Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 93 Self-deprecation?

As soon as the lights dimmed, the free lights outside the window shone in a dazzling array of colors.

"Den."

The two clinked glasses.

Chen Xuebing looked out the window, holding his cup and gently swaying it, looking very relaxed, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Looks like some people are showing off," Xin Mengzhen laughed. "Showing off your beautiful office?"

Chen Xuebing didn't mince words and nodded straightforwardly, laughing, "We meet at teahouses, parks, or your house, like old folks going on blind dates. It's not easy to have your own place, so of course I have to show it off. Otherwise, when you go to Shanghai and think of me, you'll think I'm just a country bumpkin from Chongqing."

He knew that Xin Mengzhen would probably go to Shanghai. She probably wouldn't be able to get into Tsinghua or Peking University, while Jiaotong University and Fudan University were both in Shanghai.

Xin Mengzhen's lips curled into shallow dimples.

"What a country bumpkin! You're crazy!"

After saying that, she looked at the spacious room in front of her, pursed her lips and said, "Don't underestimate yourself. You are the most amazing person I've ever met. Don't rush to prove yourself. You will definitely shine."

She knew that Chen Xuebing had made a lot of money. Although Chen Xuebing had been running "Xin Mengzhen's Little Shop" for the past few months, she would still visit the shop from time to time.

This one store alone has achieved sales of over 110 million to date.

A profit of two or three hundred thousand yuan is indeed not much for her family's situation, but how much was his start-up capital?
He also has other shops.

She also knew that Chen Xuebing owned a factory in Shenzhen.

However, she also knew that the factory had not yet started operating, and he had not placed an order with MediaTek.

Not long ago, Lin Huixiang called her and said that Chen Xuebing was a braggart. He said that he was just trying to show off his wealth by talking about opening a factory, and that she should not be fooled.

She was unhappy, but she didn't explain.

Strong people don't need explanations; they just work hard silently. She and Chen Xuebing are the same.

But seeing this office today and thinking about the exorbitant rent behind it, she expressed such concerns.

Chen Xuebing is indeed under a lot of pressure, but his pressure has nothing to do with this office.

Hearing this, he was moved and raised his glass to clink with Xin Mengzhen's, then took a sip.

"Time is too tight and too fast. I want to do everything well, but sometimes I have to give up some things temporarily and do the most important ones well... Fortunately, I was freed after the college entrance examination. I no longer have to struggle with the test papers. I invited you here today to celebrate and wish myself a rebirth. Cheers."

He deliberately used the sensitive word "rebirth" as a way of releasing pent-up pressure.

While studying and managing construction sites, he was also simultaneously controlling a huge gamble in Shenzhen. He was on edge for a long time, and he often wanted to drink some beer at the construction site so that he could fall asleep when he was dizzy.

Xin Mengzhen noticed the weariness in his eyes and felt a pang of sympathy. She raised her glass, took a large gulp, then squinted slightly and smacked her lips, saying:
"It'll be ready soon. How's your studying going these days?"

"good."

Chen Xuebing grinned and said, "But my tutor accompanied me to check out the exam venue today and found out that the person in front of me is from Nankai Middle School. He told me to try to copy his math. I've been studying math hard for the past few months, so I really don't want to copy. Even if I pass, I won't feel proud, and I'll be too embarrassed to brag to you."

When Xin Mengzhen heard Chen Xuebing say that he was "studying math hard so he could show off to her," a smile flickered in her eyes.

"Are you confident about getting into the university you applied to?"

Chen Xuebing shrugged: "Anyway, I applied to Chongqing Jiaotong University for my first, second, and third choices. I'll just go all out. If I fail, I'll be completely free."

Xin Mengzhen paused for a moment, then advised, "Sunk costs don't participate in major decisions. If there's an opportunity, you can copy them."

"Do you think I should go to university?" Chen Xuebing suddenly asked.

Xin Mengzhen thought for a moment and nodded.

