He hadn't expected SMMH to be so generous—five percent, exactly the same as Yi Shuihan's, which was practically a free gift! How much money was that?!
Although Chen Xu said he also participated in the development of "The Translator of Babel", what could he possibly produce? This only gives five percent... Huang Anping felt that SMMH was like a divine dragon, hidden in the clouds and mist, impossible to see through.
"Five percent is a lot of money, but do you have proof? Yi Shuihan is in charge of the accounts now, will he admit it?"
Chen Xu smiled; Yi Shuihan had already admitted it. It must be said that Yi Shuihan was truly a man of principle. Chen Xu had spoken to him about it using his SMMH identity, and he immediately agreed. He wasn't greedy at all for so much money.
"Money makes things easier. These days, sometimes money isn't the problem, the problem is not having money." Huang Anping quickly recovered from his initial shock and laughed, "How about setting up a foundation? One for military personnel. If you don't have time, leave it to me. I have specialized talent. Of course, I'll also contribute money, but it definitely won't be as much as yours. But it won't be too little either; I'll invest money plus technical support. Tell me, how much are you planning to put in?"
Chen Xu thought for a moment, calculated the income of "The Translator of Babel", and held up two fingers.
"Twenty million?" Huang Anping naturally knew that Chen Xu's unit wasn't million, but two million. To put it bluntly, twenty million wouldn't even buy a house in a big city these days. Isn't it shameful to come up with that? Twenty million, on the other hand, is neither too much nor too little. It's a foundation, after all; when it's first established, it always has to be done step by step.
“No,” Chen Xu shook his head: “Two hundred million, US dollars.”
"Pfft!" Huang Anping spat out a mouthful of water.
Two hundred million US dollars?!
This is basically five percent of what "The Translator of Babel" is after taxes, when it's sold for $5,000 in developed countries in Europe and America!
After all, the $5,000 price tag for the Babel Tower Translator is outrageous. While foreign countries desperately need this software, they're unwilling to let the Chinese pocket their money. Plus, some foreign governments are involved… Think about it, it's not surprising. $5,000 per set of the translator, 10,000 sets would be $50 million, 100,000 sets would be a whopping $500 million!
The unit of measurement is still US dollars!
One hundred thousand copies. Any country could easily sell a million copies of this software, let alone a single country. In international metropolises like London and New York, a single city could consume that many copies.
But what about the money?
With such high prices, many countries impose tariffs of over 100%, which means that apart from a few who desperately need the software, many people haven't bought it. They're waiting and seeing... I refuse to believe I can't produce a pirated version!
But everyone knows this approach can't last.
Because there are 6 billion people in the world!
Furthermore, "The Translator of Babel" isn't expensive in all countries. In some moderately developed countries and third-world countries, it's very cheap... which is why smuggling of "The Translator" is quite serious now. Because in several cheap exporting countries, many of the languages used are major languages like English and Portuguese... it sells the most in Japan. Since even if Japan wanted to smuggle it, it wouldn't be possible; if you want to buy a Japanese version, you have to buy it yourself.
Therefore, eventually, developed countries like the United States and the European Union will definitely have to find a way to compromise with Company S, because once Company S restricts exports to those middle-income developed countries, they will not be able to smuggle goods.
Let's leave those aside for now. What Huang Anping didn't expect was that Chen Xu had taken out almost all of his money... but in reality, it was only five percent; Chen Xu was still worried about how to spend the remaining ninety percent!
Huang Anping took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself down.
Two hundred million dollars?
Two hundred million US dollars is only worth two hundred million in the United States, but it can be worth 1.5 billion in China!
Paying out 1.5 billion yuan at once is truly a generous gesture. With so much money, many veterans will be able to live very well in the future.
China has one million veterans every year, but not all of them need emergency assistance. Huang Anping, sitting in this position, naturally knows that it's better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish, and that not everyone needs help. Therefore, he focuses on providing assistance to those in need, while training and arranging employment for ordinary people... the latter doesn't cost too much money.
Seeing Huang Anping's eyes darting around, Chen Xu asked, "Have you already thought of a method?"
"We should avoid spending money wherever possible. Many veterans' biggest headache is their injuries, so it's best to have a special care hospital. Hospitals are a very lucrative place. If we were to open our own hospital, unlike today's profit-driven hospitals, the investment would be substantial. However, in the long run, we would use the most cost-effective medications—not expensive, but effective—and forgo all other miscellaneous profit-making products. That way, patients wouldn't spend much, which means we wouldn't spend much either. Then there's the family subsidy. Many soldiers come from impoverished areas, and if the man dies, there's no one left to work. We need to find ways to properly support these families. Oh, and we also need to help them find employment. That's all we've thought of for now." Huang Anping smiled. "Fortunately, soldiers have more complete records than ordinary people, so we don't have to worry about anyone trying to cheat us out of their jobs. Otherwise, your two hundred million dollars might not be enough. Just think about how many people there are in China!"
