Chapter 74: Willingness Beyond Price

“Tell me, what kind of people can actually afford a car? We're talking over a hundred thousand! And just for a means of transportation. Think about it—an apartment, even in the best area of Feng City, costs just over a hundred per square meter. For just over ten thousand, you could pay for the whole thing upfront. Wouldn’t it be better to buy ten or eight apartments with that money?” Zhou Meiniang looked at Shen Guodong, clearly unable to comprehend.

Shen Guodong smiled. “Everyone has their own way of thinking. Buying an apartment and waiting for its value to appreciate—that’s too slow. In the hands of someone truly capable, money can grow on its own. The returns are far greater than any real estate investment.”

Although the coming decades would witness the golden era of real estate, from Shen Guodong's perspective, ordinary people investing in property might see some hope—the appreciation certainly outpaces inflation. But think about it more deeply and you’ll realize it’s not so simple. Property prices have always outstripped income. If you can’t afford it now, you probably never will. Just over ten thousand for a whole apartment? How many ordinary families can really afford that now? Those who can are, at best, the middle class.

Shen Guodong, on the other hand, could buy property with ease, but from his point of view, he would only buy one—just enough for himself. Anything more would be a waste.

Take Feng City’s housing prices as an example. Right now, a typical place is about seventy or eighty per square meter—just a few thousand for the whole thing. Ten apartments would cost only seventy or eighty thousand. But if he invested that much in real estate, even forty years from now, with prices at over ten thousand per square meter, at best those properties would be worth tens of millions. Wouldn’t that seventy or eighty thousand, in Shen Guodong’s hands, also turn into tens of millions in forty years?

Give Shen Guodong seventy or eighty thousand as seed money today, and he’s confident that in forty years, he could turn it into billions, tens of billions, even hundreds of billions. And not just once.

The first project he intended to tackle was beverages. In his previous life, the Wahaha beverage company was valued at hundreds of billions. Other brands—Master Kang, Wanglaoji, Red Bull—were all giants, too. Combine them, and you have a company worth trillions.

Then there’s real estate, the internet, electronics—all of these are opportunities Shen Guodong plans to seize. After all, his ambitions go far beyond this: he wants to become the world’s richest man, bar none.

If you had to sum it up in a single phrase, perhaps nothing fits better than this: wealth rivaling that of a nation.

That is the true goal Shen Guodong hopes to achieve. The money itself doesn’t matter—he wants to prove himself, to create great companies one after another. The thrill of that is beyond most people’s imagination.

“If everything goes well on this trip, I’ll be able to afford that car by year’s end. If you’re interested, you could start learning to drive now—there’s still time!” Shen Guodong said with a laugh.

Zhou Meiniang’s eyes lit up instantly. She looked genuinely excited. “Are you really planning on buying a car? I’ve heard that cars lose value as soon as you drive them off the lot. But with property, it’s different—it always goes up. Wouldn’t it be better to buy ten or eight apartments and just keep them?”

“As long as you like it, that’s all that matters. There’s no need to worry so much. Besides, when others are out in the wind and rain, you’re sitting in an air-conditioned car. That comfort isn’t something money can always buy. Isn’t life meant to be enjoyed? If you focus too much on gains and losses, you’ll have a hard time,” Shen Guodong replied with a smile.

If everyone thought that way, wouldn’t car companies go out of business? Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. At least, that’s how Shen Guodong sees it. The service he enjoys now is worth far more than those hundreds of thousands.

And in this country, people care most about appearances. Driving such a car is a matter of pride among family and friends. Isn’t there a saying here? “You can’t put a price on what you truly desire.” Shen Guodong’s words were not without reason.

“Well, I’ll just have to take advantage of your generosity,” Zhou Meiniang replied, casting him a charming glance and smiling radiantly.

Shen Guodong chuckled. “You have that much faith in me?”

“Of course. When you say you’ll do something, you always make it happen—I believe that completely!” Zhou Meiniang declared with conviction. She truly meant it. Otherwise, she would never have risked being judged and scorned by the world to stand by Shen Guodong’s side. It was because this man possessed qualities she admired.

That’s why Zhou Meiniang believed that Shen Guodong was her destined one. Even if she had no public status by his side, even if she lived in the shadows, she was still willing to stay with him. Wasn’t that far more meaningful than following Wang Weihua?

Shen Guodong appreciated this deeply, and the thought brought a smile to his face.

He spent the entire afternoon running errands. At five o’clock sharp, Shen Guodong appeared at Liu Yueru’s school gate.

Students streamed past in droves, but there were few parents around. In these times, students weren’t as pampered as in later years. Even in middle school, they didn’t need to be picked up and dropped off. Starting from second or third grade, most children went to school on their own.

“You’re here!”

When she saw Shen Guodong, Liu Yueru approached shyly. After all, with so many students around, it was a little embarrassing to have her husband come pick her up.

“Hop on!” Shen Guodong patted the back seat.

Liu Yueru perched sideways on the back, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pedaled hard, the bicycle zipping quickly toward home.

On the way, they passed a market, and Shen Guodong bought a generous selection of groceries and some drinks. That evening, the couple planned to enjoy a hearty meal together.

“What’s the occasion? Why did you buy so much food?” Liu Yueru asked, puzzled as she looked at Shen Guodong.

Shen Guodong smiled. “No special reason. We have more money now, so why not eat a little better?”

“You’re right,” Liu Yueru replied, smiling dreamily.

Life like this was certainly more relaxing. In the past, her family could barely afford meat, even during holidays. Most days, they survived on gruel and vegetables, and when money was tight, they would trek far into the countryside to gather wild greens.