Chapter Sixty-Four: Entering the Real Estate Industry

After today's events, a rumor began to circulate among the streets: a teenager from the Steel Factory Children’s School was sworn brothers with the rising underworld boss, Long Kun. When Nan heard this, he merely laughed it off. In these times, rumors in the world of gangs grow more outrageous with each retelling; perhaps tomorrow someone would say that Kun and that boy named Zhuo Nan were lovers.

The three days of exams passed quickly. Aside from Zhuo Nan’s less-than-ideal score in the first subject, Chinese, he had no issues with the rest, and he was almost certain to get into First High. Fu’s mood, however, wasn’t as good; she hadn’t performed as well as expected. Now came the time to choose schools. Zhuo Nan didn’t hesitate—he picked First High straight away, and Fu, despite her missteps, followed suit with confidence. Together, they dreamed about the days in high school when they'd walk to and from school side by side.

With the exams over and summer vacation beginning, it was time for unrestrained fun. The results and admission notices would arrive in about ten days; for now, there was not a hint of pressure.

“Mom, Dad, it’s summer break. I want to get a job…” Zhuo Nan suddenly announced at the dinner table.

Wang Li was taken aback and replied, “Why work? You don’t need to earn money for us. Just stay home.”

“Mom, I want to see the world a little. Besides, Brother Du and I have already agreed—I’ll go work at his company.”

Zhuo Wen thought it was a good idea for Zhuo Nan to gain some experience. Two months at home would only make him sick with boredom. He persuaded, “Li, it’s good for him to work. Xiao Du is a decent guy; he won’t let Nan suffer. Let him see a bit more of the world.”

Wang Li felt annoyed, “So you two are ganging up on me, huh? I just don’t want Nan to suffer. Is that so wrong?”

“Mom…” Zhuo Nan called out affectionately, then walked over to her, gently rubbing her back. “Don’t be angry, Mom. I know you’re looking out for me, but I’m grown now—I should see more. It’s only a summer job, nothing serious.”

Her son was so filial that Wang Li felt a warm sweetness in her heart. Though not her biological child, he was even closer than her own. A smile appeared on her face. “Alright, you can go, but Xiao Du must arrange something easy for you. No heavy work!”

Zhuo Nan thought, “Du Fanhao wouldn’t dare give me anything hard.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. It’s an office job; nothing heavy to do.” Zhuo Nan smiled.

“Alright, eat, eat,” Wang Li said, in great spirits, adding another piece of chicken to Zhuo Nan’s bowl.

Father and son exchanged a smile and buried themselves in their meal.

In the bar manager’s office, Long Kun looked astonished. “Nan, we made over fifteen million this time from gambling!”

Zhuo Nan had already anticipated such earnings—this was just the domestic take, without counting the money invested overseas. He laughed, “How much did you make?”

Long Kun scratched his head, embarrassed. “Nan, I didn’t bet much, so I didn’t make much.” He regretted it deeply now. When Zhuo Nan made big bets, he was scared and only put down a small amount, so while Zhuo Nan made over a million, he only made a few hundred thousand—still, it left him in good spirits.

Zhuo Nan said, “Go call Yang Yilin over.”

Long Kun grinned, “Nan, maybe I should stay out when she comes…”

Zhuo Nan rolled his eyes, “Damn it, I mean business.” At Zhuo Nan’s flare of temper, Long Kun hurried off to find Yang Yilin, and soon returned with her, taking a seat before Zhuo Nan.

Zhuo Nan tossed a check in front of Yang Yilin. “Vice President Yang, here’s fifteen million. I plan to invest more in the company. Where do you think we should develop next?”

Yang Yilin was stunned. Where did this young chairman get so much money? She’d heard rumors about gambling a few days ago—perhaps he really won? Gambling could actually make one rich? Still, seeing Zhuo Nan’s expectant gaze, she steadied herself and replied, “Zhuo Nan, if funds are plentiful, I suggest not investing everything into the bar. We can try diversified operations—restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, bathhouses, and other leisure and entertainment industries. With Brother Kun’s social connections, these ventures are bound to be profitable.”

Zhuo Nan nodded, “What if I don’t want to stay in this line of work? Any good industries to invest in?”

Yang Yilin thought for a moment. “With the spread of the internet, the next ten years will be a frenzy of network technology. Right now, internet businesses don’t show immediate returns, but their potential is infinite. As I understand, you already have a network company, so you’re ahead of the curve. If you want to diversify further, real estate and finance are also promising sectors.”

Zhuo Nan had returned to life with knowledge of the coming decade’s economic landscape, but Yang Yilin was not reborn; her insights came from her own ability and market analysis. Zhuo Nan nodded in satisfaction and smiled, “Vice President Yang, I think it’s time to raise your salary. How about an annual salary of four hundred thousand? Help me get real estate and finance off the ground.”

Yang Yilin was stunned, as was Long Kun beside her, his mouth agape. “Zhuo Nan, are you serious?”

