Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 40 You Should Go to Shenzhen
It was another slightly awkward moment.

Chen Xuebing didn't care anymore.

This family were all relatives of his uncle, and Chen Xuebing had no intention of hiding his talents.

The overall construction plan for the third section was in his mind. He was just about to make things clear: how much money could be earned in each position, how it would be earned, and that everyone should get what they were entitled to, so that his uncle wouldn't suffer any losses.

Whether the portion of the project that is ceded will be enough for him to arrange positions and develop a team is another matter.

Aunt Luo Min finally lost all patience and pulled Yu Chunyin before standing up.

"Come out for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Yu Chunyin was about to pull her down to sit, but when he turned around and saw that his wife's face was flushed and she looked like she was about to start a fight, he didn't want her to explode at the dinner table, so he could only cough and say to the dishes that had just been served:
"You guys eat first, eat first."

The person has gone out.

The door closes.

Luo Min's voice boomed like thunder in the hallway outside:

"Did you hear that? 25 points! You say he understands engineering? He doesn't understand engineering at all!"

"Yes, I don't understand, but I don't know how much money you make from your projects. Where does such a high profit come from?"

"Ugh, I don't want to listen to your nonsense. Just tell me, my brother finally asked you for a favor, will you agree?"

"Let them earn a little more, but you've already taken a 15% cut, how much more can you possibly make?"

"Alright, let's talk about it when we get back. As for Chen Xuebing, can you listen to me? He's just a little kid. Is it appropriate for you to involve him like this now?"

All the questions were sharp rhetorical questions, which everyone in the private room could hear clearly. The closed door was nothing more than a fig leaf, allowing the people in the room to pretend they couldn't hear it; it was a thin veil.

The noise was so loud that it made people wonder whether Luo Min dragged Yu Chunyin outside to argue, or whether she wanted to give everyone a way out, or to leave Chen Xuebing, the person involved, unable to retaliate and forced to sit inside awkwardly listening to her rant.

Yu Chunyan couldn't sit still after hearing just a couple of sentences and wanted to rush out to confront her, but Chen Xuebing grabbed her arm.

Upon hearing these words, Luo An sat down again, looked at Chen Xuebing, shook his head and smiled, a silent mockery.

Chen Xuejin frowned and looked out the door in silence.

Yu Xinxin, who was already in junior high school, glanced at Chen Xuebing and said somewhat cautiously:
"Brother, you've made my mom angry. She hasn't argued with my dad like this in a long time."

Chen Xuebing chuckled casually: "Good to know. Study hard and don't upset your mom. She's going through menopause and is easily angered."

To be honest, Chen Xuebing and Luo Min's relationship wasn't this bad before. In fact, when she married her uncle after she became pregnant, he even sent flowers to the wedding.

In modern Western wedding terminology, they are flower girls.

At that time, his father was already the director of the institute. Sometimes his uncle and aunt would ask his father for help, and his father would help if he could, and if he couldn't help, he would give them some advice.

—Don't underestimate a director.

Even when Chen Xuejin was about to be born, Luo Min, as a civil servant, was willing to risk everything with his uncle to help take in Chen Xuejin, a child born in violation of the one-child policy.

Of course, there's not much risk involved. With my dad's colleagues helping out, keeping it a secret from the child shouldn't be a problem.

But after my father passed away, the family lost its backbone, and the relationship between the two families changed from mutual help to one-sided assistance.

Time will test human nature. The uncle is still the same uncle, but the aunt is no longer the same aunt. Once, at a family gathering, Luo Min even had an argument with her mother, and their relationship deteriorated rapidly from then on.

Now that her uncle has given her over ten thousand yuan to start a business, if her nephew Luo An says anything bad about her again, she'll definitely be furious.

However, Yu Xinxin is quite well-behaved. She has followed Chen Xuebing around since she was little, and her personality is also greatly influenced by her father. When she heard Chen Xuebing insulting her mother, she just made a face at Chen Xuebing.

"A little bit!"

Luo An and his father Luo Hong didn't have a good look on their faces. Luo Min was their aunt and sister, and Chen Xuebing's rude remarks made them lose face. However, Yu Chunyan, who was standing next to them, seemed unapproachable and was also Yu Chunyin's older sister, so they didn't make a scene.

