Reborn in 1985: From Selling Braised Duck to Becoming the World's Richest Man

"Brother Liang Ming, it's rare to see you delivering goods today."

When Liang Ming appeared in the school cafeteria of the county's No. 1 Middle School, Li Jin's face showed a look of surprise, and he said.

"What? Principal Li, are you saying you don't welcome me?"

Liang Ming chuckled.

"Not at all, Brother Liang Ming personally delivered the goods, I'm more than happy to do so."

Upon hearing this, Li Jin pulled Liang Ming aside and said:

"Okay, you can stay at our school cafeteria for lunch today, and I'll have the chef prepare a special meal for you."

"The food in our school cafeteria, although not as good as that of Xiangmanlou Restaurant, has its own unique flavor."

Liang Ming already had something to discuss with Li Jin, and seeing that the other party had taken the initiative to invite him, he readily agreed:

"Principal Li, then I shall respectfully accept your offer."

As they were talking, Li Jin had already instructed the school cafeteria staff to bring in the braised duck pot and prepare a feast.

At that moment, the school's loudspeaker rang the dismissal bell.

Many students in school uniforms rushed out of their classrooms after class, carrying aluminum lunchboxes, heading towards the school cafeteria.

When they arrived at the school cafeteria entrance and saw Li Jin, they all greeted him.

"Hello principal!"

"Hello principal!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jin smiled and said to them, "The braised duck you all love just arrived and is still hot. Hurry up and line up to get your food."

Upon hearing this, the students' eyes lit up, and they all rushed into the cafeteria.

"Slow down, don't fall!" Li Jin shouted when he saw this.

After shouting, he turned to look at Liang Ming and said:

"Brother Liang, you must be laughing at us. These kids are so impatient."

"This is the vibrant and energetic look that students should have."

Liang Ming shook his head and chuckled softly.

As they spoke, the two entered the school cafeteria and went to a private room.

Before long, the kitchen staff had prepared a feast and brought it up.

"Brother Liang, try the stir-fried pork with green peppers made by our chef. It's absolutely delicious."

Li Jin smiled as he gestured for Liang Ming to serve him some food.

Liang Ming picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded, saying:

"The chilies are crisp and spicy enough, and the meat is a perfect mix of lean and fatty pork belly—it's really delicious!"

"This skill is on par with our restaurant's head chef."

Hearing Liang Ming's praise, even though he knew it was just polite talk, Li Jin still managed a smug smile.

"Brother Liang, eat as much as you like. In a few months, after the college entrance exam, our school cafeteria will be renovated and expanded, so it will be closed for a while."

"The school cafeteria is going to be renovated and expanded?" Liang Ming raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, then asked:

"Principal Li, do you have a cousin who works in the renovation business?"

Li Jin looked surprised and asked, "Brother Liang, how did you know?"

"Principal Li, how I know this isn't important. Are you planning to put him in charge of the cafeteria renovation?"

"Yes, my cousin has been working on a construction team for a few years, so he has some skills. The cafeteria needs to add a dining hall, so we need to find a professional."

Li Jin didn't hide anything and nodded.

In those days, many rules and regulations were not yet perfect, and Li Jin still had a say in who should be assigned to projects like the renovation and expansion of the school cafeteria.

Furthermore, Li Jin is not some otherworldly saint; when there's an opportunity to make money, he naturally prioritizes his own family.

Upon hearing Li Jin's admission, Liang Ming's expression became somewhat complicated, and he hesitated to speak.

"Brother Liang, is there something you want to say?"

Li Jin noticed Liang Ming's expression and said.

“Principal Li, I shouldn’t have said anything about the renovation and expansion of the school cafeteria at the county’s No. 1 Middle School.”

"However, if I don't say these things, I'll feel like I haven't fulfilled my duty as a friend to advise you when you encounter problems later."

Liang Ming hesitated for a long time, stammering.

“Brother Liang, just say what you want to say. There’s no need for all this pretense between us.”

Li Jin said solemnly.

