The Rich Man's Life Begins with a Comeback

Chapter 304 Admission Tickets and Benefits (5k)

If before Qi Guowei raised that question, the three families treated Gu Heng with kindness, gratitude, and closeness, then after that question, their attitude towards Gu Heng changed to testing, scrutinizing, and judging him.

Gu Heng was a merchant, while they were officials.

There should be a distinction between officials and businessmen, and interactions should be conducted in moderation.

Qi Guowei, Tang Jinghui, and others are all people who value loyalty and righteousness, but gratitude and bottom lines should not be confused.

Gu Heng understood why Qi Guowei asked him for his opinion on the phrase "industry revitalizes the nation"—he simply wanted to know whether Gu Heng intended to pursue industry or finance in the future.

Because real industries are tangible and concrete, while finance is all about abstract data and usually relies on the internet.

If Gu Heng intends to pursue a business, then as the benefactor of the three families, they can provide him with some conveniences within the rules, as long as they do not violate principles and bottom lines, to help him grow faster.

However, if Gu Heng intends to pursue finance, then the favors will remain favors and the interactions between the two parties will remain interactions, but they will not be biased or tainted in any way in terms of Gu Heng's business development.

the reason is simple……

Real industries are harder to get out of control, but finance is easier to get out of control.

If Gu Heng encounters problems in his business operations in the future, given their status, position, and social influence, it shouldn't be a problem for them to take timely action to stop the losses.

However, if Gu Heng were to run into trouble in the financial sector while using their names, a financial collapse could wipe them all out. Even if Qi Guowei and Tang Jinghui were promoted two levels, they would still end up in the same situation.

Gu Heng knew what Qi Guowei and the others meant, so he didn't hide anything and directly pointed out his goal of focusing on industry.

finance?

That line of water is too deep!
Gu Heng had no intention of going in to be exploited.

Focus on honest and reliable business practices, and you'll make big money steadily.

With the emperor's father around, no matter how fast he makes money in finance, can he make money faster than the emperor's father?

Each time you unlock a new level of the "Golden Tower of Wealth," your personal wealth increases tenfold, without any risks or hidden dangers.

Under these circumstances, Gu Heng naturally preferred real industry.

It can not only bring more convenience to his life and more possibilities to his interpersonal relationships, but also enable him to gain a higher status and respect in society.

It's important to understand that not every businessperson can be called an entrepreneur.

Only those business people who can create a large number of jobs for society and truly help others get rich after they get rich first deserve the title of entrepreneur.

At the dinner table, Qi Guowei and the others made no attempt to hide their admiration after hearing what Gu Heng had said.

Qi Guowei raised his glass and clinked it with Tang Jinghui and Qiu Yanfeng beside him, while also gesturing towards Gu Heng.

"Xiao Gu, you say that industry is the foundation of a nation's prosperity, but there are also historical examples of how industry can lead to national ruin. For instance, the Qing Dynasty's Self-Strengthening Movement, which aimed for 'strength and wealth,' ultimately failed in the First Sino-Japanese War. How do you explain that?"

Qi Guowei and Tang Jinghui both asked a question that piqued Qiu Yanfeng's interest. He then followed up with a question from Tang Jinghui to Gu Heng, a question that directly contradicted Gu Heng's earlier statement.

"Uncle Qiu, I believe that the failure of the Self-Strengthening Movement had nothing to do with industry itself, but rather with the lack of a proper system."

"They built warships, but failed to reform the bureaucratic system."

"They set up factories, but failed to train skilled workers."

"A true nation's prosperity through industry requires support from three dimensions: systems, technology, and human resources."

"Take Japan's Meiji Restoration, for example. It not only introduced Western technology but also reformed the education system and established a 'promoting industry and commerce' policy, allowing industry and the system to coexist and prosper together..."

The reading list that Tongzi's father gave Gu Heng included not only general histories of China, but also global and regional histories, as well as works on various historical topics such as cultural history, history of civilization, history of war, economic history, and intellectual history.

The Meiji Restoration that Gu Heng just mentioned was something he learned about in the category of regional general history through James McClellan's "History of Japan".

