I'm reborn and I'm an international student again?

"Your dad asked me about your grandpa's burial arrangements today, and also inquired about where I'm working now and why I changed jobs. I told him I was working for you, which really angered him, hahaha," Chen Lihua suddenly brought up.

"About my grandfather..." Chen Xi glanced at him.

“My father has a lot of relatives, and your grandfather arranged for them to work at Huade. Now that the old man has passed away, they want to switch jobs from Huade to the security company. Let me make this clear first: I agree to let your grandfather and my father be buried in adjacent places, but I'm not an only child, I have other brothers, you know…” Chen Lihua stammered out the relatives’ request.

"Then forget it." Chen Xi shook his head.

We weren't buried together in our past lives, so it doesn't matter in this one. As for relatives wanting to join the security company? No way.

"Okay, I understand what you mean." A hint of disappointment flashed in Chen Lihua's eyes.

Most people like to bring relatives and friends into their companies, believing that their own people are more reliable. But the reality is often the opposite; sometimes, it's these very people who stab you in the back.

At that moment, the news on the television on the wall caught their attention.

"Everything Hengxiao has is given by X, by the country, and by society. We must shoulder social responsibility and give back to society. This is not empty talk; it is what I truly believe..." Xu Jia said solemnly in front of the camera.

This is an interview from a poverty alleviation conference, where Hengxiao pledged to provide comprehensive financial and job support to the local area.

"Hahaha, these restaurant owners lie in front of the camera all day long, it's hilarious." The restaurant owner held the remote control, laughing so hard he was shaking.

I accidentally pressed the channel changer, and the screen switched to another conference. Feng Yun was speaking eloquently: "From a young age, I was taught that we were the richest country, while foreigners lived in misery, and we should go and help all of humanity. Many years ago, when I went to Australia, I was shocked. How could the world be like this? I felt then that what really needed help was..."

“They’re all capitalists, one praising and the other mocking, it’s really interesting,” Chen Lihua said, stroking his chin.

"They're all birds of a feather! Don't be fooled by their respectable appearances in front of the camera; they're all just after money. Feng Yun isn't any better; he seems to dare to speak the truth, but he's just trying to attract traffic and get young people to support him. The Xu family is even worse; all they do is flatter. I love my country too, and I can talk to them..." Seeing someone chime in, the boss immediately shook his head and offered his insightful opinion.

"I didn't expect you to be so insightful. Tell me, which domestic entrepreneur meets your standards? These two on TV have both been the richest people in China." Chen Xi looked at his boss with great interest.

"Ha, I told you, they're all cut from the same cloth! These people find all sorts of ways to make money off ordinary people, and once they succeed, they spout nonsense on TV, and a bunch of people actually believe it." The boss was spitting as he spoke.

"Oh? Why do you dislike business people so much? The Xu family is in construction, so there's no conflict with your restaurant, right?" Chen Xi asked with a smile.

"These bosses are taking up too many social resources. It's incredibly difficult for ordinary people to get rich these days. How can I not hate them?" the boss said casually while watching TV.

This statement aligns with the views of most people online.

"Hmm," Chen Xi responded softly, offering no further comment.

"What do you think of what they said?" the boss asked in return.

"The order of the Xu family's words of gratitude was too deliberate. As for Feng Yun, it was too much of a test. If nothing happens this time, he'll dare to say even more outrageous things next time."

"Ha ha!"

After Chen Xi finished speaking, Chen Lihua and the boss laughed at the same time.

"Look at these Westerners, not a single one of them is any good. Now they're fighting like dogs. Tsk tsk, a dignified leader, actually arguing with people online like a child. He even posted those exaggerated videos before. If it weren't for the Black House's official account posting them, I would have thought it was a prank! If people like this can become leaders, maybe I can get an official position too?" The boss took out his phone and scrolled through the news.

This statement represents the views of most Chinese netizens. Negative news about the West spreads quickly here, and ideas such as "Western officials are all fools," "Westerners live in dire straits," and "capitalists exploit workers" have taken deep root in people's minds.

"Haha, that fat guy isn't stupid, don't underestimate him." Chen Xi shook his head.

"Isn't that stupid? Have you ever seen a leader get into an online argument with someone? If it were me, I would have arrested Musk long ago!" the boss scoffed.

“Boss, that’s the West,” Chen Lihua interjected.

"All crows are black! If you ask me, this is just a show. He'll definitely use his power to get back at them in a while," the boss insisted.

