The mother-in-law didn't say much in the end, only giving Boss Huang a look that suggested he should figure things out himself, and then went to accompany her daughter. Boss Huang naturally felt too embarrassed to stay in the delivery room and waited outside obediently. Around 6 PM, a baby's cry was heard from the delivery room, followed by a nurse bringing the good news that a daughter had been born.
Boss Huang was naturally overjoyed at this news, as his previous two children were boys, and now with a daughter, his family was complete with both sons and daughters.
Unfortunately, Boss Huang only got to see his precious daughter from afar before the mother-in-law whisked her away.
For the next few days, Boss Huang found himself constantly shuttling between the two, accompanying his older daughter one day and his younger daughter the next. Since even the mother-in-law knew the truth of the matter, Boss Huang no longer needed to pretend.
Later, realizing that running back and forth was not ideal, he decided to send both women to the same place to recuperate after childbirth. No one objected, but neither did anyone openly acknowledge the situation; a strange state of harmony was maintained.
As time passed, naming the children and registering them became pressing matters. Leng Zhiruo's child would naturally take the father's surname.
Following the naming convention of his eldest son, Huang Qu, named after the line "Xi ren yi cheng huang he qu" from the ancient poem "Huang He Lou," the second child was naturally to be named Huang Lou.
The mother-in-law, however, had reservations about this name, finding "Huang Lou" too ordinary and suggesting a more imposing or literary name. But Leng Zhiruo was fond of the name, so it was decided.
The real trouble, however, was with Leng Zhimeng's name. According to the naming rules, her name should correspond to the third line of the poem, "Huang he yi qu bu fu fan," making her name Huang Fan. But this name was rather unsuitable for a girl.
Instead, the character "You" from the fourth line, "Bai yun qian zai kong you you," seemed more fitting for a girl, and naming her Huang You would be quite suitable.
The problem, however, was that if this child also took the surname Huang, it would undoubtedly solidify the father's identity.
Furthermore, when it came time to register the child, under whose household registration would the child be listed? How would the father be recorded? And what if, in the future, someone connected the surname to the child's true identity?
This led Leng Zhimeng to ponder many things. Of course, most importantly, she did not want to become a woman who simply waited for Huang He like her sisters. While she didn't dislike her brother-in-law, or perhaps even liked him, she yearned for a more independent life rather than living solely by a man.
Or rather, she wanted to raise her child herself, so she was more inclined to name the child Leng You, thus ensuring that the Leng family would have an heir.
This suggestion resonated not only with Leng Zhimeng but also seemed to appeal to the mother-in-law. If there was anything she regretted in her life, it was perhaps not helping anyone establish a lineage, so if her daughter could have a child with her family's surname, that would be wonderful.
Boss Huang did not press the issue much. Once he confirmed this was Leng Zhimeng's wish, he made the final decision. The child would be named Leng You and registered under Leng Zhimeng's household, with the father's name left blank.
***
"In order to ensure the implementation of the two trillion infrastructure fund and to demonstrate to the world that the United States remains the most advanced and excellent country in global transportation construction, setting an example for all other nations, the US Pacific Railroad Company, in conjunction with over twenty other railway companies, will jointly establish the United States United Super Vacuum Railway Company. Together, we will construct the world's first super vacuum high-speed pipeline railway, reducing travel time between California and New York to under six hours. Once safety standards are met, it may even be reduced to approximately three hours."
"Before the construction of this railway, traveling by train between these cities would take three days. Flying, unless on a supersonic aircraft, would still take eight hours. Our super vacuum high-speed pipeline railway will be the fastest ground transportation in the world!"
April 1, 2009, was April Fool's Day, and it seemed the US Pacific Union Railroad Company had released this statement as an April Fool's joke, intending to amuse people.
However, the humor wasn't particularly effective.
But on the second day, when over a dozen members of Congress began submitting proposals for this railway to Congress, requesting approval, the entire United States was utterly shocked.