A book list, seemingly containing only fifty books.

In fact, each book is very thick and contains a great deal of information.

Among them are some "gray area books" that, like "A Global History," appear to be one book but are actually a collection of many books.

However, it is precisely for this reason that Gu Heng is able to answer Qi Guowei, Tang Jinghui and Qiu Yanfeng's questions fluently and without showing any embarrassment.

At this moment, Gu Heng suddenly seemed to understand why the unlocking task for the first level of the [Scepter of Power] was to have Gu Heng read fifty history books thoroughly.

Is that a book?

That was Gu Heng's ticket to the top echelons of society.

Today's dinner party is actually a microcosm of the social circle that people like Qi Guowei belong to; they are different from businessmen like Wang Baoshan.

In the past, when Gu Heng ate with Wang Baoshan and the others, the topics of conversation were either business development or eating, drinking and having fun.

It has breadth, but lacks depth.

In comparison, the topics that Qi Guowei and others discussed during meals and after meals were relatively simple. History may not be the only topic in this circle, but it is the topic that is most likely to arouse group discussion.

In this situation, if someone who knows absolutely nothing about history were to rashly enter this circle, the result would be a situation of talking past each other like chickens and ducks, and feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"Xiao Gu, what do you think are the boundaries of the real economy?"

After Tang Jinghui and Qiu Yanfeng finished asking their questions, the power of speech returned to Qi Guowei. He asked in a gentle voice, "For example, the internet economy and fintech that are currently booming, do you think these emerging economic formats also fall under the category of real industry?"

"Uncle Qi, this is just my humble opinion."

"In my nephew's opinion, if we compare the modern economy to a big tree, then industry is the trunk, finance is the leaves, and technology is the growth rings."

"Without a solid industrial base, finance will become speculation, and without continuous technological innovation, industry will stagnate."

"Germany's 'Industry 4.0,' Japan's 'craftsmanship,' and the United States' 'manufacturing resurgence'—these developed countries serve as a mirror, constantly reminding us that industry is the foundation of a nation."

As he said this, a glint seemed to appear in Gu Heng's eyes.

"Only real industry—"

"It allows ordinary people to gain dignity through labor!"

"It can give a country confidence through manufacturing!"

"It can ensure the continuous transmission of national heritage!"

As Gu Heng finished speaking, Tang Ziheng, who was sitting next to Gu Heng, stared wide-eyed.

No?

My dear brother!
Which of us dropped out of high school?
Compared to you, I'm practically that old fool!
Can you stop showing off? I'm genuinely getting scared!

If you keep showing off, I might really not be able to go home tonight!
Tang Ziheng's inner monologue exploded.

"it is good!"

"Well said!"

Qi Guowei sincerely praised him twice and couldn't help but clap his hands gently.

"There aren't many young people with this kind of awareness these days."

Tang Jinghui echoed, "There are very few young people who are willing to be down-to-earth and seek development in the real economy."

"Xiao Gu, I heard you recently invested in a Chinese herbal medicine planting base in the Changbai area? The expected scale is quite large?"

Qiu Yanfeng looked at Gu Heng with a very gentle smile.

"Yes."

"The first phase covers 800 acres."

"Within three years, the total scale will reach tens of thousands of acres."

Gu Heng wasn't surprised that Qiu Yanfeng mentioned the Chinese herbal medicine planting base. Given Qi Guowei's and others' identities, all of his information, down to the smallest detail, was probably already in front of them on the day the incident occurred.

"Tens of thousands of acres?"

"That's quite a lot."

Yao Qinyu was somewhat surprised: "Xiao Gu, I heard from your Uncle Qi that you have businesses in the catering, hotel, aviation and entertainment industries. How come you've suddenly gotten into planting Chinese medicinal herbs? Are you planning to enter the pharmaceutical industry again?"

“Aunt Yao, the Zhencui Group, the catering group I currently run, plans to launch a new medicinal cuisine brand next year, and the Chinese herbal medicine planting base that I invested in is to prepare for this new medicinal cuisine brand.”

Gu Heng shook his head and answered Yao Qinyu truthfully.

