Chapter Eighteen: Unknown Direction

  Chen Xiaoqi admitted: "That's right, Sixth Brother, I was the one who got these things for him."

  Chen Shouting was furious at the time, pointing and scolding him: "Lao Qi Lao Qi, what good can I say about you? You said you couldn't finish your proper business, but instead you're messing around with that dog thing! And now you've got this yellow stuff, if it gets out, won't your reputation be ruined?"

  "Sixth brother, don't worry for now, rest assured that He Dageng will absolutely not say that I'm the one who came up with this thing. Even if he says it out loud, probably only a few people would believe him. After some time, He Dageng will want to find ways to swallow this deal alone. At that time, I'll just take a cut from him and completely sever our relationship. From then on, no matter how miserable he becomes, it's none of my business! And along the way, I can also get rid of this scourge and even make some small fortune. Why not be happy about it?!"

  Chen Shoutin said in a bad tone: "If you need money, just tell me. I don't have much here. You can also ask Miao Ge for help. It's not good to do these things with these scoundrels! What else can you do besides this? He Dageng has been making waves in Qingdao for over a decade and has connections with many people up and down the line. Do you think it's that easy to swindle him out of some money? I think you're too clever for your own good!"

  "Sixth brother, listen to me, this thing I'll tell you clearly. You see, this medicine is indeed effective, otherwise so many people wouldn't be coming to buy it. We Chinese have just overthrown the emperor and are still under the pressure of warlords and foreign powers, our backs are still bent. When we can't make a name for ourselves outside, we'll make a name for ourselves at home by bullying our own women. But even that's not enough, people will get sick from it! This is a great deed I'm doing to benefit the common people, it's not as bad as you say."

  And those little Japanese, small in stature, not even enough to be considered short, don't look at them being arrogant all day, actually they are also useless, if conditions allowed, I could come up with an invention that would boost the morale of their entire nation! The money earned would be even more overwhelming. Do you know who buys this medicine the most? It's them.

  He Da Geng is now enjoying his wealth, this medicine is sold all over the world, he has made a fortune. If he were a person who knew how to restrain himself, maybe nothing would happen, but putting it on him is different. Just watch, I estimate that in half a year's time, he will be unlucky. Sixth brother, think about it, just him, a small local thug from Qingdao, suddenly made a big fortune, those Green Gang, Hongmen, warlords, government officials, even bandits and foreigners, who wouldn't be jealous? This business has been going on for decades, men's problems can't be solved by living well. People with vision will soon catch up, in this era, there are many people who want money but don't care about their reputation, can they let He Da Geng make a big fortune himself? Hehe, when the time comes, I estimate that this kid not only won't be able to keep the money he earned, but also his own life will be in danger!

  In the end, Chen Shoutang was left speechless and knew he couldn't outdo this young man. He also knew that Chen Xiaoqi had already distanced himself from the situation, so he didn't bother to intervene in Chen Xiaoqi's affairs anymore. Moreover, during this period of time, Chen Xiaoqi had been very well-behaved, spending every day locked away reading books and not going anywhere. Although Chen Shoutang couldn't understand them, Lu Jiaju said they were all foreign-published chemistry journals and textbooks, whose depth had already exceeded what he, as a German engineering student, knew.

  Chen Shoutings himself was illiterate and didn't read books, so he especially yearned for his brothers and future generations to make a name for themselves. Seeing Chen Xiaoqi working so hard, he didn't say anything else.

  Two months later, just before the Spring Festival, He Dageng began to secretly manipulate the accounts, making them seem ambiguous, and used this as an excuse to give Chen Xiaoqi less money. Moreover, he started to intervene in the production process, cutting corners and using inferior materials. Chen Xiaoqi saw an opportunity to make a profit and sold the secret formula to He Dageng for 100,000 taels of silver, completely withdrawing from the matter. He Dageng was overjoyed, thinking he had gotten the better end of the deal, but he didn't know that disaster was just around the corner.

