Chapter 6

The classmate ordering dishes thought, I was just being polite! Who would've thought even having a meal with a god would be this much trouble?

There was a television in the hotpot restaurant's main hall, broadcasting financial news. Gu Chen glanced at it. One report covered Tiansui Capital successfully acquiring a controlling stake in an industrial company, with plans to split it up, carry out mergers and acquisitions, and restructure it, among other things. Gu Chen could not help but drift into a daze. In his previous life, when he had worked at Ling Group, he had often heard of Tiansui Capital. This investment firm was said to differ from other capital firms in that it loved investing in real industries. Its boss, Zhongli Sui, also had an exceptionally sharp eye. Every time, he could spot industrial groups whose value had been severely underestimated. After gaining control, he would immediately unleash the whole combination of splitting, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and going public. Within one or two years, the company's market value would at least multiply several times over. Tiansui Capital would then sell at the peak stock price, pull out its funds, and seek its next target.

At the time, Gu Chen had been at the lowest point of his life. Hearing such news, he could only lament that some people were destined to be heaven's favored sons. During his darkest days, he passed the time by studying Tiansui Capital's merger and restructuring cases. Unfortunately, no matter how much he studied, after being driven out of Ling Group, the company he founded still went bankrupt and collapsed. It did not even get the chance to be acquired by Tiansui Capital.

Gu Chen shook his head, marveling that some people lived even more brilliantly than reincarnators, while feeling the thinness of his wallet.

Having been given another life, was opportunity really what stood between him and getting rich, conquering the world, and becoming a major investor?

No. It was the money in his pocket.

Once all the dishes had arrived, Huo Mingzhang eagerly cooked several slices of lamb for Gu Xiu. "The lamb here is especially tender. Want to try some?"

Gu Xiu turned to look at Gu Chen, then fished out two slices of lamb from the clear broth pot. "Brother, you should try some too."

Gu Chen looked at the lamb in his bowl without saying anything. Gu Xiu stared at him anxiously and pleaded, "Brother, just eat it. Once you do, forgive me, okay?"

Seeing that something was off between the two brothers, the others at the table gradually stopped their idle chatter and all looked over.

Gu Chen did not want to make things too awkward at the dinner table. More importantly, he still needed to discuss serious business with Zhou Xiaoting later, and he did not want Gu Xiu to keep dragging things out.

Gu Chen picked up the lamb and ate it. Gu Xiu's tears turned to laughter. "You ate it, so that means you forgive me. Don't be mad anymore, okay?"

Gu Xiu leaned over, wrapped an arm around Gu Chen's arm, and gave it a shake. Gu Chen pulled his arm free and shifted aside. "Don't cling to me. It's hot."

Huo Mingzhang burst out laughing, still unable to keep his mouth shut. "You know it's hot too? I thought you were a human air conditioner."

Gu Chen ignored him.

Huo Mingzhang did not mind. He continued attentively cooking meat for Gu Xiu, serving him food, and pouring him drinks, casually probing, "How old are you? What month is your birthday? What do you like to eat?"

Gu Chen was still thinking about the part-time job. He quietly asked Zhou Xiaoting. Zhou Xiaoting put a fish ball in her bowl, dipping it in sesame oil sauce as she asked, "What kind of part-time job are you looking for? I have a tutoring gig. You'd tutor a senior high school student in math, physics, and chemistry. It pays two hundred yuan an hour, from eight to ten every evening Monday through Saturday, and eight hours all day Sunday. If the student scores above six hundred on the college entrance exam, the parents will give an additional reward."

Zhou Xiaoting said, "This is the highest-paying, best-quality part-time job I have. Of course, the parents' requirements are high too. They originally wanted a master teacher. Their kid is too rebellious and drove every teacher away. With no other options, they wanted to find a college student to tutor her, thinking someone closer in age might have more in common with her. But they require a college entrance exam score over seven hundred. They also want a boy, and he has to be handsome. I saw your exam results—703, right? You barely qualify, and your looks will do too."

Gu Chen knew who Zhou Xiaoting was talking about. In his previous life, after Huo Mingzhang talked him into it, this part-time job had gone to Gu Xiu. Gu Xiu had done quite well, successfully earning the girl's and her parents' favor. The girl's parents had acknowledged Gu Xiu as their godson. Later, when Gu Xiu reunited with the Ling family, this family had helped behind the scenes as well.

Having been given another life, Gu Chen had complicated feelings toward Gu Xiu and the Ling family. But he had never considered stealing Gu Xiu's opportunity. Besides, after being reincarnated for ten years, he had long forgotten all that college entrance exam material. He should not mislead a student here.

"I have a bad temper. I don't want to tutor kids. Do you have any other part-time jobs?"

Zhou Xiaoting swallowed the fish ball and picked up another chopstickful of beef. "Then tell me, what kind of part-time job do you want?"

"One that pays fast." Gu Chen thought of the financial news that had just been on television and felt a little provoked. Having another chance at life, the most frustrating thing was not lacking opportunities, but having opportunities to make money everywhere while lacking even the capital to seize them.

"Do you have anything related to sales? I don't care whether there's a base salary, and I don't care if the pressure is high, as long as the commission is good." After thinking it over, Gu Chen added, "I'm pretty good at handling pressure, and I can endure hardship."

Zhou Xiaoting had not expected Gu Chen to be so straightforward and immediately laughed. "Have you really thought this through? Sales pressure isn't ordinary pressure. Besides, students from our school generally don't like going into sales."

After all, the starting point in that industry was too low. It was a mixed bag, with every sort of person in it. Students admitted to A University were still fairly proud, especially freshmen who had just started their first year. They were all willing to sit in offices and wanted to become managers. Who wanted to run all over the place outside in the scorching summer heat? More importantly, many college students aimed high but lacked ability. Even if they truly ran around with veteran salespeople, after a month, they might not sell as much as those veterans. They would also have to endure sneers from clients and peers. Thus, even those who chose sales usually did not last long.

Gu Chen did not care. Having lived another life, he had ten more years of experience than people his age. Any impractical pride he once had had long been worn away by reality. He had worked at Ling Group and started his own business. He had always been cursed behind his back, and at his lowest point, he could not even pay rent. In the end, he had gone bankrupt and killed himself.

Gu Chen felt that since he had been given another life, no difficulty could be worse than in his previous one. He had prepared himself for the worst. If his fate remained unchanged ten years later, then at the very least, he would work hard to ensure his parents lived out their lives safely and peacefully. He would leave them enough money for their retirement.

Gu Chen was even calculating that the country would open up the two-child policy in a few years. When that happened, he would urge his parents to have another child, so that after he died, the blow would not be too much for the two of them to bear.