The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Hu Lin is twenty-eight years old this year.

There is an older brother and a younger brother above him.

My older brother is in his thirties and stopped going to school after graduating from elementary school.

It was also thanks to his older brother that he was able to study peacefully from the countryside to this great capital city.

Those who know about rural areas understand.

Let alone a teacher from Beijing, even getting into a university in Beijing would make them quite well-known in the village.

Hu Lin doesn't like socializing much, mainly because when he was in college, many of his classmates looked down on him as a genuine country person.

Therefore, after graduation, he rarely contacted his former classmates.

After working for several years, I saved up most of my money and sent it to my family.

The only remaining point is that I bought this Corolla on installment, and my acquaintance with Chen Qi was purely accidental.

When I hit her car, I felt like I was going to lose a year's salary.

I recognize Porsche, of course.

I never expected to meet such a kind person who wouldn't ask him to pay me back.

Out of a sense of responsibility, Hu Lin didn't leave and even took the initiative to help her fix her car.

That's how the two met. Later, she even met his mother, and Peng Ying liked him quite a bit.

Now I've met her brother again, and it seems that what he told her about only having a little money doesn't quite match up.

Being able to dine with A-list celebrities means you must have a lot of money.

He didn't know exactly how much it was.

"Brother, we haven't reached that point yet?" Chen Qi's face turned red.

"You're not young anymore. Love is as elusive as cotton."

Chen Pingsheng said, "If you feel it's right, then get married. Only then can the relationship truly be stable for the rest of your life."

Young people these days often like to date for three or four years before getting married.

It turns out that most relationships that last this long end in failure.

In the older generation, if the two families met and the match was deemed satisfactory, they could get married immediately.

I haven't seen many people get divorced.

On the contrary, the divorce rate is getting higher and higher now after people start dating freely.

Yang Mi secretly felt that she shouldn't have come to eat this meal, and she always felt that Chen Pingsheng was a bastard.

He kept hinting at it to her.

Honey, you're not getting any younger.

She's older than my sister and doesn't even have a boyfriend. How can she be so shameless?

It's the 21st century, but this guy is still living in the 90s.

If it weren't for her good manners, knowing it was someone else's family matter and not interfering.

She had already jumped up and kicked him.

The gap between the two is still too large, and it will take some time for them to truly get along.

Fortunately, Chen Qi is not like Chen An'an, whose family became rich after she was a few years old.

They've gotten used to spending money lavishly.

She only started to have money after coming to the capital and relying on her brother.

Therefore, the people she subconsciously likes are still similar to those she used to like.

Compared to the previous one, Chen Pingsheng was quite satisfied with this Hu Lin.

The main reason was that his mother, Peng Ying, nagged him several times, saying that being a teacher is a sacred profession.

It cannot be measured in money.

Sometimes Chen Pingsheng really wanted to tell her, "Are you still living in the past?"
Which teacher these days doesn't give extra lessons?

Hu Lin was stunned; he hadn't expected it to be so direct.

Chen Qi, who was standing to the side, tugged at him. She had said it several times: if the two of them wanted to be together, they needed her brother's consent.

Given the current situation, it's clear that her brother has already agreed.

But he still can't afford the bride price?
To be honest, only people who are poor would ask for an exorbitant dowry or bride price.

They use the guise of traditional etiquette to sell their daughters.

In the past, marrying someone from a poor family was considered a blessing.

Because girls from these kinds of families will help you with whatever you do.

They are incredibly diligent.

Marrying a girl from a poor family these days really proves the saying true.

It was purely for poverty alleviation.

First, you get a dowry of several hundred thousand yuan, and then there's a whole host of other things waiting for you to spend money on.

As for Chen Qi, she wouldn't ask for a bride price.

It's estimated that they'll have to pay out of pocket for one or two apartments in Beijing.

Hu Lin didn't expect the relationship to develop so quickly. Apart from feeling a little insecure, he felt very relaxed.

Because there's no need to buy a house in Beijing, and no need to prepare a bride price.

In fact, Chen Pingsheng had investigated this person before agreeing so quickly; otherwise, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have made the first move.

It's not like his sister can't get married.

Finding a reliable and down-to-earth elementary school teacher seems like a good fit for his younger sister.

