The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chapter 76 Adult Entertainment
Leaving Longhu Mountain.

Next stop: the Dabie Mountains, a revolutionary base area in Hubei, Henan and Anhui provinces, where three provinces meet.

They didn't stay here for too long, mainly because they had been to Zhangjiajie before.

The mountains over there are the real miracle.

Reaching the Dabie Mountains marks the beginning of Hubei Province; further ahead lies Wuhan.

The next stop after Wuhan was Shacheng, and his hometown was a remote village located below Shacheng.

After traveling for more than a week, we're almost home.

The family decided to have a good two days in Wuhan, after all, the Yellow Crane Tower is now empty, with the ancients gone.

A thousand years have passed, and the Yellow Crane Tower still stands on the banks of the Yangtze River, watching the ebb and flow of the Yangtze River amidst the ever-changing clouds.

The No. 1 building under heaven.

There's also East Lake Scenic Area, the largest urban lake scenic area in China. Since we're here, we should definitely go and see it.

While his family was still in Wuhan, as the end of the year approached, more and more people from their remote village who had been working away from home embarked on their journey back.

……

Wangcai Village, Shacheng, Southern Province.

The village has a lovely name, "Wangcai Wangcai," which means "hoping that all the young people in the village will become successful."

Wangcai Village is less than 40 kilometers from the center of Shacheng City. They started talking about planning and demolition two years ago.

Many young people in the village had been waiting anxiously for this day, but it never came.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, the village entrance is becoming increasingly lively.

When young people who went out to work come back, if they've bought a nice car, they have to buy three strings of red firecrackers from the village store first to hear the bang.

The main appeal is the lively atmosphere with many people.

A black Mercedes slowly drove up and stopped in front of the convenience store. A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair got out of the car.

He's a bit overweight due to middle age, and his hair looks like it's been slicked back with half a bottle of hairspray; even a mosquito would suffocate if it flew in because of the lack of air circulation.

This middle-aged man is named Chang Fu. He is 31 or 32 years old and still unmarried. He brings a girlfriend home every year.

"Boss, put out the five hangings first."

Changfu was quite influential in the village; he used to always compete with Chen Pingsheng for first place.

He couldn't beat him in a fight, and the two fought from elementary school to junior high. People thought they didn't get along.

They tried to sow discord from the start, little did they know they could fight each other.

Outsiders are absolutely unacceptable. No matter who they are, if an enemy is encountered, one person must confront them head-on while the other secretly pulls down their underwear.

"Hey, Changfu's back! You got a new car again this year?"

"Changing cars is nothing."

Chang Fu said, "It's just a small S-class Mercedes-Benz, nothing to mention and not worth much money, only a million or so."

"awesome."

The boss cleverly gave a thumbs up, and Changfu, pleased, casually grabbed a few more packets of betel nuts worth fifty yuan each, hoping for good fortune.

They don't even hand them out one by one; they just give each person a pack.

"Everyone says Old Chen made a fortune out there, but I, Changfu, don't believe it. Has that kid come back this year?"

There are quite a few people playing mahjong here, including several of my classmates.

"I heard they've already arrived in Wuhan, probably in the next couple of days."

Chang Fu greasyly wiped his side-parted slicked-back hair. "He just arrived in Wuhan. When he gets back, don't tell him I drive a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. I'll blow his titanium alloy eyes out of him."

He actually made money this year, mainly because he encountered a good opportunity.

The girls I took out all started live streaming, and live streaming is really profitable these days.

Rich tycoons are willing to spend a lot of money to woo the live-streaming girls under their wing.

Chang Fu was very disappointed when he returned last year and did not see Chen Pingsheng.

This year, I absolutely have to show off in front of him.

Let him realize his place and behave himself from now on, calling him "Big Brother."

"Brother Fu, it looks like you'll have to host this year's class reunion again."

"That's not necessary."

Chang Fu generously declared, "No one needs to pay for this year's class reunion; I, Chang Fu, will cover it all. Everyone just needs to come and participate."

"Brother Fu is awesome!"

"Haha."

If you've worked so hard outside, and you still can't show off when you get home, then you've wasted a whole year.

