Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 167 I love you

Shanghai in 2005 was like a future world.

In the distance are magnificent high-rise buildings, but hidden inside are peaceful courtyards and alleyways.

Passersby can only see the stark difference between Lujiazui and Minhang, but only residents can distinguish between what is considered an upper-class area and what is considered an lower-class area.

Chen Xuebing's flight was originally scheduled for noon, but it was delayed, and he finally arrived at Wujiaochang from Pudong Airport after 7 o'clock. On the Inner Ring Elevated Road, he saw the neon-lit Shanghai at night, which was just beginning to unfold its grandeur, and was quite a feast for the eyes.

The sky is ablaze with light and color.

Shenzhen has never been like this before.

Chongqing was never like this either.

At that time, in inland China, perhaps only Shanghai and Guangzhou could truly deserve the title of "international metropolis".

Chen Xuebing's life had been chaotic for the past two months, with him constantly on the go, but upon arriving here and seeing the light-filled road formed by the flow of traffic, he suddenly felt a sense of peace.

Shanghai hasn't changed much in the past 20 years, except for a slight difference in the quality of its glow, which gives him a certain feeling.

came back.

It felt like he had returned to the world where he was just an ordinary person.

Here, he really is just an ordinary person.

Ordinary wealthy people won't receive any special treatment from anyone.

In addition to the odometer in the front of the taxi.

From the moment they left the airport, they started jumping wildly at more than twice the usual speed at him, this outsider.

The scenery along the outer ring elevated highway is also subject to a fee, as it adds at least eight kilometers to the journey.

Once we entered Handan Road and arrived at a rather quiet red-brick school gate, the driver, in a slightly bourgeois voice, called out an unbelievable price:

"382.5 yuan, I'll take 382 yuan from you!"

Chen Xuebing had come prepared: "Your Xiali car has a starting fare of 10 yuan in the city, and 6 yuan per kilometer thereafter. How did you manage to get a mileage of 382?"

"Shanghai taxis are just that expensive! If you're not satisfied, go ahead and call the police!"

Chen Xuebing was straightforward. He took out two hundred yuan from his wallet and threw it over, then opened the car door: "Why don't you call the police? 138XX... I'm inside. Call me when the police come, and I'll come out to handle it."

"Hey, what are you doing? Trying to skip out on the bill?!"

"Little red guy!"

"Cena!"

Chen Xuebing smiled nonchalantly and walked towards the door.

Swearing in Shanghainese is too dry; it only uses phrases like "Fuck + How dare you," and doesn't even know how to use the other person's organs or elders flexibly. Only some older women from northern Jiangsu have some real power when they swear.

Today, November 19th, Saturday, you can freely enter and exit Fudan University before 10 PM.

Chen Xuebing specially changed into a black tracksuit today and carried a shoulder bag, blending into the surrounding school buildings as soon as he entered the campus.

The campus buildings, though simple and unadorned, do not appear dilapidated at all; instead, they are filled with lush greenery that exudes a refreshing atmosphere.

A school that's been around for a century, where youth grows wildly, seemingly without end.

He had some free time, so after entering the school gate, he saw the statue of Chairman Mao and strolled along the main road.

The science library next to the tranquil Xiyuan Garden, the former Yanyuan Garden that once belonged to the wealthy and powerful, the building donated by Ma Jinming, the former chairman of Hong Kong Tai Sang Bank, the statue of former principal Su Buqing, the Zibin Building built by the two Mr. Guo 80 years ago, and the old school gate with its upturned eaves and archway...

He saw six words: Fudan University takes your name as its name.

There was no culture here to begin with, but these dozens of names put together have become culture.

If you want to learn something, go and get it yourself.

But if you want to leave something behind, you must make outstanding contributions.

After walking past the third teaching building and seeing the 142-meter-tall twin towers of Guanghua Building, Chen Xuebing finally gave up his plan to bump into her and took out his phone to send Xin Mengzhen a message: "What are you doing?"

【you guess】

The text message that came back from the other end really gave Chen Xuebing a few seconds to figure it out.

A few seconds later, Xin Mengzhen seemed to realize what was happening and called back.

Xin Mengzhen answered the call but didn't say anything.

Chen Xuebing knew she was listening intently to what was happening on his end, and a cute thought crossed his mind. He couldn't help but smile and raised his hand to cover the microphone of his phone.

After a moment, a chuckle came from the other end of the phone.

