Chapter 217 Bubbles and Borrowing Money Who could have imagined that a few months ago...
Chapter 217 Borrowing Money
Group weddings were popular in the past few years, especially among employees of companies. Around the May Fourth Youth Day every year, there would be at least a dozen and sometimes hundreds of couples holding group weddings in the company auditorium.
In the past two years, many people have traveled to get married.
You still need to hold a wedding banquet when you get married while traveling, but it’s relatively simple.
The wedding banquet mentioned in the invitation will be held at the Yanjing Champs Elysées Hotel.
Yan Jiuru picked a time that was neither too early nor too late to go to the restaurant, went up to the second floor, and just as he arrived at the door of the "Chunxi" hall, he saw Jin Yong smoking outside with two other university classmates who had "done bad things" together.
"Ouch, Vice President!"
When these guys saw Minister Yan, they didn't show any courtesy. They put their arms around Yan Jiuru and surrounded him.
"Get out of here! I finally found a piece of clothing without wrinkles, and now you dare to wrinkle it for me..." Yan Jiuru shook his shoulders left and right.
"Stop talking nonsense. Everyone knows that your sister-in-law dresses you up neatly all day long." Jin Yong said this but still let him go.
Yan Jiuru rolled her eyes and dusted off her clothes. "Your sister-in-law is on a business trip. This is the last piece of clothing I can wear. The others haven't been washed or ironed yet."
Well, after hearing what he said, everyone's memory was instantly brought back to the time when they were in college: they were too lazy to wash clothes, shoes and socks after taking them off, so they were piled up at the end. They would pick out the dirty clothes that looked decent to wear, and only wash them when they were really worn out.
Anyway, I would rather not wash it if I can avoid it.
Besides, at that time everyone only had two or three sets of clothes, but Senior Yan was always clean.
Yan Jiuru saw a table pulled up at the door, with two deacons sitting there keeping track of the gift accounts.
He didn't rush over to give a gift, but instead gave Jin Yong a wink. After they walked a little further away, he quietly asked, "How much did you all give?"
Jin Yong glanced around and whispered, "Li Li only stayed in our class for half a semester before transferring to another department. We didn't see each other much, but she asked a classmate to give her a 2 yuan gift when I got married. I gave her 50 yuan this time."
The other two students also chose 30 or 50.
Yan Jiuru knew what was going on.
He took out a red envelope and stuffed a hundred yuan into it, and several people followed him to the deacon to collect the gift money.
The accountant stood up involuntarily when he saw him, "Minister Yan... Minister Yan!"
Without waiting for Yan Jiuru to speak, Jin Yong took the red envelope and placed it on the table, saying, "This is from Li Li, and this is Yan Jiuru's share. One hundred yuan."
By this time, Li Li had heard what was said and hurried out to greet him: "Oh, Minister Yan! Welcome, welcome, welcome!"
Yan Jiuru smiled and bowed: "Congratulations!"
The memory that was originally unclear finally became clear after seeing myself.
The female classmate who used to have a long, shiny braid now has her hair permed and her thin figure has started to gain weight. She now looks a little bloated in a burgundy suit. Perhaps it's because she's preparing for a wedding, her face looks a little tired but more joyful.
"Come, let me introduce you. This is my wife, Zhao Changchun. She works at the Yan Steel Plant."
After graduation, Li Li was assigned to work at an industrial journal under the Ministry of Metallurgy, where she was already at the deputy director level, while her husband is now a director.
The couple is indeed doing well for their age. No wonder there are so many guests today and there are at least fifty or sixty tables set up for the banquet.
Speaking of which, not many of them stay in Beijing after graduation, not counting those whose families are local. If those with non-local household registration want to stay in Beijing, they need not only their own strength but also some connections.
Not to mention a class, there are no more than ten people in the entire department. A quick look shows that almost all of them are here.
***
After the greetings, Li Li and her husband enthusiastically led everyone to the main table.
