The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chapter 79 Paying the Price for Childhood Memories
"Old Chen, do you think I'm a complete idiot?"

"Damn it, over the past ten years, I've worked as a casino manager, run smuggling operations, and even been chased for three blocks by seven or eight men wielding razor blades."

"As long as I, Chang Fu, have a breath left, I will not allow myself to die, because I want to make money, I want to make money desperately."

Chang Fu became more and more excited as he spoke, “The purpose of making money is to come back and tell her that I, Chang Fu, am not just a thug who only knows how to fight, nor am I just a Tony who only knows how to cut hair. I can make money, and I can also be successful. I just want to see her regretful and remorseful eyes.”

"I risked my life for ten years for this day, but then one day, she suddenly told me that if I had been more determined, she would have given up everything, left the city with me, and started from scratch with me. Don't you think I was pretty stupid all these years?"

He doesn't know whether he's an idiot or not.

But one thing is for sure: if Yang Qian hadn't stabbed him, you'd probably still be cutting hair right now.

For men, achieving great things is indeed closely related to women.

He loves Song Yanxi, so he tries his best to make her happy.

Chang Fu loves Yang Qian, and even if he hates her, he will do everything in his power to prove himself, just so that one day he can stand tall in front of her.

How many regrets does our youth still leave behind?

A group of classmates, all over thirty, stood on the overpass, enjoying the evening breeze of 14, reminiscing about the past.

No matter how emotional Changfu was, none of them mocked him.

Because at this age, who hasn't experienced a lot of pain?

Society has smoothed out their rough edges; some people have become more worldly, while others have become more sophisticated.

Looking back, who wasn't a flamboyant youth?

Some people have wronged their grandmothers who raised them during their childhood, while others have left nothing behind during this period.

"Changfu, if you still like her, be bold. Maybe she'll like you back?"

There was no turning back for Yang Qian after her divorce, and since she had no children, Chen Pingsheng thought it was a pretty good choice.

At least if he were to marry her, Changfu probably wouldn't object.

"Am I even worthy?"

"What's there to be unworthy of? My wife was so beautiful when she was young, and she was still a beautiful woman stuck with someone like me who has nothing."

Chen Pingsheng said, "Back then, my house was dilapidated and my mother was in poor health. Now you have some wealth, so what's this talk about being a good match? As long as you like it, that's all that matters."

Yes, as long as you like it, that's fine.

Chang Fu may not say it, but his actions tell a different story.

The next morning, he drove to Shacheng by himself, while Chen Pingsheng's house was still bustling with activity.

It was only the second day of the banquet, and the number of relatives was increasing.

The elderly in the village simply lined up; many people ahead of them were receiving red envelopes, and it would be their turn soon.

I won't freeze while queuing in this freezing weather.

Chen An'an has also quickly found his hobbies.

A man with firecrackers led a bunch of kids to blow up cow dung.

This girl's interests never seem to be normal, and Chen Pingsheng couldn't be bothered to care.

Chen Fan went with her.

"Teacher, what brings you here?"

Song Yanxi's elementary school teacher has arrived. Despite her advanced age and half-gray hair, she is still in good spirits.

"The student has become successful, so can't the teacher come and visit?"

Ms. Shen Qing was very popular and respected at their elementary school.

This time, he didn't come alone, but with several elementary school teachers.

They're all people who watched her grow up.

"Hello, Teacher Shen."

Chen Pingsheng took the initiative to invite them to sit down and even arranged for them to sit at the table in front of him, since teachers don't earn a very high income from teaching and educating students.

Especially these village primary schools.

It doesn't matter what's above me; I'll dedicate my whole life to this village.

"Yanxi, your family's feast is very lively."

"My husband organized it all; he just wanted to make it lively."

"Okay." Shen Qing nodded and said, "There's something I want to tell you. The village primary school has been getting worse year by year. The principal has applied for funding from the county to renovate the school, but unfortunately, the county's funds haven't come through. The town is thinking of merging our school into the town. If our school doesn't have money soon, it may have to close down in less than two years."

Song Yanxi glanced at Chen Pingsheng beside her, and only after he nodded did she ask, "I wonder how much it would cost to renovate the school?"

