Mixed in 1980

Chapter 456 Proposal
Guilin, Yanshan Town!

After communication between the two sides, a date has been set for November 16th for the marriage proposal. The Lu family is currently selecting a candidate to propose marriage.

Lu's father, Lu's mother, Lu Yan, and Li Yuedong, plus Lu You and two children, make a total of seven people. They need to find one more to make an even number.

"How about I don't go?" Li Yuedong suggested.

Lu's mother rolled her eyes at her son-in-law: "Yan Yin specifically called to ask you two to bring the child along, how can you not go?"

"Should we call on the eldest brother?" Li Yuedong asked again.

Mother Lu hurriedly shook her head: "Last time Yan Yin came over, the two of them were able to openly undermine him. Asking him to propose marriage would only cause more trouble."

Mr. Lu took out a cigarette and handed it to his son-in-law: "We can't let him go. If he goes there and finds out how rich Yan Yin's family is, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause."

He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag: "After I get back, I'll talk to Cao Ning about it. Those two might try to take advantage of Yan Yin."

“That makes sense,” Li Yuedong agreed.

Li Yuedong was also at a loss as to what to do with his brother-in-law and his wife. When he got married, they kept insisting that he would give them a dowry of 38 yuan.

Fortunately, the father-in-law and mother-in-law were reasonable and, in accordance with custom, symbolically gave 6.6 yuan, but were very generous with the dowry, including all the household appliances.

The remaining money was also left to Lu Yan.

That's why Li Yuedong is always happy to help his father-in-law whenever there's something going on at home.

When Lu You went to university, his wife secretly did odd jobs and sent money to her younger brother. Li Yuedong pretended not to know, and would even slip some money into Lu You's bag every time school started.

"Let's find your maternal uncle!" Lu Yan suggested.

Lu's mother nodded and said, "I'll ask your eldest uncle and youngest uncle tomorrow to see if they're free. It'll take several days to get there."

The Lu family was busy looking for people, while the Chen family was busy relocating.

Fortunately, the family had many bodyguards, and they all came to help. It took them a day to move everything to courtyard number 17, and the renovation of courtyard number 16 officially began.

Chen Yanjin's injuries have healed.

Having just recovered, I'm busy again, heading to the hotel in Xinghuo No. 2 Building, where the Xinghuo Investment inspection team is staying.

"Aunt Wenya, what were the results of the investigation?"

Zhou Wenya opened her laptop and showed a PowerPoint presentation: "Take a look at the report first. There are two railway lines. I prefer to invest in the Meng-Hua line."

The Meng-Hua Railway is a railway specifically designed for transporting coal mines. It is expected to be 1800 kilometers long. There is still room for profit in freight transport routes like this.

For a long time, almost all domestic coal transport railway lines have been profitable, while passenger railways have been almost entirely unprofitable.

Zhou Wenya believes that the Meng-Hua line is worth investing in.

As for the Sichuan-Tibet line, let's forget about it. Not only is it a passenger railway, but it's also very long, making construction extremely difficult and requiring a huge investment.

After reading the report, Chen Yanjin took out a cigarette, lit it, and didn't finish it until he said, "Aunt Wenya, contact the people I'm in contact with. I need to communicate with them personally."

Zhou Wenya agreed, then narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, "You're not planning to give up on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway?"

Chen Yanjin nodded slightly.

Investing in large-scale infrastructure projects requires not only economic benefits but also political benefits. A balance needs to be struck between the two, and the goal should be to break even in the end.

If it can be profitable, that would be even better.

There are two railway lines, one profitable and one unprofitable, and a balance needs to be struck between them; all of this is negotiable.

Subsidies should also be provided from above.

The significance of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, in particular, lies not only in its profitability, but also in its political and military considerations, as well as its role in boosting the economy along the route. Subsidizing it is therefore entirely reasonable.

Chen Yanjin began to frequently contact his superiors. After returning home, he told Chen Fan about the matter, and Chen Fan was somewhat surprised: "I thought you wouldn't do a losing business."

"We didn't lose money!" Chen Yanjin said with a smile.

Investing in the Sichuan-Tibet route is highly likely to be a losing proposition. Unless the economic model changes significantly in 50 years, there is almost no chance of breaking even.

But it can be made up for from the Mongolia-China Railway.

"Having the courage is the key; just go for it."

With his father's approval, Chen Yanjin accelerated the negotiation process and finally completed the negotiations on November 10, followed by a signing ceremony.

This is Chen Yanjin's first appearance on television.

Therefore, Chen Yanjin specially had makeup done to make certain adjustments to her appearance, making her look somewhat different from her daily life.

The news appeared on CCTV!
The Meng-Hua Railway has a total length of 1800 kilometers and a total investment of 2000 billion yuan. Xinghuo Investment will invest 980 billion yuan and hold 49% of the shares.

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway has a total length of 1838 kilometers and a total investment of 3600 billion yuan. Xinghuo Investment will contribute 1080 billion yuan and hold a 30% stake.

Xinghuo Investment has invested a total of 2060 billion yuan.

"Holy crap, that's way too rich!"

"Spark Investment, Chen Yanjin, isn't that the financial tycoon who caused a stir by dealing with Wu Feifan last time? He's damn rich."

"Hilarious, this guy calls himself a financial tycoon?"

"Investing in the Sichuan-Tibet Highway is a guaranteed way to lose money, so it's not a profitable route. Even financial giants can suffer a major setback on it."

"Capital has been manipulated by those above!"

"That's possible. Those who know, know. The pig's too fat; everyone wants a piece of it." ...

Within a short period of time, public opinion erupted online.

Conspiracy theories have even emerged.