"Why are you so guilty? If you hadn't covered the microphone, I wouldn't have been sure you were in Shanghai. So, tell me, where are you?"

Chen Xuebing touched the tip of his nose and gave a dry laugh.

"I'm not guilty at all. I just wanted to wander around and see if I could run into you at your school, in Guanghua Building."

"You're at East Gate 1? East Gate 1 has been closed recently. How did you get in?"

"Handan Road".

There was a brief silence.

"Hmph, just wandering around, you've gone quite a distance. I was going to take you around Fudan University, but it seems I won't need to."

Chen Xuebing chuckled: "I just didn't want to walk around the school with you, so I walked around by myself to skip all the formalities. Let's go out and explore."

He came to Fudan University in a past life and spent a lot of time at the school. What could he possibly do there?

Xin Mengzhen instantly understood his thoughts, let out a long sigh, and said irritably:

"Stay put and wait for me."

When Xin Mengzhen arrived, she had her hair tied in a long ponytail and was wearing a light yellow hooded tracksuit.

Unlike the baggy sportswear she wore in high school, these were more fitted, with gray leggings that accentuated her slender figure.

It feels so fresh and full of oxygen.

As she approached from afar, her ponytail swayed back and forth, like a bright rosy cloud at sunset, miraculously adding a touch of color to the already stunning Fudan University.

The exact number of points added depends on a person's eyesight—whether they can only see her figure or her exquisitely sculpted face.

What Chen Xuebing saw was a real dream, and it was breathtakingly beautiful.

She was carrying a cylindrical bag, stretching as she walked, and handed it to him when she got closer.

"Here, my birthday present."

Chen Xuebing was taken aback; he hadn't expected her to know his birthday.

His birthday will be on November 20th, after midnight tonight.

20 is old.

In the lunar calendar, it was the ninth day of the tenth month, ten days ago.

He never remembers the lunar calendar and rarely celebrates his birthday, but this year the timing just happened to be right, so he chose this time to come to Shanghai, which actually had a little hidden agenda.

Xin Mengzhen's 18th birthday was in May this year, but she didn't celebrate it, and he only found out afterward, feeling guilty towards her.

For her birthday this year, the birthday boy traveled a long way to spend it with her, which was a way of making up for it.

"Hey, I was hoping to surprise you. How did you know it was my birthday?" Chen Xuebing said, feigning disappointment.

He doesn't actually care about birthdays; he just makes it seem more formal for the other person's sake.

As he spoke, he took the bag, opened it, and looked inside. Inside was a black and red tracksuit and a pair of running shoes.

The tags on the clothes and pants had been removed, so they looked like they had already been washed.

“You’ve been so busy with work, you haven’t exercised in a long time, right? Here’s this for you, as a reminder.” Xin Mengzhen didn’t answer his question, but looked at his sportswear and said, “Looks like I don’t need to change. Let’s go for a run together.”

"Running?" Chen Xuebing stared wide-eyed. "I'll just train when I get back. I don't need to supervise me here, right?"

"You keep thinking about all that nonsense. When you're tired of running around, you'll be free from all attachments and your mind will be at peace."

Xin Mengzhen was not conservative with Chen Xuebing. She even had a somewhat competitive nature and wanted to take the lead in this matter. However, everything that happened at the Dongfang Hotel made her realize that a girl would always be in a vulnerable position in such matters. Every touch of Chen Xuebing's fingertips on her skin would make her nervous and generate a slightly shameful yet uncontrollable passion.

But when we sleep in each other's arms, we experience a warmth and peace of mind we've never felt before.

She was both afraid and expectant.

She didn't want Chen Xuebing to keep thinking about those embarrassing things, but she also didn't want to reveal her fear of facing that matter, as that would make her seem like a little prey.

Men always want to be hunters, of course.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing immediately retorted with a question:
"What if things aren't peaceful after we've finished running around?"

"Let's talk about it after we finish the run."

Xin Mengzhen extended her hand, her smile hinting at a mix of reluctance and acceptance.

Chen Xuebing walked up to her and looked at her smile. He felt a little restless, but when he touched her cool fingers, his heart suddenly calmed down. He took her hand and put it in the side pocket of his clothes to warm it before walking forward.

"Let's take a look around first," Chen Xuebing said, rubbing her hands.

Xin Mengzhen smiled radiantly.

"Guanghua Building was officially inaugurated during the school's centennial celebration this year. It's very large and has a novel design. Our class is very lucky."

