After Rui Xiaodan left, Ye Xiaoming immediately returned to his shop and called his friend Feng Shijie.
Feng Shijie, a 34-year-old man with a tall and thin build and a perpetually kind demeanor, ran an auto detailing shop on Renmin Road, where he also repaired car electrical systems, installed car audio, and offered tire inflation and patching services. Upon receiving Ye Xiaoming's call, he gave a few instructions to his staff and drove his Beijing 213 Jeep to meet Ye Xiaoming.
As soon as he parked and entered the shop, he asked, "What's up? I was busy."
Ye Xiaoming was still working on an amplifier, soldering components, and said, "Before we get into it, let me tell you some news. The woman who's been coming in lately just ordered a sound system. She wants two sets of Le Sheng flagship components to make a pair of bookshelf speakers, powered by two Slec preamps and four power amps, plus possibly two power supplies. You've got one Le Sheng flagship with one Slec preamp and two power amps, and you've swapped it out three times already. She's starting at such a high level—aren't you ashamed of your setup now?"
Feng Shijie pulled up a chair, sat down, thought for a moment, and then asked, "How does she plan to power it?"
Ye Xiaoming explained, "Split a signal from the CD player to another preamp. You should know this since you work with circuits. High-end CD players usually have two outputs. Running two sets has the added benefit of fine-tuning the low-frequency amplification on one set, allowing for better mid-high frequency adjustment through the preamps, which provides a balanced waveform. This isn't just a matter of filtering; it's a whole different level."
Understanding dawned on Feng Shijie, and he gasped, "Wow, how did she come up with that? That kind of approach sacrifices low-frequency reflection efficiency to enhance sound quality. The sound must be incredibly stable and dynamic! So much gear for a pair of bookshelf speakers—it's impressive! I've wasted my years in audio, shame on me!"
Ye Xiaoming said, "You've built speakers before, and your village has woodworking shops. Can you help with this?"
Feng Shijie lit a cigarette and said, "Not just help, I'll make a pair myself, taking advantage of your shop's component prices before you close. But I don't understand, how did a woman think of this?"
Ye Xiaoming smiled, "Today, I met a master. I didn't dare say much, fearing you'd faint."
Feng Shijie laughed, "I'm already about to faint."
Ye Xiaoming, focused on his soldering, said, "Two pairs of KTA47 components in one bookshelf speaker, two Arnell power supplies, an Arnell top-tier split CD player, two Arnell tube preamps, four Arnell 160W power amps, and Blue Star Space cables. You read audio magazines; I don't need to say more."
Feng Shijie was stunned, "Wow… My God, this is overwhelming! Is this real?"
Ye Xiaoming said, "I saw and heard it myself, just an hour ago. The sound was indescribable—like an eight-cylinder Mercedes."
Feng Shijie asked eagerly, "Where?"
Ye Xiaoming replied, "Nan Village community."
Feng Shijie, puzzled, said, "Nan Village? That's an ordinary neighborhood, no big shots there."
Ye Xiaoming said, "Remember the used CDs we bought from Liu Bing? The ones with the stamp."
Feng Shijie asked in surprise, "Yuanying? Is it a man or a woman?"
Ye Xiaoming answered, "A man, named Ding, looks under 40, single, sounds like he's from Beijing."
Feng Shijie sighed, "A big audiophile, burning through everything?"
Ye Xiaoming finished soldering and connected the amplifier to the CD player. After testing it, the speakers worked, indicating the repair was successful.
Ye Xiaoming lowered the volume to background music and started packing his tools, saying, "This guy isn't just an audiophile, he's a player. His tea set shows he's into tea culture. The two laptops are IBM, and he smokes 555 cigarettes. This isn't just audiophilia; selling his CDs must mean he's hit a rough patch."
Feng Shijie said, "It sounds like you have a plan."
Ye Xiaoming washed his hands in the back room and returned, "I admire his speaker design and the audio rack. That rack has 12 compartments with no wasted materials, and you can't find a stress point. It's stable and simple, beautifully crafted. I've never seen anything like it in the market."
Feng Shijie speculated, "You want to…"
Ye Xiaoming waved his hand, "Who am I to dream big? When they make the speakers, I'll have them make a rack too. It'll be part of the audio setup budget. If someone's paying, why not try? This small job wouldn't get done in a furniture factory, and even if it did, I wouldn't trust it."
Feng Shijie said, "I'm confident about the speakers; I've made them before. But the rack, given the village's small workshops, I can't promise anything without seeing it."
Ye Xiaoming said, "It's doable, simpler than the speakers. It's a concept that's easily grasped."
Feng Shijie stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, "When will you take me to see it? At least to satisfy my curiosity."
Ye Xiaoming smiled meaningfully, "Just for curiosity? You've always wanted to find something for the village to do. This Mr. Ding, do you know what he's capable of? Hypothetically… I'm just saying hypothetically, if something comes up, it could be a path forward. You won't lose anything, and who knows what opportunities might arise?"
Feng Shijie finally understood a bit more, "Your brain is always ahead of mine, always seeing opportunities."
Ye Xiaoming said, "Come on, I'm just talking. Audiophiles have a shared passion—it's about connecting and playing."
Feng Shijie said, "Why don't you go if it's about connecting? I know it's about paying respects."
Ye Xiaoming leaned back, arms outstretched, and laughed, "Look at me, I may have a scholarly air, but I come off as a sly businessman. I'm hard to approach. You, on the other hand, look honest and straightforward, easy to get along with. You have a car and some resources—you can play this game."
Feng Shijie walked around the room, "So… let's connect?"
Ye Xiaoming said, "Let's connect!"