All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

The 1993 Canton Fair was a setback for domestic VCD companies. Due to Gangcheng Gaosheng Technology's control over VCD patents, domestic VCD companies were unable to export.

Finally, in early 1994, Huamei Electric Appliances, together with dozens of domestic companies, chose to negotiate with Gaosheng Technology. After a month of negotiations, the two sides reached an agreement, with Chinese VCD manufacturers agreeing to pay RMB 200 million in patent fees to settle the matter.

This 200 million yuan is considered compensation for their illegal production and sale of VCDs last year, and it can be seen as a way to make up for the licensing fees.

Following the settlement, Gosun Technology and Thunder Electric also reached an agreement, and the two parties will officially begin charging domestic VCD manufacturers patent licensing fees. Domestic manufacturers will pay a licensing fee of 10 RMB for each VCD they produce, while those wishing to export must pay a licensing fee of 10 USD.

The licensing fees collected domestically will be collected by Thunder Electric Company, while the licensing fees for exports will be collected by Gaosheng Technology.

In reality, since 1994, Lei Dongbao has only collected a few million yuan in patent licensing fees annually in China, because he simply cannot collect them. Apart from some large enterprises paying a token amount, other small enterprises simply ignore Leiting Electric. This is the reality.

Lei Dongbao was helpless. As a result, the Ministry of Justice sued dozens of companies every year, but the lawsuits dragged on year after year and were ultimately of no use.

However, Lei Dongbao was also happy to see this happen. As long as the border was secured, Lei Dongbao didn't care about the small amount of money in China.

They don't pay domestically, but if they want to export abroad, they have to pay, and they have to pay it clearly and transparently.

Gaosheng Technology established its legal department in 1990, and in the following years, the legal department established branches in more than 40 countries around the world.

The daily work of Gaosheng Technology Company is to acquire cutting-edge technologies and patents from around the world. These patents often take several years to realize their commercial value, and the legal department begins its work on that day.

In 1994 alone, Gosun Technology collected over $100 million in licensing fees, which soared to $300 million in 1995. The majority of these fees came from patent licensing fees collected by domestic VCD companies exporting their products.

Starting in 1995, Gaosheng Technology officially became Gaosheng Group. Under the group, a new company was established, namely Victory Capital. The company's job was to enter the angel investment field, since they had too many US dollars on hand and needed to spend them.

In 1996, Leiting Electric in China also initiated its privatization and delisting process. That year, Leiting Electric became the first company in China with a market value exceeding 10 billion yuan, and Lei Dongbao's status as the richest man in China was firmly established.

In 1997, DVDs were officially launched in China. The emergence of DVDs was revolutionary and almost directly sealed the fate of VCDs. In just one year, by 1998, DVDs had captured more than 90% of the domestic market. By 1999, VCDs had almost disappeared.

Time flew by and it was 2000. Many things happened that year. Lei Dongbao's mother passed away at the beginning of the year. In the end, Lei Dongbao buried her in Xiaoleijia according to her last wishes.

Returning to Xiaolei Village, everything had changed, and the glory of Xiaolei Village did not last until the 1990s. In the late 1980s, with the closure of Leiting Electric Factory, the last bit of glory of Xiaolei Village disappeared into the dust of history.

The women who used to raise Angora rabbits have returned to farming. When they chat at the village entrance, they sometimes reminisce about the good old days, but all of that is now in the past.

The factory buildings of Leiting Electric Appliance Factory are now dilapidated. A few years ago, they were rented to a small business, but the small business went bankrupt in less than two years. Since then, the place has become completely dilapidated. Most of the young people in the village have gone out to work. Those who remain in the village are just like most rural areas in China, with only the elderly and children left behind.

Nowadays, apart from the somewhat dilapidated villas in Xiaoleijia New Village that still retain a glimpse of the past, Xiaoleijia is no different from any other rural village.

Lei Dongbao returned this time with his mother's ashes. He hadn't been back to Xiaolei Village for over a decade and had long since become a legendary figure there. He didn't drive back, nor did he bring any bodyguards. He entered Xiaolei Village alone, carrying only a backpack.

He kept a low profile and only met with a few village officials, all of whom were old acquaintances. Lei Shigen became the former Party Secretary, and Lao Wu became the village head. They were all middle-aged people who were not very ambitious but did not want to leave Xiao Lei Village.

