Mixed in 1980

Chapter 540 Glory Belongs to Ye Wan
My brain is about to explode.

Xu Jinqiu has never been as annoyed by children as she is now. She took good care of her five children back then, and they all grew up to be successful.

Twelve, but not the same concept.

When they get together, they're like twelve little devils; even with a private tutor, there's never a moment of peace.

"Boss, when are you coming back?"

When Chen Yanxi called her eldest daughter, she quickly replied, "Second Aunt, I'll be back in a few days. Thank you for your hard work these next few days. Bye-bye!"

She then called her other children, giving the same answer each time. Xu Jinqiu suspected that the siblings had conspired together to do so.

"These little bastards!"

She cursed angrily, and seeing that Zhao Yuanyuan was about to sneak out, Xu Jinqiu quickly shouted, "Zhao Yuanyuan, if you dare to leave today, don't blame me for dealing with you."

Zeng Ali was quicker, grabbing Zhao Yuanyuan's ear and demanding, "Where are you going?"

"I just want to go out for some fresh air."

Zhao Yuanyuan pleaded for mercy, then chuckled and said, "How about we change our approach and organize a tour group for a trip around the outskirts of Beijing?"

"Hire a few more tour guides," Xu Jinqiu nodded.

Zhao Yuanyuan immediately agreed and quickly arranged for several tour guides, bodyguards, and nannies to accompany the children, ensuring that each child had at least one caregiver.

After a week of playing, the children gradually returned home.

Excluding the second child's family.

Chen Lao Er arrived in Hong Kong with his two wives. Instead of rushing to work, he asked Zhou Wenya to send him a copy of the data on the US stocks they held.

The three of them began to make plans.

"That's too much!" Ye Wan exclaimed in surprise.

Her personality is very similar to Xu Jinqiu's; she only cares about her own affairs and rarely interferes in the company's business.

I couldn't muster any interest either.

If she enjoyed managing a company, she wouldn't have taken over the foundation in the first place. Zeng Ali and Zhao Yuanyuan both wanted to hand over the business to her.

Other industries can also be chosen.

In contrast, foundations are more interesting, as they rarely concern themselves with investment projects.

Looking at it now, I was really startled.

Just like Apple, whose market value was only over $3000 billion ten years ago, it has soared to over $3 trillion today.

The increase was nearly tenfold.

Take Nvidia for example. Ten years ago, its market value was over 100 billion US dollars. This year, its market value has exceeded 3.7 trillion US dollars, an increase of more than 300 times.

Similar tech giants all own a large number of stocks, which they bought a long time ago.

"When Dad wanted to divide the family property last year, our family's investments in the US stock market could have cashed out nearly 2000 billion US dollars. The current figure is probably more than that, right?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lao Er nodded slightly: "That data is from more than a year ago. The increase has been particularly large in the last year or so, especially for high-tech companies."

"Like Nvidia, its market value was $1.2 trillion at the beginning of the year, and now it's $3.7 million."

"We didn't do anything."

At this point, Chen Lao Er couldn't help but sigh, "I can't help it, God just keeps feeding me, I can't refuse. I'm really helpless."

"Stop showing off," Ye Wan said reproachfully.

Chen Lao Er chuckled and said, "It's just the truth. I never dreamed that tech stocks would skyrocket in the last two years. It's like picking up money for free."

Ye Wan smiled, unable to refute.

"It's estimated that prices will rise further in the next year, but that won't affect us much."

The following day, Chen Lao Er went to the company and issued his first instruction: "Sell 10% of your US stocks this month, and sell 10% every month thereafter until you have sold everything."

I'm done playing, I'm leaving!

Chen Lao Er wields absolute authority in the company, and his orders are never questionable.

Just like Chen Fan.

Around the same time, news came from the US that Warren Buffett was also cashing out and leaving the market, cashing out $750 billion from Apple in August alone.

They also reduced their bank stock holdings, cashing out nearly 70 billion yuan.

Such a large-scale operation could not be kept secret. The media chased after the two for interviews. Cashing out amidst a booming stock market was a mysterious move.

"I have an investment that I urgently need cash for."

Chen Lao Er's answer was very simple. He didn't mention what project it was or how much funding it required, and no one could get him to give a straight answer.

Their actions did not cause panic.

US stocks are still rising.

Such a huge market won't stop falling just because two people cash out, especially since their answers are either asset restructuring or project investment.

When Hong Kong's allies came to inquire, Chen Lao Er vaguely mentioned, "We are preparing to go back to the mainland to carry out large-scale infrastructure projects, which require a lot of funds."

The meaning is already clear.

Whether others listen or not is their business. Chen Lao Er won't concern himself with other people's affairs. Besides, the US stock market is still rising, so it's unreasonable for others to sell off their shares.

Who's responsible for the losses?
The wisest course of action is to remain silent and indifferent.

