The term "sent down" as used by Xu Jiaguo.

Qian Qingying didn't believe a single word of it.

What's going on? Is your family devolved to Sijiu City?

Is it still in the No. 1 Motorcycle Factory in Beijing?

Don't be so ridiculous.

She became even more determined: No! She had to run! This guy wouldn't live much longer.

As for when to run, that's also important; there's no rush.

The year isn't over yet.

Wang Shouren then received some good news.

The test communications satellite Dongfanghong-2 was successfully launched.

This news thrilled Wang Shouren, who was in Hong Kong.

In the original timeline, this mission was successfully launched in April 1984. Now it's been brought forward a little, though not by much, but it's still telling Wang Shouren one thing: the future is not unchangeable.

Compared to Wang Shouren's excitement.

Xu Jiaguo's side was in a complete mess.

Nobita returned with his engineering team, intending to take over the motorcycle factory's technical department, but when he arrived, he was shocked to find that everything had been emptied out.

He was completely numb.

Anger kept rising within him.

He stormed straight into the factory manager's office, and without even needing a translator, he launched into a tirade against Xu Jiaguo.

"Mr. Xu, what's going on? We agreed on everything about the motorcycle factory, but when I came back from my trip back to China, everything was gone!"

Xu Jiaguo was puzzled by this inexplicable anger, but he still explained, "Also, we can still ship normally."

"The lab! The lab, I mean the lab! And where are all the technical documents?!" Nobita shouted angrily.

"Oh, you mean the laboratory? That laboratory wasn't the motorcycle factory's private property; it was Wang Shouren's private property. After the handover was completed, Wang Shouren led his men and took everything away."

Hearing Xu Jiaguo say this...

Nobita's eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead, and he slammed his hand on the table in a fit of rage: "You! Mr. Xu! This is fraud! Fraud! I traveled all the way from Japan for the engine technology, and now you're telling me that technology isn't yours?! Do you know how valuable that lab is?!"

"Let me tell you, Xu Jiaguo, I'm giving you two choices. First, obediently hand over the technology and data you have. Second, I'll report you directly to your superior about accepting bribes from me!"

Nobita was completely enraged at this moment.

He no longer wanted to waste time with this fool in front of him.

In fact, the moment he saw the lab disappear, he understood something.

Yes, how could someone who sells well overseas not know the importance of patents? The data he'd gathered in China over the years showed that the country seemed completely unaware of the concept of patents. But why was there an outlier—no, perhaps not an outlier. Thinking this, cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

"I'm only giving you three days, Mr. Xu. If I don't get what I want, I think you should know the consequences." Nobita looked at him coldly, turned and left. Compared to this, he was considering what his next step should be.

Xu Jiaguo was completely dumbfounded; he didn't know what "Nobi Goro" meant.

Technology? What technology?

Engine technology.

He couldn't let the fact that he'd been scolded by a nobody in the office get out, so he made a phone call.

A short while later, Shen Yuanliang arrived at the office.

"Come, Mr. Shen, please have a seat." Xu Jiaguo said to Shen Yuanliang with a kind smile.

Shen Yuanliang pursed his lips. He knew that this man probably wanted to see him. They had met at the end of last year, and the man had immediately looked down on him, boasting about being a future leader of the Ministry of Industry and such, with an arrogant air as if he were a national leader. Over the years, he had met all the bigwigs at the motorcycle factory, and this guy was really giving him a headache.

"Speak, what is it?"

The disdainful tone caused Xu Jiaguo's anger to surge slightly, but he managed to suppress it well.

"I'd like to ask, what's the deal with the factory's technical department?"

"Isn't this great? There's no problem with having machinery in the factory."

“I’m referring to the research institute.”

"Research institute? The research institute has long since had nothing to do with the factory." Shen Yuanliang knew what he wanted to ask.

“You can’t say that the engine technology belongs to Wang Shouren alone, can you? Why did he take those documents away? As the chief engineer, you should know something, right?” Xu Jiaguo stared intently at Shen Yuanliang.

Shen Yuanliang chuckled, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, squinted, and looked at him through the smoke: "You don't actually think that engines can only be used in cars, do you?"

"What's the meaning."

"Heh, if I remember correctly, you and Shouren graduated from the same college, right? How come the difference between people is so big?" Shen Yuanliang shook his head, didn't say anything more, and walked out with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Stop right there!" Xu Jiaguo slammed his hand on the table, his expression ferocious. "Shen Yuanliang, you're not leaving until you've explained yourself!"

"What? What can you do to me? Fire me? Well, I'd really appreciate that." Shen Yuanliang said disdainfully, "I'd be disgusted to work for someone like you."

After Shen Yuanliang finished speaking, he left immediately, ignoring Xu Jiaguo shouting behind him.

Xu Jiaguo's chest heaved several times as he stood motionless. After an unknown amount of time, he took a deep breath, calmed himself, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and let it burn slowly without smoking. He sat there quietly, lost in thought. Perhaps he was thinking of something infuriating, for his chest heaved for a long time afterward.

He knew in fact that he had made a mistake.

Or rather, from the very beginning, when he told others that he had taken over the motorcycle factory and no one was willing to help him, he knew that he had made a mistake.

He had no family to pass on his knowledge to, nor did any family members tell him what he should or shouldn't do. His only father told him that he should follow his conscience.

He scoffed at this, saying, "Follow your conscience? How can you get promoted if you follow your conscience?"

With people blocking his way from above and watching from below, he can't hold onto this position with any conscience, no matter what.

He never considered his own problems; all he knew was that no one was helping him, which meant he had lost power.