Yan Jiuru said politely, "Don't worry, you guys are busy with your own things. I will be leaving after sitting for a while, so I won't bother to greet you when the time comes."
Li Li and her husband knew that he was a very busy man, and they were very grateful that he was willing to come this year. How could they expect him to sit from beginning to end?
He immediately said, "Very good, very good. It's great that you are willing to come. Please eat something when the banquet starts. We are sorry that we have not taken good care of you."
Zhao Changchun also took out a soft cigarette and handed it to Yan Jiuru.
Yan Jiuru took it politely, "Li Li knows I don't smoke, thank you."
He was having an awkward conversation when Li Xiangdong appeared out of nowhere. He and Li Li were both in the field of industrial machinery and were more familiar with it than the others, so he started laughing and tried to pull the person away.
"Almost all of the people here are from Yanda University. Look, Lao Wan from our dormitory is here too."
Yan Jiuru gestured towards the table near the door.
"Oh, you're planning to slip away early..."
Yan Jiuru rolled her eyes at him and said, "What do you mean by slipping away early? I just had something to do and had to leave early."
It means the same thing anyway.
The place was not full yet, but when they saw them coming, they were considerate enough to quickly move to another table and make room for them.
"Thank you all~" Jin Yong went over and handed out a few cigarettes as a token of his appreciation.
As soon as Yan Jiuru and others sat down on their chairs, someone came over to talk to them.
"Old classmate, do you still remember me?"
Yan Jiuru really didn't remember the greasy man with a big red nose in front of him, and was too lazy to search his memory.
"Who are you?"
"I, Suijiashan!"
Seeing Yan Jiuru still confused, the other party slapped his thigh and said, "The senior may have forgotten that I later transferred to the next class."
Yan Jiuru thought about it for a moment, and then he remembered that this guy cheated in the final exam and had to retake it, so he graduated later than them.
Before Sui Jiashan could continue speaking, he was pushed aside by the people behind him.
The visitor said rudely, "Student Sui, you are not from the same class as the seniors. Please give way to those of our class so that we can chat as old classmates."
"Tsk tsk, where's your face? You, a literature student, have the nerve to chat with us from the engineering school?
Haven't you always looked down on us sledgehammer wielders?" As soon as the man finished speaking, he was silenced by the others.
"Hello, Senior Yan, I'm from our mining class..."
"Hello, Minister Yan, I'm from the Metallurgical Industry Magazine, in the same department as Li Li..."
"Hello, Director Yan, I'm from the logistics department of Yangang... This is my business card..."
"Hmmmm!"
"Okay, okay."
Yan Jiuru responded to each one of them, and after finally sending this group of people away, he quickly picked up the tea bowl and took a few sips.
Jin Yong cursed softly, "Old Li and Old Zhao don't care about it. At least they should be a little more profound."
Li Xiangdong said directly, "Since the gifts have been accepted, why don't you just have a few bites as a token of your appreciation and then leave?"
"I think it's fine. Anyway, this kind of banquet won't fill you up. How about we go eat hot pot later?"
Anyway, his wife is not at home, and Ruyue is helping to look after the children in the front yard, so he can also be free and easy with a few old friends.
"Okay, okay."
Jin Yong rudely snatched Lao Wan's impressive mobile phone and said, "I know there's a new hot pot restaurant that specializes in fish hot pot, beef, mutton, and other dishes. I'll call and ask for a private room."
After Jin Yong finished the call, he looked over the mobile phone over and over again before returning it to the other party, saying rudely, "I heard this thing costs tens of thousands of yuan. You are really good."
"Let's make do with it," Lao Wan took the phone with dignity, leaning back slightly, "But this one isn't a big deal now. There's a new model that's much thinner and lighter than this one. It's about five or six thousand yuan. You can buy one too. This thing is still for convenience."
"My monthly salary is only 500-600 yuan. If I buy a phone that costs 5000-6000 yuan, my wife and kids at home will be worried sick."
"You could also consider going into business. I used to make a fixed salary of three or four hundred yuan a month, but I bought a mobile phone the first year I started my business."
