Her amusement at Ye Tiancheng's appearance was evident. But she soon realized the magnitude of his ambitions, which required vast sums of money – sums beyond the capacity of a woman like Wang Xiaomiao. Therefore, she told Ye Tiancheng with utmost seriousness, "I am truly sorry."
"Understood," Ye Tiancheng replied. He didn't blame her for this reason, as no one could predict the future. This was a heavy matter that required careful consideration for the days to come. So, he told the young woman earnestly, "If you can't manage it, I'll find a way. Don't worry about it too much. At this moment, meeting a beautiful and lovely girl like you is more important than anything else." kuAiδugg
"What the heck, what kind of logic is that? Do I annoy you that much?"
Hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, Su Muxian was on the verge of exploding. It was undeniable that women like her were sought after. At times like these, such issues arose, indicating how amusing they appeared in others' eyes.
"That's not what I meant. I think Miss Su has misunderstood me. I meant that he finds you lovely, Sister Yu."
How could Ye Tiancheng not understand the subtle thoughts between men and women? Precisely because he understood them so well, he needed to address this matter seriously and sort it out properly.
If things continued like this, Ye Tiancheng would surely face difficulties. These women would undoubtedly make things difficult for him.
"Therefore, it's important to consider carefully and set an example. This is what a man should do, and what a man must do," Ye Tiancheng explained as he spoke. However, his explanations could not earn anyone's trust. If a man was too outrageous and made people unhappy, it would lead to trouble later on.
"I never imagined I was perceived this way by women," Ye Tiancheng thought, feeling utterly defeated. He couldn't comprehend what these women were thinking. If he truly understood them, he wouldn't be in this situation.
Everything was laid bare before him, all of it exerting a kind of oppressive force.
At this moment, she needed to remain calm and composed, as one always did. Only with such a mindset could great things be accomplished. Therefore, her thoughts were entirely different from Ye Tiancheng's.
Wang Xiaomiao and Su Muxian held very poor opinions of Ye Tiancheng. They felt that this man should handle his own affairs. How could he consider things? However, Ye Tiancheng was a very practical man. Naturally, if he had a backer, he would seek one out, as it was twice the result with half the effort. He was not like those chauvinistic men who always appeared aloof and unapproachable. Such people were described as suffering from pride, because Ye Tiancheng knew these men were truly unreliable. Therefore, he decided to change the image of men, starting with himself.
"Because you think I'm unreliable, you have those thoughts. Actually, you are completely mistaken."
"Good heavens, what kind of logic is this?" Everyone failed to understand his reasoning. This line of thinking was truly unreliable and made people feel annoyed.
"It's because many times you feel the world owes you a lot. But in reality, the world doesn't owe you much; rather, you owe the world a lot. We need to get rich and then use money to help more people in need. This is what is meant by 'When poor, cultivate oneself; when rich, assist the world.'"
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's lengthy and profound pronouncements, Wang Xiaomiao and Su Muxian both burst into laughter. These two women found Ye Tiancheng utterly hilarious. As ordinary people, it was enough to just mind their own business. What was this talk of assisting the world? That was merely pleasant-sounding rhetoric. Those who truly did such things did so for their own benefit, often to gain a good reputation and continue making money. Only with such a good reputation would they gain support. Throughout history, emperors and businessmen operated in the same way, engaging in deceptive propaganda.
Perhaps there were too many people with such ideas now, but there were also a few individuals who understood Confucianism and wished to promote it further.
This was the most extreme view held by these two women, which left Ye Tiancheng speechless. Continuing to talk was pointless; he could only hope to make these two women understand his intended meaning. After a stalemate of four or five minutes, Su Muxian was the first to speak, "This kind of problem can truly make one's head feel as big as a barrel. If things could be resolved so easily, then affairs in the world wouldn't be so complicated."
"Then what do you think needs to be done for you to be understood by Bill?" A strange expression suddenly appeared on that fellow's face, clearly indicating his extreme dissatisfaction with Ye Tiancheng.
"All of you, shut up!" Ye Tiancheng was furious. "I do as I please. How others see me, how they think, that's their business. What I want to do is my business."
"You truly are an unreasonable lunatic. You will be hated for acting this way. Throughout history, building bridges and mending roads leads to no bones, while killing and arson brings golden belts. The world doesn't need people like you. Don't look at columns or forums where those great figures speak eloquently. They only talk, but they never act. If they truly acted, then this world would be a beautiful paradise."
"'When the Way cannot be practiced, I will take a raft to the sea.'" Ye Tiancheng's requirement of himself was just that. Whether others believed him or not, he would act accordingly, because it was his belief. His demands of himself were that strict. Therefore, even if the world was sick, he would not change.
