Chapter 214: Chapter 192: A Man’s Trade-offs and Hesitation
After getting in the car, Lin Chu took the passenger seat since he’d been drinking.
The three members of the Yang family saw them off at the door. After hearing what Lin Chu had said at the dinner table, Yang Yi lost all interest in going out. He figured he’d better stay home and study, lest he get an earful when he got back.
"Study hard, Yang Yi. Once you pass your exams, I’ll get you a golf club membership, and your sister’s paying."
Lin Chu lowered the window and said with a grin, ever so generous with other people’s money.
Hearing this, Yang Yi pouted, looking unconvinced. He knew it was for his own good, but it was still incredibly annoying.
Moreover, a sense of inadequacy and irritation inexplicably welled up inside him as he compared himself to Lin Chu.
’I’m 22, fresh out of college, jobless, and with no income.’
’Lin Chu is 24, just two years older than me, but he’s already the owner of a golf club, worth a billion, with luxury cars and beautiful women. He even banters with my own father like an equal.’
’He didn’t believe for a second that Lin Chu was self-made.’
’He just figured the guy’s dad was a lot more supportive than his own, willing to give him the resources to get started.’
Hmph!
’They get to have all the fun.’
’And I’m just a beast of burden!’
...
The car slowly pulled away.
On the way, Lin Chu casually looked up Qian Zhi’s public information. He had immigrated long ago, was a Chinese-American, and worked in ocean shipping as a major shareholder of a publicly listed company.
The company’s stock was currently on an upward trend, mainly due to tight shipping capacity caused by international geopolitical risks.
All sorts of financial analysts had churned out a ton of analyses on customs clearance cycles, interest rate cut expectations, container shipping indices, tight supply-demand balances, and so on... Even though Lin Chu had once worked for a financial firm, these reports still made his head spin.
After reading a few, Lin Chu swiped them away.
’Opportunity favors the prepared mind.’
’And I’m not prepared at all.’
’If I were a professional trader, someone who makes a living off stocks or futures, this information might actually be useful.’
’But as a total outsider, it’s best to just watch from the sidelines.’
’A man’s got to know his limitations.’
’This guy’s greatest significance was helping me crack Uncle Nine’s linguistic code.’
’This potential "opportunity"—time to drop it.’
"I feel like my Uncle Nine treats you better than he treats us,"
Yang Huixian said, making small talk as she drove steadily.
Lin Chu had thrown her under the bus at dinner. She had wanted to take Yang Yi out, hoping to get on better terms with him, but Lin Chu had shot the idea down on the spot. After a moment’s reflection, though, she understood why...
’What a sly dog!’
’It was a form of opportunism, but you could also call it high emotional intelligence.’
Lin Chu glanced at her and chuckled. "Of course he does. Your Uncle Nine doesn’t have a daughter. If he did, you wouldn’t even be in the picture."
Yang Huixian: ?
"So, why is that?"
She still didn’t get it, and she wasn’t afraid to ask.
Lin Chu glanced at her and, with a surprising amount of patience, broke down the three conversations for her from start to finish.
Yang Huixian’s pupils constricted and her mouth fell slightly open. She felt as if her mind was being "tainted" by this new knowledge.
Hiss...
’How dirty.’
She had truly never thought about things that way.
After all, the gold and jadeite business had a relatively straightforward sales process. As long as the product was good enough, customers would place an order.
If the product was subpar, or the customer had no money, it didn’t matter how high your EQ was.
She herself was more focused on the "crafting" side of the business anyway.
She let out a soft sigh.
"Alright."
’That background check couldn’t possibly reveal a person’s true abilities or emotional intelligence.’
She now felt there was a very good reason Lin Chu had been "chosen."
"In a couple of days, I’m heading to the jadeite market in Pingzhou. There’s a batch of raw stones up for auction. Want to come with me?"
No longer dwelling on the matter, Yang Huixian changed the subject.
"Pingzhou? Where’s that?"
Lin Chu glanced at her. ’So ambitious,’ he thought, ’always trying to climb the ladder.’ But there was nothing wrong with that. He had said he’d support her, and if her products were going to be featured at the golf club, it was perfectly normal for her to want to stock up on raw materials.
Yang Huixian: "It’s in Fo City. It’s one of the four biggest jade markets in the country."
"You go ahead. I don’t have time. My MBA program is about to start."
Lin Chu declined.
"Oh."
Yang Huixian said with a slight pout. But then, as if a thought occurred to her, she couldn’t help but chuckle. She asked, a little hesitantly, "So... um... if I don’t have enough money, could I borrow some from you?"
Hearing this, Lin Chu couldn’t help but snort with laughter.
’Well... this is interesting.’
"Sure."
"You’ll sign an IOU, pay interest, and provide collateral. And no, paying with your body is not an option."
Lin Chu said, looking at her with a smile.
She: ...
’This man is so vindictive.’
Sighing to herself, she drove on in silence.
The whole way, she kept hoping Lin Chu would relent, that there would be a sudden turn of events where he’d give her the special treatment befitting "his woman."
But even when they arrived at the golf club and Lin Chu got out,
he still hadn’t budged on that point, though he remained as charming and cheerful as ever.
Honestly, at that moment, Yang Huixian was truly impressed. It was as if he had a precision scale in his heart, measuring everything with perfect clarity.
’What to give, and what not to give.’
’Permission to set up a concession at the golf club? Granted.’
’A loan? Granted.’
’Unconditional favoritism? Denied.’
A man like him was truly in a league of his own, making you feel equal parts secure and endangered.
"Come on, let’s go take a look. We can talk to Vice President Ma, who’s in charge of this. Everything will follow standard business procedures, but I’ll give you some favorable terms on the deposit and payment methods."
Lin Chu said with a broad smile, making an inviting gesture.