Jin Yong was fine, but the students around him were getting agitated. They leaned over and asked, "Old Wan, are you going to the big Russians up north, or are you going to the real estate business down south? You must have made a lot of money these past few years, right?"
Li Xiangdong was drawn in and followed up, "I heard the real estate market in the south has plummeted, and many people have lost everything, not even their underwear."
Lao Wan said with a somewhat unnatural expression: "There have been some policy changes, but I didn't invest much. I'm mainly in the steel business."
***
This is a big deal.
Ever since the country established a province and a special economic zone in the South China Sea a few years ago to attract investment, what was attracted was not only investment, but more speculation.
Those who can become investors are not stupid. After all, their own money is limited. If they want to "make big money", they must borrow chickens and eggs.
As a result, many people took out loans from banks to speculate in land and real estate. After the projects became big enough, they listed the companies and further raised money from the stock market.
In just two or three years, real estate prices in Southern Province soared from a few hundred yuan to more than ten thousand yuan per square meter!
The number of real estate companies in Southern Province also surged from none to more than 20,000.
The good times did not last long. In late June this year, the country introduced the "16 National Regulations" regulatory policy to strictly control the scale of credit. On the one hand, it stopped real estate companies from going public, and on the other hand, it prohibited bank funds from flowing into the real estate market.
Not only that, they also set a deadline to recover illegally borrowed bank funds, clean up and reduce ongoing projects, and recover projects whose development funds are less than 25% within one year of purchasing the land.
The "16 Articles" are like cutting off the source of income for those who have made a fortune by relying on bank funds.
When many people first rushed to the southern province, they had only tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of yuan in capital. Later, they had to rely entirely on loans from banks. Which project department could borrow hundreds of millions?
The more money you make, the more you want to make it, and few people can get out of it in time.
So, as the country tightened its funding, it is said that nearly 20 billion yuan of funds withdrew from the southern province overnight.
Unable to obtain subsequent loans from banks, real estate developers have to terminate projects or sell off properties, but everyone is the same, you sell, he sells, everyone wants to find someone to take over, but in the end there is no one to take over.
It seemed as if overnight, the real estate bubble in Southern Province burst.
Therefore, what Li Xiangdong said about some people losing everything they had was not an exaggeration at all.
Those who were burdened with hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars in loans jumped off buildings to find relief.
***
In fact, Lao Wan is just trying to save face now.
He started his business early and caught a good time. He made a lot of money by trading steel using his connections at his old company.
Later, I followed the trend and went to southern provinces to speculate in real estate.
He mainly supplies steel and other materials to developers, and also participates in several real estate projects.
With the current loan tightening, not only has he not been paid for the steel he supplied, but several projects he invested in have also been suspended.
In their business, most of the money is tied up in projects, and they usually rely on bank loans for capital turnover. Once the bank withdraws the loan, their capital chain will be broken.
He looked at the mobile phone in his hand, not knowing whether he could keep it for the next month. He might have to sell it at the end of the month while it was still worth some money.
Who would have thought that a few months ago, he had stuffed five-dollar tips into the chests of girls in Huadu Nightclub, but now he can hardly pay his phone bill.
But men still need to save face.
No matter how hard it is, just keep it to yourself and don’t let your classmates laugh at you.
***
Soon, everyone was attracted by the sound of the bride and groom toasting.
"These are all my mom's classmates. You've met some of them, and some you haven't." Li Li personally brought her son and daughter-in-law to toast.
She looked at Yan Jiuru and smiled, "You two can call him Uncle Yan."
Yan Jiuru smiled and congratulated him, then drank a glass.
After toasting everyone at this table, Yan Jiuru also planned to leave.
At this time, a middle-aged woman who he had no impression of walked towards him with a smile.
"Senior Yan, long time no see. Let me toast you!" As she said that, the female comrade drank first as a toast.
