All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

"Waiter, a bottle of beer, please!"

The waiter hurriedly ran over and brought a bottle of beer. Lei Dongbao casually opened it, walked up to the four people, and said to them with a smile.

"Brothers, Da Xun was a bit hot-tempered just now. I apologize on his behalf. The seating is indeed a bit tight, so please forgive us. Here, this meal is on me. Is there enough food? Would you like a few more dishes?"

The four people at the table showed a fleeting look of joy upon hearing that someone was treating them to a meal. When Lei Dongbao asked if they wanted to order more food, they quickly waved their hands and said no!

Lei Dongbao then laughed heartily and said...

"Come on, let me toast you all! Sorry, everyone!"

Lei Dongbao poured drinks for everyone, and the group quickly stood up, clinked glasses with Lei Dongbao, and then stopped eating, all smiling as they said goodbye to Lei Dongbao!

Lei Dongbao nodded and told the waiter in front of them that the meal would be on his tab. After everyone left, Xun Jianxiang and Song Yunhui went to the table and sat down.

Song Yunhui didn't show any particular expression, but Xun Jianxiang was a little embarrassed. He looked at the dishes and wine on the table and grumbled somewhat discontentedly.

"Brother Lei, this is a huge loss! This meal should have cost at least seven or eight yuan. Look at what kind of wine these spendthrifts are drinking!"

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily, told the waiter to clean up, and said with a smile.

"Now I'll teach you another lesson. A man either needs power or money. You have nothing, so what are you pretending to be a big brother for? If you want to be a big brother, you have to make people respect you! You're a penniless pauper, what makes you think you can be loyal?"

Xun Jianxiang was speechless and somewhat uneasy. Indeed, he seemed to be nothing in front of Lei Dongbao. His previous prestige seemed like child's play in front of him.

There was also the promise that he would treat everyone, but now he only had 7.5 yuan in his pocket, which was really hard to accept. Xun Jianxiang suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

Lei Dongbao noticed his embarrassment and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, what's with all the fuss? I'm definitely doing better than you guys! This meal's on me!"

Xun Jianxiang showed gratitude, while Lei Dongbao smiled and shook his head, then asked the waiter.

"What's your most expensive wine?"

The waiter quickly said.

"We have Wuliangye, 8.5 yuan a bottle!"

Lei Dongbao nodded and said.

"Let's start with two bottles. As for the dishes, bring out six dishes, according to your local specialties!"

The waiter paused for a moment, then glanced at Lei Dongbao and then at Xun Jianxiang, clearly worried that the group might not have the money to pay the bill. However, Xun Jianxiang couldn't stand the waiter's expression and immediately scolded him.

"What are you all standing there for? When have I, Xun Jianxiang, ever owed you money? Do you even know who my brother Lei is? Do you think I owe you a little bit of money?"

Lei Dongbao rolled his eyes at Xun Jianxiang helplessly, took out his wallet from his pocket, took out three ten-yuan bills, thought for a moment, then took out one more and stuffed it into the waiter's hand.

"Is forty enough? Including the meal from that table just now, we'll settle the difference later!"

The waiter's expression brightened, and he quickly nodded and took the item, then went off to get busy.

When Xun Jianxiang and Song Yunhui saw Lei Dongbao's extravagant behavior, they both lowered their heads silently. Although Jinzhou Chemical was profitable, ordinary employees like them only earned sixty or seventy yuan a month. Lei Dongbao spent forty yuan on a single meal without batting an eye, which somewhat hurt their self-esteem!

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily, then took the Wuliangye liquor handed to him by the waiter. These two bottles of Wuliangye, which cost 8.5 yuan a bottle, could be sold for at least tens of thousands of yuan forty years later. Indeed, it's better to hoard liquor than to do real business!

With the reform and opening up, some individual businesses and private enterprises emerged. These private shops only required money and did not need coupons, which indirectly led to the rise in prices. This was because not needing coupons meant that prices could be set by the individual, while the prices of state-run restaurants or public stores that required coupons were fixed and determined by the number of coupons required.

For example, these two bottles of 1981 Wuliangye in my hand, the restaurant would only buy them from outside for six or seven yuan, and then mark them up to eight and a half yuan a bottle, making a profit of one or two yuan. But even at eight and a half yuan a bottle, not many people could afford to drink this kind of liquor back then. That's how it is in China: the less people drink it, the lower the price. When people finally start drinking it, they find that they can't afford it anymore, and as a result, the price becomes more and more outrageous.

Lei Dongbao opened a bottle of Wuliangye liquor, poured it into three glasses, and said with a smile.

"Come on, Da Xun, didn't you want to mess with me here? Here's your chance!"

Xun Jianxiang's face flushed slightly at Lei Dongbao's urgency. He picked up the cup and poured the contents into his mouth without any pretense!

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily and poured the wine into his own mouth, while Song Yunhui frowned, looked at the wine, and finally drank it all in one gulp!

