Returning to Luzhou, Zhou You took a few days to rest and recuperate.
Sun Li was busy wrapping up the final tasks at the musical instrument shop, likely heading straight to the capital after the New Year.
Wang Fangfang had signed agreements with two swimming pools and was now arranging handovers and debugging various equipment.
The school's final exams were over. Zhou You had lost the joy of invigilating and grading papers, but he still held the line, refusing to fail any student. Gradually, his reputation among the students spread.
His teaching style was lively and interesting, often weaving in real-world stories to grab their attention and broaden their horizons. When it came to exams, he split the difficulty levels, allowing scholarship-seeking, graduate-school-bound students to pull ahead while giving those just aiming for a diploma a passing 60. It was a win-win for everyone.
Still, he slowly felt that teaching one class a week at the school was starting to feel a bit restrictive. According to his plans, he was only playing around domestically for now; the next step was definitely abroad. When that time came, he wouldn't have enough hours in the day. He hadn't figured out how to handle it yet, so he'd take it step by step. But no matter what, he couldn't give up his identity as a university professor—he genuinely loved this job.
Before he knew it, mid-January arrived, and most students had left campus. While strolling leisurely through the school, Zhou You got a call: "Hey, Director Teng, what's up?"
"Let me share some good news, Boss Zhou. Your investment dividends will hit your account today. Finance just called me to let you know. Once you get it, give me a heads-up."
"Now that's some good news. Getting the dividends in before the New Year—the company's handling things decently. At least they're making sure investors have a nice holiday." Zhou You chuckled.
After hanging up, his mood lifted even more. Soon after, a text notification came through: 42 million yuan had arrived. He shot Teng Huatao a message: Received!
He started mentally calculating how to use the money.
Xu Zheng's new film would need a reserve of 10 million yuan.
The new house in the capital, plus training and study fees, would take about 5 million.
The empty lot near his neighborhood was finally going to be developed into villas and lake-view apartments. He planned to buy a villa and a high-rise lake-view unit, which would cost around 10 million.
He'd thought about getting a new car recently, but then realized he didn't drive much. He used a small electric scooter for commuting and a Wrangler for daily errands, and Wang Fangfang drove that most of the time. Even though he had money now, Zhou You didn't want to be taken for a ride. A luxury car that cost 700,000 to 800,000 yuan abroad would at least double or triple in China—2 or 3 million or more. With that kind of cash, he'd rather wait for something like BYD's Yangwang U8. Too bad that before he came back, mass production hadn't started yet, and he wasn't sure if it was as amazing as advertised, like driving in water.
Anyway, he wasn't a car enthusiast. As long as he had something safe to drive, that was fine. As a low-key investor, he didn't want to flaunt his wealth in daily life, and he wasn't at a point where he needed a luxury car to save face.
The rest of the money would go into Moutai. Before the alcohol ban kicked in, it would still rise. For now, he could dump all the cash into Moutai—letting it sit in the bank was a waste. He'd cash out when he needed it. Either way, he kept 10 million in the bank as a safety net, a lifeline for emergencies.
Too bad that after that wave of documentary scams, he hadn't run into any good documentary directors. He'd have to wait until *A Bite of China* aired. With money, he wasn't worried about finding great documentaries. Besides, documentary makers needed patience and dedication—otherwise, they couldn't do the job.
Most students were on break, leaving only a few preparing for graduate exams. Zhou You hadn't visited his teacher's place in a while. With some free time now, he decided to drop by for a chat, since the teacher had covered many of his classes. A Le was probably back too, so he'd bring along a drone that DJI had sent him recently for A Le to play with.
With financial backing, DJI's technology had advanced rapidly. They'd just developed the Phantom 1, which was stable but not yet mass-produced. They were still fine-tuning it internally and had sent Zhou You a few units to test. He'd flown drones a few times before, but not often due to time constraints. Even though the first-generation drone was mature, it couldn't compare to later models. But bringing it as a gift was a good way to subtly showcase his investment projects.
Besides the drone for A Le, Zhou You brought his mentor tobacco, alcohol, and tea, and his mentor's wife a handbag. He arranged with A Le beforehand to make sure the teacher was home, though he was usually around.
Once confirmed, he drove over and called A Le from downstairs: "Come down and help me. There's too much stuff to carry."
Zhou You liked A Le, who was only a few years younger. He was cheerful, generous, and polite. He'd never looked down on Zhou You for being his father's student from a modest background, always calling him "Bro You" whenever he visited.
"Bro You, you always bring so much stuff. Dad's going to start complaining about me soon," A Le joked.
"Cut the chatter. I've got something fun for you this time. Let's haul it upstairs first, and I'll tell you when we get inside." Seeing A Le's goofy grin, Zhou You couldn't help but smile.
Once inside, as expected, his teacher scolded him, but it was just for show. After all, what teacher wouldn't be proud of a successful, grateful student?
"I didn't buy much—just the usual stuff. Where's the missus? I brought her a bag too. Not sure if she'll like it." He'd picked up two bags during his last trip to the capital: a youthful one for Sun Li and a more mature one he'd saved for his teacher's wife.
Otherwise, as a poor kid who often mooched meals, a cold, ungrateful teacher's wife would make things unpleasant. Luckily, she was warm and kind to him too—probably why A Le was so open and generous.
"Why buy her a bag? She's got a pile of them. Women just love buying bags," the teacher scoffed.
Just then, his wife came out of the room: "What are you talking about? I don't have that many, and they're not worth much."
Seeing the bag Zhou You handed her, she was taken aback: "Xiao You, I can't accept this. It's too expensive. This LV bag costs at least 50,000 yuan."
Hearing that, the teacher and A Le both stared—first at the bag, then at Zhou You.