Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 122 Young Master? Master!

What's it like to be in college?
As the name suggests, it is a very large school.

It's a larger area with more people, several canteens, and a long road.

A single campus might have 10,000 to 20,000, or even 20,000 to 30,000 students, and several thousand faculty and staff.

What about university in 2005? What was it like?
Passionate, open, and legal play.

Non-graduate students are on the South Bank campus, which is very close. Chen Xuebing wasn't from out of town, so he didn't take the bus that picks up new students from the train station. He was dressed quite maturely and didn't even have a suitcase, just a stylish file bag. As a result, no upperclassmen came up to greet him. He strolled into the campus leisurely, watching his fellow freshmen being surrounded and taken away by enthusiasm, looking bewildered.

After entering through the main gate, you go up a big slope and reach a fork in the road.

To the right is a dormitory area, with a Turkish kebab shop and a small convenience store.

To the left is the playground, where a long row of club recruitment tables and parasols stretches along the roadside for a couple hundred meters.

A large billboard stood in front of the most extravagant and lively table, with the title: "Super Girl, Hundreds of Groups Bloom."

Below is a list of slogans.

Corn is tireless, but Xiaoyu is the most precious!

With fluent and powerful strokes, he is a truly talented singer!
Jane Zhang, Jane Zhang, beautiful voice and beautiful appearance!
He Jie's boxed lunches, a lifelong companion!
...

"Hey kid, join our Super Girl fan club! Write a slogan for your favorite idol, and we'll select the best ones to submit to the national fan club. Who knows, your slogan might even appear at a Super Girl concert tour someday!"

Two girls with short hair like Chris Lee and a boy with long hair like Chris Lee stood in the middle of the road, stopping people and handing out flyers.

The Super Girl finals ended last week, but here they're still enthusiastically organizing Super Girl fan clubs.

Chen Xuebing, an IT professional, thought this summer would be the summer of Huaqiangbei.

When he returned home from Guangzhou and spent time at the grassroots level interacting with ordinary people, he discovered that it was not the case at all.

This is Brother Chun's summer.

The day his family invited their neighbors to dinner, several elementary school students from the neighborhood made a ruckus at his house. They almost started a fight over He Jie and Li Yuchun, but then someone said, "He Jie and Li Yuchun have a good relationship," and the two sides made up.

Don't think that elementary school students are naive.

The ranking of students' ability to receive and disseminate information nationwide should be: primary school students > university students > junior high school students > senior high school students.

What's about to become a sensation among students? Just look at elementary school kids.

"Hey there, wanna join? Lots of handsome guys and beautiful girls..."

A girl came up to us, and she had that same androgynous short haircut.

Chen Xuebing shook his head and walked forward speechlessly.

They said you could see beautiful girls in college, but why are they all dressed like this?

He had an eye for spotting long-haired beauties, but unfortunately, he encountered a summer filled with Super Girl-style culture.

The only thing you can do is enjoy the green scenery on both sides of the main road.

Before I had taken more than a few steps, a roar came from behind me.

Chen Xuebing turned around and saw a red scooter approaching from behind. A long-haired young man wearing sunglasses was sitting in the scooter, and a woman with flamboyant hair and a partially exposed bust was sitting in the passenger seat.

Ferrari F430.

An entry-level Ferrari costs three to four million.

He could recognize the car's model and price at a glance because he had specifically researched some luxury cars recently introduced to China when he bought the car.

"Oh... he changed cars again..."

"Their club is causing trouble again..."

A few girls recruiting new employees by the roadside were chattering away.

Hearing the voice, Chen Xuebing looked back and saw a row of cars behind the Ferrari, at least seven or eight in total.

He paused for a moment, thinking that driving an A6 into the school would be inappropriate, so he got out of the car at the gate and slowly walked in. But he realized he had underestimated the situation.

These students are much richer than he imagined.

The Ferrari in front of him didn't honk or urge him on; it just practically had the front of its car right in front of his legs, as if it was showing off its driving skills.

Chen Xuebing frowned and stepped aside.

The car roared to life the moment he stepped aside, and sped off, its body brushing against his body.

