Looking at Zhongshi, who was walking with difficulty while holding a bowl of water, the middle-aged man took out a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from his pocket and offered them to Zhongshi.
"Thank you, Uncle." Zhongshi took the candies but did not immediately put them in his mouth. Instead, he carefully examined the packaging to ensure it was not damaged. Only after confirming that the candies had not been tampered with did Zhongshi peel one open and happily pop it into his mouth.
These days, getting to eat milk candies was not an easy thing, especially the fragrant and sweet White Rabbit milk candies.
"Little boy, how many people are there in your family?" The middle-aged man drank the water in one go and then smiled at Zhongshi.
"What do you want to do..."
Zhongshi scratched his head, a sense of alertness rising in his heart. Although this man looked refined, he might be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
In those days, the security in rural areas was virtually non-existent, and serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping, and robbery occurred from time to time. Even though a large number of criminals had been executed in recent years, it did not completely eliminate criminal activities, as criminal behavior could not be eradicated.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to hand over the bowl, Zhongshi deliberately let it slip from his hand, and it shattered on the ground with a "crack." Zhongshi quickly picked up a sharp piece of the broken bowl and tightly gripped it, aiming it at the middle-aged man's wrist.
It was winter, and people were dressed warmly, so it was impossible to cut through the clothing with the broken ceramic piece. Therefore, Zhongshi aimed for the artery in the stranger's arm.
To quickly bring down the tall and strong middle-aged man, the best options were the arteries in the arm and neck. However, given Zhongshi's height, it was difficult to attack the man's neck.
Zhongshi did not know if the Criminal Law of the 1980s had provisions for self-defense, but he knew that if this man had evil intentions, he would not be able to resist him at his age.
As the saying goes, "One should not have the heart to harm others, but one must be on guard against others." In a flash, Zhongshi thought of this self-defense technique.
The middle-aged man was clearly startled by Zhongshi's actions. He quickly took two steps back, raised his hands, and showed a harmless smile: "Little boy, Uncle is not a bad person, I am a government official..."
Then he realized that he did not need to explain himself to a child and closed his mouth.
"Are you a government official? What are you doing here? Where is your work ID?"
Clearly, the identity of a government official did not make Zhongshi lower his guard. He still tightly held the ceramic piece in his hand, not relaxing at all.
"Little boy, Uncle is not a bad person! Look, this is Uncle's work ID!" The middle-aged man took out a small green booklet from his pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully threw it to Zhongshi.
"Wenhuai Provincial Bureau of Statistics... Shi Jinzhu..."
Zhongshi picked up the green booklet, opened it, and found that this person was indeed a government official, and even a staff member of a provincial-level agency. The steel stamp on the booklet was not easy to forge.
"Are you a staff member of Wenhuai Province? What are you doing in Jiangzhong Province?" Zhongshi realized he had made a mistake and scratched his head in embarrassment. He dropped the ceramic piece and returned the work ID to the middle-aged man.
Shi Jinzhu was clearly quite frightened. He took the work ID with a lingering fear, patted his chest, and said, "Little boy, Uncle is here at the invitation of the Jiangzhong provincial government to conduct a population census."
It turned out that in 1982, the country conducted a large-scale population census. After more than a year, to study the dynamics and structural changes in the population, the National Bureau of Statistics commissioned the provincial bureaus of statistics to conduct sample surveys of the population in each province. To ensure the objectivity and authenticity of the survey data, it was stipulated that neighboring provinces would conduct surveys of each other. This small-scale population survey in Jiangzhong Province was carried out by the Wenhuai Provincial Bureau of Statistics.
After talking for a long time, Shi Jinzhu felt thirsty. Just as he was about to ask for another cup of water, he remembered the child's previous actions and wisely closed his mouth.
He did not realize that his attitude was not that of someone dealing with a child or even a regular person, but rather that of a subordinate dealing with a superior.
After explaining the whole situation, he realized he had said too much. Being a cautious person, he quickly understood. The thought of losing his composure in front of a child made his face flush.
"Shi Jinzhu... Shi Jinzhu..."
When Zhongshi first saw the name on the work ID, it seemed familiar. After a moment, he remembered who this person was.
Shi Jinzhu was born in Wenhuai Province in 1962, graduated from Xiujiang University in 1984, and from the Graduate School of Shenzhen University in 1989. He then went into business.
