Dong Qiangqiang's Story of Leaving Germany

There are only three people who have the key to the office: Dong Qiangqiang, Duanmu and Wang Shunan.

Wang Shunan only went there on weekends, so even if he left something in the office, he would definitely not leave his underwear behind. Dong Qiangqiang would not go if he could avoid going, and he would not leave his underwear behind even if he went. The problem was probably with Duanmu, but Duanmu's family lived in Hamburg, so why would he leave women's underwear in the office?

Dong Qiangqiang didn't know why, but the first thought that flashed through his mind was Lei Lanting's strange behavior on that cold night before. He was frightened by his own absurd thoughts and shook his head vigorously to stop himself from thinking about it anymore.

"There may be some misunderstanding here. I'll ask Duanmu later. Don't ask him." Dong Qiangqiang himself felt that these words were full of perfunctory meaning. If someone who didn't go to his office asked Duanmu why there were underwear on the sofa, there was no need to ask. It must have been Wang Shunan who told him. Duanmu didn't like people who reported things.

"I know. I definitely wouldn't ask him about this. It's so embarrassing. Actually... I think you shouldn't ask. We are all adults. It's normal to have some little secrets. That's why I said I might be meddling."

Dong Qiangqiang guessed what Wang Shunan was thinking. She must have felt that it was inappropriate not to tell Dong Qiangqiang, but it was also inappropriate to tell him, so she didn't want to ask him herself. Asking would be tantamount to selling out Wang Shunan. After all, this might involve Duanmu's private life, which no one could control. Wang Shunan probably just informed her and didn't really want to find out anything.

"Then I'll listen to you. I won't ask any more questions. This is between you and me. If you pick it up again in the future..."

"I always leave that thing where it is. If I throw it away, Duanmu will definitely know that I know."

"Then you should continue like this in the future. Anything else?"

"Everything else is fine. The hundred is just a token of my appreciation." Wang Shunan emphasized again.

Dong Qiangqiang understood that Wang Shunan really wanted to express his gratitude. Although one hundred euros was not a small amount, if he really transferred the money back, it would be somewhat embarrassing for Wang Shunan. It would be better to look for a suitable opportunity in the future, or simply help her find a summer job at Hamburg Wanfu. Of course, the premise is that she still has free time. After listening to her statement just now, it felt that her spare time was already filled up and there was no space at all.

"Okay, if you have any difficulties, just tell me anytime. Don't be shy." Dong Qiangqiang was very pleased to see that Wang Shunan was not only getting on the right track down to earth, but also showing signs of taking off.

Seeing that Dong Qiangqiang readily accepted the money, Wang Shunan was filled with joy. He agreed repeatedly and hung up the phone with a sense of accomplishment.

When Dong Qiangqiang returned to the restaurant, Gu Xin was the only one sitting at his table, quietly eating slowly. When he asked, he found out that everyone else had gone to different tables.

He asked Gu Xin: "Why don't you learn from people in your field?"

Gu Xin said unhappily, "I don't understand what they are saying. It's too awkward to have nothing to talk about. I might as well stay alone."

Since they were all studying economics, Dong Qiangqiang first went to sit with the group of students studying business management where Fang Shuang was and listened carefully to their passionate discussion on the expectations and judgments of Western developed countries on the Chinese economy in the post-SARS era.

The global economy is poised to take off, and students believe that the strong cooperation between the leading economies of Asia and Europe will inevitably give rise to countless new opportunities and industries related to the economy and finance. Among the many opportunities, how to effectively utilize the information asymmetry between the two countries has become a point of interest for many people, and the most prominent example of information asymmetry is the increasingly prosperous e-commerce platform.

Compared with the stagnant e-commerce in Germany, the domestic e-commerce has been developing rapidly recently. The view that the focus should be on domestic e-commerce quickly gained the upper hand in the discussion. The most popular one is the largest online e-commerce platform in the Asia-Pacific region, which was established just two months ago.