As for the marriage alliance between the two families, let's talk about that when his elders arrive.

Back at the company, Yang Mi started throwing a tantrum.

Chen Pingsheng ignored her.

This woman is not young, and besides being exceptionally beautiful, she also has a very large D-cup.

Besides having long legs, she's also exceptionally good at making money.

It seems like it doesn't have any advantages.

However, Yang Mi still asked him, "Chen Pingsheng, your sister is so rich, aren't you afraid of ruining her by letting her marry someone who only earns a mere 100,000 a year?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Chen Pingsheng raised his hand and shoved Yang Mi, who had plopped down on his desk, off the desk. "She chose this person herself, not me. Besides, I'm just her brother, not her father. She won't like me interfering too much."

"alright."

Yang Mi wore a bodycon skirt that reached her knees on one side and fell above them on the other, which looked very fashionable.

"You're quite optimistic."

"What can I do if I can't figure it out? My mom agrees, so what right do I have to disagree?"

Chen Pingsheng asked her curiously, "Wait a minute, when did you, Queen Yang, start caring about these things?"

"I just wanted to chat with you since I had nothing else to do. I'm leaving this afternoon, see you in Shanghai."

Yang Mi, carrying her small bag and wearing sunglasses, left as if she didn't care about anyone.

After Chen Pingsheng returned home, Hu Lin unexpectedly came to his house with a lot of gifts.

There are apples and bananas.

I also heard from Chen Qi that his sister-in-law liked to eat durian, so he bought a big durian.

He clearly lacked confidence after coming here.

This is completely inconsistent with what Chen Qi said about her brother only having a little bit of money.

They live in such a beautiful courtyard house, the kind where you can even grow vegetables at home.

The key location is still Nanluoguxiang.

"Brother, you are back."

"came back."

"Hu Lin has brought some things to see you."

"I know, your sister-in-law will be back soon, you can ask her to cook at home."

Chen Pingsheng didn't say much, but Hu Lin felt that he looked down on him a bit.

Actually, no matter what Chen Pingsheng does, he will still have this feeling.

The gap between the rich and the poor cannot be resolved by a few words of concern.

It can only be worn down by time.

Besides, what do you want him to talk about?

Even Chen Pingsheng himself couldn't figure it out.

But he knew that coming to this big courtyard would only make his younger sister's boyfriend feel more disappointed.

This is a very normal emotion.

Chen Pingsheng called his wife, saying that his younger sister had brought her boyfriend home and there couldn't be no one to greet her.

That would be very impolite.

As for his mother, Peng Ying, she and Liu Fen have already taken the children out to play.

On my way back.

Song Yanxi has a lot of charisma. A woman who can easily afford an outfit worth hundreds of thousands of yuan, how could she not have charisma?
Women still need to rely on their clothes, and she politely bought some groceries to take home.

He even personally cooked four dishes and a soup.

Hu Lin only returned to normal after Peng Ying came back.

He wasn't too nervous because he had already met Peng Ying before.

The elders like him, which is the best outcome.

As for the rest, you can't force them.

Even Song Yanxi knows that the gap brought about by family background cannot be solved by having a meal together.

This will inevitably be reflected in all aspects of life in the future.

Hopefully, Chen Qi will have a good outcome.

Three days passed.

Hu Lin's mother then brought his elder brother and sister-in-law to Beijing.

Chen Pingsheng picked her up from the airport in a Rolls-Royce, which startled the old lady.

Chen Pingsheng politely introduced the capital city to her.

Then they went to a large hotel they had booked in advance to discuss their wedding arrangements.

The old man didn't say much along the way.

After arriving at the private room at the restaurant, Peng Ying told the old woman that she was also from the countryside, and the old woman's complexion improved slightly.

Discussing marriage arrangements.

The couple's wedding will be held in Beijing.

The groom's family will also hold a ceremony. As Chen Qi's older brother, Chen Pingsheng will prepare a wedding house for the two of them.

One Mercedes-Benz S600, two small storefronts.

The apartment is near Hu Lin's workplace, and it's a fully furnished apartment of over 200 square meters.

The man doesn't need to contribute a single penny.

Also.

They will also build a small villa for their parents in the countryside. That's all the dowry the bride's family will provide.

Not much is needed; Chen Qi himself is already a billionaire.