The atmosphere was a bit tense.

Chen Xuebing, thinking that the Santana downstairs looked quite old, couldn't help but start judging people by their clothes and began to sized up Luo Hong across the street.

The gray jacket paired with a mismatched dark red shirt that looked rather shapeless, and while she seemed a bit calculating, she also appeared to be overly flattering towards her uncle.

Luo An is also a bit petty.

This family doesn't seem very wealthy. After observing their expressions, Chen Xuebing secretly estimated that they had at most a few hundred thousand yuan in assets.

For such a large project, Luo An is a newcomer who has never managed a project on his own before. It's difficult for him to have a boss who can provide materials and equipment to help him advance the funds. Can he and his father afford to do that?

If things go wrong, we might have to find secondary investors or simply resell the property. If we don't manage it well, the progress and quality will be hard to guarantee.

However, my uncle should know about this.

Since some people don't want to hear about the project, he doesn't plan to talk about it anymore.

The two outside didn't linger for long. When they came back in, Luo Min walked in front, and her uncle followed behind, his hands behind his back. As he passed Chen Xuebing, he patted Chen Xuebing on the shoulder and gave him a wink.

Chen Xuebing instantly understood that his uncle wanted to settle things peacefully and prevent him from arguing with Luo Min anymore.

Chen Xuebing smiled, patted his mother's thigh next to him, and conveyed the same message with his eyes.

But Yu Chunyan didn't understand.

Or rather, she couldn't help it.

As soon as Luo Min sat down, Yu Chunyan stood up.

"Luo Min, what do you mean by being sarcastic and sarcastic outside? What did my Xuebing do to you? How can you, as his aunt, talk about him like that? Are you unhappy about the 10,000 yuan that Yu Chunyin gave my Xuebing? Fine, I'll return it to you tomorrow!"

Yu Chunyan raised her two children alone, and that was her only reason for living. Her children, let alone Luo Min's scolding, or even Yu Chunyin's scolding, would not make her happy!
...Only the homeroom teacher and other teachers are allowed to scold them!
"Hey, sis!" Yu Chunyin quickly raised her hand, but failed to stop Yu Chunyan from speaking. She then awkwardly withdrew her hand, touched the back of her head, and her expression could be summed up in five words: her head was pounding.

Luo Min was surprised.

Chen Xuebing saw her turn her head and glare at Yu Chunyin, then mutter a word, mouthing "two thousand".

It should also have a "?".

Good heavens, that ten thousand—his uncle never told Luo Min about it. He only mentioned that he later gave her two thousand.

My uncle is finished.

Chen Xuebing immediately pulled his mother to sit down, then stood up and comforted his uncle:

“Mom! That 10,000 yuan was money I borrowed from my uncle to start a business! I didn’t ask you for it because I wanted to put pressure on myself and remind myself that I have to pay it back! I will give my uncle an IOU for a year, and I will pay it back myself! If I can’t pay it back after a year, you can help me pay it back, okay?”

Ten thousand is a large sum, the same for any family. Although her uncle is rich, Luo Min still works at a company and earns less than a thousand a month. Her views on money are definitely different from her uncle's. She might be able to accept two thousand, but twelve thousand is her annual salary, which she probably cannot accept.

Chen Xuebing gave his uncle a compelling explanation.

Upon hearing this, Yu Chunyin visibly puffed out his chest, met Luo Min's gaze, and even slammed his hand on the table.

"I already told you, Xiaobing helped me a lot! Without him, I might have suffered a huge loss in the second section! What's wrong with giving him 10,000 yuan?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Luo Hong and Luo An again.

This is a great project, doesn't your brother want a piece of it too?

Luo Min was no longer furious. She just complained, "I told you a long time ago, if you don't understand, hire an expert to help you! Why let a kid make decisions for you? Can't we afford to hire someone?"

Then, looking at Chen Xuebing, he spoke in a tone befitting an elder:
"Chen Xuebing, don't think I'm being nosy. You're only a senior in high school; studying is the most important thing. Why start a business? Focus your energy on the right path and be a role model for your brother! I heard from your uncle that you've been doing well at school lately. As your aunt, I'm not unconcerned. I even used my connections to get you into a tutoring program run by teachers from a top city school. We've even paid the tuition for you. Study hard and get into any university you want. After you graduate, you can work with your uncle; I have no objection! Sister, haven't I been fair enough as your aunt?"