"Yes, my grandfather told me that only the first generation of businessmen in China were farmers. After that, it was an era of investment and business development, and the founder's education and qualifications would be valued more and more. Your entrepreneurial experience is already a highlight. If you have the opportunity to go to a good university, don't give it up."

Social circles.

Chen Xuebing smiled noncommittally at the topic.

"How's your e-reader doing?"

Mentioning this, Xin Mengzhen's face flushed even faster than when she was drinking. She picked up the bottle, poured some wine, and raised her glass, saying:
“My grandfather said that the scanner technology was not yet mature, but he approved of the idea and added it to the group’s research and production memorandum. He said that after I go to university, he will arrange for me to work for a fund company in Shanghai to help him manage an investment.”

Xin Mengzhen paused for a moment and clinked glasses with Chen Xuebing.

"Thank you."

“Private equity, huh?” Chen Xuebing raised an eyebrow, then chuckled leisurely. “No need to thank me, this is your grandfather’s decision. So you’re going to be a financial tycoon in Shanghai from now on. Will you be playing primary or secondary markets?”

Funds are categorized into public and private funds based on whether their fundraising sources are public or private. Public funds, due to their publicly offered financing nature, have very transparent information and extremely strict qualification requirements for their employees; they are not accessible to current university students.

After all, fund investors would not agree to a college dropout playing with their money.

If Xin Mengzhen's grandfather could arrange for her to work at a fund, then it must be a private equity fund.

Private equity is essentially the same as the fleets in the stock market in the past. A group of wealthy people gather together to speculate on stocks and make investments. With money pooled together, they have a capital advantage and more opportunities to make money.

These funds cannot be publicly offered, and they cannot even advertise. In the early stages, their establishment relies entirely on the favor of investment gurus. The entry threshold is generally over one million, and the minimum assets under management are over one hundred million. Regulators with a high proportion of investment can also arrange for their relatives to get a piece of the action.

Every private equity fund has a primary investment focus, which is divided into the primary market and the secondary market. The primary market invests in companies, while the secondary market invests in stocks. Secondly, there is also a primary industry focus. Fund institutions have high salaries and benefits, but they are not many people and have limited energy. They can make more money by deeply researching and analyzing information in one or two industry markets.

Chen Xuebing's casual remark piqued Xin Mengzhen's curiosity.

"How do you know everything? You even know about funds?"

Chen Xuebing smiled and said, "What's this little bit? School is your battlefield, but once you enter society, it will be my battlefield. I know so much that I could talk to you about everything, even up to the college entrance exam. You can learn it slowly later."

Xin Mengzhen stared intently at Chen Xuebing for a long while, then said helplessly and irritably, "I know you like surfing the internet, but I like surfing the internet too. Do you... have some exclusive website?"

She had asked Chen Xuebing before why he knew so much, and he only said it was from the internet.

However, information on the internet today is very fragmented. If you want to learn any professional knowledge, you have to spend a lot of time searching. You might as well buy a book instead.

She felt that Chen Xuebing must have found a good website.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing laughed: "I don't have a website, but I have the world's largest paid knowledge platform. Once you enter it, you'll have endless motivation to learn."

Xin Mengzhen's eyes lit up: "What?"

Chen Xuebing turned his face to the side and smiled, "Give me a kiss and I'll tell you."

Xin Mengzhen remained silent.

After a brief silence, she raised one hand, put her fingers together, and pecked Chen Xuebing on the cheek.

"Say it."

"This counts?" Chen Xuebing stared at Xin Mengzhen, only to find that her face was flushed, all the way to her cheeks, as if she had really kissed him.

This…

also!

A shy peck with a girl's finger is more powerful than a deep kiss from a mature woman.

Chen Xuebing savored the cool touch for a moment before coughing and saying, "The world's largest knowledge payment platform is, of course, our A-shares."

"Stock trading?" Xin Mengzhen was a little stunned.

Chen Xuebing shook his head and smiled: "It's not that you can just trade any stock; you have to trade our A-shares."

Other people's stock markets are too stable; only the A-share market has such rapid rotation of themes.

