Chapter 800: Chatting Casually with He Zuming

We traveled back to Huaihai City without any obstacles.

After returning to the city,

I briefly said hello to Liu Yong,

He didn't say much either, just told me to go back to the hotel and rest well,

Everything awaits his news.

He still needs to contact other people now.

I can't help here either.

So I returned to the hotel to rest.

I rested briefly,

He Zuming came over with Xiao Yan to chat with me,

He Zuming asked me, "Jianqiang, how is the situation now?"

"Mr. He, after meeting Liu Yong, he arranged for me to go to Sijiucheng and meet Zheng Ge. I hope he can step in to help, and together we can subdue the Wen Family."

"Zheng Ge, I've heard of him. That fellow is named Zheng Can. He was once a famous figure in Sijiucheng. I'm sure that with his involvement, Wen Han would be finished," He Zuming said.

"But this Zheng Ge has already retired, and the head of the Wen Family is as radiant as the noon sun.

Can he fight him?" I asked He Zuming anxiously.

"Heh, Jianqiang, you're worrying unnecessarily.

Zheng's family's strength is right there on display.

As long as he's willing to act, the Wen Family won't be a match. However, that will take time; it's not something that can be done in a single day."

"Mr. He, did you know that this time Zheng Ge can step in to help, besides Liu Yong's invitation, there's also a promise that later Da Heng Group and their two families will split the spoils.

Sigh, think about it—people only need to move their mouths, and they can reap such huge gains."

"Jianqiang, is this normal? Without profit, no one would risk anything.

I want to tell you that,

we live in a prosperous age,

we'd rather be a dog of the prosperous era than a person of chaotic times. That's what I keep telling you.

In fact, we're already quite happy.

At the very least we can get a sound sleep and a full meal. Some things we should just give up."

When He Zuming said that, I didn't understand what he meant.

"Mr. He, may I ask why no one limits the rights of the rich, preventing them from flaunting wealth or competing with the people? The rich are running amok in society now," I said to He Zuming.

He Zuming then said to Xiao Yan, "Xiao Yan, yesterday I talked about the affairs of the previous dynasty, do you remember?"

Xiao Yan nodded,

"Mr. He certainly remembers,

you told me that in the late Ming, society was polarized: the poor could barely eat, selling sons and daughters, yet bearing the court's heavy taxes. The rich, however, spent their days in indulgence, completely unaware of the common folk's suffering.

At that time, Emperor Chongzhen desperately begged those rich people to contribute money for the court.

To deal with the Liaodong issue, yet they wouldn't give a single coin and pretended poverty before the emperor.

In the end, Zhu Youjian died. As a result, those stingy rich people, under the rebel army's torture, brought out their hidden silver—over three million taels,

These rich people would rather have the rebels seize it than give it to Zhu Youjian. Teacher, why is that? They didn't know the Ming had fallen, yet they would still follow it."

"Xiao Yan, good question. These rich people have a family but no nation.

They think affairs of the court are the emperor's business, unrelated to them.

Even if the Ming falls and someone else becomes emperor, they'll still kneel and profess loyalty, thus forever enjoying their comfortable lives.

So in their eyes, the nation doesn't exist at all.

They only have their own small families, regardless of who becomes emperor or not.

In fact, they have no idea that when the nest is overturned, the eggs cannot remain safe.

A country gives rise to a family; today's society is just like that.

Jianqiang, the times have changed,

We've all realized that with the nation's development, we'll follow its progress.

This is my renewed understanding of society.

Some say history repeats itself, but that's not true; in the past common folk had no concept of a nation.

They only knew the court and the emperor.

Now it's different; we all know the concept of a nation.

When the nation is stable, we are secure; when the nation is strong, we are strong.

That's what sets today apart from the past.

Jianqiang, you just asked whether the above doesn't know these matters.

I think they'd certainly know, it's just difficult, there's a challenge.

Let's still talk about the previous dynasty,

Back then the emperor led a group of brothers to start a venture,

After the venture succeeded, some were made princes, some dukes.

As time went on,

Later emperors found that the court's land and resources were held by a few, tax revenue stalled. They couldn't train troops, build waterworks, or provide disaster relief.

So the emperor wanted to re‑measure the land and reform taxes.

But an investigation revealed that the Prime Minister's family owned three thousand mu of land, and several villages were their tenants.

Other officials were the same. They even formed interest groups,

They bound them together with relationships such as marriage, teacher‑student, and same‑clan ties.

It was then that the Emperor realized that no one could be moved.

If you disturb a minister's interests, who will still work for you,

If you disturb your own brother's interests, who will still risk their life for you.

If you disturb the Eunuch's interests, they are the ones closest to you.

If you disturb the Imperial Harem's interests, the woman you love most will cry day after day.

The Emperor became the loneliest person.

If the Emperor cannot move anyone, then it's trouble.

The result would be that everyone just lies flat.

Can the Emperor be unaware of what's happening below? He is just temporarily not dealing with it.

"He Zuming, what should we do next, is everyone just lying flat?" I asked, bewildered.

"Jianqiang, how should I put it, in the previous dynasty He Shen's embezzled wealth amounted to ten thousand taels, even rich enough to rival a nation. Doesn't Qianlong know? He knows better than anyone. He didn't act against He Shen.

He intended to leave He Shen to his son Jiaqing.

So his son could establish authority and fame, and also have a large inheritance to use.

Qianlong's selfishness, everyone understood. He Shen also understood, but what could he do?

No matter how he flattered Jiaqing, he could not meet a good end.

Therefore, when Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he immediately confiscated He Shen's household.

All the money He Shen had embezzled was used as the imperial treasury.

Just because no one does certain things now does not mean later people won't.

As long as the money doesn't leave,

it forever belongs to us. It's only a matter of who uses it.

These past few days, I've been observing the stars each day.

These years of ours belong to an ascendant phase.

As long as luck is in an ascendant phase, a powerful manager will appear.

Then they will cut off all ties and break these interest groups. They will never let the rich run rampant again. It will return benefits to the people.

I believe we will see someone step forward and give those people a hard knock.

Jianqiang, what we need to do now is to persevere.

I know, you have become accustomed to many things in your heart.

These are all minor matters. They only fought over that bit of Da Heng Group's stuff,

When we look farther, that bit of stuff is nothing,

Da Heng Group only creates profit for us ordinary folk, and it is the same no matter whose hands manage it.

Fame and profit are fleeting like clouds,

We are merely a grain of sand in the vast sea.

In a few decades, who will still remember us.

Hehe, so you, don't keep staring,

You've already let go; it has nothing to do with you.

Now we must start anew. The old won't go away, and the new won't come.

"He Zuming, perhaps you are right. I now understand many things.

I used to always think that I founded Da Heng Group,

Da Heng Group was mine.

In fact Da Heng Group does not belong to me. I am merely a passerby in its life. Thank you, He Zuming, for your teachings," I said gratefully to He Zuming.

He Zuming had some words but did not elaborate, nor could he speak them.

I of course understood his meaning,

as a competent manager,

the heavier the burden, the greater the responsibility.

All emotions must be placed secondarily,

even to the point of being heartless and ungrateful.

I deeply feel that during my days as chairman of Da Heng Group, I was overly sentimental.

It already shackled my limbs.

If my understanding were higher, and I were more ruthless, then such things would not have happened.

Thus, those in the position find it difficult.

Do not only look at each person's glorious surface. See their hardships.

He Zuming has already told me, we start anew.

Then we will follow He Zuming's words, and start anew.

Proceed with my Second Entrepreneurship.

That is the tourism project of Xue County.

Make this project big and strong. It can also yield good returns.