Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 156 Making things difficult
Having some extra time, I bought some poached chicken and handmade beef balls.

Return trip.

I chatted with Li Xueling the whole way.

Chen Xuebing had intended to explain how YY was developed, but Li Xueling stopped him, saying that he had to come up with the product himself. He already had some ideas and wanted to combine Duowan.com's game guild system with voice software, and hoped that Chen Xuebing wouldn't interfere too much with his ideas.

Chen Xuebing also understood that Li Xueling wanted a voice.

I've already said too much. If I say any more, it won't be Li Xueling making his own product anymore. That kind of feeling would lead to a lack of entrepreneurial enthusiasm, and everything might go wrong.

As a first-time investor, Chen Xuebing was actually quite conflicted.

After all, one's investment represents a change in one's destiny from a previous life.

It's hard to say whether future investment styles should focus on being a supportive leader, encouraging founders to grow rapidly, or on maintaining a serious approach and correcting all risky behavior.

However, the reason for choosing to invest rather than do it personally is because I don't have the energy to do it myself. As for how the invested companies develop, I can only wait and see.

Nothing in the world is black and white; there is always a compromise.

I treated him to hot pot, and we chatted about anecdotes from the internet industry.

For example, Robbin Li from Baidu and Pony Ma from Tencent have a good relationship, and Lei Jun also has a good relationship with both of them.

Robbin's worst relationship is with Zhou Hongyi of 3721. The two had a lawsuit in 03 and even got into a fight in front of the courthouse. They almost never attend meetings together.

Lei Jun and Zhou Hongyi have a good relationship. Their wives both work at Founder Group and are colleagues. Lei Jun has even helped Zhou Hongyi with some things.

Among the young people, Zhang Chaoyang became famous the earliest, but he has almost no personal connections with the internet circle. Apart from having a good relationship with Ding Yanyuhang of NetEase, he is only enthusiastic about the entertainment industry.

As for Jack Ma, his personality and age make it difficult for him to integrate into this circle of internet elites. He mainly connects with people through larger networks and has closer relationships with business owners.

Li Xueling was a prominent figure in the internet industry in his early days; he was a veritable encyclopedia, able to talk endlessly about anything he set his mind to.

"boom."

With a crisp clink of pineapple cups filled with beer, Chen Xuebing became one of the people who had drunk with Li Xueling.

Before even entering the business world, a feud caused by poaching someone, and another poaching someone inspired by an investment, all happened within just two or three days. It seems like he's almost in the internet industry.

This circle has low barriers to entry, is far removed from social classes, and a good idea can make someone rich and successful. It also provides the best opportunities for young people.

……

Many people are willing to venture into big cities when they have money, but when they run out of money, they want to return to their small county town.

Chen Xuebing is the opposite.

Penniless and nameless, he would rather be a cat in the alley, the freedom of living a life of hardship and exposure is better than a life of tender bowing.

Whenever he experiences a major success, he wants to go home.

"belch."

"Mom, I'm home."

Chen Xuebing let out a beer burp, opened the door and entered the house. The familiar smell of shoes at the doorway made him feel drowsy and relaxed.

The lights that used to be on in the convenience store's cubicle were gone, so the TV in the living room, which had been attached to the convenience store, was also turned off, making the place somewhat dark.

The light was on in my mom's room, and the door clicked open.

With a click, the living room lights came on.

"You've been drinking? Where did you go and drink so much?"

It was late autumn in Chongqing. Yu Chunyan was wearing a rather fashionable white sweater, which Chen Xuebing hadn't bought for her.

Chen Xuebing chuckled: "I didn't drink much, just beer. I accidentally spilled it on my clothes, so it smells a bit strong... Mom, you look good in this outfit."

Chen Xuejin came out of Yu Chunyan's room, holding a book in his hand, and said with a grin, "Isn't it nice? I picked it out for Mom!"

Chen Xuejin's hair has grown a bit longer, and he seems to have grown taller. He's started elementary school now, and he walks slower than before.

She's not as bouncy and cute as she used to be.

As soon as Chen Xuebing saw this kid, his smile vanished, and he stepped forward and slapped him on the head.

"Ow!"

It wasn't a hard hit, but Chen Xuejin knew he was going to get beaten up when he saw him walking over quickly, so he covered his head and let out a howl in advance.

"Why did you hit him!" Yu Chunyan came up and pulled him away.

Chen Xuebing gritted his teeth: "He even dared to confiscate people's phones! If he dares to confiscate phones now, what else won't he dare to confiscate in the future?"

"Alright, alright! I understand!"

Yu Chunyan pulled him away and quickly went back to her room.

"The phone is with me! He didn't misuse it. Take it back to your classmate when you have time, and thank him!"

As she spoke, she took out a small red cell phone and handed it to Chen Xuebing.

"Never mind, we've already used it." Chen Xuebing waved his hand, looked at Chen Xuejin, and softened his tone: "How's school going?"

