Chapter 123: The Fortune Teller Said I'm Allergic to Poverty for This Life (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

Chen Yansen took a tray, ordered four liang of rice, one serving of beef, one serving of dry-pot shrimp, and two servings of greens, spending 16.8 yuan.

"Didn't go back to Lujiang?"

Chen Yansen carried the food, sat down across from Song Yuncheng, and asked softly.

"No, the number of b2c platforms we've onboarded recently has multiplied several times over. Can't keep up."

Song Yuncheng looked up and saw it was Chen Yansen, and explained with a light smile.

"There's a decent hot spring hotel in Shidu. I'll take you for a team-building trip. Finish your meal, pack your things, we leave this afternoon."

Chen Yansen informed her directly, giving Song Yuncheng no chance to choose.

"Your girlfriend went home?" Song Yuncheng asked tentatively.

Chen Yansen froze, gave a dry laugh, and pretended to be serious: "As an employee, please don't pry into your boss's private life."

"And as a boss, it's fine to take an employee on a team-building trip alone?"

Song Yuncheng shot back. After these few months, she had become sharp-tongued, no longer like before when, teased by Chen Yansen, she only knew to grab a brick.

The brick in her hand was put down, but a brick had been added to her heart.

"Not convinced?"

Chen Yansen picked up a piece of beef and popped it into his mouth, retorting coolly.

"Do you know how much my salary was last month?" Song Yuncheng shook her head, changing the subject.

"83,000 yuan. Two thousand less than Zhang Yifeng, ten thousand more than third-place Li Hui. Top-tier level in the investment team."

With Chen Yansen's memory now, he could lock in the data from a single glance at a report.

Song Yuncheng was stunned for a moment, feeling that Chen Yansen cared about her especially. Warmth welled up inside. Thinking of his team-building invitation, her head grew hot, and she gritted her teeth and agreed.

Perhaps deep down, she just wanted to get closer to Chen Yansen.

When she asked about salary, the unspoken meaning was that she could do just fine without relying on Chen Yansen.

She was willing to agree—not for money, not to curry favor with Chen Yansen—simply because she liked him.

This time it was Chen Yansen's turn to be surprised. He had only mentioned it in passing, casually setting the hook, and hadn't expected Song Yuncheng to actually agree.

"I have an extra key to my room. It's yours."

Chen Yansen fished around in his pocket and placed the key in front of Song Yuncheng.

"She has one too?" Song Yuncheng rested her hand on the key, gently stroking it, and asked softly.

"No, there are only two keys to this room. The other one is in my pocket." Chen Yansen told a barefaced lie without blushing or skipping a beat.

"Is that so?" Song Yuncheng didn't believe him inside, hesitated for a moment, but still accepted the key.

The two exchanged a smile, chatting about work as they ate.

Song Yuncheng's plate had shredded pork, a fried egg, and a serving of stir-fried chicken. In her eating habits, she had clearly shaken off her old bad habits.

After all, humans are creatures born to enjoy themselves—who would willingly suffer all the time.

Since that time in Yanjing when Chen Yansen 'forced' her to spend forty or fifty thousand yuan, the frugal defense line in Song Yuncheng's heart seemed to have been broken; she no longer pinched every penny.

She understood that Chen Yansen was right. Paying for her brother's treatment and hiring someone to look after him, a few hundred yuan on meals hardly mattered.

Only by eating well and staying healthy could she earn more money.

In a daze, Chen Yansen felt as if he were having a meal with Ye Qiuping.

No!

Song Yuncheng was more like a beginner version of Ye Qiuping—her feelings for him were purer, unlike Ye Qiuping, who wanted to squeeze him dry both physically and in terms of ability.

The two had always been in a kind of game of wits.

Chen Yansen wasn't worried that Song Yuncheng would grow wings and leave him someday. Eighteen-year-old girls come in waves; they're hardly a scarce commodity.

