Only then did Yu Chunhe nod. "Alright."

Little Chen was the person most familiar with the printer’s buttons, so every time the officials visited, Xie Changning had him perform the demonstration.

This time was no different.

Compared to before, Little Chen’s typing speed was much faster.

The officials were very patient. They sat in their chairs, quietly watching the printing process. After Little Chen confirmed the print job, they prepared themselves to sit there for another half an hour.

But to their surprise, it printed in less than a minute.

Yu Chunhe was speechless. "..."

Xie Changyi was speechless. "..."

They had heard that Xie Changning’s printer was very fast, with technology comparable to foreign models, yet more advanced and flexible.

They never expected it to be true!

The two of them instinctively stood up and walked over to the printer to get a closer look.

The printer’s casing was old and looked unremarkable, but they never thought—

’It’s so stunning!’

Xie Changyi turned to Xie Changning. "This thing is huge. How are you going to get it to Shencheng City?"

"We’ll have to disassemble it for transport. Everyone will carry a piece, and we’ll reassemble it when we get there." Xie Changning explained her plan to the two officials.

Seeing how clear she was about her goals, a hint of admiration flashed in Xie Changyi’s eyes. She laughed and joked,

"I suddenly wish I had a younger sister from my clan like Ms. Xie."

"That would be wonderful!"

Yu Chunhe smiled, but a trace of worry crossed her brow. "In your condition, will you really be alright?"

"I’ll be fine, don’t you worry."

Xie Changning knew Yu Chunhe meant well. By the time the Guangzhou Trade Fair started, she would be eight months pregnant.

If Xie Changning went with her baby bump, she’d be treated like a national treasure.

’Next month, I’ll assign a few people from the Department of Commerce to accompany Xie Changning, just to make sure she doesn’t get bumped or jostled,’ Yu Chunhe thought.

"Have you looked into the price of foreign printers?" As the Director of the Foreign Trade Bureau, Xie Changyi looked at Xie Changning, wanting to see what ideas she might have.

Xie Changning nodded. "To be honest with you, I have a printer myself. My family had to pull some strings to buy it back then, and the price was around fifty thousand US Dollars. Of course, it’s possible the middleman took a cut."

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have focused on printers first.

’What a massive profit margin!’

For foreign companies, they were indeed expensive. But while their own R&D time was costly, their material costs were not high.

Hailing from a future era, Xie Changning knew how to use cheaper, alternative materials without compromising quality.

Xie Changyi nodded and handed a notebook she had prepared to Xie Changning. "This has specific printer models and their prices. What do you think—"

"—is a good price for your machine?"

Yu Chunhe, the Director of the Department of Commerce, was well aware of the materials Xie Changning used. She knew the cost of consumables alone was around 5,000 yuan. Factoring in the cost of labor, they would have to sell it for at least 11,000 yuan to avoid losing money.

Yes, in Yu Chunhe’s eyes, a month of labor was worth about 1,000 yuan.

Xie Changning spoke slowly. "I’m planning to sell it for twenty-five thousand US Dollars. Our machine is highly flexible and can print directly without being connected to another device. I’ll also be including a keyboard..."

’I have my own machinery factory. Making keyboard components should be a piece of cake, right?’

"Aren’t you afraid of being targeted by foreign competitors?" Xie Changyi knew full well how foreign companies tried to suppress China’s industries.

If a machine like this appeared in China, they would definitely use patents to their advantage, claiming Xie Changning didn’t have patent authorization and was acting illegally. They might even try to extort China.

"Then let them bring it on." Xie Changning understood what she meant. She raised her hand slightly toward the back, and Wang Guofu promptly stepped forward, taking the thick stack of documents Xie Changning had prepared.

"These are the materials for my patent application. I’ll have to trouble you two officials to help me pull some strings. I’m hoping to get the patent approved before the Autumn Trade Fair."

’A patent application!?’ 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

This was something neither Yu Chunhe nor Xie Changyi had expected. Given the country’s current level of technology, they had always thought applying for a patent was just a dream.

But now, that dream was becoming a reality right before their eyes.

"The technology I’m using is something they don’t have. Naturally, I have to apply for the patent in advance. Otherwise, what if they take it and use it for free without paying us?"

Xie Changning had done a lot of homework to prepare for this patent application.

Even when she went to Chuncheng, she never forgot to ask about patents. However, the country wasn’t focused on patents at the time, so it was difficult for Xie Changning to gather information.

Fortunately, her hard work paid off.

After several months of inquiries, Xie Changning had finally compiled all the necessary materials.

"I’ll ask some people I know." Compared to Yu Chunhe, Xie Changyi, who frequently dealt with foreigners, was very optimistic about Xie Changning’s product. She was also familiar with some foreign lawyers.

Yu Chunhe nodded in agreement. "Director Xie studied abroad, so she knows a bit about other countries and has connections. It’s safe in her hands."

Xie Changning was surprised, and her gaze toward Xie Changyi became more probing.

’This Director Xie... she couldn’t really have some connection to the Xie Family, could she?’

Xie Changyi casually flipped through the first few documents and found that everything was complete and highly professional, as if this wasn’t her first patent application.

Xie Changyi couldn’t help but give Xie Changning a few more glances.

Xie Changning met Xie Changyi’s gaze. Then, Xie Changyi spoke, "I’ll contact a lawyer and try to get this patent secured as quickly as possible." ’It can’t be delayed past the Autumn Trade Fair,’ she thought.

"I’ll be counting on you, then, Director."

After learning a bit more about the work and production capacity at the factory, Xie Changyi and Yu Chunhe left the Anong County Machinery Factory and headed back to Chuncheng.

In the car on the way back to Chuncheng, Yu Chunhe couldn’t help but remark, "Are all of you with the surname Xie this smart?"

Xie Changyi’s rise to her current position was also a testament to her own abilities.

Otherwise, in this sensitive era, the fact that she had studied abroad would have been enough for someone to report her and have her removed from office.

"Perhaps."

Yu Chunhe’s curiosity was piqued. "Are you sure Xie Changning isn’t from your clan? You two even look a bit alike. If your age wasn’t a bit off, I’d almost suspect she was your daughter."

There was only a seventeen or eighteen-year age difference between them.

"You might as well say she’s my younger sister," Xie Changyi scoffed, finding Yu Chunhe’s suggestion ridiculous.

After saying it, Xie Changyi started laughing herself.

’How terrible of me. My parents are in their sixties, and here I am saying things like that. I’m such an unfilial daughter.’

"It’s not impossible. After all, haven’t you been out of touch with your parents for over twenty years?"

"..."

Xie Changyi fell silent and didn’t say anything more.

Yu Chunhe sighed and patted her shoulder. "Speaking of which, Xie Changning is from Shanghai. It’s possible someone from your family moved to Shanghai, you know."

At the mention of her family, Xie Changyi’s brow furrowed slightly.

"You’re right. I should probably try to get in touch with someone over there."