276: Chapter 276 The Troubles of a Genius

4:30 AM. South City Waste Compression Station.

A pungent, sour stench hung thick in the air.

Wearing his faded old hoodie, Chen Fan stood beneath a streetlamp. He pulled a large bamboo broom—taller than a grown man—and a fluorescent yellow reflective vest from the sanitation truck, tossing them at Chen Xingchen's feet.

"Put them on. Sweep the streets," Chen Fan said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

Chen Xingchen yawned. He slipped on the reflective vest and hefted the broom a couple of times to test its weight.

"It's just sweeping," Chen Xingchen said, patting his chest confidently. "This is way simpler than solving calculus. Two streets? I'll have them done in two hours!"

5:00 AM sharp.

Under the dim glow of the streetlamps, the cleanup began.

On the first street, fallen leaves mixed with last night's muddy water, clinging stubbornly to the asphalt.

Having absorbed the water, the large bamboo broom felt incredibly heavy.

Chen Xingchen swung the broom. Before he had even cleared fifty meters, his palms were red and his arms ached. The broom dragged against the ground with a harsh, scraping sound, his pace slowing to a crawl.

Chen Fan didn't say a word. Holding a long-handled shovel, he followed behind, clearing the muck from the drainage ditches with crisp, efficient movements.

The sky gradually brightened.

Up ahead at the intersection, an overturned slop bucket came into view. Leftovers and scraps spilled all over the ground, releasing a nauseating stench.

Chen Xingchen pinched his nose and backed away repeatedly. He truly couldn't stomach the smell.

His eyes darted around, and he spotted an elderly scavenger pushing a cardboard cart down the street.

Slipping off his sneaker, Chen Xingchen swiftly pulled out a folded fifty-yuan bill from beneath the insole. This was the stash of private money he had hidden away from reselling cards yesterday.

"Hey, old mister," Chen Xingchen said, stopping the old man and handing him the money. "Help me sweep this section of the road, and this fifty yuan is yours."

The sanitation captain on duty happened to ride past on his tricycle. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the young master in the reflective vest paying someone else to do the work.

Chen Fan stopped what he was doing. He strode over and snatched the sweat-scented bill right out of the old man's hand with two fingers.

"Dad, this is called outsourcing mindset," Chen Xingchen argued hastily, looking up at him. "Leveraging cheap labor with capital to improve efficiency. That's exactly how it's written in the books!"

Chen Fan folded the fifty-yuan bill, walked over to the sanitation captain's tricycle, and stuffed it into the charity donation box on the front of the vehicle.

"Working within the rules is called business. Violating the baseline is called speculation." Chen Fan turned around, looking down at Chen Xingchen. "The rule set for today is to do it yourself. Trying to take a shortcut is a violation."

Chen Xingchen clenched his teeth and lowered his head, remaining silent.

With his shortcut cut off, the temperature began to rise.

Blisters formed on the hands gripping the broom. Sweat dripped into his eyes, stinging sharply.

Chen Xingchen stole a glance at Chen Fan, hoping his father would soften and call a halt.

What he saw next left him stunned.

Chen Fan walked over to the overturned slop bucket. Wearing neither gloves nor a mask, he bent down, grabbed the grease-covered plastic bin with both hands, and dumped it into the garbage truck with a loud clatter.

Chen Xingchen was thoroughly shaken by his father's sheer grit.

A conglomerate tycoon worth trillions didn't even blink as he lifted a bucket of slop with his bare hands.

Chen Xingchen swallowed hard, swallowed all of his young master temperament, and lowered his head to continue battling the trash on the ground.

10:00 AM.

People streamed back and forth across the intersection.

A black Mercedes-Benz S-Class stopped by the roadside, waiting for the red light. The window rolled down, and a chubby head poked out.

It was his classmate, Fatty Wang.

Holding an Ultraman foil card, Fatty Wang was on his way to a cram school. At a single glance, he spotted Chen Xingchen, who was wearing a sanitation uniform and covered in dust.

"Chen Xingchen!" Fatty Wang gaped, pointing out the window and laughing mockingly. "You made so much money yesterday, how come you're sweeping the streets today? Did your family go bankrupt?!"

People at the intersection turned to look one after another.

Chen Xingchen's face flushed bright red. He threw down his broom and turned to run. With his self-esteem ground into the dirt, he couldn't bear to stay for even a single second.

Chen Fan stepped forward, stood right beside the Mercedes, and knocked on the driver's side window.

