Living in a small county town, earning a million a year

Chapter 120 Being a father is truly humble.
As soon as the call connected, Zhou Sheng's tone immediately became obsequious.

Without Xu Mu, Zhou Sheng wouldn't have been qualified to enter the high-end venture capital circle! Even if he could have, he wouldn't have had any say in it!

However, Zhou Sheng has been a guest of honor lately!

Because Xu Mu is rich, and he actually gives money.

The money of these people in the venture capital circle is all invested, and they don't actually have much money in their accounts. For them, an investment like Xu Mu's, which can bring in 1 billion yuan at a time, is like a cash cow. At least in low- to mid-level venture capital firms, he is definitely a big boss!

However, these top venture capital firms also believe that Xu Mu is a very capable young man.

After all, a young man can casually take out hundreds of billions of cash to acquire these industries. At least in their view, the real economy is not good, but Xu Mu can acquire them. This kind of courage and thinking is something that they cannot compare to!

"Nothing much, I just wanted to ask how Mr. Zhou has been lately?"

"Great!" Zhou Sheng quickly replied, "I'm doing so well. Thank you, President Xu, for giving me this opportunity to show off. Now I'm treated like royalty whenever I go out. Those people who used to be polite to me are now toasting me. It really proves the saying, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, never underestimate a poor middle-aged man!'"

"Hahahaha!" Xu Mu laughed loudly and said, "I called you to talk about serious business."

"Since you're so powerful and well-connected in Shanghai, could you help me ask around? I'm thinking of getting into game publishing, and you can help me get the licenses, publishing permits, and other necessary permits. Ideally, we could directly affiliate with you."

"I heard that this license application is difficult, but I want the game to be released quickly so I can just do the affiliation directly!"

“Sure!” Zhou Sheng thought for a moment and readily agreed. “Just a couple of days ago, I had dinner with a big shot in the gaming industry. I’ll ask him about it. Oh, and I saw that the company we invested in, Deer Technology, already has a license! Why don’t we just go through Deer Technology for the announcement? I’ll contact them in Shanghai and help our company apply for its own license!”

Xu Mu didn't understand this, but Zhou Sheng said that Deer Technology Company had it, which surprised Xu Mu. "How could they have this?"

"It's normal for college students to start businesses with some policy support from the Hangzhou government, right? It's just that I didn't expect them to be unable to hold on and to completely fail. If we hadn't invested in them, their company would have gone bankrupt by now!"

After investing in Milu Technology, Xu Mu changed the main investment entity to Harvest Venture Capital.

Since Harvest Venture Capital is now Xu Mu's personal asset, some personal investments can be transferred to Harvest Venture Capital, which will make future equity changes and related investment activities more convenient.

In the investment world, one thing is that personal reputation matters.

Another factor is the company's reputation.

For example, well-known firms like Sequoia Capital and Shanda Group.

So the person is Thor, or an investor like Bao Laoda!

Sometimes, it's an individual who drives the company.

Similarly, some companies can also influence individuals.

"Understood! Then I'll ask Chen Feng!"

Since the investment ended, Xu Mu had no idea what Chen Feng had been up to.

At the time, this project was an acquisition, and Xu Mu had Liu Geng in charge of the relevant equity changes and fund management. However, after handing everything over to Harvest Venture Capital, Xu Mu brought Liu Geng back.

To manage these assets for Xu Mu.

Lawyers don't just file lawsuits; some lawyers specialize in economic cases, such as handling non-performing assets or managing funds.

In this situation, a lawyer specializing in fund management will typically be paired with a finance team.

"It's okay, I'll make the contact!"

"What do you need? I'll help you connect." How could Zhou Sheng let his boss contact people personally? These were all part of his job; sharing the boss's burdens was the duty of every subordinate.

Moreover, Zhou Sheng is currently worried about not having any opportunities to curry favor with Xu Mu!

If the boss has a need, then as an employee, are you obligated to fulfill it completely?

To relieve the boss's burden?

Although this idea is a bit far-fetched, Zhou Sheng is lucky to have met such a good boss as Xu Mu, so he is very proactive and happy to do things for Xu Mu.

"Okay, then I'll introduce you to the person in charge of my game team. I'll create a group chat, and you can help me get this sorted out!"

"Yes, Mr. Xu!"