"Great, great," Yu Chunyan replied, then hurriedly went to open the refrigerator to check. "Have you eaten anything? There are dumplings and glutinous rice balls in the fridge, would you like some?"

"Make me a bowl of dumplings."

When I go home, I make dumplings instead of noodles. My mom makes dumplings with homemade dough, thick dough and little meat. They fall apart when cooked and can be used as noodle soup. My dad, however, loves them, and Chen Xuebing also enjoys them.

“I just got home from Guangzhou and bought poached chicken and beef balls. The poached chicken should be eaten quickly, and the beef balls can be frozen and added to hot pot.”

He handed the things to his mother, nodded to Chen Xuejin, sat down on the sofa in the living room, and turned on the TV.

The announcer's voice came from the television, and there was also some noise from the kitchen.

A home needs some noise to feel complete.

But now that Chen Xuejin is in school, we can't let him watch TV all the time.

"Come here, sit down." Chen Xuebing patted the sofa towards Chen Xuejin:

"Are you able to concentrate in first-grade classes? Should we let you skip a grade by the end of the semester?"

"You actually listened!" Chen Xuejin gave Chen Xuebing a disdainful look, then jumped onto the sofa and sat down. "Sister Xin said your methods won't work! She checked, and a lot of people in the gifted youth programs are failing. I started school at six, so skipping a grade is enough. Sister Xin told me to build a solid foundation so I can take the college entrance exam at 16 and a half. Tsinghua University opened a 'Yao Class' this year, so I'll apply to that!"

"Yao Class?"

"It was created by Academician Yao Qizhi—the Software Science Experimental Class! Academician Yao has won the Turing Award, and he is also an academician of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States and Taiwan. He's incredibly accomplished!"

"Oh..." Chen Xuebing looked up and thought for a moment: "Then Academician Yao must be quite old, right? By the time you reach that age, I don't know if this class will still be around. Software... I do know some returned master's and doctoral students in this field, which will definitely be helpful to you. But have you ever heard of programming? Are you interested in it?"

"Wow! That's amazing!" Chen Xuejin's eyes widened. "Brother, where did you meet him?"

"Just tell me if you're interested or not," Chen Xuebing said casually.

Chen Xuejin pouted: "How would I know? You promised me a computer but you didn't buy it for me."

"To learn software and programming, you have to learn English first. Keywords and variable names are all in English, and all the technical materials are in English. Just touching a computer won't help... Wait until winter break, I'll take you to Shenzhen and let professionals explain things to you and broaden your horizons. The future of artificial intelligence is very promising. If you're really sure you want to learn it then, I'll buy you the best computer."

"Brother, you seem to know more than Sister Xin!"

Chen Xuebing's mouth was practically stretched to the sky in a wide grin.

Having achieved career success and acquired top-tier talent, I speak with far more confidence than in my previous life.

“Your brother does this now. How can she, a finance student, compare to me? Just listen to me in this regard.” “Tsk tsk tsk.” Yu Chunyan came out of the kitchen wiping her hands after making dumplings: “Don’t put so much pressure on your brother! Just let him study happily and get into university! There are plenty of smart kids at his school. Many of them got the same score as him on the entrance exam, both 100s! As his older brother, you should care more about his life, pick him up a couple of times, stand up for him, and make sure those older kids don’t bully him. That’s more important than anything else!”

“You can’t see the difference now.” Chen Xuebing thought for a moment and said, “Don’t worry, Mom. Both of your kids will be very successful in the future. You can just enjoy your retirement. If you’re tired of picking them up and dropping them off, I’ll have someone pick them up. When he’s in second grade, he can go to and from school by himself. It’s good to cultivate independence early.”

"I don't need you to be anything extraordinary! Just be careful, since you're always running around! Also, is Xiao Xin studying at Fudan University in Shanghai? What about Xiao Yang? Where did he go? Have you had any contact with him?"

At the end of those words, Chen Xuebing rolled his eyes.

Again.

Three sentences.

They'll start pressuring you to get married no later than the third sentence.

"I've made contact, I've made contact. I'm not going to university anymore. I'll bring a girlfriend home next year, have kids, and get married, okay?"

Chen Xuebing turned the tables on him.

Yu Chunyan was taken aback, but then she keenly noticed Chen Xuebing's subtle grammatical error: "What do you mean by having a baby before getting married! It's about getting married first, then having a baby! I'm not rushing you! I'm just saying... you, just bring one home, don't bring me two! You can't have money if you don't have a heart!"

Yu Chunyan has also become a general.

Chen Xuebing was about to die.

"Cough." Chen Xuebing scratched the back of his head, feeling his head was huge. "I have something to do early tomorrow morning. Hurry up and cook me some dumplings so I can eat them and go to sleep."

"Eat and sleep? Get some exercise! Your father's gone, and now you don't even do your morning exercises anymore! Is that a disservice to all the training you received since childhood?"

Once the nagging begins, the harmonious atmosphere officially ends.

"got it!"

