Chapter 30.2
The nineties were a time when China’s stunted social and economic development entered a stage of growth. In 1990, countless discos and nightclubs opened in Yan City for the well-off to experience life.

Lin Jingzhe glanced at the slender, fashionably dressed girl sticking to Fang Wenhao; her short blonde hair, gray-blue top, and white high-waisted shorts were very conspicuous. One of Fang Wenhao’s friends was sitting next to him. He whispered, “He and Hu Shaofeng have been one-upping each other for years, but he rarely wins. Let him show off for a few days—him being on top probably won’t last longer than a week or two anyway.”

Rumors of Fang Wenhao’s feud with Hu Shaofeng, from the low-key hostility between their factions on the campus to the bidding war on the plot of land, had apparently spread into every nook and cranny. In light of their more epic battles, stealing a hostess the other man had his eye on was not even worth mentioning. However, this still made Fang Wenhao very happy because since Hu Shaofeng began hanging out with Xiao Chi, the level and variety of his tactics had improved greatly. In the past, the two were evenly matched, but now, any skirmish usually ended with Fang Wenhao suffering a crushing defeat.

He’d been getting beaten for so long that this small win made him feel inordinately proud and elated.

So, he definitely had to take this girl everywhere for at least half a month. He had to let all people in Yan City know that Hu Shaofeng lost to Fang Wenhao!

That said, he couldn’t be called a good boyfriend—after he finished flaunting his victory, he “generously and thoughtfully” sent his new girlfriend off to take a walk while he and his friends relocated to talk business.

Wu Qing, Fang Wenhao’s childhood friend and the co-founder of his enterprise, laid out the financial statements. “Our company’s results this month weren’t very good,” he said, his expression worried. “For the past few months, we’ve been focused on bidding for those plots of land, but we failed to get the last one. Honestly, business has been stagnant since the beginning of the year.”

Half of the reason was Hu Shaofeng, and Fang Wenhao cursed him angrily for a moment.

Wu Qing continued, dejected, “We can’t go on like this. Maybe we should ask your father…”

“If you want your leg broken, then go.” Fang Wenhao sighed. “You think I haven’t been tempted? But aren’t you ashamed to run to the older generation for help like little kids who got bullied on the playground? Wouldn’t we lose face?”

Wu Qing sighed as well. The two sat and worried, absentmindedly sharing the latest gossip.

“Did you see the newspapers the other day?” Fang Wenhao collapsed against the back of the sofa and crossed his legs, putting his ankle on his knee and turning his pager over in his fingers as he thought aloud. “The Daily said that Yan City is planning to expand and I also heard similar rumors last year. Urban development has picked up significantly this year, so I think this news is credible.”

“I don’t know how many factories opened in the suburbs by the end of last year. People are rushing here, but Yan City is only so big, so expansion was bound to happen,” Wu Qing analyzed. “The question is, where. Roads will be extended—which ones? More subway lines will be constructed—which locations? We don’t know what side of the city to focus on.”

The city was still keeping the specifics of their plan under wraps, and even if people higher up the ladder knew the details, they refused to disclose them. This was a chance to make a fortune; many young people with backgrounds similar to Fang Wenhao’s badgered their elders for hints, but none seemed to have succeeded. Those coming from stricter families, like Fang Wenhao, didn’t even dare to bring it up for fear of getting a thrashing.

The conversation in the office stalled. Lin Jingzhe boiled a pot of water and began making tea.

He had no classes in the afternoon and Elder Fang had invited him to come for dinner. Fang Wenhao, who was supposed to pick him up, showed up in advance, saying he wanted to show him the company he set up. It was called Boundless Realty Group and had several tens of employees. To be honest, it could barely be considered medium-sized, but for Fang Wenhao, who was still a student, it was already an achievement to have developed it to this level.

With cabinets full of books and records and furniture all made of red sandalwood, the elegant chairman’s office wouldn’t look out of place in a much bigger company. Even the tea set in the area for entertaining guests was a top-grade Yixing tea set.