As the dishes were served, the three of them exchanged toasts, and the atmosphere quickly warmed up. Xun Jianxiang, who was naturally outgoing, became bolder after a few drinks and exhaled a breath of alcohol as he spoke to Lei Dongbao.

"Brother Lei, I've seen a lot of news about you in the newspaper. You're amazing! Seriously, everyone in Jinzhou knows what a mess the Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory was in! Brother Lei, you're incredible. In less than a year, you've turned that factory into a thriving success. It's simply amazing. I think that in a few years, your Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory will definitely be better than our Jinzhou Chemical Plant!"

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then said calmly.

"Jinzhou No. 2 Machinery Factory is a thing of the past for me; I resigned a few days ago!"

Song Yunhui and Xun Jianxiang both looked up at Lei Dongbao in surprise!

Even the usually taciturn Song Yunhui couldn't resist asking out of curiosity.

"Brother, what exactly happened? Just a few days ago, I saw that your Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory secured a $100 million foreign trade order at the Canton Fair. Why did you suddenly resign?"

Xun Jianxiang, standing to the side, was somewhat bewildered. He hadn't been watching the news lately and was unaware of this matter. Upon hearing it now, he was immediately shocked and exclaimed in surprise.

"One hundred million US dollars? My goodness, Brother Lei, tell us quickly, what's going on?"

Seeing the two of them looking at him with such curiosity, Lei Dongbao smiled helplessly and said...

"It's just a hundred million dollars, what are you all so naive about!"

Xun Jianxiang had long since lost all sense of shame. He quickly pulled a stool next to Lei Dongbao and said with a fawning expression.

"Yes, yes, we really haven't seen much of the world, Brother Lei, I'm truly impressed. Let alone a hundred million US dollars, I've never even seen a single US dollar. Tell us, what does a US dollar look like!"

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily, then poured a glass of wine for the three of them. He looked up at Song Yunhui, who was still a bit of a novice in front of him. Lei Dongbao felt that telling Song Yunhui about this matter would broaden his horizons. Song Yunhui's future achievements would be extraordinary, and he would see the world sooner or later. Giving him a heads-up now might also give him some inspiration.

So Lei Dongbao took a sip of wine and slowly recounted how he started as Chef Lei at the Canton Fair, how he laid the bait, how he was almost ripped off by the Japanese, how he outmaneuvered the purchasing alliance, how he secured a $100 million order, and finally, how he resigned.

Lei Dongbao spoke as if he were telling a story unrelated to himself, and finally said quite frankly that none of this mattered. The spring breeze of reform in China would soon sweep across the entire land, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. In this era, there was gold everywhere, and as long as you seized the opportunity, anything was possible!

Song Yunhui had long forgotten that he was sitting at an open-air food stall; at this moment, his face was flushed and he was serious.

Hearing his brother-in-law Lei Dongbao's ambitious words, he felt a surge of passion. He was determined to achieve great things in the future, and perhaps one day he would have a good showdown with those foreigners, which would truly demonstrate his manly character!

Chapter 81: Wine and Stories!

With wine and stories, Xun Jianxiang and Song Yunhui were both quite excited during the meal.

Especially Xun Jianxiang, at this moment, his admiration for Lei Dongbao was like a surging river, endless and boundless, all of which was expressed in the wine!

After finishing two bottles of Wuliangye, Lei Dongbao asked the owner to bring another one. Finally, feeling parched, he ordered a case of beer. The three grown men finished off three bottles of Wuliangye and a case of beer in one go.

As he drank his last glass, Lei Dongbao also felt a bit tipsy. He raised his glass and said to Xun Jianxiang, whose face was flushed red.

"Da Xun, I think your temperament suits me very well. How about this, you work for me from now on? I guarantee you'll become a millionaire in ten years, no, five years, just five years!"

Xun Jianxiang was so excited by the million-dollar prize that he was yelling and shouting. His face was already flushed. He picked up the last glass of wine, staggered over to Lei Dongbao, and was about to speak when his legs went weak and he knelt down in front of Lei Dongbao. Lei Dongbao quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Xun Jianxiang's wine glass had already spilled, but he didn't care at all. He didn't know why he was kneeling to speak. In short, he was very excited. He hugged Lei Dongbao's leg and cried out sincerely.

“Brother Lei, you think highly of me today, so from now on, my life, Xun Jianxiang’s, belongs to you. I will definitely follow you and make something of myself, so that everyone in the Jinzhou factory can see that I, Xun Jianxiang, am not a good-for-nothing hoodlum! I, Xun Jianxiang, will also live up to my dead father’s expectations! Waaah… Waaah, Father! Your son has found his elder brother today, waaah!”

Xun Jianxiang was clearly drunk at this moment, both physically and emotionally, and his true feelings were showing!