Chen Xu nodded. It's true that some people are trying to take advantage of others, but soldiers are much simpler because their records are very complete—when they were injured, when they bled, all are documented. Chen Xu's intention was to ensure that soldiers who have contributed to the country could be properly resettled, but he also didn't want this action to create a group of parasites.
“But what about your people?” Chen Xu said, “I’m not really worried about the military after this foundation is established, but what about your manpower? Will it become depleted? Don’t use my money to fatten up a bunch of parasites under your command.”
Huang Anping wasn't angry at Chen Xu's words. He smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, I know what kind of money I can embezzle and what kind I can't. You don't need to worry about me at all. If I embezzled your money, my grandfather would definitely break my legs and disown me as his grandson. My connections were all given to me by my grandfather... Of course, I'm doing quite well now, but if my grandfather doesn't acknowledge me, then I'm finished."
Huang Anping's smile turned cruel: "I'm a pragmatic person, so I would never do anything that would get me killed. So you can rest assured. As for my subordinates... those who are not pragmatic are tantamount to harming me, and those who harm me will never have a good end..."
Chapter 291 A Complete Transformation (Part 1)
Chen Xu took another week off to stay in Shanghai and handle matters related to the foundation.
According to Huang Anping, Chen Xu should naturally be the chairman of this foundation, as it targets veterans, especially disabled veterans and the widows and families of fallen soldiers. Although Chen Xu was acting on the principle of spending money and respecting soldiers, Huang Anping, a businessman who only acts for profit, said, "This is a great opportunity to solidify a good relationship with the military. It would be a real shame to waste it. You should know that if you do this, the military will definitely look at you differently. I can guarantee that once this foundation is launched, you will receive invitations from the headquarters of China's seven major military regions the very next day! This is something that ordinary people would beg and plead for! This foundation is equivalent to doing the entire military a huge favor, and it's done for you, Chen Xu, not because of your teacher. Do you understand what I mean? A red-hat businessman! This is what red-hat businessmen of the past were like. In the future, as long as there's anything... except treason, just one phone call and they can settle these matters for you. Tsk, this is a favor worth 1.5 billion RMB! Are you just going to throw it away?"
“But,” Chen Xu said, “I don’t want to do that. It would make people think I’m after them for something, like I have ulterior motives.”
"Give me a break!" Huang Anping scoffed. "Hidden motives? How many people in China with ulterior motives could suddenly throw out 1.5 billion RMB? And even if they have ulterior motives, the military has no choice but to accept the money! Besides, even if an ordinary person threw this money, it might not have the same effect. Even if it was thrown in my name, it wouldn't have the same effect... After all, many things I do, hey, you can't hide it from someone with ulterior motives. But you're different. You and your teacher are practically red-blooded, the darlings of the military right now. If you leverage this to push things along, then it's a win-win situation."
Seeing Chen Xu still hesitating, Huang Anping sighed: "You really are an anomaly in this world. I don't know if it's because your money comes too easily or what, but so much money—more than 99% of people couldn't earn in their entire lives—you just throw it away casually, without asking for any return. Let's be honest, this is just continuing to build momentum for you. And do you think the military won't know if you don't show up? With such a large flow of funds, no one can hide it!"
Helpless, Chen Xu could only nod and say, "Alright then, let's do it your way. But I also need to go back to school. It's almost December, and I don't want to get involved in those social obligations anymore. The seven military region headquarters—if I were to visit each one, it would be like traveling all over the country. I might as well skip my studies for the rest of the year. Make sure you make this clear first. Don't let people misunderstand that I'm not giving them face."
Huang Anping paused for a moment, then sighed, "No wonder SMMH was willing to take you on as an apprentice. Your personality is exactly the same as SMMH's. Hey, giving without expecting anything in return. It's easy to say, but how many people in this world can actually do it? ... Don't worry, soldiers love your personality the most. They don't like people who are too cunning. Soldiers are much more honest than businessmen in some ways, and they don't have those stinky rules. Ah, my grandfather was right, character determines success. Chen Xu, you have a pure heart, you're a good kid, very good!"
