Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 77 The Phone Call Before the New Year

The next day.

The room was pitch black, except for the glow of the blankets.

Chen Xuebing squinted as he sent a text message, fulfilling his duties as a prospective boyfriend.

Have you set off yet?

Xin Mengzhen: Arrived at the airport.

【A headwind all the way.】

Xin Mengzhen: ...How could you say that!

[You can only fly against the wind, right? If you were flying with the wind at your back, what would you do?]

[Xin Mengzhen: Chen, you're so smart! At what altitude do airplanes usually fly? Which layer of the atmosphere do they belong to? (Please briefly explain why)]

Chen Xuebing: ...

Is this how good students usually talk? Sorry to bother you.

[Xin Mengzhen: ^-^ Are you scared before I've even made a move?]

[I'll wait until you return so I can personally challenge you to a lesson in your fancy but ineffective martial arts.]

[Xin Mengzhen: Hehehe, I'll break your legs.]

Hahaha, I'll smash your dog head in!

After sending the message, Chen Xuebing put down his phone and smacked his lips.

What a niche flirting track.

She fell asleep peacefully.

Less than five minutes later, a loud shout came from outside.

"Chen Xuebing! Get up and eat your noodles!"

Chen Xuebing was just drifting off to sleep when he was suddenly jolted awake.

"Mom... keep your voice down! You're waking up my dad!"

"It's past nine o'clock, and you're still sleeping! A while ago you were reading in the morning, but now you just sleep in as soon as you get home, and you don't even do your morning exercises anymore! If your dad were still alive, you'd be in for a beating!"

Chen Xuebing sighed, wiped his face with his hands, and got out of bed.

It's time to move out...

Other people have a three-day "honeymoon period" after going home, but my mom's skills haven't even had a cooldown yet.

He opened the door to find his mother mopping the floor, while Chen Xuejin was eating knife-cut noodles from a small bowl.

The aroma is tangy.

The knife-cut noodles at home are different from those outside. My mom cuts them thicker, making them especially chewy.

When Chen Xuebing realized it was noodles, he became interested and sat down at the table, ready to enjoy the meal.

"Brush your teeth, brush your teeth!" Yu Chunyan started repeating again.

"I understand." Chen Xuebing stood up again. "Have you tried on the clothes I bought for you?"

Last night, after leaving Xin Mengzhen's place, I went to an internet cafe to meet with Lu Yiwen and the others for a short meeting to discuss renting a house and starting a company after the New Year. It was already midnight when I got home.

Yu Chunyan then straightened up: "Did you buy all of these for me?"

"correct."

"Are you sure?" Yu Chunyan quickly picked up a pile of bags that were neatly stacked on the sofa.

"Yes, I bought it for you."

Looking at the clothes in the bag, Yu Chunyan felt a pang of heartache: "I'm always at the shop, how can I wear these clothes! You need to return them right away..."

"I told you you weren't used to wearing it," Chen Xuebing interrupted nonchalantly.

"I won't buy it. I asked Yang Qingyue to go with me. She's the one who came to deliver the card last time. She insisted that you look good in this. It's okay, I'll return it in a bit. Oh, and there's a scarf she bought for you. Take a look and see if you like it. If you don't like it, I'll take it to return it later."

Yu Chunyan froze instantly.

"Oh?"

……

Yu Chunyan, wearing a loose suit jacket and without a scarf, stood cheerfully in front of the full-length mirror by the door, spinning around.

"Mom! I think it looks good!" Chen Xuejin praised with a grin.

Chen Xuebing nodded secretly and said with a grin:
"Mom, you should get your hair dyed later. It will make you look at least ten years younger. I think a burgundy color would suit you best."

"Dye it my ass! It costs money and time!" Yu Chunyan was only slightly pleased for a moment before asking with concern, "You asked someone to go shopping with you? You haven't been to school... You're still in contact? Why would someone buy me a scarf?"

Chen Xuebing mentioned Yang Qingyue only because he was worried that his mother wouldn't wear the clothes he bought. As soon as he saw her start asking questions again, he immediately waved his hand and went back to the dining table to continue eating his noodles.

"Alright, alright, stop asking so many questions, it's annoying."

Hearing the two discussing the woman who had visited the store last time, Chen Xuejin rushed over with a sense of urgency and said urgently, "Brother! Sister Xin comes every Friday! She changes the study materials on my MP3 player and bought me a lot of books!"

They would meet at the entrance of the residential area every Friday at noon. Sister Xin would give him a new MP3 player with downloaded materials and buy him books. This was originally a secret between him and Sister Xin.

But he felt it was time to speak up.

Chen Xuebing was stunned for a moment, then smacked Chen Xuejin on the head and scolded him:
"Why are you so clueless about boundaries these days? You just accept whatever someone buys from you?"

Chen Xuejin covered his head, but still chuckled, "Sister Xin gave it to me, you'll definitely help me return it, right?"

Chen Xuebing realized that this guy was voting with his feet, and he became interested: "You like Sister Xin?" "Yes!" Chen Xuejin nodded quickly.

Before Chen Xuebing could have a proper conversation, Yu Chunyan had already sensed something was amiss. She strode over, her face filled with anxiety, and said:

"Kid! There are...two girls? We're a respectable family! Your dad's a hero, don't mess around!"

"Mom, you're overthinking it." Chen Xuebing laughed without any panic. "It's not even close to happening yet. We're just classmates. They're all top students and from good families. Which one of them would even look at me? Two of them? I can't even handle one of them."

He naturally knew how to manipulate his mother, and as soon as he said that, Yu Chunyan started to feel anxious and insecure again.

"That girl who came into the store last time, I noticed she was..."

