Mixed in 1980

Chapter 541 Damn Attitude
"Is there any news about what the second brother inquired about?"

Chen Yanxi took a comb and quickly smoothed Xiao Mihu's hair, tying it into a double ponytail: "Let's go play at Grandpa's house."

After his youngest daughter left, Sun Haoran shook his head: "Not so fast. Such a large investment requires a lot of research and verification."

"The second child is still too much of a troublemaker."

"With such a large amount of cash being withdrawn at once, it would be very difficult to find a place for these funds, not only in China but also globally."

"1590 billion US dollars."

“That’s only 40%!” Chen Yanxi emphasized.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Since the subprime mortgage crisis broke out in 07, our dad has been investing in US stocks. The second son has been making a lot of moves over the years, and that's how the scale has grown to this size."

Sun Haoran shook his head slightly: "If all else fails, just put it in the bank and earn interest."

Chen Yanxi glared at her husband: "Don't you know what Dad thinks? He's been pessimistic about the US dollar since the 1990s. He feels uncomfortable if he doesn't spend it."

"If all else fails, we'll have to buy overseas assets."

“There’s always a suitable one. It doesn’t have to be just one project; you can invest in multiple projects together,” Sun Haoran hurriedly advised.

Money is scarce everywhere these days, and with large sums of money coming in, who would be willing to turn it away?

Chen Lao Er mentioned that all the funds cashed out from the US stock market would be used for investment, which would be a huge investment of hundreds of billions of US dollars.

Last year, only 1.1 trillion yuan of foreign investment was introduced.

As the couple were chatting, Chen Lao Er came to their door. Sun Haoran explained, "The project has already started discussions, and we should have a conclusion soon."

"We still have to do it."

Chen Lao Er sat down casually and asked his eldest sister to pour him a cup of tea: "I was just thinking about a project, investing in the photovoltaic industry."

"Can solar power satisfy you?" Sun Haoran scoffed.

The largest photovoltaic power station in China at present has an investment of just over 10 billion yuan, while Chen Lao Er will consume hundreds of billions of US dollars.

"As long as it's big enough."

The children weren't home, so Chen Lao Er took out a cigarette and lit it: "Spread out around the Taklamakan Desert, and keep laying it inwards."

"It not only helps build power stations, but also contributes to desertification control."

"The payback period for desert photovoltaic projects is also quite good; it takes about ten years to break even."

"For Wanwan, right?" Sun Haoran narrowed his eyes.

Chen Lao Er nodded and said, "Wanwan is one thing, and on the other hand, it provides a place for funds to go, and the rate of return is not bad, so it can be considered a win-win situation."

Sun Haoran asked him for a cigarette and lit it: "The current electricity supply is sufficient, but with the development of the AI ​​industry, there will be a huge power shortage in the future, so photovoltaics are still a viable option."

How much are you planning to invest?

Chen Lao Er held up one finger, and Sun Haoran was slightly surprised: "Investing such a large amount can drive the entire photovoltaic industry chain."

What's the point of playing around?

Chen Lao Er took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke: "Our family's current situation is very clear. We have too many businesses, and if we diversify our investments further, we simply can't manage them all."

Sun Haoran flicked his cigarette ash and nodded slightly.

Chen Lao Er joked, "Why don't you persuade your wife? Take over two companies and leave them to Liu Jin Liu and Xiao Mi Hu."

"Chen Lao Er!" Chen Yanxi gritted his teeth.

Sun Haoran smiled and joked, "I can't persuade you, and I don't dare to. Why don't you try?"

Chen Lao Er quickly shook his head, saying he didn't dare either.

He flicked his cigarette ash and stood up: "Help me get a heads-up that the photovoltaic project is just one part of it; the other projects need to be implemented as soon as possible."

"Don't worry." Sun Haoran nodded.

After Chen Lao Er went out, he said to his wife, "Lao Er has great courage. This way, the problem of overcapacity in photovoltaic production can be solved."

"He doesn't have much courage, and he's not fit to be in charge of the family."

Chen Yanxi raised the corners of his mouth, his expression slightly proud: "The third and fifth sons are not bad either, but compared to the second son, they are a bit lacking."

"This generation is lucky to have a second child."

“Look at Hong Kong, the first generation of founders are either dead or retired, and those in power are mostly the second or third generation, and each generation is worse than the last.”

"Many have withdrawn from the core business circle."

"Unlike our family, the second son not only didn't just maintain the status quo, but also developed very rapidly."

"Xiao Wu is not bad either."

"The supermarket in Chinatown is operating stably, and the green food company, though only moderately profitable, has created millions of jobs."

"The third one stands out the least."

"But his company is the riskiest. It's a high-tech industry, and things change every year. Feixing mobile phones have never fallen behind and have always been at the forefront."

“He was able to stay calm and lead his company through the years when he was sanctioned by the US. This year he even developed his own chip, which is already very impressive.”

After listening to his wife's story, Sun Haoran had to admit that none of his three brothers-in-law were easy to deal with.

