Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 162 Who Wants to Masturbate?

Yayuan was quite far away, so the two strolled around the campus.

"How long will you stay back this time?"

"It's hard to say, but I guess I'll be spending most of my time at school these next few months."

"It's rare to be not busy."

Chen Xuebing chuckled and shook his head.

It's not that he's not busy, it's that he's afraid to go out.

Once you go out, you have to spend money. Opportunities are everywhere, and you simply can't control yourself.

He has already spent all the money he could earn in the next few months. The bull market came later than he expected. Last week, it fluctuated around 1100 points. Following his instructions, Changzheng Capital made small T trades and earned a little over 1%, which only increased his account balance by 2 million.

It's difficult to borrow money to develop businesses these days.

No assets.

Last week, CFO Xiao Haidong conducted a comprehensive assessment of the group. Qidian Technology had just received a loan of 500 million yuan, and the group no longer had any assets that could be used for large-scale credit lines. Even if they tried to get a loan through connections, it would only amount to a few million yuan.

The only opportunity to generate substantial cash flow at present is the Taohuaxi water quality improvement project that my uncle is currently working on.

Zhang Qingzhong spent half a month visiting various sites for this project. The design was very comprehensive, including silt removal, river dredging, and riverbank restoration. In addition, a stabilization pond was designed upstream, which can restore the water quality by planting aquatic plants with purification functions.

The initial review has been passed, and the final evaluation is underway.

The project isn't large, around 35 million yuan. To get it approved, the profit margin was already low. We had to buy dredging vessels and give my uncle 10% of the profits, leaving only about 10% of the net gain. But with leadership support, the payment for the dredged sand could be submitted to the government after the project settlement. The dredging project could generate at least 15 million yuan in cash flow.

In addition, this is also an exploration of a model.

By having the company act as the project initiator and lead the design and construction phases, it serves as preparation and capacity building for future BT and PPP models.

The engineering business may seem to grow slowly, but it is actually very profitable, mainly because of the high leverage. A few million investment can leverage projects worth tens of millions. Even with a profit margin of ten or twenty percent, it still doubles the earnings.

The bigger the brand and the more projects, the more people will be willing to invest upfront, and it can even lead to getting something for nothing.

It's just that the cycle is too long.

We must proactively explore models for large-scale projects, continuously secure major projects, and integrate upstream and downstream resources to achieve substantial revenue.

Chen Xuebing, with his hands tucked in his pockets, was lost in thought when he suddenly realized that it had become very quiet around him.

He turned his head to look at Cheng Danting and suddenly noticed that she was holding a book and looking ahead. Her static appearance and indifferent expression made her seem somewhat unapproachable.

Like a cool and aloof art student.

When she felt the gaze turn to her, she narrowed her eyes, and her smile became sweet and approachable.

In the past month or so, many girls in my class have changed. After some activities organized by clubs and the school, some of them have started to wear makeup and have begun to experiment wildly with their clothing and appearance.

But it seems she found her own style early on.

She wore a simple, loose-fitting beige-gray sweater on top and a long skirt on the bottom. Both pieces were quite thick, yet she appeared rather thin.

Her long hair revealed her somewhat three-dimensional earlobes.

It has a bit of an elf ear feel to it; it would look really good with earrings.

Chen Xuebing remembered that she had worn it before, but she hadn't really put it away today.

She used to seem to care a lot about her appearance; if she didn't dress up carefully, she would deliberately avoid him.

Now, however, she is very open and without makeup in front of him.

This should be the only change in her.

When Chen Xuebing realized she was making progress, he started making small talk.

"By the way, are you from the South or the North? Do you eat rice?"

Cheng Danting's Mandarin is very standard, with no accent at all.

In some places, people really don't eat rice. In his previous life, he went to Shandong and ordered dishes at a restaurant only to find that there was no rice. He wanted to pay extra to have the owner cook some rice, but the owner simply said that there was no rice. He was served a pot of beef bones, which was so greasy that he ate half a scallion for the first time.

The differences in diet between the North and South are really big, and there are also differences between the Southwest and Southeast, and between the Northwest and Northeast.

“Anhui,” she replied casually.

"Anhui... Huainan or Huaibei?"

This place is quite unique; it's partly in the south and partly in the north.

“Not Huainan, but south of the Huai River,” she corrected. “Jianghuai, a small place.”

"Jianghuai... Chuzhou, Anqing, or Lu'an?"

The Jianghuai region only includes a few places in Anhui. She said it's a small place, not Huainan, and it can't be the provincial capital Hefei, right?
Cheng Danting was a little surprised, but then she remembered that everyone was a liberal arts student, so it was normal for them to be good at geography. She smiled and said, "Lu'an."

“Lu’an,” Chen Xuebing recalled, looking up. “The ancient city wall is very beautiful.”

He couldn't say anything else.

