Chapter 142: Staying Focused Amid Chaos

Break time. The hallway outside the classroom.

Head teacher Zhang Liqun stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His large, amber glasses masked his grim expression.

Xu Chen stood before him, silently listening to the “lecture” without a word.

“Xu Chen, I have high expectations for you. You have a real shot at getting into a 985 university!”

“Lately, your studies have been off. You’ve been asking for time off right before the exam, and you’re even late to evening study sessions!”

“Last week’s pop quiz—you left half the questions blank…”

“This attitude is dangerous! There’s less than a month until the college entrance exam. I don’t want you slipping up at this critical moment!”

“Losing one of our top students would be a real shame for our class!”

…

Xu Chen kept his head down, refusing to respond. He just wanted the conversation to end.

He knew his own study rhythm better than anyone. There was nothing wrong with it.

As for the absences and late nights, it was due to a business matter he’d now handed off to Fang Jun.

And leaving half the quiz blank? That was his way of not wasting time on questions he already mastered…

By his plan, the next month was all about tackling past mistakes and shoring up weak spots.

Everything else could wait.

With a solid routine and clear schedule, outside noise barely affected him.

…

Xu Chen stayed silent as the teacher grew more agitated.

Finally, he had to deploy the “echo technique”—quietly echoing every point—to convince Zhang Liqun of his “sincere remorse.”

Back at his seat, Xu Chen exhaled in relief.

…

For the days that followed, he rejected every distraction and devoted himself entirely to review.

Preparing for the college entrance exam was excruciating, but at least it had a definite end.

Most people dreaded that day’s arrival. Xu Chen counted down to its conclusion.

He knew once it was over, he’d be free.

…

…

In mid-May, Xu Zhiquan traveled to Jiangsu Province with Fang Jun, Director Yang from the Mechanical Factory, and Li Rui to “inspect” a local EV plant.

Fourth Uncle Xu Zhilin and Maternal Uncle Zhang Yongqing ran the seedling company without issue now.

Earlier obstacles had been cleared. Projects kept rolling in, even spreading to surrounding counties.

In a short time, Xu Zhiquan had built Chenxin Nurseries into the largest nursery in Tiancheng.

Once a “scale advantage” formed, it became a sturdy moat around the business.

Costs dropped, letting them undercut rivals in bids.

With existing projects as proof of performance, winning new contracts got easier.

And as the Xus leased more land, competitors found it harder to enter the market.

Simply put, as long as Xu Zhiquan’s connections held, Chenxin Nurseries was a cash machine for the family.

…

Fourth Uncle also leased more plots west of town. Now he spent half his time there overseeing seedling cultivation.

On the South City Highway’s construction zones, seedling projects were already underway. Maternal Uncle Zhang Yongqing led a crew of workers through wind and rain.

Luckily, Zhang Yongqing thrived on hard work and loved the nursery business. He found joy in it.

But when it came to tricky interpersonal matters, Fourth Uncle stepped in to smooth things over.

The two uncles worked together seamlessly.

For Chenxin Nurseries, Xu Zhiquan could practically be a hands-off manager. He rarely needed to handle family affairs.

His main focus was securing external relationships and negotiating new nursery contracts.

Of course, he’d now shifted most of his energy to matters at the Mechanical Factory.

…

One midday, Xu Chen went out for lunch with Chen Dahai and others.

In a small eatery, they spotted a promotional display for Wang Laoshun.

The slogan “Beat Inflammation? Drink Wang Laoshun!” was plastered front and center.

Jiaduobao’s execution was impressively swift. Their campaign had already reached smaller dining outlets.

Two customers at a nearby table saw the display and grabbed a can each.

“Perfect timing—my throat’s been sore these past days. Let’s give it a try…”

“Ugh, this sweet-bitter aftertaste—what’s that about?”

“Didn’t you read the label? It’s a traditional herbal formula. Of course it’s bitter.”

Xu Chen couldn’t help but chuckle. The taste of Wang Laoshun was hard to praise.

Without the “anti-inflammation” hook, nobody would drink it voluntarily.

Still, after this round of promotion, Jiaduobao was sure to take off on the mainland.

In his previous life, Xu Chen remembered Wang Laoshun spent years pouring money into marketing, even sponsoring variety shows. At its peak, its sales trailed only behind the two foreign cola giants…

Xu Chen’s one-million-yuan ad fee was already confirmed. Fang Jun was handling the arrangements.