In business, they're all ruthless.

The most magnanimous third brother was just as tough in front of the powerful Mei, showing no sign of yielding. His motto to the outside world was: You fight your way, I'll fight mine.

Ignoring the clamor of the powerful and influential, they firmly controlled the pace and gradually emerged from the predicament.

"Uncle, Second Uncle, are you cleaning the fish?"

Chen Lao Er went to courtyard number 15, where Xu Jinzhao and Xu Jinxia were busy working.

Seeing him come in, Xu Jinxia stopped what she was doing: "Your grandpa went fishing this morning, and well, he didn't catch a single big fish, just small whitebait."

"They said they wanted to deep-fry it, to have with drinks at noon."

"It's perfect that you're here. Have a few drinks with your three grandfathers at noon."

Chen Lao Er quickly shook his head: "Forget it, if I really drink it, my mom will tear me apart."

"Your mother's always causing trouble," Xu Changqing scoffed.

The second son shrank his neck, not daring to respond. This was a dangerous situation; if he said even one wrong word, he would either be scolded by his grandfather or his mother.

My grandfather started practicing health preservation in the 1980s, and now in his eighties, he is still in very good health.

As I get older, my thoughts change.

Grandpa often said that at this age, you should eat well, drink well, and die well. While you can still move around, you should enjoy life as much as possible.

He smokes and drinks, without fail.

My mother doesn't think that way. She just hopes her parents live to be a hundred years old, so that when she's eighty, she can still go back to her parents' home to see them. That would be so wonderful.

They even argued about it several times.

"You just don't appreciate what you have. Qiu'er will scold you later."

Li Xiuzhen came out, scolded her husband, and then looked at her grandson: "Don't mind your grandpa. He's just a child, that's the kind of person we're talking about."

Chen Lao Er chuckled awkwardly and chatted with the two elders for a while. He was forced to stay at noon to have some drinks with his three maternal grandfathers and several uncles.

After the banquet ended, they got down to business: "Uncles, are you interested in getting into the photovoltaic industry?"

"We've all retired."

Xu Jinxia rolled her eyes at her nephew and teased, "If we're going to talk about serious matters, let's talk to your cousins."

Chen Lao Er joked, "Do you think those guys can get past you? If it's something important, you're the ones who have to make the decisions, so it's better to come to you."

Xu Jinxia laughed and said, "Be careful your cousins ​​beat you up. Tell me, why are you suddenly talking about the photovoltaic industry? Your family has some."

It refers to Hong Kong Electric.

Hong Kong Electric has invested heavily in mainland China, including wind power and solar power, and has also invested in many related supporting enterprises.

It's basically about keeping the good stuff within the family.

The purpose of our visit today is the same: there will be a large investment in the future, which will drive the entire industry chain.

The uncle's family acquired and invested in related companies. The photovoltaic industry chain mainly includes six core segments: silicon material, silicon wafers, solar cells, module packaging, system integration, and power plant operation, covering the entire process from raw materials to end applications.

The market is very large.

After the entire plan was explained, Xu Jinzhao, Xu Jinxia, ​​and Zhao Pengyu all agreed, but Zeng Tuqiang showed absolutely no interest.

He's an old professor, and he's always focused on research.

There's no need to go into business.

Zeng Tuqiang married Chen Yi, and the Chen family's assets will be divided among them, just like Chen Yanxi and Chen Yanyin, so they don't need to worry about anything else.

Zeng Ali often teased Chen Fan.

When he was young, Chen Fan disliked Zeng Tuqiang. As a result, Zeng Tuqiang stole from his home and even took a share of his family property. How did Chen Fan feel about this?

"That's for Xiaoyi!"

Chen Fan scratched his head repeatedly and started scolding his wife: "That Zeng Tuqiang, even if you give him money, do you think he'll spend it? He should just stick to teaching."

Zeng Ali would laugh uncontrollably every time.

All the husband could do was talk the talk.

They used to treat Zeng Tuqiang like a Japanese devil, but after the young couple got married, they couldn't do anything about it. Xiao Yi'er was his Achilles' heel.

And Zhang Xiaoxi.

Chen Fan truly cherishes the two girls like the apples of his eye.

"Are you going to split up Hong Kong Electric's shares?"

After listening to his second brother's idea, Chen Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. He had never thought of splitting up a monopolistic company like Hong Kong Electric.

It's meant to be left to the second son as a family fortune.

“Since we’re going to invest in the photovoltaic industry anyway, instead of setting up a new company, why not just use Hong Kong Electric and distribute the shares?” Chen Lao Er replied.

Chen Fan frowned: "If you're willing to part with it, how do you plan to divide it?"

"Look at you!" Chen Lao Er said with a smile.

Chen Fan took out a cigarette, lit it, and said after smoking half of it, "You take the big share, Xiao Yi, Xiao Xi, and the eldest, third, fourth, and fifth brothers take the small share."

"The six of them each take 6%."

"The remaining 64% is yours."

“This is way too far off,” Chen Lao Er grinned.

