Chapter 223 Multiple Choice Questions

(Cold air is coming again, everyone, stay warm.)

Li Yan was surprised, but he also felt a bit suspicious.

Chen Mingying, who had just been disdainfully criticizing him with a dark face, could suddenly transform into a helpless, compassionate mother. The speed and skill of her change in demeanor showed how her years in the business world hadn’t been for nothing. She knew exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to say it with ease.

If the previous expression could be a disguise, why couldn’t the current smile also be a facade?

Li Yan thought carefully. If one were to say which of Chen Mingying’s faces was the mask and which was the true face, he would tend to believe that the current one wore a mask, and the one before was the true face! After all, from the beginning, Chen Mingying had treated him with that attitude. Even in front of Lan Tianci, Wen Qiang, and others, she gave him no face at all, clearly preferring her daughter to date Lan Tianci.

In considering parental attitudes, although Li Yan had never been a parent himself, from his own parents, Huang Ying’s mother, Zhang Yurong’s parents, and even Li Jie’s father, who had just contacted him, he could grasp a general understanding. From his research in psychology, he summarized that it was a combination of "love and selfishness."

Love, of course, being the selfless love parents have for their children. But selfishness is part of human nature. When given a choice, the love is solely for their own children, whereas for the outsider, there’s a selfish consideration: the better the conditions, the better the choice!

This form of selfishness isn’t shameful. On the contrary, if it weren’t for this hint of selfishness, one would either be extremely open-minded and benevolent, treating everyone impartially; or the love for their child would be very limited, not caring about how they end up in the future.

With this thought in mind, Li Yan outwardly remained calm, but inside he held reservations and caution toward Chen Mingying’s current reaction, wary of it being a delaying tactic, potentially sending away her daughter during the New Year’s period, or organizing an engagement.

Chen Mingying is Yu Xiaodi’s mother, so of course, Xiaodi hopes and believes that this is real. This is the outcome she desires. A harmonious relationship between parents and loved ones is a happy future.

After crying uncontrollably, Chen Mingying helped her up and comforted her, "Xiaodi, I’m sorry, during this period, you’ve been wronged."

Yu Xiaodi shook her head hard, tears unstoppable, feeling extremely ashamed. Just awhile ago, she thought since her parents didn’t care about her, she might as well elope with Li Yan.

"Alright, stop crying. Your eyes are swollen, and your face is a mess. Go wash your face and touch up a little, show Li Yan your beautiful side."

Upon hearing her mother’s words, Yu Xiaodi felt a bit embarrassed. Most of the time, she didn’t wear makeup, especially since being home these days. But now thinking about it, she should at least wash away the tears and put on a bit of makeup, just so she doesn’t seem so worn out and make Li Yan worry.

"Okay..."

As she got up to leave, Chen Mingying added, "Tell the kitchen what Li Yan likes to eat, be sure to have him stay for lunch."

"Sure!" Xiaodi loved hearing this—she was worried he would leave after just one meeting, but if he stayed for lunch, they’d have more time together, and it was a signal of goodwill from her mother!

Seeing Xiaodi leave excitedly without thinking too much, Li Yan secretly shook his head; Xiaodi was still a bit naive, going with her feelings. When it comes to mind games, she’s no match for her mother!

"Since you sent Xiaodi away, President Chen, you must have something real to disclose to me. Let’s make the most of the time!" Li Yan directly asked.

Chen Mingying’s motherly smile transformed once again; although she didn’t pull a long face as before, she at least dropped the warmth and donned a stern expression.

"Li Yan, I don’t like you!"

Li Yan thought: True to form, she’s straightforward, without any pretense, but this somehow feels more genuine. He wanted to retort with: ’It’s okay, as long as Xiaodi likes me, that’s fine,’ but in the end, she was an elder, and saying that would seem frivolous.

"I understand, go on."

"Xiaodi used to be spoiled and playful. Even though she sometimes overdid it, her worldly experience wasn’t deep. She’s a simple child; if she likes something, it’s straightforward. But you, you’re very scheming!" Chen Mingying continued more directly.

Watching her change face multiple times and Yu Hong seemingly sipping tea and observing him unobtrusively, Li Yan thought: If we’re talking about deep schemes, who can compare with you two? I’ll just admit that I’ve concealed some things.

"Such as?"

"For example, even when I insulted you and trampled on your dignity with money, you remained composed; when I told you it was just a test, you weren’t overly happy or excited; and now as we talk, you maintain the same demeanor."

Li Yan smiled. The feeling of trampling one’s dignity arises only under vast differences in wealth; likewise, the anger, pride, and disdain of resisting a monetary assault occurs under a significant wealth disparity, provoking extreme reactions from the poorer party.

A billionaire can throw away hundreds of thousands, or millions to trample on someone whose entire fortune is only tens of thousands. But what about a multi-millionaire or billionaire?