Just as Chang Fu was about to leave, a large black car slowly drove up from not far away.

"And who came back this time, driving that big bread van again?"

"bread?"

Chang Fu, hands in his pockets, smugly commented, "I told you guys to read more books, but you insisted on feeding pigs. This isn't bread at all, it's a B-series Brabus, the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle in China."

"Those who can afford to ride this bus back to their hometown must have a net worth of at least tens of millions outside."

"Could this be Old Chen?"

"That bastard has a wife and kids to support. If he could drive this car, I, Changfu, would write my name backwards."

As soon as Chang Fu finished speaking, the driver rolled down the window and Chen Qi said with a grin, "Brother Chang Fu, Happy New Year!"

What a shit.

There's no need to guess anymore, it must be Old Chen returning to his hometown.

Chang Fu was embarrassed, but the others didn't seem to notice at all.

It's simply because he's always showing off and always getting slapped in the face.

After the car is parked, the two middle doors open automatically.

"My goodness, this truly lives up to its reputation as the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle in China!"

Chen Pingsheng laughed and said, "You know that?"

"I didn't know at first, but Brother Fu explained it to me and I found out."

You fucking... You just took my cigarette and you've already forgotten all about it, huh?

Chang Fu stiffened his neck and turned half his body to the side, revealing the tag of the S300 behind him.

The main point is, come and identify it!

"Old Chen, where did you rent it from?"

"Uncle Changfu!" Little An'an ran down and called out with a smile.

"Oh my, my darling An'an is back."

Chang Fu picked up Xiao An'an in one go. "You've been eating a lot this year, I can't carry you anymore."

"Did Uncle Changfu wait here specifically for An'an?"

"How did you know? I was waiting for you."

Put her down quickly. She is cute, and I really like her.

But getting so fat is really a problem; your uncle can't even lift you up.

Chen An'an jumped behind him and asked, "Uncle Changfu, is this the big truck you bought?"

"Yes, isn't it beautiful?"

I perked up! I didn't expect the little guy to be so responsive. I was just about to give him a proper introduction when...

Xiao An'an said, "It is pretty, but it's not as pretty as my dad's S680, nor as pretty as my mom's Bentley, and it's also a little bit inferior to my dad's Aston Martin that he doesn't drive."

Is that just a tiny bit? That's the difference between several cars!

Chang Fu blushed. "An'an, when did you learn to lie? Your dad's antics can't compare to mine!"

“My dad is no pushover.”

Chen Pingsheng kept some cigarettes in his car, specifically to take home and distribute.

Fully opened red BJ, 110 yuan a pack.

"Changfu, I haven't been back yet, and you've been having a blast at home, haven't you?"

Chen Pingsheng patted him on the shoulder, and Chang Fu looked displeased.

"What's the use? You came back and slapped my face hard."

"Who told you to be so pretentious? Take it and distribute it. I specially brought two for you."

"You have a conscience, kid."

Chang Fu also took out several packs of cigarettes and a pair of local specialty liquors from the car.

"I brought this especially for you. Don't say I don't think about you."

"Thank you, brother."

"It was so boring last year when you weren't back. You're not going to stay for just a few days this year, are you?"

"No way, we'll be staying home for at least half a month this year."

"That's great, now we have someone to play cards with, haha."

Changfu put his arm around him, and despite his boasting and humiliation, he was still the best brother to him when he came back.

If we meet outside, that goes without saying.

We've only known a few of us since childhood. We've fought and bickered, but we're still as close as brothers.

"You look like you just got back too?"

"Yeah, I arrived right after you."

Chang Fu said, "I'm not going to say anything more. I'll go home first and then invite a few classmates out to play cards tonight."

The biggest activity when going home for Chinese New Year has to be playing cards.

Some won and laughed heartily, while others lost most of the money they had painstakingly saved over the course of a year.

That's just how it is with cards; if you play for a long time, you'll almost always lose nine out of ten times.

After getting married, Chen Pingsheng stopped playing much, mainly because the money was shared between the two of them after the wedding.

Losing too much money will be hard to explain when I get home.

