Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 318 The Beginning of Stock Security Construction
September 11th, Saturday.

The nights in Chongqing are both quiet and bustling.

You can hear someone speaking ten meters away in the courtyard of the apartment complex, but the sound of someone on the second floor scolding their child is still very loud.

The old residential building had poor sound insulation. When Chen Xuebing and Yu Chunyin went downstairs, they could even clearly hear their own names amidst the cursing.

"English score of 113! And that's after enrolling in a foreign teacher class!"

"92 points! You barely passed the 150-point math exam! I've wasted my time raising you! You think you can be Chen Xuebing after studying like this? You're not even fit to work for Chen Xuebing!"

"The soldier didn't do well on the college entrance exam! He's a liberal arts student, and he only got 505! He made his living by doing business! He didn't even go to school!" The slightly hoarse voice of the teenage boy retorted indignantly.

Yu Chunyin patted Chen Xuebing on the back and said with a touch of emotion:
“You’ve made something of yourself now; your younger siblings are all looking up to you.”

The younger siblings he was referring to were Chen Xuejin and Yu Xinxin.

Chen Xuejin has been registered on his household register since she was a child, almost like his biological son.

Chen Xuebing smiled. He arrived in the afternoon and deliberately stayed at the company until evening before returning, just to avoid being talked about how successful he was.

He had experienced this feeling before when he became wealthy in his previous life. The flattery from his neighbors in the courtyard gave him a lot of pleasure. When he was rich and powerful, he especially liked to hear such voices, and felt that the meaning of life lay in being respected by others.

But when you fall back to rock bottom, you feel endless pressure, you become increasingly reluctant to see people, and you are sensitive and afraid of hearing others talk about you.

After his rebirth, his material desires remained within the range of his previous life's habits, without much pursuit of higher goals, because he had already realized what was truly real.

The light inside the room was real, and the Cantonese pastries in my hand were real too.

The saying "simplicity is a blessing" is something that people who haven't experienced life's ups and downs can't understand. It doesn't mean the despondency of losing one's career aspirations, but rather that whether you're in a high or low position, you can find happiness in simplicity.

He walked to his front door, touched the "福" (good fortune) character that his father had pasted on the door before his death, and felt a pang of emotion.

If the old man were still alive, he might be more willing to come back and show off.

The main problem is that Mom doesn't have much ambition and would advise him to be cautious in just a few words, while Dad, after having a couple of drinks, would talk a mile a minute about the world's top figures.

Although he hasn't met Bill Gates yet, Steve Jobs, who tricked Bill Gates, is also a legendary figure. Just imagine, when talking about these people in front of the old man, he only knows them as having a nose and two eyes, and he can even marvel at eating a vegetarian meal, acting like he's never seen the world. The old man would be speechless.

I felt a secret sense of satisfaction, conveyed a message to the "福" (good fortune) character, and then knocked on the door.

"Who is it!" Chen Xuejin didn't open the door directly, but called out from inside.

In the past, the doors to my house would be open around 8 or 9 o'clock, but now they are not only tightly closed, but people are also asking for them.

"I."

Chen Xuebing responded, and Chen Xuejin excitedly called out as she opened the door, "Mom! Brother's back!"

The moment Chen Xuebing entered the room, he heard his mother's voice coming from the bathroom: "Huh? Xiao Yang... has Xiao Yang's sister arrived yet?"

"He's not here! He needs to study!" Chen Xuebing shouted.

"You too! You came back all by yourself! You finally made it back, why didn't you bring someone home to play with you!" Yu Chunyan grumbled as she rinsed the water.

Chen Xuebing was treated like a second-class citizen, and his face twitched.

"Mom! Uncle's here too!" Chen Xuejin quickly added.

"Oh! The second brother is here!"

Yu Chunyan quickly shook her wet hands and came out. Finding no one else around, she waved casually.

"Sit down! I'll go get you some tea!"

Yu Chunyin used to be a distinguished guest in our family, and we would always serve tea whenever he came.

