Chapter 54

In 1976, Xu Xiaoying was born in a small, underdeveloped village in the central region. Her father, Xu Zheng, like Song Chen's father, Song Hua, Shi Dongsheng, Zhang Hua, and others, was a typical example of "the early bird gets the worm," starting his own business as early as 1976. At that time, the most famous product in Xu Zheng's hometown was "Foolish Melon Seeds," and the owner was a model figure personally endorsed by a senior leader. So, at the beginning, the couple worked together to sell the melon seeds, with his wife selling them in the front and Xu Zheng roasting them in the back, a common business model in Jiangnan Province at the time, known as "front shop, back factory."

By the 1980s, the couple had become well-known ten-thousand-yuan households in the town, which brought them great honor but also significant disaster in the context of the time!

The political storms, which fluctuated in intensity, finally prompted the couple to close their melon seed shop. In 1984, as the political climate improved, the restless Xu Zheng returned to business, opening a fruit shop in the town center, sourcing goods from nearby villages. Although the profit was not high, it was stable. The shop operated for seven or eight years, and by the late 1980s and early 1990s, Xu Zheng closed the fruit shop and moved with his family and two daughters to his brother's city, which was Dong'ou City.

After the Southern Tour, the ambitious Xu Zheng and his brother began to jointly invest in industries, starting with stationery items like pencil cases, pencils, and pencil sharpeners! As their business grew, they expanded into other sectors, including entertainment centers, restaurants, and KTVs. While the stationery company brought significant profits, the entertainment venues like KTVs and restaurants had not yet stabilized. Such blind expansion put immense pressure on the financial resources of the Xu brothers.

The early generation of private entrepreneurs, who had become wealthy through their own efforts, lacked a clear understanding of the historical changes of the era. Their overestimation of themselves and the widespread nature of the historical opportunities led to strategic errors in their development.

The political situation at the time was shaped by the second-generation leader's efforts to reverse the near-bankruptcy of China's political and economic systems, leading to sweeping political and economic reforms (with political reforms later put on hold). This was a massive wealth feast! From a later perspective, foreign capital, state-owned enterprises, and the elite divided the most lucrative portions, while private enterprises, relying on their sheer numbers, created the largest wealth in China through a small segment of the market.

The seller's market that lasted for over two decades allowed the first generation of private entrepreneurs to easily overcome obstacles and rapidly accumulate wealth beyond their wildest dreams.

A small number of entrepreneurs recognized the uniqueness of the opportunity and became the elite of the economic world. However, many others, like Xu Zheng, who had started from scratch, were lost in their success. They did not adjust their development strategies or consolidate their positions when they were at the peak. Instead, in an environment of extremely tight financial resources, they chose to expand even more aggressively, like gamblers.

In 1995, Xu Zheng saw the potential in the highly profitable and booming health supplement market. His brother, Xu Yue, leveraging his early business relationships with officials, secured large loans from banks by mortgaging their assets. In June, Xu Zheng obtained a so-called "kidney-strengthening and yang-boosting" health supplement formula called "Good Kidney Oral Liquid" from an unknown source. He invested in a factory and, with limited capital, emulated the massive advertising campaigns of predecessors like Sanyu, Taiyangshen, and Giant, achieving sales of tens of millions in the first year.

In 1996, Xu Zheng, having tasted the sweet success, had the capital to spend heavily on advertising on national television. Although he did not win the bid for the top spot, Good Kidney Oral Liquid still gained significant recognition. Xu Zheng quickly expanded his workforce, and by the end of 1996, the factory, including salespeople scattered across the country, had nearly ten thousand employees.

1997 was seen by many economists as the first year of collapse for Chinese enterprises. It was not just the impact of the Southeast Asian financial crisis and the real estate market collapse on China, but also the series of aggressive moves by private entrepreneurs that led to the bankruptcy and downfall of many companies. The fall of Qinchuan, the collapse of Giant, and the demise of Asia were just a few examples.