Now it doesn't matter anymore, and Changfu probably feels the same way.

In the village, there aren't many people their age who are in better circumstances than them.

"Okay, I just got back but I still need to go back. Go tell them we'll go out for barbecue together tonight."

Chen Pingsheng offered two packs of cigarettes, greeted his neighbors in the village, and then drove home.

His family built a two-story house years ago, which he paid for himself.

When they first got married, Song Yanxi didn't ask for any dowry and even gave them nearly 100,000 yuan.

He really can't afford to get married.

Now things are much better. The time when we needed to spend the most money has passed, and now we can make money again.

They can now spend freely.

Chen Jianjun and Peng Ying at home had already received the message, and as soon as they arrived at the door, the firecrackers were set off.

Grandpa and Grandma were there too, along with a few uncles and aunts.

They're all just here to join in the fun. Besides, it's such a big deal that my son and daughter-in-law are coming back from Beijing, so we have to host a dinner at home.

The Little New Year is just around the corner, and Chen Pingsheng has prepared a lot of red envelopes.

Each person gets one of the smaller ones, five hundred per person.

The mentally challenged son of his third uncle, Chen Fan, is also only five years younger than him.

He suffered some kind of trauma when he was a child, and his mental age is forever only that of a six-year-old.

A 25-year-old man still hangs out with kids every day.

When those children grow up, he can only play with even younger ones.

Once he's over ten years old, I basically stop playing with him.

He and Xiao An'an get along quite well.

"Big pot."

Chen Fan's smile was innocent and naive.

It has the body of an adult but the mind of a child.

Chen Pingsheng patted his arm, "Xiao Fan has grown taller again."

"Yeah, haha!" Chen Fan scratched his head and grinned foolishly.

Of all the relatives in the family, my third uncle is the most special.

He was not only hardworking but also very honest. He spent his whole life farming, but his only son was mentally challenged.

He was ridiculed by the villagers for this.

They argued a lot in the first few years, but they stopped arguing as much later.

There were quite a few relatives visiting, and he had to greet each and every one of them.

Grandpa and Grandma are in very good health. His grandfather is over seventy years old and can still work in the fields every day and carry dozens of kilograms of feed bags to feed the fish.

It's already quite remarkable at this age; you can't see a single ailment on your body.

According to his grandfather, he had killed two Americans when he was young, which was considered a good deed.

That's why he had no health problems at all in his old age. This is not a joke, but the truth.

His grandfather actually participated in the Korean War.

The house suddenly became lively. Peng Ying was busy cooking, while Chen An'an went around collecting red envelopes.

He sent money to his relatives' children, and naturally, his relatives would send money to Chen An'an as well.

Busy until noon, Peng Ying prepared a large table of food.

Chen Pingsheng also brought two cases of Maotai liquor from the car, which is why he didn't encounter any traffic police on the way back.

Otherwise, they might get caught and have their property confiscated.

Moutai liquor doesn't seem to have much effect when you drink it, but it has a strong aftereffect.

In the afternoon, he didn't go anywhere; he was busy putting up couplets at home and tidying up his second-floor room.

Before they even started eating dinner, Changfu drove over in his Mercedes-Benz, eager to win money.

Three classmates he had called over were also sitting in the car; they were all gambling every time they got home.

That's why they say that without any common interests, even the best relationships can easily drift apart.

"Old Chen."

Shouting at the top of his lungs downstairs, Chen Pingsheng, who was still making his bed on the second floor, got a little itchy to do something after being yelled at.

"Why did you come before you even ate?"

"I'm just trying to win some money from you. Besides, we're all here. What's the point of eating? Let's go drinking in the street."

Chen Pingsheng wanted to ask his wife for permission. Chen An'an, that arrogant little brat, was baring her teeth and trying to grumble.

You could cry for a long time if I slap you.

Song Yanxi rolled her eyes at him, "Don't stay out too long, you have to be back before midnight."

"That's for sure."

Chen Pingsheng quickly ran downstairs. Chang Fu's car could only seat five people at most, and his girlfriend was sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

A pretty young woman who does live streaming, she's wearing some makeup and looks quite nice.

