I was forced to start the second round because I was raised in poverty

Chapter 383 Mr. Sheng, do you have family support?
"Manager Su, what were your thoughts when you first joined the Emperor Group?"

Su Cheng thought for a moment and decided to answer truthfully.

He couldn't make up a lie on the spot.

"I feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."

Just as Su Sheng just said, many graduates with degrees from top universities and master's programs cannot get into the Dihao Group.

Su Cheng, however, was "luckily" chosen.

That's why he worked so hard at the Emperor Group.

He wanted to seize this opportunity.

In fact, Su Cheng would rather not join the Emperor Group.

Because this was all pre-arranged.

The discrimination based on his educational background and the bullying he experienced after joining the company were all tolerated by the old man.

The old man had a team of hundreds of advisors under his command, and he must have considered all possible scenarios before Su Cheng joined the group.

The old man chose a place for Su Cheng to suffer, so he tacitly accepted the existence of Deng Qiang at that time. Or rather, Deng Qiang's suppression and exclusion of Su Cheng as a superior was part of the old man's education.

That's just Deng Qiang's personality, so he reacts that way to newcomers.

Even if Deng Qiang himself didn't know he was being used, the old man definitely did!
It seems that things like workplace bullying were all arranged by the old man.

"I was born in a county town in Yuzhou, a barren place with no resources at all."

"For people like me, the main task is to stand out from the crowd."

"I'm not talking about bringing glory to my ancestors, but I'm looking for a decent job, to get married and have children, and ideally, to settle down in Jingzhou."

This is one of the goals of most young people in small towns like Su Cheng in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area.

"So that's what motivates you to keep going?"

Let the world judge it as it may, let them say whatever they want.

Su Cheng readily admitted that this was his early motivation.

He wanted to stay with the Emperor Group.

The benefits offered by the Dihao Group are extremely good, and this kind of super-large factory in Beijing has a lot of quotas for settling down every year.

Su Cheng wanted to fight for it.

That's why he worked so hard.

"But your goal in settling in Jingzhou is to help many local Jingzhou residents' children, the first generation of Beijing migrants, who have been there since birth. Do you want that?"

"Of course I do."

This answer caught Su Sheng completely off guard.

He had always thought of Su Cheng as a self-reliant and ambitious person.

“If my father were from Jingzhou, or if he had worked hard in Jingzhou like I did in his early years, and I had a Jingzhou household registration from birth, then my life goals would definitely not be limited to this!”

"I can use my time and energy to strive for other things."

Upon hearing this, Su Sheng immediately rejected Su Cheng's idea.

"That can't be right, can it?"

"If you are born into a wealthy family, your life path will indeed change, but your values ​​and outlook on life will also change accordingly."

"You might not have the same fighting spirit or drive as you do today."

"Have you ever been to the hutongs of Jingzhou? Have you ever seen those old-timers who live in basements, have to go to the public toilet, or whose homes are only a dozen square meters and have an old crooked tree by their bed?"

Su Cheng's face immediately fell after hearing this.

I disagree with your point of view.

Su Cheng said in a deep voice, "I strive because I am who I am."

"Not because of my family or background, but simply because I am who I am."

After listening, Su Sheng frowned and immediately fell into deep thought.

Is it because...you are you?
Because Su Cheng is Su Cheng, he has the ability, resilience, and the drive and determination to strive for progress.

It has nothing to do with the father's training and successor development plan.
Su Sheng couldn't find any rebuttal arguments for a moment.

Su Cheng wasn't afraid of being called unfilial or an ungrateful wretch; he'd heard it countless times since he was a child.

He bluntly told Su Sheng, "My family and background are actually a burden to me."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because my family is a burden to me. I had to earn my own living expenses in college, and my tuition was covered by student loans."

"I did not have a good educational environment, and I did not enjoy my parents' love."

Su Cheng revealed that even he himself would not be friends with his ex.

"My personality must be incomplete, with many flaws."

Su Cheng has a clear and profound understanding of herself.

They are absolutely incapable of remaining calm and rational in judging certain matters.

Because she was raised in poverty from a young age, the things that were forcibly ingrained in Su Cheng shaped her thinking and logical habits.

These things will affect Su Cheng.

For example.