"This is the third teaching building. There are many classrooms. I come here to study on weekends. I usually go to the second floor. The view outside the window is very nice, and the air is also very fresh."

"This is a library. Every seat has a printer, a power outlet, and a network port. Sometimes I bring my laptop here to check the stock market. By the way, our company uses 'Tonghuashun' (a financial information platform). They've launched a financial information service and you can even subscribe to individual stock fluctuation SMS messages on your phone. It's more convenient than your 'Wanguo Dazhihui' (another financial information platform)."

"That's the North Campus student living area. Our dorm rooms are over there, and the canteen where we usually eat is over there."

The two walked towards the main gate in the direction Chen Xuebing had come from. Chen Xuebing looked at the scenery again, but the difference was that, with the introduction in his ear, he seemed to see different Xin Mengzhens in different outfits moving around the campus.

She encountered many people along the way, but the campus was really too big, and Xin Meng didn't run into any familiar faces.

Perhaps given her habits, she probably doesn't know many people at school.

Upon arriving at the main gate, Xin Mengzhen asked the security guard to store her cylindrical bag, and then began to jog slowly along the road.

Chen Xuebing chuckled softly, adjusted his breathing, and followed her at a leisurely pace.

I ran six kilometers.

She only stopped to stretch her legs when she reached the riverside railing and saw Lujiazui across the river. She took out a pack of tissues from her pocket, tore one open, and gave it to Chen Xuebing. Chen Xuebing had been running this far, his forehead was covered in sweat, and his initial four-steps-one-blows-one-blows pace had become three-steps-one-blows, but his expression remained relaxed.

"Why did you stop? I thought you were going to go across the bridge to the other side."

Xin Mengzhen smiled, looking at the person opposite her, her reflection in her eyes like starlight.

“The view from here is more beautiful than from the other side of the river.” Xin Mengzhen pointed to a tall building and said, “My workplace is over there, on the 37th floor.”

Chen Xuebing glanced in that direction. The 468-meter-tall Oriental Pearl Tower, built in 94, no longer shone as brightly among the many skyscrapers. Not far away was the 420-meter-tall Jin Mao Tower, which Shanghainese called the "syringe".

In the future, there will also be bottle openers (Shanghai World Financial Center) and stirrers (Shanghai Tower), collectively known as the "Pudong Three-Piece Set".

"I never expected you to go to a state-owned enterprise."

Xin Mengzhen works for Bosera Funds, one of the five fund management companies in mainland China. It was established by China Merchants Group and mainly focuses on public funds. In 2003, it won the public fund return championship, and in 2004, its fund size ranked first in the country.

She was immediately placed in the investment research position, responsible for data collection and analysis of several key investment companies, and was personally mentored by a fund manager.

Chen Xuebing was quite surprised when he heard the news.

"You didn't expect me to get into a state-owned enterprise, did you?" Xin Mengzhen smiled brightly. "It's just a branch company, with a scale of less than one billion. My grandfather said that since I chose the financial industry, I should go to the place with the most abundant resources. He invested a lot of money in this."

"It's probably not as simple as just investing money."

Chen Xuebing smiled calmly, but inwardly he felt a sense of melancholy.

He underestimated Xin Mengzhen's family's strength. To be able to arrange for a college student like her to enter a top-tier state-owned public fund with a total management scale of over 400 billion yuan and even get her a front-office investment position, even if it's just a sub-fund, would be impossible without considerable connections and tens of millions of yuan in investment.

These days, there's always something beyond our reach. Besides mainland China, there are Hong Kong businessmen, and beyond Hong Kong businessmen, there's international capital.

“Grandpa values ​​me so much and lets me realize my dream. It’s all thanks to you. By the way, the e-reader you designed, my grandpa has already registered and started mass production. It’s called ‘Dreams come ture.’ The first generation of products sold very well, and it should have a bright future. He plans to arrange for a team to do in-depth design and expand the production line. Originally, I was going to join a small private equity firm. The money I invested in Boshi this time is a reward from my grandpa.”

After Xin Mengzhen finished speaking, she pursed her lips slightly and looked at Chen Xuebing with a touch of emotion in her eyes.

Born into such a wealthy family, she still had a strong passion for becoming richer, not because she wanted a Ferrari or anything more expensive, but because she always believed that money was her way of maintaining her freedom.

With a successful career, one doesn't need to worry about the family's attitude, doesn't need to take being a good wife and mother and carrying on the family line as the meaning of life like one's mother, doesn't need to be praised by the whole family for being "diligent and virtuous" like one's cousin, and doesn't need to become a dependent on this extended family or the "future husband's family" in the eyes of one's parents.