Zhuo Nan shrugged. “Of course. I’ll be in school, so I need you to work for me. Are you willing?”

Yang Yilin was more than willing. With her master’s degree in economics, she had no intention of spending her life in a small bar. She nodded vigorously, “I am, I am!”

Seeing her excitement, Long Kun burst out laughing. Zhuo Nan looked at him, puzzled, “Long Kun, what’s so funny?”

Clutching his stomach, Long Kun laughed, “Nan, I’m laughing at Vice President Yang—she looks like she’s about to marry you.”

Before Zhuo Nan could react, Long Kun darted off. “I’ll show you for saying nonsense,” Zhuo Nan yelled, hurling a file after him. But that scoundrel escaped, leaving Zhuo Nan a bit embarrassed. Reflecting on his own words, he realized they were indeed somewhat suggestive—“Are you willing or not,” and so on.

Yang Yilin, meanwhile, stood there blushing, awkward whether to sit or stand. Zhuo Nan generously said, “Vice President Yang, don’t mind him. These brothers just talk nonsense.”

Yang Yilin smiled and shook her head, then regained her professional composure. “If we’re going into real estate, the investment is significant—at least twenty or thirty million.”

Zhuo Nan replied with a smile, “That’s no problem. You’ll build the company, hire the staff, and I’ll give you the funds in a few days. You’ll have full authority to run it.”

Yang Yilin looked at Zhuo Nan in disbelief. “You trust me that much?”

Zhuo Nan smiled carelessly. “It’s about mutual trust. I trust you, and I need you to trust me. That’s the only way to win together.”

Suddenly, Yang Yilin felt a surge of respect. This young man’s face was full of confidence—but where did it come from? The first time she met him, he seemed lazy, but after several interactions, she realized he was not as she imagined. He was ambitious and skilled at managing people. When others needed something, he knew just what to give—sometimes a lifeline, sometimes a flourish. He always preferred the former, making everyone grateful to him.

For instance, she herself needed recognition, and he gave her a chance to lead and prove herself. Could this boy really see into her heart?

Noticing Yang Yilin’s curious expression, Zhuo Nan asked, “Well, any other questions?”

Her thoughts snapped back to reality, and she seemed flustered. “No, just—if I handle this, what about the bar’s business?”

Zhuo Nan smiled, “That’s why before you leave, you must fully arrange everything here. Build a professional management team. Any issues?”

In Yang Yilin’s mind, a company’s success depended not on the business itself, but on its leader. Zhuo Nan had impressive resolve—a teenager who made decisions quickly and decisively, agile in thought, and, most importantly, dared to delegate authority. He gave a broad direction and let others handle the rest, caring only about results.

She admired the young man before her; a businessman should be like him, a man should be like him.

“No more questions,” Yang Yilin said calmly, her voice full of confidence.

Zhuo Nan was startled by her sudden transformation. Just moments ago, she seemed unsettled, but after a couple of sentences, she looked energized. What was happening? He decided to use his super brain to probe her thoughts.

“Damn… It’s my luck that’s exploding, my kingly aura conquering her… I wonder when this girl will just throw herself at me…” At that thought, Zhuo Nan felt a physical reaction. The higher he cultivated the super brain’s methods, the stronger the response became. “Vice President Yang, you should go now…” He was afraid he’d lose control and devour the woman before him.

Yang Yilin sensed something was off and asked with concern, “Zhuo Nan, are you alright?”

Zhuo Nan maintained his smile. “I’m fine, just a headache. A bit of rest and I’ll be good. You go ahead.”

Since it was only a headache, Yang Yilin relaxed. “Then rest, I’ll go.” She turned and left.

After she was gone, Zhuo Nan quickly locked the manager’s door, unzipped his pants, and let things out. The swelling was painful. If anyone saw him like this, they’d shout, “Beat this pervert to death!”

“Boss, what kind of practice did you give me? If someone sees me like this, they’ll think I’m a lunatic…” Zhuo Nan sat helplessly on the sofa, waiting for things to calm down before leaving.

“Sigh, can’t blame me. You had your chance with Lan Qian and didn’t take it. Fu Xinxin can’t be touched either. If it’s really bad, go find someone outside for a one-night stand.” The super brain’s words left Zhuo Nan speechless.

“Damn, this bastard just shirks responsibility. If it doesn’t stop, I’ll go crazy.”

The brain grew agitated. “You can't stop—you’ll ruin your life if you do!”

“Why? Are you hiding something from me again?” Zhuo Nan was annoyed; nothing good ever came from dealing with this guy—always scheming.

“It’s not that. If you finish cultivating, you’ll be almost superhuman. But if you stop halfway, there’ll be aftereffects…”

“Enough!” Zhuo Nan cut him off. Now he understood—this was like an insurance policy: pay for a year, stop, and you lose everything you invested. This practice was the same—quit now, and you’d end up impotent.

Now Zhuo Nan saw clearly—the super brain was nothing but a scam artist, running a pyramid scheme.