Chapter 39: A New Investment Direction

In the evening, when Su Aijun dropped Bai Lin and his nephew back at Liuli Temple Alley, Bai Lin was still somewhat dazed, as if in a dream. He had already found out that Su Aijun's father, Su Huandong, was the director of the Planning and Development Department of the Ministry of Railways, a position that could potentially lead to becoming the vice minister or even the minister of the Ministry of Railways, a powerful position in such a large department. Although it was often said that there were many officials in the capital, and one could hit a couple by throwing a brick on the street, it was not easy to encounter a vice minister or a full department-level official. As a mere section-level employee, he had actually eaten at the Su family's home and even chatted with Director Su. If his colleagues at the company knew, they would surely be envious.

However, Bai Lin was very clear that the reason he was able to enter Director Su's home was entirely due to his young nephew. Otherwise, how would Su Huandong have the time to pay attention to a low-level section chief, let alone invite him to dinner!

But what exactly did his young nephew have that could attract such attention from Director Su? Was it just because of the conversation he had with Su Aijun on the train? Bai Lin was confused. Although Fang Jia's elders and Bai Ping had mentioned some of Fang Mingyuan's exploits in Hai Zhuang Town, they did not involve any key matters. In Bai Lin's mind, his young nephew was just smarter and more articulate than other children his age, often saying things that were quite surprising. Beyond that, there was nothing special.

Fang Mingyuan walked ahead, turned back, and saw Bai Lin deep in thought. He knew that Bai Lin was still immersed in the shock of the evening. It was understandable, given that in this era, a section-level employee meeting a full department-level official would naturally feel a great deal of pressure. In contrast, although Fang Mingyuan was also shocked, he had already had drinks and smoked with the deputy procurator of the capital's procuratorate in his previous life. Moreover, he still had the appearance of a young boy, so the pressure he felt was much less than Bai Lin's.

Standing at the gate of the small courtyard, Fang Mingyuan suddenly turned and said, "Uncle, I've heard that whether you stand at the top of the mountain or at the foot, you appear equally insignificant to the other person!" Without waiting for Bai Lin to respond, he walked into the courtyard, leaving Bai Lin standing at the gate, lost in thought.

In the following days, Fang Mingyuan spent his time wandering around. In this era, there were still many cultural relics that had not been destroyed by the rampant demolitions of the future, and the cultural atmosphere of the capital was much more vibrant. As New Year's Eve approached, the sound of firecrackers became more frequent in the streets and alleys.

On New Year's Eve, the weather was favorable, and snowflakes began to fall early in the morning. By noon, large, fluffy snowflakes were drifting down with the breeze, quickly covering the courtyard with snow. By evening, the ancient capital was blanketed in white. The snow in the courtyard was already as thick as the soles of cotton shoes. The children, including Fang Mingyuan's same-age niece and his several cousins, were excitedly playing in the snow.

"Snow foretells a good harvest; it looks like farmers will have a good year! Xiao Yuan, why don't you go play?" Xu Yifu, who had come to the capital from Lingnan Province to study and later stayed, said. Although he had lived in the capital for over a decade, his speech still had a strong southern accent, making it difficult for most people to understand him. However, Fang Mingyuan had no problem with this—during his previous life, he had lived with Xu Yifu for a considerable time and was already accustomed to his southern-accented capital speech. For Bai Lin and Xu Xiang, this was another surprise.

In recent days, whenever Fang Mingyuan had free time, he would practice speaking Lingnan dialect with Xu Xiang. At first, Xu Xiang thought Fang Mingyuan would lose interest quickly, but he soon realized that Fang Mingyuan was very serious about learning, which increased his interest. The results were shocking to Xu Xiang—after just five or six days, Fang Mingyuan could already speak some common Lingnan dialect, although he still stuttered and had a strange accent. Such language talent made Xu Xiang feel somewhat embarrassed—he had lived in the capital for nearly twenty years and still spoke Mandarin with an accent. What Xu Xiang did not know was that Fang Mingyuan's ability was due to his extensive exposure to Lingnan dialect songs in his previous life and Xu Xiang's influence.

"The snow is too small, it lacks passion!" Fang Mingyuan replied casually, thinking about how to invest the 200 yuan. In 1984, 200 yuan was not a small amount, and Fang Mingyuan, who was familiar with antiques and jade, did not want to venture into that field blindly, even though he knew the success rate of treasure hunting was much higher in this era.

"Ah?" Xu Xiang opened his mouth, looked at the snowflakes outside, and was speechless. Being from Lingnan, he naturally did not understand the standards of snow for someone who had lived in Northeast China.

The 1984 Spring Festival Gala was one of the editions Fang Mingyuan appreciated the most. Without the elaborate costumes, the bright stage, the numerous hidden advertisements, or the hundreds of backup dancers, and without the fake singing that people detested, it was simple and sincere, yet each performance was touching. In this gala, Li Guyi's "Unforgettable Tonight" became a staple of every Spring Festival Gala, Chen Xia'er and Zhu Laomao became future golden partners, and Zhang Mingmin's "My Chinese Heart" with his unique nasal tone moved the hearts of all Chinese people. This was true then and remains true 23 years later. For the artists of the future who relied on one-time fame, this was an unattainable peak.

Revisiting the classics, Fang Mingyuan watched the 14-inch black-and-white TV at his uncle's house, still thinking about how, after the New Year, he would soon return to Shaanxi Province with his mother. Although this trip to the capital had brought an unexpected surprise with the Su family, the other aspects of his visit were not as satisfying. He was still pondering how to find new potential investments in the remaining days to lay a solid foundation for his future in the capital.

"Xiao Yuan, why aren't you laughing at such a good skit?" His cousin Xu Ning, who was nearly in tears from laughter at "Eating Noodles," patted Fang Mingyuan's shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The shiny bald head of Chen Xia'er on the TV immediately caught his attention. A sudden idea came to him: since he couldn't find a suitable investment in the capital for the time being, why not invest in people?

The influence of stars like Chen Xia'er in the entertainment and cultural circles in the future could not be ignored. Moreover, advertising fees were rising year by year, and it might be difficult to find suitable people even with money. If he could build good relationships with these stars who were not yet famous, he would have countless opportunities to use them in the future!

As soon as this thought came to him, Fang Mingyuan felt a sudden clarity, and countless ideas sprang to mind like an oil well gushing. He no longer had the heart to continue watching...