……

In the evening, I had a long phone conversation with Xin Mengzhen. This time, Chen Xuebing was unusually talkative, spending most of the time discussing Chen Xuejin's future.

I've shared a small portion of what I learned from this trip to Shenzhen.

It wasn't until the end of the phone call that he mentioned he would be going to Shanghai this month.

He dared not talk too much about his longing with Xin Mengzhen, after all, his spirited body could not withstand too much provocation and was about to explode.

The next day, I got up very early.

Chen Xuebing specially took out his old sandbag and ran several kilometers with it on the street, then did 200 standard push-ups.

I didn't train as hard as I did when I was a kid.

In the past, people practiced martial arts to push their physical limits, but now it's for health and maintaining condition. Practicing too intensely can actually be harmful to the body.

I took a shower at 8 o'clock.

When Ren Ying arrived home, she brought him a sharp suit to change into, preparing for the first major moment since his rebirth.

In the past month, he made countless promises, all based on the successful fulfillment of this matter. In Shenzhen, he made grand promises without regard for reality, recruiting talent and expanding production. Now that he has returned to Chongqing, it is time for him to be meticulous and strengthen logistics.

Before they even reached the New York Tower, Wu Zisheng called, saying that many reporters had arrived. He had checked and found that some of them were neither invited by them nor notified by the government, which seemed a bit strange. He suggested that Wu wait for District Chief Hong to arrive before coming in together, to avoid them asking unnecessary questions.

Wu Zisheng worked at the New Express for many years and even joined the editorial board, so he naturally had a keen sense of his colleagues.

But Chen Xuebing was even more afraid that these audacious, uncrowned kings would ask random questions in front of District Chief Hong, making the leader lose face.

……

At 8:50 a.m., Chen Xuebing appeared in the elevator lobby of New York 45 40 minutes before the ceremony began.

Crowded.

As soon as I arrived at the door, more than a dozen pairs of eyes were cast at me from inside.

"President Chen is here!" someone inside shouted.

No matter what you do in Chongqing, it's always a bit noisy and boisterous.

"Hello, Mr. Chen!"

Before Chen Xuebing could even go inside, a group of people hurriedly walked down the corridor next to him.

One of them, Chen Xuebing had met before, was the saleswoman who recommended the office to them on the day they entered the New York building.

"Xiao Wu," Chen Xuebing called out her surname with a smile.

Xiao Wu was overjoyed and nodded quickly: "President Chen, this is General Manager Liang from Jingli Property!"

She never expected that the boss, who had attracted the district head and dozens of reporters, would remember her.

If she hadn't also taken a liking to those young people who seemed a bit sloppy but insisted on renting the top-floor office that day, she would never have believed that this radiant President Chen was one of them.

Just over six months have passed, yet it feels like a lifetime has gone by.

At this moment, in her eyes, President Chen had lost his former naivety. Dressed in the guise of a tycoon, he appeared so handsome, dashing, and unapproachable.

Chen Xuebing shook hands with the leader, General Manager Liang.

"Mr. Liang, thank you for your support during our time working in New York."

"Not at all! It's our honor to have attracted such talented people like you! Please feel free to contact us if you need any help in the future!"

Mr. Liang was very polite.

Finance is a high-end industry, and the fact that it is the first private equity firm in Southwest China greatly enhances the prestige of this building.

"That's great! We've been eyeing those offices upstairs for ages. Our group headquarters happens to be short of offices. Could we possibly let us have them?"

After a moment's hesitation, General Manager Liang smiled and said, "The top floor was originally reserved for one of our major clients, but they haven't moved in yet. Since General Manager Chen wants to establish the group headquarters... give me some time, and I'll go and coordinate!"

"Thank you, Mr. Liang."

Chen Xuebing exchanged a few polite words with a smile, exchanged phone numbers with General Manager Liang, and then opened the door and went into the office.

Hong Yongqiang, Yu Chunyin, General Manager Sun of InterContinental Hotel, General Manager Jiang of Xinyuan Logistics…

All the investors have arrived.

Chen Xuebing greeted them with a smile and a handshake.

Most of them were friends of Uncle Hong and his maternal uncle. He could address them as "General" or as "uncle." If he got along well with these people, they would become his network of contacts in Chongqing.

Of course, if the fund is managed well, everyone makes money, which deepens the network of connections; if it's not managed well…

"Hello, Mr. Chen!"

Before I even entered the office hall, someone bravely rushed up to greet me.

However, what followed was anything but polite.

"Mr. Chen, I've read several reports. A month ago, you estimated that you had raised 1.7 million yuan, but as far as I know, the actual amount raised so far is only 1.39 million yuan. Can you explain why?"

A female reporter practically shoved her microphone into his mouth.

Chen Xuebing pushed the microphone in front of him and smiled as he looked at the several investors around him who had temporarily reduced their capital.

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(Supplementary Chapter No. 1)
(I promised to keep updating from February, and I definitely will. I'll post around 12 PM every day. If I don't post, I'll definitely make it up the next day.)
(End of this chapter)