"Medicinal cuisine?" Zheng Hanliu asked with slight doubt, "Is it necessary to have such a large-scale medicinal herb planting base as a backup?"

"Aunt Zheng, we plan to open a chain store."

"The demand for traditional Chinese medicine will be huge in the future."

Gu Heng explained with a smile, "This Chinese herbal medicine planting base seems very large right now, but once this catering brand is fully launched, this 10,000-mu (667 hectares) Chinese herbal medicine planting base may soon be insufficient."

"It seems that Xiao Gu has a lot of confidence in this newly created medicinal cuisine brand."

Tang Jinghui said this, but his tone contained a hint of reminder.

"Creating a medicinal cuisine brand is not something I did on a whim."

"Some time ago, I accidentally collected a tattered ancient book that recorded some medicinal diet recipes. On a whim, I sent people to try these recipes and found that they were surprisingly effective in some aspects."

Gu Heng brought out the same story he had told Fan Hong before. He wasn't afraid that Qi Guowei and the others would want to possess the tattered ancient book he had fabricated after they found out about it.

Putting aside whether Qi Guowei and his associates, given their status, would even be interested in such a small profit, even assuming they were tempted to take it because of it, Gu Heng felt that using that profit to see their true colors would be well worth the price.

"Oh?"

How amazing could it be?

As an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Qiu Yanfeng is very interested in such topics, even though medical research is not his area of ​​expertise.

"Old Qiu, look, you're having another episode."

Zheng Hanliu reminded him somewhat irritably, "That's Gu's trade secret. Why are you digging so deep? Why don't you just let Gu show you the formula directly?"

"Aunt Zheng, it's alright."

Gu Heng waved his hand: "My medicinal cuisine brand will eventually open. Even if I don't say it now, I will have to promote it to the outside world later. It doesn't involve any trade secrets."

Seeing that everyone seemed quite interested, Gu Heng continued, "Through our experiments, we discovered that the medicinal diet recipes in that tattered ancient book have amazing effects on three aspects: insomnia, menstrual cramps, and fatigue relief."

"The vast majority of people with this problem can see their symptoms effectively improved if they persist in taking medicinal diets for a long time, and some can even be completely cured."

When Gu Heng uttered his last two sentences, even Qi Guowei and the others showed some surprise, while the young people like Qiu Yuexin, Qi Jiasheng, and Tang Ziheng were even more astonished.

Everyone present today is knowledgeable, so they all understand the value of the medicinal diet recipe that Gu Heng just explained.

If what Gu Heng said is true, then the commercial potential of this medicinal cuisine brand is enormous. No wonder Gu Heng dared to invest so much money in it even before opening the store.

"Is it really that effective?"

Qi Jiasheng glanced at Qiu Yuexin, then said to Gu Heng, "Your sister-in-law is probably still shaken by the accident a while ago. She keeps waking up in the middle of the night lately and then suffers from insomnia night after night."

"I took her to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor two weeks ago and he prescribed a lot of herbal soups to help her calm down and sleep. But she's been drinking them for two weeks now, and I don't think they're very effective. When will your herbal food brand open? I'll have your sister-in-law give it a try then."

In the end, Qi Jiasheng looked at Qiu Yuexin again, his eyes filled with concern and tenderness.

"Brother Sheng, then what are we waiting for? Let's open for business!"

"I'll send someone to contact my sister-in-law tomorrow and have her come to my door to provide services."

Gu Heng readily agreed: "Although medicinal cuisine is a form of dietary supplement, it is still important to tailor it to the individual. The procedure is to first take the pulse and then prescribe a formula. Among the medicinal cuisine recipes we have, there are quite a few related to calming the mind and promoting sleep, which should be somewhat effective."

"no, I'm fine."

"Just give me an address, and I'll go there myself."

Qiu Yuexin was surprised by how thoughtful Gu Heng had been in making the arrangements, and quickly waved her hand.

"Sister-in-law, why are you being so polite with me?"

Gu Heng chuckled and said, "I'm hoping that if it works, you'll go back to school and promote it for me."

