The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

"Chen Lu, you're actually quite stupid."

Su Xiaoxi walked forlornly in the sunset. Her slender figure cast a thin shadow, making her seem out of place in the bustling university scene.

“Your dad is so capable, he taught you for so long and gave you countless funds, but you still can’t earn money on your own, you can’t even do something as simple as making money work for you.”

"Xiao Xi, what are you saying?"

Chen Lu was somewhat surprised; this was nothing like Su Xiaoxi's usual tone of voice.

“I’m telling you, you’re stupid. You probably don’t know, but my mom doesn’t trust you anymore. She’s put all the money your dad gave me into the bank, earning 20 million in interest every year. I’ll never have to live that kind of poor life again. Don’t you think my mom is pretty smart?”

"What?" Chen Lu exclaimed in surprise, "Your mother has gone mad. Doesn't she know that money was a test my father set for us?"

"Of course she knows, but our family can't compare to yours. A billion dollars might just be a test for your family, but for a family like ours, it's a guarantee of financial freedom for three generations."

Su Xiaoxi said calmly, "My mother once did everything she could to get me to marry her, all for the sake of financial freedom. Now that it's achieved, she naturally doesn't need to gamble anymore, and I'm finally free."

For an average family, a billion-plus yuan is indeed enough to achieve complete financial freedom.

No amount of money means much to Su's mother and her family anymore.

The reason is simple: they can't even spend all the 20 million in interest each year, so what's the point of having more?

Most importantly, even Su Xiaoxi's maternal grandparents and uncles were unwilling to gamble away three generations of their secure funds on that slim chance.

For families like theirs, this kind of risk is actually very unwise.

Therefore, the whole family is using their actions to pressure Su Xiaoxi into making a decision.

She had no other choice but to make this decision.

"Xiao Xi, this time is different. This time, my second sister will help us. We can definitely achieve our goal."

“It’s no longer necessary. Our family took your money, so naturally we have to leave you. I’ve already accepted that we failed the test. The money your father gave us is enough to buy out all the feelings between us.”

Chen Lu seemed struck dumb, as if he couldn't believe it or understand it.

But Su Xiaoxi has made her decision, and she will never go back.

I wouldn't dare take that path either; in the end, I'm still not good enough for it.

In the future, she will have no choice but to find a way to return the money to Chen Lu's father.

Perhaps only in this way will she have the chance to stand before Chen Lu again.

Now she has lost all dignity and the courage.

All her confidence was shattered by her impoverished family.

Chen Lu probably didn't realize that losing more than 500 million yuan from his account in two months was a huge blow to Su's mother and the others.

Su's mother knew her daughter had this card from the beginning, and she gave her daughter a few months.

But the outcome made her lose all interest in taking a gamble.

If you deposit the money in a bank, you can live off the interest every year.

This is the path she, as a mother, has planned for her daughter.

After all, in her view, love can be found again, but if she loses billions, she can't earn it even if she doesn't eat or drink for three lifetimes.

The value judgment involved is not too difficult to make.

She simply made the choice that most parents would make.

As it turns out, Su Xiaoxi's mother's decision wasn't entirely wrong.

Chen Xinyi, the second daughter, did indeed give Chen Lu a good investment project, but she herself didn't even look at the project in detail.

Chen Lu trusted his second sister and invested all his funds in the project. However, the technology was immediately met with patent lawsuits from two overseas giants as soon as it was released.

These patent lawsuits can last for many years.

Before the results are obtained, this technology cannot be used commercially at all.

By the time the lawsuit is settled, the giant has completely blocked your path.

They can quickly leave a small company like yours with nowhere to go simply by imitating you.

If Chen Lu really invests all of Su Xiaoxi's money in this, he will most likely lose everything within two years.

These kinds of shady lawsuits are common overseas. If you win, the whole world will know, but in reality, you're often dragged into a legal trap by the big players.

I'll wear you down until you die.

And all of this was because of a small, fundamental patent, which was indeed stolen from someone else.

And just like that, the achievements of three years collapsed entirely.

Erpiya herself is going to lose billions, so she doesn't care.

Anyway, I've invested in many companies; if one doesn't work, another will.

Therefore, it's impossible to predict things in this world until the final outcome is revealed.

Chen Lu came to his father, feeling lost and disoriented. He wanted to know if families like theirs couldn't even make their own decisions about who they liked.

Everything is about interests, and everything is about future plans.

If that's the case, then what's the point of being this wealthy?

Without a doubt, this silly boy actually started to question the meaning of life, just like in the TV dramas.

This is no small matter; if not handled properly, it could easily shatter all his past beliefs.

Chen Pingsheng was still in his own mansion when he saw his son looking so listless and somewhat down on his luck for the first time.

He never used to do this.

"You and Xiaoxi are having another fight?"

"Dad, I want to ask you, when you gave Xiaoxi two billion, did you already anticipate that her mother would deposit all her money in the bank? Did you intend to use this money to buy out all of Xiaoxi's dignity and self-confidence from the very beginning?"

"Dad isn't as dark as you think."

Chen Pingsheng said, "As for you, shouldn't you reflect on yourself? Do you think Su Xiaoxi's mother never believed in you? How many ordinary families can remain unmoved in the face of 2 billion? But look at yourself. In the past few months, you've been begging your eldest sister or your second sister. You've pinned all your hopes of making money on others. Do you think you've lived up to all my years of careful guidance?"

"Dad, I'm not talking about my earning power right now. I want to ask you, you and Mom are both so rich, why can't I even like an ordinary girl, and why do you have to try to stop me?"

"That's because having money comes with having responsibilities. Everyone living in this world has to bear the corresponding responsibilities that come with their status."

Chen Pingsheng said, "You are my son today, so no matter which woman you pursue, they will not refuse you. But if you were just an ordinary person, those so-called school beauties and goddesses would probably not even give you a second glance."

"Do you think that wealthy families like ours can do whatever they want? You're sorely mistaken. Behind your mother and father, there are families worth tens of millions. You want to act recklessly, but you don't realize that every penny you spend is the result of the efforts of these people behind the scenes."

"Father still says the same thing: whatever you inherit, you have to bear the consequences. It's not that I didn't give you opportunities, but you've seen the result. Su Xiaoxi is not suitable for you."

To put it bluntly, the two families are too far apart in terms of social standing.

Furthermore, given that his son is too obsessed with love, Chen Lu simply cannot stay with Su Xiaoxi any longer.

It wasn't that he, as a father, didn't want his son to have a romantic relationship; it was just that they weren't a good match.

It's not like he didn't give them a chance.

(End of this chapter)