Only when Li Hongying asked did Chen Lao Er truthfully confess: "US stocks will definitely continue to rise, but our family has already decided to withdraw."

"I can't see the future clearly, and I'm not confident."

When Li Hongying returned home, she instructed Gu Xiaoxiao to sell her US stocks. Since the 1980s, her family had always followed the Chen family in the financial market.

The Chen family withdrew, and so did our own.

As for whether the stock price will rise further, who cares? We've already made enough money. Cashing out is what we get; otherwise, we're just a bunch of stocks.

Gu Xiaoxiao acted decisively, ordering the sale of all the US stocks she held that same day.

The overall environment is too complex and constantly changing.

I feel more at ease carrying cash.

As for Chen Lao Er's return to the mainland to engage in infrastructure projects, Gu Xiaoxiao had no interest whatsoever. The infrastructure projects undertaken by the Chen family had too long a return cycle, so it was better to keep the cash on hand.

Chen Lao Er stayed in Hong Kong for several months.

The cash-out targets for August and September have been met, with a total of $780 billion cashed out.

When the news reached China, it was widely reported by the media, and people couldn't help but marvel at the Chen family's wealth, as the richest man in China only had a fortune of 3500 billion yuan.

It's not as much as Chen Lao Er cashed out.

In October and November, Spark Investment cashed out another $810 billion.

“He cashed out $1590 billion in four months, all in cash. No wonder Chen Laosi didn’t even blink before taking out 7 million yuan to hold a celebration.”

"It's just a drop in the ocean!"

"Do wealthy people make money in the hundreds of millions?"

"No wonder some people say that the rich will only get richer and the poor will only get poorer."

"Stop being so sour. The Chen family makes money abroad and spends it at home. Since the 1980s, they have been working hard to make money abroad and investing heavily in infrastructure in China."

"Don't nitpick about the Chen family."

"Charity and infrastructure investment, don't you have any idea how much you've invested? The fact that Chen Fan and Teacher Xu each received a July 1st Medal speaks volumes."

"How long has the Liyuan Charity Foundation been established? How much money has it spent, and how many people has it helped?"

"And Chen Xiaowu too!"

"Chen Xiaowu's green food company is a truly conscientious enterprise. It creates millions of jobs, but its profits are not as good as those of companies with tens of thousands of employees. There is no way to criticize it."

……

Looking at the comments section of Douyin, Chen Lao Er once again deeply realized the importance of a good reputation.

They're all wealthy, but some walk on eggshells, afraid of being found out, while others secretly transfer assets. Unlike us, who live openly and honestly.

And it doesn't annoy people.

Upon returning to Beijing in November, Chen Lao Er went to see his brother-in-law first: "Brother-in-law, I asked you a long time ago if you had any suitable large-scale infrastructure projects, and how long have they been delayed?"

"Where am I supposed to find projects for you?"

Sun Haoran scratched his head: "It's not difficult to start a project worth tens or hundreds of billions, but what were you thinking, starting with hundreds of billions of US dollars?"

That's one trillion yuan!

"Where am I supposed to get you a trillion-dollar project? Tibet is planning a hydropower project, which is worth trillions of dollars, and private companies can't get involved."

"Don't you know our country? Large-scale hydropower projects are all handled by state-owned enterprises. Back then, our family was able to invest in the Ertan Hydropower Station simply because the country didn't have enough money and lacked foreign exchange."

"This kind of good thing only happens once."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lao Er grinned and said, "I don't care. I just don't believe that I can take the money and not give you the project. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"Whose father are you talking to?" Chen Yanxi narrowed his eyes.

Chen Lao Er was too embarrassed to speak.

Chen Yanxi snorted. The second brother is a real troublemaker. If you don't keep an eye on him, he'll cause trouble for his brother-in-law too. He bullied Sun Haoran a lot when they were kids.

"Sis, we're talking about serious matters."

Chen Lao Er smiled and said, "This investment in infrastructure is something all of us brothers and sisters are involved in. You should also urge your brother-in-law to pay more attention."

"You just bully your brother-in-law."

Glaring at her younger brother, Chen Yanxi looked at her husband and said, "Didn't the higher-ups say they were going to take big steps to boost the economy through large-scale infrastructure projects? Aren't there any suitable projects?"

Sun Haoran shook his head slightly: "We can't get involved in water and electricity. The rest are municipal projects, water conservancy projects, and rural road widening projects, all of which are non-profit projects."

I'll go ask about it in a couple of days.

"If money comes in to invest, especially in infrastructure, the higher-ups will definitely welcome it. We can negotiate with both sides and find suitable projects."

"Hurry up!" Chen Lao Er reminded him.

Chen Yanxi chased him away; if he continued talking, her husband would become her errand boy.

Chen Lao Er wasn't annoyed.