He has been to many places, but he has only seen one or two sights, passing through without actually visiting them.

Cheng Danting's expression was strange as she tilted her head and asked, "When did you go?"

"what happened?"

“That place used to be very dilapidated, a garbage dump. It was only renovated last year after it was listed as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit. Only the stones at the base of the wall are from ancient times. The city walls of Lu’an are all newly built… My home is not far from there.”

One sentence was enough to send a chill down Chen Xuebing's spine.

He wasn't entirely without caution, but thinking that the ancient city wall was from ancient times, he boasted recklessly, never expecting this part to be included.

Damn it, I'll have to think before I speak in other people's territory from now on.

"Hehe, I saw it online and was trying to get close to the pretty girl, but I didn't expect to be seen through."

Chen Xuebing gave a dry laugh.

A smile inadvertently appeared in Cheng Danting's eyes: "You are a high and mighty boss, I should be the one trying to get close to you."

"Big boss...what an old-fashioned title."

"Then...Mr. Chen?" Cheng Danting tilted her head and smiled.

"My English name is Daidi, just call me by my English name."

"Stupid brother? Dai..."

Cheng Danting tried to put it together, her cheeks instantly turning red, and she reached out to pinch him.

Chen Xuebing quickly dodged, revealing a mischievous grin that he couldn't contain.

Cheng Danting followed Chen Xuebing into the cafeteria, attracting some attention. She then stopped and joined Chen Xuebing in line to get her food.

Chen Xuebing noticed that she quickly composed herself and couldn't resist teasing her to break her calm.

When he was almost at the order counter, he gave up his seat and handed his plate to Cheng Danting.

"I forgot you were treating today, so you should come over. Order whatever you want, I'll eat whatever you order."

After saying that, he jokingly added, "Don't be stingy, I like to eat meat."

In that instant, several pairs of eyes turned towards them.

Cheng Danting was naturally beautiful and made men want to protect her. The way she ran in shyly was enough to make some men's DNA move. Now that they saw a lecherous guy teasing her, they were filled with jealousy.

You fucking want to eat meat?
I'll smash a rice bowl in your face!

Cheng Danting merely wrinkled her nose slightly, then walked up to the cafeteria lady, handed her her tray and student ID card, and pointed to the meat and vegetable section, saying:

"Auntie, could you please give me one serving of each of those meat dishes that cost 2.5 yuan?"

Chen Xuebing glanced inside: "Chicken leg."

"Ah, Auntie, please add a chicken leg."

Just as the cafeteria lady finished serving, Chen Xuebing said again:
"Two, two chicken drumsticks." Cheng Danting hurriedly added, "Ah, Auntie, I'm sorry, could you please add another chicken drumstick?"

Seeing that she was finally starting to break down, Chen Xuebing took the plate with satisfaction, stood by the window, and watched the jealousy bulging in the eyes of a chubby boy behind him in line, waiting for her to get her food and swipe her card.

Cheng Danting brought out her dishes, which were mostly vegetarian, making her look even more pitiful.

The thoughts of the boys in the two lines of food-serving queues around them were about to materialize.

"You fucking don't know how to treat her, let me do it!"

After Chen Xuebing finished enjoying this honor that only men from Chongqing could understand, and found a place to sit down, when he saw the plate in front of her, he felt that she was pretending to be pitiful.

"You don't look like a student from a poor family. You even have a cell phone, and you're eating so little?"

As Chen Xuebing spoke, he picked up a chicken leg from his plate and gave it to her.

Cheng Danting hesitated for a moment: "...I don't like eating meat, I'm on a diet, you eat it."

"Eat up, eat up! You're so thin, why are you trying to lose weight?"

Chen Xuebing glanced at her, then picked up the chicken leg and started eating.

Cheng Danting unconsciously glanced down, pursed her lips, picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks, and took a bite.

Then, seeing Chen Xuebing wolfing down his food, he bent down, opened his small bag, took out a pack of tissues, and handed one to Chen Xuebing.

It felt unusually soft to the touch. He glanced at the package and noticed it was from an English brand. He couldn't help but ask:
"what brand?"

“Shujie, an American brand.” Cheng Danting was somewhat proud of her bourgeois taste, but remembering that the person in front of her was Chen Xuebing, she explained, “I only use this when I have a cold… to prevent my nose from getting red.”

Chen Xuebing didn't pay any attention.

"You're more prone to catching a cold, so wear more layers. The temperature difference between winter and summer in Chongqing is huge. After October, the temperature can drop suddenly."

After saying that, he took out his phone, which had vibrated twice, and looked at it. He found that it was a message from Lei Jun.

We've arranged to meet this afternoon, so I should be able to talk to him now.

Lei Jun is quick and methodical in his work. Last week, he found an intermediary to introduce him to Lin Bin, and they met twice. He said they had a good chat, and today he is preparing to get to the main topic.

