booktalesy Chapter 11 Investment Company
Chapter 11 Investment Company
Wang Defa paused for a moment while holding the beer bottle.
His first reaction was to argue.
I want to say, "I'm pretty tough," and "You have no idea what my status is at home."
But those words were on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back.
He recalled the embarrassing situation he had just experienced at the convenience store, where he couldn't even pay thirty yuan.
I remembered my wife's words, "Your poor childhood friend who got fired in Shanghai."
I remembered treating my childhood friend to a barbecue, and getting scolded by him for the entire night when I got home.
I remembered my secret stash of money that I had painstakingly saved for more than half a year, which was transferred away without a word or even a greeting.
A thousand words swirled in my mind, but in the end, only a faint sentence came out:
"Brother, I want to stand up for myself too."
He looked down at the beer bottle in his hand, water droplets trickling down the glass.
"But looking into my pockets, I can't bring myself to be tough."
Wang Guanxi turned his head to look at him.
Wang Defa's profile appeared somewhat round under the streetlights, but the lines of his chin were sharp.
His expression was calm, so calm that it didn't seem like someone who had just experienced not being able to pay even thirty yuan.
But beneath that calm, a lot is weighing on.
Wang Guanxi noticed it.
He turned his gaze away and looked at the river.
"To put it simply, your wife looks down on you and thinks you're poor."
That was a very blunt statement, as blunt as a knife.
Wang Defa's lips twitched.
He really didn't want to admit it.
But Wang Guanxi's words were like a needle, precisely piercing the softest spot in his heart.
It's not about "looking down on" them.
It means "I look down on you because you're poor."
She's different when she has money.
He clearly saw the change in Zhang Yanfen's attitude after receiving those gifts last night.
The only difference between "that poor bastard" and "Edison Chen" is an iPhone.
Wang Defa remained silent for a long time.
A river breeze blew by, causing the collar of his work clothes to flip up and then fall down again.
He finally spoke, his voice low, as if he were speaking to himself:
"There's no other way; money is what gives a man courage."
Wang Guanxi did not respond.
He raised his beer bottle and touched the one in Wang Defa's hand.
It made a crisp "ding" sound.
The two of them each took another big gulp.
When he finished his second bottle, Wang Guanxi put it down, turned around, and pointed behind him with his chin.
Not far behind, several tall buildings stood in the night, their outline lights illuminating simple lines.
The four large characters "Jiangcheng No. 1" shone with a warm yellow light, making them particularly eye-catching in the night sky.
"Defa, didn't you say before that you wanted to live here so it would be convenient to take walks along the river?"
Wang Defa followed his gaze and smiled, "That was all boasting from so many years ago, you still remember it?"
I just bought one today.
Wang Defa almost dropped the beer bottle in his hand.
He turned to look at Wang Guanxi, his eyes wide open, his mouth opening and closing, then opening again.
"What did you say?"
"I said, I just bought an apartment today. Jiangcheng No. 1, a large penthouse, 250 square meters."
Wang Defa's mind went blank for a moment.
He looked at Wang Guanxi's expression, trying to find a trace of "I was joking" on that face.
But it wasn't found.
Wang Guanxi's expression was calm and serious.
"Holy crap..."
Wang Defa raised his voice a few decibels.
Are you serious?
"real."
"Didn't you resign in Shanghai? Where did you get the money?"
Of course, Wang Guanxi couldn't reveal that he had obtained the system; he only vaguely stated:
"I was lucky; I made some money by collaborating on a project with someone."
"I saw that the houses here were quite cheap, so I just bought one on a whim."
"Pretty cheap?"
Wang Defa didn't dwell on where Wang Guanxi's money came from; he was simply stunned by Wang's boastful tone, which even made his voice change.
"Damn it, I heard it costs over 20,000 yuan per square meter here! And they're all large apartments, starting at 120 square meters, so a single unit costs over two million! You're telling me it's cheap?"
He counted on his fingers: "I earn 6,000 a month delivering packages, 72,000 a year. Even if I didn't eat or drink, it would take me almost 30 years to save that much! 30 years! And you're telling me it's cheap?"
Wang Guanxi chuckled as he watched his excited expression.
After Wang Defa calmed down and sat back down, panting heavily, Wang Guanxi slowly began to speak.
"Of course you can't afford it if you're a deliveryman."
Wang De rolled his eyes at him: "Isn't that obvious?"
"However," Wang Guanxi changed the subject, "if you were to partner with me to start a company, that might not be the case."
Wang De was stunned for a moment.
The phrase "starting a company" was mentioned by Wang Guanxi once this afternoon in the hotel lobby, but at the time he was too shocked to ask for details.
Now, by the river, with beer and a cool breeze, this topic has been brought up again.
Wang Defa put down his beer bottle, turned around to face him directly, and said, "Edison Chen, what kind of company are you planning to start? And how much money have you actually made in Shanghai?"
Wang Guanxi did not answer directly.
He picked up the beer bottle, took another sip, and looked at the swaying lights on the river.
"Defa, do you believe me or not?"
Without hesitation, Wang Defa replied, "I believe you."
Wang Guanxi said, "Then don't ask so many questions. Just tell me if you want to do it and if you want to make money."
Wang Defa looked at him.
A river breeze blew by, messing up both of their hair.
The streetlight shone on Wang Guanxi's face. His expression was serious; he didn't seem to be joking or making empty promises.
Wang Defa recalled many things.
I remembered when I was a kid, Wang Guanxi got the highest score in the whole school. When he came back, he treated me to spicy snacks and said, "Defa, I won't forget you when I become successful."
I remembered the year Wang Guanxi went to university in Shanghai. I patted him on the shoulder at the train station and said, "When I make it big, I'll take you flying with me."
Thinking back over the years, although the two of them hadn't been in much contact, Wang Guanxi had never refused him whenever he asked.
Wang Defa took a deep breath.
"Dry."
Just one word.
No hesitation.
The two men raised their beer bottles, clinked them together, and happily reached a cooperation agreement.
Wang Guanxi laughed, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then wiped his mouth.
A river breeze blew by, and the two people sat on the steps, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights.
"So what kind of company should we start?" Wang De asked.
"An investment company," Wang Guanxi said.
Wang De was stunned for a moment, the beer bottle in his hand hanging in mid-air.
"An investment company?" He frowned. "What does that do? It's not some kind of pyramid scheme, is it?"
He turned his head and looked at Wang Guanxi with a serious expression.
"Edison Chen, let me tell you, you absolutely must never get involved in pyramid schemes. You could be arrested and forced to work on a sewing machine any minute!"
Edison Wang almost choked to death on his beer.
He coughed twice, looking at Wang Defa with a wry smile: "What are you thinking? What pyramid scheme? I'm talking about a legitimate investment company, not the kind that involves recruiting people and charging membership fees."