After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future

"Even Hu Weiwei can make jokes now; hopefully, it's not a premature celebration."

Lu Liang couldn't help but chuckle and turned to Xu Jiawei: "Have you chosen yet? Which media are more authoritative?"

He planned to accept interviews from one or two reputable media outlets to boost Tian Shu's popularity further.

If there are more locked orders, then there are more; if the delivery date is later, then it's later. After all, as the saying goes, there's no fear with too many lice.

"Mr. Lu, the more authoritative media are Phoenix, Guangming, and Southern Daily," Xu Jiawei added. "I've heard that since you're willing to give an interview, CCTV has also sent an invitation."

"We can't snub CCTV; schedule it for after the fifth. The exact time, you can negotiate among yourselves."

The car exhibition lasted for three days, from the 1st to the 3rd, but on the afternoon of the 2nd, Tian Shu's locked orders surpassed the 100,000 mark.

At the moment it reached six figures, Tianxing Automobile's official account immediately announced the good news.

"Looking forward to the day my Tian Shu arrives at the store."

"A hundred thousand locked orders, Lu Liang has quite the fanatics."

"What took Li Xiang two years to achieve, Tianxing Automobile did in just five days."

The news sparked an uproar both inside and outside the industry.

The reserved car owners felt a sense of camaraderie and were bragging everywhere, "kicking Tesla," "punching BYD."

However, surprisingly, competing brands and detractors didn't express any opinions, not even a single congratulation.

As the saying goes, laymen watch for fun, experts watch for strategy. A new brand and a new car that hasn't undergone market testing achieved such a great success.

To wear the crown, one must bear its weight; whether Tianxing Automobile and Lu Liang have that capability is still unknown.

These 100,000 locked orders could be the fuel for a skyrocketing rocket or a ticking time bomb.

All results will gradually be revealed this month and next month during deliveries.

If Tianxing Automobile can't handle wearing the crown, they would've played the fool; perhaps it's best to let things play out for a bit.

On May 3rd, both the Su City New Energy Car Exhibition and the Supplier Expo announced their conclusion.

This car show had 23 new energy brands, with 48 new energy cars exhibiting, reaching 78,000 in locked orders over three days.

The Tianxing Tian Shu led with 19,200 units, followed closely by Tesla's 12,400 units and Li Xiang's 9,824 units.

Across the way at the Supplier Expo, agreements were made with 19 companies involving 118 collaborations, totaling 28.724 billion yuan in deals.

The last few exhibition halls attracted a total of 553,200 visitors, marking unparalleled success.

After wrapping up the exhibition, on the evening of the 4th, Xu Daolai visited Lu Liang at Tianxing District.

Due to this exhibition, the vice director's constraints seemed slightly loosened, making an attempt for the director position next year promising.

However, even if he succeeds in becoming director, it's still mainly external PR. To replicate this success next year, he'd need Lu Liang's support.

It's better to establish and maintain relationships early on, rather than scrambling later with Little Sweet or Mrs. Niu.

"Director Xu, you're too kind. There's no need for a special visit."

In the grand hall of Tianxing District, the red carpet and flowers were already prepared, along with fifty Tian Shu vehicles ready for delivery.

Lu Liang was familiarizing himself with the delivery process for tomorrow's first batch. His primary task was essentially that of a doorman cum car valet.

Unlike financial services, there was little for him to worry about in manufacturing; it wasn't that his authority was overshadowed, but rather that expertise required specialization.

Hu Weiwei and Wang Xiaofeng had already managed everything meticulously; the former Mobike duo was once again setting sail.

However, this time, they weren't serving Mobike or Li Bing but rather Tianxing Automobile and Lu Liang.

"Just finished up, and there are a few days of leave. Heard that Tian Shu will be delivered tomorrow, thought I'd come and see if there's anything I can assist with."

Xu Daolai said with a smile, and upon learning of Lu Liang's tasks for tomorrow, he couldn't help but laugh: "With that kind of VIP treatment, even I'm tempted to buy it."

"Three hundred thousand isn't too expensive, and I recall the Su City Government offering particularly high subsidies to support the new energy industry for civil servants."

Lu Liang recalled a recent conversation with city leaders; the Su City Government was sparing no effort to support new energy and retain them.

For local Su City new energy automotive companies, the first purchase would receive up to a fifty thousand yuan cash subsidy, and discounts could be stacked.

For the Tian Shu Pro version, priced under three hundred thousand, with all discounts and subsidies maxed out, the actual purchase cost could be just over two hundred thousand.

With Xu Daolai not yet forty and already holding a department-level position, spending twenty to thirty thousand should not be a problem given his years of savings.

"I do like it, really, but Mr. Lu, your company's car is too flashy, not suitable for government work."

Xu Daolai smiled wryly, genuinely fond of the car and able to afford it, but the coupe style was inappropriate for a civil servant.

Had he been at least a decade younger, he might have bought it, but nearing forty, Volkswagen was a better fit for him.

