Back to 1984: I built a chicken farm on a barren mountain.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, Chen Wenfeng arrived at the village committee on time to meet with Accountant Wang. Chen Youwei hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to go along as well.

The three of them sped along the country road on their bicycles, occasionally seeing people driving oxcarts and donkey carts. Chen Wenfeng asked Accountant Wang:

"Uncle Wang, is there a market day today?"

"Yes, there's a big market day in town today."

Chen Wenfeng rode the fastest, with Chen Youwei and Accountant Wang following closely behind. It took the three of them twenty minutes to reach the town. Accountant Wang couldn't help but marvel at the energy of these young people; the bicycles were practically sparking from the pedals.

The town government is a single-story courtyard house. It was originally the compound of the People's Commune, but later the sign was simply changed on the spot, and it became the office location of the town government.

There is a large iron gate at the entrance, with a cement-plastered door frame and a white wooden sign with black characters that reads "Qiwang Town People's Government" hanging above it.

There was a gatekeeper who clearly recognized Chen Youwei and Accountant Wang, and he greeted them proactively:

"You're here early today; there aren't many people here yet. Is this young man's first time here?"

Accountant Wang smiled and said:

"Yes, this is a representative of our village's successful path to prosperity."

The gatekeeper looked incredulous. This young man was already a model of wealth at such a young age? He must be bragging. But he didn't argue. He just smiled and let the three of them in.

Chen Wenfeng nodded to the gatekeeper, and Chen Youwei, who was unable to speak, patted the gatekeeper on the shoulder as he passed by.

Upon entering the main gate, there was a cement screen wall with the four large characters "Serve the People" written on it. Turning past the screen wall, they arrived at a conference room.

There weren't many people in the meeting room; a few were smoking and chatting.

Some were village chiefs and cadres from other villages, as well as some representatives of those who had become wealthy. Accountant Wang greeted the people he knew, and the three of them chose to sit in the front seats.

As people gradually entered the room, a young cadre wearing glasses walked to the front of the meeting room and said:

"Dear village cadres and outstanding representatives, I am a staff member from the town. It's almost 10 o'clock. Let's follow the order we discussed earlier. Representatives from each village who have become wealthy will come up to the stage to share their experiences. Please keep the time limit to 20 minutes. If anyone has questions after the sharing session, you can take another 5 minutes to ask questions. Time is precious, so please speak only what is important."

When Chen Wenfeng heard the staff say this, he thought to himself, "It hasn't even started yet, and they've already set a time limit. On the way here, Accountant Wang said we could speak freely, but there's no way we can speak freely now."

But once the sharing session started, Chen Wenfeng realized the significance of the staff's reminder. Good heavens, these successful entrepreneurs went on and on, as if they were talking about their childhood, and their entrepreneurial experiences were vague and unclear, never getting to the point.

The first person to take the stage was a greenhouse vegetable grower. He didn't even introduce himself. He just took a piece of paper and started talking about vegetable cultivation techniques. He talked for more than an hour straight without taking a break.

Chen Youwei and Accountant Wang were almost asleep, but Chen Wenfeng wasn't sleepy at all; he just found the music interesting.

The staff reminded him several times to finish quickly, but he politely replied, "Sir, I'll be done soon, I'll be done soon."

As a result, after being repeatedly urged, he spoke for another half hour before being forcibly asked to leave.

The second person to take the stage was a car repair shop owner who started out as a mechanic. He also had a piece of paper in his hand. He introduced himself first, but he didn't talk about his car repair skills. Instead, he talked for a long time about how to get along well with customers. If you knew he was a car repair shop owner, you would think he was a marketing guru!

The third person to take the stage was from the catering industry. He was the most fluent speaker among them. Although he had notes in his hand, he spoke eloquently, only occasionally glancing at the notes. He explained everything clearly, from the opportunity to start his business to the selection of dishes, the adjustment of flavors, and customer maintenance. What was particularly commendable was that he also shared his revenue sharing without reservation.

Chen Wenfeng noticed that Chen Youwei was listening very attentively, and his eyes were full of envy.

Accountant Wang whispered in Chen Wenfeng's ear:

"Do you know why the village chief is so anxious and upset? He's competing with this village chief who runs a restaurant. He originally thought that Han Laosi, who owns a soy sauce factory and is quite eloquent, could outmaneuver the village chief. But now that Han Laosi can't come, he's really upset."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wenfeng also whispered:

"I can't guarantee I can beat this person; he's really good at talking."

"Don't feel pressured, just relax and share your experiences. Don't worry about the pressure. It's just that our village chief is too competitive."

After the restaurant owner finished speaking and stepped down from the stage, everyone spontaneously applauded.

The staff member also appreciated this person, not only because he spoke well, but more importantly because he didn't take up too much time.

The staff member stepped forward and addressed the murmuring crowd below:

"The experience sharing session just now was very punctual. If everyone stays within the allotted time, my job will be much simpler."

After hearing this, people burst into laughter, and the few who had taken up too much time lowered their heads somewhat embarrassedly.

The staff member continued:

"Next up is a representative of Chenjiazhuang's successful path to prosperity, Han... Oh, no, the representative from Chenjiazhuang has changed. Chen Wenfeng, please welcome him!"

When Chen Youwei heard the staff member say "Han," he couldn't help but cough a few times.

Chen Wenfeng ignored Chen Youwei's ulterior motives and calmly stepped forward.

When Chen Wenfeng stood in front of the stage, the attendees exclaimed in surprise. Was there no one left in Chenjiazhuang? Why did they send such a young punk?

The staff member was also surprised that Chen Wenfeng was so young. He whispered to Chen Wenfeng to confirm:

"Are you Chen Wenfeng, the representative of Chenjiazhuang?"

"Yes!" Chen Wenfeng replied with certainty.

The village chief who was arguing with Chen Youwei in the audience was the first to speak out, saying:

"Old Chen, are all the representatives of your village who have become wealthy this young?"

Chen Youwei's throat was so sore that he couldn't speak. He tried hard to make a sound, but his faint voice was drowned out by the laughter of the people.

Accountant Wang was also a little flustered. He was about to speak when Chen Wenfeng gave him a wink, signaling him to hold back.

Chen Wenfeng saw a wooden stump on the platform in front of him. He was already tall, standing a head taller than most people. He kicked the stump over, stood on it, cleared his throat, and said:

"People say that ambition knows no age, while a hundred years is wasted without it. They also say, 'Never underestimate a young person's potential.' May I ask this leader, with your hair all gray, what meaningful things have you accomplished?"

The village chief was taken aback by Chen Wenfeng's question. He had initially relied on his age to embarrass the other party, but he hadn't expected Chen Wenfeng, who looked quite young, to speak with such force. He was momentarily at a loss for words. Then, Chen Wenfeng took out a prepared manuscript, unfolded it in front of everyone, and said:

"I was planning to just read it as written here and go through the motions, but it seems I have to change my plans. I'm not going to read it now; I'll explain it to everyone properly."

After saying that, he folded the manuscript a few times and put it in his pocket.