Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

On Viscount 843, bound for Shanghai, Chen Zaixing held a wine glass and swirled it like Chen Dong. Chen Zaixing didn't like the taste of the wine in the glass; he thought it was sweet and sour, just like the soda his son Rongguo drank, and he didn't like it.

That night, Chen Zaixing took his father Chen Xiangui's slippers. The next morning, he sneaked off to work without even eating breakfast, taking his father's slippers with him. For two days in a row, his father had no shoes to wear, which made the old man so angry that he kept calling and scolding Chen Zaixing.

When Chen Xiangui came to the airport with Chen Dong today, he got up very early and blocked Chen Zaixing. Chen Zaixing then took the old man's slippers out of the trunk of his car with a grin. "Dad, don't throw slippers at me like that anymore. Otherwise, I'll mail them to Shanghai next time and have them returned to me after they say there's no such person."

Chen Dong shook his head with a wry smile. Chen Xiangui took the slippers, put them on, and left. Wu Fangru, who was standing next to him, patted her husband and scolded him with a laugh, "Why do you always make your father-in-law angry? I never see you making your mother-in-law angry."

"I have to be brave enough," Chen Zaixing rolled his eyes at his silly wife. "I want to live a few more years."

Two hours later, the plane landed at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Chen Zaixing dragged his suitcase out of the tarmac, took a deep breath, and felt a damp smell in the air, which was different from that in Tuocheng, and was more stuffy and thick.

Chen Dong walked ahead, impeccably dressed in a suit and gleaming leather shoes. He looked more like he was attending a fashion week than a business meeting. Chen Zaixing followed behind, wearing a white shirt and trousers, his gold watch gleaming in the sunlight.

Zhang Tiejun, Wang Xuewen, and several other bodyguards, carrying briefcases and dragging their own luggage, followed closely behind the two brothers. They were all dressed in black suits, and as they walked quickly, the heels of their leather shoes clattered on the ground, attracting the attention of many people in the waiting area.

At the airport exit, someone was already waiting. A middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a dark blue jacket, was holding a sign that read "General Manager Chen of Xiaochi Motors".

Chen Dong walked over slowly. Upon seeing Chen Dong's attire, the middle-aged man tentatively asked, "Are you Mr. Chen Zaidong, CEO of Xiaochi?"

"Hmm, you were sent by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation?"

The middle-aged man quickly grasped Chen Dong's hand, his face beaming with smiles. "President Chen, I'm Zhao Jianguo from the General Manager's Office of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation. Secretary Bai sent me to pick you up."

"This way, Mr. Chen. The car is waiting outside," Zhao Jianguo politely stepped aside and gestured for Chen Dong to enter. Chen Dong nodded and walked out.

Five black Shanghai-plated 760 cars were parked at the exit. Zhao Jianguo went up and opened the back door of the first 760, inviting Chen Dong to get in. Chen Zaixing pouted and whispered in Chen Dong's ear, "This old relic won't break down halfway, will it?"

"Don't talk nonsense," Chen Dong said, then bent down and sat in. Chen Zaixing followed closely behind, while bodyguards Zhang Tiejun, Wang Xuewen, and others sat in the four 760s behind. After everyone got into the cars, Zhao Jianguo opened the passenger door and sat in.

Looking out the window at the low buildings and narrow streets, Chen Zaixing suddenly remarked, "It seems like Shanghai hasn't changed much."

Chen Dong didn't respond, but Zhao Jianguo, who was ahead, asked with a smile, "Comrade Zaixing has visited our Shanghai before?"

"Yes, I've been here," Chen Zaixing replied briefly. Zhao Jianguo then said, "Actually, Shanghai has been changing over the years, but unlike your Tuocheng and Shenzhen, which are doing large-scale infrastructure construction, the alleyways and such in Shanghai have a lot of historical charm. The municipal government office didn't agree to demolish them all."

Chen Zaixing smiled and said, "That's true. But people in our Tuocheng prefer new buildings. These old ones are usually demolished and rebuilt as dangerous buildings. It's just that your Shanghai is rich and willing to spend a lot of money to maintain these old alleyways."

Chen Dong could sense the hostility in Chen Zaixing's words, sensing that Chen Zaixing held a prejudice against Shanghai. He smiled and changed the subject, asking Zhao Jianguo, "Is Secretary Bai at the factory right now? Are we going directly to your Shanghai Automotive Plant?"

Zhao Jianguo also sensed that Chen Zaixing seemed to have a negative impression of their city of Shanghai. He followed up on Chen Dong's words and said, "President Chen, Secretary Bai has arranged for you to stay at the Peace Hotel. The conditions are quite good. Secretary Bai will be waiting for you in the conference room of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation at three o'clock this afternoon."

"Okay, thank you for your thoughtfulness."

The car arrived at the Peace Hotel at the intersection of the Bund and Nanjing Road. Chen Zaixing opened the door and followed Zhao Jianguo into the hotel lobby. The lobby was magnificent, and the crystal chandeliers were so dazzling that Chen Zaixing thought he had arrived in America New York again.

To be fair, Shanghai has quite a history. Chen Zaixing looked up at the chandelier and kept sighing, "This place is much more impressive than our Tuocheng Guesthouse. I'll open one in Tuocheng someday and decorate it in this style."

Some people in the lobby looked at Chen Zaixing, who looked like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, with a hint of disdain and contempt on their lips. "Another country bumpkin has come to the city."

Chen Zaixing completely ignored the undisguised contempt on those people's faces. He even took a brochure for foreign tourists from the front desk. If it were the old Chen Zaixing, who was broke, he might have minded.

But Chen Zaixing's wealth at this moment was beyond what these people could imagine. The gap was too big, so he didn't care about their opinions. After Zhao Jianguo helped him check in at the front desk, Chen Dong and his group took the old elevator to the eighth floor.

Chen Dong entered the room, pushed open the window, and looked out at the Huangpu River. Ships were moving slowly on the river, and the sound of their horns could be heard from afar. Chen Dong knew that land on the Bund was extremely valuable in the future, and wondered if he should buy a building here now so that he could bring Zhang Yi and the others to stay here for a while in the future.

As Chen Dong gazed at the river, lost in thought, Chen Zaixing knocked on the door and came in. He sat down on the sofa and said to Chen Dong, "Adong, you go to the Shanghai Automobile Company this afternoon. I won't go; I'll go take care of my own business."

Chen Dong turned to look at him and asked, "Where are you planning to go? I'll have someone follow you."

Chen Zaixing casually said with his legs crossed, "I'll go to People's Square first to see if there are any suitable shops, and then I'll go to Nanjing Road. There are a lot of people there, so it's suitable for opening a supermarket."

"Okay, then go ahead. In a few days, some leaders from Shanghai will meet with us. If you find a place you like then, you can talk to them about it." Chen Dong nodded. At this time, land in Shanghai was not as scarce as it would be in later years, so Chen Zaixing had quite a few options for choosing a location for his supermarket.

At noon, the group had lunch with Zhao Jianguo at the hotel restaurant. Chen Dong didn't quite like the sweet tastes of Shanghainese people, so he only ate a few bites before wiping his mouth and getting up to leave.

Chen Zaixing, on the other hand, ate with great relish. Despite being starving all morning, he managed to order two bowls of rice from the waiter at the Western restaurant and ate his fill. He was still burping when he left the restaurant.