Xu Mu hung up the phone and was about to go to the gym for a while.

Ye Pingfan called.

"Hey, Dad."

"Xiao Mu, Zhou Bingsheng just transferred 50 million to my account. What's going on? Why did he transfer money to me?" Ye Pingfan asked in confusion. Although he knew that Xu Mu and Zhou Bingsheng were rich, seeing an extra 50 million in his account was still very frightening.

He was just an ordinary worker his whole life, a true member of the peasant class.

Seeing the number five followed by a long string of zeros, everyone was dumbfounded.

His first action was to call Xu Mu.

“I asked him for it! If he wants me to come home, he has to show some willingness to let me come home. Twenty years is a long time. Not to mention the money spent, the time and energy involved are far more than five million. So, if we calculate it that way, two and a half million a year, fifty million over twenty years, is the most reasonable price!”

Xu Mu smiled and calmly said, "This is just the threshold for seeing me. If Zhou Bingsheng isn't willing to spend this money, then he can forget about letting me go home! If he wants me to go home, he has to show this attitude..."

"But this is too much money!" Ye Pingfan felt a bit hot in his hands. This fifty million... could make him worry-free for the rest of his life.

Spend it however you want; as long as it's not gambling, you'll never run out of money.

Seriously, an ordinary person with 50 million yuan can't possibly spend it all. Even if you spend 2 million yuan a year, you can still live on it for 25 years.

One million, that's fifty years.

With an average monthly expenditure of 100,000 per million... this level of expenditure already represents over 99.99% of the national consumption level.

Therefore, Ye Pingfan could never spend all of the 50 million! Even if he bought a villa and a luxury car, the remaining 30 million would be enough for the couple to enjoy their retirement.

Xu Mukai's choice of this price is deliberate!

The hope is that this 50 million will allow the two elderly people to live out their later years in peace.

"What's so much?" Xu Mu smiled and said, "Dad, don't feel burdened! This is what I fought for for you. And isn't the kindness of raising you for twenty years worth fifty million? If I had grown up in their family, they would probably have spent even more money on me. I would definitely be a spoiled brat, and wouldn't it be normal for me to spend two or three million a year?"

"They don't lack money!"

"Since that's the case, why don't I just take it directly and get back some of what they owe me over the years!"

Is 50 million a lot?
a lot of!

For an ordinary person, it would take buying ten lottery tickets worth five million each to reach fifty million!
Moreover, this 50 million is considered a loan and is not subject to taxation.

But lottery tickets are subject to taxes, so the actual amount received was only over three million.

Strictly speaking, it would take fifteen five-million-dollar lottery tickets to achieve that!
Let's consider another apartment in Ningcheng. A typical apartment with an elevator costs three million yuan now. That's enough to buy fifteen apartments. If you rent these out, you can earn four or five hundred thousand yuan in rent per year!

No matter how you calculate it, the two elderly people have enough money to live on for the rest of their lives.

You can earn a huge amount of interest by depositing your money in any bank.

In short, as long as you don't get involved in gambling or drugs, you definitely won't be able to spend all of this 50 million!
As for Huang?
I, Huang, am sworn enemies of gambling and drugs!

"Alright, Dad." Seeing that Ye Pingfan didn't speak, Xu Mu immediately advised, "The money is yours, so take it and spend it properly. If you don't want it, put it in the bank! Don't even think about giving it back... I reckon even if you give it back, Zhou Bingsheng might not want it!"

"If Kim So-won causes you any more trouble, just give me a call!"

"Understood!" Ye Pingfan nodded.

“If you don’t know how to spend this 50 million, just put it in a large deposit certificate. Don’t we have a relative who works at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China? You can deposit 20 million with him, and use the rest to buy a few houses with my mother and collect rent.”

“Keep another ten million for travel, for your own use. You won’t spend more than a few hundred thousand a year.”

"Just get a check-up every year and take good care of your health! You've worked so hard for the past few decades, it's time to enjoy life. Don't be stingy with money. If you think the Maybach isn't easy to drive, just get a Panamera. Didn't you say you liked the Panamera? Why not switch to another one..."

"My mom and I should just enjoy life!"