After Luo Min finished speaking, he looked at Yu Chunyan.

Yu Chunyan was speechless with anger.

Teacher at a key municipal high school, tutoring center.

She genuinely didn't know where to find the means to create such learning opportunities for her son. Chen Xuebing smiled; he understood perfectly well what she meant.

She thinks I'm in her way and wants me to stay out of her uncle's projects, so she's pushing me to go back to school.

I just casually went to a junior college, and four years have passed. By the time I graduated and came back to find my uncle, Luo An would have already taken over most of my uncle's resources. Where would I have a place to stand?

Fortunately, in his previous life, Luo Anxin was proud and arrogant, and did not want to be an employee. He was unaware of the big project ahead and started his own team. He might have even changed careers later. Otherwise, if his aunt had schemed against him in that life and cut off his uncle's support, his path in his previous life would probably have been very difficult.

In this life, the "major project" he revealed during a meeting stirred up other ideas in Luo An.

Fate is truly wondrous; some seemingly insignificant events can become major crossroads, changing countless lives.

Rebirth is also wondrous, enabling people to see these intersections.

With this thought in mind, Chen Xuebing realized that he must think things through carefully before making any decisions in the future, and understand the key points of the matter.

After all, she might be the only butterfly in this world that is developing in an orderly manner, exactly like the framework of her previous life.

Chen Xuebing couldn't help but think of the changes in Luo An.

Luo An set his sights on the third project and decided to give up on the small project from his previous life.

Should I fill it in myself?
Before the thought could even form, his mother spoke up, her tone much gentler than before: "What if... what if he doesn't pass the exam? Second son, as his uncle, you should at least mentor Xuebing, right?"

"That's for sure..."

Just as Yu Chunyin was about to speak, Luo Min interrupted her again:

"Sister, Chen Xuebing only has this one chance to study. If he doesn't pass the exam, he can retake it! Even a vocational college is better than a high school diploma! If he can get into a four-year university, I can ask my classmate to fill in the best college application for him! Besides, Chen Xuejin is so smart, he's bound to go to a top university and have a bright future. How can Chen Xuebing, as his older brother, not even go to university? The difference in our social standing will be huge, how can we associate with each other?"

This one sentence brought down three people.

Yu Chunyin, Yu Chunyan, Chen Xuebing.

Both of the older men came from the era when the college entrance examination was reinstated, and they valued diplomas extremely highly.

Chen Xuejin will definitely go to university. If they don't let Chen Xuebing go, they feel they're letting the boy down.

Luo Min's words were also a veiled criticism of Yu Chunyan, implying that she and Yu Chunyin were on vastly different levels and that it was inappropriate for them to associate with each other.

Yu Chunyin was reluctant to comment, while Yu Chunyan was concerned about the child and didn't pay any attention to it.

In the ensuing silence, a child's voice suddenly spoke.

"Auntie, you're talking nonsense! I would never look down on my brother! No, I would look down on him whether he goes to university or not!"

"Hahaha…"

This was quite funny and eased the tension, but only Yu Xinxin laughed carefree, idly patting Chen Xuejin's head:
"You're so cute!"

Chen Xuejin quickly blocked her way, screaming, "Don't touch my head!"

In that short time, Chen Xuebing finally made a decision.

“Aunt, you don’t need to worry about my future. I should have no problem getting into university. I’ll fill out the application myself. Going to university won’t interfere with my business.”

The moment Chen Xuebing spoke, the three members of the Luo family tensed up.

Especially Luo An.

He wasn't hostile towards Chen Xuebing for no reason. He was very clear that with Yu Chunyin, the two of them were competing for resources and were rivals in a zero-sum game.

Moreover, Chen Xuebing is capable.

Chen Xuebing, at the age of a high school student, made a scene on the construction site, managing to subdue everything in his place. No one who saw him would forget it.

Despite his wife's obstruction, Yu Chunyin never gave up on bringing Chen Xuebing to his side.

This elicited varying reactions.