"No, no, I won't drink, I won't be able to sleep tonight!" Yu Chunyin pulled Chen Xuejin to the door and gestured to show her height. "Wow! Xiaojin is growing so fast! She'll probably grow to 1.8 meters tall someday! Sis! You and my brother-in-law aren't very tall, how did you give birth to two little superheroes?"

"Bullshit!" Yu Chunyan rolled her eyes at him. "Your brother-in-law is 1.75 meters tall! How can he not be tall? Back when he transferred to the district public security bureau, he was a famously handsome guy!"

After saying that, he pulled Chen Xuebing to sit down on the sofa in the living room and said seriously, "Are you and Xiao Yang serious or not? She has already met me, and this girl is a good person! Her parents are both top students, her family background and upbringing are very good. You should take this seriously and be ready to talk about marriage when?"

Like a machine gun.

Chen Xuebing chuckled dryly: "He's only a sophomore in college, 19 years old, and you're already telling me to talk about marriage? Are family rules now more important than national laws?"

"Tsk, not getting engaged? You should meet their parents, have a chat, talk about the engagement, and then discuss the wedding, pick a good date. That'll take at least two or three years! Then you'll graduate, right? Hey, have you met their parents yet?"

Yu Chunyan pressed on relentlessly, and Chen Xuebing was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yang Qingyue definitely wants to marry him. Although she hasn't mentioned letting him meet her parents, her dressing style is becoming more and more mature. She has also enrolled in some etiquette and social courses. She doesn't read the fashion magazines she used to like much anymore and has secretly subscribed to a copy of "Harvard Business Review," which she keeps under the dolls on her bedside table.

In the second half of the year, he frequently appeared in major media outlets. In the media's description, he was no longer a "young tycoon" but a true established figure. Yang Qingyue must be feeling the pressure now, as she is trying hard to pursue him. However, he can't say things like "You don't need to work hard," as Yang Qingyue might interpret it as a rejection.

After thinking it over, he mentioned to Yang Qingyue that he would set up a charitable foundation in the future and asked her to help manage it.

Yang Qingyue was overjoyed and has been attending classes diligently recently, learning about financial management.

But when his mother suddenly brought up the topic of meeting his parents, he felt a little timid.

Yang Qingyue's parents really dote on her like a precious jewel. If they knew about her relationship with Xin Meng...
big head.

Fortunately, I have a shield with me today.

"Hey, sis! You have to be careful about Xiaobing's marriage! He's the head of the company now, and the company is going to go public in the future. Marriage is such a big deal, it affects the emotions of thousands of employees and shareholders, so it's not something to joke about!"

Yu Chunyin walked over and said seriously, "You need to carefully examine a person's character, family background, and prenuptial and postnuptial property division agreements! I've learned this the hard way! The bride price can be high, but the equity and income must be clearly defined! By the way, I heard you mention that girl's family works for a Hong Kong company? Her family should know about these things. It's not easy for me to bring these things up, so you need to help him speak up!"

"Huh?" Yu Chunyan pointed to herself. "I should go and tell them?" She panicked and shook her head repeatedly. "No, no, I can't bring myself to say it! Besides, this is too complicated, and I don't understand it! I can't explain it clearly! You're the child's uncle, can you go and tell them?"

She's easily embarrassed, and upon hearing this, she immediately backed down.

Chen Xuebing smiled.

Before, it was Xin Mengzhen's grandfather who was wary of her, but now that she has money, her uncle has also started to scheme for her.

He doesn't like to calculate things too clearly in this kind of matter. In his opinion, as long as the equity of Gu'an Group is established and the safety of operations is guaranteed, that's enough.

However, after hearing his uncle talk about it, he couldn't bring himself to hate it, especially since his uncle had just gotten divorced and been ripped off.

Each has its own stance.

He then thought of Xin Mengzhen and sighed.

He still can't understand what her grandfather was thinking. It's hard to say he was wrong; you can only say he was unlucky and misjudged the wrong person. But maybe it wasn't just bad luck, since that 1100 million yuan that was transferred has multiplied several times over by now.

