Reaching the age of thirty, my income randomly doubled

Teaching economics, she, with her unique elegance, always saw her classroom bursting at the seams.

Many students even squeezed by the windowsills to listen in.

For women over thirty, there is no better trait than elegance.

And Yang Hong is the very epitome of this.

The former president also asked him to introduce himself to everyone, reminding that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Of course, good relations with colleagues are a must.

Returnees like Zhang Changwen, influenced by the culture abroad, tend not to beat around the bush.

Whereas Jiang Xiaodong, coming from a few years in a large state-owned enterprise, seems approachable, but actually maintains a strong sense of distance.

As for Teacher Yang Hong, she is the classic example of an older single woman.

Being excellent in every way, whether in academics or personal qualities, she stands out among her peers.

As everyone knows, once a woman is too accomplished, it's harder for her to find a partner,

Especially after the age of twenty-eight.

Those who meet her criteria are mostly married; for those who don't meet her standards, she'd rather stay single than settle.

However, the benefit of having a beautiful, single woman in the group is that it always provides plenty of topics for conversation.

Some deliberate show-off is invariably present in such emotions, a common human foible.

Since they were unfamiliar with Chen Pingsheng's background, they started with questions about his academic credentials and alma mater.

After all, it's normal, considering that one has to graduate from a prestigious school to teach at the Financial University in Magic City.

"My academic background is a long story; better not to mention it and embarrass everyone!"

"How could you come here to be a professor with a complicated academic history?" Zhang Changwen's blunt question nearly brought the conversation to a standstill.

It's people like Jiang Xiaodong, with their experience at state-owned enterprises, who truly understand the art of conversation handed down from our ancestors.

"Academic credentials are merely a young person's stepping stone. At our age, we shouldn't be still assessing people based on their credentials. Expertise is what matters, and Professor Chen must certainly have his exceptional areas."

"That's right, Professor Chen, what subjects do you lecture on? I definitely want to drop by for a class when I have the time."

Being a guest professor, he is just an adjunct hired by the school, and there's no competition with them.

Naturally, it's important to maintain surface-level good relations.

Yang Hong suggested, "Since it's Professor Chen's first day, how about we have a meal outside at noon? I'll host, what do you say?"

"Great idea, Professor Chen really knows how to make an entrance, just arrived and already got our beautiful teacher to treat us. We can all join in on the fun."

University professors are quite dignified folk, especially the ultra first-line ones like them.

They surely don't lack petty cash.

As long as they don't buy property, they can live quite comfortably.

It's normal for a new professor to want to treat people to improve relationships.

Chen Pingsheng waved his hands in refusal, "That's not appropriate. How can I let you pay? Let me do it, and from now on, don't call me Professor Chen—it's too formal. Just call me Old Chen."

"Alright then, I know a restaurant that's delicious and not pricey."

University students are a very free-spirited group, and the school's surroundings offer an abundance of food stalls,

And then there are the small taverns. In the past, university life called for one passionate romance.

Nowadays, who doesn't like to engage in several more physically and emotionally taxing 'physical relationships'?

Since Chen Pingsheng didn't have any classes scheduled on his first day, he went out for lunch with them.

Even as university professors, they couldn't help but pay attention to what kind of car he drove.

Zhang Changwen and Jiang Xiaodong stealthily checked with the corners of their eyes to see if he drove a BBA.

He drove a Volkswagen, not as luxurious as Yang Hong's Audi A5.

Since he was treating, naturally they went in his car, and along the way, Jiang Xiaodong also introduced him to the intricate personal relationships within the school,

And some special students.

So-called special students are either very wealthy or wield power.

They must fit at least one of those categories.

These individuals inevitably receive extra attention from many teachers.

Knowing he was from Southern Province, Yang Hong even specifically recommended an authentic Hunan Restaurant.

The price was reasonable; the four of them ordered two hot pots and three dishes, and the total was only three hundred yuan.

Chen Pingsheng was not much of a talker, mostly listening to Zhang Changwen and Jiang Xiaodong speak.

One liked to discuss the economic disparities overseas, and the other preferred to talk about the pros and cons of management in domestic enterprises.