But though the office was impressive, the company was still just a first-time business venture run by aspiring entrepreneurs. Lin Jingzhe hadn’t been listening for long before he found a number of issues.

Boundless Realty Group was set up by Fang Wenhao and his friends. He had a majority of the shares, with the decently business-savvy Wu Qing holding the next largest amount. The rest of the shares were divided between several small shareholders, but they were of no help at all—they could only come up with some random, useless ideas.

Such a chaotic management structure was bound to lead to a huge divergence of opinions. During the time Lin Jingzhe was making tea, Fang Wenhao and Wu Qing had an argument over the news, as different sources provided different details. By the time it had ended, Fang Wenhao looked irritated and overwrought.

Lin Jingzhe listened quietly and could only shake his head. In later years, countless people could attest to just how fragile friendships could become when money got involved.

It was someone else’s company, so he had no intention of putting his two cents in, but the pair’s discussion gave him an idea.

Counting both the cash he had on hand and the shares he owned, his total assets added up to 3 million yuan; given the current market trend and his knowledge of the future, he estimated the value of his stocks wouldn’t change much within the next two years at the very least. In this era, three million was a lot of money, but at the same time, it still wasn’t much. It would probably be enough to support an ordinary person for a lifetime—but it was nothing compared to the smuggling case in Qunnan where the value totaled more than ten billion yuan.

This was the gap between the poor and the rich… and at the moment, Lin Jingzhe still hadn’t decided which path to take.

If he used his three million to buy commodity homes, he would indeed earn a lot. However, in 1990, the housing market was still in its infancy and those who engaged in the real estate industry were all pioneers. Even though Yan City was relatively well-developed, many districts that would become well-known in later years hadn’t been planned yet. He could buy some currently existing buildings and wait for demolition, but urban development was a long process and real estate appreciation didn’t happen overnight. What would he do during the years in between?

Just wait around?

Such a life, without a purpose or goal to strive for, would be meaningless.

Fang Wenhao and his friends were anxious because they didn’t know which areas the city was planning to develop, but for Lin Jingzhe, this problem didn’t exist.

He spent most of his past life in Yan City, and for a few years in the middle, he had been quite down on his luck. He knew by heart which areas in the business districts had the most traffic, which roads were the widest, and where the elevated highways and their exits were, as well as the subway routes and their stops.

The new urban development plans were about to set off a wave of turmoil. Lin Jingzhe sat quietly, drinking tea and listening. In the end, the young entrepreneurs’ meeting broke up in discord; when Fang Wenhao left the company, all the happiness caused by stealing Hu Shaofeng’s girl had disappeared without a trace.

The car flew down a road that had yet to see the congestion of later years, wind blasting in through the open windows as Fang Wenhao drove, absent-minded. Lin Jingzhe, who had been quiet all day, asked abruptly, “Brother Fang, how much land in Yan City is still up for auction?”

Fang Wenhao’s right hand fell on the gearshift. He turned his head slightly to give the youth a sideways glance and asked, the corner of his mouth rising in amusement, “Why, are you planning to bid? Our meeting made you interested in real estate?”

“I really do have some interest,” Lin Jingzhe replied with a smile.

“The waters in Yan City are very deep—if you want to dip your toe in real estate, you need both connections and enough money.” Despite thinking the youth’s interest was just a momentary whim, Fang Wenhao didn’t dare treat him perfunctorily. “I heard you’ve been to the stock exchange and bought some stock? Did you make a lot of money?”

“I had limited funds so I wouldn’t say it’s a lot, but I didn’t do too bad,” Lin Jingzhe said.

“If so, I advise you to focus on stocks. The real estate market is much more difficult—you just saw the mess in my company. You should know that in order to make profit with real estate, you have to put in a large investment first. They say that since the opening of Shen City Stock Exchange, the stocks’ worth increased six or seven times—my company has never seen this kind of profit.” Fang Wenhao spoke from his own painful experience; he actually already regretted choosing real estate as his line of business. He took out a map from behind the driver’s sun visor and handed it to Lin Jingzhe. He had to dispel this little brother’s unrealistic ideas.

