Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 39, 15 points, 25 points
"Young man, you've really grown up in over a year."

Young man.

His uncle and aunt both called him that, but for some reason, his aunt's way of calling him that sounded contemptuous.

When Chen Xuebing saw Luo An, he had a vague premonition that the purpose of today's dinner party seemed to be different from what he had imagined.

"She's almost 19, she's definitely getting old." Chen Xuebing chuckled and said dismissively, looking around.

"Mom, where's Chen Xuejin?"

"He thought we were talking too noisily, so he didn't come up. He was listening to the MP3 you gave him in the car. Didn't you see him when you came up?"

Yu Chunyan then quickly walked behind Chen Xuebing, opened the door and looked out into the corridor, then patted Chen Xuebing: "Go downstairs again and tell Xuejin to come up for dinner!"

"Oh."

Chen Xuebing was just about to turn around and go downstairs.

Yu Chunyin called out again, "Luo An, I left the car window a crack. Go with him out, start the car, close the window tightly, and lock the doors."

Chen Xuebing waved his hand: "No need, I can handle it. Give me the car keys."

“Okay.” Yu Chunyin readily agreed and took her bag.

"You know how to start the car?" Aunt Luo Min immediately glanced at Yu Chunyin, stopping him with her eyes.

Chen Xuebing was speechless. He hadn't earned much money since his rebirth, but everything he'd done far surpassed his previous life. So far, he hadn't been looked down upon, and he was finding this kind of questioning rather unsettling. He even managed a rare argument:
"Let alone your vehicle, I can even drive an excavator."

Luo Min choked for a moment, her eyes widened, her chest heaving as she prepared a new rebuttal.

Yu Chunyin chuckled, took out his car keys, and tossed them over:
"This kid has changed a lot lately! He says he can operate an excavator, and I believe him! Here you go! If you're so capable, show me how to operate one!"

"Hey." Chen Xuebing took the keys, turned around and went out.

With such an upright and honest temperament, how could my uncle marry a petty woman who keeps him in check and is always grinning like an idiot?

He's a henpecked husband, I'm speechless.

When they arrived at the open-air parking lot downstairs, they still couldn't see the Camry. Only when they got closer did they realize that the rear window was slightly open, and Chen Xuejin was wearing headphones, with the hood of his new cotton-padded jacket pulled over his head, lying diagonally asleep in the back seat.

Children often get sleepy, and Chen Xuejin is no different from other children in this respect.

His uncle really trusts him, leaving him alone in such an expensive car.

That makes sense, though. Chen Xuejin's household registration is under his uncle's name, and his uncle cares for him no less than he cares for his own daughter, Yu Xinxin. In fact, because Chen Xuejin is smart and sensible, his uncle spoils him even more.

"Dong dong."

Chen Xuebing knocked on the window.

"Lazy pig, wake up!"

Chen Xuejin sat up abruptly, looked around blankly, saw the big face pressed against the car window, took off his headphones, and covered his eyes.

"you are back!"

Chen Xuebing pressed the key, opened the car door, and carried Chen Xuejin out, saying irritably:

"Back? This is a restaurant! I'm still half asleep!"

Chen Xuejin felt the cold air outside the car and slowly came to his senses. Rubbing his eyes, he said slowly:
"Oh... I was dreaming! I was waiting for you downstairs!"

"What are you waiting for me for?"

"Are you going to work on your uncle's construction site in the future?"

“…Hmm.” Chen Xuebing hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“My aunt was discussing with my mom and uncle on the way, saying that her brother wanted to invest, and it seemed that she told you not to go, because they wanted to hire someone to manage it.”

"Oh..." Chen Xuebing's suspicions were confirmed. Then, seeing his younger brother's worried expression, he put on a relaxed and carefree attitude and smiled:
"If you don't want to go, then don't go. You little brat, eavesdropping on other people's conversations."