After the meal, Song Yuncheng walked toward the dormitory. With every step, her cheeks grew rosier, her mind filled with the experience from last time in Yanjing.

Chen Yansen drove the car to the faculty apartment building, went upstairs to grab two changes of clothes, then drove to the school gate to wait for Song Yuncheng.

……

……

Far away in Hangcheng, at Mama Ali's headquarters, Ma Liyun, Zhang Yong, Cai Xin, and a few others sat around a tea table, chatting over tea.

Since Zhifubao's launch, it had lost money year after year. Every time Ma Liyun reported the financials to Yahoo's Jerry Yang, when Zhifubao came up, the other man would either shake his head outright or get up and leave.

As a major shareholder of Mama Ali, Jerry Yang had little interest in Zhifubao.

But Ma Liyun thought differently. Having lived in the country for many years, he knew well how important a high-market-share payment license was to an e-commerce company.

Since Yahoo wasn't optimistic, they might as well transfer Zhifubao's ownership to their own company's name.

Only the operation was fraught with difficulties—at minimum, they needed Yahoo's and SoftBank's consent.

"Think about it—is there any reasonable and legal way?"

Ma Liyun looked at Zhang Yong and Cai Xin, asking with a troubled expression.

Cai Xin, also one of Mama Ali's co-founders, served as CFO. When it came to handling equity changes, he had the most experience.

He was just about to speak when Zhang Yong beat him to it: "Chen Yansen from Fox Tao recently got a payment license, and before it was even warm, he transferred it to Senlian Capital, his sole proprietorship."

Fox Tao? Chen Yansen?

Ma Liyun paused briefly, quickly recalling the man. Since Zhang Yong had brought him up, there had to be a deeper meaning.

"Last June, the authorities issued the qualification guidelines for payment licenses held by non-financial institutions. The foreign-shareholding ratio in Zhifubao happens to brush right up against that red line. I think this is an opportunity."

Zhang Yong pushed his glasses up and said with a confident smile.

"You mean, use the regulation as a pretext to transfer Zhifubao's ownership out first. Even if Yahoo and SoftBank come after us later, we can use this reason to push back?"

Cai Xin thought it over briefly and immediately grasped Zhang Yong's meaning.

"Chen Yansen did it this way too?" Ma Liyun was a little surprised. He hadn't expected that the problem troubling him for days, Chen Yansen had not only long since figured out a solution but had actually pulled it off.

Zhang Yong's meaning was: have him copy Chen Yansen's homework directly!

"Exactly!" Zhang Yong laughed helplessly.

Since last year's Double Eleven, both Yitao and Juhuasuan had been learning Fox Tao's brand group-buy tactics, so Zhang Yong couldn't help paying a bit more attention to Chen Yansen, who wasn't even twenty yet.

Upon learning of Chen Yansen's moves after applying for the payment license, he immediately realized their chance had come.

"Then we have to move fast, can't give Yang Zhiyuan time to react." Ma Liyun didn't feel this violated business ethics — since it was reasonable and legal, it could be done.

When Yang Zhiyuan came looking later, they'd talk it out slowly; there was always a way to settle it.

As a successful businessman, although Mama Ali's current performance already had the strength to ring the Nasdaq bell, his own equity stake was too small. Ma Liyun had been dragging things out, wanting to build up strength to buy back that 40% stake Yahoo held.

He didn't want Mama Ali's post-IPO gains to all be swallowed by Yang Zhiyuan.

"I'll handle it." Cai Xin said lightly.

The plan was already set; he only needed to execute it.

"At this year's Double Eleven kickoff, I'd like to meet this young man." Ma Liyun's heart stirred with appreciation for talent, intending to bring Fox Tao and Chen Yansen under his wing.

As for Fox Tao's two-billion-plus valuation, Ma Liyun didn't take it to heart at all.

Yitao was half-dead anyway — if not for Mama Ali Alliance traffic and the little two's heavy pushing, it probably wouldn't even match Meilishuo.

