Chapter 1: Transmigrating to 1981
"John, always making people wait, that's not a good habit! Punctuality and self-discipline are the essence of success! But you look a bit different today. Have you perhaps come to your senses and woken up from being lost?"
Hearing his father's words, a refreshing coolness instantly washed over John, and his original worries vanished without a trace. A faint smile involuntarily flickered across his face as he said, "Yes, I've come to my senses and should wake up. Life cannot always be immersed in crazy desires!"
"Good, it's good that you've come to your senses. If you continue to sink like this, destruction awaits you. I know you have many questions and don't understand why we, as your parents, didn't wake you up or stop you when you first started to fall, letting you face the crazy temptations of the outside world at such a young age!"
John did indeed have such doubts at this moment, not understanding why his parents ignored the dangerous temptations he faced, ignored his downfall, and did not guide him to correct his mindset and walk the right path!
Seeing John's bewildered expression, Smith Bayard smiled calmly and said, "The reason is simple: this is a test for you, a test from the Bayard Family. If you cannot emerge from the temptation of early fame and from your downfall, it means your willpower is very weak, which will severely impact your future development. To become an elite among elites, one must possess unwavering willpower. Every successful person has this quality. If you cannot pass this hurdle, you naturally won't gain the family's recognition. Even if you are a genius, you won't receive much resources from the family. Firm willpower is an essential condition for success, and now you have passed the family's test! Secondly, rebellion. No matter how much of a genius you are, you are currently in your rebellious phase. This is a concern for your mother and me. Geniuses often have a confidence and persistence that ordinary people find hard to understand. The more we try to stop you at this time, the crazier you will become. If your rebellious spirit is fully ignited, it would be very detrimental to your growth!"
Upon hearing these words, a faint sense of loss first appeared on John's face. With a Chinese soul, his yearning for family affection was etched into his bones and soul. The initial answer made his heart feel cold and difficult to accept, but fortunately, the final explanation allowed him to feel the warmth of family affection again.
John was a transmigrator, traveling through time and space from China in 2022 to the United States in 1981, this country of rampant zero-dollar shopping, becoming a rich young master. The sudden change in identity made him a little uncomfortable; after all, a thirty-something-year-old soul suddenly descended upon a teenager, merging with everything of the original body and everything of his own. The fusion of two souls naturally brought some effects!
As a transmigrator, did he have a golden finger? Of course, he did. This golden finger was not some divine power or system, but a spiritual metamorphosis. The fusion of the two souls gave him a spiritual transformation. All the information he had browsed on the internet in his previous life was deeply imprinted in his mind, and all the memories of this life were also integrated into the original body. The knowledge from his previous life was his golden finger, and the spiritual metamorphosis also led to the development of his brain region.
Suddenly changing into a new, vibrant body, and transmigrating through time and space to the United States in 1981, becoming a rich young master—this was simply a supreme blessing bestowed by the Three Pure Ones and the Buddha. With such an astonishing opportunity, if he didn't enjoy life well and achieve something, he would truly be letting down the immense fortune bestowed by the Three Pure Ones and the Buddha.
The owner of his original body was named John Beiyad, 17 years old this year, a fairy tale writer who gained fame at a young age. His mother, Anna Beiyad, was a professor at Stanford University, and his father, John Beiyad, was a well-known lawyer in San Francisco, with his own law firm.
John was extremely intelligent from a young age, possessing astonishing talent in music and writing. At only 17, he was proficient in several musical instruments, including the piano, and fluent in multiple languages besides his native English. Like many young people who achieve early fame in the United States, John quickly became lost in endless temptations, gradually losing himself and heading towards destruction, until his arrival!
Currently, John's family is preparing for Christmas, the most important holiday for Westerners! Like many children who gain fame at a young age, fame and fortune clouded his mind, and he encountered the first crisis of his life. It's not just young people who face such problems; many adults do as well, succumbing to fame and fortune, sinking into endless temptations, indulging themselves, and embarking on that path of no return.
The original body's ideal was quite shocking: to pick up girls, to pick up beautiful women all over the world. One has to admit that the United States is indeed wild and open, for a 17-year-old boy to have such a crazy idea!
Of course, who doesn't like beautiful women? He liked them too. However, picking up girls was important, but making money was even more important. After all, this was the best era for investment; as long as he seized the opportunity, he could soar to great heights.
"John, don't complain about this. This is a test you must face on your life's journey. Facing it earlier will actually be better, as it can make you understand how big the difference is between ideals and reality. Being too idealistic is not a good thing for your life. Without experiencing setbacks and overcoming them, it's difficult to achieve success. The growth of every elite is accompanied by setbacks; only by emerging from pain can your will be purified and become indestructible. A life without setbacks is incomplete! Perhaps you might find this a bit cruel, a bit cold, but your future life will have better development, which is why we made this decision. You are the eldest son in the family and must bear the responsibility of the family!"
Anna, as his mother, stepped forward to explain everything to John. Responsibility, this was a heavy topic, and one that no one could avoid. As long as you live in this world, you must bear your own responsibilities; no one can escape it, that is life!
"Mother, is it necessary to put a child like me, barely a teenager, through such a test? What's the point? In my opinion, it's not a good thing. Doing this will only make people cold and heartless, with no family affection left, only naked self-interest, turning into a cruel and heartless lunatic!" John felt an immense aversion to all these arrangements, to this so-called test!
As a father, Smith gently shook his head and said, "John, I know you dislike this cruel and heartless test very much, and I dislike all of it too. But you are the eldest son in the family, receiving an elite education, and this is a test you must face in life. Perhaps all of this is too cruel and heartless, but it is something you must confront. Facing this cruel and heartless life earlier will be better for your future, because society today is simply that ruthless."
At this point, Smith's tone shifted, and he continued, "Of course, this test also has its good benefits. As long as you pass the test, you can gain the family's recognition. When you need to start a business, you will receive support from the family fund. Because you are a genius, the family will grant you ten million US dollars in support. If you accept the family fund's support, you also need to bear corresponding responsibilities. The family's support is not gratuitous; you only need to return the principal within five years, and it needs to double within ten years. If your venture fails, your future life must accept the family's arrangements. Of course, you can also refuse and not bear this responsibility!"
"Why?" It was 1981, and ten million US dollars was not a small sum. Handing such a large amount of money to him seemed a bit crazy, and John couldn't understand it.
"There's no 'why,' this is a family rule, and it's not just for you, but for the entire family. All family members will have the same opportunity. You are a genius, and by passing the family's test before you turn eighteen, you can naturally gain the family's recognition! For all family members, no matter who they are, as long as they can achieve all of this, they can receive the same support, no one is an exception!"
"Don't feel pressured, and don't be surprised. Any family that wants to grow stronger needs to make progress in various fields and needs more geniuses, which is why there are such family rules! After the New Year, you'll be eighteen, no longer a child, and you should take on responsibility. Your life's journey will also move towards a new world!"
The Bayard Family is also an old-fashioned family in the United States. Although they are not a top-tier family, nor are they considered decision-makers in the United States, such old-fashioned families all have a good foundation, and families with a foundation naturally have their own rules.