Chapter 2344

Looking at Lang Hongjun's face full of shame, Ye Chen's impression of him changed somewhat.

Originally I thought he was just a selfish person who only cared about wealth and honor, but now looking at him, he still has some conscience in his heart.

And Lang Hongjun himself, over these years, has never said these heartfelt words to anyone.

He also does not truly believe that he and Ye Chen have such a deep connection that would allow him to speak his innermost hidden thoughts.

He has simply kept these words bottled up inside for too long, unable to vent, only because he hasn't found a suitable confidant.

So Ye Chen comforted him: "The motherland has always been tolerant toward its children; over these years, so many people like you have returned, and the motherland has always kept her arms open. To the motherland, continuously sending talents abroad for further study is not about expecting every single person to return after completing their studies to serve the motherland, but rather as long as among those sent out, some are willing to return, then this endeavor is worthwhile. As for those lost in between, that is merely normal attrition."

Pausing, Ye Chen added: "It's like using a foam box to transport a block of ice—no matter how tightly you wrap the ice, some of it will inevitably melt during transit, but that doesn't matter. To the person transporting the ice, as long as there is still ice left upon reaching the destination, these efforts have practical significance."

Lang Hongjun blinked slightly, then nodded lightly, murmuring: "Actually, back then we were attracted by the West's colorful world, always feeling the stage here was bigger, where we could better display ourselves. In fact, we never truly forgot the motherland; we just all held a certain determination in our hearts—if we succeeded, we would return to repay the motherland a hundredfold, a thousandfold, ten thousandfold. But some people like me, although we were once proud and ambitious, gradually became just another face in the crowd..."

Saying this, Lang Hongjun's eyes welled with tears: "I truly want to serve the motherland! But damn it, I can't even support my own mother now—she's over seventy and still has to work at a Chinese restaurant to earn money and supplement the household. I've studied for so many years, learned so many skills, written so much code, and in the end I have to rely on being a seaman to support my family. How can I have the face to return home?"

Ye Chen asked him: "Do you understand what a seaman's work entails?"

Lang Hongjun shook his head: "I only know the general workflow, but not the specific methods. Roughly speaking, it's just doing odd jobs on the ship. After all, I'm new here, so learning is the priority. This job probably mainly requires endurance—being unable to go home for a year or so."

Ye Chen asked again: "Then do you think you're suited to be a seaman?"

Lang Hongjun shook his head once more: "To be honest, I work in communications technology. If you ask me how cargo ships position themselves, how to avoid obstacles, or how to communicate via satellite with land, I can explain a bit. But if you let me be a seaman, I'm completely at a loss—I don't even know the basic structure of a ship, and I don't know whether I'll get seasick once I'm on board."

Saying this, Lang Hongjun sighed: "But there's no other way—for the sake of livelihood."

Ye Chen and Lang Hongjun talked for a long time, and Ye Chen learned more about Lang Hongjun's past.

Lang Hongjun used to be a prodigy teenager.

When others were just getting their high school textbooks, he had already entered a key university.

While others were preparing for the college entrance exam, he had already gone abroad as a government-sponsored exchange student.

At that time, those young people like them, before coming to the United States, carried hearts unwilling to be ordinary.

Then, coinciding with the rapid development of Silicon Valley and the golden age when the internet changed the world, Lang Hongjun saw that Zhang Chaoyang, who was also studying in the U. S., returned to China and founded Sohu, and he also saw Li Yanhong, who was similarly studying in the U. S., return to China and would go on to found Baidu.

He also saw many senior students who stayed in the U. S. to develop, during the explosive growth of the internet, become rich overnight—some became CEOs of listed companies with net worth over hundreds of millions of U. S. dollars, while others, as partners in companies, rang the bell at NASDAQ, their net worth jumping to several million U. S. dollars overnight.

He also saw many senior students who studied finance, after graduation entering Wall Street investment banks, immediately earning salaries of hundreds of thousands or even millions upon graduation. Even more impressive, each of them held tens of millions or even over hundreds of millions in venture capital funds—sometimes a single meal could decide on investment projects worth several million U. S. dollars or more, enjoying unparalleled glory.

He also saw many outstanding senior students who, taking American venture capital, returned to China to invest in a large number of star enterprises that later became extremely famous domestically. Not only did they help those enterprises become world-class, but they also helped their investment banks earn huge profits, while they themselves all gained both fame and fortune—some were even hailed as the top investors, publishing books and establishing their legacies, gaining fame across myriad generations.

These sights and sounds deeply stimulated Lang Hongjun.

He did not want to simply follow the ordinary path of finishing his studies in the U. S. and then returning to work as a state-owned enterprise employee or civil servant. He also wanted to be like those people—become a person above others, and then, with that status, return triumphantly to China to found a great enterprise, or invest in a group of great enterprises.

But in any industry, the channel for top talent is extremely narrow.

Over these years, out of millions of elite-level overseas students, truly becoming a person above others numbers not even in the hundreds.

Because in any era, a top talent must possess favorable timing, location, and harmony—it is absolutely not the case that mere effort guarantees one can reach the peak.

Lang Hongjun is such a case.

He clung to his dream and stayed in the U. S., but reality kept swinging a big club at him.

In the first few years of studying abroad, he still held onto ideals, but not long after, he began scrambling for a livelihood, gradually becoming ordinary.

As Lang Hongjun talked more with Ye Chen and poured out his heart more and more, his whole person, without knowing when it started, became tear-streaked.

Seeing the plane was about to land, Ye Chen handed him a tissue and said: "Old brother, Mexico isn't right for you—once the plane lands, just buy a ticket and go back."

Lang Hongjun shook his head: "Go back to do what? My wife and children are still waiting for me to support them, the family car has already been sold, and if this continues, I'll have to sell the house."

Saying this, he spoke with a determined expression: "Earning several tens of thousands of U. S. dollars a year as a seaman would solve the family's financial problems, so I must grit my teeth and persevere."

Seeing his resolute expression, Ye Chen suddenly felt that his previous plan might need some adjustments.

He had originally planned to have the people of Wanlong Hall seize Lang Hongjun in advance, find a place to lock him up, wait until he had investigated everything thoroughly and eradicated Mei Yuzhen and those behind her root and branch, then release Lang Hongjun.

By then, whatever he wanted to do or wherever he wanted to go would have nothing to do with me.

After all, I might have saved his life—this already counts as his fortune.

But now Ye Chen suddenly realized that, for this middle-aged man who is nearly desperate about life and struggling in adversity, doing so would merely cut off that tiny spark of hope he has just ignited for life.

After he returns to the U. S. following a false alarm, his elderly mother will still have to work in the restaurant, his wife and children will still have no livelihood, and even the roof over their heads that shields them from wind and rain might be reclaimed by the bank.

So rather than doing that, it would be better to bring Lang Hongjun along.

No matter what awaits him ahead, let him experience it firsthand.

Perhaps, after all this dust settles, this experience will enable this confused and pitiable middle-aged man to find his way again.