"Do you think it's possible that both sides are putting on a show? I remember American police often use sting operations, with male officers posing as clients and female officers posing as prostitutes. What would happen if two of these officers bumped into each other?" Chen Xi joked, lighting a cigarette.

"Haha, that's going to be amazing! After it's all over, the two of them will show each other their IDs and stare at each other!" the boss laughed.

As Chen Xi walked out of the restaurant and got back into his car, his phone rang.

"Hey, where have you been gallivanting off to again? Things are in complete chaos here! Several credit card centers have been criticizing us, and now they've teamed up with other payment companies to target us. Although we have a high market share in POS machines, all the payment companies combined outnumber us! If they unite, and with the banks backing them up, plus the relevant departments causing trouble, we simply can't hold on..." Linxi's anxious voice echoed in the car.

"Look how impatient you are. Do you really think they can unite?" Chen Xi reclined his chair and leaned back leisurely.

"Even if we're not united, it'll be enough to make our lives miserable!"

"Hey, maybe they'll just spill the beans themselves in a while?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're targeting us because we're stealing their business. POS machine transactions incur fees, which they split with the banks. Most POS machine companies went bankrupt before, and customers chose us because our products were good and our reputation hadn't collapsed yet. These companies couldn't compete, so they desperately increased the number of POS machines. Originally, customers only used one or two machines, but they used persuasive tactics to get customers to buy more, claiming that 'increasing the number of merchants helps with card transactions.'"

"So what?"

“Back when we were making POS machines, there was a document from above stating ‘one machine, one account,’ but in practice it was ‘five channels, two machines, ten accounts,’ meaning each person could only handle a maximum of five payment channels, with two merchants per channel. After all, banks are also greedy; the more devices they have, the more cards are swiped, the more they earn. But having too many devices easily triggers risk control. Later, ‘breaking five and eliminating two’ devices appeared on the market, which means forced network access. But now the bad debt rate is so high, I guess the authorities might issue another document to shut down these non-compliant devices. If all the devices are shut down, the payment companies’ cash flow will break instantly, accelerating their collapse. We might not even have time to see them unite before they collapse on their own.” As a reborn person, Chen Xi was very clear about this matter.

However, in his previous life, this document was not issued until several years later. Due to his influence, the bad debt rate has erupted earlier in this life, and Chen Xi is gambling that the new regulations will be released ahead of schedule.

"This is great news! They're all dead, so we're the only ones left in the market! Let's see what tricks those banks can pull now! Those bastards, they take our dividends while they're trying to get people to come after us, they're scoundrels!" Linxi's anger turned to joy, and she launched into a tirade against the banks. "So we have to hold on, hold on until they collapse on their own. Our advantage is low fees and good products. As long as we don't invest our profits elsewhere and lose them, and our cash flow remains uninterrupted, we can stand firm."

"Um... do you know about Xu Yun and Zheng Wei?" Lin Xi asked hesitantly.

"know."

"Sigh, what do you think? I disagreed with bringing a guide into the association in the first place, and now they're showing their true colors, trying to control us step by step." Linxi's tone was heavy.

"The association has grown so large that its scale rivals that of a global listed company. With such a huge pie right in front of them, who wouldn't be envious?"

“Sigh, Zheng Wei called and asked me to go back to manage the association, saying he couldn’t work with Xu Yun. Hey, if I go back, I’ll just be playing both sides and doing tai chi. It’s better to let that crazy woman Xu Yun go against him, which will make our stance clear.”

"This isn't a long-term solution. I heard that Zheng Wei specifically praised Yang Xiao's side."

"That old fogey Yang Xiao! I really can't understand what kind of outdated ideas are in the head of a returned overseas student. If I had to do things like them, I'd rather disband the association! Yang Xiao talks about faith all the time, as if he's the only one with faith." Lin Xi became more and more angry as she spoke.

"My thought is... well, never mind." Chen Xi had originally wanted to suggest a merger, but judging from Lin Xi's attitude, it seemed unlikely.

"What are you trying to do? Change the association to be like Yang Xiao's? Or just superficially agree with them and play along?"

"Forehead……"

"Chen Xi, do you have your own beliefs?"

"..."

Faced with this question, Chen Xi was speechless for a moment.

He has always been the kind of person who adapts to local customs. When he arrived at Wudang Mountain, he became a believer, and when he went to Australia, he became a believer in Jesus.

In his youth, he was devoted to the ideal of being blue, but after returning to China, he gradually discovered that his ideas seemed difficult to take root in this land.