"Who'd have thought being flashy was a drawback?" Lu Liang chuckled, not insisting further nor offering him a car.

The nature of their mutually beneficial relationship would change if money was involved, and there was no need for Lu Liang to bribe Xu Daolai.

To put it bluntly, Xu Daolai wasn't at the level where Lu Liang would be the one making the visit; it would be the other way around.

After exchanging a few words, realizing there was nothing he could help with, Xu Daolai bid farewell and left.

"Mr. Lu, what was Director Xu's purpose?" Wang Xiaofeng wondered, puzzled by the brief visit, akin to just going through the motions.

"No worries, don't dwell on it."

With a smile on his lips, Lu Liang stretched lazily, "Alright, I'm off to sleep. I need to get up early tomorrow."

He walked to the neighboring Marriott Hotel and happened to run into Little Wang, who was holding a lady while checking in at the front desk.

Little Wang's commitment made Lu Liang feel inferior. Since he knew him, Little Wang had always liked women with flashy, internet-famous faces.

Every day for three years, his girlfriends changed, but the type remained the same. Lu Liang suspected that he must have been hurt by a similar woman in the past.

"Why did you suddenly come over?" Lu Liang asked curiously.

Little Wang squinted his eyes with a smile, casually pushing his girlfriend aside, and took out an invitation from his pocket, "Tianxing Automobile invited me to attend the first batch delivery event. I couldn't find a reason to refuse."

"008? How much did it cost?"

Lu Liang was flabbergasted. If Little Wang managed to get that number himself, he'd eat the invitation.

"Isn't it natural to support a brother's career? Talking about money is too distant," Little Wang said earnestly.

Lu Liang, that rascal, promised to give him a car, and then it was never mentioned again. So far, no news.

Items costing hundreds of thousands, he couldn't be bothered to wait. He simply added some money and became one of the first fifty car owners in the delivery batch.

"Well, you go ahead and offer your support. I'm going back to my room to sleep." Lu Liang yawned, too lazy to banter with Little Wang.

Little Wang hurriedly said, "I've come all this way, at least treat me to a late-night snack."

"Whatever you want to eat or drink, just order from the front desk and charge it to my room,"

Lu Liang waved his hand and walked into the elevator without looking back, leaving Little Wang confused in the wind.

He looked at his newly acquainted internet girlfriend and said frustratedly, "Forget it, not worth the trouble. Let's go eat."

On the other hand, Lu Liang returned to his room.

Li Manli was still there. She hadn't left, and recently she directly started live streaming.

When she heard the noise from the entrance, her whole body froze, not even blinking.

Seeing this, Lu Liang crossed his arms, watching her performance with interest.

As expected, she was pretending to have crashed again.

Her foot discreetly reached the main power button on the computer, holding it for a few seconds until the screen went black, and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Manli, swaying, waddled over to Lu Liang like a duck, "Off work so early today?"

"I have something to do early tomorrow, so I came back early tonight to rest."

Lu Liang wrapped his arm around her slender waist, noticing it had been a while since working out, his abs replaced by a small belly.

He buried his head in her silky hair, pressing his cheek against her collarbone, greedily inhaling her scent.

Li Manli squinted with a smile, enveloping Lu Liang in her arms, whispering softly, "Little baby~ time to sleep~"

Then there was a gentle slap on the head, Lu Liang grumbled, "Don't act so childish."

"Oww~" Li Manli pouted, hugging Lu Liang for a long while before saying, "Been very tired lately?"

"Yeah, haven't really slept much."

After hearing Lu Liang's words, Li Manli suddenly said, "Liang, I've recently learned a very effective way to fall asleep."

She ran into the bathroom, filling the bathtub with hot water, changing into a Japanese-style bathing robe, stood at the door, and waved a towel with a grin, "Sir, please come in~"

Lu Liang was momentarily stunned, thinking of Sakurada Miyuki in Tokyo. She was a year younger than Li Manli and had a similar personality, yet inherently different.

Sakurada Miyuki had been naive and carefree since she was a child, but became withdrawn after her family fell from grace, only recently becoming cheerful and optimistic again.

In contrast, Li Manli was born into a conservative family that preferred boys over girls, likely learning to be cheerful and optimistic later on in life.

"Liang?" Li Manli called softly, her mood suddenly dropped, "Oh right, you've probably been to authentic Japanese hot springs."

"Every time I go to Tokyo, I'm too busy to enjoy the hot springs," Lu Liang chuckled, teasing her chin, "What's next?"

Li Manli beamed, "First, I'll help scrub you down, then you can soak in the water, and finally, I'll give you a massage."

"Is this massage legit?"

"Sir, don't be silly. We're a legitimate establishment."

Li Manli straightened her face, likely constructing the scenario in her mind again.

"I can tip you, you do your thing, I'll do mine."

"Still not possible, we're very legit here."

"Got it, let's say I tip you then."

"I'll think about it."

"Do you still need to think?"

With a splash, the bathhouse girl fell into the tub.