Yan Jiuru looked at her, then at Li Xiangdong and Jin Yong, his eyes showing, "Who is this woman?"
Those guys racked their brains but couldn't figure it out.
Yan Jiuru could only raise his glass politely and said, "Sorry, I have an event later and can't drink."
"Do you mind if I drink tea instead?"
The female comrade smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you for your respect, Senior."
She put down her wine glass, took out a business card from her small handbag and pushed it in front of Yan Jiuru: "Can I exchange business cards with you, senior? You are a big shot, and I, your junior sister,
Get some light too."
Yan Jiuru grabbed Li Xiangdong's bag, took out a business card and pushed it over, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't bring my business card to the wedding, but this guy did."
The female comrade glanced at him lightly and said with a smile, "It's okay, thank you."
Then he put away Li Xiangdong's business card and said, "I'll contact you later, senior."
After watching the female comrade walk away, they all tilted their heads to look at the business card with the inscription in both Chinese and English:
Host of Yancheng Financial Channel
Cheng Wei is a special correspondent for the Xuanwen edition of the American Business Elite Weekly.
Several people shook their heads: "I don't know him."
"No impression."
"It shouldn't be someone who entered the school before we graduated."
"But, they're obviously here for you, Senior↗↘↗"
"roll--"
Yan Jiuru put the business card away and said, "I'll go over and order the food first. You guys wait a little longer, okay?"
"Let's go together. Let's go together."
"That's right, I just didn't eat enough."
All eight people at their table went to the Yuyangxian Hotpot Restaurant.
Except for Yan Jiuru who drove a jeep, three other classmates drove Peugeot and Jetta, and the rest came by taxi.
After all, the Champs Elysees Hotel is a four-star hotel, and it would feel cheap to park a bicycle here.
Jin Yong hurried out in his classmate Jetta's car, and Yan Jiuru took two classmates who didn't have cars and followed closely behind.
***
Yuyangxian Hotpot is not located on a traditional street, but in a renovated private courtyard, which is a bit like a private restaurant.
There is a row of red lanterns hanging in front of the Jinzhu Gate. It looks inconspicuous during the day, but I guess it will look beautiful when lit up at night.
The first yard they entered was converted into a parking lot and carport. In addition to their cars, there was also a Mercedes-Benz, several Jeeps and Jettas parked here.
Someone led them through the hall to the back, and it turned out that the main house and the left and right wing rooms at the back had been converted into private rooms.
Yan Jiuru and the others followed Jin Yong who came to greet them into a room to the west of the main house. "We made the reservation a little late, so this one will do."
"We decided on this at the spur of the moment, so it's good enough that we can get a private room."
"That's right, there are no outsiders."
"We're all old classmates, there's no need to be so particular..."
Yan Jiuru asked for the menu and gestured to everyone: "Let me make it clear first, no one is going to snatch it from me today."
The waitress in cheongsam took a half-hearted attitude and ordered a table full of fish, shrimp, meat dishes, and only two or three vegetables as a token of appreciation.
Who among a group of grown men would be willing to eat vegetables?
"What would you like to drink, sir?"
Li Xiangdong suggested, “Come to Liulingzui, it’s not bad to drink.
"Okay. Two porcelain bottles first."
***
A group of old men ate and drank, and after two bottles of white wine they started talking loudly.
Some people complain about their children's graduation assignments, some worry about their daughters finding a partner, and some worry about the tense relations with the United States.
Old Wan's face was flushed and he looked worried.
Yan Jiuru drank two more glasses and didn't deliberately let go of the alcohol. Seeing this, he said to the man, "I'm telling you, Lao Wan, Article 16 of the National Law has the word 'national' in it. I'm giving you a piece of advice, old classmate. If you can run, run quickly. If you're too late, you won't even be able to jump off the building."
Damn it, everyone below is taking the blame.
When a person dies, his debts are paid off. If a person is not dead, he must pay his debts.
When Li Xiangdong heard this, he kicked Yan Jiuru under the table.
He is also one of the few people who can put his hands on Yan Jiuru.