The cars behind were much lower class than Ferrari: Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes, and a sports car whose brand I couldn't recognize. They were all clearly not high-end vehicles.

But these affordable luxury cars also rushed behind, as if they wanted to compete in 0-100 km/h acceleration on this straight road of less than 300 meters.

Chen Xuebing's temper flared up immediately, and he cursed:
"Driving so fast, are you rushing to visit a grave?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud thud was heard, and the entire line of cars in front braked abruptly.

The lead Ferrari appears to have crashed.

Chen Xuebing was amused. He walked to the front and saw that the front right side of the brand-new Ferrari was dented, and a boulder had been knocked off and rolled several meters away.

The man and woman on the bus got off and stared blankly at the ball.

"Are you alright?" the man asked.

The woman shook her head. "It's nothing."

Two people from the car behind got out, ran up to the man, saw the Ferrari's terrible state, and stared at Chen Xuebing, who was slowly walking over, muttering some curses.

"Brother Feng, this kid just cursed you! He said you were rushing to visit a grave!"

Upon hearing the voice, the man in sunglasses took off his glasses, glanced at Chen Xuebing, unable to tell whether he was a student or a school staff member, shook his head, and then raised his chin towards the windshield of the car.

"Xiaoqiang, can you help me check the insurance company's phone number?"

Seeing that he didn't seem to be causing trouble, Chen Xuebing chuckled and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Most people who dare to drive high-end luxury cars so ostentatiously in China are not children of officials, but children of the wealthy.

In his previous life, he hadn't seen many arrogant rich kids. Chongqing was a high-level city, unlike a county town, so if you were just average-rich, nobody would really put up with you.

On the contrary, those whose families are officials tend to be more eccentric. In the early years, stories of the second and third generations of officials being brave and fierce were passed down orally as anecdotes in teahouses. They were the side dish for many Chongqing people and became "role models" for many later generations to learn from.

When Chen Xuebing arrived, he felt somewhat superior, but the convoy of cars that entered the school served as a reminder that among the tens of thousands of college students on the main campus, there were bound to be some who came from wealthy families. He should keep a low profile and not be too arrogant.

However, these people also helped him to lift the ban on his idea of ​​hiding wealth.

He had nothing to hide, and he didn't want to live a stifled life at school. If he kept hiding his talents, people would think he was really bad at everything.

Thinking about it, he raised his hand and made a phone call.

"Drive the car in."

"Yes, there are plenty of parking spaces at school. Help me carry my things upstairs in a bit."

……

The four majors of Broadcasting Journalism, Tourism Management, Chinese International Education (for international students), and Advertising are all located at the School of Humanities' registration point.

Chen Xuebing didn't even have any senior students to guide him when he came in. Of course, he had done his homework early on and found the registration point in front of the Humanities Building by following the campus map on the roadside, and lined up to register.

Pay the fee.

I got a campus card that integrates functions such as IC phone, cafeteria meal card, shower card, supermarket shopping card, library card, and exam registration card.

The school was very welcoming to the new students. The teacher in charge of issuing cards called over a senior student from the Tourism Management Department, who led him and another freshman to the dormitory.

This senior student, Liu Kang, is a third-year student in the student union. He was quite talkative, introducing himself and the school as we walked.

Because he was taking the main road and the dormitory was quite far away, Jiao Gui drove up and caught up with him before he had even gone halfway.

Actually, the Audi A6 was quite eye-catching. As soon as they got close, Liu Kang told them to move to the side, saying that a leader might be coming.

Jiao Gui rolled down the car window and shouted at Chen Xuebing:
"Boss, where should I park?"

Chen Xuebing looked at the main road and pointed ahead: "Follow me."

Liu Kang and another freshman stared wide-eyed.

"your car?"

"Ah."

Chen Xuebing nodded.

"Damn, bro, your family is so rich? I didn't realize!"

Liu Kang looked Chen Xuebing up and down, but couldn't tell what brand his clothes were. Chen Xuebing wasn't wearing any luxury brands, but they were all bought from department stores and weren't cheap.

"Is this car just so-so? Didn't I just see a Ferrari drive into the school?" Chen Xuebing asked with a smile.