Taking in Fox Tao would let Mama Ali fill the gap in third-party traffic entry and boost the group's revenue capacity.

"Alright, I'll arrange it later." Zhang Yong replied with a smile.

No one could have imagined that a matter involving hundreds of billions in equity changes was decided right here in this room — and the inspiration for the execution plan actually came from a college freshman.

Meanwhile.

Chen Yansen drove Song Yuncheng at full speed, arriving at the hot spring hotel in Stone Capital by 3:30 in the afternoon.

Chen Yansen had brought Meng Jie here before; coming again this time, he was even more familiar with the place.

After checking in, Chen Yansen took Song Yuncheng's hand and gently pushed her into the room.

Outside the three-meter-tall glass curtain wall grew a row of lush purple bamboo; behind the purple bamboo was a wall, and beyond the wall the mountainside continued.

Privacy was excellent!

"Take a bath first; there's a concert and a barbecue tonight."

Chen Yansen let go of the suitcase, grabbed the hem of his shirt and flipped it up, revealing his sturdy upper body.

His muscle lines were distinct, yet not as exaggerated as a bodybuilder's — a lean, swimmer's build, looking even more stylish.

Song Yuncheng stood in place; the two hadn't been this close in a month, and suddenly sharing a room made her a bit uneasy.

"What are you standing there dumbly for?"

Chen Yansen didn't stand on ceremony at all — saying that, he started to take off his pants.

Song Yuncheng instinctively covered her eyes.

Seeing this, Chen Yansen stopped, walked over barefoot, and pulled Song Yuncheng into his arms: "Looks like we've grown distant — last time you'd seen everything already."

Before Song Yuncheng could speak, Chen Yansen lowered his head and kissed her.

The girl's lips were pink and pouty, like the QQ candy eaten in the early morning — soft and pillowy.

As a seasoned locksmith, Chen Yansen was good at undoing clothes.

Water kept flowing into the hot spring pool, sending up a splashing sound.

By the time Song Yuncheng came back to her senses, the two had already moved from the doorway into the pool.

For a moment, water splashed everywhere.

Only when the sky outside the window gradually darkened and thick night spread across the heavens did the two finally rinse off, change into clean clothes, and head toward the hotel's lawn.

Overhead, a crescent moon hung high, casting a cool, clear moonlight.

Chen Yansen was enjoying his vacation, while Ma Liyun was busy plotting the transfer of Zhifubao's ownership.

At the same time.

A group-buy website in Rongcheng actually launched a 10-yuan group-buy for a TA-4K Skyhawk fighter jet — even though it was a broken plane retired for ten years and designed over fifty years ago.

But combining the keywords "10 yuan," "group-buy," and "fighter jet" still drew the attention of tens of thousands of netizens, with participants numbering in the thousands.

Inspired, other websites one after another launched group-buy businesses for houses, appliances, cars, and more, pushing clickbait traffic to the extreme.

Late at night, in a hot spring hotel on the mountainside of Stone Capital.

Chen Yansen lay in the pool, scrolling through phone news with one hand while the other rested on Song Yuncheng's shoulder, tapping rhythmically — like a massage, or like a child playing around just for fun.

Song Yuncheng lay beside him, the warm current wrapping around her body; the weariness in her heart seemed to gradually dissipate over these two days.

She looked at Chen Yansen's sharply defined profile — sword brows and starry eyes — a careless smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.

Chen Yansen was indeed outstanding, yet he couldn't be entirely hers.

Song Yuncheng sighed softly, lay in Chen Yansen's arms, her gaze falling on the crystal chandelier overhead; her mind went blank, with not a single other thought.

"Chen Yansen, it would be nice if you weren't such a playboy."

Song Yuncheng sighed inwardly, feeling she was falling deeper and deeper, afraid that one day Meng Jie would catch on, or that Chen Yansen would fall for another girl.

"What are you thinking about?"

Seeing her dazed look, Chen Yansen asked with a light laugh.