When everyone saw Lei Dongbao, they were all incredibly shocked. They never expected that this legendary richest man in China would return to his hometown without a word. After the initial shock, everyone sighed silently, because they knew that Lei Dongbao no longer had any feelings for Xiaolei Village. They often talked about the harm that Xiaolei Village had done to Lei Dongbao. Now that they could meet their childhood friends again, they didn't know if they would ever have the chance to meet again.

After having a meal at Lao Wu's house, the group went to Xiao Lei's ancestral mountain the next day with shovels and hoes. They chose a spot, and the middle-aged men took turns digging a pit. Lei Dongbao put the ashes in the pit, and the others covered it with soil. That was it.

Before leaving, Lei Dongbao left 100,000 yuan as a reward for everyone's hard work, and asked Lei Shigen to help carve a monument, just a simple inscription, such as "My son Lei Dongbao left a few words."

Lei Dongbao came quietly and left quietly, as if he had never been to Xiaolei Village. He didn't actually want to come to this place. Every time he stepped onto this land, he would think of the curses those women used to haunt him.

He didn't go back to his old home this time. Lei Shigen said he would keep it for him, but Lei Dongbao told Lei Shigen to leave the house to someone in the village who needed it. His attitude showed that he didn't want to go back to Xiao Leijia.

As for my mother's grave, we'll talk about that another time when there's an opportunity.

When Lei Dongbao returned to Pengcheng, he received a call from Xun Jianxiang, who said that the newly built headquarters building had been completed and asked Lei Dongbao to come and take a look.

The newly built headquarters building is 88 stories high and 428 meters tall. Construction began in 1997 and was completed in three years. However, it is estimated that it will not be put into use until next year, as it has only just been completed.

Wearing a safety helmet, Lei Dongbao led Xun Jianxiang to the top floor. The two looked out over half of Shenzhen. Lei Dongbao felt a surge of pride, and his frustrations from the past few years suddenly eased. He squinted at a building in the distance and suddenly smiled.

"Da Xun, do you remember what we said to you when we came to Shenzhen at the end of 1982?"

Xun Jianxiang followed Lei Dongbao's gaze and saw a high-rise building of more than forty stories in the distance, and then said with a smile.

"Of course I remember. We were probably right downstairs in that building back then. I still remember you telling me, 'Da Xun, we're going to build a skyscraper in the future, at least eighty-eight stories high. My office will be on the eighty-eighth floor, and yours will be on the eighty-seventh floor!'"

Lei Dongbao then burst into laughter and said in a hearty manner.

"Alright, the 87th floor is yours, Da Xun. Consider it fulfilling my promise. Whether you use it as an office or a bedroom is up to you!"

Xun Jianxiang smiled, shook his head, and sighed.

"Alright, Brother Lei, I actually have something to tell you today. I want to resign from my job. I'm planning to immigrate next month. My two unruly kids are completely disobedient under their mother's care. They're only in junior high now, but they're already dating at school and causing trouble. I'm thinking, I might as well move over there too. My back has been bothering me these past few years, and in a few more years I'll be fifty. Thinking about it, my life has been worthwhile. While I can still move around, I want to see more of the world!"

Xun Jianxiang's words startled Lei Dongbao. After a long while, he slowly sighed and said...

"Alright, I agree to your resignation, Da Xun. You're the first one to follow me. Although you've made a lot of money over the years, you're not even fifty yet. If you want to live a carefree life, that little bit of money might be a bit too much for you. How about this, I'll give you a sinecure at the Gao Sheng Foundation, and you can collect a monthly allowance for your retirement! Don't refuse. You're the first one to resign. I'll take care of your retirement for every one of the eighteen future Arhats who resigns. It's settled then!"

Xun Jianxiang glanced back at Lei Dongbao, smiled helplessly, shook his head, and agreed to Lei Dongbao's arrangement.

Lei Dongbao was also tempted by Xun Jianxiang's resignation. At this moment, he realized that he was not young anymore. Yes, he was almost fifty years old. It seemed that the soul in his mind had been in this world for twenty-two years, and he didn't know when he could go back.

Just then, Lei Dongbao suddenly felt a palpitation in his chest. He was startled. Good heavens? Is this some kind of joke? It just happened like that?

I was just saying it casually!

Just then, Lei Dongbao felt a pulling force, and his consciousness was instantly pulled out of his body. Just like the previous times, Lei Dongbao saw his consciousness leave his body and his face turned pale instantly. Xun Jianxiang next to him quickly supported him.

