Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 1 Chen Xuebing

"By the time you realize that time is a thief, it has already stolen all your choices."

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August 2024.

chongqing.

"Old Jiang, don't worry. How many years have you been with me? I owe them, why would I owe you? The country recently issued 30-year treasury bonds for a major infrastructure project, you know? I'm currently in Zhejiang discussing the Hehe waterway pipeline network project. Do you still want to work with me on the next phase?"

"Mmm, mmm."

"That's right, the entire construction industry is facing difficulties. But it's not without opportunities. In our line of work, we need to be able to read policies. Right now, there's war in the Middle East, and the situation is very tense. Our country and Russia are working together to open up the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, build a canal, and promote trade both domestically and internationally. This is a new opportunity! Especially at times like these, we should all work together to overcome the difficulties."

"Okay, that's it. I'll grit my teeth and bear it. I'll go back to Chongqing and ask about the water bill settlement. I'll try to settle the previous accounts as soon as possible."

Chen Xuebing had just hung up the phone and hadn't even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ding."

"Ding."

Two text messages arrived in quick succession.

95566: [Your loan from the Bank of China is due on August 30th: RMB 12453.23 (excluding overdue amounts). Please ensure sufficient funds in your repayment account ending in 8741 before the due date. Failure to repay on time and in full will be reported by our bank in accordance with the "Regulations on the Administration of Credit Reporting Industry." If you have already deposited sufficient funds or made the repayment, please excuse the inconvenience. For any questions, please contact the branch handling your application or 95566.]

Lu Yiwen: [Brother, don't worry, I've finalized the sale of the house and will transfer the money to you right away.]

Chen Xuebing looked at the computer in front of him. His securities account still had more than 550 million yuan left in the S&P 500 ETF fund. He sighed deeply.

All his assets, including his car and house, were mortgaged, plus the money he spent on credit cards, and that's it.

There are still outstanding loans and millions in labor and material costs owed. Except for the workers' wages, which cannot be owed, everyone knows the truth but just boasts and continues to drag things out.

A few years ago, his working capital was a zero more than it is now.

More than a dozen construction teams worked for him, and there were so many project sections that they couldn't finish them all. All of them were projects funded by government-allocated funds, and they could receive 80% of the progress payment before the receiving party settled the accounts.

In recent years, we've offered massive discounts and debt collection, which is basically giving him a complete discount.

Once a person starts to fall, the fall that follows is a smooth, uninterrupted one.

Their worth has been downgraded, their status has been downgraded, and their credit has been downgraded.

There was no work to do, so I went from being a general contractor to a subcontractor, from a semi-client to a small contractor, and I couldn't even support my team.

Now, there are only two things left to do: take out loans to speculate in stocks and make empty promises to others.

The stock market is also unreliable. The S&P 500, which Buffett recommended in his will, experienced two major crashes last week, Black Friday and Black Monday, giving him four consecutive nights of nightmares.

Chen Xuebing thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and called Lu Yiwen back:

"Brother, forget it, don't go through with this. My family is already broken up, don't let yours fall apart too. Next week, before anyone sues me for the Xiangjiang River project, I'll find a lawyer to deregister the labor service company, trying not to drag you down with me."

After hesitating for almost five minutes, I added a few more words:
I've made up my mind, I'll change careers.

The phone lit up quickly.

"Brother, what did you say? We promised to plant our flag all over China! How can we give up? We've been together since we were students. Without you, there would be no me. Aren't we still working on the river project? Just say how much money you need, and we brothers can scrape together a few million for you anytime. Advance funding is no problem either. We're all easy to coordinate with. Paying salaries every year or two is fine too, as long as we have enough to live on."

Chen Xuebing's lips curled up, revealing a helpless smile.

That son of a bitch still loves to brag.

Can you easily scrape together a few million?
We're all approaching 4, and we all have families. Are we really going to resort to such desperate measures as selling everything we own?
Moreover, nowadays everyone is involved in EPC general contracting, so scraping together tens of millions is not very useful anymore. It's no longer the era where a few hundred thousand in cash could leverage a project worth millions.