Today I learned about Chatgpt, AIGC, digital virtual humans, CPO optical modules, computing power, liquid-cooled servers, and 4D millimeter-wave radar. Tomorrow, solid-state batteries, speed reducers, robots, autonomous driving, and smart cockpits will all go up in price.

Chinese stock market investors are learning with the utmost sincerity and chasing every limit-up stock.

If a stock hits its daily limit up, A-share investors will start talking to you about what superconductivity is.

If you can get two consecutive limit-up days, stock market investors can help you streamline the entire superconducting industry chain.

After three consecutive days of limit-up trading, investors dare to refute the results of scientific experiments.

If the stock price were to double, retail investors could teach scientists how to create superconducting materials.

He came here to gamble, but ended up getting a PhD. He studied everything from sow slaughter rates to population yield, and the processes of listing, restructuring, suspension, and delisting. He knew more about these things than even the executives of listed companies. He could even tell whether institutional investors had entered or exited just by looking at a single intraday chart. He lost money, but he grew as a person.

Those like Chen Xuebing, who have managed to stay in the business for over a decade without losing money and even make a small profit, are the cream of the crop.

Sometimes he felt that he was reborn too early because he started investing in stocks late in his previous life and his understanding of the economy of that era was not as good as in later years. If it had been after 2010, his rise would have been ten times faster than it is now.

However, this era has youth, and he can still enjoy the sense of admiration that comes from being matured early and without spending a penny, just like at this moment.

By the time Xin Mengzhen reaches her twenties, it will be difficult for any words or insights to stir her emotions.

"Is your first choice Fudan University or Shanghai Jiao Tong University?" Chen Xuebing suddenly asked.

Fudan University.

Xin Mengzhen came back to her senses and said.

Chen Xuebing smiled and said, "Jiaotong University is also good. The Antai College of Management, where the Department of Finance is located, focuses on a small but excellent program. Its EMBA program has a very high ranking. The CEIBS is also nominally a Jiaotong University alumni program, so there are many well-known alumni in the financial industry."

Xin Mengzhen was naturally aware of this, and subconsciously nodded, then raised her eyebrows:
"Didn't you say you didn't care about university rankings?"

"For you, look," Chen Xuebing said, thinking himself deeply affectionate.

Xin Mengzhen, however, had some doubts.

"EMBA, Executive Master of Business Administration? You're recommending this to me?"

Chen Xuebing coughed lightly: "Just browsing."

Xin Mengzhen understood something, and with great interest, she leaned on the small bar counter, rested her chin on her hand, and said, "I know you have great ambitions, and you will soar to great heights."

Seeing that she had finished her drink and her face was flushed, Chen Xuebing moved closer to the bar, looked Xin Mengzhen in the eye, and smiled:

"We've reached the poetry-giving stage? Then I'll give you one too: Holding a five-colored brush, I'll seize the championship title."

Their faces were very close, close enough that they could kiss in one breath.

Xin Mengzhen didn't dodge; she simply rested her hands on the table, her head against her arm, gazing at the bustling night view outside the window with a somewhat lost look in her eyes.

"Chen Xuebing, I'm leaving now, but I... I don't know how I feel about you. Sometimes it feels like love, and sometimes it doesn't."

Chen Xuebing knew that her words were a response to the promise of love made during the college entrance examination. He paused for a moment, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "Maybe I wasn't good enough, that I didn't make your heart flutter."

A forty-year-old is unlikely to be heartbroken by a vague or dismissive remark; they will simply say something that sounds nonchalant.

Xin Mengzhen shook her head.

"It's not me, it's you. I think it's you who wasn't moved."

Chen Xuebing was speechless.

"What does it mean to be moved?"

"Look, you yourself don't even realize it, how can I not take it seriously?"

After Xin Mengzhen finished speaking, she raised her head and stared intently at Chen Xuebing, trying to see something in his eyes, but she only saw calm as still water.

Chen Xuebing seemed to understand what she meant, touched his nose, and tried to explain:

"I just…"

He stammered for a long time, not knowing how to answer.