In 1991, Shi Jinzhu founded the Great Man Company, becoming a shining star in the PC industry. After several meetings with the Premier and Vice-Premier, Shi Jinzhu's confidence soared, and he decided to build the tallest building in China, with an estimated cost of over 1 billion RMB.
In 1996, the Great Man Group was heavily invested in the construction of the Great Man Building, and other industries were severely "bled." As a result, the once prosperous Great Man Group rapidly declined, and by 1997, it was virtually defunct.
The most legendary part was not just the rise and fall of the Great Man Building, but that he rebuilt another empire on the ruins.
In 1999, he and his original team founded a biopharmaceutical company in Lihai, continuing to sell nutritional supplements, which were actually outdated American formulas. However, with a carpet-bombing marketing strategy and unexpected slogans, they quickly gained a significant reputation in the nutritional supplement market.
After paying off his previous debts, Shi Jinzhu entered the internet industry and eventually listed on NASDAQ. When Zhongshi was reincarnated, Shi Jinzhu announced his retirement and no longer managed the company.
It was said that when he was penniless, he wanted to jump off Mount Everest to commit suicide. His pride was so high that he wanted to die on the world's highest peak. However, his subordinates held him back, tearfully persuading him to lead them to a comeback, demonstrating his leadership skills.
When Zhongshi issued his fund in his previous life, he specifically studied famous mainland tycoons and had contact with the successful Shi Jinzhu of the future. However, at that time, Shi Jinzhu had already shown signs of retirement and politely declined Zhongshi, which made Zhongshi quite regretful.
But the legendary figure before him was just an ordinary government employee, living in fear of his superiors' disapproval and criticism. He must have felt frustrated and unfulfilled.
Zhongshi had always been conflicted about the real economy. He looked down on those who engaged in it but also had deep respect for them.
To succeed in business, one needed not only the courage to start a business and a strong will but also the ability to navigate complex relationships and be adept at dealing with various situations. Running a business in China was not easy, and making a business successful was even harder. Therefore, many private entrepreneurs had a strong personal charisma.
Moreover, running a business supported many people and families, taking on a significant social responsibility. In the West, people regarded businesses as gods, while in China, the government was regarded as a god.
However, to accumulate wealth quickly, there were other ways besides running a business, such as making a fortune in the capital market.
In those days, China was beginning to produce its first batch of rich people. Those with connections profited from the dual pricing system by reselling goods, making huge profits and becoming the "first to get rich" as described by the leaders.
Zhongshi also wanted to get rich through such rent-seeking, but his reincarnated family was ordinary, and it was impossible for him to obtain those low-priced goods, so he could only sigh in frustration.
"Have you ever thought about further education? Or do you plan to stay in the government for life?" Zhongshi suddenly asked. It would be a waste for such a person to spend his whole life in an office, caught in the intrigue and backstabbing.
"Hey? Little boy, what do you want to say to Uncle?" Shi Jinzhu was startled and quickly asked. This child had hit on his innermost thoughts, which he had not even shared with his closest people.
Since joining the government, Shi Jinzhu had been constantly thinking about his future. People in the government had access to more information than ordinary people. The newspapers were full of news about reform and opening up, economic development, and improving living standards, especially in Shenzhen, where every week brought news that made people look at things differently. At that time, Shenzhen had become a holy place for young people in China who were not content with the status quo and had a spirit of adventure.
"Actually, you are not yet 30, still young. Why not go for a promising graduate degree and then start your own business?" Zhongshi shamelessly revealed Shi Jinzhu's future.
"Little boy, how do you know so much? Don't meddle in grown-up affairs, hehe..." Shi Jinzhu patted Zhongshi's head affectionately.
He genuinely liked this clever child but did not take his words seriously.
Zhongshi had said his piece and would not push further. He did not plan to profit from this person and thought it best to have as little to do with domestic entrepreneurs as possible.
In the future, there was a peculiar entrepreneur who not only privately transferred the core business of the company but also openly tore up the agreements signed with venture capitalists, leaving a bad impression on foreign investment institutions. Later, he packaged himself as a life coach, constantly posting "inspirational" content on social media to satisfy his past loneliness. Eventually, he became so arrogant that he openly commented on national affairs, standing against the majority of people with justice and conscience.
Working under such a boss, one could not tell if it was a blessing or a curse! Zhongshi sighed helplessly as he watched Shi Jinzhu walk away. (New author, please recommend and collect if you like, thank you!)