Little did people know that Chen Yanjin had conducted a rigorous assessment and concluded that the Sichuan-Tibet Railway would not be profitable for the next 50 years, while the Meng-Hua Railway had a large profit potential.

It is estimated that the Meng-Hua line will recover its costs within 30 years, and within 50 years, the profits from the Meng-Hua line will be enough to recover the investment in the Sichuan-Tibet line.

The operating rights are for 99 years!
It was profitable for the next 49 years; it's just that the return cycle was long, not that it was a losing proposition.

Moreover, the biggest benefit of this investment is the political dividend it brings; many wealthy people in mainland China were collectively silenced upon seeing this news.

Don't even think about getting involved with Xinghuo Investment. Their name is directly listed there. If a conflict arises, you'll definitely get punished if you're in the wrong.

While having dinner, Sun Shaojie looked at his daughter-in-law and said, "Your younger brother is quite capable. He has a lot of guts and the same style as your father back in the day."

Chen Yanxi laughed and said, "The second one is indeed capable!"

"You're not being modest on his behalf at all."

Sun Shaojie smiled and shook his head: "Back then, your father said that you shouldn't ask for too much in your generation. Just be able to protect the family business."

"One generation pioneers, the next generation maintains."

"It has always been this way. Your family has been expanding outwards for two generations, which is rare among business families today."

“Look at the second generation of those big families in Hong Kong. They are far inferior to their fathers. Many of them have turned to collecting rent to make a living, seeking a stable income.”

"Many second-generation descendants in mainland China are like this: one generation earns money, and the next generation enjoys it. There are not many who are truly outstanding and can be like their parents."

"Yan Jin, on the other hand, is indeed capable!"

After hearing her father-in-law's evaluation, Chen Yanxi smiled. The second child was indeed different; he was a genius, from childhood to adulthood.

With him at the helm, the Chen family's future is secure.

A few days later, Cao Ning came to her husband's house again: "Mom, you really are something. You didn't even tell me beforehand that you were going to the capital to propose marriage."

“No matter how busy we are, we won’t hesitate at a time like this. We’re leaving tomorrow, right? We’ll take a day off and go together. You guys book the tickets.”

Upon hearing this, Lu's mother's lips twitched.

Am I taking you guys to sabotage things? Anyone can see through my intentions; I clearly just want to go to Beijing for fun and came here specifically to freeload on a plane ticket.

The last time the elderly couple went to Beijing, their eldest son and his wife wanted to go with them. They had a very good idea, but they didn't want to spend a single penny.

But the plane tickets were booked by the youngest son!
After discussing it with Lu Yan, we booked the plane tickets before informing the elderly couple, otherwise they would never have been willing to spend money to go to Beijing for fun.

"Sister-in-law, the number of people has been decided."

Lu Yan frowned and touched her nose: "According to Yan Yin's custom, eight people are required to come to propose marriage: six adults and two children."

Lu's mother quickly said, "That's right, the people have already been booked. You two have to go to work, and taking time off will result in a deduction in your wages. It's not worth it."

"Proposing marriage isn't a big deal; it's when you two put in the effort that you'll be doing the wedding planning."

Cao Ning frowned slightly: "Mom, as the older brother and sister-in-law, wouldn't it be inappropriate for us not to go? How about we change the tickets, and Yanzi and Yuedong don't have to go?"

Lu's mother gritted her teeth inwardly.

When Yan Yin first came to our door, she asked you two to come and make an appearance, why didn't you two come? Now you want to go to the capital, do you know you're the older brother and sister-in-law?
"Yanzi has to take care of the child. Alright, the staff has already been decided. If you want to help, we're still short of pastry boxes and fruit boxes. Why don't you go and buy some?"

Cao Ning immediately said, "We need to buy fresh pastries and fruits. If we bring them from home, they might spoil. Let's buy them in the capital."

After saying that, she pulled her husband away.

Mother Lu shook her head in disdain. Compared to Yan Yin, her eldest daughter-in-law was truly beneath her. She only thought about taking advantage of others but was unwilling to spend a single penny.

She was used to it and didn't find it strange.

After packing their things, everyone rested early. The next day, they boarded a plane and arrived in the capital at noon. As they came out of the arrival gate, Lu You was already waiting for them.

After exchanging pleasantries, Lu You led everyone to the car. The car and driver were arranged by Chen Yanyin, as was the hotel, where they stayed in the presidential suite of Xinghuo No. 2 Building.

Lu Yan looked around, her lips twitching slightly: "Xiao You, why did you arrange such a nice hotel? How much does it cost for one night?"

Lu You chuckled, "It was arranged by Yan Yin."

Lu Yan sighed, "It's too much trouble for her. She'll only stay one night. We'll move out tomorrow and find a small hotel."

Lu You nodded and said, "We won't be staying at a hotel tomorrow. Yan Yin has already prepared a courtyard right next to her house, which will make it more convenient for us to go out and have fun these next few days."

Live at home, no money required!
Lu Yan nodded slightly and began to pack her things: "The rest of the things have been bought. You can go and buy a pastry box and a fruit box later."

Lu You nodded in agreement.

The next morning at nine o'clock, everyone came down from the hotel, bringing their luggage with them, and put it directly in the trunk of the car. They would move to the courtyard house after the marriage proposal was completed.

The car stopped in Ya'er Hutong. Lu Yan was a little surprised: "When we came over just now, the hutongs over there were very lively. Why is it so deserted here?"

Lu You touched his nose: "This alley has been bought by the Yan family. There has been no commercial development, and very few tourists come here to play."

Lu Yan smiled wryly, "I've learned something new!"
As Lu Yan took the gifts out of the car and was about to go inside, Chen Yanyin and a man came out to greet her. Lu Yan felt that they looked familiar, as if she had seen them on the news.

(End of this chapter)