Xu Mu had arranged everything for Ye Pingfan. Of course, the rest was up to Ye Pingfan to decide. He didn't like making arrangements for others, since his father had his own ideas. However, Xu Mu's involvement was still necessary for the initial stages of these ideas.

After all, if a carpenter who has worked for decades suddenly becomes rich, he really doesn't know how to spend the money. He has no imagination and no access to this social circle! He will most likely continue to live the same life as before, maybe with meat at every meal.

This is the thought of most middle-aged working people.

Unlike young people who suddenly become rich and buy everything they want, leading to excessive consumption... This is why people online say that winning the lottery leads to revenge spending, and in the end, they become neither human nor ghost, so it would have been better not to win the lottery at all.

The most important thing is that my mindset has changed.

Xu Mu was worried about Lao Ye doing something like this, so he wanted to remind him and help him plan his money carefully. As long as he didn't gamble, everything would be fine!
Of course, he believed that his mother could keep Ye Pingfan in check, after all, Ye Pingfan was not afraid of anyone except his wife.

"Okay, I understand!"

Ye Pingfan nodded and hung up the phone.

Xu Mu sent Zhou Bingsheng his location, "Come to Rong Xiaoguan for dinner."

"You don't have shares in this either, do you?"

"Yes," Xu Mu admitted without denying it. "I'll treat you to lunch!"

"I'll give you a chance to explain, since you transferred 50 million to my adoptive father!"

"it is good!"

Zhou Bingsheng quickly replied, "I'm leaving now!"

"Come downstairs, I'll take you there."

Xu Mu thought about it and decided not to work out anymore.

Let's talk about it after we finish eating.

After a busy morning, why not just go eat?

"Row!"

"You're not working out anymore?"

Seeing Xu Mu come out after finishing her call, Yan Yan asked curiously.

"I'm meeting a friend for dinner at Rong Xiaoguan. Come over after I finish eating!"

"It's not convenient to bring anyone to this dinner, so I won't take you!" Xu Mu looked at Yan Yan and explained, "You can go upstairs to eat later. This is my shareholder card; you can just swipe it!"

"No need, I have my own money." Yan Yan waved her hand and refused, "I'm a landlady now, I don't need your little bit of money!"

Xu Mu laughed upon hearing this, patting Yan Yan's bottom, "Alright, alright, you've grown wings now, calling yourself a landlady!"

"Come take a look at my new office. I've set aside a fitness area there. Can you help me decide what kind of fitness equipment to buy? I won't be working out here anymore; I can work out at the company instead!"

"Hmph!" Yan Yan slapped Xu Mu's hand. "In a public place!"

"I know!"

"Alright, I'm leaving! Don't forget what I asked you to do!"

"Okay, I'll arrange it."

Xu Mu left the gym, and as the elevator doors opened, Zhou Bingsheng was standing inside.

"Xiao Mu..."

Zhou Bingsheng was somewhat surprised.

Are you exercising here?

"That's right. I'm a shareholder of Kaiyuan Taihe Hotel. With a shareholder card, I can get things for free, so I'll definitely want to train here. Surely President Zhou knows the importance of saving where I should and spending where I should, right?"

"Cough cough..." Zhou Bingsheng could easily tell that Xu Mu was being sarcastic, that he had lost himself after getting money.

"That makes sense, I understand that!"

Have your parents gone back?

"I'm back. I got back to Ningcheng early this morning."

"If it weren't for the two of you wanting to see me, they would have already gone on vacation!" Xu Mu said calmly. "Where is Kim So-won?"

"I don't know." Zhou Bingsheng shook his head and explained, "We had a fight last night, and I slapped her. We haven't been in contact since!" "She said your eldest and third brothers ran away too!"

"Oh~" Xu Mu couldn't help but laugh, "Is he a three-year-old? Running away from home like that? I just slapped him twice to teach him a lesson, why can't he tolerate that?"

“After you left, I also beat them up… It’s my fault for not raising them properly.”

"Ding dong!"

The elevator door opens.

Xu Mu was the first to step out of the elevator.

A voice rang out, "The problem isn't with education, it's with your thinking!"

"How a child is is inseparable from his or her parents."

"Your thoughts and beliefs determine your children's thoughts and beliefs."

“When my parents called me and said they had argued with you, I knew it must be your fault. I know my parents well; they are usually very easygoing and have high aspirations, even though they are poor. You must have done something that crossed their line, and it was about me, which is why they were so angry!”

