Chapter Six: The Test

After leaving the park, Li Fengyu, Li Sen, and Lin Chu went to a café. Soon, the waiter brought them three cups of latte, and the three began to exchange pleasantries.

Stirring his coffee with a spoon, Li Fengyu said, “Mr. Lin Chu, from what Li Sen just mentioned, it seems your family has quite an impressive business background.”

Lin Chu took a sip of his coffee and replied, “Not bad. My father was among the first wave of entrepreneurs during the reform and opening-up period. He entered the financial investment industry and happened to ride the wave of China’s economic boom in the 1990s.”

Li Sen and Li Fengyu both expressed admiration, “That’s truly remarkable.”

Setting down his coffee, Lin Chu glanced at Li Fengyu and asked with a hint of disdain in his tone, “And what does your father do?”

Li Fengyu sensed the slight contempt in Lin Chu’s voice but responded calmly, “He’s also in the financial investment sector, though not as prominent as your father. He’s been in this line of work for about ten years now.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chu’s expression abruptly changed.

Noticing the tension rising between the two, Li Sen tried to ease the atmosphere, but was cut off. Then Lin Chu laughed heartily, and Li Fengyu followed suit. Li Sen was left somewhat baffled—what was going on between these two? As a businessman himself, Lin Chu understood that ten years in the securities industry was no small feat. Since he was unaware of Li Fengyu’s background and, being cautious, did not want to offend him, Lin Chu was well aware of the delicate balance. Li Fengyu, naturally, saw through this as well. Thus, without a word, the two men tacitly reached a truce.

Lin Chu then stood up and extended his hand. “Mr. Fengyu, let’s be friends.”

Li Fengyu stood and shook his hand. “Certainly.”

Their unspoken reconciliation left Li Sen standing there, completely perplexed. This very meeting also laid the groundwork for Li Fengyu’s future career advancement.

Although they had reached a temporary understanding, Lin Chu still wished to probe Li Fengyu further. Why was Lin Chu so invested in this man? To understand this, it is necessary to introduce Lin Chu properly. He was twenty-five years old, a graduate of Stanford University in the United States, majoring in economics. He had just returned to China and was currently serving as Vice President at Xinmin Securities, his father’s company. However, this young executive faced challenges—being relatively inexperienced, senior executives within the company resented the appointment of this outsider.

Lin Chu’s father found it difficult to intervene. On one hand, these were veteran figures who were not easy to confront; on the other hand, this was part of Lin Chu’s training to become self-reliant. Lin Chu realized he needed to cultivate his own loyalists and build influence to carry out his work effectively. Knowing that Li Fengyu’s family was engaged in financial securities, and seeing from their conversation that Li Fengyu was knowledgeable and articulate, not to mention a friend of Li Sen—one of his own people—he decided to try to win Li Fengyu over. At this moment, Li Fengyu was unaware of these intentions.

While stirring his coffee and chatting, Lin Chu probed gently, “Mr. Fengyu, you and Li Sen are still students, correct? What are your plans for the future?”

Li Sen quickly responded, “Who knows? We’ll just take it one step at a time.”

Lin Chu smiled politely.

Li Fengyu, recognizing the test, smiled faintly before replying, “Mr. Lin, my mentor once said in ‘Considerations for Youth in Career Choice’ that if a person works only for themselves, they might become a famous scholar, a great philosopher, or an outstanding poet, but they will never become a flawless person. However, if we choose a career that serves humanity most, then no burden can crush us. Because in serving others, we do not seek petty, limited, or selfish pleasures. Our work will belong to millions, and when we face our ashes, noble people will shed tears.”

Lin Chu was struck with surprise. He had never expected such a profound and articulate answer from this eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth. Adjusting his glasses, he regarded Li Fengyu thoughtfully, already scheming how to enlist his assistance. With a slight smile, he said, “Mr. Li, you are erudite and gifted, answering with apt quotations and sound reasoning—truly impressive.”