He knew that nobody wanted the party to end.

However, with competitors undercutting prices, profits became scarce. Everyone entered the market hoping to make a profit by exaggerating the amount of work done. After finally completing the project, most of the projects were found to have exceeded the audit limit, and some of the work was of substandard quality, which created a series of new triangular debts.

The process between Party A and Party B, from their initial joyful arrival to their subsequent back-and-forth, became the standard procedure.

Chen Xuebing let out a sigh of frustration, remembering that he had just told the foreman, Lao Jiang, that he was discussing a project in Zhejiang. He got up, turned off the lights in the living room, and walked to the window.

Looking at the bustling Jiangbei area, which was even more prosperous than a few years ago, it seemed to lack room for further growth, leaving me feeling lost.

At only 38 years old, shouldn't I be doing something?

Consumer spending is downgrading, capital is fleeing, Europe is so poor it's causing revolutions, yet US debt continues to pile up.

What about the law of conservation of matter? Where did all the money go?

Experts say that last year the national M2 was 300 trillion yuan, and all the money was just sitting in banks doing nothing.

Hehe, I didn't save it anyway.

I asked around among my friends, and none of them had saved it either.

Chen Xuebing suddenly looked out the window, his gaze sharp, as if he had broken through the fourth wall.

Could it be... that you saved it?
...

"Woo..."

Mobile phone vibration.

Chen Xuebing raised his hand and glanced at it.

Gou Hongyi, video invitation.

"Hey."

I'm not going to my high school reunion today, but some people still remember it fondly.

Chen Xuebing is a man of many social standing.

He turned around, picked up the car keys from the table, and went downstairs.

……

An older model Audi A8 drove out of the residential area.

After driving for a long time, until they reached a highway where no landmarks were visible, Chen Xuebing, in the driver's seat, picked up his phone and replied to Gou Hongyi, who had already sent several video call requests on WeChat.

"beep."

The video call connected, there was a brief blackout, and then the other party's screen became bright again.

"Hey! Mr. Chen answered the phone!"

Gou Hongyi's face occupied most of the screen, his face flushed with drunkenness, yet also bearing a smile of triumph in his old age.

"Mr. Chen... what are you busy with?"

Chen Xuebing gave a forced smile: "On a business trip."

"Oh? Driving yourself?" Gou Hongyi laughed. "President Chen is so busy, he didn't even come to the class reunion today. Five years ago, you said you would arrange the best restaurant in Chongqing for the next reunion, and now everyone is waiting for you to come and pay the bill! Look, even the beautiful Yang came all the way back from Hong Kong. You used to stake out her, didn't you?"

The camera pans to a huge dining table, five or six meters in diameter, where people are clinking glasses and jeering. The view then sweeps across the room, revealing many people looking at the camera and cheering.

"Oh~~~"

"Is that so? How come I didn't know about this before?"

"Chen Xuebing! You didn't come, and neither did Lu Yiwen, Liang Hui, and the others! We're just missing you guys, come and get together!"

"Yes, Mr. Chen, we're waiting for you to start your class!"

All the faces were both familiar and unfamiliar, but the image finally settled on a woman wearing a light beige suit.

Not much has changed; beautiful women really do age more slowly.

Yang Qingyue smiled a little shyly, but still waved to the camera generously.

When Chen Xuebing saw her, he remembered a face and subconsciously smiled, but then realized that it was the other person's rear camera image, and his own face was still in front of Gou Hongyi, who was holding the phone.

He composed himself and said:

“We all have families to support, why are we squatting? I’m really away on a business trip, and Lu Yiwen and the others are busy too. You guys drink up, let’s get together again next time, I’ll definitely arrange it next time.”

The camera cuts back to Gou Hongyi, who is seen with a teasing smile.