"Average? A big Audi! This...this is an A6, right? It used to be called...Audi 100!" Liu Kang had a good eye, recognizing the model immediately. He then circled the car, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Brother, it's only been in the last two years. When I first came here, I'd never seen a student drive such a nice car! Forget sedans, having a motorcycle was considered good! Now...a Ferrari? You ran into that convoy, right? The leader's name is Xu Yunfeng, he's also from our department's broadcasting major, a sophomore!"

"Oh?" Chen Xuebing became interested. "What, has there been some talk about it in the last two years?"

"Last year, it was confirmed that the school would be upgraded to a key university! The school suddenly became very popular, and many students from other places applied. These last two years have been the most exciting. Once the school's scores are adjusted to the key university admission line next year, there won't be as many applicants!"

As Liu Kang spoke, he glanced at Chen Xuebing with a strange look in his eyes: "What, you didn't come here for this?"

"Oh, yes." Chen Xuebing smiled in realization.

Actually, what he cares about most is not this, but the reputation of being a university directly under the Ministry of Transport and a distinctive institution.

These represent connections and talent, respectively.

"What's your name?" Liu Kang asked.

"Chen Xuebing".

"Oh, which dorm?"

"306."

Liu Kang was very excited. He saw Jiao Gui get out of the car and huff and puff as he helped Chen Xuebing carry his things. He also helped Chen Xuebing carry two bags and insisted on leading him to the dormitory entrance. As they went upstairs, he shouted loudly like a village loudspeaker:
"Wow, another genius has come to our School of Humanities!"

He howled all the way to the third floor, drawing stares from many people. This made Chen Xuebing and Jiao Gui feel incredibly ashamed, and they silently kept a two-meter distance from him.

Liu Kang pushed open the door to room 306 and said with a smile, "Young Master Chen, please!"

"Hey, senior, thanks a lot. Jiao Gui, get me a pack of cigarettes."

Chen Xuebing's face darkened. He stepped forward, took the things from Liu Kang's hands, and braced himself to go inside.

The four people inside were sitting on two beds facing each other, bragging to each other, and were completely bewildered by this situation.

Jiao Gui took out a pack of Yellow Crane Tower 1916 cigarettes in a wooden box. When he opened it and handed a packet to Liu Kang, Liu Kang exclaimed in surprise again.

"Holy crap, 1916! What a big brother!"

These days, there are no price limits on cigarettes. The wooden box of Yellow Crane Tower 1916 is a best-selling item, costing 2200 yuan a carton. The box contains 10 packs of cigarettes on each side, and there is another box in the middle containing two decks of "1916 Thanksgiving" playing cards.

Chen Xuebing is quite disciplined with his smoking habit; he doesn't smoke unless necessary, and usually doesn't smoke a pack of cigarettes for several days. He saw this cigarette at the Dongfang Hotel in Guangzhou, bought two packs, and thought the taste was okay. He figured if he was going to smoke, he should smoke something better, so he bought five cartons on his way back. Now he has four and a half cartons left.

He looked into the box and saw that there were exactly four packs left. He also noticed that there were quite a few cigarette butts in the trash shovel in the corner, so he took the cigarette box and gave one pack to each of the four people sitting there.

High-end cigarettes are no longer a rarity for him. If he wants to smoke something even more expensive, there's a specialty cigarette shop in Nanshan, Shenzhen. As long as he's willing to spend the money, he can buy cigarettes from all over the country, including some that are out of stock.

As for what constitutes a special supply...

The world's wealthy already enjoy a wide variety of things within the legal and reasonable scope, so there's no need to pursue the pleasure brought by those privileges. Setting a threshold for one's happiness can help avoid many wrong turns.

He was very satisfied at the moment, while his four friends who received the cigarettes were dumbfounded.

The cigarette box looks high-end, and with Liu Kang's boasting, everyone knows it's expensive.

"Young Master Chen...?" a roommate asked in surprise.

Chen Xuebing saw his nameplate on the upper bunk near the door, pointed at it, and laughed, "What? Young Master Chen, Chen Xuebing!"

"Oh! It's you! You sleep in the bunk above me!" One of them immediately came over to help with his things and prepared to make Chen Xuebing's bed. "My name is Xiong Hai, from Dalian!"

