Chapter 38#

Walking out of the hotel gate, Xiao Junyi’s motorcycle was parked by the roadside. Unlike the Suzuki King and Honda King that were popular in Shanghai, this kid’s ride was a Honda cruiser CBX125, which had a full American style. From the perspective of later generations, this thing was obviously more in line with Chen Yuanming’s aesthetics. It’s just that riding a motorcycle without a helmet was the mainstream in this era, which inevitably seemed a bit like courting death.

Watching Xiao Junyi straddle the motorcycle and take out his only standard riding equipment - a pair of aviator sunglasses and put them on, Chen Yuanming shook his head slightly helplessly and sat behind him on the bike.

“Where are we going?” Grasping the narrow waist of the person in front of him, Chen Yuanming asked somewhat casually.

Chen Yuanming was also convinced by the places this young master could take him. From dance halls to clubs, from high-end entertainment to video games, various factions of restaurants were even more commonplace. Logically speaking, this kind of slightly tentative behavior would be annoying, but he managed to make every invitation appropriate. Even the people accompanying them were not the initial dandies, but more mature figures who could chat about certain aspects.

If treated as a channel for expanding interpersonal relationships, it should be of great benefit to Chen Yuanming. But the level Xiao Junyi could reach was, after all, too shallow. These future talents who were neither high nor low currently did not have mature business concepts. Without deep friendship, conversations could only be general. Without many predictable cooperation goals, social interaction could only be reduced to rushing from one place to another. Amidst the confusion about the future, such rushing would undoubtedly cause a trace of irritability. But apart from continuing to keep the appointments, did he have a better choice?

“You’ll know when we get there.” After the person behind him sat firmly, Xiao Junyi stepped on the accelerator, and the motorcycle roared forward.

It had been almost a week. The more they got along, the bigger the mystery on the kid behind him seemed to be. Before, he just thought this kid was a bit too arrogant, but after contacting him for a long time, he found that he was indeed as slick as his uncle said. He spoke human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts. After rounds of drinking, the friends introduced all commented on him as “sensible”. But he seemed to maintain a barrier with everyone, without any intention of truly getting close. Under Chen Yuanming’s plain appearance and his decent and appropriate attitude, hidden were vigilance and indifference. This person actually had no special hobbies. Smoking, drinking, singing and dancing entertainment, and even the female sex that was hardest to refuse at this age had no effect on him. He was like a piece of hard ice, or a machine without emotion. Except for work and study, nothing could truly touch his heart.

Thinking about the high spirits and genius-like reactions of this kid when discussing business with his uncle, and then looking at his helplessness and a trace of irritability towards his invitations these days, Xiao Junyi really felt a bit like a dog biting a hedgehog, unable to find a place to start. Should this be the normal reaction of a 16-year-old kid? Anyway, he had never seen such a child. Since this road was blocked, try another one.

The motorcycle sped along the road, bypassing street after street, and finally drove onto Zhongshan South Road. Sitting behind Xiao Junyi, Chen Yuanming slowly opened his eyes wide. In front of him, a huge bridge hovered above the ground like a crouching dragon. The long and elegant bridge body stretched out, crossing the turbulent Huangpu River surface…

Nanpu Bridge.

It was only opened to traffic at the end of 1991, and now it was still as new as the first bridge in Shanghai. Although he had driven over this bridge countless times in later generations, seeing such a bridge by the Huangpu River now, the shock still existed. It was only 4 pm at this time, and the sky had not yet dimmed. The bridge, which should have been brightly lit, lay silently on the river surface like a sleeping dragon.

The motorcycle drove very fast and soon drove onto the bridge deck. Looking down from the bridge, the two banks were a mess. There were no Oriental Pearl Tower or Jin Mao Tower within sight, nor the China Pavilion of the World Expo that he had only seen once before his death in his previous life. Only low buildings were lined up, forming a sharp contrast with this magnificent bridge.

Chen Yuanming involuntarily clenched his fingers. This was not something he could have thought of. Was this going to… Pudong?

He guessed right. The bridge deck of nearly a thousand meters passed in a flash, and soon the motorcycle drove onto the ground of Pudong. Just separated by a river, it seemed to have entered a completely different world. It was 1993 now, and the horn for building Pudong had just been blown. This place was almost a noisy construction site. Various construction vehicles shuttled across the land of Pudong like worker bees, and the world-famous Shanghai speed was being staged here.

