CHAPTER 259: CHAPTER 257: YOUNG PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND FINANCE

Everyone wants to live a good life, and this is something no one can avoid.

If someone deliberately seeks to live a hard life, they either have great ambitions and are honing their will, or they have a strong faith and are purifying their spirit through suffering.

Apart from these two kinds of people, the rest of the ordinary people still hope and yearn for a better life.

Before Chen Xin returned to the village, the villagers’ lives were somewhat better than those in nearby villages, but it was still very limited and couldn’t really be called good.

After Chen Xin came back, the villagers’ lives noticeably improved.

The restoration of heating was the biggest change impacting the shelter where the village was located, and this was only the beginning.

The plan that Chen Xin had to upgrade the heating equipment and expand the greenhouse wasn’t a secret, and Uncle was not hiding it from the villagers. Influenced by this information, the villagers naturally thought that Chen Xin could bring them a better life.

If it were just this, the villagers wouldn’t be flocking around Chen Xin.

But Chen Xin came back only to fetch his parents. He is still staying in the village because he has some family ties in the village and wants to do something for them.

Once Chen Xin finishes these matters, he will still leave.

Ordinary villagers might simply think that Chen Xin’s presence made their lives better than before, but for those with a bit more thought, they naturally equate "Chen Xin = good life," understanding that following Chen Xin would lead to a better life.

This isn’t a difficult concept to understand. Most people in the village, though mainly farmers, have only a small portion who have worked elsewhere. This might mean they have less experience, but it does not mean they are stupid.

After realizing that following Chen Xin could lead to a better life, the first group to put aside their pride sought out Chen Xin or his parents the night before. Those close to Chen Xin’s family also began to approach Uncle, who is the village head, showcasing their skills and beginning to take action.

For those who reacted slightly slower, found it harder to swallow their pride, and were not very close to Chen Xin’s family, they also wanted to live a good life through Chen Xin, but there was relatively less they could do.

There were still some who felt they had decent abilities, recommending themselves directly to Chen Xin, straightforwardly hoping for him to take them to live a "good life."

Seeing the young man in front of him, wearing glasses and a suit, clearly dressed up for the occasion, Chen Xin’s expression was a bit strange. Nonetheless, he stroked his chin and asked, "You hope I will take you with me when I leave? That’s not a problem, but give me a reason to take you."

Speaking of which, ever since quitting his job to become a full-time online writer, Chen Xin hadn’t faced such interview-like or recruitment-like situations for a long time, although he had participated in a few interviews and hosted two recruitment sessions previously.

However, the current situation could count as a form of recruitment. Chen Xin wasn’t recruiting company employees but rather members for his own team.

This also inspired Chen Xin. In this apocalypse, he indeed needed to form a team. Whether in games or films, the protagonist usually has a group or companions. The situation of fighting alone is rare.

Just like in online games, where a complete team of specific roles is needed to tackle instances, in surviving the apocalypse, a diverse team is definitely more capable of facing crises and problems than going solo.

So, what kind of companions does he need?

While pondering this question, Chen Xin looked at the guy in front, who clearly regarded this as an interview, listening to his self-introduction.

"I graduated from one of the prestigious 985 universities domestically, with a major in finance. Previously I worked at an investment company in the provincial capital, and I have handled..." The guy in front of Chen Xin seemed to treat this as an interview and naturally recited his resume, but when he spoke about his work experience, Chen Xin directly interrupted him.

Seeing the man’s confusion, Chen Xin casually shook his hand and told him, "It’s already the apocalypse now. What you did before is not important. Tell me what you can do now."

"I am skilled in financial analysis, market investment, stock market predictions..." The young man spoke again, explaining his professional skills that he was quite proud of, but he was once again interrupted by Chen Xin.

Facing the man’s extremely puzzled and bewildered eyes, Chen Xin helplessly asked him, "Besides financial sector skills that aren’t applicable, do you know anything else?"

"How can the finance industry be useless! It’s clearly the ultimate solution to all conflicts!" The young man was clearly disgruntled with Chen Xin for deeming his abilities as pointless, arguing back quite unhappily.