Jiao Gui stopped him, saying, "It's alright, I'll do the paving!"

After saying that, she quickly threw the newly bought bedding onto the empty upper bunk next to her, climbed onto the bed, and spread it out for Chen Xuebing one by one.

He was quite skilled when he got into bed, which surprised everyone.

"Who is this guy...?"

Liu Kang had already put the 1916 in his pocket, pulled out his own Chaotianmen cigarette and started smoking. Sitting on the lower bunk, he exhaled a cloud of smoke and said, "Someone else's driver!"

The four of them looked at each other.

Damn it, the young master really came, and he even has a driver!
Chen Xuebing grinned: "Senior, aren't you leaving yet?"

Liu Kang chuckled: "I just happened to run into a big shot, so I wanted to have a chat with you! Junior Chen, how about joining the student union? Our external relations department needs someone like you!"

The entire dormitory started ventilating again.

They were just discussing whether freshmen could run for class officers and join the student council, and now the senior students in the student council have already spoken up.

So the student council is by invitation only?
Chen Xuebing raised an eyebrow: "External Relations Department, what does that do?"

If you're not too busy, it's okay to snag a seat in the student council.

Liu Kang cut to the chase: "They're soliciting sponsorships!"

"Damn it..." Chen Xuebing wanted to curse, but he didn't want to offend anyone, so he chuckled and said, "Senior, you go first, I'll think about it."

"Okay!" Liu Kang patted his thigh and stood up. "Brother, don't overthink it. I wasn't planning on asking you for sponsorship! I just saw you have a car and air conditioning, and I wanted to tag along for some events! It's so hot in Chongqing! And so cold in winter. It's hard to run around on foot!"

Chen Xuebing was speechless. Did they really want him to be their driver?

Do you still want to use my driver?

That would be worse than just having me sponsor it.

He didn't say anything more and silently saw Senior Liu off.

The four roommates then started chatting and began introducing themselves to Chen Xuebing.

Li Hongchang is from Xiangtan, Hunan.

Sang Liwei is from Jiamusi, Heilongjiang.

Xiu Jie is from Weihai, Shandong.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing thought to himself, "I'm doomed."

Dalian and Jiamusi, two from Northeast China and one from Shandong, in less than half a year, this dormitory smelled like Northeast China.

No, six months is too optimistic; it should be at most three months.

Chen Xuebing looked around; there were six beds.

"Where's the other one?"

“Only five! Our counselor said there’s an empty bed in our dorm! We can use any of them!” Sang Liwei said, pointing to the spot next to Chen Xuebing.

Xiong Hai also came over and gestured with his chin toward Chen Xuebing: "Brother, what's your family doing?"

Chen Xuebing was overwhelmed by the strong Northeastern accent and let out a long sigh.

"Can we speak Mandarin in our dorm from now on?"

Now, the three friends from the north were not convinced.

"Why isn't this Mandarin?"

At this moment, Li Hongchang from Hunan leaned against the wall and slowly chuckled, mimicking a certain tone of voice:
"Oh, I mean, we speak the local Xiangtan dialect, you guys just can't understand me!"

Now, all four of them stood up and stared at Li Hongchang.

This, this, this…

With that accent, who could possibly not understand it?

Wasn't it this accent that was used when the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China was held in 49, and the establishment of the People's Republic of China government was announced?
"You are all talented people."

Chen Xuebing was convinced: "I'm from Chongqing. My family didn't do anything. I started my own business and made money. We'll take care of each other in the future. Of course, I'll mainly take care of you guys."

A statement brimming with domineering confidence.

Xiu Jie asked blankly, "Start your own business? How much money does your family give you?"

“Our boss isn’t a young master, he’s a master.”

Jiao Gui, who had just finished making the bed, got off and came over: "Boss, I'm leaving now. Do you want the car?"

Chen Xuebing waved his hand: "Drive away first, go back and practice hard, I'll call you if you need anything."

"Okay." Jiao Gui readily agreed and went out.

A moment of silence fell over the dormitory.

"Mr. Chen...?"

(End of this chapter)