Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2752 (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

Sometimes, negotiations go even more smoothly than expected, especially when one party has a strong desire to push the negotiations forward.

The two sides quickly reached an agreement on co-producing a film. The remaining details were handled by the newly established national television station, which liaised with the company to discuss the specifics of the collaboration.

After the negotiations ended, when the leader in the middle shook hands with Chen Mo, he took the initiative to ask if he had any plans to return to his hometown to visit relatives.
Chen Mo shook his head and replied that his grandparents had passed away long ago, his eldest uncle had died during the war, and his third uncle and aunt were in SEA, so there were no relatives left to visit in his hometown.

His answer surprised the leader, but he still invited him to visit his hometown and specifically mentioned the scenery of Huangshan Mountain.

"No matter how beautiful the water in your hometown is, you always have to go back and visit your hometown... Mr. Chen, don't you think so?"

Chen Mo nodded after the leader's words and said:
"What the leader said is very true. One should always go back to one's hometown. I will definitely go and visit it when I have the opportunity in the future..."

His answer brought smiles to everyone's faces in the meeting room...

That's right, you always have to go back to your hometown.

However, in the end, Chen Mo did not go back to his hometown to visit his relatives. Just as Zhang Xu said, visiting relatives is about visiting family members. If there are no relatives in the hometown, then there is no need to go back.

However, after finishing everything, Chen Mo and Zhang Xu broke up at the airport.

Because Zhang Xu needed to go back to his hometown to visit relatives.

Holding the plane ticket, Zhang Xu explained:

“Mr. Chen, my grandmother is still alive. When I came here, my father specifically told me that I must go back and visit her.”

Chen Mo nodded, then gave some instructions:

"Okay, be careful on the road."

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen."

Then, Zhang Xu walked in another direction and soon boarded the plane. The plane was flying directly to Luzhou.

A few hours later, outside the airport, Zhang Xu immediately felt a completely different treatment.

They had no father, and the staff who received them during their first visit to their relatives.

He acted just like an ordinary tourist.

They were just ordinary tourists.

At the beginning, there were few people, so we paid great attention to every aspect.

And now?

With hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people visiting relatives, it's naturally impossible to attach the same importance to it as before.

Even so, he could still feel the extra treatment, from the taxis hanging at the airport specifically for foreign guests to the special windows for foreign guests at the train station where there was no need to queue.

Of course, there are also soft sleeper carriages that can be purchased without a letter of introduction.

However, since it only takes five or six hours to travel from Luzhou to Yingzhou, there is no need to purchase a sleeper berth.

And so, Zhang Xu sat in a hard-seat carriage for the first time. Wearing a woolen overcoat, he immediately attracted the attention of the passengers as soon as he boarded the train.

They must be children of government officials.

The people in the carriage speculated about this, after all, if such a young man could afford a woolen overcoat, he must be the son of a cadre.

And so, the train continued northward. Zhang Xu looked around curiously. Most of the passengers were chatting idly, some eating sunflower seeds, others smoking cigarettes.

The smoky carriage was filled with dialects from all over the country, which sounded a bit like uncles and aunts chatting in a community—they were also from all over the country.

"Everything has really changed now."

Across from me, in a hard seat, a man in his forties, wearing a Zhongshan suit and a cloth hat, remarked with some emotion.

“Take birth as an example. In the past, if a family had been poor farmers for three generations, they were considered to have a clean and upright family background. But nowadays? That kind of thing is no longer important.”

The man took a drag of his cigarette, his gaze occasionally drifting towards Zhang Xu.

"The most important thing is overseas relations."

"Overseas connections? Aren't those considered 'five black categories' (referring to individuals with connections to criminal organizations)?"

"That's right, that's the most despised thing."

As soon as those words were spoken, others retorted:

"What do you mean by looking down on it! What era are we living in?"

"That's right, the best relationships right now are those overseas."

The middle-aged man nodded in agreement and then continued.

"These days, if someone has overseas connections, that's a big deal."

"That's right. If a family has overseas connections, it's not just about the 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a set of watches, a radio, and a watch). There was a family in my hometown that used to be so poor they couldn't even afford to eat."

Now things are much better. Because we have a son in Southeast Asia, we can afford not only the "three turns and one sound" (a traditional Chinese house appliance), but we've even bought a TV, refrigerator, washing machine, and other foreign gadgets that most people have never seen before. But, hehe…”

Then the man suddenly laughed and said in a mocking tone:

"Even if you buy it, it won't be of any use."

"What's wrong?"

"There's no electricity in the countryside. Without electricity, what kind of TV or refrigerator can he use?"

The man's answer elicited a burst of laughter from those around him, but after the laughter subsided, someone else spoke up:

"Even if there's no electricity, you can still sell it to other people. A TV, especially a color TV, can sell for over 1000."

The one who spoke was the middle-aged man. He glanced at the others and then said:

"Over 1000 yuan... that's equivalent to two or three years' salary if you don't eat or drink." His words silenced everyone; how could anyone laugh now?
"And refrigerators, and washing machines. These aren't about the money."