Zhang Peng's consciousness quickly returned. The pale-faced Lei Dongbao looked up at the sky, as if meeting Zhang Peng's gaze. In Lei Dongbao's eyes, Zhang Peng saw relief and gratitude. The eyes of the two men met, and everything was understood without words.

Chapter 104: From a Working Man to a Millionaire

From Love in the Courtyard to Millionaire: Chapter 104 of the novel "All Heavens Begin with Love in the Courtyard" - Close your eyes, open them again, and sure enough, it's the same familiar scene.

Zhang Peng let out a complex and helpless sigh, and heard the even snoring beside him. It was indeed the same familiar life.

I picked up my phone from beside my pillow, checked the time, and it was still 6:30 in the morning.

It was still early, so Zhang Peng closed his eyes and recalled his life in his last dream, from brigade secretary to China's richest man. The people and stories from his dream seemed to still be right before his eyes.

But for some reason, the more I thought about that world, the more blurred their faces became. It was indeed just a dream.

In Lei Dongbao's world, there don't seem to be any skills that can be inherited. Perhaps there are, but he wouldn't be able to perceive them for the time being.

In those years, I was always busy managing the company, attending various meetings, and drinking all kinds of alcohol. There was also Song Yunping's gentleness that lasted for ten years and Gao Shengnan's fiery red lips. Thinking about it carefully, it was a worthwhile life.

Although there were times of frustration in his previous dream life, Lei Dongbao's life was generally characterized by resilience and never lacking in brothers, women, or money.

But all of that is now like a bubble, a dream. That life has slowly faded from my mind. This world is the one that truly belongs to me.

Those dreams are like using other people's bodies to fulfill one's own long-cherished wish; they are ultimately not one's own life.

Zhang Peng lay in bed for a long time, lost in thought, unable to fall asleep again. He wanted to change his sleeping position, but was afraid of waking his wife next to him. The more he lay in bed, the more awkward he felt.

Finally, he carefully got up, barefoot, and walked to the balcony. He watched as the bright lights in the distance gradually dimmed, and the sun on the horizon, like a dazzling red ray, rose slowly from afar, soft yet clear. Lei Dongbao felt the first ray of sunlight from the world and couldn't help but feel that his life was actually not bad.

Lei Dongbao casually moved a chair to the balcony, sat down, closed his eyes to rest, and began to think about his future life plans. His wife was about to give birth, and after having a child, his life would begin a different kind of new chapter.

That's life, generation after generation. The continuation of life is so wondrous. Perhaps one day in the future, my dreams will take me to a more distant era, to a more ancient time, to experience a life completely different from modern life. What kind of experience would that be?

Thinking about it, Zhang Peng found it quite interesting, and a smile appeared on his lips. God had actually been kind to him. Perhaps his dream life would have an even more wonderful future.

Just then, the door to the room where his mother-in-law was staying opened. As she was about to go into the bathroom, she saw Zhang Peng sitting on the balcony in a daze. She immediately yawned and asked.

"Why are you up so early?"

Zhang Peng quickly stood up and said.

"It's nothing, I just can't sleep, Mom, I'll go make breakfast first!"

His mother-in-law nodded and went into the bathroom. Zhang Peng stretched and yawned, then went into the kitchen to start cooking.

The experience of renting a room for over three thousand yuan is completely different from renting a room for over three hundred yuan. In that cramped rental room, every time I cooked, I could see women's underwear hanging on the window not far away, and just a hand's width away, there was a middle-aged couple who worked the night shift and came home in the morning.

But across from the kitchen, through the spacious window, you can see the flowers at the park entrance, vibrant in purple, blue, and red, which instantly lifts your spirits.

Think about it, in this world, if you have money, you can enjoy so many things, so why do I still live this kind of mundane life?

While Zhang Peng busied himself with the cleaver in his hand, slicing meat into strips and cracking eggs into a bowl, his thoughts drifted far away.

At this moment, he felt his thoughts were incredibly clear. Yes, he clearly had such an amazing skill as the inherited dream ability, so why was his life still so stressful?

Working two jobs every day just to earn a few hundred dollars, but you clearly have such a trump card in your hand, why not use it?

Take cooking as an example. If you know so many recipes, you can easily make money by using just one or two of them and become rich in no time. So why bother to work hard cooking large batches of food and selling fried rice at night?

