Chapter 4

A dim desk lamp quietly illuminated the bedside table.

Lying on the bed, Song Chen, with his hands clasped behind his head, stared at the ceiling with his bright eyes, silently pondering his thoughts.

Perhaps the background of breaking up with his first love was not appropriate, as it coincided with a critical decision in his life. He was still uneasy about himself and his future, so his feelings for Zhang Ruoxi were not as deep as he had hoped.

If there was anything, it might be the melancholy brought by the blankness of his emotional world for the next few years. During the days when he was busy with life, he intentionally or unintentionally pushed Zhang Ruoxi to the back of his mind, unwilling to think about her...

The door opened quietly, and Li Wan poked her head in, seeing the lit desk lamp and her son, who was staring at the ceiling with his bright eyes, lost in thought. She couldn't help but ask softly, "Xiaochen, are you still awake?"

"Uh! Mom, why haven't you gone to sleep yet?"

Li Wan smiled, opened the door, and walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed and touching her son's forehead. She said softly, "You seem a bit strange today, I'm a bit worried!"

Song Chen smiled and said, "Your son is a monkey who can cause a ruckus in heaven, full of energy!"

Li Wan scolded him and lightly tapped his forehead, staring at his bright eyes, hesitating for a moment, and finally sighed, "Xiaochen, tell me the truth, are you missing your father?"

Song Chen was slightly taken aback, not because of the question itself, but because he thought of his mother's eyes, which were filled with pain and despair before she passed away.

Perhaps, after the divorce, his mother regretted taking him out of the Song family?

This heart-wrenching dilemma had been buried in her heart since the divorce, and she never spoke of it to anyone, which eventually became the cause of her lifelong regret.

His eyes, slightly red, were not noticeable under the dim desk lamp. Song Chen held his mother's hand on his forehead, gently caressing her rough palm, and said softly, "Mom needs me! I need Mom! That's enough!"

Li Wan's eyes reddened, and she turned to wipe away the tears that suddenly fell. She turned her back to Song Chen and said softly, "It's late, get some rest. You have to go back to school early tomorrow, right?"

Just as Li Wan was about to leave, Song Chen bit his lower lip and hesitated, "Mom?"

"What is it?"

Li Wan paused, turned her head, and in the dim light, Song Chen couldn't see her expression, but he could vaguely see the shining pearl on her chin.

Song Chen said softly, "I don't want to study anymore!"

Song Chen's words were like a bolt of lightning to Li Wan, and her eyes, already filled with sorrow, suddenly became stern. She said angrily, "No! Don't even think about it!"

As stern as he remembered.

And weak.

Originally, if Song Chen followed his original fate, he would also leave the university, this "ivory tower," a few months later. But since heaven had given him this chance, he naturally wouldn't waste these few months—unless it was considered a waste!

Song Chen was not an economist and couldn't accurately grasp the economic pulse of the country or the world, nor could he engage in financial economics by buying low and selling high. He could only simply predict that the stock of a certain company, like Apple, a well-known large enterprise, would rise in value in the future, becoming the world's first in market value! For example, the subprime crisis a dozen years later.

More precisely, the "pillar" of the national economy—real estate.

Perhaps Song Chen was in the wrong position. His academic ability was good, but his work ability was average, in a stage where he was better than some but not as good as others. So, after working at Zhai Kuo Electrical for five years, he still couldn't enter the middle management of the company.

If Song Chen were to be honest with himself, even if he said he didn't want to study, he still couldn't find an opportunity that would make him successful.

The Asian financial crisis was at its peak, but even if Song Chen wanted to participate, he didn't have the means or the funds. His father might have had the means, but he wouldn't and couldn't give a large sum of money to a college student to play with.

If he continued his studies at the university, Song Chen wasn't very willing, because he knew very well that the people of the 1970s and 1980s (and even the 1990s and 2000s, depending on one's perspective) were a generation that had been sacrificed. Those who studied in school and then entered the workforce and achieved success were few and far between, mostly just ordinary people struggling to make a living, looking at the high housing prices and worrying about their future.