"If one day you go bankrupt and I'm richer than you, would you be willing to follow me?"

Song Yuncheng rephrased last time's dream, tentatively asking.

"Want to keep me?"

Chen Yansen was stunned — Song Yuncheng was the first girl to ever propose "supporting him."

With his looks, build, and ability, it was indeed easy to make older and younger ladies' hearts flutter. Chen Yansen gave an awkward laugh — he didn't want to live off a woman, even though soft rice was fragrant and sweet.

"Is that not okay?" Song Yuncheng sat up straight, lay on his chest, and retorted matter-of-factly.

"Sure, but by then I might still have a few girlfriends — can you support them all together?"

Chen Yansen grinned wickedly, his hands reaching downward.

"We're broke, and you're still thinking about fooling around?" Song Yuncheng pouted, her brows knit, her eyes reddening, her heart aching terribly.

"Just kidding, you took it seriously? The fortune teller said I'm allergic to being poor this life—I can only be rich."

Chen Yansen gave her lips a light peck, smiling confidently as he spoke.

"Chen Yansen, I really wish time could stop at these two days." Thinking about returning to school tomorrow, the tears welling in Song Yuncheng's eyes could no longer be held back—*plop*—they fell into the hot spring.

Chen Yansen smiled, picked up Song Yuncheng, and walked toward the big bed on the first floor.

Meanwhile.

Meng Jie had just gotten out of a car, carrying packaged beef soup and tofu-skin-wrapped youtiao, took a taxi back to Xucheng Academy, and hurried up to the fourth floor of the faculty apartment.

She took out her key and opened the door, only to find no one inside—Chen Yansen wasn't there.

She had wanted to give Chen Yansen a surprise, but ended up finding nothing.

Meng Jie had no choice but to pull out her phone and call Chen Yansen.

"Hello, I'm back. Why aren't you home?" Meng Jie sat on the sofa, her calves swinging unconsciously, her tone tinged with disappointment.

Chen Yansen looked at Song Yuncheng beneath him, let out a long breath, and said honestly: "Got tired of staying at school, came to Shidu to soak in a hot spring. Want to come?"

"Forget it, it's too late. I brought you something good to eat—come back early tomorrow." Meng Jie didn't get suspicious, giggling as she spoke.

Song Yuncheng listened to the two of them talking, a pang of sourness in her heart. She wrapped her arms around Chen Yansen's waist and bit down hard on his shoulder.

Chen Yansen's 6.47 physique had skin and flesh density unlike ordinary people's—Song Yuncheng's bite felt like biting into cowhide, hard and tough.

After biting for a long time, she only left a shallow tooth mark.

Seeing she wouldn't behave, Chen Yansen immediately seized Song Yuncheng's weak spot and gently rubbed it.

"Alright, see you tomorrow then." After Chen Yansen finished speaking and hung up the phone, he picked up the blushing Song Yuncheng and dove headfirst into the blankets.

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Chen Yansen woke up, full of vigor and energy—seems like getting stronger came with both advantages and drawbacks.

Sleeping in had become a difficult task; now he would wake naturally after just four or five hours of sleep.

He glanced down at Song Yuncheng, who was lying beside him, sleeping soundly.

Chen Yansen got up, walked to the desk and sat down, casually picked up a copy of *ARM Architecture and Programming*, and flipped through it rapidly—one page per second.

His brain was like a scanner; the text and image information his gaze swept over was all absorbed, rearranged and recombined in his mind, slowly forming a knowledge system and framework.

By the time Song Yuncheng woke up, Chen Yansen had already finished reading ten or so books—some borrowed from the library, some he had bought on JD.

After reading them, he would toss the books he'd bought onto the second floor of the startup park as shared reading material for the project team—a form of recycling.

"Why have you been working so hard lately? Trying to get into grad school?" Song Yuncheng, wearing a short T-shirt, her two fair and slender long legs bare, walked up behind Chen Yansen and asked curiously.

