"Ugh... cough cough!"
Xia Ping, who had been about to speak, was instantly choked by his own saliva, the words stuck in his throat, unable to utter another sound.
Wang Yu's remark had completely shattered his composure, leaving him at a loss for words.
"You... you don't even remember who I am?"
After a moment of stunned silence, he roared incredulously.
He, Xia Ping, Director of the Machinery Industry Association, senior executive of Jiangping City Machinery Industry Company, a man who received polite compliments wherever he went, how could he be so completely ignored by Wang Yu?
How could he possibly tolerate this?
Xia Ping roared hoarsely at Wang Yu, his hysterical demeanor making it seem as if he were avenging a murdered father and stolen wife.
"I think I have some impression."
Looking at Xia Ping, who was spitting uncontrollably, Wang Yu smacked his lips. He seemed to recall seeing such a neurotic fellow somewhere before.
"Little factory director, isn't that the guy from the Machinery Industry Association?" Han Jun whispered to Wang Yu from the side. "He came here before, saying he wanted us to join the Machinery Industry Association. He was one of Zhao Guozhu's subordinates, and there was a pretty girl with him that day."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember," Wang Yu said, as if just recalling. "Isn't he Zhao Guozhu's lackey? I didn't notice him in the corner back then. He's dressed so respectably now that I almost didn't recognize him."
Lackey? Respectably dressed?
Xia Ping's nose nearly twitched with rage. Wang Yu's casual tone made him feel even more deeply offended.
Did Wang Yu truly not remember him?
He could remember complex formulas and design blueprints clearly, so how could he forget this person who had made his presence known several times?
The so-called appraisal report that had initially identified a serious quality issue with their own product was this man's doing. How could Wang Yu forget that?
However, dealing with such a person, whose self-esteem was twisted to the point of pathology, would only fuel him further if confronted directly. The best approach was to ignore him.
His inflated and fragile ego would be enough to infuriate him to his core!
And as it happened, Wang Yu particularly enjoyed seeing people like this get so angry they could die.
"You..."
Xia Ping's finger, pointing at Wang Yu, was already trembling. The onlookers, attracted by the commotion, were pointing and whispering among themselves.
Feeling the gaze of the crowd and the seemingly mocking whispers, Xia Ping's anger surged.
"Director Xia, what are you doing?"
A stern, deep voice was heard, and a hand reached out, pressing down Xia Ping's extended arm.
Zhao Guozhu, the president of the Machinery Industry Association and the general manager of Jiangping City Machinery Industry Company.
Compared to Xia Ping, who looked respectable but clearly untrustworthy, Zhao Guozhu had a square face and an upright posture, exuding an aura of old-fashioned integrity.
However, Zhao Guozhu's face was currently somber, clearly displeased at Xia Ping's behavior and the embarrassment of his subordinate in public.
Directly stopping Xia Ping, Zhao Guozhu turned his gaze to Wang Yu with a meaningful look.
"Director Wang, we meet again. I didn't expect you to actually qualify for the Industrial Expo. However... your exhibition area seems a bit small?"
Zhao Guozhu's words were direct. Wang Yu's participation was under the guise of cooperation with the Bus General Factory, thus utilizing a portion of their exhibition space, which naturally made it appear smaller.
And Wang Yu had brought quite a few products for display, which, arranged haphazardly, made the area look very crowded.
Wang Yu's choice to use red paper for promotional materials instead of advertisements was also to save space.
"Unfortunately, we are a small operation and cannot compare to your large enterprise. Therefore, we don't require such a large exhibition space."
Wang Yu chuckled at Zhao Guozhu. Compared to the simpleton Xia Ping, Zhao Guozhu was the true hidden boss, possessing formidable intellect and skill, despite his outwardly upright appearance.
"Oh? Is that so? I see Director Wang has quite a few exhibits?"
Zhao Guozhu's gaze swept over, and he saw that Wang Yu's booth was packed with vehicles of various sizes and designs, with small household appliances and daily necessities filling the gaps.
Among those vehicles, the new-style agricultural vehicles, small dump trucks, and light-duty transport trucks—commonly known as light trucks—were particularly eye-catching.
Seeing these vehicles that looked no different from those on the market, a mysterious smile appeared on Zhao Guozhu's face.
"Heh heh, Director Wang, as someone with more experience, I must advise you that trying to bite off more than you can chew will lead to regret. You've developed so many products, but what if not a single one stands out? It would be a shame if it all ends in failure!"
Zhao Guozhu chuckled at Wang Yu. "For example, our Jiangping Machinery Industry Company has only brought three products: the new-style agricultural vehicle, the small dump truck, and the light-duty transport truck. These are important tools that can change people's lives!
They are undoubtedly unique and excellent products, not only in the whole country but even across Dongzhou!"
As Zhao Guozhu spoke with pride and boasting, many onlookers were drawn to his words.
They couldn't help but be curious about what kind of excellent products could make him speak so confidently.
After all, Zhao Guozhu, as the president of the Jiangnan Provincial Machinery Industry Association, was at least a minor celebrity, and he wouldn't make baseless claims!
If he could speak so boldly, it naturally meant he had great confidence in his products!
New-style agricultural vehicles? Small dump trucks? Light-duty transport trucks?
Hearing these familiar terms, everyone at the car factory's faces changed drastically.
Weren't these the three flagship products of their automotive sector?
So, the products that their little factory director had painstakingly researched were shamelessly plagiarized by you?
"Pah! You copied us and you still have the nerve to brag?"
"How dare you call our little factory director's painstaking designs your own with your dog-like mouths?"
"Have you no shame? How can you say such things?"
...
The people at the car factory began to clamor, attracting even more onlookers.
"Heh heh, I copied your products?" Zhao Guozhu smiled magnanimously. "As the originator of agricultural vehicles, how could our prestigious Jiangping Machinery Industry Company copy from your obscure little factory? I think you're the ones trying to piggyback on our fame?"
As he spoke, Zhao Guozhu glanced around. As expected, their argument had attracted considerable attention.
People love to join in the excitement; there was no doubt about that. Many attendees were drawn over, and within a short time, the area was packed.
Looking at the surrounding crowd, which included many people from other countries in Dongzhou, Zhao Guozhu's lips curved slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile of triumph.
He then continued to speak loudly, "You say I copied your products? Alright, I now invite everyone to visit our exhibition area and compare our products with yours!
Let everyone judge who copied whom!"