That's not about money; you need industrial vouchers to buy these things.

How long would it take a family to save up enough industrial vouchers to buy a television?

"That's actually why we have good relationships overseas,"

The middle-aged man continued.

"Nowadays, if a family has overseas connections, their lives will obviously get better. What they wear and use is different from what others see."

"That's right, we can't even wear all the old clothes that people give us."

"Look at what you're saying, they're all so rich, why would they give away old clothes?"

"There are still places to stay,"

"That's what the middle-aged man said."

“If you go to a village and see which family has built a new house, they must have overseas connections. Only they can afford to build a new house.”

Building a house?
The middle-aged man's words reminded Zhang Xu of his father's words of advice before the diamond-shaped window—when you get home, see if there's anything you can do to help.

The image of the mud-brick house in that family photo of my grandmother and uncles also came to mind.

perhaps……

So Zhang Xu hurriedly asked:
"Hello, comrade?"

The middle-aged man, who had been boasting to others, immediately responded upon hearing that someone was taking care of him, especially the son of a cadre in a woolen overcoat:
"Comrade, is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'd like to ask about building a house. Approximately how much would that cost?"

When Zhang Xu asked this question, he wasn't very confident, after all, he didn't usually save much money.

Upon hearing this, the man said:
"This, this..."

When the middle-aged man didn't know how to answer, someone nearby said:
"Oh dear! Three rooms with a gable roof would probably require thirty to forty thousand bricks. If you don't add a gable wall, it would only cost a maximum of twenty thousand bricks..."

The person speaking clearly knew something about building houses. After a moment's thought, he added:

"10,000 bricks cost about 500 yuan each, and with cement and window glass, it will cost at least 1,300 to 1,400 yuan."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone said from the side:
“Who builds a house with cement? They all use mortar. Buy two truckloads of lime, and you'll even have enough paint for the walls... It would only cost around 1000 yuan at most.”

"Look at how big of a deal you are, 1000 yuan... you make it sound so easy. Do you really think you have connections overseas?"

The carriage immediately erupted in laughter.

More than 1000...

Zhang Xu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It's only a little over 1000.

It's about the same as the stipend I received when I went abroad this time, well, it's a small amount.

Time flew by as he chatted with them along the way. A few hours later, Zhang Xu got off the train. After exiting the station, he looked at the bustling crowd in front of the station and couldn't help but feel worried.

What's next?
How can I get back to my hometown without a taxi?
Just as he was worrying, a comrade in a railway uniform came over and said something to him.

"Sir, judging from your attire, you must be a foreign guest."

The person who came was the stationmaster of the train station. He had received a call earlier from Luzhou Railway Station, saying that a foreign guest on the train was getting off at this station and that he should pay more attention.

So when the stationmaster saw the other person standing blankly at the train station, not knowing where to go, he took the initiative to come out.

"Yes, yes, I'm from SEA."

"Ah, SEA, that's a developed country. Are you here to visit relatives?"

"Yes,"

The station manager was very enthusiastic. When he learned that the man was visiting relatives and didn't know how to get home since there were no taxis available, he offered to help.

“Oh dear, this is no big deal. I’ll call the county government, and they’ll definitely send someone to pick you up. After all, you’re a foreign guest, and we need to make you feel at home. This is an order from higher authorities.”

The stationmaster then asked Zhang Xu to wait inside the train station while he personally made a phone call to the local authorities.

When the local authorities heard that foreign guests had arrived, they immediately arranged for staff from the Foreign Affairs Office to come and receive them.

Less than half an hour later, a green jeep arrived at the train station, and a cadre in his forties rushed over. Upon seeing Zhang Xu, he apologized:

"Oh dear, sir, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. You see, we didn't receive a call from the province beforehand, so we apologize for the delay. Please forgive us..."

The official explained while making a self-deprecating remark.

"We are very backward in every aspect. Communication is also inconvenient, even making long-distance calls. I am truly sorry that I was unable to receive you in a timely manner."

The other party's politeness was somewhat unexpected for Zhang Xu, but he could also feel their enthusiasm. Most importantly, the visitor brought a car.

Compared to other cars, this was the most important thing. When he expressed his gratitude and inquired about the rental fee, the other party said:

"Oh dear! Mr. Zhang, what are you saying? You've come all this way to see how beautiful our hometown is, and we're all from the same hometown, so how can I possibly charge you?"

"While you were here, I, and this jeep, were all specially prepared for you by your hometown people."

The warmth and enthusiasm in their words were undisguised. Zhang Xu finally understood why his father and the uncles and elders in the community were so moved after returning home, always feeling that everything in their hometown was so wonderful.

Local government officials, in particular, were extremely warm and attentive to them.

Even Zhang Xu was deeply moved at that moment. Although he didn't have the same deep affection for this place as his father, how could he not be touched by the warmth shown by the other party?

(End of this chapter)