Chapter 584: Strong Support

February 8, 1986, Saturday, the Eve of the Lunar Year of Bingchou.

Wen Watching Wen Leyu started calling home at five a. m., and finally got through at six a. m.

San Francisco is fifteen hours behind Beijing, so six a. m. in Lighthouse was already three p. m. on the mainland.

Wen Watching Wen Leyu had planned to call home in the evening, but Li Ye thought that by then, calls to Teacher Ke and Wen Wen Qingsheng for New Year greetings would be queued up; whether she could get through would depend on luck, so it was better to call earlier.

"Mom, are you busy preparing the New Year's Eve dinner? It's still dark here! Li Ye wants to wish you a Happy New Year."

Teacher Ke laughed on the other end: "Oh, Li Ye wants to wish me a Happy New Year? So you're not wishing me yourself?"

"Do I have to say Happy New Year to you too? Are you being distant?" Wen Watching Wen Leyu pouted. "You didn't even answer my calls a few days ago. I was mad—just calling you today is already a favor."

"Oh oh oh oh, my daughter's mad at me! I'd better soothe her properly, or she won't recognize me as her mother anymore. Oh dear, I'm so scared—can you even eat dumplings today?"

Facing Wen Watching Wen Leyu's theatrical tantrum, Teacher Ke wasn't angry at all; she teased her daughter with a smile, wondering if she'd been waiting by the phone all day.

"We're going to UC to celebrate with the overseas students! Li Ye bought tons of groceries—we'll definitely have dumplings."

"And tonight there's lion dancing in Chinatown! I feel the Spring Festival here is even livelier than back home."

"You're going to UC? That's good, but when interacting with compatriots, tone down your temper. We're all Chinese, but overseas, no one will coddle you like Li Ye does."

A mother worries when her child travels far. Wen Watching Wen Leyu had grown up with Teacher Ke, and this was her first New Year away from home—Teacher Ke couldn't possibly be without worry.

The young couple had money, so food and clothing weren't lacking, but human relationships were the most complex and prone to sudden problems, so Teacher Ke began her patient advice.

Wen Watching Wen Leyu listened quietly to her mother's nagging, no longer impatient as before; she waited until Teacher Ke finished speaking, then sniffled and said, "Mom, I miss you."

Teacher Ke, who had seen countless grand scenes, fell silent for several seconds.

"Fool, I miss you too."

Teacher Ke sighed, then comforted her: "But even if you miss me, I can't make you fly back. Do things through to the end—this trip to Lighthouse for observation and internship is an opportunity so many are fighting for."

"So focus on your work now, and when you return, we'll talk properly. How many practice reports have you written? It's been nearly half a month since you got from New York to San Francisco—any insights?"

"You only know how to talk like a bureaucrat."

Wen Watching Wen Leyu pouted, unamused: "I've been swamped these days—you know that! If it weren't for today and tomorrow being weekends, we might not even have time for New Year's Eve!"

Teacher Ke was puzzled. "Hong Kong also has holidays for Spring Festival—doesn't your company in Lighthouse close?"

"No," Wen Watching Wen Leyu said. "Li Ye said we must make new employees believe this is a Lighthouse company, not a foreign-owned firm controlled by Hong Kong or the mainland. That's crucial."

Teacher Ke paused, then quickly asked: "What is Li Ye worried about?"

Wen Watching Wen Leyu looked up at Li Ye, who was organizing his things, and whispered: "I can't explain it right now, but these days I've noticed Li Ye is genuinely worried about something."

Teacher Ke said firmly: "Have Li Ye get on the phone."

"Oh~"

Wen Watching Wen Leyu called out to Li Ye: "Li Ye, come quick and wish my mom a Happy New Year, or she'll get mad!"

"No no no, I'm coming right away—don't make Auntie Ke angry!"

Li Ye had stayed outside to give Wen Watching Wen Leyu and her mother privacy; hearing the call, he immediately walked over smiling.

Wen Watching Wen Leyu handed the receiver to Li Ye, stuck out her tongue, and slipped out the door.

She didn't know if Li Ye wanted to discuss this with her mom, but she'd noticed he'd been worried for days.

She decided to seek her mother's help because Teacher Ke's perspective far surpassed their own—any advice would help.

Teacher Ke first chatted with Li Ye about casual matters, then directly asked why he was "worried."

Li Ye answered honestly: "Because we're dealing with Lighthouse's most advanced tech industries. Though Lighthouse is shifting industries outward, I believe these cutting-edge sectors have hidden protective restrictions."