"About a million. It's just to renovate the classrooms. Also, the school is getting old, so all the windows and stuff need to be replaced. It'll probably cost a million for everything."

One million isn't much; it's barely enough for a renovation.

Chen Pingsheng asked, "Just renovating won't change anything, will it?"

"It really can't change much."

Shen Qing said, "We've all spent our whole lives at the village primary school, so we've developed a deep affection for it. The county's funding isn't coming through. If someone could come up with the money to renovate it, it could at least buy us a few more years of peace."

Chen Pingsheng understood. "How about this? One million won't solve anything. My wife and I both studied and grew up there, and I don't want it to be demolished like this. I will donate ten million in my wife's name, and also set up a scholarship of two million every year to reward outstanding teachers and students. This is my wife and I's contribution to our childhood."

Shen Qing was stunned. She had only come to ask for one million.
Ten million just came in like that?

It also comes with a two million scholarship.

The key point is that this two million comes every year.

This is an exaggeration.

They gave me way too much; it completely overwhelmed me.

"This...this...this..."

"Teacher Shen, my family will definitely pay for it, but there are a few conditions."

"you say…"

It was an older teacher nearby who reacted quickly. Chen Pingsheng said directly, "First, the 10 million yuan for the construction of the new school cannot go through any public account. Second, the construction team will be personally designated by me. Third, the specific reward scheme and individuals for the 2 million yuan scholarship each year must be approved by my wife and me first. If it does not conform to our original intention of the donation, we have the right to stop immediately."

If a donation of tens of millions of yuan were to go through a public account, it would first go to the village, then to the town, and finally be reported to the county.

The final ten million might be missing a zero.

I can't get anything done.

As for scholarships, should the village chief's children and relatives be taken care of?

Should we give a few spots to the principal's relatives?

Various social customs and interpersonal relationships.

He talks about these things in everything, and he feels that some things should never be related to interpersonal relationships.

Otherwise, what's the point of fairness?

The money he spent himself wasn't awarded to the children of those school principals.

The credit must truly fall on teachers who have good academic performance and excellent teaching quality.

Chen An'an has already gone to fry cow dung.

That doesn't stop him from liking students with good grades.

Shen Qing nodded. The specifics still needed to be discussed and planned within the school, and also needed to be reported to the village and then to the town.

The process still has to go through.

……

A cold wind is blowing, and Lunar New Year's Eve is just around the corner.

Principal Hu, who is over sixty years old, paced back and forth in his own home.

Shen Qing and the others were actually invited by him to that student's house.

If we're talking about who least wants the village primary school to be closed, he'd definitely be number one.

He poured his whole life's energy into it; it was more than just a school—it was his life's work.

All the young and middle-aged people in the village, who didn't graduate from this school?

The reason I sent Shen Qing to find Chen Pingsheng was to try my luck. Given the grandeur of his house, it wouldn't be impossible for him to arrive by helicopter next year.

Of course, it's just a matter of luck; after all, not everyone who becomes rich will remember to give back to their hometown.

Not to mention spending a lot of money to rebuild the school.

Ding... My phone rang.

The old Nokia phones were used for many years.

Shen Qing and the others returned, and Principal Hu specially went outside to greet them.

"How about it?"

"What an unexpected surprise! A huge surprise!"

"What kind of accident was it? Tell me about it."

"Principal, please let us come in and have some tea first!"

Shen Qing was in a good mood. She smiled and said something before following the principal to his house.

The conditions weren't great; it was just a flat-roofed house.

In recent years, Wangcai Village Primary School has been struggling to recruit even a few students, so there's no money left to be made from it.

It would be good if they could maintain this for even a little while.

“Principal, we went to see Chen Pingsheng today, and he still recognizes us old friends.”

It's quite gratifying that the students have become so successful, yet these elementary school teachers still receive the utmost respect when they visit their students' homes.

How could I not be gratified?
"and then?"

"Then he disagreed with repairing the school."

"what?"

Principal Hu, his beard bristling and eyes wide, exclaimed, "So you're kidding me!"

"No, that's not true. They just disagreed with repairing the school, not that they wouldn't rebuild it."

"What?" Principal Hu exclaimed in surprise, "He wants to rebuild?"