Hu Lin's mother asked only one question: "Does he need to marry into the family?"
If that's the case, she has no objection as long as her son is doing well.

Peng Ying shook her head, saying that this was completely unnecessary, as she had her own son.

The reason they were given those gifts was simply because their family was relatively well-off.

I really didn't mean anything by it.

It's often said that dating is a matter between two people, but marriage involves two families.

Chen Qi was going to Hu Lin's hometown, but Chen Pingsheng didn't interfere anymore.

He, as her older brother, was satisfied that she could find someone she liked who also had good character.

As for the rest, we can work things out gradually later.

Anyway, the two families are now worlds apart.

Didn't you see that Hu Lin's mother was smiling the whole time without saying a word?

Even when they asked, it was only a simple question: "Do you want to marry into my family?"

How could this be possible between two similar families?

Regardless, Hu Lin's marriage marked the pinnacle of his career.

His older brother is a very honest man who has always farmed at home, and his sister-in-law is also a very nice person.

It's a very honest and upright family.

Chen Qi might be able to adapt to this kind of family, but Chen An'an definitely won't be able to adapt when she grows up.

You can tell from the hundreds of thousands of yuan in pocket money she gets every month.

Habits formed from childhood cannot be changed because of one person.

……

My younger sister went to Hu Lin's hometown with him.

Chen Pingsheng returned to his old ways: going to work, coming home, spending time with his wife, and watching their silly little kid.

The days quickly passed until late August.

After investigating the domestic coffee market, Lin Jia of Teng Hui Capital produced a detailed data report for him.

According to the survey, the main customers of coffee are white-collar women, spanning all age groups.

The most common age range is between 25 and 35.

In addition, besides the fact that coffee consumers are significantly different from milk tea consumers, coffee is also seen as a lifestyle of petit-bourgeois sentiment.

Starbucks has mastered this aspect, which is why it has become a global phenomenon.

Inside a coffee shop.

Chen Pingsheng was wearing black sunglasses, which was unusual for him, and he had been sitting there for quite some time.

This coffee shop isn't big, but it has its own unique charm.

Business is usually good, and he drank it for ten days in a row, but he didn't find any bourgeois sentimentality in the coffee.

This applies to both sweetened and unsweetened versions.

If you haven't even grasped the most basic coffee skills, how can you possibly run a coffee shop?

Is it just because they have a lot of money?
Don't be ridiculous, there are plenty of people in China who are richer than him.

He's nowhere near that level.

Relying on celebrity resources?
Celebrities may be able to quickly attract young people, but coffee's target audience is clearly urban white-collar workers.

These people all have their own independent thinking, and celebrity resources have a much smaller impact than milk tea.

He firmly believes that idol worship is something only idiots do.

No matter how well they act on TV, who knows how chaotic things are in private?

This is also why he hasn't made up his mind to open a coffee shop.

"Uncle, isn't the coffee my aunt makes especially delicious?"

"tasty?"

Chen Pingsheng asked a thought-provoking question, which left the waiter in the store completely dumbfounded.

"Of course it tastes good! Why would you come here to drink it every day if it didn't taste good?"

The young girl was very confident; her business was doing quite well.

If it's lunchtime or right after get off work, you'll have to queue.

This uncle is not good-looking. Judging from the way he drinks coffee, he might be one of those suitors of young women.

Looking at him suspiciously, the young girl asked, "Uncle, don't you have a job? You seem to have so much free time."

Chen Pingsheng came every day and they became somewhat familiar with each other.

"How can you doubt that I don't have a job? Isn't it possible that I'm a big boss and therefore don't need to work?"

The little girl chuckled, "Uncle, don't be silly. Big bosses don't come to our little coffee shop every day."

"You must have your eye on my aunt too, Uncle. I have to warn you, although my aunt is quite pretty, she won't like you."

"Why don't you like me? Am I that bad?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that my aunt said she has to keep vigil for my uncle for five years, and she definitely won't have a boyfriend during those five years."

The widow?
Chen Pingsheng suddenly thought of this word, and then looked at the woman in front of him wearing a black tight-fitting dress with her hair tied in a low ponytail.

A few strands of hair fell down on either side of her face, revealing an oval face and a chest that appeared to weigh about 350 grams.

It is indeed quite tempting.

