...

When I arrived, Brother Ping had already brewed a pot of tea. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, I said seriously, "Brother Ping, we're brothers, so I won't beat around the bush... Besides catching up with you today, I also want to talk to you about a project I've been thinking about doing recently... This project definitely has potential..."

As I was explaining my "one-click travel" concept, Ping...

My brother listened very attentively the whole time...

I thought it was a good chance, but after I finished speaking, Ping Ge looked at me with a bitter face and said, "Michael, you treat me like a brother, and I don't treat you like an outsider either... This year, I've been speculating on real estate in Thailand. Before I came back this time, I bought a 1,000-square-meter sea-view villa in Patong... This cost me 70 million baht... I really can't afford to invest in your project."

I felt an indescribable disappointment. After taking out a cigarette from the pack and lighting it, I said to Brother Ping, "It's okay."

Brother Ping, still somewhat puzzled, said to me, "If I may ask, back then, you made quite a bit of money at Jiulongju... Where did all that money go in just one year?"

I looked up at Brother Ping, and after a long pause, I replied, "It's too embarrassing to say, so I won't."

"If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it..."

I'm smoking heavily...

After a moment of silence, Ping Ge continued, “I’ve always thought you’re a natural speculator… Why don’t you come with me to Thailand and speculate on real estate… Let me tell you, the scenery in Phuket is just as good as Sanya in China… but the property prices are much lower. That sea-view villa I bought—if it were in Sanya, you couldn’t buy it even with 70 million RMB, let alone 70 million baht… Now that Sanya has purchase restrictions, where do you think all this speculative capital will flow?… It’ll definitely flow to other tourist cities in China, and some will flow abroad… So, I think now is the best time to speculate on real estate in Thailand… Many owners who used to run guesthouses in Dali have already flocked to Chiang Mai and Phuket to find opportunities…”

Without much thought, I shook my head and replied, "I really don't want to speculate on real estate anymore... Right now, I just want to focus all my energy on making this project a success... And... I can't go to Thailand... I'm here..."

I stopped halfway through my sentence because I felt it was unnecessary to tell Ping Ge these things... But deep down I knew very well... Another reason I didn't want to go to Thailand was because of Yang Sisi, who was waiting for me in Shanghai...

I didn't want to disappoint her, and I also felt bad that she was waiting for me like this.

(End of this chapter)

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