Thus, this man was truly stubborn, refusing to give up until he reached the Yellow River or saw the coffin. When the darkness of this world wore down his sharp edge, he would choose to live like a moderate, for only such people were suited to live in this world. The so-called moderate was someone who neither did good nor bad deeds, neither joined the crowd nor harbored solitary thoughts.
This was the doctrine of the mean.
What he needed to do was to be full of understanding and trust towards the world. Therefore, under these circumstances, he needed even more to understand others completely and let time change everything. The only thing that could not change was his own thoughts. Thus, Ye Tiancheng was very firm in his own opinions.
Sticking to his own opinions would come at a heavy price, but he was prepared for that price. Therefore, no matter what others said, he would not easily change his perception of the world. Even if others claimed the world was incredibly dark and terrifying, a sliver of light would still exist in his heart. Only those who harbored a sliver of light would ascend to the pinnacle of the world. Others did their own things, and he did his own things. He had no right to interfere with others' choices. Whatever consequences they faced in the future, they would bear their due retribution. As for the great blessings he would receive for his own actions, those were things he rightfully deserved. Therefore, this world also had causality. You reap what you sow; you get what you grow.
Seeing Ye Tiancheng so steadfast in his views, they found it difficult to say anything. After all, everyone had their own goals and determination. Regardless of how the world changed, continuing this stalemate would bring boundless benefits. For Ye Tiancheng, this was naturally something very advantageous.
Ye Tiancheng's persistence made these two women find him utterly amusing.
The reason these two women looked down on Ye Tiancheng was that they felt he was going against the grain of the world. Wasn't this the way things were developing in China? Confucius was right. If the world had become like this, and you still insisted on not acting in accordance with the world's trends, you would become an oddity, despised by others. On the surface, people might speak grandly, but in reality, they wouldn't act that way. This was called being smooth. Therefore, everyone had to act this way to gain the world's approval. This was the experience Su Muxian had accumulated from her struggles in the affluent world. She wanted to impart this wisdom to Ye Tiancheng, but Ye Tiancheng simply didn't believe her.
Once upon a time, she too was a woman who believed in the grand principles from books. But after experiencing the world, she gradually understood that a different rule prevailed in this world, one that everyone called the unwritten rule. In an era where unwritten rules were rampant, if you still insisted on doing such ridiculous things, you would become unable to adapt to this world and exist. In the future, you would find yourself unable to move forward. Therefore, for Ye Tiancheng, this matter had become too difficult to even mention.
"So, whether others believe it or not, as long as I believe it, that's what matters. Now, I want to tell you two women a principle: if you cannot adapt to this world, you will be eliminated by it. That is completely wrong, of course, for those who are incapable. For someone like me, who is capable, I will naturally surpass others and achieve self-realization."
"You really think too highly of yourself. Let's make a bet. If you continue to act according to your principles and don't hit any walls, I'll bet you a million yuan." Wang Xiaomiao was truly furious seeing Ye Tiancheng stubbornly refusing to accept good advice, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
In this world, everything had its own natural order. Never endorse others' affairs, nor underestimate your own abilities. Those who were capable were the ones who changed the world. Those who were incapable only submitted to these constraints, confining themselves with phrases like "it's impossible" or "I can't," thereby negating themselves and making it impossible to achieve what they desired. Ye Tiancheng was well aware of this and understood it thoroughly. He also knew very well what difficulties he would encounter in the future. But when facing difficulties, one must never bow down; one must bravely press forward. Only then could one live for oneself and achieve oneself.
Since Su Muxian wouldn't lend him money, and he didn't want to take out loans, he naturally had to find other ways. There were several major families in this city. Besides the Hou family and the Su family, two other families were also very powerful. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng turned his attention to them. As the saying goes, there's always a way out if you look for it. The strong create opportunities, while the weak see opportunities and let them slip away.
For Ye Tiancheng, this was naturally something that could not be understood or accepted. All things in the world, from birds and beasts to everything else, were constrained by his laws. If you did not wish to be bound by the world's constraints, you would be excluded from this world.
There are no eternally correct principles, nor eternally applicable laws, only the immutable Dao mechanism.
To comprehend the Dao mechanism is to glimpse the heavenly secrets!
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng prepared to rely on himself.
He understood that when people couldn't be relied upon, one had to rely on oneself. No matter what, he had tried his best, and although it seemed like a failure, this attempt was very worthwhile for him. At the very least, when he was in the most difficult times, he had asked for help from others, only to be shut out. This was the warmth and coldness of human relationships. When you prosper, others will give you many things, like Fan Jin passing the imperial examination. Therefore, there is only adding splendor to the present, not sending charcoal in the snow. If someone truly sends charcoal in the snow, you must thank them well. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.
