I pulled a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and squinted at the message Yang Sisi had sent that sounded more like a joke… She said she was going to lure Cao Xiaobei out, and then have me kidnap him…

After finishing half a cigarette, I jokingly replied to her with a message: "Tell me your plans."

Yang Sisi's text message was serious: "I'll contact Cao Xiaobei first and arrange to meet him in a secluded place so it'll be easier for you to make your move... Your skills have always been better than his, so kidnapping him shouldn't be too difficult... With him as your hostage, you can then negotiate with that old bastard Cao Jinbo. At that point, even if he loses everything, he'll still have to worry about Cao Xiaobei's life, let alone the shops in Jiulongju."

"Holy crap, that was a beautiful game-winning shot!"

"That's right, if he dares to say a single word of dissent, you'll kill him!"

When she said that, I finally realized she was talking nonsense to me with a straight face. I gave a helpless wry smile and replied, "Stop making things worse... Really, we're worlds apart now, and you're already Little Leopard's wife. You're still worrying about my affairs and causing trouble. Aren't you afraid Little Leopard will overthink things?"

"You're the little leopard's wife! ...Can't you speak properly?"

"This is something everyone has witnessed... How can you say I can't speak properly?"

Yang Sisi suddenly stopped replying to my messages, and I really wanted to know what she was thinking on the other side of the ocean... If she was really joking with me about something like this, I really couldn't take it... But it didn't seem like it, otherwise she, who already had a very unpleasant relationship with Ye Zhi, wouldn't have lowered herself to take the initiative to contact Ye Zhi.

Finally, Yang Sisi replied to the message again, but she changed the subject, asking, "Why didn't Ye Zhi help you?...Didn't you always call each other good friends?"

"What kind of help do you consider to qualify as help?"

"Have Cao Jinbo personally hand you the key to the changed lock and promise that he will never harm you again."

"Do you really think Cao Jinbo is an easy target?... Or do you see Ye Zhi as Wu Zetian, believing that a single word from her is the golden rule for everyone?... You're oversimplifying things."

"You're all alone in Dali. If she doesn't help you, who will? ...Are you really going to be forced to kidnap Cao Xiaobei in the end? ...I know every penny you have is hard-earned. Now that this has happened, isn't it like taking your life?"

I felt bad, and after a moment I replied, "No startup is ever smooth sailing. Just consider this a learning experience... There will be a day when everything is perfect, and I'm patient enough to wait."

This time, Yang Sisi really didn't reply to my messages, so I calmed down and lay on the bed alone, forcing myself to analyze the current situation from a more comprehensive perspective.

I decided to reach out to people close to Cao Jinbo... I wanted to ascertain whether the current situation was as Sun Jiwei had unilaterally judged, and perhaps there was still a sliver of room for maneuver.

...

Time is extremely tight. There are only a little over half a month left until the Chinese New Year. Many tourists who come to Dali during the Chinese New Year will book rooms in advance, so now is the best time to attract customers. If I delay for even one more day, the losses will be even greater.

The next morning, I got up early and, without even having breakfast, called Xiao Song, the car dealership owner I had worked with when I used to run an inn in Longkan.

After answering the phone, Xiao Song asked me with great surprise, "Brother, it's been so long since we last contacted each other. Why did you suddenly decide to call me today?"

"I'd like to talk to you... how have you been lately?"

Xiao Song couldn't hide his joy as he told me, "If you hadn't called me, I would have treated you to a nice meal after the New Year to thank you... Luckily, you advised me not to sell that Mercedes E200. This year's New Year market is probably even crazier than last year. The prices at decent guesthouses are three or four times higher than usual, but all the rooms are already booked in advance... I partnered with a seaside guesthouse, and since they didn't have enough cars, they rented my E-Class for 3,000 yuan a day for 20 days. They just signed the contract with me; that means I'll get 60,000 yuan in the end, and I won't have to worry about the car loan next year... Haha!"

"Isn't that great... You really had guts to buy this E-Class back then."

Xiao Song said to me with a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection): "Yes, it's really not good to be timid and hesitant in business. After enduring half a year, now that the cash flow has improved, things feel much easier... By the way, next year I plan to buy another used BMW 7 Series and focus on the high-end market. To be honest, it's easier to make money from rich people. When I was in the low-end market, not only was it hard to make money, but I also suffered a lot..."

Once Xiao Song started talking, he couldn't stop, and I listened patiently without interrupting him... As an ordinary person myself, I was happy to share his joy. When our inn was demolished, I was worried that his situation would also be affected, but now it seems that I was overthinking it.

Five minutes later, Xiao Song finally asked me, "Brother, I've been so busy talking to myself that I forgot to ask you if you needed something from me?"

I smiled and replied, "It's nothing. You're doing well now, and I'm happy for you... Speaking of which, there is something I really need your help with."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!