  Not long after, Chen Xiaoqi received an invitation letter from Professor Roger Adams of the Chemistry Department at the University of Illinois in the United States, inviting him to study abroad. After Dennis left China for France, Chen Xiaoqi had asked him to bring a letter to Adams, which was a chemical paper he wrote about high polymer synthesis, a very advanced thing at that time. However, his solid chemical foundation and fully operational argumentation gave Adams a deep impression, hence this invitation letter.

  Why Roger Adams? Those who study chemistry may know that in the early 20th century, among several masters, Roger Adams was an outstanding one. He not only cultivated Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry but also famous chemists like Carothers who invented nylon, and more than 167 world-renowned excellent chemists including over a dozen of China's first generation of chemists. This does not include his own outstanding research achievements, which made indelible contributions to the development of chemistry worldwide.

  What is most difficult to come by is that this professor truly meets the standards of being a teacher, strict and serious, personally carefully revising and reviewing every student's thesis, and helping students publish them. He tirelessly brings out generation after generation of scientific and technological talents for this world, a responsible professor with peach blossoms filling the sky.

  Chen Xiaoqi had once crazily worshipped this master for a period of time, so he carefully studied all the materials he could collect about Professor Adams and even wrote an article on his blog, despite being ridiculed by many. Not only that, but he also specially begged money from his father to visit the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during summer break to pay respects to the place where the professor had once struggled, leaving a deep impression on him. And now, in this era, he could finally see this respectable elder with his own eyes. As it turned out, Professor Adams was still young at that time.

  It wasn't until now that Chen Xiaoqi finally told the truth about his plan. From the moment he arrived in this era, he had been thinking about how to adapt and integrate into this environment, so that he could live like a person from the Republic of China era. However, after several months, he realized that it was impossible for him to do so.

  After decades of indoctrination, he has been forever branded. Unless he becomes senile, he will never be able to forget or put it down. He cannot bear the suffocation and helplessness of this era as a Chinese person. He cannot watch his fellow villagers struggling on the brink of death without any rescue or assistance, only staring blankly as they slide into the abyss of death, with no way out.

  He Chen Xiaoqi had some clever ideas, and indeed, due to the aftereffects of time-traveling, he possessed the memory and reaction speed of a teenager. He was able to create things that didn't exist in this era and make a fortune. But what's the use of all this? The ancients said, "When poor, one is content with oneself; when successful, one benefits the world." If it were just for personal gain, perhaps it would be easy, but he understood that he couldn't do it alone. He wasn't living in a fantasy world where everything was perfect and nothing could be seen or heard; this was harsh reality.

  The reality is that among the over 400 million compatriots nationwide, more than 90% are struggling on the poverty line. The reality is that in the next thirty years, this land will either be plagued by war or natural disasters, and the population will hardly grow at all. Based on China's population base and growth rate, in the next thirty years, the number of abnormal deaths will exceed 100 million people!

  What a staggering number! The total population of casualties from two World Wars is not as many as this. These are living, breathing lives that exist around us, not just a cold, ugly string of numbers on tombstones or in books!

  Chen Xiaoqi was very clear about one thing, that he might have the ability to become a great rich man of this era, but in the end, he would not die well! Why? It's easy to think that in this era and for decades to come, no matter who you are, as long as you're still alive on this land, you'll inevitably be swept up in an increasingly intense tide. Either you'll be crushed to pieces or you'll be helplessly carried along, going forward without a choice, until you reach the end, where you yourself won't have a say.

  In this era, wanting to stand out is actually possible, because Chen Xiaoqi knows what the outcome of all this will be like, and even how each major stage will be like. His middle school history grades were very good, not to mention that he later read countless posts online, after all, historical topics are one of the most popular among netizens.

  However, he never thought that he had the talent for politics. He was just an unfinished semi-finished student who didn't have the elite talent for politics. This era is a time of great change, and those who personally experienced the major social upheavals of their time have a depth and breadth of psychology and thought that cannot be understood by later generations living in ignorance in greenhouses. If they rashly get involved, they may not even know how to die until the day they die.