"Family and children? Mr. Chen, we're brothers, we know each other perfectly well. Huang Man and you're divorced, right? The landlord's been calling me to demand rent. I even signed the contract for the office space, you've forgotten? If you don't renew the lease, I'll rent it out and set up a branch office! My live-streaming company has signed several top streamers now. You've got a bad eye for talent. That Xiao Jin you kicked out back then, I'm offering him a 300,000 yuan annual salary now. He's a young man with big ambitions! He's making the company thrive! I heard you're planning to change careers? What are you planning to sell? Should I have Xiao Jin come over and give you a boost? But no discounts, please!"

Gou Hongyi's voice was very loud, which suddenly silenced the other side of the conversation.

Chen Xuebing's recent situation, which he had been trying so hard to hide, was laid bare by Gou Hongyi, who then presented it in pieces on the other end of the phone, leaving Chen Xuebing momentarily at a loss as to how to pick it up.

If it were a few years ago, he would have already turned against him.

They might bring their lawyers to the class reunion dinner right now to argue about how Gou Hongyi was fired for falsifying accounts and taking kickbacks back in the company. They might even send him a belated lawyer's letter and give him a beating.

But now, everyone is approaching forty.

"You're drunk, go sober up," Chen Xuebing replied casually, preparing to put down his phone.

"Drunk? I'm perfectly sober!"

Upon hearing this, Gou Hongyi seemed to be intoxicated and became enraged, starting to shout relentlessly at the screen:

"I skipped college and followed you out into the workforce, stealing projects and doing all this for over ten years! Now that the company's doing well and we have more projects, you dumped me! You, Chen Xuebing, have such a big face, drawing a nose on three pieces of paper! Get this straight, I have a share in this company too!! If it weren't for your uncle's connections, how would you be the boss? Are you smarter than me? Or are you just all brawn and no brains? This is a society governed by law, I'm not going to listen to your nonsense!"

"beep."

Chen Xuebing pressed the red "", and the car returned to silence.

But he could imagine that things wouldn't quiet down just because he hung up.

Another circle of classmates is about to disappear.

Was our homeroom teacher, Ms. Guo, there just now?

Back then, to prove himself, he stood on the podium before the college entrance exam and shouted to Lao Guo, "I will live better than everyone else!" He refused to take the exam, and after graduation, he led a group of people out to make their way in the world. Within a few years, they were all in high spirits, each leading an engineering team and becoming millionaires.

Five years ago at the class reunion, I specially sent a car to invite Professor Guo. During the meal, he talked eloquently in front of a group of top students, and many blindly followed him.

Now, when Lao Guo hears about his failure, will he laugh with satisfaction, feeling that his "success determines destiny" law has returned?

Are you wrong?
of course not.

Success is a milestone, failure is an epitaph.

But that wave of the times has receded, and he can no longer sense new opportunities for success. Without sufficient knowledge reserves, he can only tumble in the increasingly dry old waves.

I really want to go back to being 18...

What year was it?

Yes, 2004.

Back then, things were developing rapidly, youth was still in full bloom, and there was no time to waste.

Just then, a bright red streak flashed across the dim sky. Chen Xuebing snapped out of his reverie and glanced into the distance; it looked like the Perseid meteor shower he'd recently seen on short videos.

At the same time, something came to mind.

Just now...did you see two warning cones and a sign that were pinned down by the roadside?
"Fuck me!"

Chen Xuebing saw the trenches dug ahead, resembling battle trenches, and tried to slow down, but it was too late.

boom!
...

"Uh…"

In a daze, Chen Xuebing fumbled for his phone, wanting to call his mother and his younger brother who had just started working.

Touched.

With his last ounce of strength, he opened his eyes and unlocked the device.

What came into view was a text message.

[Xuebing, you are the best student I have ever taught. Though the process of sifting through sand is arduous, only by blowing away the last grains of sand can gold be found. Keep going, I believe in you! — Guo Shihai]

Chen Xuebing's lips gradually curled up, and he fainted.

……

……

"I don't know how long I slept in the darkness."

