Chapter Thirty-Four [This Time I Truly Understand]
Old Sun was moved, indeed, but still had his reservations.
The previous farce at the school had left Old Sun wary of these loan sharks.
But, concerns or not, the lack of money was clear as day. If he couldn't fill the hole in Yang Xiaoyi's accounts, once the accounts were balanced at his unit, he would be facing a crime of embezzling hundreds of thousands of yuan. At this moment, his concerns took the back seat.
Old Sun hesitated, but in the end, he didn't make up his mind. He exchanged phone numbers with Brother Lei, burdened with worries, and walked away, pushing the bicycle he bought for fifty yuan.
Watching Old Sun leave, Brother Lei asked with caution at his side, "Big Brother, how did I perform just now? No issues, right?"
Chen Nuo laughed, looking at him. "Brother Lei, I think that with your style, you're bound to make a fortune in the future."
With that, he gestured toward the small door at the back of the store. "Let's go inside and talk."
Casually, Chen Nuo picked up the backpack he had brought that morning, carrying it as he briskly walked through the small door.
The back room was a corridor leading to two or three others. One was an office, used for tallying accounts and collecting bikes on a daily basis. Another was Brother Lei's resting place, furnished with a small bed and a TV set.
Chen Nuo glanced around and went straight into the office, sitting down on the only chair behind the desk. He gestured to Wu Dalei, still hesitant at the door, "Come in and talk."
Yeah, right. As if this is your home and not mine.
He didn't dare show a trace of discontent on his face, and with a smile, finally mustered up some energy to drag a chair from another room before coming in. He then sat down neatly in front of the desk.
"Big Brother, at your command."
Chen Nuo placed the backpack directly on the table and unzipped it. Stacks of banknotes were revealed.
Brother Lei felt a bit uncertain, and stuttered, "Big Brother, I'm just in the business of black cabs. This much money... I dare not get involved in murder for hire!"
"I'm not asking you to do that kind of thing," Chen Nuo slowly replied. "The teacher who just left, figure out a way to lend him the money! Two hundred thousand!"
Wu Dalei's eyes rolled as he thought he understood, slapping his thigh. "I got it! You want to set a trap? To get his house?"
He couldn't help but size up the young man before him. He looked to be just seventeen or eighteen, with such a ruthless heart! So young, yet he's already learning the ways of the street, setting debt traps, angling for people's homes and properties? That's way too ruthless!
Seeing that Wu Dalei had misunderstood, Chen Nuo stood up and slapped him on his bald head. "What are you thinking? Not after his house! Just find a way to lend him the money!"
"Huh?" Brother Lei was a bit baffled.
"The contract, yes, needs to be signed, otherwise he probably won't trust it. But make the terms more lenient, lower the interest rate, huh, just calculate it with the lowest industry interest rate. For the repayment date, it should be installment payments, write it for ten or eight years, as you like," Chen Nuo mused. "Anyway, the terms must be attractive, make him willing to borrow from you."
Wu Dalei was still puzzled. "Big Brother... this kind of lending, it's my first time hearing about it! Is this a loan or a charity?"
Chen Nuo looked at Wu Dalei and said slowly, "Let me put it this way, my teacher has run into some trouble and is short of funds to get through it. But I can't openly give him the money..."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh!!" Only then did Wu Dalei really get it. "I understand now! You should've just said so earlier! With you explaining it like this, I get it."
"You get it?"
"I get it!"
"You really get it?"
"Really get it!"
Chen Nuo nodded with satisfaction. "In short, this money needs to be lent to him, two hundred thousand. If you can't lend it out, I'll come to you to settle accounts."
"Of course! Just as you said, he's in trouble and short of money. If I make the borrowing terms this lenient, there's no way it won't be lent out! Leave this matter to me."
Wu Dalei opened the backpack again and looked at the money. "Big Brother, the amount isn't right, there's too much. It looks like more than two hundred thousand."
"Here, three hundred thousand," Chen Nuo stated indifferently. "The extra one hundred thousand, sixty thousand accounts for what was taken from you the other day, including that motorcycle. The rest, consider it medical expenses for the men under you from before."
Wu Dalei asked cautiously, "But... that's still too much, isn't it? The medical expenses wouldn't cost that much."
Chen Nuo glanced at Brother Lei, focusing on his shiny bald head and chuckled, "If there's extra, keep it, use it to treat your hair. You're young and already going bald. Don't delay, get it treated sooner rather than later; you might still grow it back."
"..."
Wu Dalei's eyes brimmed with tears!
He was deeply moved. Playing along with this young master in this act meant he could not only recover all he had lost, principal and interest, but also make a tidy sum. However, the words somehow sounded so awkward. He discussed more details about getting the job done with Wu Dalei. Just like that, time flew by, and it was already noon.
Wu Dalei was about to bring up lunch, when he saw a schoolgirl pulling up on her bicycle at the shop front, stopping with a screech. She looked up at the sign: Dalei's Bike Shop. Right place, no doubt.
