dhibooks Chapter 101 Jiang Feng Arrives
Chapter 101 Jiang Feng Arrives
The international arrivals hall at Los Angeles International Airport was bustling with people. Ling Yun, dressed in an inconspicuous dark jacket, stood among the crowd of people waiting to pick up passengers, his gaze calmly fixed on the exit. He wasn't holding up any sign; he simply waited quietly.
Soon, a young figure wearing a slightly bulky down jacket and carrying a backpack came into view—it was Jiang Feng. His face still bore the marks of fatigue from the long flight and a hint of bewilderment. He pushed his luggage cart, looking around, trying to find someone familiar among the unfamiliar faces.
Ling Yun didn't wave immediately. He waited until Jiang Feng got closer before stepping forward and calling out softly, "Jiang Feng."
Jiang Feng turned his head sharply, saw Ling Yun, and his eyes instantly lit up. His fatigue seemed to vanish considerably, replaced by a mixture of nervousness and excitement: "President Ling!"
"You must have had a long journey." Ling Yun patted his shoulder, and without further ado, naturally took his luggage cart. "The cart is outside, come with me."
Instead of going to the company, Ling Yun drove Jiang Feng directly to a business hotel in Century City. He had booked a quiet room in advance.
Upon entering the room, Jiang Feng put down his backpack and stood there somewhat awkwardly, feeling a little puzzled by the arrangement before him. He had originally thought he would go directly to the legendary new office of Star Technology.
"Sit down." Ling Yun gestured to the sofa in the room and sat down opposite him, his expression serious. "You've been traveling a long way, and I should let you rest and adjust to the time difference first. But the situation is special, and there are some arrangements I need to discuss with you first."
Jiang Feng immediately straightened his back and listened attentively.
"First of all, welcome to Los Angeles." Ling Yun looked at him, "but for the next period of time, you may not be able to appear in public as an employee of Star Technology."
A hint of confusion flashed in Jiang Feng's eyes, but he did not interrupt.
"StarCraft Technology has just received investment from Dell, and many things are now out in the open," Ling Yun explained. "Microsoft is watching us closely, and the competition in the future will be extremely complex and fierce. I need to make some strategic moves to keep them out of their sight. You, and what you're going to do, is one of the backup plans I've prepared."
He paused, looking at Jiang Feng's young but calm face: "Do you understand what I mean? You are now a pawn in the shadows."
Jiang Feng nodded emphatically: "Understood, President Ling. Just tell me what you need me to do."
"Very good." Ling Yun took out a thick, bound technical document from his briefcase and handed it to Jiang Feng. "Your core task is to develop a brand new, lightweight, high-performance database system based on the core characteristics of the Star System."
Jiang Feng took the document, the cover of which had only a simple title: "Draft Design of a New Lightweight Database Architecture (Confidential Internal Document)". He opened the first page, which contained an architecture diagram hand-drawn by Ling Yun and descriptions of the ideas behind some key algorithms. Although it was only a framework and direction, the ideas were extremely clear and advanced, breaking away from the current mainstream database design paradigm.
"This...this was designed by you?" Jiang Feng's voice was filled with disbelief and shock. He had originally thought he was here to do specific coding implementation work, but he didn't expect to be directly involved in the top-level architectural design.
"This is a preliminary concept; you'll need to fill in and optimize it for concrete implementation," Ling Yun said calmly. "Your first task is to thoroughly understand this architectural design. Understand why it's designed this way, what its advantages are, and what the potential difficulties might be. If there's anything you don't understand or if you have any better ideas, feel free to discuss it with me anytime."
He pointed to the hotel room: "This will be your temporary office and accommodation. Make a list of any technical documents or reference books you need, and I'll have them delivered. The hotel can provide meals, or there are restaurants nearby. Until I give you further instructions, please try not to leave the hotel grounds and avoid unnecessary contact."
Jiang Feng clutched the document tightly, as if it were an invaluable treasure. He felt immense pressure, but even more so, an excitement at being trusted to the extreme and a desire to take on the challenge.
"I understand! President Ling, I will master this design as soon as possible!" Jiang Feng's tone was filled with unwavering determination.
"This isn't just a technical task." Ling Yun looked at him, his tone deep. "Once you've fully mastered the architecture and produced a preliminary, feasible prototype, I'll register a new company. This company will, on the surface, have no direct equity connection with Starry Sky Technology. And you, Jiang Feng, will be the CEO of this new company."
Jiang Feng abruptly raised his head, his pupils dilating in shock. CEO? He was just a recent graduate; although confident in his technical skills, he had never imagined such a heavy responsibility.
"President Ling, I... I'm afraid I'm not up to the task of managing a position..." He instinctively tried to decline.
"You'll be in charge of the technology. Initially, I'll arrange for someone to assist you with finances and legal matters, and help you build the administrative and personnel framework," Ling Yun interrupted him, her tone leaving no room for argument. "What you need to do is lead a highly capable technical team to create this database and ensure its technological leadership. This is a completely new battlefield, and I need someone I completely trust who deeply understands the core of the technology to steer it. Li Mo strongly recommends you, and I trust his judgment and your potential."
He looked at Jiang Feng, his gaze sharp: "This will be more stressful and more lonely than what you face at Starry Sky Technology. Are you willing to accept this challenge?"
Jiang Feng took a deep breath, suppressing all his hesitation and unease. He met Ling Yun's gaze and answered firmly, "I'm willing. President Ling, I won't let you down."
"Very good." Ling Yun's face showed a very faint smile. "Remember, you and your team may be our trump card for dealing with the worst-case scenario. Focus on your research here and keep a low profile. Contact me via encrypted email or this number if anything happens." He handed Jiang Feng a piece of paper with only a phone number written on it.
After giving his instructions, Ling Yun didn't linger and got up to leave.
The door closed, leaving Jiang Feng alone. He stood in the center of the room, looking around his temporary lodging, then down at the heavy technical document in his arms, feeling like he was in a dream. Just hours ago, he was on a trans-Pacific flight, dreaming of Silicon Valley; just hours later, he carried a secret mission, hiding in a hotel, planning the future of a company yet to be born.
He wasted no time on sentimentality, immediately pushed his luggage to the corner, sat down at the desk, and opened the "Draft Design of a New Lightweight Database Architecture," instantly immersing himself in it. The hustle and bustle of Los Angeles was shut out through the window, and a technical breakthrough on a covert front quietly began.