Chapter 32: Experiencing the world once more

Three days after having signed the official contract with the owner of the Golden City Tower, because some final touches still had to be done with the tower itself and Mr Xu had also yet to complete preparations for renovation, Xu Tingsheng obtained his permission to make an ultra big banner and hang it around the entire first floor of the tower where the departmental store would be.

There were only three words written on the banner: Wait for me.

Very quickly, this matter became the focal point of discussion throughout the streets of the entire Libei County. A departmental store which had still yet to begin renovation had told all of them: Wait for me.

On what basis did this rest? Wasn’t it just opening a store? Even if it was somewhat bigger, whatever crazy new-fangled thing could they make out of it?

Still, wasn’t it very interesting? People began trying to guess who the one behind the departmental store was. Who was its boss? Who was it who had put up that banner?

Very quickly, Mr Xu was found out as the one who had rented the space.

“Isn’t he a farmer? How could he be so rich?”

“Are you joking? Our Libei’s first ever brick company was set up by him. Such a person having no money? Lacking ability?”

“That’s right. Don’t just look at how he’s been resting for some years. The money and ambition he possesses is not little at all. Such a huge mall, such a lavish hand.”

If you hailed from a village, remember how you felt the first time you ever stepped into a large scale supermarket. To me, at least, even the first shopping trolley which could seat kids inside was a fresh novelty.

In truth, there was a reason behind the rent for the first floor of the Golden City Tower not being higher. Just like how most had yet to experience such large scale supermarkets, people would be bemused on what sort of business would be appropriate for such a huge piece of land. Selling clothes, selling fruits, opening a billiard room....wouldn’t it be fine just arranging two tables by the roadside for a billiard room? ...This space just seemed much too big. Whatever they planned on doing inside, it also seemed like it would be excessive.

The visitors at the Xu family home began to increase, covertly or blatantly trying to find out about Mr Xu’s abilities as well as his plans.

“How about I invest some in it?”

An old friend of Mr Xu’s was the first to ask this, investing 8000 yuan in Mr Xu’s venture. After that, more and more people began carrying money over to the Xu family.

Of course, there were some who were worried that their investment money might not come back. At this time, some would always come out to remind them: they even managed to get such a huge departmental store, what’s more your few thousand dollars? ...Let me tell you this-if you are not an acquaintance or were not introduced, you can’t invest in it even if you want to.”

This huge departmental store that encompassed a whole 2000 square metres was like a great banner made out of the skin of tigers, more and more people rallying under that banner.

This was precisely the effect Xu Tingsheng and Mr Xu had wanted. Right, they hadn’t sufficient money. After having set down a deposit and a year’s rent, they still had to consider renovation as well as making a deal with some suppliers and also some various other expenses. The money in their hands was still far from enough. Even so, however, Mr Xu rejected quite a few investment offers without even the slightest bit of hesitation.

The more it was like this, the more some people wracked their brains for various strategies and methods, just wanting to get some money invested in.

Two days ago, just as Mr Xu had been worrying over the issue of money, not knowing where to go to borrow some or take a loan, Xu Tingsheng had suggested: collective investment.

If not for having run some businesses in his previous life, Xu Tingsheng would actually be rather resistant to this term, even fearing it somewhat. Back then, due to his family background and life experience, in the few years after graduation, he had always been overly cautious in terms of money. Having painstakingly managed to earn some, the first thing he would think of was repaying their debts with it, before earnestly saving up in hopes of buying a house. Sadly, his snail-like pace of saving up had forever been unable to catch up to the skyrocketing prices of homes.

Collective investment was a very risky thing, something that many big bosses would fall from after the year 2014. However, at the same time, one must also admit that countless nouveau riche had risen up due to this. Of the many ‘successful people’ in life, how many didn’t earn their money through that of others?

In his previous life, Xu Tingsheng had awoken to this too late. Therefore, he had been a failure, having failed to the point of only being able to helplessly let go of his most precious relationship.

Now, everything had restarted, opportunities descending once more. It was currently the year 2003, bringing along with it the start of a crazed moneymaking wave. So long as one possessed sufficient funds, the streets were paved with gold.

Convincing Mr Xu had originally seemed like it would be very difficult, but it had turned out to be very easy in the end, because he had already boarded the ship, having no path of retreat.