“Mom was there too, I wasn’t eavesdropping.” Chen Xuejin finished speaking, his brows still furrowed, and then asked, “What will you do if you don’t have a job in the future?”

Chen Xuebing rarely saw the boy so serious, so he couldn't help but laugh and tease him: "If you don't have a job, just go out and find one."

"If you don't have a job, the lady who gave me the book and MP3 player will definitely look down on you." Chen Xuejin took out a delicate white MP3 player from his pocket and said seriously, "I've seen this before. It's even better looking than the one on TV that costs 299. It must be very expensive. That book is also 80 yuan. That lady must be very rich, right?"

Chen Xuebing rolled his eyes: "Who said it was a gift for you? They lent it to you, you have to return it. Be careful, don't break it!"

"Nonsense, it was a gift for me!" Chen Xuejin said firmly, turning on his MP3 player, adjusting it for a while, and then holding the earphones to Chen Xuebing's ear: "Listen!"

Chen Xuebing leaned closer and, within two seconds, heard Xin Mengzhen's voice.

Her Mandarin was spoken in a soft, gentle voice, much gentler than usual.

"Little Chen Xuejin, I heard you're very smart. So, I'd like to invite you to play a game. The next five lessons will cover 50 English words. All you need to do is read them aloud along with the characters inside. Let's begin!"

"Apple, apple, apple, apple! Apple, round and round! Banana..."

"There's more!" Chen Xuejin pressed a few buttons.

"Great job! We've passed the first hurdle perfectly! My brother is learning English now, so we can test him!"

Hearing this, Chen Xuebing was completely bewildered.

As expected of someone whose family manufactures learning machines, Xin Meng has truly mastered the craft, transforming a music MP3 player into a learning machine!
But you can look down on my math, but I've had English training! You think you can test me with this?

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!

Do you know how to pronounce this word?!
"There's more to come, do you want to listen?" Chen Xuejin wanted to continue playing, but seeing Chen Xuebing's unfriendly expression, she said concisely, "She said later! There are 100 lessons and 5 English songs in it. Every time I finish 20 lessons or a song and pass her test, she will give me a gift. The MP3 is the first gift."

Chen Xuebing was shocked.

10 gifts.

Xin Meng is really too bold.

"Also, you must have said bad things about me to that older sister." Chen Xuejin said disdainfully, "She must think I'm really stupid! The lessons she gave me were super simple, and she just told me to read along, but I just memorized them!"

Chen Xuebing broke out in a cold sweat: "...How many lessons have you memorized?"

"I already knew many of the words in Lesson 75! And I also knew the first word song."

Do you know the English alphabet? Who taught you?

"Upstairs, Sister Jiang Hanhan studies English every day. Her mother is an English teacher. Aunt Liu really likes me and makes me study with her. There are even English charts on her wall. She hasn't learned them, but I know them all. However, I have to pretend I don't know them, otherwise Aunt Liu won't want me to listen."

Good guy.

No wonder Mom always serves a portion of her best dishes to Teacher Liu; it turns out that's the reason!
Xin Mengzhen is finished.

If this girl had a basic understanding of English, she would probably have brought out all ten gifts at once.

He felt he probably couldn't take Chen Xuejin to the teahouse on the weekend.

"...That older sister went abroad. When she comes back in two years, I'll ask her to make up for the missing gifts for you."

Chen Xuejin's face fell: "Don't lie to me! Don't worry, that older sister is so nice, I won't ask her for gifts! Also, your uncle hasn't agreed to let you stop going to work yet, so you should hurry up and talk to your uncle nicely, otherwise you won't be able to get into university, you won't have a job, and you won't be able to afford a house in the future, and you definitely won't be able to win over that older sister."

Chen Xuebing ignored what he said next, and just patted his big head with a grin: "You're so sensible! It's good that you don't want any gifts! Don't worry about me, just focus on your studies! When you get into the University of Science and Technology of China's gifted youth program, I'll buy you a car and a house!"