Chen Xu was taken aback by Huang Anping's sudden remark and felt a little embarrassed. However, Huang Anping's expression turned serious as he said, "I'm not flattering you. On the contrary, if I had that kind of personality, let alone whether I could have reached this position, even if I could… I wouldn't have lasted long!" Huang Anping sighed softly, "To be honest, I envy you. But you also need to be careful…"
The "Veterans Charity Foundation" was established soon afterward, and Chen Xu served as its chairman.
Because there are no specific requirements for the position of chairman, it was only publicly announced that Chen Xu, a college student, held the position, but no mention was made of his donation of 1.5 billion RMB.
However, the fact that the media didn't report it doesn't mean others were unaware. What does a flow of 1.5 billion yuan mean? The government would definitely be watching closely, which is why high-ranking military officers knew that this foundation was SMMH's apprentice—the college student who found the Imperial Seal of the State, inadvertently discovered a huge loophole in the physical recovery fluid, and saved the Eastern Divine Sword Special Forces, and even the entire army.
Who says there are no wars in times of peace?
It can only be said that there is no war.
The military's actions are now referred to as non-war military operations.
For example, flood control and disaster relief, and the crackdown on terrorist organizations... The latter goes without saying. Although the media reports that the situation in the country is very good, in reality, there are many troubles.
Therefore, when the news of the establishment of the "Veterans Charity Foundation" was released, the media unanimously praised it.
Chen Xu's reappearance has made him the most talked-about college student right now. After returning the jade seal, Chen Xu immediately took an armed helicopter to the military camp, and reporters couldn't find him anywhere. At this time, he suddenly appeared and took on the chairmanship of a foundation worth billions of dollars, which makes people think: a good teacher produces a good student. SMMH students are much more impressive than ordinary people.
After attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Shanghai, Chen Xu immediately took a train back to Hexie City.
It's already early December, and it's been three months since Chen Xu last saw Guan Yi and the other two. He'd been training a lot, and cell phones weren't allowed in the military camp; he could only occasionally make calls via the camp's fixed, secure phone line, which was inconvenient, so they rarely contacted each other. But now, with his longing overwhelming him, he didn't care about anything else.
This winter's weather was very dry, the temperature neither too low nor too high, just a dry, chilly cold. There was hardly any wind. Chen Xu realized he'd made a mistake. Shanghai, at least, was a coastal city with relatively stable temperatures, while Hexie City had just experienced a long-awaited late autumn rain. The temperature was very low. Getting off the bus in only a shirt, Chen Xu couldn't help but shiver from the cold.
As soon as he exited the station, he saw three beautiful girls standing there. Seeing Chen Xu emerge, the girls beamed with smiles, and Guan Yi, with fiery enthusiasm, rushed up and gave him a big hug. Chen Xu could feel the amazing elasticity of her body against his tight sweater.
"You've gotten a tan." Guan Yi deliberately frowned his cute brows as he looked Chen Xu up and down. "But you've definitely gotten stronger. How was life in the military camp?"
Gao Xiaojie and Zhan Jing also came up at this time. Guan Yi was still clinging to Chen Xu like a koala. Hmm, the scene was a bit awkward, but the two of them didn't seem to react at all. Zhan Jing smiled calmly: "He is indeed much more composed. The military camp is really a place that can train people."
Chen Xu looked at Gao Xiaojie, who was smiling carefree. But the excitement flashing in her eyes was undeniable.
Chen Xu stepped forward and hugged her tightly. Then he turned around and hugged Zhan Jing tightly again. After hugging her, Chen Xu felt a little dizzy and wondered when he had become so bold. He quickly covered up by saying, "Well, let's take a taxi back to school quickly."
This wasn't the first time Gao Xiaojie had such "intimate" contact with Chen Xu, but Zhan Jingdi's eyes were noticeably wide open.
This must be the first time in her life that she has been so intimate with a man.
However, Chen Xu's public embrace wasn't romantic; it was more of a friendly hug.
Guan Yi, watching from the side, was both amused and annoyed. He felt a pang of jealousy, but said nothing. Pretending not to have seen anything, he patted Chen Xu and said, "No need to find a taxi. I drove here."
Chen Xu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized and laughed, "Is it Erfei's Shanghai Volkswagen?"
Guan Yi nodded with a smile. The car was basically hers now. Anyway, he was a young, overweight, and nerdy guy who only came to class. The school had even arranged a dormitory for him, so he didn't need the car at all.
Guan Yi doesn't usually use it, but girls tend to go out more often, and Guan Yi occasionally takes on advertising jobs, so it's more convenient and safer for her to drive herself in the city.
