at this veteran who had accompanied him since the low point and felt a wave of emotion. He understood and respected Wang Ming's choice. A top technical expert was far more valuable to the company than a miserable manager.

“Alright, Engineer Wang, I respect your decision.” Su Chen stood up and said solemnly, “The position of Chief R&D Engineer belongs to no one but you. The company's technical foundation still needs you to solidify it.”

Wang Ming felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and a long-absent, purely technical smile appeared on his face.

Wang Ming's resignation left the crucial position of Technical Director vacant. Under the efficient operation of the new CHO He Jing, the HR department quickly identified a heavyweight candidate through a top-tier headhunter.

Evan Chen is a Singaporean Chinese in his early forties. His resume is nothing short of a dream: he graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Department of Electronic Engineering at the National University of Singapore, followed by a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. He worked at Apple, serving as the Vice General Manager of the iPhone product line R&D department for over eight years. He was deeply involved in the R&D and mass production management of multiple generations of iPhones and is particularly skilled at leading large, interdisciplinary R&D teams. He possesses extremely rich international experience in project management and supply chain coordination.

The interview took place in Su Chen's office. Evan Chen wore a casual suit and carried himself well; his speech was not fast, but his logic was clear and he was full of confidence. Not only could he switch fluently between Chinese and English, but he also had profound insights into drone technology trends.

“President Su, the speed of Spark Technology's rise is astounding.” Evan Chen smiled. “I believe that the key to a tech company's sustained success lies in its ability to efficiently and high-quality transform cutting-edge technical concepts into excellent mass-produced products. This is precisely where my expertise lies. I look forward to joining Spark and helping build a world-class R&D management system to bring more innovative products like 'xinghuo no. 2' to global users.”

His background, abilities, and philosophy all perfectly aligned with Spark Technology's current needs. Su Chen hardly hesitated and issued an invitation on the spot. Evan Chen gladly accepted and took the position as the new Technical Director of Spark Technology, officially starting in two weeks.

Just as the company's personnel structure was settling, an overseas call came through to Su Chen's phone. The caller ID showed—Father.

Su Chen answered the phone, and his father's familiar voice came through the receiver, though it carried a trace of hard-to-detect excitement and relief.

“Xiao Chen... your mother and I are over here in Switzerland, and we saw The Wall Street Journal.” His father's voice was filled with emotion. “It says Spark Technology is the biggest dark horse in the global tech world this year... the market value has exceeded five billion?”

“Yeah, the stock price has been rising well lately.” Su Chen answered calmly, though his heart stirred slightly. Back then, his parents had essentially dumped the mess on him and fled the country with an escapist mindset.

“Good, that's good!” His father's voice grew noticeably louder. “Your mother and I never expected you could actually reach this step... no, to do it this well! It far exceeded our imagination! Back then... it was my fault, I shouldn't have just thrown such a heavy burden onto you like that.”

“It's all in the past, Dad.” Su Chen said indifferently.

“It's in the past, it's in the past!” His father's tone was full of gratification and pride. “Xiao Chen, you did the right thing, you did so well! Keep at it, take Spark, and go higher and further! Don't worry about us, we're doing great. I just... just wanted to tell you, Dad is proud of you!”

After hanging up the phone, Su Chen let out a long sigh of relief. Recognition from his closest kin seemed to provide a warm footnote to all his struggles and the pressure he had faced during this time.

The internal cornerstone was now solid, and the sails for the long voyage were billowing in the wind. Spark Technology, having undergone internal reorganization and consolidation, was about to sail into even more magnificent deep seas.