"Just killing time. What grad school would I take? If I weren't afraid of Old Chen nagging, I wouldn't even want to go to college."

Chen Yansen smiled and shook his head, flatly denying it.

"If you hadn't come to college, how would the two of us have met?" Song Yuncheng placed her hands on his shoulders, earnestly kneading his shoulder sockets.

Chen Yansen thought to himself: Then I'd definitely have met Zhang Yuncheng, Li Yuncheng, or Wang Yuncheng somewhere else.

But he didn't say it out loud. Song Yuncheng looked strong on the surface, but actually had a low threshold for tears—teasing her into crying would mean having to comfort her, and he didn't want to make trouble for himself.

"You've never told me about your family. Who is Old Chen?" Song Yuncheng knew Chen Yansen and Meng Jie were high school classmates, so Meng Jie must know Chen Yansen better—but she herself knew nothing about any of this.

Chen Yansen didn't avoid talking about his family situation, and briefly told her about Chen Guobin and his bookstore, and how Old Chen used to kick him as a child.

Song Yuncheng giggled at the story, and upon learning Chen Yansen had lost his mother at birth, she hugged him with a heartbroken expression.

Chen Yansen turned around, lifted Song Yuncheng onto his lap, and said pitifully: "I've never had even a single sip since I was little—can you grant my wish?"

Song Yuncheng froze for a moment, didn't catch on, followed Chen Yansen's gaze to look, and immediately blushed, her body going limp as she cooed: "Chen Yansen, you really are something."

Somehow, she recalled that dream from last time—in the dream, Chen Yansen was down on his luck, she was supporting him, and he lay in her arms calling for mommy.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew intimate.

When the two left the hotel, it was already 1:30 in the afternoon.

"You drive, I'll read for a bit."

Chen Yansen tossed the car keys to Song Yuncheng, completely unceremonious.

"I've only had my driver's license for a month. Aren't you afraid I'll drive the car into a ditch?"

Song Yuncheng took the keys, joking as she spoke.

"Then I'll dock your commission next month." Chen Yansen smiled as he sat in the passenger seat, saying it casually.

Song Yuncheng glared at him, so angry she wanted to curse. At that moment, she kind of wanted to quit—this bastard was always threatening her.

But in the end, she obediently got in the car and drove toward Xucheng Academy.

On the way, Chen Yansen received a call from Zhou Hongyi, inviting him to attend the Internet Open Conference at the end of the month.

Isn't it just the company going public and wanting to show off.

Chen Yansen felt disdain in his heart, but upon learning that bosses or executives from JD, Lenovo, Sina, and Shanda, as well as partners from several investment firms, would be attending, he agreed readily anyway.

Going to get familiar faces and grab some resources on the side sounded pretty good.

A lot of financing collaborations were brokered at occasions like this.

Although their first meeting in Yanjing last time hadn't been pleasant, for businessmen, if there was no direct competition, they were potential friends.

An hour later, Song Yuncheng parked the car at the gate of Xuyuan, took her backpack, got out, and returned the keys to Chen Yansen.

"Come to 0418 tonight, I have a design task for you."

Chen Yansen said earnestly.

"You think I'd believe that? At school, you're my boss, my master."

Song Yuncheng waved her hand, laughing as she said goodbye—she could read Chen Yansen's little thoughts well enough.

Even if she had the key to room 0418, she wouldn't go.

"I'm serious." Chen Yansen emphasized.

Song Yuncheng turned her head, her face full of disbelief: "Do you believe that yourself?"

"If you don't come, I'm docking your pay." Chen Yansen raised the car window and drove toward the faculty apartment.

He did have design needs that weren't appropriate to hand off to the designers at Fox Taobao; based on Wang Teng's current R&D progress, the test version of the Aurora System should be completed by early June.

But the phone's brand logo—even a name—still didn't exist yet; it was time to put that on the agenda.

(End of chapter)