Xu Mu's tone remained indifferent, maintaining a distance from Zhou Bingsheng.

"Yes, you're right! It was your own mother who said the wrong thing back then!"

"I've already made her apologize to you! If she doesn't apologize to your parents and you, I'm divorcing her!" Zhou Bingsheng said viciously. "And don't you know, the people who said they were going to abandon you back then were your mother's family!"

"do you know?"

Xu Mu stared straight ahead.

The weather in September is still very hot and dry.

Xu Mu remained calm, showing no emotional fluctuation despite Zhou Bingsheng's anger. To Xu Mu, these matters had nothing to do with him. He had no say in their thoughts and decisions back then, so what was the point of his talk about them now?
Meaningless.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know!" Xu Mu's voice was somewhat cold. "Whether it was Kim So-won's family who told you or not, at least you made your own decision. If you didn't agree, I believe they certainly wouldn't dare to abandon me!"

Ultimately, you are also a participant.

"What's the point of explaining now?"

A red Porsche 911 GT3 stopped at the traffic light, the air conditioning blowing out cool air little by little.

Xu Mu turned his head and glanced at Zhou Bingsheng.

Zhou Bingsheng's expression was rather unpleasant.

He didn't know if it was due to a hangover from last night or because Xu Mu's words had hurt him deeply.

“You’re right!” Zhou Bingsheng turned to look at Xu Mu and nodded. “I was too young back then and I was terrified of being poor. Your mother’s family found a master who said that as long as I threw away my second child or gave him away, I would be able to make money smoothly in the future!”

Then, Zhou Bingsheng sighed again, looked away, and explained, "Over the years, I have indeed made money, and I've even let your mother's family leech off my company. Over the years, they've taken more than 100 million yuan from me! Do you think we should believe in fate sometimes? Actually, I don't know..."

"After I succeeded, I would dream about you every time, wondering if my choice back then was wrong. Even if I hadn't abandoned you, I would definitely have succeeded, because at that time, everything was in a booming market, and it had nothing to do with you. What could a little kid like you have to influence?"

“But I still believed it! Not only that, they’ve been using this to blackmail me and brainwash me all these years, saying things like, ‘If they hadn’t said they were going to abandon you, how could I have been so successful?’ When I said I wanted to find you, your mother always tried her best to stop me, otherwise I probably would have found you already…”

"You still have to believe in fate!" Xu Mu agreed with Zhou Bingsheng's words.

Because this system feels so real, how can you not believe in fate?

Xu Mu couldn't possibly disbelieve this thing, otherwise the system would be fake, just a dream!

Just like the novels written by Xu Mu, it's nothing more than the fantasy of a failed author on his deathbed!

Yet, everything felt so real. Whether it was the Porsche 911 GT3 beneath her buttocks or the cold air blowing from the air conditioner, Xu Mu felt as if she were still alive, not dreaming, because dreams could never feel so real.

Like writing a reincarnation novel, would you call this a dream?

It can't be a dream!
It must be true!
“I know you blame us! We admit we abandoned you back then! We don’t deny it at all, so can’t you give us a chance to make amends? Whether it’s money or whatever you want me to do for you, it’s fine.”

Zhou Bingsheng's tone was filled with humble pleading. As a father, he had already done a great job by doing this much! But he forgot that the more than twenty years of youth, growth, and companionship he had spent with his children could not be compensated for by money or subsequent care.
Don't think that just because so many children have been found and returned home, you should forgive their parents.

If Xu Mu was sold by human traffickers, then Xu Mu should go home. But Xu Mu was abandoned at the gate of the orphanage by Zhou Bingsheng and Jin Suyuan. You lost this child. Now you say you've achieved success and want to find the child. Do you think things are so easy?

It doesn't seem to be like, youth swim.

I want to buy some osmanthus flowers to go with the wine.

That’s the truth!

For the most crucial and core twenty-odd years of her life, Xu Mu's biological parents were not by her side. Now you're telling me to go home with you?

Why?
Do you deserve it?
Xu Mu shook his head and didn't say anything.

He simply started the car, stepped on the gas, and sped off.