"Mom, we can talk about that later. Right now, I just want to take care of you."

While choosing clothes yesterday, Chen Xuebing suddenly realized that he should give his mother a change of lifestyle. The timing was perfect, so he seized the opportunity to start a conversation:
"Oh, Mom, I'm thinking of discussing something with you. I've made quite a bit of money selling cell phones lately, and construction has started at the site. I'm thinking of moving out after the New Year."

Yu Chunyan was startled: "Move out to live?"

"Mm." Chen Xuebing nodded.

He has already had to start planning for the first half of next year.

With construction underway, relationships between all parties have been largely resolved, and pricing has been negotiated. We'll visit again after the New Year to oversee the project for a while, standardize the management system, and assess Lao Tan's construction control. If everything is satisfactory, the daily work can be handed over to Lao Tan.

After all, there's a highway that requires upfront investment, and we also need to enter the stock market. The Taobao business must get on track, generate more cash flow, and we need to come up with ideas to expand our performance from time to time. We can't just rely on those few people working aimlessly in internet cafes.

He also needs to prepare for the college entrance examination. His family runs a shop during the day, so it's not quiet. He has things to do from time to time, and he can't just come and go as he pleases, like staying in a hotel.

After much thought, the best option is to rent a mixed-use office building, combining his work, study, and accommodation, which will save him a lot of commuting time.

Since his rebirth, he has always felt a bit awkward living at home. After all, he has lived for almost forty years, and being treated like a child all the time makes him feel a little restricted. So he left the school and now that he has some financial stability, it's time for him to leave home.

Perhaps the real business journey only truly begins the moment one steps out of their home.

"Don't worry, I'll come back when I have time."

After saying that, Chen Xuebing got up, went to his room, took out a bag, took out a stack of money, counted out five thousand yuan, and handed it to his mother.

“I’ve already paid back my uncle’s money. From now on, I’ll give you some of my earnings every month. Don’t worry about my studies; I have a tutor. You should focus on Chen Xuejin’s studies first. He’ll be going to school in the second half of the year and will be attending a tutoring class after the New Year. You should pick him up and drop him off. Put more effort into his education. Once I move out, you can let Chen Xuejin live in my room; it’s more spacious.”

"Secondly, you should go out and stroll around, play some mahjong, don't get stuck in this shop. Open it if you want, close it if you don't. I can make a lot of money, you definitely don't need to worry about it. I'll take care of Chen Xuejin's schooling, buying a car and a house in the future."

“Look at you, you’re about the same age as Aunt Chang next door, but you look so much older than her. Take better care of yourself. You don’t want people to say you’re Chen Xuejin’s grandma when you pick him up from school, do you?”

Chen Xuebing knew best that a busy adult couldn't be idle; otherwise, they would feel anxious. So he didn't force his mother to change her life. This home was her emotional support. Her father was gone, and forcing her to completely disconnect from her current life would only leave her feeling lost.

The only thing we can do is to find new responsibilities for Chen Xuejin, encourage her to go out more, experience the outside world, and gradually accept her new lifestyle.

Chen Xuejin, true to her mother's nature, immediately started yelling and shouting:
"I don't dislike Mom at all!"

Chen Xuebing chuckled, patted Chen Xuejin's head, and said bluntly, "Your IQ is passable, but your EQ is a bit lacking. You have to complain about your mother more so she'll know how to take care of herself."

"A mere trifle." Chen Xuejin snorted, holding Yu Chunyan's hand with one hand, pointing to the next room with the other, raising his head, and commandingly saying:

"Mom, I won't allow you to age faster than Aunt Chang. We're going to dye our hair in a bit and beat her!"

Good guy.

Chen Xuebing was completely numb.

"Rebirth: My Brother is a Domineering CEO"?
Yu Chunyan stood there, watching her two sons go back and forth, a mix of emotions welling up inside her.

Hearing Chen Xuebing's words and looking at the money on the table, she was both surprised and delighted, but dared not indulge her emotions.

"Xuebing, how many of your phones have you sold? Did you really make money?"

"Come sit down, I have something to tell you."

Chen Xuebing knew his mother was worried, so he pulled her towards the living room.

They had a long talk.

"Two hundred thousand?!"

……

The next few days will be the real "fresh" period.

Yu Chunyan dared not interfere with her son, who could earn 200,000 yuan without graduating from high school, and she didn't even dare to nag him casually, for fear that the life experience she instilled in him was wrong and would affect Chen Xuebing's development.

Moreover, since his son was moving out, he was naturally being treated to good food and drinks these past few days, with every meal consisting of dishes that Chen Xuebing loved.

Even Chen Xuejin was well aware of his elder brother's powerful position in the family. He knew that if his brother beat him up in the future, his mother might not protect him as much anymore, so he didn't dare to criticize Chen Xuebing for several days.

Chen Xuebing shook his head as he enjoyed the moment.

Gee tut.

What does wealth bring?
It's about the alienation from family and self-reflection.

This is so... fun!

Chen Xuebing took his mother and younger brother to buy clothes and New Year's goods. Yu Chunyan was tight on money, so the spending was not high, but the Chen family had not had such a lively preparation for the New Year in a long time.

But on the afternoon before Lunar New Year's Eve, a phone call suddenly came, shattering Chen Xuebing's good mood.

"What? Detention? What did he do wrong?"

Chen Xuebing held the phone, lowered his voice, and quickly left the house, walking briskly outside.

"Ah, yes, yes, I'm Huo Quan! Huo Xiaowen's brother!"

……

(I can't hold on any longer, I don't have enough words, I'll get up and keep writing.)
(End of this chapter)