He's only three streets behind his wife, so he'd already score 85 points.

The reason why Changfu is not married is also related to a past emotional wound that he can't heal.

To put it bluntly, he was a simp for four or five years, and when the other person wanted to get married, he turned around and found the best-off woman in the village.

"There's no room for you to sit here!"

"Don't you know how to drive?" "Come on, I have so many things to do at home. Tonight, my wife is taking my parents to prepare for the New Year."

After thinking for a moment, Chen Pingsheng said, "How about this, you take me to Shacheng first, and I'll go there to pick up a car."

"You'd rather die than keep bragging." Chang Fu didn't believe him for a second. Who would buy a car just because they've been home for a few days and it's inconvenient?

I'm using this as a grocery store.

"Who's bragging to you?"

Chen Pingsheng got on the bus, and there was barely enough room for one person to squeeze in. It would only take half an hour to get from here to Shacheng, so it wouldn't take up too much time.

With so many things to do at home and only one car, it's bound to be a bit inconvenient.

“Going to Shacheng is fine, it’s much more fun there. If you go and don’t pick up the car, I’ll laugh at you for the rest of my life.”

Shacheng is indeed a fun place. The famous Magnolia Road is still full of blooming flowers.

Those who know the name "Foot Capital" understand.

The 198 half-service package was like choosing a concubine.

The quality of that young lady is simply amazing.

The city of men's paradise still exists, and naturally, the Sand City is also flourishing with a hundred flowers.

Of all the people in the car, only Chen Pingsheng didn't really like going to those kinds of places. If it weren't for the woman there, the others would have been chatting away.

"Old Chen, what kind of car do you want to pick up?"

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is still very stable; Changfu only bought this car a few months ago.

I washed myself thoroughly before going home.

"I don't know, let's go see and see."

Men love cars, and Chang Fu is no exception. He said, "What's your budget, kid? Want me to give you some suggestions?"

"If I don't have a budget, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class will do, or a BMW X5 is also good. I'll just buy whatever I see."

"You son of a bitch..."

This show of bravado left me speechless.

Believe it or not, Chen Pingsheng really does buy whatever he sees; the first store he went to was a BMW 4S store.

He picked up a black BMW X5 with a 3.0T engine.

The final price was 850,000 yuan. The car is pretty good, and it's convenient to keep it at home.

His dad doesn't even have a driver's license yet, so I'll help him get one when I come back this time.

The X5 was mainly bought for his dad to drive.

Chang Fu could tell from the ease with which he swiped his card that this guy had made a fortune outside.

Otherwise, how could it have been so easy to pick up the car?

What's the difference between this and buying a couple of ounces of meat at the market?

“Hey Lao Chen, you’ve already bought a BMW X5, why don’t you just buy an X6 too, one for your dad and one for your mom, so you can have a pair.”

"Okay."

Seeing that he really intended to do so, Changfu began to question the meaning of life.

Did you dig up Li Ka-shing's land?
It doesn't make sense for you to be so rich. I was just joking, I didn't ask you to actually buy it.

Actually, when you have enough money, you really can spend it entirely according to your own desires.

He suddenly realized that he bought it for his dad but not for his mom. Would she be angry?

It's entirely possible.

To avoid this minor trouble, he should spend a little more money.

I have to say the X6 is really good-looking, much better looking than the X5.

Both are 2.0T, and the total cost for both cars is around 170 million yuan.

The saleswoman beamed with joy. Selling just one unit would boost her sales figures significantly, and selling two together would bring in even more.

If it weren't for the large number of them, she might have offered some intimate services.

The community opens its doors to provide warmth and support.

……

Buying a car is a major life event for most people.

He treated buying a car like buying groceries, without any sense of ceremony.

Chen Pingsheng drove off in his X6, while another classmate drove his X5.

The people Chang Fu called out all naturally had cars, they just hadn't driven his Mercedes-Benz.

Now that the car is bought and the business is settled, it's time to go to a hotel to take care of some serious matters.

After setting up a hotel mahjong room, Changfu pulled out five stacks of mahjong tiles from his bag without saying a word.