However, Chen Xuebing quickly picked up the conversation.

"Uncle, I want to ask you something. I heard that Luo An was planning to take on a small construction site, right? How big of a project is it? When will construction start?"

Yu Chunyin sensed Chen Xuebing's intention. After thinking for a moment, she rested her elbows on the table and slowly said, "Well... that's an independent sewage treatment plant. The pipeline system is quite complex. Three teams have already started building it from the plant area towards there. The main structure is the plant, and they've built a pipeline network of less than half a kilometer. That area is called Pengshui. It used to belong to Qianjiang Prefecture. It's an autonomous county for ethnic minorities. It's very far away, and construction will start in February or March. I've already taken on this project. It's worth about two million yuan. I'll arrange a team to go there. You don't need to go. I've had someone calculate it, and there's not much profit to be made."

Upon hearing this, Luo An felt a little jealous.

It's not very profitable, and it's far away. If you won't let Chen Xuebing go, what will you give me?
Yu Chunyin wasn't lacking in emotional intelligence; she simply didn't care about Luo An's thoughts at all.

Can a wife's nephew be the same as a nephew who grew up riding on her shoulders?
Chen Xuebing shook his head and continued to ask, "Pricing by list or fixed amount?"

“The quota from 99 is still 8% higher, so the unit price won’t be low.” Luo An actually chimed in, and gave Luo Min a wink.

He had seen the location of the project, and it was indeed "very good." It was nestled against the mountains and by the water, but the roads were in poor condition. Eight sites were simply not enough to compensate for the poor road conditions nearby. Regardless of whether Chen Xuebing was capable of starting the project, it was just right to give it to Chen Xuebing.

Chen Xuebing was also making plans in his mind.

He took on a project with a 99 quota... some of the unit prices were even higher than the 08 quota.

It has risen by 8 points.

"Uncle, how about I go check it out when I have some free time?"

Yu Chunyin raised an eyebrow, a thought forming in her mind: "You'll make it for me?"

Chen Xuebing leaned back and laughed, "I'll do it myself."

Yu Chunyin was immediately disappointed: "What are you doing? Where would you get the money? You can't even start a business without at least forty or fifty thousand!"

Yes, these days, it's this cheap to start a 2 million project. For projects with regular progress payments, 40,000 to 50,000 is enough to get started.

As long as you dare to promise benefits, the price can even be lower.

Of course, this is in the mountains, where no one is in a hurry to make progress.

Urban projects like the third phase are different. Leaders pass by every day, and the public is watching. The progress is constantly being urged, and the intensity is often increased by adding more people and machines.

"Don't worry about it, I'll figure it out myself." Chen Xuebing waved his hand, then deliberately said to Luo Min, "Auntie, I'm going to work in the countryside, on my own. You don't have any objections, right?"

Luo Min was about to retort to Chen Xuebing, but remembering the look Luo An gave him, he crossed his arms, turned his head to the side, and stopped talking.

Once everyone speaks frankly, their individual purposes become obvious.

Yu Chunyan, the only one who was a little flustered, was almost scared out of her wits when she heard that there was 2 million, but when she heard Yu Chunyin say that they would start the project with 40,000 or 50,000, and saw that her son looked confident, she began to silently calculate her family's assets.

With each of them lost in their own thoughts, Chen Xuebing gave his uncle a meaningful look.

"Uncle, as long as you give me a lower price, I'm sure I can handle it!"

"You're going to do that construction project and not study anymore?" Yu Chunyin said, shaking her head repeatedly: "No way! Your aunt has already found you a tutoring center! Your aunt is right about your studies. Your homeroom teacher even said you have a chance. Go to university first!"

"Don't worry, I'll definitely take the college entrance exam! Call my homeroom teacher after the final exams this semester, and we'll decide what to do next, okay?"

The combination of engineering and final exams is somewhat comical, but Chen Xuebing's recent performance seems to make everything seem reasonable.

Yu Chunyin remained silent, then nodded slightly, which was taken as an agreement.

Chen Xuebing then looked at his aunt, who was silent, and wondered if he should upset her.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said:

“Uncle, actually I think... since you’re not handling the three standards yourself, you should go to Shenzhen.”

(End of this chapter)