“Principal Li, since you’ve put it that way, I’ll be frank.”

Liang Ming looked directly at Li Jin and said:

"Regarding the renovation and expansion of the school cafeteria, I think you should hold a bidding process to allow outside construction teams to compete fairly!"

"This way, we can ensure both quality and quantity, and we don't have to worry about being criticized."

"Even if any problems arise in the future, we can explain them clearly."

Upon hearing Liang Ming's words, Li Jin was taken aback.

Although, procedurally, bidding would be more appropriate.

But in reality, in this era, whether it's a school or other organization, people tend to hire familiar people to do the work.

Upon seeing Liang Ming's differing opinions on the matter, Li Jin quickly realized the crux of the problem.

"Brother Liang, do you think my cousin's construction team isn't up to par?"

Li Jin lowered his voice and tentatively asked Liang Ming.

Seeing that Li Jin understood his meaning, Liang Ming smiled and said:

“Principal Li, according to the rules, I shouldn’t speak ill of others, but for the safety of the students, I have to say a few words.”

"Your cousin's character is really not good; he's not ethical in business."

Liang Ming remembered that in his previous life, around the end of this year, a major event occurred at the No. 1 Middle School in the county.

This incident directly resulted in the serious consequence of 30 students being injured at the county's No. 1 Middle School.

The reason was that Li Jin planned to renovate the school cafeteria and add a dining hall during the summer vacation.

The construction team belonged to Li Jin's cousin.

It's said that when you go out to do business, you'll rip off half of the customers who are strangers, but you'll get the whole prize from the customers who are acquaintances.

Li Jin, this cousin, really screwed over his older cousin.

Li Jin's cousin, in order to make huge profits, repainted the cafeteria with inferior paint.

Even the newly built canteen used substandard building materials...

Among them, the beams of the small canteen were made of rotten wood.

Less than a week after the small canteen was built and put into use, it collapsed, injuring dozens of students.

"Brother Liang, that's my cousin. He wouldn't betray me, would he?"

Li Jin hesitated for a moment.

"Principal Li, this concerns your career, so you should be careful."

Liang Ming shook his head and chuckled.

In the previous life, after the canteen collapse, the city and county governments attached great importance to it and detained Li Jin and his cousin.

It was later discovered that Li Jin's cousin had embezzled funds by using substandard building materials, and he was immediately sent to jail.

Although Li Jin did not seek personal gain in this matter, he was, after all, the construction team he personally appointed.

And since the construction team leader was his cousin, he couldn't explain it to him at all.

Because of this incident, Li Jin received severe punishment and was also publicly criticized throughout the city's education system.

If it weren't for this incident, Li Jin's future would definitely have been much brighter.

Seeing Liang Ming's serious expression, Li Jin thought for a moment, but ultimately decided not to gamble with his career.

"Brother Liang Ming, thank you for reminding me!"

"I will put out a public tender for the renovation and expansion of the school cafeteria to find a suitable construction team."

Li Jin picked up his teacup and said to Liang Ming:

"I have classes this afternoon, so I can only drink tea instead of alcohol. Thank you for reminding me, Brother Liang..."

Seeing that Li Jin had listened to his words, Liang Ming also picked up his teacup and clinked it with Li Jin's.

After the meal, Liang Ming told Li Jin again about the purpose of his trip.

After learning that the other party wanted to find some talented people who had failed the college entrance examination for Xiangmanlou Catering Company, Li Jin patted his chest and agreed:

"Brother Liang, I'll keep an eye on this for you."

"If we can help those students who failed the exam to find a job, that would be a great thing."

"Principal Li, then I'll have to trouble you a lot," Liang Ming said gratefully.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all," Li Jin quickly waved his hand and said.

After a satisfying meal, Liang Ming said goodbye to Li Jin and left the county's No. 1 Middle School.

“I do need to take the issue Brother Liang raised seriously. It seems I'll have to retract my promise to renovate the canteen at my cousin's house…”

With that in mind, Li Jin arranged his work and then left the school to talk to his cousin about the matter.