On the contrary, those who didn't study or studied little, but went into business, found their place in this era. Those who graduated from ordinary technical schools, as long as they had solid experience and skills, could earn more than college graduates, and these examples were almost universally known in the future.

Song Chen didn't know if he had the ability to do business, but for him, a person who had been reborn, to go through the ordinary process of studying and then finding a job again would probably even make heaven object.

As for the future...

Song Chen believed he would find a way!

He would definitely find a way!

...

"... The South Korean government has sought assistance from the International Monetary Fund, and the Japanese financial industry, which has invested heavily in South Korea, is on high alert!"

"... The financial crisis in Japan and South Korea, the collapse of the conglomerate path, and the warning to our country!"

Sitting at the dining table, Zhang Hua held a newspaper, his brows furrowing. The Asian financial crisis, which began at the beginning of the year, seemed to have no end in sight, which made him very depressed.

Although the economic crisis had less impact on the closed China compared to Southeast Asian countries, for the CEO of an export company, the impact was significant. Even if we don't mention the economic regression of countries like Thailand and Indonesia, even European and American countries have suffered considerable damage, and a significant reduction in export orders is certain.

The only consolation is that the domestic economy, constrained by a closed economic system, was minimally affected by external factors. Moreover, the unprecedented flood two months ago severely impacted the domestic economy, and Dongou City was also greatly affected, so a decline in revenue this year is certain.

"Good morning, Dad!"

Zhang Hua, who was carefully studying the newspaper, suddenly felt a slight weight on his shoulder, accompanied by a familiar, refreshing fragrance. He smiled and folded the newspaper, placing it on the table, and gently patted the soft hand on his shoulder, smiling, "My dear daughter looks very happy today. Why? Can you tell Dad?"

Zhang Ruoxi playfully winked and smiled, leaning down to whisper in her father's ear, "I won't tell you!"

Zhang Hua laughed and pulled his daughter's hand, indicating for her to sit beside him, saying, "If you don't want to, that's fine. When you're ready to tell Dad, it might be time to give you away! Ha ha!"

"Dad, what are you talking about!" Zhang Ruoxi playfully glared at her father, "I don't want to get married, I want to stay with Mom and Dad forever!"

Before Zhang Hua could respond, a gentle voice came from behind, "How can you not get married? Do you plan to become a nun?"

Zhang Hua's wife, Zhao Yingying, walked out of the kitchen with a smile, carrying a tray with three bowls of porridge, fried dough sticks, and other dishes.

At over forty, she looked like a woman in her thirties due to good care, with a charming and graceful demeanor.

Zhang Hua had a son and a daughter. His son, Zhang Ze, had been training in the company since graduating from university a year ago. Due to the severe economic contraction in Southeast Asia, he was currently on a business trip in Europe and America, and Zhang Hua planned to let him take charge next year to prepare for the future.

His daughter was Zhang Ruoxi. Because his wife could no longer have children after giving birth, Zhang Ruoxi was the most beloved daughter of Zhang Hua and Zhao Yingying, treated with utmost care, and even Zhang Ze was often envious.

"Be a nun if you want, nuns and monks are quite wealthy these days!" Zhang Ruoxi smiled.

"Nonsense! How can my precious daughter become a nun!" Zhang Hua smiled and playfully poked his daughter, who was both spoiled and very understanding, but a hint of worry lingered in his eyes.

As his wife, Zhao Yingying, knew exactly what he was worried about, so she said, "You live at school, and we can't see what's happening! But let's get some things straight: you can't go out alone with boys at school, and you must be back at school or home by 8 PM, understood?"

Zhang Ruoxi's face turned red, and she scolded, "Mom, don't talk in riddles, what are you saying?"

Zhang Hua said with a hint of annoyance, "We've been through it. Since you started college, it's almost written on your face that you're in love!"

Zhang Ruoxi's face turned red, and she smiled demurely, saying, "He's a nice boy!"

"What kind of man can take my daughter away at first sight?" Zhang Hua said with a hint of annoyance, and Zhao Yingying couldn't help but smile at her husband's jealousy.

Zhang Ruoxi blushed even more, like a rosebud about to bloom, so beautiful that one couldn't bear to pick it.