"You're not cut out for this line of work. Come with me. I'll give you the money for your grandfather's surgery!" Yi Anguo quickly whispered into the hostess's ear.
After speaking, Yi Anguo promptly pulled out his wallet, took out one or two thousand yuan, and said, "I'm very sorry, boss, but she's my cousin. Her family ran into trouble, so she was trying to earn money this way. As her cousin, how could I stand by and watch her go down this path?"
"This is all the money I have on me. Please, take it as compensation. I hope you can let this go."
"I don't care if she's your cousin. She came here to work, I chose her, so she's mine," the old man said, refusing to back down.
"Fine! If you insist, then I'll call the police. Let's see how much fun you'll be having then," Yi Anguo retorted, his anger rising. "There are so many hostesses here, just pick another one. Must you be so fixated on my cousin? Do you just hate to see a girl doing well? Do you have to drag them through the mud? Don't you have any young female relatives? I bet your daughter is about her age! How would you feel if someone forced your daughter into this line of work?"
"Old Liu, forget it! We're all out here to have fun. If this one doesn't work out, just pick another. Why make everyone unhappy? You don't have to take it so far that someone calls the police, do you?"
In the end, Yi Anguo successfully led the hostess away.
"You said your grandfather is hospitalized and needs tens of thousands of yuan for surgery. Is that true?" Yi Anguo asked.
"It's true! Are you really going to give me money to help?" the hostess replied.
"I can help you, but I'm taking you back to your hometown. I want to personally see your grandfather have the surgery," Yi Anguo said after a moment of thought.
"Okay! Thank you! I can take you back to my hometown to see my grandfather. As long as you're willing to give me the money to cure his illness, I will work like an ox and a horse to repay you," the hostess said. She was terrified of that old, ugly, and disgusting man. Rather than being stuck with someone so repulsive and likely ill-tempered, she'd much rather go with the young man who had just pulled her from the fire.
"What's your name? Where are you from? And where are you living now?" Yi Anguo asked.
"My name is Hu Jing. The 'Hu' is from Gu Yue, and the 'Jing' means 'quiet'. My hometown is in Beihu, and I'm living in a nearby urban village with the person from my hometown who introduced me here."
"If you're not working at the KTV anymore, can you still live there?" Yi Anguo asked.
Hu Jing silently shook her head.
"Let's go. Go get your luggage. I'll find you a place to stay," Yi Anguo said after thinking for a moment.
The two took a taxi to where Hu Jing was staying. After packing up her belongings, they took another taxi to the Blue Coast Phase Two complex. Yi Anguo led her to an apartment that hadn't yet been rented out, telling her to settle in for the night and that they could discuss everything else tomorrow.
Seeing Yi Anguo about to leave, Hu Jing ran after him. "Big Brother Yi, are you leaving?"
"It's so late. Is there something else?" Yi Anguo asked.
"Aren't you staying?" Hu Jing asked timidly.
"Are you sure you want me to stay?" Yi Anguo asked, a struggle waging within him.
"Big Brother Yi, I can tell you're a good person. I've already said it: as long as you're willing to help cure my grandfather's illness, I'll work like an ox and a horse to repay you."
An hour later, Yi Anguo lay in bed with Hu Jing in his arms, his mind not quite at peace as he asked, "You've never had a boyfriend before?"
"No. When I worked at the factory, a few boys tried to pursue me, but I wasn't thinking about dating then. Besides, they were all from out of province. I don't want to be unable to see my grandparents. They only have two granddaughters, me and my sister. As the older one, I feel an even stronger responsibility not to marry so far away," Hu Jing explained.
"But I'm from another province too," Yi Anguo said with a soft laugh.
Hu Jing remained silent.
She's never been with a man, yet she was going to work at a KTV nightclub just to earn money for her grandfather's surgery. What was this woman thinking? So foolish. She didn't even understand how valuable a woman's first time is. Even if she had to sell it, she should have demanded a much higher price! It's a good thing she ran into me; otherwise, she would have suffered a tremendous loss.
"After your grandfather's illness is cured, you should bring your grandparents to live in Shenzhen. The medical care here is definitely much better than in your hometown," Yi Anguo said.
"Really? Can you really help me bring my grandparents to live in Shenzhen?" Hu Jing asked, both surprised and thrilled.
"Mhm." Yi Anguo nodded.
The next day, Yi Anguo took Hu Jing to the bank, transferred one hundred thousand yuan to her account, and then saw her off at the airport for her flight home. As for Yi Anguo, after some thought, he decided not to go with her. He told Hu Jing he was too busy with work here to get away.
It was no longer important whether her grandfather was really sick or if he truly needed tens of thousands of yuan for surgery. Even if Hu Jing took the money and never came back, he'd just consider the one hundred thousand yuan a charitable donation for her first night. Besides, he still had apartments to rent out. Where would he find the time to go with her to Beihu?
His third sister and brother-in-law's fruit shop was gradually getting on track. They hired two employees, a man and a woman. The man went with his brother-in-law every day to purchase stock and helped peel sugarcane, pineapple, and slice watermelon. The shop also purchased a large refrigerated display case for grapes and other fruits that needed to be kept cold.
Once the business was running smoothly, its daily turnover was consistently over 8,000 yuan. On holidays, it could reach over 10,000 or even 20,000 yuan, leading to a monthly turnover of around 250,000 to 260,000 yuan.
After the business stabilized, his third sister and brother-in-law insisted on paying rent for their apartment and the shop. Yi Anguo thought about it and accepted. As the saying goes, 'Even brothers must keep clear accounts.' Since their fruit shop was on the right track and making money, it was only reasonable for him to collect rent.
With a monthly turnover of 240,000 to 250,000 yuan, they could profit at least 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. After subtracting 15,000 for rent, a combined 5,000 yuan a month for the two employees, and 3,000 for their own apartment, they could still save at least 50,000 yuan a month. It was an excellent income.
His third sister and brother-in-law were naturally overjoyed, feeling fortunate that they had come to Shenzhen to find their brother. Running a business was the real way to make money! A single month's income was more than what the two of them used to make in a factory for an entire year.
Furthermore, all 1,000 of Yi Anguo's apartments were finally rented out, leaving Su Meili and Wang Bing with little to do. They were only needed when a tenant moved out, at which point they would clean the unit and help rent it out again.
That day, Zhuo Weidong called Yi Anguo, asking him to meet at the sales office for Blue Coast Phase Three.
This guy is calling me to the Blue Coast Phase Three sales office. Don't tell me he wants me to buy more of his apartments?
Soon enough, Yi Anguo arrived at the Blue Coast Phase Three sales office.
"Little Brother Yi, now that all the apartments are rented out, what have you been busy with?" Zhuo Weidong asked with a smile as he brewed tea.