Seeing that Gu Heng's attitude was firm and he wouldn't give her a chance to refuse, Qiu Yuexin had no choice but to accept Gu Heng's kindness with a hint of gratitude.

She used to sleep very well, so she had no idea how painful insomnia was.

Nowadays, insomnia has seriously affected her life and work.

I feel dizzy and foggy-headed every day, but what I need most for scientific research is a clear mind and quick thinking.

"That's for sure."

Qiu Yuexin nodded emphatically: "Speaking of which, many teachers, professors, and even students in our school suffer from insomnia to varying degrees. If your medicinal diet recipe is really effective, I believe that a considerable number of people in the university community alone would be willing to pay for it."

"And then there's our line of work."

"Many people at the grassroots level work day and night for years, and many suffer from severe insomnia."

Tang Ziheng chimed in at the opportune moment.

"really."

"The guys down there are really working hard."

Qi Guowei had worked his way up from the bottom, so he was naturally well aware of what Tang Ziheng was saying.

At this point, he glanced at Tang Jinghui beside him: "If the medicinal cuisine in Xiao Gu's Medicinal Cuisine Shop really has various miraculous effects on improving sub-health issues, we can definitely report it to the Provincial Trade Union and ask them to tilt the holiday benefits towards Xiao Gu."

"Only tangible benefits that can be felt by those below can be considered true benefits."

Upon hearing Qi Guowei's words, Tang Jinghui immediately understood what he meant and chuckled in agreement, saying, "The vast majority of teachers in our education system are facing increasingly heavy teaching workloads, and most of them are in a sub-healthy state. Insomnia and fatigue are also common phenomena."

"Besides, there are many young female teachers in our teaching group, and some of them may also suffer from menstrual cramps, but they have to endure the pain and continue teaching. If Xiao Gu's medicinal cuisine restaurant can improve these problems, it would be a real benefit."

The two chatted casually, yet they finalized the welfare benefits for nearly 100,000 employees across the province in both systems this year.

Let's assume there are three festivals each year: Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Spring Festival.

If we assume an average of 300 yuan per person for each holiday, then the total for these three holidays would be 900 yuan per person per year.

It may seem like a small amount, but what if you multiply that amount by 100,000 people?
Qi Guowei and Tang Jinghui chatted casually for a few minutes before sending Gu Heng's yet-to-open medicinal cuisine brand a huge order worth over 100 million yuan. Moreover, the order was fully paid in cash, since the welfare cards had already been issued and the staff couldn't just leave them unused.

As Gu Heng listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

That's why so many business people are willing to deal with high-ranking leaders.

Sometimes, people don't even need to violate principles or bottom lines. Just by opening a little loophole within their authority, it's enough for many to make a fortune.

Take the matter that Qi Guowei and the other person just discussed as an example. The total amount of welfare benefits that the provincial trade union provides to the two systems each year is fixed. Whether you buy rice, flour, or oil, it doesn't matter who you buy them from, and whether you top up your shopping cards, it doesn't matter who you top up your cards from.

Then the problem is coming...

Which one should I buy from?

Whose money is it being recharged?

The decision-making power naturally rests with the leader.

There's nothing wrong with me buying rice, flour, and oil from the Li family, and there's nothing wrong with me buying rice, flour, and oil from the Zhao family.

It's the same thing, so there's nothing wrong with choosing either one.

"Sister-in-law, it seems I have to give my employees a firm order."

"Your insomnia problem absolutely needs to be cured."

After Qi Guowei and Tang Jinghui finished speaking, Gu Heng smiled and teased Qiu Yuexin.

"Suddenly I feel a bit heavier on my shoulders."

Qiu Yuexin said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Given Dad and Uncle Tang's plans, I definitely have to give an honest evaluation of the effectiveness of your medicinal diet recipe, otherwise I'll get scolded a lot."

"rest assured."

"If I didn't have the skills, I wouldn't have taken on this job."

“Sister-in-law, please give me your honest opinion. I have confidence in our brand’s medicinal cuisine.”

Gu Heng patted his chest, his brows radiating strong confidence.

"I am looking forward."

The group chatted and laughed, discussing the topic for a while before quickly moving on to other things...

(End of this chapter)