A small change in one year, a big change in three years. The construction tide was like an invisible big hand painting the city. In Chen Yuanming’s eyes, there was almost no commonality between here and the Shanghai he knew in later generations. But when the motorcycle drove on the road surface in Pudong that could not be called flat, a long-lost familiarity churned in his heart. Not far ahead, the prototype of a building stood straight in the construction site by the Huangpu River. Mechanical crane arms hovered in the air, and several columns supported a huge sphere. Without grouting or decoration, the steel skeleton was like a strange beast, showing its magnificence to the world…

The motorcycle stopped not far from the construction site. Chen Yuanming reacted after a moment and got off the car.

“How is it?” Standing beside Chen Yuanming, Xiao Junyi asked with a smile, with a tone of self-satisfaction. “The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, construction started only two years ago. I talked to my buddy, and we can go up the tower for a tour.”

Since he didn’t love leisure or entertainment, let’s look at something serious. This Oriental Pearl was the future landmark of Pudong and might also become one of the landmarks of the entire new Shanghai. With such a wonder, how many people wouldn’t be curious?

Chen Yuanming didn’t make a sound. In fact, his mind had long flown away from the spectacular construction site in front of him. What appeared in his mind was a more splendid scene. The Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower shone together. The entire Shanghai was like a city made of stars. Countless lights formed a colorful galaxy, covering everything within sight. Sitting in the revolving restaurant of the upper sphere, the person who brought him there whispered in his ear. Shock and sweetness intertwined, awe and humility coexisted. He was like a child who got the treasure in his heart for the first time, confused by all this…

An arm rested on his shoulder. Chen Yuanming was startled and broke free from that illusion. The young man beside him seemed to have guessed that he would lose his composure and was looking over with a teasing face.

“Surprised, right? It’s even more shocking up there. Follow me.”

Without further explanation, Xiao Junyi dragged the teenager towards the construction site under construction. A small foreman came out to meet them. After a few words of greeting, he handed out two safety helmets. Xiao Junyi threw one of them to Chen Yuanming, and without minding the dirt, simply put the other one on his head.

Chen Yuanming hesitated with the helmet, but finally put it on, following closely behind the young man onto the elevator. Similar to the 360-degree fully transparent sightseeing elevator of later generations, the view of this elevator covered the surroundings. It was completely exposed in mid-air, only lacking the necessary protective measures. The cold wind of February blew on his face, making his whole body cold.

But the group didn’t care about this temperature. The elevator didn’t move fast. In this slow and bumpy movement, the entire Shanghai slowly appeared in front of them. Old, trendy, representing the past, foreshadowing the future… These complex and changeable elements blended together to form a unique style that made people stare. Chen Yuanming looked very carefully, seeming to want to find some more familiar existence from here, but he couldn’t find it. The changes in Pudong were too great, and everything he was familiar with had not yet appeared.

After an unknown amount of time, the elevator made a creaking sound and stopped. They stepped onto a temporary platform. At this time, the first large sphere had been basically completed, but the construction of the second sphere had not yet begun. Standing at this height, there was nothing to rely on above or below. Overhead was the evening glow approaching dusk, and underfoot was an abyss of ten thousand feet. The strong cold wind whistled past, seeming to want to roll people up and throw them down, annihilating them between heaven and earth.

“10 billion, and it’s just the beginning. How many places in this country still need construction, and how much money needs to be invested in it?”

Chen Yuanming didn’t answer, but he did know. The second Pudong development continued to invest more than 60 billion, and the third time hundreds of billions. Just one Shanghai accommodated such huge funds, so what about this country? Looking at the blank picture scroll in front of him, Chen Yuanming smiled, “Why, are you interested in real estate?”

Xiao Junyi shook his head, “At least not for now. Shanghai attracts mainly foreign capital. The construction of villas in Beijing has begun to be halted. As for Hainan…” He paused slightly, “That’s not called development, not called construction, it’s purely waste and fraud. The state won’t let it go on.”

Chen Yuanming looked at the young man opposite with slight surprise. He also saw that the situation in Hainan was not good? If he came to this conclusion only by speculation, then his observation and decisiveness were excellent.

“If you don’t want to do real estate, what do you want to do?”

It seemed like asking the other party, and also like asking himself. Chen Yuanming looked at the world in front of him and asked the question. What he wanted most in his previous life was just to have money, not to bow and scrape anymore, not to work from dawn to dusk anymore, to let his family live a good life, to be upright and respected. If possible, find a wholehearted lover and not care about the eyes of the world… A life goal that was not complicated but reassuring.

