Chapter 78: Five Hundred Thousand in Startup Capital!

Shen Guodong got into the bald brother’s car.

They headed straight for the place where Zhou Meiniang was renting. Behind them followed over a dozen men, fierce and formidable. This clearly showed how much the bald brother valued Shen Guodong—though, of course, his main interest lay in the matter of the factory reform.

“Brother Shen, give me a hint, will you? What should we do next, and how much capital should we prepare?” The bald brother was intensely interested, mostly wanting information about this affair; everything else was secondary.

Shen Guodong replied with a smile, “With factory reform, many things will be outsourced. Previously, the authorities expressly forbade this, but since ‘78, restrictions have gradually eased. Internal reform, external opening. All the major state enterprises have long been moving forward. Our factory, being in a small city like Fengcheng, was late to receive resources, so if you, brother, can swallow it all now—then you’ll have the mountain at your back, never a worry about food or drink. Moreover, my upcoming negotiations with the Shencheng Steel Factory are paving your way for the future. Once you secure orders from such enterprises, there’ll be plenty more business. All our brothers can work peacefully, support their families, and won’t have to live the dangerous life anymore.”

These words struck right at the bald brother’s heart. He looked at Shen Guodong with palpable excitement and anticipation.

“Brother Shen, just how much money will it take? If it’s not enough, I’ll need to prepare in advance!” he asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.

Shen Guodong pondered and said, “Three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand. The more you invest, the greater the returns. That I can promise—I wouldn’t joke with my own livelihood. I know exactly what kind of man you are, brother. I haven’t had children yet; two beautiful women are waiting for me!”

Half joking, half serious, this statement convinced the bald brother nearly entirely. Shen Guodong truly meant what he said. After all, if anything went wrong, the bald brother would never let him off; Shen Guodong wasn’t about to gamble with his life.

“How much profit do you want?” the bald brother asked. He didn’t believe that Shen Guodong was simply helping him out for a little assistance.

The world is bustling, all for profit. People thrive in prosperity, all for gain.

We live for money. Without it, how can you support a family? How can you talk about the future? Without money, how do you maintain kinship, stabilize friendships, pursue love? Ideals? Don’t kid yourself—how much are those worth?

Seeing the rich, everyone feels envy; most have the same thought: “If only I were as wealthy as him.” Many dreams begin with “Once I have money!” But how long is “once I have money”? Shen Guodong didn’t want to simply envy others. He liked to say, “What use is envy? You must act and become richer than them.” He wasn’t interested in love stories—he just wanted to make money.

This applied just as well to Shen Guodong himself. To make money, you must be bold, dare to negotiate with the tigers.

If the bald brother invested five hundred thousand, how to spend it would be up to him. As long as there’s profit—and a chance to clean his slate—he wouldn’t pursue further. Shen Guodong wouldn’t just use the bald brother’s money for his own business; he’d also profit from it. Otherwise, why all the effort, the careful planning—just for charity? Don’t be ridiculous! There are no saints in this world.

To Shen Guodong, everything has two sides. At that moment, his face showed a radiant smile.

The bald brother fell silent.

Five hundred thousand…

That was terrifying! All his assets combined wouldn’t be enough. In an era when the average income was just tens of yuan, a “ten-thousand-yuan household” was a lofty status—comparing that, tens of thousands was almost equivalent to several million in later years. And making several million now was far harder than in the future.

He was shocked.

“Brother Shen, are you serious about this sum? It’s a bit much. I’ve worked for years, but my savings aren’t much,” the bald brother said.

Shen Guodong replied, “Brother, the capital must be that much. If you invest less, others may meddle, and the future profits aren’t guaranteed. So I think, either do it all or not at all. Once you decide, you must take it all. Your investment will pay off; contracts with state-owned enterprises aren’t like private ones—no sudden changes. Rest assured, if it were me, I’d pawn everything to get it done.”

He knew the bald brother likely had quite a bit of money. Five hundred thousand was nearly his entire fortune. But throwing it all in carried massive risk. Even if he tore Shen Guodong apart for failure, it wouldn’t help.

There were considerations to be weighed. Yet seeing Shen Guodong’s confident demeanor, the bald brother was unsure how to decide. He wouldn’t blink at tens of thousands, originally thinking at most it’d take a hundred thousand or so. But now—it was beyond his expectations, so his hesitation was only natural.

With so much careful planning, Shen Guodong surely had his own calculations. No one would do this without profit; certainly not him.

In truth, Shen Guodong didn’t know exactly how much would be needed—better to overstate; whatever’s left, it’s his. Self-interest rules the world! Moreover, if the plan succeeded, the bald brother could earn steadily for years; the capital would return in time. Business with state enterprises was generally long-term, and with his connections in Fengcheng, he could maintain it until the factory closed.

But Shen Guodong didn’t have enough capital himself. If he did, he’d try to seize it alone. Given the chance, who wouldn’t?

But not everyone has such capital or can seize such opportunities. Shen Guodong understood this thoroughly.

Before long, the car arrived at the doorway of Zhou Meiniang’s rented house.