It was the most recently updated, extremely detailed map of Yan City. Fang Wenhao had made numerous marks on it, especially on the undeveloped suburbs which were full of circles made by pens of various colors.

Lin Jingzhe knew they were probably guesses on the new urban development plans. Looking carefully, most of the marks were near the factory area. In the past two years, many new factories had opened in Yan City and most of them were concentrated in one part of the city; logically, it was indeed time to develop that area.

But Lin Jingzhe knew that in reality, it would only happen about seven or eight years later. In his last life, he and his hanger-ons also thought about doing business. At the time, he was aiming to develop within the manufacturing industry and had taken a trip to the factory district to investigate, leaving him with a deep impression of the randomly built, overcrowded, and heavily polluted location, incompetently managed workers, and general chaos. It was only later, several years after he had completely broken off his relationship with Lin Runsheng and moved out, that he heard the city had turned its attention towards straightening out that area.

“Our company is developing residential real estate,” Fang Wenhao said. “From construction to sales, it’s nothing but trouble. Not to mention, we outsource the construction and the goddamn contractors are impossible to manage. Because of one project, I barely attended classes during my sophomore year and my dad almost beat me to death.”

Lin Jingzhe’s finger traced a certain subway line on the map. For a good part of his previous life, when he was having financial difficulties, he had depended on this subway to travel between his home and work. At that time, Yan City was already an international metropolis, and it was possible for an unlucky passenger to lose his or her shoes during rush hour. The original subway line had also been extended, doubling the number of stations today.

Didn’t that happen around this time? Lin Jingzhe held up the map and asked, “If I remember correctly, the newspapers said more subway lines will be built, didn’t they?”

Fang Wenhao glanced at the area he was pointing to and smiled wryly. “Dear little brother, do you really believe what the newspapers say? Have you perhaps lost your mind?”

Lin Jingzhe paid no heed to his words. “Brother Fang, can you recommend some people who can help me handle things? I want to participate in the October land auction.”

Screech——

The sharp noise of the brakes and the squeal of tires rubbing against the asphalt sounded almost simultaneously, accompanied a second later by the horn of the car behind them.

Fang Wenhao ignored it, holding on to the steering wheel and gaping at Lin Jingzhe’s earnest face.

“You’re actually serious?!”

Naturally, Lin Jingzhe was serious.

His thoughts were simple. There weren’t many things three million yuan would allow him to do; he could invest it all in the stock market, but he wouldn’t see a big return for a year or two and the money would be tied up. It was better to make some quick cash.

Obviously, his current capital was not enough for him to get involved in any big real estate development projects, but he never had such intentions anyway. The struggle for profit in the current real estate industry was only laying the groundwork for future problems in the property market and its detrimental effects on the Chinese economy. Regardless of what he chose to do in the end, he would never pick the housing industry.

His idea was to make a quick profit by buying low and selling high. Before the new urban development plan was officially announced, most potential bidders were as hesitant as Fang Wenhao. Just like was the case with the plots of land close to the forthcoming extension of the subway lines, several sites that Lin Jingzhe remembered to be famous in the future were clearly unpopular at the moment.

Who would have guessed that the subway line would lead to a part of the city that was currently sparsely populated and had no special characteristics? However, in a few years, it would be full of skyscrapers reaching up to the heavens, turning the area no one had shown interest in into the first central business district in Yan City!

Fang Wenhao thought that this little brother must be possessed—it turned out that Lin Jingzhe was not joking, and the youth even immediately took out 500,000 yuan to register a company, procure the bidding documents, and apply for a loan.

Unable to persuade Lin Jingzhe, he “took up his old trade again” and went to complain to his dad. However, not only did the old man refuse to help, but he even mocked him for being timid.

After an agent finished registering the company and brought back the documents, everyone went for a meal together. Fang Wenhao, feeling like he had caused a good young man to step down the wrong path, drank a lot, trying to drown his worry and guilt.