The window rolled down. Wearing a gold watch, Fatty Wang's father was just about to curse.

But the moment he saw Chen Fan's face clearly, Fatty Wang's father shuddered, the color instantly draining from his face.

He had attended the Huihuang Group's investment conference and had seen this face from afar.

"M-Mr. Chen!" Fatty Wang's father's voice cracked. He practically scrambled out of the car door and bowed repeatedly to Chen Fan. "The child doesn't know any better, please don't take offense!"

He turned and roared at the back seat, "Shut up! Apologize to Young Master Chen!"

Fatty Wang burst into tears from fright.

Hearing the name "Mr. Chen" and seeing several black-clad bodyguards rush out of the armored vehicles, the surrounding shopkeepers and pedestrians gasped in shock.

The head of the Huihuang Group, the richest man in China, was personally leading his heir to clear drains and sweep the streets here.

The news spread down the entire street in an instant. The way everyone looked at Chen Fan completely changed.

Fatty Wang's father slammed on the gas and sped away as if fleeing for his life.

Chen Fan walked to the side of the road and pointed at the large bamboo broom on the ground.

"Pick it up," Chen Fan said, looking at Chen Xingchen.

With reddened eyes, Chen Xingchen clenched his teeth and walked back step by step. He bent down, picked up the broom, and continued working.

12:00 PM.

The last fallen leaf was swept into the dustpan.

Exhausted, Chen Xingchen slumped onto the curb. His legs trembled, and he didn't even have the strength to stand up.

A black business van pulled up at the end of the street. Su Wanqing opened the door and ran down, holding two bottles of chilled mineral water in her hands.

Seeing her son's blistered hands and dirty face, she ran over in distress, unscrewed a cap, and handed the bottle to Chen Xingchen.

Chen Fan reached out his hand and stopped Su Wanqing.

He turned and pointed to the nearby sanitation captain.

"Go collect today's wages," Chen Fan said, looking at Chen Xingchen. "If you want to drink water, buy it with the money you earned yourself."

Su Wanqing bit her lip and took half a step back. She knew Chen Fan's temperament.

Supporting himself on his knees, Chen Xingchen stood up. He dragged his heavy steps over to the sanitation captain.

Flattered and overwhelmed, the sanitation captain pulled a crumpled ten-yuan bill from his pocket.

"Young Master... this is your wage for today," the captain said, his voice trembling slightly.

Chen Xingchen accepted it with both hands.

The bill was stained with sweat and dust. It felt light, yet it weighed as heavy as a mountain.

Chen Fan pointed to the nearby convenience store. "Go buy water."

Chen Xingchen walked over to the convenience store window and slapped the ten yuan onto the glass counter. "Boss, two bottles of mineral water."

The convenience store owner had already witnessed the scene outside. How could he dare take money from the heir of the Huihuang Group? He waved his hands repeatedly. "On the house, on the house! Please, don't pay!"

"Take it," Chen Xingchen said, pushing the money forward. "I earned this from sweeping the streets."

With trembling hands, the owner accepted the ten yuan and handed over two bottles of ice-cold water.

Chen Xingchen holding the water, walked back to Chen Fan. He unscrewed the cap and took a large gulp of the ice-cold water.

The icy liquid flowed down his throat and into his stomach. This was the sweetest water he had ever tasted in his life.

He set the water bottle down and looked at his blistered palms.

"Dad, I was wrong," Chen Xingchen said, lowering his head. "I shouldn't have tricked my classmates out of their money. Clean money is just too hard to earn."

Chen Fan reached out and patted his son's shoulder.

The surrounding onlookers were dead silent. Everyone admired the Chen family's method of education to the utmost. There was a reason why the household of the richest man could endure and prosper.

Just then, Chen Haoyu quickly made his way through the crowd.

He held a red, secure phone in his hand. His expression was solemn, yet tinged with a suppressed, ecstatic joy.

"Boss," Chen Haoyu said in a lowered voice as he approached Chen Fan. "The Huihuang Academy of Sciences just sent a top-secret flash report. In the Deep Space Exploration Project, the Pangu III engine ignition test was successful. We have obtained the key to the sea of stars."

Chen Fan took a wet towel handed to him from the side and wiped the dust off his hands.

He took the secure phone, his gaze sweeping over the data on the screen.

The wealth on Earth had long since ceased to satisfy the sheer scale of the Huihuang Group. The true journey was only just beginning.