The environment here was too complex, the people too chaotic; pure idealism could hardly take hold. And so, unknowingly, his inner beliefs began to shift and distort with the changing realities of life…

The two ended the call, each lost in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Xu Jiazheng, who had just finished speaking at the conference, was having dinner with the leaders.

"Hengxiao's success today is not solely due to my efforts. This time, we came with sincerity in our poverty alleviation efforts; we will provide all the necessary supplies, jobs, and funds..." The Xu family raised their glasses, once again adopting the posture of "great philanthropists" and making a promise.

"Mr. Xu is really straightforward! Every year, many companies come to help alleviate poverty, but most of them are just trying to get local preferential policies. Last time, a certain group came and asked the local government to cooperate in this and that way. I did the math, and I realized that the profits they will make from this place in the future will be much more than their investment. Hengxiao is different. You can tell that they are genuinely working for the people..." A leader wearing glasses gave the Xu family a thumbs up.

"My Xu family has always been one to repay kindness. Back then, it was X and the country that supported me, so now that I've prospered, I naturally have to give back. I go wherever there is hardship, and I go where others are unwilling to go. Every penny of profit Hengxiao earns in this area should be used back for the benefit of the local people..." The Xu family said solemnly.

"Well said!" The leaders at the table put down their glasses and applause rang out.

Meanwhile, Feng Yungang returned to his office after the conference. He sat down on the sofa, took a sip of water, and picked up his phone. The screen was full of missed calls, all from old friends in the business world.

He casually dialed back, and the call was immediately answered: "Old Feng, you really dare to speak your mind! All the young people in my company are fired up after seeing your speech, they're practically idolizing you. But I'm really worried for you, this interview is probably going to spread all over the world soon. Just think, what will Easterners think? What will Westerners think? Will the higher-ups call you in for a talk...?"

"I've thought about all of that, it's fine. If Aba wants to go global, of course we have to say things that people want to hear and see. What's the point of just being the richest person in the country? If we're going to do it, we should be the richest person in the world! If I don't say something eye-catching, how will foreign leaders meet with me? Will the higher-ups be unhappy? Then I'll just say something they want to hear at the next meeting, hahaha!" Feng Yun didn't seem to care, laughing loudly as he spoke, completely ignoring the other person's concerns.

“Hey Lao Feng, you’ve made enough money now, it’s time to keep a low profile… The world’s richest man? You’re a loan shark, and you want to be the world’s richest man? Look at all the world’s billionaires, any one of them is better than the ones in China.”

"That's why we need to list Ant Financial; I need more support. How can we succeed without making a name for ourselves internationally and attracting attention domestically?"

"If you ask me, you should be more careful and learn from the Xu family. Look how comfortable they are to talk to."

"Ha, you want me to flatter you? Dream on!" Feng Yun laughed loudly.

After hanging up the phone, he leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. Currently, financial companies are springing up everywhere in China, but there are only a handful of licensed banks. For Ant Financial to successfully list and obtain a license to compete with banks will be no easy feat.

Today's speech at the conference was not an impulsive act; as Chen Xi said, it was a test. Once Ant Financial goes public, it will inevitably challenge state-owned capital, and this is something that cannot be delayed any longer.

Not long after, Chen Xi received another piece of bad news.

Since the last subsidy fraud incident, his worst fears have come true: Huaxin went back to investigate and discovered a large number of loan fraud cases.

These people are clever and use all sorts of tricks to obtain loans.

In fact, Chen Xi had always been quite resistant to the idea of ​​farmers taking out loans in his previous life. He later discovered that many farmers, after taking out loans, did not actually use the money for agricultural development.

So where did all the money go?

According to Chen Xi's investigation in his previous life, some of the money went to their children or relatives in the city. Some were used to buy houses for their children, some were borrowed, and some were used to start small businesses. After all, farming and raising livestock in the countryside are nowhere near as profitable as making money in the city.
The second scenario is that some rural people, accustomed to poverty, hoard the loan money and feel a sense of satisfaction looking at their savings every day. Villagers, with their leisure time, love to gossip about who's made a fortune and who's suffered misfortune; news of wealth spreads faster than the wind. Coupled with the generally limited understanding of rural life, the money in their hands is highly likely to be swindled away.

There is a third reason: rural people generally have a low willingness to consume. Even if they have money, they would rather put it in sacks and bury it in the ground than invest in agricultural machinery.

Therefore, Chen Xi felt from the beginning that helping farmers get loans was a joke. If agricultural development were truly needed, it would require urban business owners to invest in rural areas.

But this was an order from above, and it concerned the interests of CEFC and other groups and banks, so he had no choice but to comply. (End of Chapter)