I went straight home to be with my children. After being away for several months, the children were very resentful and kept bothering me for days on end.

Xu Jinqiu was also annoyed when she saw this, and scolded the three of them. Then all three of them ran out: "Be careful, or the children won't recognize you."

Chen Lao Er quickly put on a forced smile.

The Ye sisters, Ye Wan and Ye Ling, were also embarrassed. It was indeed excessive for the three of them to leave together. But then again, not having to worry about the children must have been very comfortable.

The two sisters are thinking that they can come back again next year.

If Xu Jinqiu knew, she would probably be furious.

They're all heartless.

After resting at home for a while, the end of the month arrived in the blink of an eye. To make up for the children's loss, Chen Lao Er and Ye Wan took their four children to the Taklamakan Desert.

The desert border protection project is now fully completed!

Starting in the 1980s, relying on the Three-North Shelterbelt System, the project lasted for more than 40 years and reached a total length of 3046 kilometers.

By fixing sand dunes with straw checkerboards and planting drought-resistant plants, the project was successfully completed, forming a green barrier around the desert.

This is a great project that has attracted worldwide attention.

The Hsu Chin-Chiu Charitable Foundation officially joined the project in 2015, and after nine years of history, it has left its mark on this great undertaking.

This section is named: Spark Greening Project Area.

She retains the name "Ye Wan".

When the project was officially announced as completed, Ye Wan stood in front of the giant stone carving of the "Spark Greening Project Area" and couldn't help but burst into tears.

Nine whole years!

How many nine-year periods are there in a lifetime?
The foundation was handed over to me, and I spent nine years working on this project. Now I finally have some achievements to show for myself.

She cried for a while, then burst into laughter.

She laughed and then started crying again, hugging her husband and muttering incessantly, so much so that even Chen Lao Er couldn't understand what she was saying.

This scene was filmed by an employee.

It was quickly posted on Douyin (TikTok), and while the official media was promoting it on a large scale, people realized that the Chen family was also doing this.

And the investment is huge!
"Some people used to complain that the Chen family makes a lot of money. Come out and show yourselves, and I'll kick you to death."

"The Xu Jinqiu Charitable Foundation has released data showing that it has invested a total of 243 billion yuan in the Taklamakan Desert border protection project over nine years."

Who can do it?

"I feel sorry for Ye Wan. Teacher Xu's brilliance is too overwhelming. As his successor, she has always lived in Teacher Xu's shadow. Finally, she has the opportunity to prove herself."

"Ye Wan's name is already engraved there."

"No matter how much time passes, Ye Wan's name will never be erased. Just like Teacher Xu said, each generation does its own thing."

"This is Ye Wan's moment of glory."

……

The comments section was filled with all sorts of comments, giving Ye Wan extremely high praise. Ye Wan even recorded a video, which was posted by the Xu Jinqiu Charity Foundation's account.

The video is very short, with only one sentence: "Goal: To turn the Taklamakan Desert green!"

The video sparked a huge reaction after it was released.

From that day on, Ye Wan no longer had to live in Xu Jinqiu's shadow, and when others mentioned her, they would no longer say that she was Teacher Xu's successor.

She is Ye Wan!
They have made their own unique contributions.

"Wanwan, congratulations!"

Xu Jinqiu playfully pinched her daughter-in-law's cheek: "From now on, your name will be linked to that desert."

Ye Wan nodded slightly: "Thank you, Mom!"

"Why thank me? You did a great job, and Mom is proud of you."

He hugged his daughter-in-law, then turned to his son and said, "What are you standing there for? Get up and make arrangements for a celebration banquet in three days."

"Invite all your relatives, friends, corporate executives, and business partners."

"And all the staff of the foundation."

"Including retirees."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lao Er was about to go and do it, but Ye Wan stopped him: "Mom, this is too high-profile. It's better to celebrate at home."

"What's wrong with being high-profile? Good things aren't afraid of being high-profile."

Xu Jinqiu quickly shook her head: "Our family used to be low-key because we didn't want to affect our lives. Now that we've already publicized it, there's nothing wrong with being a little high-profile."

As she spoke, she glared at her son: "Hurry up and go."

Chen Lao Er quickly complied, inviting not only relatives and friends, corporate executives, and business partners, but also reporters from official media and even Douyin bloggers specializing in charity.

On this day, glory belonged to Ye Wan.

If Ye Wan persists in doing one thing for ten or twenty years, there is a good chance that she can bring back a July 1st Medal of Honor for her family.

This is also what my family expects.

Chen Lao Er muttered to himself that to accomplish this, he needed to stir up another fire and further amplify Ye Wan's influence.

"We need to think of a way." Chen Lao Er closed his eyes and pondered carefully.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, which gleamed with a sharp light: "Then let's do something big, just like a major infrastructure project."

(End of this chapter)