The girl got off her bike and hopped and skipped her way into the shop.
Wu Dalei couldn't help but take a closer look.
The lass had delicate features, especially those peach blossom eyes – the very image of a beauty in the making.
That figure... tsk tsk tsk...
Just as he was observing, he saw her eyes finding the young man, a sweet smile immediately gleaming in her gaze as she bounced over.
"Chen Nuo!"
"How did you end up here?"
"I didn't believe my dad when he said you were working here, but here you are skipping class again!" Sun Keke wouldn't let go of Chen Nuo's arm.
Chen Nuo felt somewhat helpless and looked at Wu Dalei. "Uh... this is Old Sun's daughter."
Wu Dalei quickly withdrew the unrestrained gaze he had been directing at the young lady.
However, his mind was abuzz with thoughts… Oh! Now he truly got it! He wasn't after their house. He was after their daughter!
The lunch was on Brother Lei.
Beef potstickers from "Qijiawan," Chen Nuo insisted on going to the old shop at the head of the bridge, craving that authentic flavor.
Brother Lei had asked a young worker to ride out and buy them, and then bought a few bowls of wontons from the Luo's Pan-fried Buns shop across the street to bring over.
The beef potstickers were fresh out of the pan, golden brown on the outside, with tender beef filling. Biting into them released their juicy broth.
Paired with a bowl of wontons, School belle Sun was all smiles as she ate.
After the meal, Chen Nuo pulled Brother Lei aside to say a few words, then left with School belle Sun.
Watching Chen Nuo ride away on his bicycle, with School belle Sun seated behind him.
Brother Lei stood at the door with his bowl of wontons, feeling reflective.
Such a beauty. No wonder this young master was willing to fork over two hundred thousand.
With those looks, that figure, if I had two hundred thousand, I'd give it too.
The young worker couldn't help asking, "Boss, who was that today? You've been waiting on him like he's your ancestor."
"You know nothing," Brother Lei shot back with a stare, then closed his eyes and thought, "I've met a real big shot, gotta hold on to him! You don't understand, when I was in 'the inside', it was these piercing eyes that spotted the right people to follow, which gave me this shop and business when I got out! My eyes, they're damn sharp at judging people! Just you watch. If I take good care of this young master, I'll be soaring with the wind in no time!"
After thinking, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Liuzi, hey, it's me, Lei! Bald Lei!"
"Hey! Yeah, I'm just looking to ask you about something."
"You're in that finance company doing loan business, right? I wanted to ask about the general process."
"Ah no, I'm not short of cash, I don't need a loan."
"I'm just looking to get an idea of the general procedure..."
"Yes, yes..."
"Mm-hmm, go ahead, I'm listening."
He covered the mouthpiece and gestured to the worker, "Have you gone daft? Grab some paper and a pen, come on! Don't you have a clue?!"
「In an office responsible for attracting investments in the district.」
A middle-aged man who seemed like a leader was reviewing documents. The secretary walked in.
"Director, the investment project proposal from the South Korea company has been delivered. Please take a look."
As he said this, a stack of documents was placed on the office desk. While the director examined the materials, the secretary refilled his tea cup.
"These terms look very good," the director nodded after a while and said, "This counts as a key project for this year, both the investment amount and the terms are quite favorable. If we do well with this project, it would mean completing half of this quarter's investment attraction task. Mm, there are a few points that need special attention."
The secretary eagerly took notes. "Director, please go ahead."
"Firstly, we must have the banks thoroughly verify the investor's qualifications, ensuring the investment is actually realized. We can't be hoodwinked again with false promises of funding.
"Second, we need to handle foreign affairs properly. When you interact with foreign investors, be neither servile nor overbearing, with reason and measure.
"Third, we must also respect some of their conditions beyond the investment project itself. If there are other living conditions they request, those of you in investment attraction should also do your best to provide services."
The secretary finished taking notes and put down the pen, then hesitated before saying, "Director, there actually is one such living condition requested by the investors."
Gearing up for the issue, the secretary continued, "They've made a request that a child of one of the members of their board of directors wishes to study here, so they want us to sort out school admission. Mm, the child should be of middle school age."
The director didn't think much of it. "That's not a problem. Haven't there been many precedents? They're investing so much money to set up a factory, solving employment issues as well, so sorting out a schooling matter is only proper. Get in touch with the education bureau, offer the best schools in the district for the foreigners to choose from, ensure good liaison work."
Looking somewhat awkward, the secretary said, "They've already picked a school, insisting on that particular one."
"Oh? Which one? Is it Jinling Affiliated Middle School's branch, or Wanjiahu Middle School?" The two schools the director mentioned were the best in the district and ranked highly across the city.
"...They said, they want to go to the No. 8 Middle School."
"...No. 8 Middle School?" The director paused, obviously unfamiliar with the name. "What was No. 8 Middle School's ranking in last year's college admission rates across the city?"
"...Third from last."
"..."
BANG! BANG! BANG!