The most devastating blow came from the Sanyu crisis, which caused widespread panic in the health supplement industry. A news story about an old man dying after drinking eight bottles of Sanyu supplements quickly escalated, leading to a collapse of trust and a rapid shrinkage of the market. Good Kidney Oral Liquid could not escape the market's punishment, and sales plummeted. To cope with the crisis, Xu Zheng, who had invested all his profits in expansion, turned to officials for help but received a cold shoulder. To avoid the crisis, banks chose to cut their losses, forcing the auction of Xu Zheng's profitable stationery company, restaurants, and KTVs. At this point, employees, realizing the company was bankrupt, began to demand their salaries, leaving the Xu brothers with no way out.

On November 15, five days before Song Chen's穿越 (time travel), Xu Xiaoying, who was in school, received news that her parents and younger sister had been in a car accident on their way home... Both parents were dead, and her 14-year-old sister had her leg tendons severed by car parts and suffered three fractures—according to eyewitnesses, Xu Zheng had crashed into the front of a truck with his wife and daughter in the car.

In a single night, the once-sweet and happy family became the most painful memory for Xu Xiaoying. All the happiness turned into tragic memories, leaving her with her severely injured sister, Xu Xiaoling, and a devastated family.

Even worse, for the sisters, they had no home left—Xu Zheng's brother, Xu Yue, had all their assets seized by the bank as collateral.

Recalling the marks on Xu Xiaoying's face that resembled those from a railing, Song Chen finally understood why she looked so haggard—she was homeless and had been sleeping in the hospital that night.

"What about your sister?"

Xu Xiaoying was already in tears, her beautiful eyes red and swollen, making her look heart-wrenching. She said hoarsely, "Relatives helped pay for it, but they can only do so much. My father's factory went bankrupt, and they had shares in it. Now they are being chased by factory workers for their wages!"

Song Chen frowned slightly and asked, "How many months of wages does your father owe the employees? If it's just one month, many might give up."

Xu Xiaoying's lips trembled, and she lowered her head, whispering, "At least three months, maybe half a year..."

Despite his inner resentment, Song Chen sighed. This seemed to be a common tactic among early private entrepreneurs—withholding wages, ostensibly as administrative constraints on employees, but in reality, the money had been diverted elsewhere. This exploitative practice was not fully resolved even by 2012.

It seemed that his desire for beauty had brought him a huge burden!

Song Chen felt a chill run down his spine.

Seeing Song Chen's hesitation, Xu Xiaoying sobbed, "I won't make it difficult for you. After my parents died, the employees, feeling sorry for us, didn't make things too hard. They mostly went to my uncle and relatives and the government to demand payment!"

"How do you want me to help you?"

With tears in her eyes, Xu Xiaoying gazed at Song Chen and said softly, "I know you have many excellent girls around you. I don't expect to be your girlfriend. I just want you to help my sister. I'm willing to be your woman for life, even if it's just in secret!"

Song Chen's heart stirred. He recalled Xu Xiaoying's shyness and tenderness in bed, and her sweet, seductive voice, which made him think this might be a good deal—although deep down, his conscience told him it was wrong! It was taking advantage of someone in distress!

But...

Did he need to feel guilty?

Making up his mind, Song Chen smiled and held her soft, supple body, thrusting inside her while pretending to think, "It seems I'm at a disadvantage!"

Xu Xiaoying blushed, knowing how much Song Chen would have to pay for her sister's surgery and subsequent treatment, not to mention dealing with the debt collectors... But apart from her body, she had nothing else to offer.

Hugging Song Chen's neck, Xu Xiaoying said softly, "What do you want? I'll do whatever I can!"

Kissing Xu Xiaoying's trembling lips, Song Chen smiled and comforted her, "Just be my woman! Don't be afraid of the current difficulties. Follow me, and you'll gain unimaginable wealth and status in the future! Then..."

"I won't forget your kindness to us!" Xu Xiaoying clung to Song Chen, whispering in his ear, "I won't forget the man who provided the protection I couldn't manage! Truly... grateful!"

Straddling Song Chen, Xu Xiaoying's eyes were filled with allure, and she gazed at him with watery eyes.

"Let me serve you!"

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