Chapter Fifteen: The Four-Star Examination

At the bus stop, people waited quietly, each gazing at the approaching bus. At this hour, there weren’t many passengers—just a few late-working laborers, some leaning against the windows to rest, others absorbed in their phones that stubbornly displayed a blank blue screen. Each person seemed like an isolated island; despite their close proximity, their paths never crossed.

Xiao Rongbo boarded the bus and found a seat toward the back. Staring out at the neon lights, his mind drifted into deep thought.

“What’s wrong, Teacher Xiao?” Zhuang Sijing asked with a playful grin. “You look like you just got your heart broken. Don’t worry—I’ll find you someone when I go to university.”

“Oh, so the class monitor of the advanced class is something special?” Xiao Rongbo teased his disciple as usual.

Though their daily banter was lighthearted, he truly was troubled over a girl. Not only was she beautiful, but her lively personality captivated this reserved man from a humble background. She was also a teacher, a fact known to many students, which gave some the courage to occasionally tease the teachers.

Watching Zhuang Sijing’s gleeful expression, Xiao Rongbo sighed inwardly. “One year’s time. Get into a good place.”

Zhuang Sijing blinked mischievously, and even the most playful could sense that Teacher Xiao’s thoughts had wandered to some unknown distant place...

When the bus arrived at the stop, Zhuang Sijing suddenly turned and called out, “Teacher, keep it up!”

“Get lost!” he retorted.

After some playful teasing on the bus, Zhuang Sijing stepped off, and the bus doors clicked shut behind her. The evening breeze stirred her school uniform, and under the streetlights, her slender silhouette was graceful and poised...

...

“University student’s back!” Lin Yaoming’s face lit up with an involuntary smile when he saw his son.

In his youth, he had plunged into the business world, making money in every endeavor. Now, with a substantial fortune, he was busy to the point of being elusive. Lately, whenever he thought about Lin Cheng’s impending college entrance exams, a pang of guilt surfaced: how did he grow up so quickly?

“Dad~,” Lin Cheng called out groggily.

“Have some milk first. Later, we’ll have hairy crabs,” Aunt Hu said, bringing over freshly warmed milk she always prepared on time.

Lin Cheng instinctively reached to take it.

“Master, it’s hot. Wait for it to cool.”

“Okay,” Lin Cheng replied, warmed inside.

“Aunt Hu, save me a couple of hairy crabs. Cook them tomorrow morning—I’ll take them with me,” Lin Cheng said.

Lin Yaoming glanced at his son and nodded to Aunt Hu without needing to ask—those were for He Yueyue.

Then, he turned to the butler, Cao Yunping. “Is dinner almost ready?”

“Chairman, it’s ready to be served now.”

Father and son entered the dining room and sat opposite each other. Lin Yaoming smiled warmly at his only son.

He was quite pleased with Lin Cheng, though he wished his grades were a bit higher. But it didn’t really matter—studying abroad was an option too. As for He Yueyue... she was a good student and would likely attend university in China. Sending her abroad together might also work. Sigh... though he didn’t like her much.

“Dad,” Lin Cheng put down his crab and asked, “I heard a saying: If you have a hundred million in assets, you might live freely. But if you have over 120 million, or even 200 million, that money might not really be yours. What do you think?”

Lin Yaoming was busy picking crab roe and slowly looked up. “When money reaches a certain amount... let me give you an analogy.”

“Having an enormous sum of money is like having a breathtakingly beautiful woman.”

“For instance, if you have a billion, but lack the ability to protect her, others will covet her.”

“Then that money—or that woman—becomes a curse, coming upon you in ways beyond your control.”

“Take Lin Chong, for example. His wife was beautiful, and they lived well, but High Official’s son set his sights on her. You know how that ended.”

“So, either you keep such a beauty hidden, or you have the means to shield her. Otherwise, she’s not truly yours.”

Lin Cheng remained silent.

His father’s words cut deep. In his past life, it was because He Yueyue leaked secrets to Chen Zishi that he ended up imprisoned like Lin Chong... Ultimately, it was because he couldn’t protect her.

For the first time, Lin Cheng realized that the old generation who built their fortunes from nothing were truly forged in fire—not like him, a second generation who failed to hold onto his father’s empire.

“Dad, I want to buy a novel,” Lin Cheng said.

“Buy it then,” Lin Yaoming replied, baffled by his son’s sudden topic.

“It’s not finished yet, but I want to buy the copyright.”

“How much?” Lin Yaoming asked casually.

“I don’t know, maybe a hundred thousand.”

“Hmm... I don’t know much about novels. If it were me, I’d want to spend big money only if I could make money first. Your pocket money is up to you.”

Lin Cheng understood his father was unwilling to embarrass him openly.

Seeing his son’s expression, Lin Yaoming thought he might object, so he smiled and said, “Son, if you really want to make money, don’t rush. Wait until you’re in university.”

Not wanting to argue, Lin Cheng nodded. “Okay, we’ll talk then.”

...

After dinner, the two returned to their rooms.

Lin Cheng switched on his desk lamp. Suddenly recalling something, he bent down and pulled out a diary from the drawer.

Reading the immature, insecure, yet proud words, he wanted to disappear into a crack in the floor...

Then he flipped to a blank page and began recording memories.

Before the 2008 Olympics, the stock market soared to 6,000 points, then plummeted, never looking back.

By the end of 2024, each Bitcoin had risen to $100,000.

In some year, the novelist Yu Zheng produced “Story of Yanxi Palace.”

Steel prices climbed from 2,000 to 6,000 per ton, then fluctuated between 3,000 and 4,000...

He sorted through these fragments, thinking:

This lifetime, I will make sure Dad sees his son carve out his own empire by his own strength while he’s still alive.

The clock ticked steadily...

Lin Cheng finished his chemistry homework, massaged his sore fingers, got into bed, and turned off the light.

Outside, the night was gentle, softly shedding silvery light that draped the earth in a dreamy veil.

Lin Cheng whispered to himself, “I’m only seventeen this year...” and finally fell into a peaceful sleep...