I wonder how difficult it will be for them to open their eyes.

I came from afar, and it just so happens that you are here as well.

Obsessed with wandering the mortal world, I am wild for her…

When Chen Xuebing looked up, the loudspeaker above the podium was playing Pu Shu's "Life is Like Summer Flowers".

Before me stood a fortress of two stacks of nearly new books, the faint scent of printed ink wafting into my nostrils.

The seat in front of him was his reserved seat during high school.

The back door has a window; the hometown of the king.

He'd read countless rebirth novels over the years, and he'd imagined this scene before him countless times, but…

They're really back?
Next to him sat a boy wearing a baseball cap and dressed in bright red and purple, holding a book and swaying his head as he howled along:
"I am this dazzling moment, a fleeting flame streaking across the sky!"

"Gou Hongyi?" Chen Xuebing called out tentatively.

"Bro, you're finally awake! You can sleep so much! You started sleeping during the first class and it was even time for morning exercises!"

The boy next to him said, turning his head with a grin.

The moment Chen Xuebing confirmed the other party's identity, he kicked out and struck Gou Hongyi's bench.

"Bang!"

Chen Xuebing was sitting alone with no table next to him, and Gou Hongyi didn't even have a place to grab onto, so he performed a dramatic fall from his chair.

Chen Xuebing felt the kick was very real.

It was really fun.

The students in front turned around when they heard the noise, but when they found that it was Chen Xuebing and Gou Hongyi making a commotion, they were not surprised and continued reading and chatting.

"Holy crap! Bro! What are you doing?" Gou Hongyi sat on the ground, looking completely bewildered.

Chen Xuebing looked at the words "219 days until the college entrance examination" next to the blackboard. His memories of this era gradually became clear. He realized that this really was 04. His mind went blank for a moment, but he still gave Gou Hongyi on the ground a reason.

"Why do you dress up in such bright colors all the time? You look like the King of Cards in Yaoji Poker, so ugly it's disgusting."

"I..." Gou Hongyi of this era actually thought this was a legitimate reason to get kicked. As he got up, he grabbed the large logo on his red sweatpants and argued:

"What's ugly about it? My mom just bought it for me, it's Adidas! A big brand! The one from the World Cup two years ago!"

Chen Xuebing was too lazy to pay attention to him. Given what he said before his rebirth, it was already a miracle that he wasn't kicked.

"Is this my book?"

He picked up the book that Gou Hongyi had dropped and examined it. It was a book called "The Legend of a Little Soldier," and there was a spaceship drawn by himself on the cover of the volume list.

These novels were his treasures from high school, but they disappeared without him realizing it after graduation. He has many other things like these in his life, such as toys from his childhood, bicycles and guitars from junior high school. He can still remember what they look like many years later, but when he sees them again, they feel very unfamiliar.

Just like Gou Hongyi, who listened to his every word at this moment.

"Soldier, soldier! Come quick! We've caught him!"

Another familiar face appeared at the classroom door, poking its head in and waving frantically in this direction.

Chen Xuebing knows this person well; he's from the third shift next to him, Jiao Gui.

A man's call needs no reason. Chen Xuebing was even more eager to see the outside world, so he immediately got up and went out.

Gou Hongyi realized what was happening, his face lit up with joy, and he swaggered out after Chen Xuebing, shouting excitedly at Jiao Gui as he did so:

"He dares to come to class, huh? Damn it, kill him!"

Chen Xuebing frowned, feeling that this guy was like his mother, the school bully, always ready to kill someone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the students on both sides of the aisle quickly pulled their outstretched feet back in and moved their bodies closer together to make way for him.

In his past life, when he was studying, he thought that this kind of avoidance was called respect.

Looking back now, he can clearly sense the disgust in some people's eyes and the helpless emergency avoidance in their actions.

Why didn't I realize that before?

With these questions in mind, Chen Xuebing walked out of the classroom.

A cool autumn wind, in the teens, was blowing in my face.

"Fuck me."