There was once a story about Duke Huan of Qi. When he was exiled to a foreign country, someone gave him a piece of jade. He cherished it greatly. At that time, he wanted to throw it away, but his advisor told him to cherish it. Thus, Duke Huan of Qi accepted it.
Later, with the assistance of these advisors, he became one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period.
Therefore, based on this story, it can be explained that there are no eternal interests between people, only eternal friends. And these eternal friends are the people you meet when someone sends you charcoal in the snow.
"If that's all there is to it, I hope I can become a role model for you. In the long river of history, such and such actions are needed. Through long-term actions, eternal achievements can be obtained."
After saying this, he went to discuss loan matters with the other families. Of course, he couldn't charge them interest; he could only share equity. Because if it went wrong, others would also lose. If it went well, everyone would make money together, which carried great risk. If he took out a bank loan and it went wrong, he would have to repay the principal and interest, which was a mountain of a mountain. Joint ventures with others were the most selective option. The two women, of course, had no idea what Ye Tiancheng was scheming in his mind.
Because Ye Tiancheng was a scoundrel, but this thought was very correct. It was okay for people to be a little dark in the world, but not too dark. If they were too dark, they would become the target of public criticism. Which of the people making money in this world was not cunning and deceitful? If you truly acted according to the principles in books, you would definitely become a turtle. Why did he speak so many grand principles before? It was entirely to establish a glorious image in front of these two women. Because with this glorious image, it would bring him infinite benefits. This was also why everyone, like trash, was always proclaiming their glory and righteousness.
Smart people choose to act smoothly. Ye Tiancheng appeared very righteous, but in reality, he was very smooth, just hidden in the darkness that others couldn't see. Therefore, he needed this mask to gain benefits for himself. He was very clear about his position and what he wanted to do in the future.
These increasingly profound principles were constantly teaching him and nourishing him. He actually already had a preliminary plan for how to develop in the future. He spent four to five million of the ten million he received from the Su family. The remaining millions would be used as fixed capital for unforeseen circumstances.
"I know what you're thinking. You want to borrow money from other families, but you don't know them at all. Whether they will pay attention to you is still a big question mark."
"If you don't try, how will you know?" Ye Tiancheng smiled faintly, a playful expression appearing on his face. This made people's feelings and perceptions of him different.
Ye Tiancheng immediately set off towards his goal, causing the two women to shake their heads. "Are you really going to discuss it with the other two families?"
"That's an undeniable fact." Ye Tiancheng was resolute. Under these circumstances, he naturally chose how to achieve his goal.
Although the difficulty of this goal was very high for Ye Tiancheng, it did not affect his determination in the slightest.
Where did his determination come from?
It naturally came from his pear paste. If those two major families had the foresight to recognize a hero, they would naturally choose to invest. If they lacked foresight, Ye Tiancheng's venture would be in vain this time.
In that case, Wang Xiaomiao would be able to mock Ye Tiancheng even more.
Ye Tiancheng couldn't imagine how he would face the mockery of these young women after failing.
This was quite a difficult matter for Ye Tiancheng.
Perhaps these matters would be accompanied by waves of pain, but these waves of pain could temper Ye Tiancheng to become more mature and strong.
He understood that nothing in this world could be achieved overnight. What was needed was personal operational skill. If his operational skill was lacking, he would truly regret it for life.
After all, Ye Tiancheng's money was gradually decreasing.
Although the planting cycle was shorter than others and the market entry was fast, Ye Tiancheng's ventures were too widespread and his front line was too long.
If he had clearly understood this point, he would absolutely not have done such foolish things. He would have chosen the correct approach.
This correct approach was: a cunning rabbit has three burrows. He would never place his hopes on situations that he could not grasp with 100% certainty. A wrong choice could lead to all his previous efforts being wasted. For Ye Tiancheng, that was more terrifying than death. Therefore, he was very worried. If he failed, he would have nothing. Because the millions he had were not enough for the next round of expenses. His industries in Xiaohe Village were growing larger and larger, and the daily consumption was considerable. This model could lead to the depletion of his resources. Once he ran out of money, his plantation would be in trouble. It was easy for a person to get rich, and it was also easy to fall into ruin. Don't think that today you are a millionaire, and tomorrow you might become a beggar. Ye Tiancheng understood this very well, which was also a reason for his great concern. Therefore, he would choose the cunning rabbit's three burrows.
One day, he slept and the next day he went to Feng Huaiyuan's house.
As soon as he approached the door, he was stopped by the doorman. These doormen were all former special forces soldiers, and each of them was very physically imposing. Ye Tiancheng appeared very slender in front of them, giving the impression that they could crush Ye Tiancheng into powder with a single punch.