The true area where the views of father and son conflicted was in the scale of the collective investment. Mr Xu felt that getting sufficient funds for the opening of the supermarket would be enough, not daring to take an even greater risk, while Xu Tingsheng’s view was: more is better, the more the merrier.

As Xu Tingsheng saw it, if they possessed money, there was no way they’d not have business, no way they’d not be able to birth yet more money. If there really was no choice, he could just head to one of the Big Three of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to buy some houses. Such would be the best investment.

On this point, neither of the two was able to convince the other. Therefore, when Xu Tingsheng brought up the matter of going out to play for a few days, Mr Xu very heartily agreed. He really didn’t want to see Xu Tingsheng accepting one sum of investment after another every day, setting down yet more wads of cash before him.

“Enough; it was already enough long ago,” Mr Xu said.

“How can money ever be enough? With what remains from opening the supermarket, we can even start on other things,” Xu Tingsheng said, “Right, one of my classmate’s cousin’s girlfriend’s brother wants to invest twenty thousand. I’ve agreed for you.”

“...”

“Also, Fu Cheng invested ten thousand and Huang Yaming five. They’ve grown addicted to earning money with me.”

“...”

Xu Tingsheng received a call from Fu Cheng on the way to Yanzhou City on a bus.

Fu Cheng said, “Huang Yaming and Tan Qinglin have gone to get a room. I can only look for you.”

Regarding Huang Yaming and Tan Qinglin, Huang Yaming had spoken on this matter himself just two days back. Xu Tingsheng remembered that Huang Yaming hadn’t even managed to kiss her in his previous life. In this life, though, he had even accidentally succeeded in conquering the entire fortress. On the night of the graduation party, they had had their first time.

Having tasted it for the first time, the couple was currently in a period of tireless bliss.

Then, would things work out for them in this life? Xu Tingsheng didn’t intend to worry about this.

Of course, the ambiguity in Fu Cheng’s words was still rather too great as Xu Tingsheng responded, “Get lost! That little couple’s gone to get a room, and you’re looking for me for? I’m not in Libei right now.”

“You’ve taken off again? Where to?”

“Yanzhou.”

“What for?”

“Experiencing the world.”

“...”

“Aren’t you pursuing Ms Fang? Do something to show her, can’t you?”

“I finally managed to wait out a chance yesterday. Ms Fang wanted to change the gas, and I wanted to help her carry the gas container in, but a man appeared and beat me to it.”

“A man-Ms Fang’s boyfriend?”

“It seems like he’s pursuing her.”

“How does he look like?”

“Tall and thin, wearing spectacles. He looks rather cultured, and his bearing is also rather good.”

Xu Tingsheng’s heart tensed. It was very likely that person.

Fu Cheng asked, “What?”

Xu Tingsheng thought for a bit, “Listen to me. Go and follow him, and take down all of his misdeeds, best including him throwing a temper and fighting or arguing or the like.”

Fu Cheng was taken aback, “Really? ...I’ve seen that person, and, sigh. While honestly speaking, I don’t wish to admit it, he actually seems to be rather good.”

Xu Tingsheng explained, “When pursuing a girl, who doesn’t show the best side of themselves? Perhaps in secret, that person, while looking refined, is actually a scum of society? ...Even if you don’t manage to obtain Ms Fang, you wouldn’t wish for her to marry a vicious scum or the like, right? Listen to me, you just take it like you’re observing him for Ms Fang. See what he is like in private. Let’s hope that he is a good guy, while at the same time also staying on guard lest he actually is a bad guy and is fooling everybody.”

Fu Cheng was silent for a while, “Alright, I’ll listen to you. If he really is very good and Ms Fang also likes him, I can only give the two of them my blessings. Who asked me to be born a few years later than her.”

“And what if he turns out terrible?”

“Then no matter what, I’ll not let Ms Fang fall for his schemes.”

“That’s why; go, youth.”

……

The day after Xu Tingsheng left Libei, Mr Xu brought along his younger brother and brother-in-law in travelling towards the provincial capital of Jiannan Province.

The two of them were masons by birth, and Mr Xu had brought them along to learn renovation. As for he himself, there were many things that he had to do. Regarding the specifics of this and from where it was that he intended to begin, Mr Xu had not told even Xu Tingsheng about it.