"You're bragging!" Chen Xuejin chuckled and asked again, "What is the USTC Junior Class?" "It's a place where only people smarter than you can go. There's a selection process, and some exceptionally bright people are specially recruited to go to university at the age of twelve or thirteen! You do the math, how many years until you become one of those exceptionally bright people?"

Chen Xuejin frowned and tilted his head: "Really?"

Chen Xuebing nodded.

These kinds of information weren't widely publicized back then, but later information was more public. Since the 1980s, the University of Science and Technology of China and the National University of Defense Technology have successively established junior classes, recruiting and cultivating a group of gifted young people in a relatively secretive manner.

With Chen Xuejin's thirst for knowledge, only a place like this can allow him to fully grow.

Of course, it also depends on his younger brother's interests. He won't force him; he's just giving Chen Xuejin another option.

"Chen Xuebing, why haven't you come up yet?"

The upstairs window was open, and Luo Min called out to him from the window, then said with some concern, "If it's not okay, just leave it open! Leaving the window a crack won't hurt!"

Chen Xuebing put Chen Xuejin aside and waved.

"immediately!"

He then opened the driver's side door, sat down, inserted the key, stepped on the brake, and started the car.

The rear window closed completely with a single press.

However, the cars on both sides of the car were parked too close together, making it difficult to get in. There was a spacious parking space available across the street, and his aunt, who looked down on him, was watching from upstairs, so he couldn't resist the urge to park there.

Chen Xuebing gripped the sturdy automatic gear lever, pulled it, and released the brake pedal, and the car sped off instantly.

"Hey! Hey! Chen Xuebing!" Luo Min exclaimed from upstairs.

"What's wrong?"

"He drove the car away!"

Immediately, everyone in the private room crowded around the window.

The Toyota Camry downstairs made a semi-circular turn and then reversed into a parking space opposite, leaving ample space for the driver's seat.

Everything happened in about ten seconds. The car was turned off, and the person got out, smiling and waving to them.

It's incredibly smooth.

Before they could even say anything expressing their concern, Chen Xuejin screamed from downstairs.

You can drive!

Chen Xuebing chuckled and scooped up Chen Xuejin with one hand, then went upstairs.

...

When Chen Xuebing reopened the private room door, his aunt Luo Min had her arms crossed and looked unhappy.

The atmosphere was somewhat silent, as if some argument had just taken place.

Yu Chunyan also came forward, took Chen Xuejin from him, then slapped Chen Xuebing hard on the shoulder and loudly scolded him:

"What are you doing driving without a license! And parking right next to Uncle Luo's car! What if you hit both your uncle's and Uncle Luo's cars?!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Luo Min and the man sitting next to her, her expression clearly displeased.

Chen Xuebing knew that his mother and aunt had never gotten along. Seeing his mother's expression and his aunt Luo Min's aggrieved look, he guessed that the two must have had a fight while he was going upstairs.

Luo Min has a bad temper, and her mother is no pushover either. She's also the older sister. When two Sichuan-Chongqing tyrants clash, neither can gain the upper hand.

As for Uncle Luo, he should be Luo Min's brother. Here, people also call their aunt's brother "uncle." Since this is his cousin Yu Xinxin's uncle, he has to follow Wu Xinxin's way of addressing him.

Judging from this, the spot where he parked just now was right next to a Santana, which belonged to this Uncle Luo.

After understanding the situation, Chen Xuebing grinned and shifted the blame: "My uncle told me to drive it!"

“That’s right!” Yu Chunyin glanced at Luo Min and patted her shoulder with a grin. “I told him to drive. If he crashed, he crashed. I’ll pay Luo Hong! Why are you so angry? Let’s eat!”

The man next to him immediately chuckled and said, "What are you talking about, brother-in-law! My car is damaged, that's all. Why would I ask you to pay for it?"