  So, looking back, when a rich man sees those poor people starving to death in front of him, can he bear not to lend a helping hand? If pulling one person is possible, then pulling ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand is also possible. But how many people need help? Shandong has 30 million people! The whole country has over 400 million people! Even if he becomes the richest man in the country, how many can he pull up?

  Moreover, in this era, it is absolutely impossible to get rich without a background or connections. Who are the people in power? Warlords, politicians, bandits, hoodlums, and gangsters - he can try to establish relationships with these people, but what then? How much of the money he earns will actually end up in his hands? Even if he does earn enough money, what happens when the Japanese come? Should he run away? Where can he run to? The only place in the world that was not affected by World War II is the United States mainland, but the US has been excluding Chinese people for decades! Even in the 21st century, Chinese people living there are still second-class citizens! Chinese people still have no status in the world!

  Are you developing your own strength? Don't talk nonsense, can't even be a qualified politician, how can we talk about the great cause of the world? Boasting is not taxable, there are always some people on the forum shouting about what they would do if they went back to the past. Chen Xiaoqi has also done such a thing, but now he really came back and found that all those grand words were so pale and powerless. In countless nights of returning dreams, how much he wanted to see his parents' stern eyes when he woke up with a start, hear their scolding voices, which was originally what he dreamed of escaping! But only now did he realize how precious it was!

  The child wants to be raised but the parents are not around, Zhen Xiaoqi carved this thought and regret into his bones, deeply buried in his heart. Every time he was about to sink into the cold and ruthless reality of this world, he would timely dig out that bitter emotion and present it to himself again and again. Look! This is everything you once wanted to give up! Now you can never find it back!

  The helplessness and powerlessness of reality, the pain of nostalgia like a festering wound, Chen Xiaoqi sometimes wishes he could go crazy just to feel better, but he can't. The initial excitement and fun have worn off as harsh reality closes in step by step, leaving him with no way out. He's reached a dead end - either he resigns himself to his fate and jumps, or he finds a way to break through on his own. That's what Xianxian always says.

  Chen Xiaoqi occasionally thought of that old Taoist who had deceived him for over two months, saying that when cultivators encounter difficulties, they should not think of escaping, but rather abandon all delusions and worries, face the challenges head-on, do things as they come, and after overcoming a hurdle, their life's realm would rise by one level.

  If it's really like that, then choose that road which seems forever impossible to succeed.

  However, he couldn't just say that to Chen Shoutang and others. He only emphasized that China didn't have a good heavy industry foundation in this era, so it's absolutely impossible for it to develop greatly in the future. To make the country strong and the nation rich, we must first develop heavy industry, and all industries rely on chemistry, which is an area where he has great talent. Therefore, the best result at present is to go to the United States to learn the world's most advanced chemical knowledge and see if there are opportunities to bring back a series of chemical technologies and industries to support national development.

  This rhetoric was very effective for Chen Shoutang, who often lamented that his ability and conditions were limited, and he couldn't do greater things, which was a regret for him. Although he had been working hard, but due to the low starting point and limited personal strength, even if he became the largest dyeing factory in the country, what's the big deal? Compared to the country and the world, it's just a drop in the ocean. Moreover, under Lu Jiaju's explanation, he understood what heavy industry was, its importance and necessity, and the cruel reality of China being blank because without the support of heavy industry, they, as factory owners, had to suffer repeated exploitation by the powerful countries in terms of equipment, cloth, dyes, transportation, and everything else.

  Only after understanding all this did Chen Shoutin realize how big Chen Xiaoqi's heart was, and also understood that his painstaking efforts to work with He Dageng were ultimately for what purpose.

  After spending the Spring Festival of the 1920s in Zhou Village, Chen Shoutang's hometown, Chen Xiaoqi left Qingdao and boarded a mail boat bound for the United States, embarking on his grand plan.