Chapter 38: Man, Making Money Is Your Only Way Out

Chen Yan sat before the massive desk in the principal's office, with the Dean of Students, Zhang Yuchen, by his side.

Principal Huang Yi had just received a phone call: "Is this the caliber of teachers you have in Wuzhou? How do you intend to handle this instructor?"

No one spoke. The Dean of Students remarked in a weary, seasoned tone, "Chen Yan is a good man. You should consider that." To Huang Yi, Zhang Yadong was merely a small fry; pursuing him would only dirty his own hands. Yet, it was deeply lamentable that Chen Yan’s class had been involved in such an incident.

"…I need to think about it. Teacher Chen, you may return for now." Huang Yi was clearly troubled. Who could have foreseen such a situation? Who could have expected the students to react with such intensity?

Chen Yan walked out of the teaching building and sat on the bleachers of the sports field, feeling a touch of bleakness and sorrow. He thought of his house back in the countryside, still unfinished; of his father’s poor health and that stooped silhouette which forced him to take on extra tutoring; of his mother’s midnight wails; and of his disabled sister. The sunset bathed the beautiful campus in a rose-colored glow, yet it felt as if one could hear a sigh echoing through the air.

He did not notice Lin Cheng approaching until the boy sat down on the steps beside him. Neither spoke for a long time. Finally, Chen Yan broke the silence: "Why are you skipping evening study hall?"

Lin Cheng looked out at the field and said, "If—and I mean if—one day you mastered many things, stood at a great height, and possessed the strength, what would you want to do most?"

Chen Yan, his mind elsewhere, replied offhandedly, "Do what I love, and let the people I care about live better lives."

"Teacher Chen, let's do something together. I’ve told you before."

"Media? Publishing novels? You’re about to take the college entrance exams!"

Lin Cheng smiled. "There’s a lot I haven't told you yet. But building an empire requires people. If I have people, I’ll continue toward university; if not, I’ll wait for the right ones."

Chen Yan glanced at Lin Cheng, catching in the boy's deep, un-youthful gaze a sense of determination, persistence, and things too complex to articulate. "What else?"

Lin Cheng continued, "You are a man. Making money is your only way out. Even if there is no porridge waiting in the morning and no brightly lit home to return to, you must take responsibility for your own life..."

*Is this kid lecturing me?* Chen Yan, possessing great poise, did not interrupt him.

"Life may be as insignificant as an ant’s, but one must have the ambitions of a swan. Though fate may be as thin as paper, one must have an unyielding heart. To succeed, one must have dreams. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight."

Chen Yan nodded. These words were both brilliant and piercing.

"So, sooner or later, you will hear this: 'Congratulations on becoming a Bentley owner. May you soar, shielded by the B-emblem. Spread your wings on your career path, conquer the world, and enjoy a life of prestige.'"

"Hm? Is that an advertisement?"

Lin Cheng looked at the field and said softly, "An entrepreneur here in Jiangdong just bought a Bentley in May. It cost 13.8 million. Not only was there no discount, but he even had to pay a premium just to get it! That’s the ad copy I wrote. If a single car costs 13.8 million, how much do you think they spend on advertising?"

This was one of the most classic Bentley ad slogans from ten years in the future. In his previous life, it was because of this very line that Lin Cheng had bought a Bentley.

"Uh..." At this moment, Chen Yan didn't seem to be looking at a high school student, but at a soul with profound depth.

"Let's see the outcome," Chen Yan said, still clinging to a glimmer of hope for his future at Wuzhou Middle School. He couldn't be blamed for his conservatism; as a boy who had fought his way out of the countryside to attend a top-tier university and teach at the best school in Jiangdong, this was the best ending he had ever imagined. If he could do better, it would only be to teach in Shanghai, Beijing, or Shenzhen.

Lin Cheng: "Regardless of the outcome, you will face situations similar to today’s."

Chen Yan: "So you're here to convince me to work for your father? What could I possibly do?"

"Not for my father—we will do something together." Seeing Chen Yan’s hesitation, Lin Cheng added, "A disciple need not be inferior to his master; that is what you taught us."

"If you are a grocer, even if you know the Director of the Bureau of Education, he is not your connection. If you are a teacher, a doctor, an official, a news center director, or even an actor, their children—or they themselves—are your connections."

Chen Yan listened intently.

"You come from an ordinary background, yet you never admit fault, and others don't blame you. That means the people around you like and protect you. It means you have the power of persuasion."

"Most importantly, you have a dream, and you are desperate to change yourself."

Chen Yan felt quite flattered and replied playfully, "Boss Lin, why don't you elaborate?"

Lin Cheng said with utmost seriousness, "Let’s start with the magazines you’re familiar with. Currently, DM direct-mail consumer magazines guide the market in shopping, entertainment, trends, and dining."

"Although DM is already widespread, its greatest advantage is the contact with manufacturers. It allows us to use one point to influence the whole, paving the way for future publishing, music, and even the film industry."

In just a few sentences, Lin Cheng laid out the future. Chen Yan felt as if he were seeing another world...

"Alright, I agree to try. Let me finish my administrative procedures, and then we can discuss further. Thank you, Boss Lin."

"You're welcome, Boss Chen. I plan to focus on school and work hard to earn money. You'll have to do the heavy lifting regarding early preparations, hiring, and project initiation."

In the quiet campus, aside from the brightly lit teaching building where evening study hall was held, one could only hear the sound of a light breeze rustling the leaves.

Lin Cheng felt, with a vague certainty, that his top general for entering the media industry had finally been born.

While waiting for the school’s decision, Lin Cheng entrusted Chen Yan to act as the legal representative, general manager, and chief planner. They named the company "Cherry Media"—after all, the "plant-based" naming trend was popular in the internet era.

Chen Yan eventually had to ask a student’s parent to help him queue up at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to get the name registered. Getting the documents cost 3,000 yuan, and with a professional agency, everything was finished in a week.

However, the qualifications for applying for a publication number were tricky; it required an advertising company with at least three years of valid operation. Chen Yan contacted his alma mater, the East China Normal University Youth League Committee, and through some junior students, applied under the guise of "student entrepreneurship," successfully securing the license for a direct-mail publication.

Lin Cheng rented two offices in an office building outside the school and began recruiting. The first applicants were junior students from the university who were looking for work, all referred by Chen Yan.

During the recruitment process, however, there was an unexpected gain. A fellow villager of Chen Yan’s introduced a girl. As the general manager, Chen Yan was careful not to act recklessly, so to save face, he passed the decision to Lin Cheng.

The girl’s name was Tao Lu, and she had just been laid off from a garment factory. Lin Cheng opened her resume.

Good heavens! The resume was so primitive it was painful to look at. It couldn't even be called a resume—it was a generic self-introduction template downloaded from the internet, with only the basic personal information filled out. In the self-evaluation section, she had written: "Diligent in work; not afraid of hardship; can use Word and Excel."

Lin Cheng couldn't help but laugh. She had actually emphasized that she only knew two office programs! It was as if admitting to a third would be a lie...