They’d receive payment through East Morning Star Advertising’s account. That saved some taxes compared to Xu Chen collecting it personally.

Renhe Pharmaceuticals’ staged pitch payment also came in three installments, all tracked by Fang Jun.

Fang Jun was adept at this. Xu Chen trusted her with every detail.

He’d asked her if, as the sole owner of East Morning Star Advertising, she could freely withdraw funds. She confirmed everything was compliant, legal, and fully taxed.

Since he didn’t need the money for now, he’d leave it in the account.

Overall, Xu Chen had no plans to become a “tycoon.” With the family business still in its infancy, “investing in the future” mattered more.

Besides, once Dad started the EV factory, every yuan would be split in two.

…

After lunch, they returned to school to find a new banner at the gate.

“Congratulations to our school’s Xie Bingran for winning the national high school athletics championship!”

In just a week or two, Bing Ge had claimed another title.

Her “Unbeatable Under-18” tag was reinforced again.

Just as Xu Chen predicted—too many championships and she’d grow cocky…

Chen Dahai looked up at the banner, shaking his head with envy.

Xu Chen teased:

“The national high school games—doesn’t high jump count as an event?”

Chen Dahai sighed helplessly:

“I can’t even get past the qualifiers. I’m no match for Bing Ge’s talent—she’s on another level!”

At the school gate, the LED screen replayed videos of Bing Ge winning her titles.

At the end of the footage, they’d added a clip of Xie Bingran cheering on the seniors taking the college entrance exam.

In the video, Xie Bingran still looked cool and aloof. She faced the camera without a hint of emotion:

“Good luck to our seniors at Tiancheng No.1 High School for the college entrance exam. Aim for top scores…”

Passing students—especially the girls—watched with starry eyes.

“What do we do? Bing Ge’s getting hotter by the minute!”

…

In late May, Xu Zhiquan and the others returned from their trip. Plans to acquire the Mechanical Factory suddenly accelerated.

Through his city contacts, Xu Zhiquan received official notice: in early June, “intent communications” would begin for the factory’s restructuring and sale.

Xu Zhiquan had already given heads-up to several parties. Besides, at Xie Bingran’s grandmother’s funeral, he’d met key leader Wu Yongming. Naturally, East Morning Star Co. made the candidate list.

In fact, by strict criteria, East Morning Star Co. shouldn’t have been on that list.

But Wu Yongming had pulled some strings, guaranteeing East Morning Star a “ticket” in the process…

Xu Zhiquan understood the value of “know yourself and your enemy.” He wanted intel on other bidders, but no leads had emerged yet.

Afterward, Xu Zhiquan basically lived at the Jinfeng Business Tower office.

Every day he worked with Fang Jun and Director Yang on the “intent communications” documentation.

At the same time, he scrambled to secure funding early.

His phone never stopped ringing. One pack of cigarettes a day turned into two.

…

…

That evening, Xu Chen picked up a few takeaway dishes and headed to the Jinfeng Business Tower.

He entered the office to find Xu Zhiquan dozing half-reclined on the manager’s sofa, smoking.

When Xu Zhiquan saw his son, his face brightened and he jumped up.

“Son, what brings you here?”

Xu Chen: “I figured you’d be here. I brought you some food!”

Xu Zhiquan laughed, pushed aside the stack of papers on his desk, and opened the takeout with his son.

They clinked their soda cans, grateful for a rare meal together.

Lately, young Xu had been buried in exam prep, while old Xu was consumed by factory matters. Both were tense.

As they ate, Xu Chen finally asked:

“Dad, you looked worried. Something up?”

Xu Zhiquan chuckled:

“Don’t worry about family business for now. Focus on your exam.”

Xu Chen: “Tell me anyway. I’m about to collapse from studying. A distraction might help.”

Xu Zhiquan munched his bun, thought a moment, then said:

“It’s about the Mechanical Factory.

In early June the city is holding an ‘intent communications meeting’—basically a competition where interested companies present plans and funding.

Fang Jun and Director Yang are handling the paperwork. I’m lining up the money.

It all comes down to funds…”

Xu Chen: “How much do we need?”

Xu Zhiquan: “Fang Jun did the math and uncovered some factory details.

In the end, to cover existing debts, we need at least ten million yuan in cash.

The rest can be handled through bank loans tied to future revenue.

Once we control the factory, we can sell off equipment and inventory like tricycles…

We’re working to gather that ten million in cash.”

Xu Chen: “That’s tough, right?”