"That's right. It's not just about rebuilding. Every year, two million will be allocated to scholarships for our school. Those with good grades will be awarded, and those who make the most progress will also be awarded."

Two million?
Principal Hu was quite shocked. Although the amount of money seemed small, their entire primary school had less than two hundred students.

If this were split evenly, it would be 10,000 per person.

If only those with good grades and significant improvement are rewarded.

It's definitely possible to earn tens of thousands a year.

This is equivalent to the total income of a couple from farming for a year.

"Are you sure you didn't hear wrong? He's really willing to donate that much?"

“That’s right. He said that’s his alma mater from childhood to adulthood, and we are all his mentors. Donating 10 million is his way of contributing to his hometown.”

"Great, great, that's really great! Our elementary school has finally produced a remarkable person, and the key is that he's willing to give back to his hometown."

Principal Hu sighed several times.

“Principal, don’t be too happy yet, he also has conditions.”

"What conditions?"

"He won't transfer the ten million yuan for the school construction to the village's public account. He will make the decisions on how to build the school himself. In addition, he will also choose the construction team himself, without going through the village or town."

"This is a good thing."

Principal Hu thought it was something else, but it turned out to be such a great thing.

“We are much more at ease if he builds it himself. Look at the roads in the village. They were just finished this year, and next year they will start patching them up. The year after that, they will want to tear them down and rebuild them.”

"Hmph, if it weren't for this, the village chief's sons would be able to buy houses and drive Audis in big cities."

Speaking of this, Shen Qing was also extremely angry.

The school needed to apply for funding for something, but the village came up with all sorts of excuses.

But if there's any public fund project in the village that needs money, the village chief runs around like a dog.

Once the project came on, all the construction was handled by his relatives.

After the project is completed, they will try every means to leech off it for several more years.

The family appears unassuming, but they are already incredibly wealthy.

There are two children in the family. The older one works in Guangzhou and earns four or five thousand yuan a month. He bought a house and a car a long time ago.

The smaller ones are about the same.

"Let's go to the town and report this after the New Year."

"If his feedback was effective, would he still be in that position?"

Ideal is full, the reality is very skinny.

It's not that no one has reported it, it's just that it's been ignored.

They didn't dare to say why it was ineffective.

Principal Hu said, "I think not only we understand these things, but Chen Pingsheng is also very knowledgeable about them, which is why he chose to bypass the village and build the school directly."

Shen Qing nodded: "I guess so. He can make so much money in the capital, so he must be quite something. He just doesn't want to get involved in these things, but that doesn't mean he can tolerate it."

“Indeed, his donation of ten million is a big deal and will definitely alarm the county education bureau. We just need to report his conditions truthfully.”

……

The fact that Chen Pingsheng donated 10 million yuan to rebuild Wangcai Primary School cannot be kept secret.

There was a big fuss.

Even if his family throws a three-day banquet, with three or four people standing each day handing out red envelopes.

Nobody thought it would cost nearly ten million; at most, it would only cost two or three million.

But school donations are different; if they say they'll donate ten million, they really have to put up ten million.

Moreover, he hasn't come back for the past two years.

The first thing he did upon returning was throw a banquet and solicit donations; heaven knows how much money he actually made outside.

Many people also asked Chen An'an for news, upon hearing that his father was giving two million as a reward to those with good grades.

She then went back to frying cow dung with her buttocks askew.

Does her good grades have anything to do with her? No, frying cow dung is more suited to her.

On New Year's Eve, many more people came to his house to offer their New Year's greetings.

The village chief, two deputy leaders from the town, and the newly arrived senior leader all came.

They put on quite a show, and their words were full of praise for him.

Just listen to this and don't take it seriously.

Chen Pingsheng sat there and listened for half an hour.

Finally, the village chief seized the opportunity and said, "Pingsheng, you see, I've watched you grow up. Can you leave the construction of the new school to me? I promise I'll do a good job."

In the end, they still wanted to secure this ten million yuan project.

Those who know about domestic engineering projects understand this.

"Uncle, it's no problem to leave it to you."

Chen Pingsheng said with a smile: "Yesterday I went to accompany my mother to practice driving. When we passed a newly built road in the village, my mother said there was a pothole ahead. I said, how could that be? It was just built."

