The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

The Chen family has grown to nine people across three generations, including two named An'an: Sun Sile and Chen Jiye.

Chen Xinyi also has two children, Chen Youcai and her younger sister Chen Youjia.

On Chen Lu's side, the two legitimate brothers are his older sister Chen Wuyou and his younger brother Chen Wujing.

Not to mention illegitimate children, there are four or five in total.

If we include Chen Jiye's current children, the Chen family has become a truly large family over the past fifty years.

With more people, conflicts inevitably arise.

These children didn't grow up together like he raised An'an and Er'ya from a young age; they all took care of each other.

They are mostly scattered in various places, and only return to the Chen family in Shanghai after large family gatherings or major events.

This has resulted in them being cousins, but not being very close.

Only siblings have a better relationship.

Over the past five years, Chen Pingsheng has donated nearly 500 billion yuan to the "Song Yanxi Charity Fund".

The family's difficulties and external pressures arrived as expected.

Tengnong Aquaculture has reached the point where it must be handed over, and the power of Jingyan Island is gradually being de-familiarized.

If he leaves, then An'an will inherit the great cause. With An'an around, the Chen family can still maintain its rules.

If An'an is gone, who will uphold the rules of the Chen family?

Once the Chen family is free from the constraints of family rules, it will become a top-tier conglomerate, completely above everyone else. This is not what he wants to see, nor is it what his wife wants to see.

Chen Pingsheng, who is nearly eighty years old, called An'an to his side, and the father and daughter prepared to have a private conversation.

Chen Pingsheng asked her, "Such a big thing happened to Xiao Wuyou, why didn't you deal with it in time, and instead let her cause such a scene?"

An'an said, "Father, Wuyou is Chen Lu's eldest daughter and Su Xiaoxi's darling. If I handle it too harshly, I'm afraid they will both have objections."

"So what if you have opinions?"

Chen Pingsheng said calmly, "A huge scandal has occurred on Jingyan Island. The granddaughter of an advisory group member was raped, and the perpetrator was Chen Lu's illegitimate son. When Chu Qiuyan called me to report the situation, I only told her to handle it."

“I know about this matter; it’s caused quite a stir. Although the person who committed the crime is Chen Lu’s illegitimate son, he is still your grandson, Father. It’s understandable that the people on the island are difficult to deal with,” An’an nodded and said.

"You can't understand a damn thing."

Chen Pingsheng shook his head and said, "The existence of Jingyan Island is related to people's livelihood and tens of millions of grassroots workers. If it can be ruined by a little illegitimate child, then everyone has offspring. If problems arise with offspring, will we all turn a blind eye? If this continues, even the best system will collapse within three generations."

“An’an, don’t blame your father for not supporting you last time. It was simply impossible. If you want to maintain absolute fairness and justice on Jingyan Island, de-familialization is an inevitable trend. Even though I’ve lived to be eighty, there are still too many things I can’t do.”

"For example, the selfishness of these older generations, the interpersonal relationships in the country, and the fact that people hope their descendants can live better lives in their old age. They are all trying to arrange for their descendants to enter Tengying Group. No matter how strong Chu Qiuyan is, she cannot stop this kind of thing. We founders will eventually become evil dragons. Your father and I will never be able to solve this problem in our lives. Before I die, I will definitely make you the dean of the Economic Research Island. All you have to do is one thing, which is to eliminate all these people with connections. This will inevitably arouse everyone's anger, but it is something that must be done, and only you can do it."

Each dean can serve a maximum of two terms, which is ten years.

Chen Pingsheng had plans for his eldest daughter, but he would leave her alone for the time being, waiting until he needed her.

It will inevitably involve eliminating all those with connections on the island.

Only in this way can Jingyan Island survive for another hundred years.

It's true that every generation has its own responsibilities. Chen Pingsheng spent his entire life building the Chen family in Shanghai, and the Economic Research Island, but in his later years, everything went astray from its original course.

The five-year term for the Economic Research Island has come to an end, and Chu Qiuyan will not be chosen as the next dean.

She hasn't achieved the same level of success as Zhang Wanyi, so it's highly unlikely she'll have a chance to be re-elected.

An'an's task is to continue to endure, waiting until this cancerous tumor must be eradicated before she steps in and the Chen family purges everything on the island once again.

We must get to the root of the problem and clarify the source.

An'an asked, puzzled, "Father, now that you've discovered this problem, why don't you deal with it yourself?"

“I have dealt with this issue many times, but the greed and selfishness in people’s hearts cannot be completely eliminated. Only Zhang Wanyi and Chu Qiuyan, who have followed me from the beginning, have arranged for their descendants to go to other places.”

Chen Pingsheng said calmly, “Each generation has its own responsibilities. Your father is almost eighty years old, and in at most twenty years I will be joining your mother. At this stage, you should place more responsibility on the family and the upbringing of your descendants. Like your father, I placed more responsibility on my family in my later years. You should do the same. Any conglomerate or empire that is about to collapse will start from within. Put aside your career for now and shift all your focus to the family.”

After saying that, Chen Pingsheng closed his eyes to rest.

He was exhausted these past five years, more exhausted than ever before. Every day, he followed those old men from Shuiyunjian, running up and down to deliver money to other people's homes.

They will definitely encounter questions during this process, but they will explain them very well.

Then came the grateful thanks from others. In five years, Song Yanxi's fame had spread far and wide.

Its reputation resounded throughout the country, making it the largest charitable foundation in China.

Chen Pingsheng's responsibility ends here.

Over the next fifteen years, he will inject another 1.5 trillion yuan into this.

If, after twenty years, the Chen family's situation remains unsatisfactory...

His shares, which include a large amount of assets, will definitely be returned to society.

The Chen family should just live a life of wealth and leisure.

If future generations are not capable enough, giving them these shares and assets, which are worth over 20 trillion, would be harming them.

It would be better to leave some funds so that they can live a worry-free and comfortable life as wealthy people for ten generations.

I came from an ordinary life, and one day I will return to an ordinary life.

For the last twenty years of his life, Chen Pingsheng had only one goal: once the Chen family rose above everyone else, he would take back all of the Chen family's privileges.

Only in this way can most people live better lives.

Is it better to sacrifice the happiness of one family for the happiness of millions, or to destroy one family to bring small happiness to tens of millions of ordinary families?

Twenty years from now, there will surely be a new answer.

Chen Pingsheng only needs to wait quietly; he is too old to care about anything anymore.

They no longer want to interfere in family or business affairs.

(End of this chapter)