What is it like when a person, after experiencing long periods of intense work, suddenly finds themselves not so busy anymore?
Tan Jincheng said,
"It's probably a feeling of emptiness."
After returning from the Spring Canton Fair, Tan Jincheng barely rested for a day, with frequent business trips to various places, the tension after production started, and the mental exhaustion from writing marketing plans.
By September, these busy days suddenly ceased.
Every day, he would look at reports, sign documents, or at worst, play games, browse the internet, and read news in the office.
While bored, Tan Jincheng also constantly paid attention to competitors.
The leading company Xinri, needless to say, and the future king Yadi also began to exert its strength.
After investing heavily to introduce five automated production lines from abroad, the second phase of the project also invested in building a 50,000-square-meter branch factory for motor and electrical appliance R&D and manufacturing.
Yadi is also an established enterprise.
Its boss also transitioned from another industry, similar to the Xinri boss.
This type of person has a common characteristic: they have money and connections.
Even if they start later, their power cannot be underestimated.
Take the Xinri boss, for example.
Outsiders might see him as only having a junior high school education, but little do they know that he could get hundreds of thousands in startup capital from his parents before 1990.
Casually producing hundreds of thousands before 1990—what kind of family was that?
Although Aima has not yet appeared, it will become one of the three major national brands in the future, and its strength also cannot be underestimated.
As these powerful competitors emerge one by one, Shanchi still has a long way to go in the future.
Sometimes, Tan Jincheng would even regard Zhang Xupeng as his spiritual support.
He was the friend Tan Jincheng trusted most before the age of 30 in his previous life, besides his parents, and Zhang Xupeng had a similar feeling.
Since his rebirth, his wealth appreciation and career acceleration have far exceeded his previous life.
Often, moving too fast is not necessarily a good thing; at this time, Zhang Xupeng, whom Tan Jincheng could trust and rely on, became a spiritual support.
The two brothers, far from home, supported each other in Beicang, and made Tan Jincheng truly feel that rebirth was not a dream, but that he was truly living in this world.
He wondered what it felt like last year when he went south to Yangcheng alone, and Zhang Xupeng, who knew nothing back then, stayed behind in Beicang, having to overcome many difficulties to guard the rear.
Now that Zhang Xupeng had gone to Yangcheng, Tan Jincheng didn't even have anyone normal to talk to around him.
Luckily, there was still Gu Qingqing, Tan Jincheng's new friend.
The new semester had just begun, many students hadn't even registered yet, and academic busy-ness was out of the question.
Gu Qingqing walked with Tan Jincheng on campus, introducing some campus buildings from time to time, and occasionally running into some familiar classmates from their department.
After two months of summer work, Tan Jincheng became the non-family male Gu Qingqing had spent the most individual time with since birth, besides her father.
If she didn't understand something at work, she no longer had to ask like before; she could directly go up to the third floor to inquire.
And lunch could be had with Boss Tan, enjoying the special stir-fries at the Shanchi canteen.
She could also stay in the boss's office for lunch break, because the environment there was simply much better compared to the Taobao Operations Department, with a refrigerator, a large sofa, and even a small room at the very end of the third floor where one could sleep.
Gu Qingqing had seen the small room; it was quite clean, as clean as where Boss Tan lived.
But Gu Qingqing hadn't felt comfortable staying there, because it was where Boss Tan stayed at the factory when he was busy.
"Are you busy? If not, how about eating at the canteen for lunch? My treat."
"Sure, I haven't experienced a university canteen yet. I'll learn and see if there's anything our canteen can improve."
"You're even thinking about learning when eating at the canteen, no wonder you can make money."
"Haha, making money doesn't actually have much to do with this. Making money mainly depends on following major trends. It's like buying stocks; when prices fall, anything you buy is useless."
"You even know about stocks?"
"I know a little, but I don't really understand much."
"Then what do you think will make money in the future?"
"This topic is too broad; actually, everything can make money. If you're talking about what's most profitable, then it's definitely import and export, real estate, and the internet."
The import and export industry, even after experiencing the 2008 global financial crisis, was still relatively easy to do at least until 2015, when globalization and trade barriers were less severe, the only difference being the level of profit.
Real estate goes without saying.
The internet has also grown rapidly this year.
With the iteration of smartphones, the internet industry will usher in comprehensive development.
However, compared to these two industries requiring huge investments, import and export business is currently the most suitable for ordinary people.
As long as you have business capabilities and can handle the intricacies of international trade, a small investment can give you a chance to get a piece of the pie.
Even working in their downstream supply chain can still be quite profitable.
Furthermore, the financial industry has always been a profitable one, but while its entry barrier seems low, it is actually extremely high and definitely not something ordinary people can manage.
Stock trading?
That's not really finance at all.
Only by entering the primary market can one truly claim to be involved in finance.
On the campus of Yongcheng University, Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing walked side by side, one handsome, one beautiful, both dressed elegantly.