Bill Gates once said: After you have one hundred million, any additional wealth is just a numbers game on paper. One hundred million is almost beyond human comprehension, and anything more is just adding zeros in your account. One hundred million is enough to ensure a person lives a wealthy life, providing a psychological sense of security.

"Honestly, if my reactions were to change based on your moods, I’d be jumping around when you’re unhappy, crying in gratitude when you smile, and trembling in fear when you’re serious... If that were the case, would Xiaodi even be interested in me? Isn’t that the behavior of an immature young man? While I’m not as familiar with you all, I think I’m mature enough, right?"

"..." Yu Hong and Chen Mingying exchanged silent glances.

"However, I do apologize. I was too excited earlier, stating I’d give you 20 million International Coin to leave us alone. This shows I’m not composed enough and need to learn to maintain discretion and cunning," Li Yan said with a smile.

If Li Jiacheng declares to spend one billion or eight hundred million to trample on Li Zhaoji’s dignity, how would Li Zhaoji react? Would he feel insulted and curse in anger? He might just laugh it off, or even graciously accept it.

Although Chen Mingying is the chairman of a multi-billion-dollar group, it doesn’t mean her personal assets are worth billions, whereas Li Yan’s money is mostly hidden, and largely his personal assets! He doesn’t know the exact gap between them, but it certainly won’t be enough for Chen Mingying to trample him. Like Liu Yuyang back then, he just found it amusing.

However, when Li Yan spoke about his lack of composure, Yu Hong and Chen Mingying apparently misunderstood. They thought Li Yan’s statement was just a petulant remark, and now he’s admitting it wasn’t sincere.

"Recognizing your own faults, you’re teachable indeed."

Teachable indeed... Li Yan felt a bit embarrassed.

Yu Hong interjected: "As Li Yan said himself, he’s mature, not ignorant. You don’t need to take an attitude of criticism and education, just state the key issues directly!"

Chen Mingying took a breath and then said: "I just mentioned a test... it is indeed true!"

Li Yan was a bit surprised; she dared to emphasize it like this?

"But the test is not over yet! Now, it can only prove that you truly love each other. As a mother, I must also test whether you have the ability to care for Xiaodi! This care, of course, is not merely being able to fill her stomach. In modern society, economic capability is the most direct measure of one’s success. I am a businesswoman."

Li Yan could somewhat believe that what Chen Mingying said was a test. In other words, her previous words didn’t mean she agreed for the two of them to be together but rather to reassure Xiaodi and prevent a breakup before sending her away and starting to talk conditions.

"Then let’s be direct and talk money!" Li Yan completed her words.

Talking money can hurt feelings, but since there’s no affection between them, talking money is more practical.

"Alright!" Chen Mingying nodded. "I’m not selling my daughter; I don’t need you to give me 20 million or 50 million International Coin. But I need you to prove your capability! You didn’t feel insulted by what I said earlier, so now I’m giving you two choices, and you should be able to handle them calmly, right?"

"I’m all ears for the details."

"I don’t need you to start from scratch to prove yourself. I’ll provide you with seed money, and the timeframe is three years. Three years from now, when Xiaodi graduates, will be your evaluation day. You can choose: First, I’ll give you one million, and you develop it to five million in three years. Second, I’ll give you ten million, and you develop it to thirty million. Consider it."

Li Yan immediately realized that the choice itself is a test! He pondered briefly and simply said, "Thank you for the entrepreneurial seed money. It could completely be squandered or I might run away with it. My choice will impact your assessment of me, right?"

Chen Mingying neither confirmed nor denied.

"The first option requires earning four million in three years, while the second requires earning twenty million in three years. At first glance, the second seems five times harder than the first. But actually, the larger the seed capital, the faster the earnings can grow. Additionally, the first option requires at least a 171% growth rate annually; the second option requires a 145% growth rate annually. Moreover, daring to take the ten million shows more courage, right? So, the second option might be the correct choice you acknowledge."

Before they could finish, Li Yan smiled and added, "But perhaps not! Maybe choosing the first makes you think it’s taking on a tougher challenge, thus showcasing more confidence and it’s also potentially the correct choice you acknowledge!"

Chen Mingying showed slight admiration. She used to think Li Yan was unlearned, trying to swindle wealth and affection. Now, in such a short time, he analyzed the three layers of the test in this choice, directly pointing out the pros and cons. He indeed showed some depth.

"So which do you choose?" Chen Mingying did not let herself show any indication. "Or can you now analyze the inner thoughts of myself and Old Yu to guess which we believe is the correct choice?"

Li Yan shook his head with a smile, "I choose both!"

(Thanks for the rewards yesterday: Yagami Light II, Dream, Dawn Light, Reader nvlTjxDmFTe2cd9, Cp Pampas, Moon Night ㄎζㄎ Blue Wolf, dongmin8061) (To be continued. To know the fate of future events, please log in to www.qidian.com, more Chapters available, support the author, support official reading!)