Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 81 Own People

"Are you Lin Shaoliang? How old are you?"

"In reply to Master Zheng's words, I am already seventeen years old this year."

"Seventeen, you're not that old. You look small, even smaller than my apprentice. Have you seen my apprentice?"

Lin Shaoliang nodded when he heard this and said, "Brother Hao is studying upstairs."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi glanced in the direction of the upstairs and sighed in his heart.

He is so busy now that he naturally has no time to teach Wu Wenhao. He doesn't even know what kind of subjects Wu Wenhao is learning.

The child was also sensible. When he saw Qian Qiwen coming, he knew that Zheng Yi had something important to do, so he simply did not come out.

If there is nothing important to do, it will be even more inconvenient for him to come out.

This Lin Shaoliang, of course, would become the richest man in Asia in the future, and he happened to be from Fuqing.

There are relatively more Fuqing people in Southeast Asia and Indonesia than in Malaya. Zheng Yi certainly wants to use his fellow countrymen to get things done, but these days, there are almost no Chinese tycoons in the entire Southeast Asia who have certain abilities, popularity and wealth that he can look up to among the Fuqing people.

Almost all of the famous ones are gangsters and can hardly be used for anything.

So he naturally thought of looking for it in the future.

When it comes to the Chinese in Southeast Asia and the people from Fuqing, the first person that Zheng Yi thinks of is naturally Lin Shaoliang, who will become the richest man in Asia in the future. In Zheng Yi's previous life, when he was young, he had heard of his name like thunder.

Even before he traveled through time, the Indonesian Lin family was still one of the top wealthy conglomerates in Asia.

He also knew that things were probably just starting from scratch at this point.

He thought that since this man had built his fortune from scratch and became the richest man in Asia, he must be extremely capable. He was in need of someone now, so he could ask him to help him. He thought he would be useful.

Besides, as the president of the Northern Fujian Chamber of Commerce, even if he relies on the Li family in the upper echelons, he has to use a few people from Fuqing to show others.

So he asked Qian Qiwen to mobilize the power of the Northern Fujian Chamber of Commerce to help find the person, and they actually found him.

However, he had originally thought that Lin Shaoliang should be in his twenties or thirties at this time, and a small businessman with some money, but he did not expect that he was just a half-grown child.

What use is there for a half-grown child?

How about I just use Wu Wenhao?
This is too insignificant. Does the future richest man in Asia have to start from such a low point?

"Can you read?" Zheng Yi suddenly asked.

Lin Shaoliang: "I know a few of them. They went to private school in my hometown."

Zheng Yi: "Can you speak English?"

Lin Shaoliang shook his head.

He had no contact with the British.

Zheng Yi couldn't help but cover his face a little, and said, "Are you really seventeen? Is it seventeen this year, or seventeen after the New Year?"

Lin Shaoliang: "I am seventeen this year. After the Chinese New Year, I will be eighteen."

"Then why are you so small?"

Hearing this, Lin Shaoliang timidly lowered his head and whispered, "My family is poor and we never have enough to eat." Zheng Yi: "…………"

This starting point is too low!

How did he become the richest man in Asia?
Zheng Yi only knew that there was such a richest man in Asia. He knew something about Lin Shaoliang's deeds after he became famous, but he had no idea how he made his fortune or what he was like when he was young.

I couldn't help but whisper to Qian Qiwen: "You didn't find the wrong person, did you?"

"He's the only registered member of the Fuqing Gang in Indonesia. Unless there's someone with the same name who's not in the same place of origin, I think he's right."

"Oh~"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi looked at Lin Shaoliang again.

At this time, the future richest man in Asia was still kneeling to him.

Upon asking, I found out that Lin Shaoliang was actually from a poor peasant family. Not long after he came to Southeast Asia, he went to live with his uncle, who was just an ordinary peanut oil vendor in Indonesia.

After thinking about it, Zheng Yi simply played tricks and said, "I dreamt of Mazu a few days ago. She said that you and I are destined to be together. I believe in God the most. You should follow me from now on. I will take you... um... as my disciple."

In this situation, it is generally possible to adopt someone as a godson, but Zheng Yi seems to be only in his twenties in this life. If Lin Shaoliang is already eighteen years old, then he is not much older than him. Naturally, he does not have the nerve to do so.

After much thought, I still think it is most appropriate to take him as my disciple.

He only has one disciple now, but Wu Wenhao is from Xinyi, Guangdong. As the leader of Fuqing, it is not appropriate for him to accept a disciple from Guangdong to inherit his mantle.
After all, he is not from Fuqing, so he really needs to do something symbolic to convey to the outside world that he has regarded himself as a Fuqing native and shares its honor and disgrace.

That’s right...it’s a bit misleading.

Zheng Yi doesn't even have time to teach his apprentice.

One of them has already been delayed.

After all, Wu Wenhao was still young and had a junior high school education, so he had some basic skills.

At this age and with this foundation, Lin Shaoliang has basically said goodbye to learning technology.

All I can give him is the title of an apprentice. With a little training, if he has some business talent, I can let him represent me in some business negotiations, project management and other work to help share the burden. That would be a win-win situation for everyone.

Of course, if nothing unexpected happens, he will not have the opportunity to become the richest man in Asia. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for him is hard to say. He doesn't know whether he is helping this child or harming him.

Of course, Lin Shaoliang himself did not think so much. He was so poor that he could not even have enough to eat. If someone told him that he could become the richest man in Asia in the future, he would probably not believe it.

For a small-time figure like him, being valued by a figure like Zheng Yi, who was as important as the sky in his eyes, was a matter of great joy. If he hesitated for even a second, he would feel like a fool.

Dong dong dong, the kowtows made a sound when they hit the ground.

Zheng Yi asked Qian Qiwen to go upstairs and call Wu Wenhao down, and asked Lin Shaoliang to call his senior brother, who made tea for him. After drinking it, the relationship was established.

He asked Qian Qiwen to sit down as well, and then he spoke to the three of them, "You should all know that I'm in Southeast Asia. I have no parents, no brothers or sisters, and even no fellow villagers. I was sold here as a piglet, so I can say I'm all alone."

"The Li family, the Chen family, and even the Xu family all have good relationships with me. However, in the final analysis, we are all partners. Even with the Li family, there is still a layer of separation. Even if I marry the eldest daughter of the Li family, we are nothing more than the wife's family."

"The only ones who can truly be called my own are you. You and I truly share honor and disgrace. I treat you as my family."

"When I govern Penang in the future, no one else can be trusted as much as you. I will have to rely on you to help me with all sorts of things."

(End of this chapter)