Su Cheng is performing very well now, but in reality, part of the underlying source code in her brain is broken.

The current "perfect code" is running on a foundation of partially corrupted source code.

Although it seems perfect now, Su Cheng will definitely run into problems if certain special circumstances or specific time points arise.

And it's not just temporary, it's forever.

Su Cheng's life has one more thing than others, something that will stay with him for life.

Oh no.

Two lifetimes, I suppose.

He may have to dedicate some of his energy to fighting those negative emotions every now and then.

In daily life, we must always keep ourselves vigilant and avoid getting caught up in a sea of ​​negative emotions.

Even if Su Cheng is usually very vigilant, he can still be disturbed by "unexpected events," something that is beyond his control.

A mentally healthy ordinary person was riding the subway when they smashed their phone screen.

It's actually a small matter; just spend a little money to replace the screen and accept your loss gracefully.

Someone with a good attitude might say, "Out with the old, in with the new," and just buy a new one, haha.

But the default approach to handling Su Cheng is not like this.

He would blame himself for breaking the screen, wondering why he would drop his phone and whether he would have avoided it if he had walked slower.
How many meals could I afford with the money I lost? How many subway rides could I take? How many months' rent could I pay for? How many McDonald's meals could I afford that I wouldn't normally be able to afford? How long would I have to work for the company to earn it back?

Up to this point, there shouldn't be any problems, and most people would probably think the same way.

But the important part comes next.

Su Cheng will enter a sea of ​​negative emotions, and painful memories will flood his mind like a tide, completely beyond his control.

He would recall the shameful things that happened when he was a child, the things his father did to humiliate him in public, and the times he wanted to buy Ya Ya Le toothpaste but couldn't.

In the end, the things that were on her mind had absolutely nothing to do with the broken screen; Su Cheng was forced into that negative state.

The shattered screen acted as a hook, drawing out all the bad emotions in Su Cheng's mind. It would take him a very long time to "forcibly forget" them.

Normal people would never do that.

This is not being pretentious at all, nor is it the "lax and slack off when faced with setbacks" that old men often say.

Su Cheng would instantly feel the sum of all the pain.

Therefore, Su Cheng has been carrying a heavy burden all along.

These things are his biggest debuffs.

If there's anything wrong with Su Cheng, it's this.

It will take Su Cheng several lifetimes to heal.

"President Sheng, when you joined the group, I think you were directly promoted to K10, right?"

Su Sheng had to explain: "Well... I participated in the group's college selection and cooperation projects in my early years and received the group's scholarship."

"So my starting point was relatively high." "Did your family support you?"

Su Sheng was momentarily at a loss for words to answer the question.

Of course there was support.

University selection, scholarships, exchange programs, project funding, and so on are all just one topic.

It was because Su Sheng came first that these projects came about later.

However, Su Sheng would definitely not say these things to Su Cheng's face; he didn't know how to bring it up.

Therefore, Su Sheng only admitted to the lift.

"That must have played a big role, right?"

"Um……"

"So isn't that clear now?"

“I had to start from an internship at the group, which didn’t give me a good starting point. So I could only work as a semi-trailer driver to haul goods, and I could only get the group’s attention and resources by working shifts with the workshop workers.”

“If my father were the chairman of the Dihao Group, I would have joined the group as a K10 employee, and I might be in a high position like you, President Sheng, now.”

These words made Su Sheng feel extremely ashamed.

He felt as if a red-hot iron had been branding the back of his neck, the burning sensation shooting up his spine to the top of his head.

The dim lighting in the VIP private cigar room suddenly became glaring, making his eyelids twitch as if in a spasm.

Su Sheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and his tongue felt slightly numb from the middle to the tip.

His once relaxed posture had become hunched over, causing wrinkles to appear on his expensive suit.

"So now you..." Su Sheng hesitated, "Manager Su, what is your real driving force?"

"free."

Su Cheng answered without hesitation.

Su Sheng stood there blankly on the sofa for a long time.

The Rolex Datejust on his wrist, equipped with a smooth bezel and a three-section Oyster bracelet, slowly ticked its second hand, relentlessly grinding against his nerves in the deathly silence.

Su Sheng remained in a strange, stiff position. His back, where it was glued to the leather of the sofa, was already damp with sweat, while the back of his neck felt as if a cold steel rod had been inserted, forcing his head to tilt slightly forward.