He's just too old, busy making a living all day, and has forgotten how to date, yet he still thinks he can be a Casanova.

In that instant, he also felt that Xin Mengzhen was not the most suitable person for him.

Conversely, he is also not suitable for Xin Mengzhen.

He has everything he needs, he just wants a simple, warm welcome, but he can't even fake it.

At forty, after all the ups and downs, I've become excessively selfish and incapable of love.

Xin Mengzhen bit her lip, stood up and said:

"It's okay, let's talk about it after you've thought it through. Until then, we're still friends."

Chen Xuebing watched her retreating figure, lost in thought for a long time.

……

The college entrance examination is here.

It was sunny on March 6.

The city truly lives up to its reputation as a "furnace city"; under the sun, the sound of cicadas only amplifies the oppressive heat.

"Little one, don't be nervous... Mom and your brother are waiting for you at the door. Do your best on the exam!"

At the entrance of the examination hall, Yu Chunyan was much more nervous than Chen Xuebing. She had read an article in a copy of Reader's Digest titled "Ten Things Parents Should Do for Their Children During the College Entrance Examination," one of which was "Provide Emotional Support."

She checked Chen Xuebing's pencil case, hesitated for a long time, and then stammered as she pulled Chen Xuebing aside, "Mom loves you!"

"Hiss..." Chen Xuebing's toes clenched tightly, and goosebumps rose all over his body. He didn't want to spoil his mother's enjoyment.

Fortunately, the parents around were all making sarcastic remarks about the child, and I just saw a man holding his child's hand with tears streaming down his face.

These days, the college entrance examination is the most important thing for most families. Even if a couple wants to get a divorce, they have to wait until the child has finished the exam before they can schedule a divorce.

Chen Xuebing knew his mother was nervous, and looking at the rising sun, he could only say:
"What are you waiting for? It's not like I can't find my way home. When you get home, give me some ice and watermelon, and cook me something nice to eat. I want to eat when I get back."

"Okay, okay! Whatever you want to eat, Mom will make it for you." Yu Chunyan was just saying this when she noticed her son was already walking into the examination room, so she quickly called out again:

"Little one! You can't eat watermelon these next couple of days! Be careful not to get diarrhea!"

……

Chen Xuebing closed his eyes to rest, waiting quietly for the exam papers to be handed out.

Ren Ying had trained him countless times on how to adjust his mindset before answering the questions.

When he received the Chinese exam paper, he quickly flipped through the dictation, reading comprehension, and composition questions so he could think about them during the exam.

Fortunately, I knew how to do three out of the five dictation questions. However, I completely missed Li Qingzhao's "Sheng Sheng Man" and Zhu Ziqing's "Lotus Pond by Moonlight".

The reading was too long, so I only glanced at a few of the questions.

Essay writing, this is interesting.

There were actually two questions.

One is about chopsticks, 200 words. (10 points)
One is a self-deprecating poem, 600 words. (50 points)
The question about chopsticks basically has a standard answer, which is to write about unity or something similar. It's 200 words long, so you can treat it like a reading comprehension question.

Self-deprecation.

Some of the ideas are niche.

While working on the questions, Chen Xuebing kept thinking about the content of this essay.

In fact, Ren Ying had trained him on many different argumentative essay formats, and this format was the most formulaic and the easiest to write.

Start with a famous quote, present the argument by recounting the famous person's deeds, use parallel structures, then provide counter-arguments, and finally add another famous quote. Write neatly and avoid typos. This should be a score of 48 or higher (out of 60).

But looking at the topic, he suddenly didn't want to discuss what self-deprecation is.

He wanted to make fun of himself.

How do you write a narrative essay...?

The narrative has a beginning and an end, is well-organized, sets up ideas, attracts readers, and avoids being monotonous and simplistic.

Was his previous life monotonous?

Chen Xuebing smiled, picked up his pen, and began to write:
Self-deprecation

On my first night as a 39-year-old, I couldn't sleep at all.

(End of this chapter)