Lin Jingzhe hadn’t had to drink much as the others only poured him alcohol a few times, so he was still sober. He helped the drunk Fang Wenhao out of the hotel, the cool night breeze ruffling his hair.

After receiving the car keys from the valet, he threw Fang Wenhao into the back seat, sat in the driver’s seat, and skillfully started the car.

Presently, Yan City’s nightlife was relatively concentrated, with the majority of nightclubs and discos situated in the same area. Past 8 p.m., the streets near the hotel were practically empty of traffic.

On the passenger’s seat, there lay a brown flat envelope containing the official documents of his new company. Now and then, Lin Jingzhe would glance at the label on it, but he spent most of the time lost in thought, accompanied by the sound of the wind and Fang Wenhao’s snoring.

The road was lined with dim street lights and dense foliage. The city was much quieter than the one in his memory—there were no endless streams of cars, no evening rush hour, and no office buildings on either side of the road, brightly lit up at night.

Suddenly, car lights shone in the rearview mirror. The roar of an accelerating engine came from behind, then something rushed by.

An SUV that had been driving behind came forward and overtook them. Once it drove past, it even flashed its tail lights, mocking them.

Lin Jingzhe rolled his eyes. You think I will race you, kid?

It didn’t provoke him at all—he stayed completely calm, bringing to mind one poet’s words, ‘placid, like a chrysanthemum’.

He drove on, ignoring it, but the car in front refused to give up. The driver shook the car’s rear a few times as if in a nightclub, sometimes slowing down to drive next to Lin Jingzhe and honk twice.

Is this guy sick?

Lin Jingzhe was annoyed, but any action would probably provoke the lunatic in the other car further, so he just moved closer to the outer edge of the road and continued to drive as usual.

The snazzy SUV seemed confused. It calmly drove behind Lin Jingzhe for a while, then suddenly rushed to the front, honked, and “shook its butt”.

The flashing tail lights blinded Lin Jingzhe’s eyes, and he instinctively stepped on the gas a little harder—

Crash!

Fang Wenhao’s red car had impressive acceleration. Then, when it stopped so abruptly, the force of inertia was strong enough to make Fang Wenhao, who was sleeping on the backseats, tumble to the floor.

Lin Jingzhe: “……”

He was an old driver who had been driving safely for many years and always gave way to pedestrians at crosswalks. And yet, he actually… rear-ended someone.

“Whuf… Wha’? What happened?” Bleary-eyed, Fang Wenhao climbed back onto the seats, wiping his face and looking startled. “What happened?”

The SUV in front was quiet for a moment, then the driver’s door opened and someone jumped down.

When he was illuminated by the headlights, Lin Jingzhe could see who it was, and all his previous questions were answered in an instant. Helpless, he lowered the car window.

Hu Shaofeng, looking as disreputable as usual, swaggered over, his mocking voice heard from afar, “Huh, little brother Wenhao, how come you’re so timid today? Did you…”

As he walked to the driver’s seat and came face-to-face with Lin Jingzhe, his words suddenly cut off.

Hu Shaofeng: “……”

Lin Jingzhe asked, “Brother Shaofeng, are you sick in the head?”

The person in the back seat shuffled, obviously unhappy, and echoed, “Are you sick in the head, Hu Shaofeng?!”

Hu Shaofeng: “……”

He took a look inside; Fang Wenhao, still not entirely awoken from his drunken confusion, blankly looked back at him, supporting himself against the front seat’s backrest.

“Who’re you?” he asked muzzily. “Are you sick?”

Hu Shaofeng: “……”

He really felt sick now.

A motorcycle came up from behind them, the flashing blue light dazzling in the rear mirror. Lin Jingzhe cursed his luck, then remembered he indeed had a reason to curse, since he… in this life…

Hadn’t gotten his driver’s license yet.

The Curly Hair who had again accompanied Hu Shaofeng also approached. Seeing the person in the driver’s seat, he was clearly surprised and leaned down to confirm that he wasn’t mistaken.

Lin Jingzhe wanted to poke his eyes out.