Dong Qiangqiang agrees with this view. In fact, the popularity of domestic home broadband networks had already begun to be widely promoted in the first year he came to Germany. However, the popularity of home networks in Germany is much slower than that in China. Thinking of the landlord, who is an ordinary citizen in Germany, and his resistance to the Internet, and thinking of the rapid development of the Internet in China, Dong Qiangqiang, who has been in Germany for three years, suddenly felt inexplicably worried that he was gradually falling behind in terms of the Internet.

He stood up and left the economics table where the discussion was heated, walked around the chemistry table where a German chemical company was studying a large chemical plant that was going to be built in Shanghai in the second half of the year, and came to the IT table where Ji Fengping and Zhao Ke were. Although Trier is a liberal arts school, it still has science majors.

He thought the IT table would discuss the recent news that a famous German computer chip manufacturer would build a chip manufacturing plant in the Yangtze River Delta region. However, what he heard was the prisoner's dilemma that international students often encounter: after graduation, should they find a way to stay or return home immediately.

Since there is a long-term shortage of IT talents in Germany, many IT students choose to stay in Germany after graduation. Whether they will work for a few years before returning to their home country or immigrate directly depends on their personal career planning and family conditions.

For the international students in the 1980s and 1990s, staying in Germany, a country with advanced technology and generous treatment, after graduation was not a difficult choice. However, times have changed, especially after joining the WTO. The once giant has finally ushered in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop. Even the SARS epidemic, which has not been seen in a century, could not stop the wheel of history from rolling forward. In the German industrial sector, in addition to Volkswagen, a number of German Fortune 500 companies are also optimistic about China's future. They are also rubbing their hands and preparing for battle. In the eyes of the Germans, the rise of China's economy seems to be only a matter of time. According to this logic, a large number of job opportunities will emerge in the country. If you don't go back to grab a job as soon as possible, it will be questionable whether you can still have a place in the future.

Those who chose to go back and those who insisted on staying each had their own opinions, and no one could convince the other.

Dong Qiangqiang thinks this question is easy to answer.

After sitting down at several tables, Dong Qiangqiang discovered that no matter what major he studied, except for the remote English/Chinese/German Literature Department, it would eventually be closely related to the domestic economic development. For the first time, he realized that this might be the opportunity and challenge that this era has given to their generation.

Thinking about how he was still worrying about where to go to college at this time last year, and this year he has begun to worry about his future after graduation, Dong Qiangqiang feels very emotional. It seems that as long as people are alive, they will always have endless worries.

After eating and listening for a while, Dong Qiangqiang brushed off the peanut skins on his clothes. He planned to go back quickly while the weather was good to repair the pond that he had worked on two days ago but had a corner washed away by the heavy rain, so as to avoid any new troubles caused by the continuous rain. He thought about saying goodbye to Zheng Chunhua before leaving.

Zheng Chunhua did not participate in the discussion at the dinner table with the international students. She was chatting animatedly with a group of reporters. When she heard that Dong Qiangqiang was leaving, she stood up and saw him out of the restaurant.

"Let me ask you a question," Dong Qiangqiang said, "after graduation, will you stay here or return to China to develop your career?"

"Me?" Zheng Chunhua straightened her wind-blown hair and answered without thinking, "I will stay. What about you?"

"Go back." Dong Qiangqiang had almost no hesitation.

Neither of them asked the other why they made the decision. Dong Qiangqiang opened the car door and prepared to get in.

"If someone asks you to borrow money recently, don't lend it to them yet," Zheng Chunhua said solemnly while looking at the Moselle River not far away, "There is a rumor."

"What did you hear?" Although Wang Shunan had already paid back the money and Dong Qiangqiang didn't need to worry about anything, he still closed the car door that had just been opened. "Did your journalist friend tell you?"

"Anyway, don't borrow it casually." Zheng Chunhua thought for two seconds, hesitated, and patted the hood gently, "Drive slowly on the road."

"You only say half of what you say. It makes the listener feel uncomfortable."

Zheng Chunhua waved her hand: "Let's go." (End of this chapter)