From Wage Slave to Tycoon

He was about to stand when he saw Su Chen make a gesture, signaling for him to carry on and not to bother with a greeting.

Zhang Yiming understood Su Chen’s intention and knew he would have to wait until after the opening ceremony to greet him.

No one, neither on the stage nor in the audience, noticed their exchange.

The opening ceremony was quite simple, consisting of the school administration briefly explaining the curriculum for the advanced training class and introducing the backgrounds and accomplishments of the various instructors.

Of course, self-introductions from the students were an essential part of the proceedings. When Su Chen stood up to introduce himself, he genuinely shocked quite a few people.

It wasn’t just because Su Chen looked so young; it was also because Zhang Yiming, who was on stage, had led the applause for him.

Everyone had seen Su Chen when they arrived and assumed he was a staff member, since at only twenty-something years old, he looked like a university undergraduate.

But the last thing they expected was for Su Chen to be the youngest student in the class. In that instant, the other students all had mixed reactions.

Successful entrepreneurs are no fools. They knew that for someone so young to be in this advanced program, his background couldn’t possibly be simple. And with Zhang Yiming’s applause, the situation became even more intriguing.

Many of them were inwardly cursing themselves for being so blind, wondering why they hadn’t tried to strike up a conversation and get to know him earlier.

’I have to get to know him after the ceremony!’

President Li and President Chen, who had been among the first to arrive, were especially kicking themselves. They had been there the longest, so why hadn’t any of them thought to approach him?

After the ceremony, quite a few students were thinking of approaching Su Chen, but when they saw Zhang Yiming walking over with the school leadership, they all instinctively cleared a path.

At that moment, all the students were wondering the same thing: which business magnate’s son was Su Chen?

’The surname Su... It’s more common around Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but there aren’t any top-tier business tycoons with that name from other regions.’

That’s right—in their minds, Su Chen had already been elevated to the status of a rich second-generation heir.

Otherwise, why would a tycoon like Zhang Yiming take the initiative to greet him?

"Mr. Su, I didn’t expect to see you here," Zhang Yiming said with a hint of reverence.

The moment he spoke, the entire classroom fell silent. Even the people accompanying Zhang Yiming were gaping in astonishment, able to clearly perceive the reverence in his voice.

Yes, reverence.

Seeing the change in everyone’s expressions, Su Chen said with a resigned sigh, "Let’s talk somewhere else."

Upon hearing this, one of the college administrators quickly stepped forward. "Mr. Su, Mr. Zhang, why don’t we go to my office for some tea?"

Su Chen and Zhang Yiming both nodded and followed the administrator out of the classroom.

The moment they left, the classroom erupted into chaos. Everyone began heatedly debating just what Su Chen’s background could be.

Speculation ran rampant, filling the classroom with a lively clamor.

Meanwhile, Su Chen, Zhang Yiming, and the others were already seated in the administrator’s office.

"Mr. Su, allow me to introduce you. This is the dean of Guanghua College, Dean Liu Qiao. He’s also a Changjiang Scholar and a top authority in the domestic financial world!"

Su Chen turned to look at Liu Qiao, who was in the middle of brewing tea. He hadn’t expected this plain-looking, middle-aged man to be such a heavyweight. ’To be called a top authority in finance is no small feat; that’s someone who can participate in making national financial policy.’

"Dean Liu, a pleasure to meet you." Other than his initial surprise, Su Chen wasn’t particularly fazed.

After all, he had met magnates like Elder Xiao. The man before him, impressive as he was, was still a few rungs down the ladder.

"Mr. Su, please have some tea." Liu Qiao had also taken note of Su Chen’s subtle change in expression. Zhang Yiming’s deep respect for Su Chen had already piqued his curiosity.

’Zhang Yiming’s current net worth is high enough to place him near the top of the country’s wealth rankings. For even he to be so respectful toward Su Chen... one can only imagine how much more formidable Su Chen’s background must be.’

’On top of that, when Zhang Yiming introduced me, Su Chen’s eyes only flashed with a hint of surprise. That alone proves that my status is only slightly surprising to him at best.’

All of this only made Liu Qiao even more curious about Su Chen’s true identity.

For his part, Zhang Yiming had shrewdly refrained from introducing Su Chen’s background—after all, he himself had only seen the tip of the iceberg.

"Hmm?" After taking a sip of tea, Zhang Yiming’s eyes widened slightly. He looked at the teapot on the table and asked, "Dean Liu, is this tea Da Hong Pao from Wuyi Mountain?"

Hearing this, Su Chen also took a sip. The flavor was indeed quite similar to the Da Hong Pao from the Wuyi Mountain mother trees he’d had before, though it fell short in the aftertaste. Still, it was a top-grade tea.

Liu Qiao smiled and said, "It is indeed Da Hong Pao from Wuyi Mountain. A pity it’s not from the mother trees, though."

"The mother tree Da Hong Pao... it’s nearly impossible to get even a single gram. I wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to try it in this lifetime!" Zhang Yiming, a tea aficionado, sighed wistfully.

Hearing this, Su Chen had an idea. He set down his cup and said softly, "If you two have a chance, you’re welcome to visit my home. I happen to have a few ounces of that Wuyi Mountain mother tree Da Hong Pao you’re talking about."

"Hm?" two doubtful voices asked in unison.

Zhang Yiming and Liu Qiao both turned to stare at Su Chen at the same time, their expressions filled with disbelief.

"Mr. Su, did you say you have Wuyi Mountain mother tree Da Hong Pao at your home? And several ounces of it?" Zhang Yiming asked, looking at Su Chen with excitement.