Chapter 117: Everyone Was Busy Making Money

In Sanjiang Town’s Li Family Village, Li Fu was enjoying a rare moment of leisure during the Lunar New Year, spending time with his parents. Of course, things were different for the Li family now. During the holidays, the number of visitors coming to pay their respects was overwhelming. It wasn’t just relatives and friends; a motley crew of uninvited guests also flooded his doorstep.

Charity organizations he had never even heard of—relief associations, protection funds, disaster rescue groups—all came knocking, clearly looking to extort some money. Local governments from impoverished, underdeveloped regions also sought him out, hoping to lure him into investing in their areas. The massive transformation of Sanjiang Town and Meijiang County had been making headlines, and the provincial government of Jiangnan had designated the region as a future economic hub and high-tech industrial zone. Naturally, many struggling local governments wanted to see if they could persuade Li Fu, their "great Bodhisattva," to bring his business to their lands.

Even if he only built a single factory, it would be enough. The gargantuan output of the Fuyun Technology Group was world-renowned. The virtual reality machines that had swept the globe were absolute cash cows; in just over a month since their launch on December 15th, they had raked in hundreds of billions of US dollars, making money faster than a printing press.

Furthermore, other products under the Fuyun umbrella, like the "Third Eye"—a derivative of bio-sensing technology—were also selling like hotcakes. Tens of millions of blind people worldwide had regained their sight, allowing them to lead normal lives. As for the new drug for treating AIDS, it was another financial powerhouse. With production capacity constantly expanding, it brought in over 20 billion in revenue every month, and it would soon be easy for that figure to climb into the hundreds of billions.

Given the current momentum of the Fuyun Technology Group, more technological breakthroughs were bound to emerge. Such a company, with its infinite potential, was naturally the target of every local government.

Beyond these officials, corporate executives and business owners arrived uninvited, all looking for partnerships or hoping to secure a piece of Li Fu’s business. Fuyun’s reputation for being wealthy and generous had spread throughout the industry. The various construction sites, research institutes, and new industrial parks currently under development were all paying top dollar, offering very attractive profit margins.

The contract manufacturing prices offered by Foxconn were enough to make anyone green with envy, especially since that kind of work required little technical expertise. Meanwhile, the various enterprises providing components for the virtual reality machines were also raking in the profits. Fuyun Technology had strict requirements regarding quality, volume, and deadlines, but they paid handsomely and were never late with payments, making them a favorite partner for everyone.

All of this made people envious. They didn't even need an invitation to come to Li Fu, hoping for a chance to collaborate. Even just catching the crumbs falling from Fuyun Technology’s table was enough to ensure a prosperous life for many businesses.

In short, people of all stripes came with all sorts of motives. Li Fu tried to be polite for the first few days, but eventually, he grew weary of the constant interruptions. He finally had to instruct his security team to block all visitors, which finally allowed him to enjoy a bit of peace.

On the morning of the Lunar New Year, after paying his respects and having a meal, Li Fu found himself with nothing to do and began to wander through Li Family Village. By tradition, even the hardest-working people in the village would take the first day of the year off to rest, chat, or visit family.

Usually, they would gather at Big Mouth Li’s house to play mahjong, cards, or gamble. It was exactly this culture of gambling, coupled with the poverty of his hometown, that had spurred Li Fu to move his business back home the previous year, hoping to change the village’s destiny.

"I wonder if the young people are gathered at Big Mouth Li’s place to gamble again this year."

Li Fu remembered the scene he had witnessed at Big Mouth Li’s house the previous year and decided to pay a visit. As he arrived at the center of the village, he noticed something different. While a few people were heading toward the house, they were mostly older folks who played for small stakes. He saw almost no young people, which felt strange.

Upon entering, he found Big Mouth Li sitting alone, sighing and looking miserable.

"Li Fu? What brings you here?" Big Mouth Li’s eyes lit up as he looked toward the door.

"Happy New Year, Uncle Big Mouth. May you strike it rich this year."

"Rich? I can barely put food on the table!" Big Mouth Li groaned, sighing even more heavily.

"What’s wrong? It’s the first day of the New Year; don't say such unlucky things," Li Fu asked with curiosity.

"Sigh, in years past, this place would be packed. All the men in the village would spend the whole day here. But this year, nobody has come since late December. It’s past nine in the morning, and we haven't even opened a single table. I stocked up on a massive amount of goods before the holidays, and now it’s all sitting in the back, unsold."

Big Mouth Li began to vent. The gambling scene had withered away, especially among the youth. The lively, rowdy atmosphere of previous years was gone. He had relied on the "house cut" from gambling and the sales of drinks and cigarettes to provide a comfortable life for his family. Now, everything had changed.

"If everyone isn't playing cards, what are they doing instead?" Li Fu asked, genuinely surprised.

"They're all busy making money," Big Mouth Li said, shaking his head with a mix of resignation and admiration. "Ever since those college students started working at your company, the young people in the village have become so driven. Some are planning to start their own companies, others are opening restaurants or farm-stay businesses. Even those with nothing to do are off playing basketball to stay fit. Nobody has time for this anymore."

Li Fu smiled and left Big Mouth Li’s home, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. With the Fuyun Technology Industrial Park so close, many villagers were finding success selling goods at the market, often interacting with the educated employees from the company.

Influence is a subtle thing. The villagers were becoming more polite, more conscious of public hygiene, and dressing more stylishly. But more importantly, their mindset had shifted. They used to think education didn't matter, but the employees at Fuyun had proven otherwise. The year-end bonuses had left the villagers filled with regret, wishing they had studied harder so they could have secured a job at the company.

Now, everyone was learning, exercising, and striving to be better. This transformation wasn't limited to Li Family Village—it had spread to all the surrounding villages as well. From the elderly to the children, the influence was palpable. This was exactly what Li Fu had hoped for: using the success of his company to drive a positive change in the social fabric of his hometown.

With the booming economy of Sanjiang Town and Meijiang County, and the powerful engine of Fuyun Technology driving growth, opportunities were everywhere. The village youth were planning their futures, and the spirit of the entire village had been reborn.

PS: The slice-of-life arc is now complete. Next up is the space-faring conquest everyone has been waiting for.