Chen Pingsheng cursed him: "You fucking want to amass a fortune, huh? How big of a gamble are you planning?"

"Damn it..." Chang Fu retorted, "You have no right to say that. You swiped over a million without batting an eye, do you think you can gamble with a few thousand?"

That's really pointless.

He didn't care about the idea of ​​a little gambling being harmless; what he was worried about were his other three classmates.

They're all married; they might not be able to handle winnings or losses of tens of thousands of dollars.

"Come on, the old trick of Texas Hold'em, bet 100 as the minimum and 500 as the maximum."

The capped price is 500 for the top-tier cards, and 1000 for the top-tier cards.

It is calculated at one time.

In this game of winning or losing, 50,000 might only last for an hour if you're unlucky.

Let's play.

Chen Pingsheng broke up the cards; he hadn't played this game for two years, and at first he was a bit rusty, constantly losing money.

That was it; anyway, ten thousand or so was nothing to him.

There is no such thing as being nervous.

The worst thing about playing Texas Hold'em is getting desperate after losing money, as that will only lead to more losses.

If you can control your emotions, then it's okay.

After all, everyone's luck is only for a limited time.

For example, in this ten-minute period, I was incredibly lucky and kept getting big shots.

My luck runs out in the next ten minutes, and I don't draw any cards.

Frequent players usually know how to control this time period, that is, to keep guessing during their lucky periods.

Anyway, I just kept betting money without looking at the cards.

There's a high probability of winning.

When your luck runs out, you can throw one or two rounds and then check your cards.

In this way, it's generally possible to control the outcome of a match.

Those who lose their temper and become obsessed are an exception; they recklessly gamble to win big, and the end result is often that they lose everything.

Even the most skilled martial artist can be beaten to death with sticks.

Take Chen Pingsheng, for example; he's not short of money.

I'll just keep playing with you guys. If I'm lucky, great; if not, it doesn't matter.

This is a bit of a mess.

Half an hour later, he had lost more than 40,000 yuan.

An hour later, he had won 10,000.

As he got better and better at the game, he became so skilled that he felt embarrassed to win.

"Damn, this is really a case of everyone betting on the side with the money."

Chang Fu lost all 50,000 yuan, but he didn't care. After all, making money with women was a quick way to make money.

The other three were noticeably more cautious.

"So, where should we go for fun after we're done?"

"Touch and sing, I know a karaoke place where the hostesses are very expensive and have a lot of fun."

"And there are even people who open beer bottles through the small door."

This key technology is difficult to achieve without daily friction.

"Go ahead and play if you want."

Chen Pingsheng was the first to refuse, saying, "I can pay the bill, but I can't come along."

"Damn, you're henpecked."

“My wife doesn’t care about me, but I have to respect her. You know, someone like me who could even date Yang Mi, what’s the point of me going to play those games?”

A cool breeze blew by, and the A-grade liquor in my hand suddenly lost its appeal.

Chang Fu cursed, "You little brat, don't go too far. A little flattery is fine, but Yang Mi is a character from a TV series, a top-tier queen, my idol."

"If you don't believe me, that's fine. When you go to Beijing in the future, I'll take you to meet her. Don't be fooled by how pretty Yang Mi is on TV; she's even more beautiful in person. I guarantee you'll drool when you see her."

Everyone noticed that Changfu's girlfriend was not a proper person. Who would normally mention playing groping or karaoke in front of their girlfriend?

Isn't that just asking for death?
She doesn't care at all. At worst, you guys can have some women, and she'll just watch from the sidelines.

That's really a positive outlook.

"Forget about the future, I'll go with you after the New Year. If I can see Yang Mi, I'll call you Dad."

"No, I don't have a kid as big as you."

"I'll fucking strangle you. You win my money and then you have to make sarcastic remarks."

I was too lucky; I won a lot at once.

"Ding! Congratulations, host! Today's income is 68,000. Would you like to activate random multiplier?"

Does this work?

Chen Pingsheng resisted the temptation; gambling was out of the question.

Gambling is a bottomless pit; even the best luck can't stop it.

"Old Chang, you think you can win my money with your lousy skills?"