The internal combustion engine roared, a unique charm of gasoline-powered cars. However, at this moment, the roar seemed to be Xu Mu venting his emotions. He didn't want to pay attention to Zhou Bingsheng, but the roaring engine sound represented Xu Mu's response.

Upon arriving at Rong Xiaoguan, Xu Mu took Zhou Bingsheng to the second floor for lunch.

Inside the private room, Zhou Bingsheng still looked at Xu Mu with unwavering determination, "Xiao Mu, name your terms. What do you want for me to forgive your father?"

Xu Mu, smoking a cigarette and squinting at Zhou Bingsheng, whose hair was already gray, didn't answer the question but instead asked, "So, according to you, your company isn't actually doing as well as you think?"

"Yes, especially in the last three years. After the mask mandate ended, the company's profitability plummeted. We've sold a lot of assets to save ourselves. If it weren't for the demolition of the factory buildings we bought before, I'd probably be bankrupt by now!"

"Even though the factory was demolished, your mother still gave her family 20 million yuan as a subsidy, saying that they should keep the money and bought a villa in Hangzhou."

"Oh!" Xu Mu raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "To be honest, the so-called fortune teller back then was just an excuse. In the end, I, the second son, took all the blame. Of course, it's also possible that he made money because he lost me!"

"It's just that you've come to your senses over the years, and Kim So-won's family is using this as an excuse to extort money from you!"

“Yes!” Zhou Bingsheng nodded and said, “That’s why I regret it! I regretted it a few years ago, but at that time, Kim So-won kept arguing with me and didn’t want me to find you. Then, because I was in the rising phase of my career, I asked someone in Tianji County to inquire about your whereabouts.”

"Because she has made a fuss with me many times, I can only contact you secretly. I can't openly send people to inquire about you. I've spent millions on this, but it hasn't had any effect... because I don't know anything about you."

"The reason I was able to find you is because I found Huang Yuehua, the former director of the welfare home, and that's how I got your parents' phone number." Zhou Bingsheng smiled. "Director Huang told me that you were the one who brought her out of the deep mountains, but I was too embarrassed to call you, so I could only talk to your parents first."

"I don't think it's a good idea to contact you bypassing them! It will also trigger your rebellious tendencies, although the communication during this period has not been friendly!"

Xu Mu listened quietly to Zhou Bingsheng's account, and the timeline did match up.

Moreover, his considerations were sound. If he contacted Xu Mu directly, Xu Mu would really not pay any attention to him. If someone inexplicably came to him with a shameless attitude, claiming to be his biological father, Xu Mu would not care whether he was actually his biological father or not.

They abandoned me so easily back then, but now they want me to come back just like that?
So, in your world, am I just a toy?
To be manipulated by others?

Xu Mu isn't like that!

"So how much assets do you still have?" Xu Mu asked Zhou Bingsheng curiously.

"There aren't many left, just four companies. The factory buildings have already been demolished, and we've received compensation. Three of these four companies have already ceased operations. We still owe the bank over 200 million yuan in loans to repay. In the end, even if we finish clearing the accounts, we might still owe some money!"

"However, we are also seeking a breakthrough now, to see if we can transform. It's just that transformation is quite difficult. Many companies are too big to turn around. If they die, they die. Many companies have gone bankrupt in recent years. You see, we seem to be very rich. We still have so much cash on hand that we can do other industries."

"But if the investment fails, then you'll really go bankrupt, and you might even have to pay back the money you owe the bank!"

Zhou Bingsheng's expression was not good as he spoke.

Because the overall environment has indeed been very bad in recent years, and he had previously boarded a plane and benefited from the boom, so even without refueling, the plane could fly on its own.

But times have changed. This kind of dividend is over. The market can no longer absorb it and is even overflowing. New consumption is the main force in the future.

It's impossible to ask a middle-aged person in their forties or fifties to enter a completely new industry!
So the only thing he can do is raise offspring.

If your descendants can make money by starting their own businesses and researching new industries, then it means they can switch careers!

However, look at the two brothers, Zhou Musen and Zhou Mulin, they are completely useless and only know how to sponge off their parents... In the end, it is Kim So-won who spoiled the two brothers. They never thought about the future and just placed all the family's hopes on Zhou Bingsheng.

But Zhou Bingsheng is old.

My thinking has fallen behind.

Moreover, such a large Ponzi scheme would be fatal for him if it collapsed.

