Chapter 25: Do You Dare to Race a Lap?

"You haven't lived here, so you don't understand the sentiment. Besides, it's not necessarily true that private enterprises are better than state-owned ones; what you mentioned are just isolated cases. Private businesses are harder to operate than state-owned ones, the majority of employees receive worse benefits, and they lack the necessary protections!"

"It is inevitable that private enterprises will replace state-owned ones. The state-owned system is rigid; if it weren't for administrative intervention in the economy, they would have gone bankrupt long ago!"

Chen Pu'er, standing to the side, spoke in a soft, gentle voice: "That is too extreme a view. State-owned and private enterprises each have their pros and cons. Where I'm from, private enterprises develop faster, and more sectors are open to them. However, the idea that private enterprises will 'replace' state-owned ones is a false premise. Industries vital to the lifeblood of the nation cannot possibly be opened to private entities. This is true not only in China but in the vast majority of countries worldwide. If the lifeline industries were in private hands, the country would be in danger—it would lead to either dictatorship or chaos."

Chen Pu'er spoke at a measured pace, but his logic was clear, and most importantly, his viewpoint was objective.

"Brother Pu'er's perspective is very objective," Liang Jiyong remarked.

"That's not my own insight; I've just heard it often and borrowed it," Chen Pu'er replied.

"Some people even copy their homework wrong," Di Yutong added with a sarcastic jab.

Chen Pu'er shook his head helplessly. Although they had only spent a week together, he could see that Lu Bin was the type of person who appeared broad-minded but was actually petty and jealous. With that comment from Di Yutong, Lu Bin would surely end up resenting him as well. He didn't really care, though; people like Lu Bin were only worth dealing with on the surface—they were not worth befriending.

"What kind of business does your family do, Brother Pu'er?" Liang Jiyong asked.

"How are you so sure my family is in business?" Chen Pu'er countered.

"In business, we talk business. You said you often heard that kind of opinion, so I just guessed."

"Then why don't you guess what field my father is in?"

"In Zhejiang, the most common industries are foreign trade or contract manufacturing. I'd guess foreign trade."

"Why not manufacturing? Contract manufacturing is quite good these days, and the risks are low."

"Low risk means low returns, and it lacks substance. Most importantly, the fact that you chose Yunzhou University suggests that your family's future investment strategy values development in the inland regions. It's hard to truly understand a place without living there. Foreign trade has been decent the last two years, but with the opening of policies, competition will become increasingly fierce, and profit margins will shrink. After twenty years of development, the inland region—while still economically lagging—has basic infrastructure in place, rich resources, cheap labor, and policy support. It's essentially a safe bet."

"Haha, that’s a surprise! I didn't expect to be exposed before I even had the chance to 'infiltrate'," Chen Pu'er said, sounding genuinely pleased.

"Here is a future capitalist infiltrating the masses. You all should be vigilant, don't let him corrupt you!" Liang Jiyong joked.

Along the way, Fang Zhan and Wei Min were truly there for the sightseeing. With their cameras in hand, they captured many photos that interested them, and, of course, they didn't forget to take pictures of the others. Liang Jiyong even had a few taken of him by Di Yutong.

Most of the time, Liang Jiyong spent chatting with Chen Pu'er. Even though Chen Pu'er was a few months younger than him, he was very mature in his thinking. If not for his own decades of life experience, Liang Jiyong would have still been a naive, muddled youth at that age.

Di Yutong stayed by Liang Jiyong's side for most of the time, listening to them talk or stepping away to chat with Wei Min. Lu Bin was left on the sidelines. Although he occasionally tried to join in on the conversation, his points were either childishly ridiculous or based on wishful thinking. The two of them would basically just smile it off and quickly change the subject.

After being rebuffed, Lu Bin tried to talk to Di Yutong, but she only responded with perfunctory replies.

An hour later, as the weather turned warmer, they reached the swimming pool area. After looking around, Wei Min suggested going for a swim, and the others agreed.

However, Liang Jiyong was surprised when Di Yutong appeared wearing a very conservative one-piece swimsuit, similar to the style Su Wanqing usually wore—short sleeves on the top and shorts on the bottom. Even though it was form-fitting and still alluring, it was completely different from her usual style.

"What, don't recognize me?" Di Yutong swam over to Liang Jiyong after entering the water.

"I'm just not used to it," Liang Jiyong said.

"My charm is too powerful, so I have to play it safe to avoid being targeted by perverts. How does this look?"

"Uh, it's nice!" Liang Jiy