Chen Xuebing replied "Received," put his phone on the table, picked up his plate, and started eating.

Cheng Danting ate with great relish and couldn't help but pick up a chicken leg and eat a few more bites of meat.

Chen Xuebing wasn't picky about the details of his life, and Cheng Danting realized that the lives of the wealthy weren't always as she had imagined.

"By the way, Hu Li organized a trip to the zoo for the girls a while ago, right? She even borrowed my car. Did you go?" Chen Xuebing asked casually.

Cheng Danting shook her head.

"Do you still have conflicts with Hu Li?" Chen Xuebing recalled the class monitor election at the beginning of the semester.

Hu Li was in the classroom just now and didn't suggest having lunch together. I don't know if she didn't want to come to Yayuan or if she sensed something else and deliberately didn't come.

He did indeed have some improper thoughts about Cheng Danting.

To be precise, it's about lusting after someone's body.

However, there is a difference between hormones and emotions, which young people may not be able to distinguish, but he is clear-headed.

The situation between Xin Mengzhen and Yang Qingyue was already enough of a headache for him; he had no intention of getting entangled in any more romantic relationships.

If the relationship is kept simple... that's fine.

Cheng Danting's attitude towards him was special; he could see it, and he could also see her yearning for a high quality of life.

He brought up Hu Li's matter to subtly probe into topics like connections and social circles, and to see what she specifically wanted.

But Cheng Danting shook her head and smiled, "No, Hu Li is a very nice person. I just happened to have something to do that day."

"Oh." Seeing that the topic was not going anywhere, Chen Xuebing did not intend to dwell on it any longer: "If you have any problems at school that you can't solve, you can come to me."

He wasn't exactly free; several companies had been calling him all morning. He didn't have classes in the afternoon, but he still had to arrange a remote meeting in Shenzhen to follow up on Lei Jun's poaching of employees. After saying this, he planned to finish his meal quickly and leave.

“Hmm…” Cheng Danting’s eyes were a little blank, as if she remembered something, and she slowly said, “Actually… don’t laugh at me, I’ve never traveled far from home since I was a child. This is my first time taking a plane to Chongqing.”

Chen Xuebing paused for a moment, and his movements slowed down.

After a long pause, he laughed and said:
"That's normal. This is also my first time flying. Ten years ago, even if you had the money, you wouldn't be eligible to fly."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Danting narrowed her eyes: "Really? I thought I was terrible."

"Not bad at all, she was even the student council president, she's better than me, and very pretty too." Chen Xuebing didn't hold back his compliments in order to impress the girl.

Cheng Danting wasn't so easily coaxed; her eyes glanced almost imperceptibly at Chen Xuebing's phone on the table, at the little ox pendant.

"Won't your girlfriend get jealous if you compliment someone else's beauty?"

Chen Xuebing followed the gaze, but unlike Yang Qingyue who had questioned him, he didn't show any panic. He calmly asked in return:

If your boyfriend praised someone else like that, would you be jealous?

Returning the question to the person who asked it is also a way to solve the problem.

"I don't know, I've never had a boyfriend." Cheng Danting looked to the side, seemingly a little aggrieved.

Chen Xuebing's throat moved.
"That's great. Since I don't have a boyfriend, I have no worries. I can show you around Chongqing sometime."

Cheng Danting sensed something in those words and met Chen Xuebing's gaze.

"Actually... when you talked about the Jiuli City scenic area in class today, I really wanted to visit it. Even if it's not as good as you described, I still want to see it."

"No problem. I happen to have something to do there later, I'll ask you out then?"

Cheng Danting was taken aback for a moment, then asked with delight, "Really?"

"of course."

"Then I'll take it seriously!"

"Hmm," Chen Xuebing said with a faint smile.

Cheng Danting smiled with dimples, lowered her head to eat, and the atmosphere improved considerably.

Chen Xuebing was still looking for an excuse to leave when Cheng Danting's phone rang.

She answered the call, hummed in response, and then promptly got up.

"Excuse me, the Youth League Committee teacher needs to speak with me, I have to go now!"

She left as soon as she finished speaking, without any hesitation from Chen Xuebing as he tried to find an excuse to leave.

Before Chen Xuebing could say anything, she left. Watching her retreating figure, he felt a little empty inside.

I haven't left yet, but she's already gone?

He couldn't help but laugh; he wasn't even as important as the Youth League Committee teacher.

Just as I was about to get up, the graceful figure quickly returned to my sight.

She handed Chen Xuebing a pack of tissues, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Wipe your mouth, don't use your hand to wipe it."

That look in her eyes was exactly the same as when I was teasing her at the food serving window earlier.

Chen Xuebing's lips twitched, and he was about to speak when the man left again.

"Heh." He chuckled dryly.

Lube.

interesting.

Who the hell wants to masturbate with their hand?

(End of this chapter)