Xu Mu nodded, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "So what do you plan to do now?"

“I haven’t figured it out yet. Kim So-won doesn’t want me to change careers, so I’m keeping this company afloat. But it’s hard to get projects now, and we still have a lot of money owed to us. We’re drowning in debt to the banks, and we’re also drowning in debt to other companies!” Zhou Bingsheng shook his head, his face full of helplessness. “So tell me, I don’t know what to do now!”

"Leaving aside yourself, let's talk about them... Did Kim So-won and her family never consider letting Zhou Mulin inherit the family business?"

"After all, he's the boss!"

"I've thought about it. One of my companies was ruined by him. He took his employees out to bars and got them thrown in jail! Damn it, I get angry just thinking about it. Not only that, he also made them take out a loan of 200,000 yuan."

“After the incident, people came to our house to cause trouble. I paid them 200,000 yuan to settle the matter, and I also had to find a way to reduce their sentences, which resulted in an additional 1 million yuan in compensation. In the end, they still have six months left in jail. Anyway, I've cleaned up a lot of messes for the two brothers!”

“Because of this incident, I put Zhou Mulin in solitary confinement for a month, but I didn’t expect that Kim So-won would secretly let him out behind my back. Half a month later, another incident occurred. I had already argued with her about divorce once because of this!”

Xu Mu listened quietly as Zhou Bingsheng recounted these events.

Sometimes, a marriage between two people isn't about love, but rather about getting married!
Therefore, in their later lives, they would frequently have conflicts due to differences in their beliefs. Just like Kim So-won, after she became rich, she became arrogant and unrealistic. In particular, she had once told Zhou Bingsheng's fortune and thought that Zhou Bingsheng's success was entirely due to the fortune telling.

Damn it, if Zhou Bingsheng hadn't worked hard himself, would the money he said he could make have magically appeared out of thin air? It's purely a matter of perspective, but they just don't understand…

Looking back now, Zhou Bingsheng was quite pitiful.

Xu Mu still felt sorry for Zhou Bingsheng.

Regardless of whether the two are father and son, Xu Mu, as a mere bystander, felt that Zhou Bingsheng was quite pitiful. He ruined two accounts. Originally, he thought that if he ruined one account, he could still cultivate the other one. Unexpectedly, both accounts were completely destroyed. What should he do?
Either Zhou Bingsheng divorces now and they divide the family property directly.

Or it will go bankrupt...

What do you think now?

"Let's not talk about me going home..." Xu Mu paused, then added, "Besides, I won't go back to your family! Even though Kim So-won gave birth to me, and you're my father and she's my mother, I feel that at this age, it's completely unnecessary!"

Xu Mu made it very clear.

Xu Mu will not change anything about this!

Going home for a visit is fine.

However, it's impossible for him to acknowledge his ancestors and return to his roots.

Xu Mu now has an independent household registration.

There is only one person listed on the household registration book.

Before, when playing games, people would curse and say that the whole family of the person in the game would die. Now, damn it, Xu Muzhen only has one family!

That's really tragic.

Although Zhou Bingsheng had already guessed, he still felt heartbroken when he heard Xu Mu say those words in person!

She lost one of her sons, and he was her best son!
"If I divorce your mother, will you call me Dad?"

Zhou Bingsheng looked up at Xu Mu and asked expectantly.

Xu Mu didn't speak, but looked at him calmly, "You still haven't answered my question!"

Zhou Bingsheng is very humble, whether you look at him as a son or from the perspective of an outsider. As a father, he is trying his best to make up for his past mistakes. So, do you think we should forgive a father who has made mistakes in the past?

It's forgivable because he's the biological father.

It's unforgivable, because he abandoned me back then.

In truth, Xu Mu himself didn't have the answer! But he knew that going home was impossible; it was just that calling him "Dad" made Xu Mu somewhat conflicted...

"What do you think now?" Zhou Bingsheng shook his head and sighed, "I don't know what to do..."

Before Zhou Bingsheng could finish speaking, the phone on the table rang.

It's Kim So-won's number.

Zhou Bingsheng thought for a moment, then answered the phone.

"Zhou Bingsheng, you transferred 50 million to Ye Pingfan and his wife?"

Are you sick?
(End of this chapter)