Looking at the playground, which was exactly the same as he remembered, Chen Xuebing was so happy that he slapped himself like he was about to urinate, and he couldn't help but smile.

His first reaction was, "This is it for me."

Italy in 06, Spain in 10, Germany in 14, France in 18, and Argentina in 22.

Moutai, Tencent, China Shipbuilding.

Buy several computers over 10 years to mine Bitcoin.

Don't buy; the trading platform is unreliable. Search for the mining software on Tianya forum; it's called Guiminer, and the wallet software is called bitcoin. Just enter your wallet address into the mining software to receive the cryptocurrency. Early mining only required a regular computer; a single mining spot could yield 50 bitcoins. With five computers mining for a year, you could earn at least several hundred million US dollars. Sell it on the Siren Exchange for GBP, then transfer it to iFast Bank via Panda Express back to China, directly into Alipay—this minimizes transaction fees.

Key points about rebirth and lying flat.

Damn, I never thought these things would come in handy.

As Chen Xuebing thought about it, he clenched his fists, feeling excited and more and more confident as he walked.

Gou Hongyi promptly started the cooling unit that followed:
"Hey bro, do you have a dollar on you? I'm thinking of going to the cafeteria later to buy a couple of packs of millet rice crackers. Math class is so boring."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuebing turned around and gave him a disdainful look.

It's supposed to be Adidas, but it doesn't even cost a penny.

He reached into his pocket, then paused. He then casually addressed Jiao Gui in front of him:

"Jiao Gui, where do you want me to go?"

Jiao Gui turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Soldier, it's Mad Dog! We've caught him! Lu Yiwen and the others have him cornered in the canteen!"

Upon hearing the name "Mad Dog," some of Chen Xuebing's memories gradually became clear. He nodded and remained silent.

After a moment of silence, Gou Hongyi grinned shamelessly again: "Brother, one piece..."

Chen Xuebing waved his hand to interrupt: "Jiao Gui, what's the mad dog's real name?"

"Zhang... Zhang Guangliang, I think."

"Oh."

After another moment of silence, we were almost at the cafeteria.

"Brother, one yuan..." Gou Hongyi persisted.

Chen Xuebing had already seen a dozen or so people gathered outside the canteen, making a ruckus and acting aggressively.

The tall, thin man surrounded at the back had bruises on his face, clearly having been beaten, but his expression remained fierce as he spoke threateningly to Lu Yiwen in front of him:

"I remember those who hit me! Don't let me catch you alone! I'll kill you all!"

"Yo?"

Lu Yiwen sneered, raised his hand and slapped the skinny man across the head. The skinny man dodged, but the slap landed on his forehead.

The surrounding area will immediately start kicking again.

Chen Xuebing, an experienced engineer, was adept at handling such small-scale situations. He immediately pushed aside the two people on the outside, entered the crowd, and shouted:
"What are you all doing crowding around here? This is a school!!"

That shout revealed the air of the director of the moral education department.

It suddenly became quiet.

The crowd immediately dispersed, but soon the cursing and swearing grew even louder.

"The soldier is here!"

"Brother Soldier, this son of a bitch stabbed Liu Siyuan and still dares to come to school. What do you say we do?"

Chen Xuebing ignored him, walked up to "Mad Dog," looked at the injury on his face, and raised his hand.

The mad dog, who had just been defiant and glaring with ferocity, suddenly cleared his eyes and quickly covered his face with his hands.

Everyone around laughed.

He had to be a soldier! A soldier who slapped the gym class guy unconscious!

What mad dogs and mad donkeys? The soldiers are training with dog-beating sticks!

Chen Xuebing was both amused and exasperated. He tugged at his arm, intending to check his injury.

The other person tightly protected their face, refusing to let go no matter what, and their arms were trembling slightly.

Damn it, this is Chen Xuebing.

Chongqing Nanping Middle School: A school bully who has been in power for seven years!

Moreover, he loves to slap people in the face!
(End of this chapter)