Chapter 20: Heading to the Coast—Earning a Hundred Million as the First Step

The next day at noon, the Zhang family held a grand banquet in Qingwa Village, inviting all the villagers to join. Anyone willing to come could sit down at the table directly, without the need to bring any red envelopes. This was exactly the outcome Zhang Tianfeng had hoped for—he wanted his family to become the object of envy throughout Qingwa Village.

“Come on, Zhang boy, have a drink! Ah, that’s the spirit—refreshing!”
“Your family is truly blessed! First a college student, now a big businessman. You’re the eighth household in our village with over ten thousand yuan—amazing.”
“I bet the Li family is still crying now. They let go of such an outstanding son-in-law with their own hands.”

The Li family indeed regretted it. From the day Li Cheng returned home, before Zhang Tianfeng could even make a triumphant homecoming and treat the whole village, the Li family had already started hiding away. The three of them ate together in silence at home.

“Lili, why don’t you go talk to him? After all, you both grew up together.”
“No, I won’t. The breakup was my idea from the start. Don’t change your minds just because he made a fortune in a single day, okay? I’m going abroad, and I’ll be earning dollars in the future!”
“Yes, yes, our daughter’s got ambition. Earning foreign money is much better than that brat!”
“Why are you looking at me? Eat, just eat.”

In this era, some longed for big city life, while others yearned for the world beyond. History had shaped this, and it could not be changed. When Li Lili first heard how much Zhang Tianfeng had earned, she was surprised too, but she quickly regained her composure. These days, the whole country was cooperating with foreign businesses and learning advanced technologies. She would become a foreigner herself—no matter how successful Zhang Tianfeng became, wasn’t he just another wage earner?

As for Li Lili’s thoughts, Zhang Tianfeng paid them no mind at all. In his previous life, the two had cut ties cleanly on the ninth day, never to cross paths again. This time, the break was even neater, and he even made use of her once more.

Now, Zhang Tianfeng was deftly handling the villagers who came to flatter and curry favor. Some bold older women even brought their daughters along, their faces practically broadcasting their intentions. Zhang Tianfeng was at a loss to deal with this mess and simply left it to his parents.

As night fell and the festivities died down, the extended Zhang family gathered in the courtyard.

“Auntie Second, this is for your family. Thank you for taking care of us all these years.”
“Auntie Third, this is for your family...”
“Uncle Sixth, this is...”
Uncle Sixth pushed the money back. “Take it back. Just give me a good idea, that’s enough.”

“You must take the money, and I’ll help with ideas too. This is the tuition my parents borrowed from you. Even among siblings, accounts should be settled clearly—business is business.”
Since things had been said so plainly, Uncle Sixth could no longer refuse. Each aunt and uncle received 2,500 yuan—a small fortune for them, but for Zhang Tianfeng, it was a trivial sum.

“All right, the debts are paid. Now I’ll tell you only one thing: study!”
“Tomorrow, I’ll go with Uncle Fourth to the coastal city. The soonest I’ll be back is by year’s end. During this time, the only thing you all need to do is study.”

Given the current personalities and abilities of his aunts and uncles, opening a shop or seeking partners would only end with them being taken advantage of. Miracles weren’t rare in this era, and making money was easy, but keeping it was another matter entirely.

“Xiaofeng, could I drive a taxi? I could work during the day and attend night classes in the evening,” Uncle Sixth said.
In the 1990s, being a taxi driver was like working at one of the major tech firms today—respected and well-paid. Many people would do anything for such a job.

“Of course. I can even use my resources to help you get started.”

At this moment, Zhang Tianfeng realized he was far from extraordinary—his resources were still too limited! Truly capable people could rally others with just a few words; reaching that level was not easy.

After dispensing advice to his relatives, Zhang Tianfeng returned home to chat with his parents. The two elders had wanted to follow him to the coast, but he firmly forbade it. The journey ahead was uncertain, and he needed to make sure he was standing on solid ground before bringing them over.

For now, he would let them manage the 205 wholesale shop. Once things stabilized on his end, perhaps he could build them a small factory for fun. Moreover, he wouldn’t allow his parents to interfere in his business—the generational gap in ideas would only lead to conflict and more trouble.

Thus, a day passed. The next morning, after countless reminders from his parents, Zhang Tianfeng left with Uncle Fourth.

They met up with Qin Yuelan in Xiyan City and then traveled together to the provincial capital. There, they would board a freight train arranged by Qin Lin to head for Shenzhen.

To Zhang Tianfeng, this was a stroke of luck.

At the time, there were three main means of long-distance travel: first, state-run long-distance buses; second, trains; third, airplanes. Private vehicles were a luxury only the truly powerful could afford, since many rural roads were in terrible condition and some fierce villagers even charged tolls—sometimes led by the village chief, all in the name of prosperity.

As for trains, the ticket was the least of your worries—the real concern was the thieves at the stations. Even if you managed to board, you might still encounter ruthless robbers who would hijack the train.

The whistle blew. Led by the staff, the group of five entered the freight carriage. Zhang Tianfeng, Qin Yuelan, Uncle Fourth, and two trusted friends Uncle Fourth had chosen—one was Zhou Runbo, the other Wang Li, whose name matched his burly physique.

The carriage was nothing like the cramped, dark space they’d expected. Qin Lin had transformed it into a small room, with two sofas, two bunk beds, and even a kitchen and bathroom.

“Dear passengers, please don’t leave the train without my permission—freight trains have unpredictable stops.”
“Understood. Thank you, conductor.”
“You’re welcome. If you need anything, come to the engine room.”

After seeing off the conductor, Zhang Tianfeng sat down. “Sit wherever you like. We’ll be on this train for two or three days, so find something to keep yourselves busy.”

“Boss, how about I cook?” Qin Yuelan volunteered.

“I’ll handle the cooking. For now, finish reading the book I gave you and write a summary when you’re done,” Zhang Tianfeng replied. “You’re now my employee, so let’s get the hard truths out of the way first.”

“First, I won’t have much time to guide you. Once we arrive, we’ll both be busy with our respective tasks. You have three chances here—once you’ve used them up, that means I see no further potential in you.”

“So whether you want to prove yourself or secure a better future, give it your all. Don’t count on luck.”

“I won’t let you down; I promise you that.”

“Good, then go get started.”

There were two desks in the carriage. Qin Yuelan went straight to the one on the right and picked up a book Zhang Tianfeng had bought—“The Effect of Advertising”—and began to read.

The whistle sounded again, and the carriage began to sway. Standing in the corridor, Zhang Tianfeng watched the scenery flash by outside the window, his heart brimming with pride and determination.

Off to the coast I go, to leverage my first ten million!