Chen Fan shook his head slightly: "This is how we divide the money within our family. No matter how much money we have, it's only useful if we can hold onto it. That's all they're capable of."

"You'll have to separate from the family in the future too."

"Four kids, find one to take the lead. If you dare to split the spoils equally, I'll beat you to death."

Seeing that his son was about to speak, Chen Fan waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, go do your own thing and don't get in my way."

After her son left, Xu Jinqiu said, "Couldn't you have talked to your son properly?"

"I still want to punch him," Chen Fan snorted.

He flicked off his cigarette ash and took another deep drag: "Damn it, I'm worried he'll try to split everything equally later. I have to keep an eye on him."

"Can't you see that?"

Xu Jinqiu waved her hand, fanning away the smoke: "The second brother is considering the bond between his brothers and sisters and is too embarrassed to ask for too much. He wouldn't do that to his own child."

Chen Lao Er scoffed, "What's there to worry about? It would only make me, as the father, seem unfair."

"Why didn't we distribute the resources equally back then?"

"The point is to establish a main lineage. Only when the main lineage is strong and powerful enough can it protect others."

"Why would I bother if it weren't for this?"

Xu Jinqiu smiled bitterly and stopped defending her son.

Given the family's circumstances, even a small share would amount to a fortune that could last several lifetimes, so none of the siblings felt resentful.

But it's normal for the second child to feel some psychological burden since they took the lion's share.

The fact that he feels no guilt only shows that he has no affection for his brothers and sisters, which is why Chen Fan wouldn't give him the lion's share.

Taking more than you are subject to consequences.

With a sigh, Xu Jinqiu got up and called Zeng Ali and Zhao Yuanyuan to go back to her parents' home. The three old men had drunk quite a bit at noon, and she needed to talk to them.

At such an advanced age, he still doesn't know how to settle down.

Eat when you're supposed to eat, drink when you're supposed to drink, die when you're supposed to die... I don't know what they're thinking. Life is so good now, wouldn't it be better to live a few more years?

"It's not always a good thing for children to be too filial."

Watching his three daughters-in-law leave, Chen Musheng couldn't help but shake his head. He also wanted to have a good drink, but his own daughter was more difficult to deal with.

Chen Min lived at home and was provided with three meals a day.

Xiao Yi lives next door and is also a chatterbox. If she has a few drinks, she can talk for half an hour straight after she gets back.

"Having had too many good days, has it damaged your brain?"

Guan Yuemei sneered and said sarcastically, "Look at other families, how many children are by their side, and they have grandchildren, and even more than a dozen great-grandchildren."

"I'm definitely going to live a few more years."

"I still have to live a long life so that my great-grandchildren can get married and I can have a bunch of great-great-grandchildren. Five generations under one roof, I'll be laughing in my dreams."

"Then you'd have to live like a turtle," Chen Musheng laughed.

Guan Yuemei retorted angrily, "You're just being a busybody. How much good fortune does a person have to have five generations living under one roof? I'm determined to live another twenty years."

Chen Musheng just pursed his lips.

That old woman really dares to dream. If she lives for another twenty years, she'll be over a hundred years old. Wouldn't she really become an old turtle?
At my age, I should have let go of these things long ago.

I've experienced both poverty and wealth in this life; I've endured all the hardships and enjoyed all the blessings I was meant to have. What more could I ask for?

At this age, you have to live each day to the fullest.

My son is right. Living too long is useless. The happiest thing is to be healthy and free from illness and disaster when you get old, and to close your eyes and leave this world.

While we still have the energy, let's keep experimenting.

Chen Musheng tidied up his fishing gear and called his son to go fishing by the river. If they caught a big fish, his son would have to help them play it.

I'm too tired to walk anymore.

Nowadays, fishing strategies are different; people prefer to fish for small whitebait and bitterling, while fishing for big fish is a thing of the past.

I'm not looking for big fish, it's not like I've never fished before.

When I was in my forties or fifties, my son arranged many fishing trips to the sea. I even caught tuna weighing two or three hundred pounds. Those fish were really exciting.

The father and son returned from fishing in the evening.

The three daughters-in-law had returned. Seeing that they had brought back two or three pounds of fried pork, their lips twitched slightly. Could it be that they also wanted to deep-fry it?

"Drinking is fine, but one glass at most!"

Chen Min walked over and set the tone: the old man shouldn't be spoiled; if we don't keep an eye on him, he might cause some trouble.

"You shouldn't be home," Chen Musheng said angrily.

I was controlled by my parents when I was young, by my wife when I was young, and by my daughter when I got old. Just thinking about it makes me unhappy.

"I'd be happy to stay home and keep an eye on you."

Chen Min rolled her eyes, took the fish, and personally cleaned them one by one before finally instructing the nanny to fry them: "Sprinkle some chili powder on them when they're done frying."

"Okay," the nanny replied.

Chen Min added, "Don't sprinkle too much, just enough to give it a little flavor, so the old man won't get tired of eating it."

(End of this chapter)