Chen Pingsheng looked at her and said, "Your aunt has been very good to your uncle during the five years of mourning."

"Of course, they got together in college."

The young girl didn't seem interested in discussing this topic further with him, and of course, Chen Pingsheng wasn't interested in asking her about such things either.

He's seen far too many beautiful women.

"Girl, I see your coffee isn't cheap either, it's only twenty or thirty yuan a cup, and it doesn't even taste as good as the bubble tea next door, so why do so many people like it?"

"Hmph." Look at what he said, he directly angered the young girl. It was the first time I had ever heard someone say in their shop that the coffee wasn't as good as the milk tea next door that cost eight yuan a cup.

"Uncle, you're not saying this out of anger because I exposed your true colors, are you? How can you compare coffee to milk tea?"

"Can't we compare them?"

Chen Pingsheng felt they were about the same, one was a bit bitter, and the other was sweeter and had more milk.

To be honest, he also likes to drink milk tea a little.

However, Tong Zhelan said that she could make the coffee shop a success.

The valuation is at least tens of billions, and could even reach tens of billions.

If he builds a company worth tens of billions, he can then use the "golden finger" to randomly amplify its value.

Can you even imagine that?
"Of course you can't compare them. Milk tea is sold to young consumers, while coffee is sold to discerning customers."

In the little girl's eyes, the biggest difference between coffee and milk tea is obviously their different levels of quality.

Chen Pingsheng thought about it and agreed, "Could you pack me three more cups? I'll take them to my colleagues."

"Okay." The girl is only relatively free around three or four in the afternoon; she'll be busy again around five.

After the nearby businesses close for the day, many people will stop by for a coffee.

As soon as she went in, she told her aunt about the strange old man.

They say the drinks aren't good, yet they come to drink them every day.

That's really strange.

My aunt only glanced at it at first and didn't pay much attention.

Later, since the store wasn't busy anyway, I thought I'd come over and ask what flavors didn't suit his taste.

To be honest, Chen Pingsheng didn't think any of the coffees were particularly good.

He believes this will be the biggest challenge for him in making coffee.

"Sir, may I ask what is wrong with our coffee that doesn't suit your taste?"

"Oh, you might have misunderstood. I just simply can't appreciate the quality of the coffee."

Chen Pingsheng truthfully said, "A friend suggested I open a coffee shop, but I just can't appreciate its appeal. Do you think it would be difficult for me to run a successful coffee shop?"

Aunt Qin Xue was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting such an answer.

For most people, they would definitely ask him to leave in this situation.

Isn't this blatant attempt to gather information about them?
Qin Xue sat down opposite him and said with a faint smile, "You're quite sincere."

"That's because I have no reason to lie to the owner of a small coffee shop."

Well… Qin Xue sensed a sense of confidence in those words, but also a disdain for herself.

In his eyes, he was not his competitor.

Qin Xue said, "I only had my first cup of coffee during my university years. I went to Starbucks with my classmates. They all said it was delicious, but I didn't think it was good at all. But in order not to let anyone know, I still told them that the coffee was delicious."

"You can honestly express your preferences, which proves that you don't need to deliberately seek approval through these things."

"Actually... I only really appreciated coffee after graduating from university and starting work. Many of my colleagues liked it, and I bought it a few times after they did, before I gradually came to like its taste. It's bitter at first and then sweet, so you have to savor it slowly. It's also a habit, and once you get used to drinking it, it's hard to quit."

Qin Xue believes the biggest difference between coffee and milk tea is that coffee is addictive.

Just like how people in Hunan love to chew betel nuts, you're giving this stuff to people from other places to chew.

They would find it strange.

Chewing it not only damages your mouth, but it also feels quite uncomfortable.

But people from Hunan especially love it because it's addictive.

Even if you want to quit, it's very difficult.

It's similar to coffee; people who are used to it drink a cup every day.

People who aren't used to it will only feel it's not worth it.

Coincidentally, those white-collar workers in enterprises all like to drink it.

Chen Pingsheng understood, and seemed to comprehend why he didn't like to drink it.

Without addiction, there's no such thing as liking.

It's the same principle as betel nut.

The biggest advantage of coffee over milk tea is its higher customer loyalty.

The repurchase rate is also very high.

(End of this chapter)