Lei Dongbao laughed heartily, completely ignoring the stares of the crowd who were looking at them like they were crazy. He helped Xun Jianxiang up and then helped Song Yunhui, who had already slumped over the table, to his feet. At that moment, the shopkeeper behind him called out to him, saying that the money wasn't enough and they were still five yuan short. Lei Dongbao shook his head, stuffed five yuan into the shopkeeper's hand, and then, under the gaze of the crowd, watched the three of them stagger toward the dormitory building.

Lei Dongbao helped the two to the dormitory. He also felt dizzy and disoriented. He put them on the bed, hugged Song Yunhui, covered himself with the quilt, and fell asleep with his clothes and shoes on.

The next morning, Lei Dongbao shook his head and got up. Seeing the two of them sleeping like logs, he immediately stood up, stretched, walked to the thermos, poured himself a cup of hot water, and only after drinking the hot water did he feel refreshed.

Lei Dongbao shook his head, then looked back at Xun Jianxiang. Didn't he say last night that he wanted to take Xun Jianxiang as his underling?

Did you say so?

It seems there's something going on. This guy is still clinging to my leg and won't let go, haha!

Lei Dongbao reluctantly finished the rest of the hot water, looked out the window, and fell into deep thought, wondering what his future held.

"yawn!"

Lei Dongbao yawned, and looking at the already chilly weather, he realized that winter had arrived again!

Who cares? There's always a way out! Let's go south and take a look first!

Lei Dongbao's yawn woke Xun Jianxiang and Song Yunhui. The two opened their eyes groggily. Xun Jianxiang shook his head and suddenly saw Lei Dongbao in front of the window. He was stunned for a moment, then thought of something and stared at Lei Dongbao's back for a while. His expression was conflicted. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't muster the courage.

Lei Dongbao happened to turn around at that moment and saw Xun Jianxiang's conflicted expression, so he jokingly said...

"What? You tried to curry favor with me last night, and now you're backing out?"

Xun Jianxiang's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment, but he quickly mustered up his courage, stood up and said.

"Brother Lei, what you said last night was true?"

Lei Dongbao immediately feigned dissatisfaction and said.

"Does my word, Lei Dongbao's word, have so little value?"

Upon hearing Lei Dongbao's words, Xun Jianxiang's face lit up with joy, and he quickly replied.

"Brother Lei, wait for me a moment, I'm going to resign right now. I've wanted to quit this lousy worker job for a long time! Brother Lei, I'm going to the personnel department to resign now, you have to wait for me!"

After Xun Jianxiang finished speaking, he rushed out of the dormitory and disappeared in the blink of an eye!

Lei Dongbao looked at Xun Jianxiang's retreating figure, shook his head helplessly, and then asked the sleepy-eyed Song Yunhui.

Would you like a cup of hot water?

Song Yunhui stood up groggily, walked to Lei Dongbao's side, took the hot water Lei Dongbao handed him, drank a few sips to dispel the confusion in his mind, and then remembered what had just happened. He asked Lei Dongbao seriously.

"Brother Lei, are you really going to take Da Xun out?"

Lei Dongbao smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he sighed and said...

“Xiao Hui, Da Xun’s personality isn’t suited to staying in the factory. I’m taking him out to explore so he can realize his full potential. Right now, he’s just drifting through life, either fighting or forming gangs. He has no skills, but he has quite a temper. He’ll get into trouble sooner or later. It’ll be good for him to come out with me and get some experience in a few years!”

Song Yunhui, with a somber face, thought about Xun Jianxiang's personality and past, and felt that Lei Dongbao's words made sense. However, Song Yunhui did not know whether Xun Jianxiang's resignation from a large state-owned factory was the right or wrong move. But when he thought about his brother-in-law's past, his worries lessened.

Lei Dongbao looked at Song Yunhui's conflicted face and said.

"What? You want to come and work for me too?"

Song Yunhui quickly shook his head and said.

"I'm not cut out for business, but I really like it here. All the knowledge I learned before can be put into practice here. Don't worry, brother, I'll catch up with you sooner or later!"

Lei Dongbao smiled and nodded, looking at Song Yunhui who already had some ambition, and couldn't help but sigh that yesterday's class was worthwhile!

Although Song Yunhui was just a newbie, he had an indomitable spirit in his bones. In the context of the 1980s, a technically talented young man like him would rise to prominence sooner or later!

In terms of career, Lei Dongbao can't help him much for the time being, nor does he intend to interfere in his work. The plot of the original work is developing quite well. Although Song Yunhui will encounter some minor setbacks in his future career, he will mostly become more courageous after each setback. By his thirties, he has already taken charge of a key national chemical project and become a senior national cadre.

Perhaps his love life is not perfect, but in Lei Dongbao's view, how can he interfere in matters of the heart?

He really didn't know how to interfere. He couldn't very well remind him now not to marry a girl named Cheng Kaiyan in the future, could he?