Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 88 Mad Wolf Culture
"Clouds drift across the sky, carrying the scent of my hometown, ceaselessly beckoning to me..."

On the slightly whistling airplane, Chen Xuebing looked at the clouds outside the window and hummed "Hometown Clouds" softly.

Ren Ying also hummed in response.

"You like Fei Xiang, right?" Chen Xuebing asked with a smile.

"Yes." Ren Ying nodded without hesitation.

Which woman born in the 80s, raised, in her prime, married, or still menopausal doesn't like Fei Xiang?
The earliest heartbreaker.

During the 87 Spring Festival Gala, Fei Xiang sang "Hometown Clouds" and, more importantly, danced to a disco version of "A Fire in Winter." Huawei, a tri-fold mobile phone brand, suddenly appeared in the otherwise thriving mobile phone market, making all the men in the country pale in comparison.

That night, countless women dreamed of Fei Xiang.

Chen Xuebing was too young to remember anything at that time; he only heard about it from others. However, he had experienced Fei Xiang's charm among women firsthand.

“My mom’s favorite singer is Fei Xiang. We’ve lost a lot of my dad’s belongings, but we’ve kept a box of Fei Xiang’s cassette tapes and CDs perfectly. Once the mobile phone factory is up and running, I’ll make a phone specifically for women and have him endorse it. Then you can take my mom to get his autograph.”

Ren Ying covered her mouth with both hands: "Really?"

Seeing her excited expression, Chen Xuebing couldn't help but tease her, "Am I more handsome than Fei Xiang?"

Ren Ying fell silent.

His face turned bright red.

"Hmph!" The back window slammed shut, and an aunt's voice came through.

"Ha! Humorous."

I don't know if it was the question that was humorous, or the phrase "please have Fei Xiang as the spokesperson" that was humorous.

Chen Xuebing thought it should be the latter, because the aunt hadn't even seen him, so it was impossible to rashly judge who was more handsome.

"Brother, I think you're more handsome than Fei Xiang." Jiao Gui dared to defy public opinion and blindly flatter him.

As soon as he said that, Chen Xuebing heard a girl behind him gag.

He smiled and patted Jiao Gui on the shoulder.

"Young man, you have a bright future. Your life is set."

……

Ren Ying left as soon as she landed. Having stayed in Shenzhen for so long, she needed to hurry home and also go back to school.

Chen Xuebing led Jiao Gui home with a bunch of bags and packages, intending to surprise his mother.

As a result, his mother gave him a surprise.

The five-year-old shop, which used to operate from 9 am to 11 pm and only take half a day off during the Chinese New Year, has closed down, and there's no one home.

I made a phone call and found out that my mom had accompanied my younger brother to a training class. I was very relieved, left my mom 10,000 yuan, and went out.

Actually, he didn't have much money left.

His Taobao business was doing well recently. A couple of days ago, he still had 54 yuan, but before leaving Shenzhen, the money was spent like water.

In the Shenzhen factory area, the seller paid for the site leveling, but the price of the factory building was much higher than he had expected.

He thought it would cost at most 300,000, but after selecting the specifications, partitions, and ceiling and floor materials, including the concrete foundation, the lowest quote was 450,000 and the highest was 700,000.

This was only because he was knowledgeable and the other party couldn't intimidate him.

He certainly knew about steel prices; they were relatively high this year, with various types of steel priced at two to three thousand, roughly the median of the last twenty years.

But he didn't take the supply and demand situation into account.

The whole of Shenzhen is going all out to build prefabricated buildings, and those who do it are incredibly arrogant. If the price is less than 45 yuan, they won't even talk to you.

Left with no other choice, I paid a deposit of 20 yuan. The rest will have to be paid when the materials arrive in May.

In addition, 10 computers were shipped from Huaqiangbei, at 5500 each, totaling 55,000.

The counter staff also needed to set aside money for restocking, so they gave Huo Xiaowen 100,000 yuan.

There are also some detailed expense accounts.

Of the original 54, more than 18 remained, half of which was circulating in Alipay, leaving only 9 in cash.

I just left another 10,000 yuan for Mom.

They have already returned to abject poverty.

However, the soldier showed no panic this time. He even called his underlings to assemble, ready to spend more money.

……

Chongqing has always been known as a multi-center city, with many prosperous areas along the two rivers and four banks emerging one after another, making it dazzling to behold.

Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is like a bridge connecting the past and the future, and it has always maintained its prosperous state.

Just 100 meters from the Liberation Monument, a newly built high-rise building stands.

Standing at 228 meters, named New York New York, it is a Grade A office building and one of the three 200-meter-tall buildings completed in Chongqing in the past two years.

When Chen Xuebing led the group downstairs, none of them dared to look up. They all looked around, searching for their destination in the area filled with shopping malls.

"Bro, where are we going? There doesn't seem to be any office space around here! It's all shops!"

"Hey, there's a storefront for rent over there."

"Bullshit, is your office on the street?"

Chen Xuebing let them speculate for a while, and seeing that no one dared to think about the building that was so close by, he shook his head, smiled, and went straight into the building.