"Driving without a license is illegal, Chen Xuebing. It's not that your aunt is criticizing you, but you still have this personality. You'll suffer a lot when you enter society," Luo Min said sarcastically.

"Aunt, suffering a loss is a blessing." Chen Xuebing was no pushover either. He sat down with a faint smile and then deliberately asked, "Uncle, has that Sanbiao been replaced?"

He understood the theme of today's dinner and, without wasting time waiting for the waiter to serve the food, went straight to the point.

This project is huge, worth at least 20 to 30 million. He plans to use it to cultivate talent and build a team. Of course, he also intends to use his abilities to help his uncle make some money.

He never expected this to happen so suddenly. This was something he hadn't anticipated, because in his previous life, this hadn't happened. Luo An had gone out on his own early on and contracted a small construction site.

He had probably figured out the reason: in his previous life, his uncle had not announced the next project in advance, and Luo An did not know it before he left. In this life, when he was in a meeting with the team leader and the administrator, he mentioned the division of labor for the next project. Luo An heard this, got interested, and went to his father Luo Hong and his aunt Luo Min.

Since things had come to this point, Chen Xuebing could only listen to what they had to say.

There are many ways to participate in equity investment.

When Chen Xuebing brought up the project, Luo An, who was sitting diagonally opposite him, became noticeably wary, while the middle-aged man remained calm and his expression was unreadable.

Luo Min had prepared the rhythm of the conversation, but this interruption changed his expression, transforming him from a wronged look to a serious one.

"Why are you, a student, always asking about these things?"

Chen Xuebing remained calm and composed: "Auntie, it was my idea. Asking isn't illegal, right, Uncle?"

The two sides were arguing, but Yu Chunyin waved her hand, straightened her face, and became the anchor of the storm: "Alright, Chen Xuebing is a good prospect, and I will definitely train him. Luo Min, don't treat him like a little kid. He knows more about engineering than you do, and more than I do. Chen Xuebing, you also need to learn to respect your elders. When you come, you should greet them. You know Brother Luo An, right? This is your aunt's older brother. You should call him uncle too."

Yu Chunyin pointed to the middle-aged man as she spoke.

Yu Chunyan added, "Uncle Luo."

Chen Xuebing nodded: "Uncle Luo, Brother Luo, please excuse my earlier behavior."

Luo An remained silent, and "Uncle Luo" Luo Hong simply nodded faintly, glancing repeatedly at Luo Min, wondering what Yu Chunyin meant by "definitely need to be trained."

Yu Chunyin, positioned in the middle with relatives on both sides, didn't leave everyone guessing. She looked directly at Luo Hong and said, "Brother, Luo Min has already told me about it. You want to come in and do this project next year. I have two questions. First, I want to ask for 15% of the total settlement price. Can you accept that? Second, how much financial strength do you have to advance the funds? My plan is that I definitely want to do this section of the river myself and have Chen Xuebing help me manage it."

Upon hearing this, Luo An panicked: "Uncle, with only 15 points, what else is there for us to do?"

He only had a general understanding; he only knew that the next project was big, while for ordinary projects, 15% would be close to all the profit.

Neither Luo Min nor Luo Hong knew anything about engineering, and they both felt that these words were a bit harsh.

Even Yu Chunyin wasn't sure how much profit he could make. He just felt that the riverbed was free money and he couldn't give it away. The sand and gravel in the factory area were also very profitable, and his 15% commission wasn't much.

Chen Xuebing sighed. His uncle had given up most of the profits.

“Uncle, this project isn’t just about making money from the river. If it involves a factory area, you should get at least 20% of the profits, right? They produce sand and gravel there.”

That might offend some people.

Luo An immediately stood up, put his hands on his hips, and said to Chen Xuebing, "Have you ever done any construction projects? Can you handle 20 points?"

Chen Xuebing crossed his arms and said calmly:
"I can handle 25 points on this project, let alone 20."

(End of this chapter)