Xu Zhilin stared at Tang San, his mind spinning.
He'd doubted him at first—suspected the man was a fraud, maybe some smooth-talking consultant trying to ride China Star's success.
But now?
Tang San… was the one who designed the EA888 platform.
Not copy it or improve it, but build it from scratch.
Xu's eyes widened with realization—and a wave of shame crashed over him.
I doubted a master like this…?
He stood up, bowed slightly, and said:
"Teacher Tang. Teacher Sun. I'm Xu Zhilin.
Please… take care of me moving forward."
That humility wasn't forced—it was sincere.
The EA888 engine had baffled him for weeks. He'd pored over every component, trying to reverse-engineer it. It was elegant, powerful, and—most impressively—utterly free of existing patents.
Now he knew why.
The man who'd created it… was sitting across from him.
Haifeng, standing beside them, smiled quietly.
He felt a deep respect for Xu Zhilin.
This was the same old man who had practically lived in the lab, refusing to go home and surviving on takeout and bottled water—to understand how the engine worked.
You deserved better, Uncle Xu.
However, Haifeng had to make Tang San the face of every innovation to keep drawing more tech from the system without raising suspicion.
"If I keep handing blueprints to Uncle Xu, he'll eventually start asking questions," Haifeng thought.
"But if Tang San is a legendary-level tech master in the eyes of the staff… then everything makes sense."
It wasn't just a cover but a way to protect Xu Zhilin, too.
"He's not young anymore," Haifeng reminded himself.
"Working like this daily… his health won't hold up."
He turned to him with a warm smile.
"Uncle Xu, Mr. Tang is one of the best in the world.
I went to great lengths to bring him here."
"From now on, he'll serve as Chief Technical Director for China Star Auto."
"You won't have to carry the weight alone anymore."
"And with you, Mr. Tang, and the rest of the team guiding us forward…
Engine, transmission, chassis—we'll crush every barrier."
From then on, Tang San and Sun Er began integrating into the team.
Haifeng left them to settle into the lab. He trusted them to connect with Xu Zhilin and earn the team's respect on their terms.
And sure enough, within a single morning, they were walking shoulder to shoulder—laughing like old friends on their way to lunch.
It looked like they'd known each other for years.
🚗 Half a Month Later…
Tang San's presence had transformed the lab entirely in just two weeks.
His deep expertise. His surgical understanding of component systems. How he explained combustion curve dynamics or variable timing theory left even seasoned engineers in awe.
Even Xu Zhilin—once the lab's most senior figure—willingly became a student again, following Tang San with a notebook.
Every employee at the China Star Auto plant knew one thing:
"If Mr. Tang joined us, President Lu is building something big."
And that belief reached a fever pitch after sixteen days of work…
The first EA8888 engine rolled off the production line.
Workshop 3 was packed.
Haifeng, Xu Zhilin, Tang San, and hundreds of staff stood silently, watching the final tests play out.
The deep, growling rumble of the engine filled the room.
Not a sputter. Not a skip.
Just power.
When the diagnostic lights turned green—
"It's out! It's out!!"
Someone shouted, and the room exploded with cheers.
"Ha! We finally did it!"
"A fully domestic, self-developed engine!"
"No patents blocked us—this is ours!"
"Mr. Tang is insane. Truly legendary!"
There were high fives. Hugs. Even tears.
After years—decades—of being blocked by foreign tech, this was Daxia's first fully independent, patent-free engine.
Haifeng didn't waste time.
He immediately had the legal team file the national patent application in Yanjing.
"This engine," he said, "will make China Star the pride of Chinese automobiles."
Chen Changchun, head of the legal department, grinned and patted his chest.
"President Lu, if I don't get this done…
You have my permission to take my head."
The moment wasn't just corporate—it was emotional.
People turned to look at Tang San with admiration, shock, and awe.
Even Xu Zhilin gently stroked the side of the engine casing like it was his child.
"We've waited so long for this day," someone whispered.