Then it exploded.

"Oh my god... Brother! We're renting this place!!"

"Holy crap... Am I dreaming?"

"Working here is a great honor for my family!"

A group of elderly women, looking around curiously, followed them in, marveling at the spacious hall.

Just then, two foreigners in suits came out of the elevator and looked them over. Only then did Chen Xuebing turn around and glance at this group of country bumpkins.

"cough!"

Lu Yiwen coughed loudly, and everyone noticed the foreign guests. They immediately suppressed their excitement and began to pretend to be calm.

It wasn't until an elevator door opened and Chen Xuebing waved that everyone rushed in like mad donkeys.

……

45th floor, the second highest floor of the main building.

Chen Xuebing stood with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the afterglow of the setting sun reflected in the Jialing River.

Back then, there weren't so many tall buildings around, and the view from top to bottom was unobstructed. It felt strangely similar to the Guomao Revolving Restaurant in Shenzhen, which overlooks the New Territories of Hong Kong.

Although this building may seem ordinary in later generations, it was the most prestigious building in Chongqing at that time.

"I'm sorry, the entire top floor is already rented out, and this is the only room left on this floor..."

The hardworking real estate agent maintained a smile and gave a simple explanation, not going into much detail about the floor except for its size and price.

These young people really don't look like they can afford to rent.

Their faces were indeed filled with conflict.

It's beautiful, absolutely gorgeous! This is practically a dream bedroom! Working here, they could get off work 24/7, never leaving the house!
It's huge! A full 360 square meters!
The rent is 47 yuan per square meter per month, plus property management fees, it's about 50 yuan.

The combined price is 17928 yuan per month, which is more than the combined income of the eight of them.

"Brother, with 10,000 yuan, we can rent a villa." Lu Yiwen had been traveling all over Chongqing lately, looking at many office locations. His boldest idea was a villa with a rent of 10,000 yuan. He didn't even dare to think about anything higher.

Chen Xuebing laughed and said, "Villas are for civilian use, which is different from office buildings."

He hadn't dared to dream of this place before, but everything in Shenzhen went far more smoothly than he had imagined. Now he wanted to go straight to the place he knew best and rent an office there.

In his past life, his office was in this building.

However, at that time he wanted to rent a high-rise apartment, but the high-rise apartments were large and the price per square meter was expensive, so he could only settle for a 200-square-meter apartment on a middle floor.

Later, even the middle floors couldn't afford to rent anymore.

Land prices in Chongqing are rising slowly, so he probably won't buy land here in the next few years. Since he's renting, he might as well treat himself well and fulfill a dream from his past life.

"When will you be able to move in? Beautiful lady, since you're already here, could you please give us a more detailed introduction? Maybe when we have more employees, we'll rent the entire top floor of your place."

Chen Xuebing's smile was relaxed and carefree, and the brothers around him straightened their chests upon hearing this.

"Intoxicated even without wine." The female agent paused for a moment, then became more polite and said, "Oh... sir, as you saw when you came up, our elevators and the entire building are already powered on. After about two weeks of testing and adjustments, we can ensure stable water and electricity. We are a new building with an 80% usable floor area ratio. Parking is 250 yuan per car per month. You've already seen the basic high-end decoration—partitions, flooring, and such large floor-to-ceiling windows. It's all move-in ready. But if you want to do additional partitions or decorations, we will give you a one-month rent-free period for decoration. During that time, you only need to pay the property management fees and utilities. However, you need to show us the decoration plan in advance."

As for renovations, anyone who rents here must be doing their renovations to the best of their ability. Giving them a month's rent as a bonus is a sure win.

However, the term "usable floor area ratio" gave Chen Xuebing a reminder.

Damn it, no wonder this place doesn't look 360 square meters.

Li Huanggua came to Chongqing in 93 to hoard and develop properties, making Chongqing one of the first cities to suffer from the issue of shared area.

"An 80% usable floor area ratio means it's less than 290 square meters? That's so expensive, can it be rented out monthly?"

Chen Xuebing's words caused the chests of his comrades to collectively deflate.

Even the female agent couldn't figure it out.

"Sir, this... our contract term must be at least one year, with a minimum payment of two months' deposit and six months' rent in advance..."

Chen Xuebing took out a bank card from his pocket.

"Just kidding. You swipe 50,000 first, and I'll reserve this office. We'll start using it tomorrow. Isn't your water and electricity still unstable? Let's wait until next month. I'll come and sign a three-year contract and pay the rent in full, but you have to start the lease from when the water and electricity are fully connected."

“Um…” The female agent hesitated for a moment, but still took the card.

"Please wait a moment, I'll report to my supervisor!"

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

The brothers were all dumbfounded.

"8..." Gou Hongyi clicked his tongue after calculating eight months' rent in his mind: "Only half a year."

Looking at the bare walls, Lu Yiwen said somewhat guiltily, "Brother, we still need to renovate! ...Do you have a lot of money left?"

Chen Xuebing smiled: "After you finish spending, you'll still have 30,000 left."