When the President of the Pacific Union Railroad Company arrived at Congress, under the glare of countless camera flashes, to detail the company's planned route for the vacuum high-speed pipeline railway, its technical specifications, and even its construction timeline, and then the collective vote by the representatives passed the construction plan for this trans-American vacuum high-speed train with a resounding majority of over 70%, the entire nation was left dumbfounded.
It was real! The United States was actually going to take the lead in building something so incredible!
Or rather, the entire world was stunned. This technology, which seemed to exist only in science fiction novels, was real. Could humans truly achieve high-speed travel exceeding 1000 kilometers per hour using vacuum tubes?
Following the shock, there was immense global jubilation and praise for the United States.
The Americans themselves need not be mentioned; all US media outlets hailed this as a monumental technological breakthrough for America, proclaiming that this technology would usher in a new technological revolution.
Following the Industrial Revolution, the Electrical Revolution, and the Electronic Revolution, America was poised to lead the Electromagnetic Revolution.
This was America, the future and beacon of the world. The light of our nation would continue to illuminate the path for all other countries, allowing them to follow in our footsteps.
In reality, American media was relatively measured; some outlets, in addition to their praise, raised more objective questions, primarily concerning public welfare, such as whether investing such enormous funds in transportation would affect social and public life.
In any case, no media outlet questioned the feasibility of the technology itself, as the construction proposal had already been submitted to Congress, implying that the technology was already mature.
If American media was considered restrained, then other media outlets had largely transformed into sycophants. European media, led by the Jiangnan Media Group, driven by their own interests, ignited wave after wave of unending praise for the vacuum super-high-speed pipeline railway, proclaiming it as a testament to the world's number one power's technological foundation and strength. They declared that the entire of Europe would continue to follow America's lead to gain access to technology transfer or to have America assist in building European vacuum super-high-speed railways.
With such a railway, all of Europe could remain united and become an even stronger Europe.
The stance of the Jiangnan Media Group essentially represented the attitude of other media outlets, summarized in one sentence: Father America is too great; we must follow in his footsteps to benefit.
If the European Union, the world's second-largest entity, adopted such an attitude, then it was pretty much the same for the rest of the world. China's situation was similar; domestic media began with shock, followed by extensive, detailed reports, and finally, praise for the practical significance of the railway plan.
Especially those "gzs" (a derogatory term for certain intellectuals or commentators), who had already been proven wrong by Boss Huang's initiatives years earlier than historically, were now collectively resurrected by the announcement of America's vacuum high-speed train. They began singing praises to America, a song of loyal praise.
At the end of their praise, they did not forget to question certain domestic enterprises, asking, "Weren't you companies boasting that you would develop your own vacuum high-speed pipeline trains? Why has there been no progress for so long? Have you deceived all of us?"
The "certain enterprises" referred to naturally included the Jiangnan Group, as the Jiangnan Group had announced its intention to develop vacuum high-speed railways five or six years prior. The fact that America had beaten them to it was indeed a significant embarrassment.
Consequently, a cacophony erupted, with a fierce online backlash against the Jiangnan Group. Tweets and posts questioning whether there were any improprieties within Jiangnan were rife.
Even though the Jiangnan Group had done nothing wrong, it seemed to have become the target of criticism, as if it had committed a grave error.
In response, the Jiangnan Group silently released an announcement stating that Jiangnan Transportation Technology Development Group had already completed its merger. All business related to vacuum high-speed trains had been completely transferred to the newly established China Ultra-High-Speed Vehicle Development Group for development and operation. The Jiangnan Group no longer held any responsibilities for technological research, development, or manufacturing.
This announcement, however, only led to more widespread mockery. All online commentary deemed this a move by Jiangnan Group to shirk responsibility. They claimed that transferring the related tasks to an outsourced company was merely a way to cover up their inability to produce the technology, and they would not accept that Jiangnan Group had wasted taxpayers' money.
Seeing these comments, Boss Huang felt utterly speechless. He thought, "Even if I had wasted money, it would be my borrowed money, which I have to repay to the bank, and it has nothing to do with your taxpayers' money!"
Just as Boss Huang was feeling somewhat dejected, an invitation suddenly arrived. The sender of this invitation was the China Ultra-High-Speed Vehicle Development Group.