After getting in the car, Chen Xu sat in the front passenger seat, while Gao Xiaojie and Zhan Jing sat in the back. The first thing the three of them did upon entering the car was to quickly fasten their seatbelts… because Guan Yi, that woman, was a good driver; if she drove slowly, it was fine, but once she started speeding, things got out of control. However, it seemed she had never been in an accident, yet she had accumulated quite a few traffic tickets.
Actually, she doesn't drive fast, but she likes to play around with flowers... Hmm, this kind of woman is a bit scary.
However, Guan Yi didn't show off her driving skills today, driving steadily and smoothly the whole way. On the way, Chen Xu mentioned that he had established the veterans' charity foundation... As for Guan Yi and the others, Chen Xu felt that these things were not secrets at all, and there was nothing he couldn't talk about.
"SMMH gave you five percent of the profits from 'The Translator of Babel'?!"
"My God, how much money is that?!"
Chen Xu chuckled and said, "Otherwise, where do you think I got so much money to go to Dubai?"
Zhan Jing pondered for a moment and said, "Although you were a bit extravagant in doing this, I fully support you... But last time in Dubai, you seemed to have spent quite a bit, right? You can't be so extravagant with your money in the future."
Chen Xu never dared to refute Zhan Jing, and simply nodded and laughed it off.
Guan Yi remained silent, seemingly focused on driving. But within her, a storm was raging!
Five percent of the profits from "The Translator of Babel"?!
Guan Yi quickly calculated in his mind that, based on the current development trend, within five years, the value of this five percent could skyrocket to three billion US dollars!
Three billion US dollars—that's a considerable fortune. Does that mean he's qualified to propose marriage to me?!
To understand what three billion US dollars means, China's richest man, Gao Youwei, only has 20.4 billion RMB. In other words, within five years, Chen Xu could become China's richest man with just 5% of that return... at least in name only.
Of course, he's still far from being the world's richest person.
Guan Yi didn't care whether Chen Xu was the richest man in China, but she knew that if Chen Xu had such assets, he would indeed be qualified to propose marriage to her family with just a little training!
So all my previous worries were unnecessary?!
Guan Yi, who had already chosen to back down, was once again overwhelmed with emotion... It turns out, there is still a chance between us. Thirty billion US dollars is not a lot, nor is it a small amount, but it is just enough to qualify!
The others had no idea what Guan Yi was thinking. Gao Xiaojie then said, "Chen Xu, you have no idea how much everyone in the computer science department misses you right now."
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Do they want me dead or do they want me to die? What would a bunch of animals want from me?"
Gao Xiaojie laughed and said, "I want you to stand up for them!"
"What are you trying to prove?"
"Yeah, I didn't tell you before. Do you know which department has been the most awesome in the past three months since the start of the semester? ...The Life Sciences Department!"
"No way?!" Chen Xu exclaimed in surprise, "That useless class?! Damn, how come it's so awesome?!"
Gao Xiaojie said, "In the first three months, the school organized a series of competitions for the student union to welcome the new students. These included the 'Martial Arts' e-sports competition, a debate competition, an intelligence test, and a comprehensive exam for the whole school... The Department of Life Sciences won all of them!"
Chen Xu paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "I thought it was something big. Is that all? It's normal for them to win those brain-teasing competitions. The admission scores for the School of Life Sciences are so high. You can't get in just by studying. Didn't you see that nine and a half out of ten people in the Department of Life Sciences are nearsighted? They're all pretty smart."
Zhan Jing then laughed and said, "What you said is not wrong. It's one thing for them to win the other events, but what's most unacceptable to the boys in our department is that they even won the 'Martial Arts' event. They said it's because you weren't there, and that's what they call 'when the cat's away, the mice will play.' Ha, now they're all waiting for you to come back and cause trouble."
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't played Martial Arts Master in a long time, not for any other reason... he just didn't have time to play!
However, Chen Xu had sparred with a few guys from the School of Life Sciences, and their techniques were, in his opinion, very rudimentary. As for his understanding of the game "Martial Arts Master," Chen Xu felt that no one could surpass him. He believed that those guys had the talent, and no matter how much they practiced, their achievements would be limited. So Chen Xu asked, "Have some particularly strong freshmen arrived in the Department of Life Sciences?"
“No,” Gao Xiaojie replied, “those few big shots are all old acquaintances of yours…the group of guys under you when you were Dr. Li Liangyan’s assistant.”
Chapter 292 A Complete Transformation (Part 2)
Since it was 11 a.m., the traffic was very congested during rush hour. So, while stuck in traffic, a few of us got bored and started talking about the "abnormal" behavior of the students in the Life Sciences Department over the past year.