No one claimed the money; it was considered his. He used it several times, but the accounts were always recorded according to the returns of Fund No. 1.

Mr. Xin must have heard about his fund's returns, but he hasn't asked about it once yet, which shows he has some class.

He didn't send anyone to inform them, but quietly watched to see if everyone had made their moves without regret.

The Xin family's choice no longer excited him as much as it had before; ultimately, some things depend on one's own conviction.

He is now confident.

It will be even more abundant.

Thinking it over, he gestured for Yu Chunyin to sit down: "Uncle, I called you to come home because I wanted to talk to you about Gu'an Construction."

"Well, you said."

Yu Chunyin sat down, looking very serious. Seeing this, Yu Chunyan also took Chen Xuejin back to the house.

"The municipal government has already helped me obtain the trust license. I expect to gain controlling interest next month, and then change the name. The China Banking Regulatory Commission will conduct the sixth and final qualification confirmation of existing trusts before the end of the year, and will issue a document to issue a new license soon."

"Your funds are coming."

“I checked the compliance part. It is permissible for trusts to raise funds for their own holding and affiliated companies, but it is subject to multiple restrictions. They must serve the real economy, must not transfer benefits, and the interest rate must be 20% higher than the LPR of the same period.”

"I don't think there will be much of a problem with interest rates, but you have to keep a close eye on compliance for me. No one below you is allowed to touch the funds through the trust and Gu'an channels. If there are any problems, I'll be the one eating cornbread. I only trust you in this position."

Chen Xuebing first explained the pros and cons, and Yu Chunyin also showed a thoughtful expression: "Which kind of legal team should we find? Never mind, you're busy too, I'll arrange it."

Chen Xuebing smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about the practical business operations. I will help you find a qualified manager. Today, I want to focus on communicating with you about the company's development and the responsibilities you will have to assume."

"Hmm." Yu Chunyin reached into the inside pocket of her coat and pulled out a silver voice recorder. She pressed a button and placed it on the table.

Seeing Chen Xuebing in a daze, he laughed and said, "Your uncle always carries a self-defense tool with him, just in case you get into trouble!"

The engineering industry is too shady, so this is a last resort.

However, if someone finds out, there will likely be a lot of trouble.

"From now on, let the secretary handle these matters." Seeing this, Chen Xuebing stopped reminding him about the safety of funds, trusting that his uncle would be vigilant, and started talking about business planning.

"The company's business will be divided into two sectors in the future: civil engineering and real estate."

"We don't subcontract labor for either of these businesses. To ensure construction quality and project profits, we must lead our own teams. This idea has never changed from the beginning."

"However, the direction of development has changed. Our construction group needs to generate cash flow through real estate and construction businesses on the one hand, and serve the company's technology strategy on the other."

"Simply put, we have the ability to build super-large factories, industrial parks, and real estate. In the future, we will also cooperate with Singularity and Spreadtrum to move towards infrastructure that showcases digital technology, such as data-driven cities. I would call them: smart cities, smart communities, and intelligent neighborhoods."

"There are many more talents needed here. You definitely can't expand in the same direction as a real estate company."

"Moreover, each project has its unique architectural attributes and regional divisions. Therefore, for each of our future projects, we should try to complete them by acquiring local specialized companies and establishing local project departments. Acquisition business should precede project signing."

This is the direction that large construction companies should take in their development. In his previous life, Chen Xuebing had always wanted to do this, but he didn't have the capability.

Now that he has money, he dares to bring this up.

Yu Chunyin's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded: "If we do it this way, it will be much easier. I've been thinking about how to expand this company."

Chen Xuebing took a sip of water and continued, "Therefore, the talent structure of the construction company needs to be adjusted towards diversification."

"Regarding the construction team, we need to cultivate a task force composed of team leaders from different trades. This team must be ready to be deployed at any time. They must not only be able to lead the team, but also be able to personally get involved and handle the task of meeting deadlines. This team should receive a fixed salary that is 20%-30% higher than the industry standard."