Suddenly, Zhang Peng paused. He suddenly realized a possibility: Lei Dongbao's skills from the previous dream might have been subtly inherited by him.

Lei Dongbao is the kind of person who dares to take risks and never bows his head to life. Zhang Peng, on the other hand, is timid and hesitant about life and has too many concerns about the future, which is why he is so restrained. Now, some of Lei Dongbao's personality traits are gradually affecting his own body.

Perhaps, this kind of influence isn't so bad!

A relaxed smile appeared on Zhang Peng's lips. Yes, now it seems that money is just a matter of time for him. After figuring some things out, the world suddenly feels a little different in his eyes.

Zhang Peng, very familiar with the place, prepared shredded pork and egg noodles. He checked the time; it was a little past seven, still early. While washing up, he watched his mother-in-law wake Chen Ling.

After everyone washed up, Chen Ling held her bowl of noodles and ate it all up. Her mother-in-law, watching this scene, smiled and looked at Zhang Peng eating noodles next to her. She couldn't help but approve of this son-in-law in her heart. Such a good young man, and it was fate that her daughter ended up with him!

Zhang Peng finished his own bowl in big bites, and seeing that his mother-in-law and wife had even finished their soup, he couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Every time Zhang Peng sees the food he made being eaten clean, he feels a strange sense of accomplishment.

After finishing his meal, Zhang Peng tidied up and went out. He arrived at the fast food restaurant and, as usual, pushed out his tricycle to go to the vegetable market to buy groceries.

He had already decided to quit his job cooking for the boss, but he couldn't just quit now, especially since the boss's wife had been very kind to him.

After a busy lunch, Zhang Peng called the boss's wife and told her directly that he wanted to resign. She was stunned for a moment and quickly tried to persuade him to stay, but Zhang Peng refused with a smile and promised to work until the end of the month so that she could find a mentor before leaving.

Zhang Peng was determined to leave, and the two sides could only reach a temporary agreement that Zhang Peng would leave once another master chef was found.

With more than a week left until the end of the month, Zhang Peng was not idle. He started preparing to choose a storefront, apply for a business license, and so on. Having inherited some of Lei Dongbao's personality traits, Zhang Peng also started to get things done in a very efficient and efficient manner.

If it were Zhang Peng's personality, he would be frugal and cautious in his daily life. He only has tens of thousands of yuan on him, and his wife is about to give birth. His life can't withstand any major upheavals.

However, if it were Lei Dongbao's personality, he wouldn't have such concerns at all. A man should do what he wants to do in his lifetime. Tens of thousands of yuan can do a lot now!

A week later, Zhang Peng successfully resigned. Although the boss's wife was a little reluctant to let him go, Zhang Peng still left gracefully.

He rented a storefront of about 20 square meters in an urban village. The transfer fee was 25,000 yuan, and the monthly rent was 5,000 yuan. He paid 15,000 yuan in rent plus two months' deposit and one month's rent. In total, he spent 40,000 yuan.

He then called a few construction workers, went to a nearby renovation market to buy white paint and some simple decorative materials, and carried out a simple renovation, spending three thousand yuan.

He bought some kitchenware, pots, pans, stools, and the like, spending two thousand yuan. He also went to an advertising shop to get a signboard, which cost several hundred yuan. So far, he has spent forty-five thousand yuan, and Zhang Peng only has less than a thousand yuan left.

At this point, Zhang Peng didn't stop. One person and one store couldn't manage it all, so he printed out several job postings and announced that he was hiring five employees. Zhang Peng anticipated that his store would be a hit, and he was very confident about it.

If you're going to play, play big!

Unable to pay wages?

What are you afraid of?

Anyway, the wages weren't paid right away. The five young men were recruited the next day. The reason it was so easy to recruit them was that Zhang Peng offered a salary of five thousand yuan. With the average salary for shop assistants in the vicinity around three thousand yuan, Zhang Peng's high salary naturally attracted a large number of young people to apply. In this era, there is a shortage of everything except people.

Zhang Peng wasn't some benevolent benefactor. He first made it clear to them that they would work ten hours a day, and it would be high-intensity labor, because all the food deliveries to the surrounding urban villages would have to be made by these people. The first month would be a trial period, with a monthly salary of 2,800 yuan, including meals but not accommodation. If they couldn't accept it, they should leave as soon as possible!