Students and parents passing by all cast glances, thinking they were another campus couple.
However, contrary to what they imagined, the two were not flirting or dating, but were discussing what could make money, which was somewhat unusual for their age group, but it made sense for Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing.
One was a reborn person whose psychological age far exceeded his actual age, while the other grew up in an environment with a strong business atmosphere like Wushang, where almost all relatives and friends were involved in business, making her particularly sensitive to such topics.
Perhaps it was Gu Qingqing's personality that made Tan Jincheng feel they could talk and were suitable as friends.
As for him, a reborn person with little dating experience, coaxing a young girl, he truly wouldn't know how to handle it.
"I've read many rebirth novels on Qidian. Reborn protagonists seem infinitely glorious, some even having many female companions, but love that truly suits one's age and mindset seems rare, right?"
Returning to 20, finding a girlfriend, or even many, wouldn't be difficult; but finding a suitable soulmate with whom one can communicate without barriers seems not so easy.
This is probably a case of gaining some, losing some.
True, it's impossible for you to have all the good things.
Compared to a so-called soulmate, rebirth has already compensated for too many regrets.
As noon approached, Gu Qingqing took Tan Jincheng to the canteen she usually frequented, to let Boss Tan experience the joy of a university canteen.
"Qingqing!"
Midway, Gu Qingqing heard someone call her from behind, and turned to see it was Xu Manli.
"You're here? Have Wenjia and Yanan arrived yet?"
Xu Manli quickly caught up, but didn't immediately answer Gu Qingqing.
Instead, she carefully sized up Tan Jincheng, then teasingly said to Gu Qingqing,
"Aren't you going to introduce him?"
In fact, she had already recognized him as the Boss Tan who had bought gifts for Qingqing last time.
He was indeed good-looking, and standing together, apart from a slight height mismatch, they could be considered a handsome couple.
It wasn't that Boss Tan was particularly short.
According to Xu Manli's estimation, Boss Tan was probably between 175 and 180 cm, not short at all, but unfortunately, Qingqing's actual height of 168 cm was quite noticeable.
The visual effect of female height is naturally more pronounced, and with Qingqing wearing a fitted white dress today, it further accentuated her figure.
Luckily, she wasn't wearing high heels, otherwise, from behind, Qingqing would have appeared to be a head taller than Boss Tan.
It's strange to say, Tan Jincheng's original net height was around 175 cm.
Although the work at sea for a year was tough, the food on the cruise ship was not bad, and he didn't know if it was due to his mindset or a second growth spurt at 18, but his height jumped by two centimeters.
Tan Jincheng only discovered this during the last company experience, when he joined in the fun.
He had always thought he was 175 cm tall, but unexpectedly, his net height was now 177 cm.
At that time, Tan Jincheng was so happy he bragged to Zhang Xupeng,
"With shoes on, I can pretend to be 180 cm, right?"
"Hmm, in Qidian rebirth novels, the starting height is 180 cm, so I guess I barely qualify, and haven't shamed a reborn person."
Gu Qingqing ignored Xu Manli's gaze and generously introduced,
"This is my friend, Tan Jincheng."
Then she introduced to Tan Jincheng,
"This is my roommate, Xu Manli."
For some reason, ever since returning from home, Gu Qingqing deep down no longer wanted to call Tan Jincheng "Boss Tan".
"Hello, I'm Qingqing's roommate. I often hear her talk about you. What brings you here today?"
Xu Manli extended her hand.
Tan Jincheng glanced at Gu Qingqing, realizing she hadn't told her roommate about her part-time job, so he wouldn't interfere and would let her explain it herself later.
Extending his hand, he gave a light shake.
Tan Jincheng said,
"I just happened to have some time today, so I came to visit."
Gu Qingqing felt a bit embarrassed,
"Let's go, don't block the entrance. Let's go in and get food."
The three entered the canteen together.
It was the first day of school, and there were quite a few people.
Gu Qingqing said to Tan Jincheng,
"You go find a spot first, we two will get the food."
Tan Jincheng nodded.
It was his first time eating at a university canteen.
Honestly, this scene was much more spectacular than the company canteen, with people coming and going, and quite a few seemed to be cutting in line.
Xu Manli's eyes darted around at the side.
After Tan Jincheng walked away, she quickly pulled Gu Qingqing and asked,
"What's going on? How come your Boss Tan is here today? It's not like he's dropping you off at school, is it? I remember you arrived last night?"
"No, he brought Zhao Xianbo and Qin Siyu over. They both worked summer jobs in Beicang during the summer,"
Gu Qingqing whispered.
Xu Manli reluctantly accepted this explanation, but immediately realized,
"Wait, you didn't even ask him what he wanted to eat just now! What's going on with you two, spill it!"
Humph, I almost got fooled by this girl, and she didn't deny "your Boss Tan" either!
(End of Chapter)