However, in this life, he was already very rich. As long as he found the right way, he would inevitably be richer, worry-free about food and clothing for a lifetime. Not only his family, but even all relatives and friends around him could be taken care of one by one. His harvest had exceeded everything of the vast majority of people in this era. But sitting on this pile of money, he was a little lost. He knew many, many things that could make money quickly, simple, profitable, and without danger. But these were not what he really wanted. There seemed to be a hole in the bottom of his heart, roaring something, making him panic all day long, and his heart was full of anxiety.

If the goal of the previous life had been completed, what should he live for in this life?

“What to do? Of course, family first, then the world.” Xiao Junyi answered extremely simply, “Do some truly big things, just like the old man’s family motto, down-to-earth, beneficial to the country and the people.”

The voice was straightforward and loud, resounding in this roaring cold wind.

Very simple, yet very complex. In the mouth of a young man, it was courage and fearlessness, but in the mouth of that generation of founding fathers, it weighed more than a thousand catties. Chen Yuanming was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and reached out to hold the steel bracket beside him. That hand was no longer tender. The skin color once burned black by the scorching sun was slowly recovering its whiteness after long-term indoor maintenance. The thick calluses on his palms would fall off bit by bit, and the depression in his heart would be smoothed out inch by inch. Time would always take away everything without leaving any trace, but was this enough?

Now this body was still very young, only 16 years old, truly young. Even if he still couldn’t live past 32 in this life, he still had 16 years of life to embrace and enjoy. With such a brand-new life, why always indulge in the past? He could do something more meaningful, couldn’t he?

Looking at the teenager who suddenly smiled, Xiao Junyi was slightly stunned. He had never seen such an expression on this child. That tightly wrapped hard shell seemed to suddenly crack a fine slit, revealing a more real and amiable human being. A living person.

Was there any problem with what he said just now? After thinking carefully for a long time, Xiao Junyi couldn’t get the answer, but the tense atmosphere between the two really relaxed. Xiao Junyi just pondered slightly and also laughed. Whatever, he tried every means for so many days and failed, but now he did it! This child… No, maybe he shouldn’t be treated as a child anymore. This Chen Yuanming was one of the most special people he had ever seen. For such a character, he sincerely wanted to make friends, not for the family, nor for his uncle.

Although they were not talking, their eyes looked at the earth beneath their feet together. Those vehicles and mechanical crane arms were still working tirelessly, rushing about to create a new miracle. The cold wind and the warmth in their hearts intertwined. The two stood on the high platform for a long time, and were finally asked to leave by the construction personnel.

When straddling the motorcycle, Xiao Junyi sneezed solidly. Compared with Chen Yuanming’s winter clothes, his leather outfit was really too intolerant of the cold.

Chen Yuanming smiled slightly, “Let’s find a place to eat.”

Rubbing his nose, Xiao Junyi also laughed, “There is a restaurant on the Bund, Cantonese cuisine, with karaoke equipment inside. The conditions are good, how about there?”

“You are the host, naturally you have the final say.” Chen Yuanming didn’t mind and straddled the motorcycle.

“Recently, the Legend of White Snake broadcast on TV is very popular. A new batch of laser discs has been released. Just find a chance to watch it. But speaking of which, this laser disc is probably coming to an end. I heard from my aunt that a relative of hers is developing a replacement product…”

Chen Yuanming’s movement suddenly stagnated, “What did you say?”

“The Legend of White Snake, that New Legend of Madame White Snake, starring Angie Chiu…”

“No, no, your aunt’s relative!” Extremely rare, Chen Yuanming’s voice carried a sense of urgency. “That thing that can replace laser discs, what is it!”

Xiao Junyi turned his head in surprise and glanced at the teenager sitting behind him. What’s wrong? But the seriousness in the other party’s eyes made him involuntarily serious. After thinking for a long time, he finally remembered the name, “It should be called Video Compact Disc, video disc? It is said to be about the same size as a CD, but has image effects…”

Sure enough, it’s VCD! Chen Yuanming’s heart warmed. Yes, at this point in time, why didn’t he think of it!

Xiao Junyi naturally discovered the other party’s strong interest and raised his eyebrows, “Want to find a place to talk in detail?”

“Of course!”

Xiao Junyi smiled slightly, didn’t talk nonsense, stepped on the accelerator, and drove towards Nanpu Bridge.