Chen Pingsheng was pleased with himself; winning or losing didn't matter, his main goal was to have fun.

We're all old classmates, there's no need to play around for too long, or you might get too involved.

"You think it's a good thing that you won? Hurry up and make the arrangements."

They booked the whole place because they won money; it would be too noisy for someone their age to go to a bar.

He wouldn't go to touch her and sing.

"Okay, I'll start the event and you guys go have fun on your own. Don't spoil the fun. I have to go back at 12 o'clock, so you don't need to."

"That works too," Chang Fu nodded.

Chen Pingsheng booked a large karaoke room for them, and they ordered seven or eight hostesses.

We had to slowly pick them from dozens of options.

To have a great time, you have to spend your money wisely too.

The way people enjoy karaoke these days is something that young people a few years from now can't even imagine.

Singing songs while pushing a train.

Dancing, belly dancing.

The main appeal is the lively atmosphere with many people.

By middle age, you've seen it all, and the only things that can still get you excited and have fun are these.

Anticipating that they wouldn't be back that night, he booked two more large suites at the hotel.

He then drove home.

Song Yanxi at home is still awake; she's four months pregnant and still experiences morning sickness sometimes.

They need someone to take care of them.

He went out by car and came back in a new car. Song Yanxi wasn't surprised, but her mother, Peng Ying, was still waiting for him to come home.

"Whose car did you drive back?"

"I just bought it. This is an X5 for Dad, and I also bought an X6 for you."

"What a waste of money, your dad doesn't even have a driver's license."

“How can this be called a waste? Dad is already this age, shouldn’t he be able to enjoy life? He doesn’t have a driver’s license, but he can go and get one.”

Peng Ying was still awake because she was waiting to open the door for him. Chen Pingsheng thought to himself that he would never stay up this late again.

So his mother wouldn't have to wait at home.

"We're going to your grandpa's for dinner tomorrow, so go to bed early."

Peng Ying gave him a few words of advice and then went to sleep.

Chen Pingsheng went upstairs, and Chen An'an took his spot, currently sleeping with her mother.

She was sleeping quite soundly.

What do you guys do tonight?

"I won tens of thousands playing cards, but I can't bet so big next time."

"You shouldn't hit so hard."

Song Yanxi said, "Don't fight and affect the relationships between these classmates."

"I know, that's because Changfu was planning it. He lost 50,000 yuan by himself."

"It's better that he lost. If those guys with wives lost tens of thousands, you'll see if their wives come looking for them tomorrow."

Song Yanxi doesn't object to playing cards, but she absolutely disagrees with betting such high stakes.

If this were in Beijing, someone of her husband's stature could easily win hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan at a gathering.

No one will suffer serious injuries.

At most, it's just a loss of money for food.

He can earn 100,000 to 200,000 yuan a year, but if you go home for the New Year and play cards with him, you might lose tens of thousands of yuan.

That really affects the relationship between husband and wife.

At least before they became successful, they definitely wouldn't have been able to accept it.

"But I still spent tens of thousands of yuan treating them to games at a karaoke bar."

Song Yanxi rolled over and pushed him away with her butt. She wasn't a novice; she'd seen pigs run even if she hadn't eaten pork.

"Stop doing things like that."

"Tch, what do I want to do? They only want to play those games themselves. Look at me, I still obediently went home."

"It's good that you know to come home. An'an is six years old now, and I'm pregnant with another one. Don't forget that you're a father."

"Of course I know, no matter how fragrant the wildflowers are, they can't compare to my wife's smile when she turns around."

"Hmph, don't think about those things. I definitely can't come right now. At most, I can help you out in front of me."

Xiao An'an was left in the big room, while the others went to the small room next door.

It was late at night, and the couple didn't talk for very long.

We'll be going to Grandpa's house the next day to celebrate the Little New Year.

He hadn't been back for two years, and now that he's back, he still has a lot to do.

I have to accompany Song Yanxi to her grandparents' house the day after tomorrow.

Her maternal grandparents lived in Beijing, while her paternal grandparents lived on their side of the family.

Song Huamin and his father had known each other since childhood, but they hadn't had much interaction.

(End of this chapter)