"last question."

"Are there any other methods besides marketing for Unv's case?"

This was a problem that Su Sheng couldn't solve no matter how hard he tried.

His father said he had two versions of the answer, but Su Sheng never expected it.

"Nothing."

Because of UNV's own economic situation, and because Su Cheng doesn't have many resources to mobilize in his position at K11, and he can't apply for better resources from the group.

Even if you apply, you won't get it.

and so.

From Su Cheng's perspective, there is no solution that can surpass it.

"For the UNV case, the marketing plan I devised is the optimal solution."

Su Cheng answered with great certainty.

Before Su Sheng could think it through, his phone rang.

He glanced at the contact's name.

It was Bai Zihua who called.

"Alright, Manager Su, let's call it a day. You can go back and rest now."

Su Cheng left the private VIP cigar room.

Su Sheng put down his cigar and answered Bai Zihua's call:

"Hello? Uncle Bai."

"Ah."

"Xiao Cheng and I are still in Selamat."

"Okay, okay."

"Then I'll head back right now."

……

Su Cheng felt a little more at ease.

He never intended to win over or influence Su Sheng, hoping to make him change so that he could help him.

Even today's conversation shouldn't have happened.

Through his observation, Su Sheng was a person who lacked love.

So no matter how much Su Cheng tries to explain or 'reform' him, it's all in vain.

Su Cheng wasn't trying to influence Su Sheng; she just couldn't help but want to complain.

In reality, Su Sheng's personality, like Su Cheng's, is flawed.

The only difference is that Su Cheng was manipulated, while Su Sheng's tragedy stemmed from his innate nature.

This is quite evident from this talk.

Su Sheng would carry out the old man's orders without hesitation.

Because it is his nature as a "son".

At the same time, he also wanted to befriend his "younger brother".

Su Sheng wanted to be the older brother, the eldest brother.

Everything he did was in the style of his elder brother, the template for the eldest brother in the family.

As for the possibility of seizing power, it is extremely small, and Su Cheng has absolutely no need to worry.

Su Cheng judged that the most likely scenario for Su Sheng was: if Old Deng died tomorrow but left a will stating that Su Sheng should continue the plan of raising him in poverty, then he would definitely carry it out.

……

Early the next morning.

Su Sheng's secretary knocked on Su Cheng's door.

"Manager Su, President Sheng has to return to China first. He asked me to tell you to take charge of this team building activity."

Why did you suddenly return to China?
Su Cheng couldn't understand it, but he did as he was told.

There's really nothing to be responsible for in team building activities; everyone can go wherever they want. Su Cheng wasn't in the mood to socialize with her colleagues either.

He messaged Xiao Chen, asking her to meet up. The two met at a certain landmark.

"Brother Cheng!"

Xiao Chen had clearly put a lot of effort into dressing up for today's outing.

Her face was adorned with delicate, light makeup, and her long eyelashes fluttered like tiny fans with every blink, her eyes sparkling with undisguised excitement and joy.

Her hair was also carefully styled, with slightly curled ends draped over her shoulders, and a few strands were gently blown by the breeze, brushing against her fair cheeks.

She wore a loose, soft off-white sweater with a high neck that perfectly accentuated her delicate chin.

She wore a classic camel-colored wool coat over her clothes; its clean lines made her look tall and warm.

Chen Suna's lips were always turned up, and her heartfelt smile was so infectious that Su Cheng couldn't help but smile along with her.

Her small face looked especially gentle in the warm sun, and despite the slightly cool weather, her enthusiasm was not diminished at all.

Perhaps it was because of the cold air, but Xiao Chen's nose and cheeks were adorably flushed, and her eyes were still bright and sparkling. Her gaze towards Su Cheng was filled with undisguised joy and excitement.

Su Cheng could tell that the aura emanating from Xiao Chen came from the heart.

The dark cloud that once shrouded her has dissipated.

Finally, the sunlight shone into her life without reservation.

Chen Suna's eyes sparkled with anticipation for the future and contentment with the present.

"Brother Cheng, I heard from Brother Qin that you arrived in Selamat a couple of days ago!"

"Why did you only send me a message today?!"

(End of this chapter)