She had thought that this kind of freedom would require years of hard work to achieve, but unexpectedly, Chen Xuebing's guidance made her increasingly valued by her grandfather.

"Dreams come true, dreams come true." Chen Xuebing chuckled. "An English name, sold overseas?"

“Yes, South Korea.” Xin Mengzhen nodded.

"Oh," Chen Xuebing suddenly realized, "Your grandfather has a very accurate eye."

South Korea's college entrance exam also includes English, and the exam is even more rigorous than China's. They have a saying, "Four hours up, five hours down," meaning that if you only sleep four hours a day, you can be admitted to your ideal university, but if you sleep five hours, you will fail.

Only a few prestigious universities are the gateway to entering conglomerates and changing one's destiny. Other schools offer very few opportunities, and the competition is extremely fierce. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students take the college entrance examination, and more than 30% of them are repeaters.

There's a joke that Korean families prepare a sum of money for their daughters' plastic surgery, but what every Korean family can't avoid is the exorbitant cost of their children's tutoring classes.

Moreover, South Korea's per capita wealth is currently far higher than China's, making money from South Korean education a very lucrative business.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuebing guessed:
"Your grandfather probably wanted to establish a brand in South Korea and enter the mainland market as an imported brand. However, the trend of Chinese people being obsessed with Korean and Japanese brands will soon be a thing of the past. After the 08 Olympics, Korean and Japanese brands will gradually lose their luster. Entering the mainland market as soon as possible for promotion and marketing, and seizing this huge education market is the right choice. I think the Chinese brand 【梦真】 is good and full of hope."

Chen Xuebing naturally knew that Xin Mengzhen was not content to be a traditional Chaoshan girl and had some ambition regarding her status in the family. Since the e-reader was selling well, he didn't mind giving it a boost.

Upon hearing this "suggestion," Xin Mengzhen's lips curved into a beautiful smile, but then she raised her eyebrows slightly, gazing at the moon reflected in the Huangpu River, and said leisurely:
"This is the first time we've created our own brand, so the name is very meaningful. The brand name Dreams Come True is the result of my grandfather's strong opposition. I'm going to get married eventually, so how could I say anything about creating a Chinese brand using my own name?"

"Then tell your grandfather that if this brand does well, I can provide ideas for the next generation of products, which my Qidian Technology will collaborate with you to develop. The prospects of this product will be far better than the e-reader."

Chen Xuebing chuckled, considered his tone, and added:

"It's not the right time to bring it out now. This product will only have value after the national 3G project is launched."

Compared to the e-reader, another product from BBK is one that even he has to pay attention to.

Little Genius children's watch.

In his previous life, he hadn't paid attention to this field; he only knew that it sold very well and was very expensive.

It wasn't until I visited a friend's house and saw him scolding his child for playing with watches all day that I realized how addictive these things are.

The Xiaotiancai smartwatch has a points system that allows users to redeem virtual cards, school supplies, snacks, engage in social interactions, and exchange for benefits. It has almost become a virtual currency for elementary school students. Moreover, it has a "WeChat" app that can only be run on this smartwatch. Users can add friends with a simple tap and have their own personal social circle. These numerous "circle functions" have become an entry ticket to social identity for children.

For parents, there are functions such as video calls, real-time positioning, remote management, and parent-child interaction. The camera can be turned on from both the front and back at the same time. Even if the SIM card is removed, it will still record the child's movement path via GPS. As soon as the device is connected to WIFI, the information will be automatically sent to the parents.

It's almost to the point where children and parents both love and hate it, yet can't live without it.

"WeChat," a feature specifically designed for children, has become an area that no other online social networking software can reach.

Children will always grow up; elementary and middle school students are only a few years away from adulthood.

If he were to possess this infamous "poisonous watch," he would control the social interactions of future generations of students, and even complete the hardware bridge from the Singularity watch to the Singularity phone.

Since this thing is bound to appear sooner or later, it might as well be used as nourishment for Chen.

Of course, a sense of social responsibility is still necessary, and a good corporate image is very important. With the management rights of this product, he can reduce the toxicity of the watch and enhance its safety features.

If Xin Mengzhen's family can establish this children's electronics brand early on, then he can release the production and co-branding rights of the watch to her family, which would be mutually beneficial.

Xin Mengzhen didn't understand what he was thinking; she just felt that he was thinking of her entirely.