However, upon hearing his words, Chen Xin began to chuckle, even to the point of having a slight bellyache: "Finance is the ultimate solution to all conflicts? Hahaha, indeed, allowing so-called financiers to plunder everything through financial investments and destroy everything does solve all conflicts."

"On what grounds can you say this? Financial investments clearly bring vitality and the necessary funds for development to entrepreneurs and industries lacking capital!" The young man, despite initially trying to ingratiate himself with Chen Xin in hopes of being taken along when Chen Xin leaves, began to argue.

Faced with the young man’s rebuttal, Chen Xin calmly said to him, "Finance itself doesn’t create any wealth or value. It’s simply an economic behavior where market participants transfer funds from the surplus side to the deficit side through various financial tools. This behavior is not problematic in itself, and indeed it’s a normal economic activity that fosters societal progression.

But financiers have exploited this economic behavior, turning ordinary monetary exchanges into plundering and destruction. No matter how those in the financial realm try to beautify this act, they can’t cover up the fact that bankers and investors use financial behaviors to commit acts of plunder."

Chen Xin continued, seemingly noticing the young man’s dissatisfied expression, and said with a smile, "You mentioned that financial investment brings vitality and development to entrepreneurs and industries lacking funds. I don’t deny that.

But how many entrepreneurs were ousted from the companies they founded due to so-called financial investments? And how many industries crashed from promising sunrise industries to neglected sunset industries because of capital greed?"

"But, but..." The young man wanted to argue but couldn’t refute these truths.

"If all these don’t convince you, I’ll give you another example. Isn’t the famous Asian financial crisis of the ’90s initially caused by the Federation’s financial investors’ speculation on Siam’s currency?" As an online writer, Chen Xin had researched substantially on the financial crisis of those years. Although many factors affected it, the speculation on Siam’s currency was indeed a catalyst for the crisis, making it a suitable case to persuade the young man in front of him.

Sure enough, Chen Xin’s words left the young man speechless. The financier who orchestrated the attack on Siam’s currency was revered as a god in the international finance community, and his most successful and glorious case was this one, frequently used and elaborated upon in many finance textbooks.

Of course, the young man had learned about this financial case and was well-acquainted with its consequences.

Because of the Asian financial crisis sparked by the financier’s speculation on Siam’s currency, the entire Asia region experienced economic decline, stagnation over the ensuing two decades, from rapid economic development.

The four Asian Tigers, once recorded in textbooks, nearly fell into economic stagnation for the next twenty years, with only Flame Country avoiding the financial crisis’s impact due to blocking the financier’s actions at the time.

"But in your view, isn’t there a beneficial side to finance? After all, financial investment is permitted under national policies, and finance is a legitimate university course!" The young man clearly didn’t want the degree he obtained after years of study and his professional achievements dismissed in a single sentence, striving to argue with Chen Xin.

Chen Xin merely shook his head, stating nonchalantly, "Financial actions aren’t wrong inherently. If used well, they indeed promote economic development significantly and drive social progress. But unregulated and uncontrolled financial acts cause societal destruction and disaster.

Honestly, I don’t think financial actions have much use in this apocalypse. The country is already fully controlling resources; all production materials are controlled by the state. Currency basically is akin to waste paper now. In such a scenario, practical skills in tangible industries are what actually matter.

In this apocalyptic state and in the coming decades, I really don’t think something like the financial industry, entirely based on the monetary system and producing no intrinsic value, has much importance.

So if you don’t have other skills and only know these things, then I’m sorry, you’re of no use to me because I have no money to invest."

Upon hearing Chen Xin, the young man appeared quite dejected. However, he didn’t leave but after some contemplation, he asked Chen Xin, "I’ve been working at a financial investment company for years, and I’m fairly articulate and good with people. Could this be useful to you?"

"That’s not too bad. If I truly can’t find enough people, or there’s a spot available in the vehicle, it’s not impossible to bring you along." Chen Xin thought for a moment and decided not to outright reject him.