Qi Hong, the man closest to Jiang Cheng, was staring at him in shock.
He realized Jiang Cheng was nothing like the other rich people he knew—low-key, and genuinely compassionate.
Although China's top tycoons all donate to charity, look closely and you'll see…
the foundations they set up are just a way to dodge certain things.
What exactly they're dodging? Everyone knows without saying.
Billions, even tens of billions, in charity funds eventually flow right back into their own pockets.
Jiang Cheng, however, was personally getting his hands dirty doing good.
He was putting the money squarely on these poor kids.
Qi Hong wasn't the only one who saw it; everyone present understood.
Director Chen kept nodding in approval.
Still, though clearly pleased, he couldn't help cautioning Jiang Cheng: "Although Rongshan Hope Primary School can get such strong support from you and be rebuilt at huge cost, I wonder if it's a bit excessive. By your description its facilities would rival schools in first-tier cities; once built, it would outshine even the county's own school."
Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow at the remark.
Changyi Hope Primary's facilities and environment were modeled on his own elementary alma mater.
Ten years ago his school had already reached that standard.
Now, having his donated Hope Primary built to the same scale felt perfectly reasonable.
"Director Chen," Jiang Cheng countered, "there's no specific regulation on a Hope Primary's building scale, is there?"
Director Chen shook his head awkwardly. "Not in writing, no—but if it's better than the county school, I'm afraid…"
He left the sentence unfinished, yet the implication was obvious.
Jiang Cheng naturally caught his drift.
If he hadn't just used his Mind Perception Skill to scan him…
Director Chen's words might have sounded jarring.
But Jiang Cheng understood: after years inside the system, people instinctively protect their template and order.
What Director Chen meant was: don't disrupt that order; scale it down—at least don't outshine the county school.
The comment sent Jiang Cheng into quiet thought.
On reflection, the point had some merit.
Jiang Cheng smiled faintly. "Director Chen, you're right. We can shrink the scale a bit—fewer facilities than the county school, but still better than the original Hope Primary. Village kids already lag far behind county kids in living standards; they deserve better education, a real chance to grow, to leave the place that traps them, to survive and thrive. In the long run, that's the right way to fight poverty."
"I understand what you're saying, but…"
Jiang Cheng cut him off: "Director Chen, while we sit here chatting, those village kids' lunch is only a bowl of white rice—carried in a plastic bag. Fifty-plus children, two volunteer teachers. They haven't quit despite such harsh conditions. Why can't we give those kids better conditions, a better environment? Put another way, why are there fewer and fewer volunteers? I believe you know the reasons better than I…"
When Jiang Cheng finished, Director Chen's mouth opened slightly; no words came.
For the first time his old face burned hot with shame.
Seeing Director Chen speechless, Jiang Cheng gave a slight smile. "Actually, rebuilding Rongshan isn't my only purpose here; there's something else I need to ask of you."
Director Chen's thoughts were cut short; he frowned. "What is it? Speak freely."
"You should have lists of other Hope Primaries, right?"
"I do. But what do you want them for?"
"To be honest, only after arriving did I realize how tough things are for Hope Primaries nationwide. I want to help rebuild more of them."
Hearing this, Director Chen looked stunned; he hadn't expected that reason.
At that moment he abandoned any thought of talking Jiang Cheng out of it.
He nodded hurriedly. "That's easy enough; I can look them up and compile a list. But those schools aren't under my jurisdiction, so I don't know their exact situations."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Then please list the Hope Primaries in poorer areas for me."
Director Chen nodded and turned to the Office Secretary beside him. "Pass it down; have the lower levels check right now."
The Office Secretary immediately asked respectfully, "Yes. How many schools does Mr. Jiang need?"
"As many as possible—minimum fifty. We'll decide after seeing their conditions."
The moment those words left his mouth, not only Director Chen but everyone present gasped.
"Fifty to start?" Director Chen stared in disbelief. "You intend to rebuild every one of them?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. "If those schools are in the same state as Rongshan, naturally they'll all be torn down and rebuilt."
Confirmed, Director Chen fell silent for a long while.
Finally he lifted his head and said softly, "I understand. I'll issue the reconstruction permit for Rongshan at once. Jiang Cheng, only now do I see how small my own awareness is. As long as Rongshan Hope Primary is kept slightly below the county school's scale, I'll open a special green channel for your approval. You're the most remarkable young man I've ever met—I say that from the heart."
By now he cared nothing about how Jiang Cheng, at such a young age, could possess such wealth.
Nor whether he was Second-generation rich.
Nor where his money came from.
The fact was he was rebuilding schools for the nation and for the children.
And if Jiang Cheng really intended to rebuild dozens of Hope Primaries, the funds required would run to at least three or four hundred million.
Anyone who could donate that much deserved unconditional support.