"You, why did you kick me?"
Li Xiangdong wanted to give him a black eye and said hatefully, "Stop talking nonsense. If Lao Wan gets upset and jumps off the building one day, it won't be your fault!"
Yan Jiuru waved his hand: "That can't happen. I'm explaining the policy to him."
"Crash~"
Lao Wan suddenly exploded, smashing his wine glass and pointing at everyone with red eyes: "Stop pretending to be nice, it's not my turn yet, uh, you guys are just laughing at me.
You, you, and Shi Lei, Zhang Aiguo, Li Zheng... When I was rich, did you have a hard time borrowing money from me?
I’m telling you, it’s not your turn!” (Look at me making fun of you.)
"Huh?" Yan Jiuru immediately woke up from his drunken state. He had no idea this would happen.
Before the two students who were named could say anything, Lao Wan squatted on the ground and started crying: "...Wow, I've worked so hard for nothing. I've lost all my money, my family is breaking up, and my wife doesn't want to live with me anymore..."
Woohoo, they are all ungrateful wolves... "
Yan Jiuru quickly drank two sips of tea to wake up.
Lao Wan used alcohol to relieve stress, and everyone soon figured out what was going on.
This guy made nearly one million yuan from trading steel, and then he invested it all in real estate in southern Province. His money tripled in the first year, and he then borrowed money from the bank to start the project. In the first half of this year, he was still a multi-millionaire, but he became a penniless man when the 16th National Policy came out.
Because the bank withdrew loans, the capital chain was broken, and the family’s savings, house, and car were all used to buy things.
After crying, Lao Wan simply gave up and pointed outside the door: "The Ma Bao I drove today, someone else drove it away tomorrow, and it's all paid off..."
The classmates who were originally envious of him were now looking at each other in bewilderment, and the two who had borrowed money from him hurriedly reached into their pockets.
One of them drank a little too much and patted Lao Wan on the shoulder: "Okay, okay, buddy, you are very nice.
You don't even ask for payment for this?
"Brother, I'll lend you 1,500 yuan. Tomorrow, I'll ask your sister-in-law to borrow some money and return you 2,000 yuan."
"I can't help much, but I'll do my best, my best..."
Jin Yong had sobered up and muttered to Yan Jiuru, "Shitou's father had a major liver transplant last year, and it cost a lot of money. Among our classmates, apart from you, Lao Wan is the richest."
You may not have to borrow money for other things, but you must borrow money for the surgery.
Before Yan Jiuru could speak, Jin Yong shook his head and said, "They are more familiar with each other. Besides, you were abroad at that time."
Yan Jiuru remembered that when the former Big Brother disintegrated, he was busy collecting "scrap metal" for the country.
"It's the same if I'm not looking for your sister-in-law." However, it is obvious that as his status increases, his classmates would first seek help from people at the same level as themselves when they have problems.
"How much difference?"
Yan Jiuru said.
"Huh?" Several sober students looked up.
Lao Wan also raised his head and pointed at himself: "Ask me?"
"Who the hell else could it be if not you? How could it be any different? Your wife ran off with someone else?"
Lao Wan immediately perked up. Others couldn't save him, but his senior could definitely do it because he was much richer than him.
"Three, three million plus!"
hiss--
More than three million is an astronomical figure for someone who only earns a few hundred yuan a month. Let alone paying it back, just thinking about it makes me despair.
"I'm messing around with people for a while"
"My brain is full of water"
"You've never learned about parabolas. Anything that reaches a high point will fall down. Don't you have any idea?"
Yan Jiuru cursed and asked the waiter for paper and pen, then wrote an IOU and asked Lao Wan to sign it. "Go to my factory to find Accountant Hu the day after tomorrow and ask him to write a check. When you recover, pay me the interest."
Lao Wan roared and rushed over, "Brother, you are my real brother, no no, my real father!"
Yan Jiuru kicked the man out: "Get lost, I don't have an unfilial son like you!"
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