"And after we make money here, we must be able to take it out safely. So I think we should be cautious and minimize unnecessary risks."

In the 80s and 90s, Western developed nations did transfer many technologies and industries to the mainland, but in their "global division of labor," the mainland was a lower-tier region even below Japan and South Korea—excluding computers and high-tech sectors tied to the information revolution.

Even if the mainland had joined the WTO, wouldn't they still impose restrictions and embargoes?

Why did Chinese-listed companies return? Wasn't it because Lighthouse deemed they used its money to upgrade mainland enterprises, disrupting its so-called "global division of labor"?

So Li Ye wants to steal their technology and their gold coins—do you really think Lighthouse's vultures are just sitting around doing nothing?

"Risk?" Teacher Ke asked, tense: "Do you think there's danger?"

Li Ye replied frankly: "Not yet—but I'm not sure about the future. I'm just preparing for the worst."

Teacher Ke fell silent for a few seconds, then asked: "Do you need help now?"

This time it was Li Ye's turn to fall silent—he'd spent years relying on himself, never seeking help from Teacher Ke.

He feared she'd misunderstand—that he'd courted Wen Watching Wen Leyu to climb the social ladder, to seek wealth and status.

But now, hearing her tone, he sensed another layer of meaning.

After a moment, Li Ye said slowly: "I can still handle things myself, but I've analyzed something these past days."

"When a company grows large enough, it inevitably encounters state-level power. If I'm fortunate enough to build my enterprise to that scale, I hope to receive state support."

Teacher Ke was stunned—she never expected Li Ye to speak so boldly.

He wasn't asking for personal support from her or Wen Wen Qingsheng—he was asking for state support. Was this a question for a student still in school?

And was this even a question for an individual entrepreneur?

Though Li Ye's business was sizable, he was still a completely independent operator.

But Li Ye thought differently.

Think of Huawei's Princess in the future—could any single company achieve that alone?

Even in the free nation of America, wouldn't Microsoft consult Lighthouse authorities before making major moves?

A former insider once revealed: within a net worth of one billion, you're most free. Beyond that, without strong backing, you simply can't survive.

Teacher Ke exhaled and asked Li Ye: "How long do you think it will take before your company needs state support?"

Li Ye paused two seconds, then smiled: "I can't be sure, Auntie Ke—maybe ten or eight years, maybe fifteen."

"Hehehehe~ Li Ye, you're not being humble this time!"

Teacher Ke couldn't help laughing. Li Ye might think fifteen years was long, but to her, it was too short.

Li Ye was barely twenty—fifteen years later, he'd still be under forty.

To reach a level where you can interact with state power by forty? "Prodigy" wouldn't even describe his excellence.

But Li Ye knew Lighthouse's information industry revolution would suffer a major setback in 2000—Cisco's valuation would peak at $550 billion in March 2000.

So he believed if he could steal certain technologies, the best time to act would be before 2000.

After laughing a few times, Teacher Ke half-jokingly asked: "Li Ye, if you want 'strong' support, you'll need to reach at least hundreds of millions in value!"

"Hundreds of millions?"

Li Ye thought for a moment, then softly said: "Auntie Ke, I already have hundreds of millions in U. S. dollars."

"Cough cough cough cough~~"

Li Ye and Teacher Ke talked on the phone for a long time in the room; when he came out, he saw Wen Watching Wen Leyu's eyes flickering.

"What's wrong, Xiao Yu?"

"Didn't my mom say anything to you? She talked so long."

Li Ye grinned: "Your mom said she's officially given you to me, and you can't back out—so tonight, we can sleep in the same room."

Wen Watching Wen Leyu opened her mouth wide, unable to close it for a long moment.

But after a few seconds, she stared into Li Ye's eyes and sneered: "Pfft, your lying skills can't even match Pan Pan Dite's—do you think I'll believe that?"

Li Ye feigned anger: "If I wanted to trick you, I'd sell you and you'd count the money for me."

Wen Watching Wen Leyu shot back instantly: "Count the money? Fine—I'll put it in my own pocket, and you'll have to trick me back again."

Li Ye exclaimed: "When did you learn to be so sharp-tongued?"

Wen Watching Wen Leyu shrugged: "I've always been like this—I just never used it on you."

Li Ye fell silent for a long while, then said seriously: "Xiao Yu, I can lie—but I'll never lie to you. Never."

Wen Watching Wen Leyu's beautiful eyes blinked, then narrowed. She stretched her arms around Li Ye's waist, buried her head in his chest, and rubbed against him fiercely.

"It's fine—even if you lie to me, I'll still believe you."