"Holy crap!" Lu Yiwen immediately turned his head to check if the female agent had gone far.

Chen Xuebing glanced at everyone and asked, "Do you like it or not?"

"We love it!" they said in unison this time.

Chen Xuebing then laughed and said, "I also got a new computer, a 19-inch LCD monitor, which will be delivered next week. Do you like it?"

"like!!"

"Hahaha, bro, I've finally waited for this! I love you!"

Chen Xuebing immediately raised his hand.

"If you like it, then make some money for me! Starting tomorrow, everyone go find an ID card, register another account, and sell counterfeit phones!"

"In addition, starting tomorrow, our mobile phones will be gradually reduced in price."

……

When you're young, you can be incredibly motivated to do something you love.

We were supposed to meet at the furniture store at 8 o'clock, but the next day, before 7 o'clock, Lu Yiwen called to say that everyone had arrived.

At 7:30, they called again excitedly, saying that the furniture store gates were open and they had gone in first.

When Chen Xuebing led Ren Ying to the door, a bunch of bastards had already wandered around inside.

"Brother, look at this leather sofa!"

"Soldier! Look at this table! This marble table is so cool!"

"Gou Hongyi, you fucking pick something cheap! I only have 30,000 left!"

"...I still have 1,600 left! If you're buying this table, I'll contribute 1,600, okay?"

Gou Hongyi, who only wanted to patronize prostitutes once he had money, was actually willing to spend a huge sum of money to buy a table for the company, which made Chen Xuebing somewhat amazed.

In their past lives, they had also shopped at furniture stores together to buy things for their new company. However, back then, they were all in their late twenties, and practicality was the priority. They had lost that carefree childlike innocence. Unlike now, they each chose their own items, and no one cared whether their choices matched or whether they would be easy to move during future renovations.

Their only concern now is to buy the best; only the best is worthy of their luxurious new home.

"Brother, you should buy this sofa! It's great! I'll pay a thousand!"

"Brother Soldier, didn't you want to buy a bed? A Simmons mattress! I'll pay eight hundred!"

Chen Xuebing chuckled, recalling that he too had recently made an irrational purchase, renting a luxury office, and couldn't help but laugh:
"Okay, I'll buy it."

"yeah!!"

A burst of excited howls filled the air, an atmosphere even more intense than when the Leo Cmont Company held a sex party in "The Wolf of Wall Street." The surrounding businesses were on high alert, wary of these young lads, fearing they might steal their goods.

Ren Ying hurriedly followed behind, keeping track of the accounts, and then promptly fulfilled her housekeeper duties, reminding General Manager Chen with a pained expression:
"The tables... should be bought together! It's not right for them to buy one from here and one from there!"

Chen Xuebing smiled but didn't answer. He turned and spotted a small stone-patterned bar counter and iron chairs, then walked over and asked:
"Boss, how much is it?"

"Eighteen thousand!"

"1500, pay by card if you agree, otherwise forget it."

"Good good!"

Ren Ying was about to cry: "Why did you buy this! It's so narrow, it can only seat two people, you won't need it!"

Chen Xuebing chuckled: "I like it."

……

16550.

In the office, a pack of wolves eagerly helped the movers put the tables and chairs into their preferred places.

"Master! Hurry up! We have to get to work!"

"Hey, hey, hey? Be gentle! Don't break it!"

"Put the sofa in this corner! I'll sleep on the sofa from now on!"

After half an hour, it gradually quieted down.

Eight people stood on one side of the office lobby, admiring their masterpiece.

Ren Ying swept the room with a broom and shovel, looking at the various desks and chairs, their arrangement resembling a Bagua altar, and a small bar counter leaning against the wall whose color clashed with the wall at all. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Does it look good?"

None of the eight people spoke.

Chen Xuebing laughed first: "It's fucking ugly."

The other seven people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Chen Xuebing laughed again: "It doesn't matter, as long as we're having fun, this is our den of mad wolves."

After a moment of silence, he burst into a wild laugh.

"Brother's right! That's awesome!"

"Cool!!"

"Ow~"

Chen Xuebing glanced at his watch and said, "Don't get too excited yet. Lu Yiwen, go find someone to install the internet. We'll start working once the computers arrive. Everyone else, go to the internet cafe, register accounts, and get to work and earn money!"

"Ow!"

A group of people left, howling.

Chen Xuebing stood with his hands on his hips and looked around for a while, then realized that this place didn't look like an office, but rather like a messy home.

pretty good.

"I only have 15,100 yuan left," Ren Ying said as she came to report the expenses.

"Yes, we'll earn it back soon," Chen Xuebing said confidently.

"Besides, there are less than three months left until the college entrance exam, so you have to give me time... If you want to get good results, you have to put all these things aside for now."

Ren Ying looked somewhat troubled. She knew how much money this boy made every day, and she wondered if the college entrance examination still held any meaning for him.

Chen Xuebing nodded seriously.

"Understood. I'll go into the mountains tomorrow for secluded cultivation."

(End of this chapter)