According to Jiang Xiaodong, state-owned enterprises now endorse a culture of drinking tables and studying the essence of speeches.

What did he mean by that?

It refers to when a senior executive visits a local branch or various departments for research.

Then the junior leaders or subordinates at that local branch...
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A banner will immediately be hung, deeply studying the spirit of so-and-so's speech.

And this culture is not limited to one enterprise; many enterprises experience similar occurrences.

Jiang Xiaodong, a promising young man, left the state-owned enterprise back then because he couldn't stand these situations.

College students in the nineties were still very much in demand.

As for the situation he described, Chen Pingsheng, of course, was very much aware.

His own company often went through this sort of thing, not that he was the one giving the speeches down the line.

But instead, it was when bosses came to him for research, claiming to study the market experience and successful business strategies of the Tengying Group.

In the end, it was others talking, and he would listen.

Understanding the boss's spirit deeply.

Mr. Ma has said before, after all, it's only the minority.

Jiang Xiaodong usually gives the impression of being astute in every aspect; even he may not realize that he has deeply taken on the habits of the system.

It's just that his symptoms aren't severe, and he usually only talks freely about these matters after a few drinks.

He doesn't admit it afterward.

Not just him talking little, Yang Hong, the elegant female teacher, also speaks very little.

Actually, by their age, their life experiences are not inconsiderable.

Apart from lacking experience in starting a family, she still has plenty of other experiences.

Her favorite pastime is studying stocks, since as an economics teacher she's bound to have some side interests.

Stock trading is her biggest hobby, and the stocks she likes to trade are mostly overseas ones.

Anyone who studies the stock market long-term knows well that Nasdaq's stocks are expected to grow over the long run.

As for domestic stocks, they are mostly volatile; once a scandal breaks, a market value of a hundred billion can collapse down to nothing overnight.

It's no exaggeration to say that the investors are completely treated as leeks ready for harvesting.

Like her, a female teacher who has long studied economics, both her knowledge and experience are extraordinary.

Naturally, she would not invest her money in such a stock market; it can be said that Yang Hong's financial independence is greatly due to stock trading.

The financial return from trading stocks is much more than she gets from teaching.

All three have their own stories. Since it is their first day meeting Chen Pingsheng, they wouldn't delve deep into conversation, only chatting about light, trivial matters.

Even Jiang Xiaodong often asks Yang Hong for advice on stock trading, and she doesn't hesitate to teach.

It's good to make money together; there's nothing to hide.

The more people who buy a stock, the higher its price will naturally go.

However, even an economics teacher as strong as Yang Hong can make mistakes.

That was the case with Antler Coffee's Nasdaq IPO; she thought that this Tengying Group stock, with the backing of the Tengying heavy-weight, would surely experience long-term growth.

But when it encountered Muddy Waters' short-selling operation, it turned out to be completely defenseless.

The stock price was severely breached.

She lost more than two hundred thousand in a short period.

Afterward, she concluded from her experience, not to buy any Chinese stocks.

Instead, she chose to avoid that pitfall.

It's quite surprising that someone like her, with both knowledge and beauty, and financial independence, still frequently attends blind dates.

There were plenty of people willing to set her up on dates, all kinds.

And when it comes to popularity in blind dating, it's not about education or appearance.

It's about having a position in the system.

After a meal, Chen Pingsheng had a basic understanding of them.

He also got to know their personalities fairly well.

After the meal ended, Yang Hong, sitting in his passenger seat, commented, "Is the riding experience of the Passat this good now?

You can't even hear any noise from outside while sitting in it."

Chen Pingsheng casually replied a few words without explaining much.

Of course, Yang Hong was just asking casually.

When he returned home afterward, Er Piya was still wearing her little overalls, twirling around him.

By now, she was almost at the age where she is cloying and tiresome; if anything at home was slightly unsatisfactory,

she would glare with her round and large eyes, seriously telling you, "I'm a child prodigy, okay? Please respect the intellectual property rights a prodigy deserves."

Usually, at such times, her sister would definitely punch her in the head.

Still a prodigy? You're deluding yourself.

Under her sister's iron fist, Er Piya was clearly much tamer.