"In addition, we need project managers, as well as talents in communications, the internet, materials, and special structures. These talents need to know how to cooperate with the construction industry, which is not easy to find. However, we have the channel of company acquisition. After a local special company acquires a project, the talents can be refined and absorbed into the group after the project is completed. Alternatively, companies with technical capabilities can retain the structure and wait to enter other projects."

"Guan Construction may have hundreds of subsidiaries and sub-subsidiaries in the future."

Yu Chunyin clicked her tongue: "How much will that cost? There are so many projects?"

Chen Xuebing laughed: "A BT-type urban project has at least a dozen construction sections. As long as we have the money to do general contracting and the money to acquire land for independent construction, there are plenty of projects. Moreover, we don't need to ask for help. The source of funds has already been secured. What are you worried about? We, the Changzheng brand, are going to do trust business. There are plenty of investors."

Yu Chunyin's face lit up with a smile: "How much money are you planning to bring in?"

“Enough for you to spend.” Chen Xuebing said confidently. “I’ll hire experts for business management, at least a general manager and an executive vice president. As for technology, we’ll cooperate with Chongqing Jiaotong University first. I’ll go talk to them tomorrow.”

Yu Chunyin frowned: "Tomorrow's the weekend, so rushed?"

"Hehe, I'm not kidding you. I've already found the first project: the construction of BOE's sixth-generation production line, with a total investment of over 150 billion yuan and a building structure valuation of over 40 billion yuan. China Construction Third Engineering Bureau will be the main contractor, but we're not a subcontractor; we're a secondary general contractor, taking about a quarter of the project. The project profit margin is not low, at least 20% or more. And with me involved, there's no need to worry about settlement issues. I've also discussed local engineering companies with leaders in Hefei. There's a former state-owned enterprise in the city with a complete personnel structure and little debt that they can sell to us."

After careful consideration, Chen Xuebing decided to start his first major project in the area where he had the most control.

“China Construction Third Engineering Bureau has experience in building super-large factories. We learn as we go. We will keep this company for future expansion. The municipal government plans to contract some projects to me.”

"As the chairman, your task is to firmly instill our technological strategy into the minds of every member of the management team. We must not allow them to develop the same scheming mentality as conventional engineering and real estate companies. What we want to build is a new generation of technological construction group. Our ideological work should be carried out in the same way as the construction of Party member culture. With funding, we can do projects without asking for favors, and we can even have the government come to us for help. So I don't want to smell that kind of corrupt atmosphere in my company."

"You need to talk to the people below you, talk to the local leaders, let them know our ideas, we need to ensure quality, and establish our brand."

Then, the tone shifted: "But we can't be too naive about local relationships. Let me set a red line for you. When it comes to getting big projects approved, we can help leaders get political achievements and create projects that benefit the city's image. We can choose to do them, but we absolutely cannot rely on money. If some petty people are blocking the way, we can use money to pave the way. We can also hire a few beautiful female managers to handle the relationships. In short, we can't give away big money. We don't want to get involved in any news."

Upon hearing the word "beauty," Yu Chunyin glanced cautiously at Yu Chunyan's room before laughing, "You're quite honest, young man. You've been out having your fun, haven't you? Be careful."

Chen Xuebing's eyes widened, but remembering Cheng Danting's slight unease, he waved his hand and said, "Chongqing is currently working on the 'Eight Major Investments,' I'll try to secure two larger projects to strengthen the construction group's personnel structure."

Yu Chunyin was shocked: "Starting construction on both sides at the same time? We still have two projects that haven't been settled yet, and you're making such a big deal out of it?"

"Is it big?" Chen Xuebing chuckled, took out two documents from his bag, and slapped them in front of him.

Yu Chunyin picked it up and looked through it.

Shenzhen Jianye Co., Ltd.

Projects held: Chegongmiao urban renewal project, Tairan Industrial Zone transformation.

Bao'an Urban Construction Development Company

They own the Gushu Wharf site and have mastered coastal breakwater technology.

"We will complete the acquisition of these two companies within six months."

(End of this chapter)