"Why are you so good to me? Your ideas are very valuable."

She knew the answer.

But at this moment, she longed to hear him say it himself.

"Because I love you," the older man said with a smile, his answer simple, direct, and cheesy.

Xin Mengzhen was slightly stunned.

She thought he would say, "I like you."

The words "I love you" seem somewhat heavy, like something a male or female lead in a Korean drama would say at a crucial moment.

At this age, perhaps "I want to work hard with you" would be a more appropriate phrase.

She thought he would have a hard time saying "I love you."

But that's how I heard it.

Xin Mengzhen turned her head and gazed into his eyes, asking earnestly, "Why do you love me?"

She felt a little disappointed. Chen Xuebing's earnest confession sounded somewhat flippant. She couldn't help but wonder if he had said the same thing to many girls during his high school years.

Chen Xuebing smiled.

Actually, this issue wasn't that troubling for him.

Having lived two lives, I have finally fulfilled this dream. If this is not love, what could be more profound?

"Do you know where I first met you?" Chen Xuebing asked.

“Hmm…” Xin Mengzhen frowned and thought for a while: “Is it at the entrance of your classroom? I was waiting for Yang Qingyue. You said you wanted to ask her some questions, and then you took a book of classical Chinese translations and asked her questions all the way to the entrance of our community.”

As she spoke, she covered her mouth and laughed: "Back then, I thought you were so silly. The translation annotations were clearly right after the ancient poems, yet you still made me read them one by one, as if you couldn't read them... I never expected that you were actually studying and even got into university while starting your own business."

It wasn't long ago for Xin Mengzhen, just over a year ago, but when Chen Xuebing recalled this memory, he blushed with embarrassment at his own foolishness from twenty years ago.

Perhaps in her past life, her impression of herself was limited to that silly boy...

"No," Chen Xuebing said with a smile. "I really wasn't studying back then. I was just looking for an excuse to walk with you. The first time I met you wasn't that day. It was the first day of senior year, at the cafeteria entrance."

"Ok?"

……

2004, April 8.

Several boys walked towards the cafeteria.

"Brother Bing, there are a few students from Qiujing Middle School in this year's first year of high school who are really arrogant. They haven't even finished military training yet and they're already saying they want to carry the flag for the first year. They also said they want to challenge Zhou Jiang and his friends from the second year to a match at the roller skating rink. Zhou Jiang is our brother. Should we go over there and help Zhou Jiang out?"

Chen Xuebing, who was at the head of the group, put one hand in his pocket, looked down and flicked his bangs, a slightly proud smile on his lips.

"If I can't even handle a few kids, what kind of life am I? I'm planning to go out and make a living in a while and help my uncle run his place."

"Hey bro! You're going to be in charge of this place? What kind of place? A bar or an arcade?"

"Construction sites." Chen Xuebing chuckled smugly, "Construction sites worth tens of millions, and those small arcades like game arcades, if I wanted to cover them, I would have covered them long ago."

"Holy crap! A soldier is a soldier!"

"Brother, you're starting to look more and more like Chan Ho-nam. From now on, I'll follow you and be Chicken!"

Chen Xuebing grinned, then ran his hand through his long hair, which he had been growing for half a year, back to his forehead.

When my vision cleared, I saw a long ponytail sitting a few meters ahead, with her legs together on the edge of the flower bed.

A calico cat lay beside her, plump and chubby, its head tilted back, watching the passing crowds without flinching, and leisurely yawning.

Just then, a butterfly flew by, and the cat reached out and caught it, pressing it down. The fat cat meowed proudly, as if to show off its achievement, and then let it go.

Wow~ You're so awesome!

The girl exclaimed with delight.

Her gentle voice and beautiful face, along with the early autumn sunset and the lazy wild cat, created a stunning still image that gently yet powerfully struck Chen Xuebing's heart.

At the same time, several boys nearby stared at him and began whispering amongst themselves.

"Holy crap, which class are they in? I've never seen them before."

She speaks Cantonese.

"Little stutterer!"

"No, I think it looks like Ding Yao."

The boys were discussing which gang leader's wife the girl resembled from the movie "Young and Dangerous." Hearing their voices, the girl looked up.

Chen Xuebing immediately felt his face burning and awkward. He subconsciously raised his hand and smoothed his long hair, just like Brother Hao Nan.

The girl smiled.

However, there seemed to be a hint of sarcasm in his smile.

……

(End of this chapter)