"The road that Uncle repaired definitely doesn't have this kind of quality problem. My mom said to turn quickly, but I said it wasn't necessary. Guess what happened?"

Village chief Jiang Dewang blushed and asked stiffly, "What's wrong?"

"Of course it fell down. My X5 is still inside and hasn't come out yet. Uncle, why don't you go take a look?"

You shouldn't hit someone in the face, but what he said was a blatant slap in the face.

He's just a village chief, and he's already been met with a lot of complaints.

Jiang Dewang remained silent, while the newly arrived senior leader glanced at him almost imperceptibly.

"Mr. Chen, on behalf of the town, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you personally. As for the issues you raised, the town will definitely investigate them thoroughly."

Anyone could hear the dissatisfaction in his voice.

If he doesn't express his gratitude, wouldn't he be hurting people's feelings?

Chen Pingsheng laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare to say that. I remember that the housing prices in Guangzhou and Beijing are about the same. Last year, I bought a house in the Fifth Ring Road for almost three million yuan in cash. Uncle Dewang, didn't you also buy a house in Guangzhou for your son in cash? How much was it again?"

The new leader's face immediately fell.

Even a leader like him can't buy a house in Guangzhou with cash. How could a village head, a nobody, possibly have that privilege?
You're richer than me, how am I supposed to lead you?
Investigate, I will definitely investigate when I get back.

Jiang Dewang broke out in a cold sweat. That damned Chen Pingsheng.

What did I do to offend him that he would resort to such dirty tricks?

If it were an ordinary person, they might not have reacted, but he would have blocked them completely.

Chen Pingsheng's words were completely different; he had just donated ten million.

This is a major act of charity in the entire county.

The fact that the newly arrived senior leaders of the town all came to visit him on New Year's Day fully reflects the county's attitude towards his donation.

As a result, he became possessed by a level 10 Onmyoji and started staring at himself in a strange and sarcastic manner.

I said it this morning, and it will probably reach the ears of the county leaders this afternoon.

When the time comes, if the leader gives a word, the subordinates will definitely investigate and handle it as quickly as possible.

I estimate I can figure him out in less than three days, and even find several holes in his underwear.

I dedicate the song "The Fallen Bird" to myself.

Chen Pingsheng reported Jiang Dewang in his own home, in front of the town leaders.

The news spread throughout the village in less than half a day.

Many people wish they could come to his house to set off firecrackers.

Jiang Dewang, that scoundrel, does nothing but get away with all sorts of bad things, and now he's finally met his match.

He actually dared to go to someone's house to ask for school construction projects; doesn't he even know how shameless he is?

Now things are really messed up; there's a good chance I'll get myself into trouble.

……

Chen Pingsheng didn't pay much attention to his affairs. He was just a small village chief, the kind who was covered in lice. It wouldn't be too difficult for him to bring him down.

He was concerned about something else entirely: Chen An'an, that guy who fried cow dung, had quietly returned.

He had shifty eyes and messy hair.

"Chen An'an, come here right now."

Chen An'an walked over obediently with her head down, which made Song Yanxi even angrier.

"You just took a bath yesterday and are wearing new clothes today. Are you going to fry cow dung or bury yourself in cow dung?"

He was covered in cow dung, even his face was covered in it.

Chen An'an looked up and earnestly argued, "Mom, this isn't my fault. I'm really good at playing with firecrackers. It's just that when I went to blow up cow dung today, I calculated that the little firecracker would take five seconds to explode. I just wiggled my butt in front of it, and it exploded in three seconds. It's so unethical."

After saying that, he even hummed twice.

She needed to hurry and find her grandmother, otherwise, at this rate, she'd get a spanking on New Year's Eve.

"You still have a reason?"

Chen Pingsheng was amused by her sharp tongue. "I'm asking you, why did you shake your fat chicken butt before the cow dung exploded?"

"Isn't this just to show off in front of the other kids?"

Chen An'an scratched his head, thinking, "That's just how kids are."

She didn't expect the firecracker to explode two seconds faster, which is why she couldn't dodge it.

How can she be blamed for this?
It's clearly the fault of those firecrackers being manufactured substandard.

(End of this chapter)