13. Ponzi Scheme
Looking back, Vivian's exuberance at the CBD nightscape was quite amusing. She mistakenly believed she had overcome her inner demons and entered a new phase in her relationship with Qiu Fang, who was vacationing in Tahiti with Yoyo.
Although Vivian is not young, she is just an elementary school student when it comes to controlling men. Yoyo, who is only 22 years old, has a doctorate level.
Qiu Fang had invited Yoyo to Japan several times before, but she had always turned him down with a soft, yet uncompromising smile. The reason was simply that Japan was too ordinary a place for Yoyo.
Of course, one can enjoy luxury in Japan, staying in hotels costing 30,000 RMB a night and dining at restaurants that require reservations three months in advance. But for a girl like Yoyo, dining at Michelin-starred restaurants and staying in luxury hotels shouldn't just be fleeting pleasures; they should become effective resources invested in reproduction.
She is an influencer on social media with hundreds of thousands of followers. Not a top influencer, but enough. By constantly showcasing herself, she attracts traffic, and her growing following allows her to screen out her suitors, which can be considered a form of effective traffic generation and user screening.
The ensuing global vacations, limited edition handbags, and Maseratis continue to attract endless envy and fans.
This is the closed loop of Yoyo’s brilliant business model.
She'd been to Japan so many times that it wasn't new. London and Paris were just the beginning, while Mauritius and Tahiti were truly eye-catching. The more extravagant and ostentatious, the more popular it was. Hundreds of selfies, and choosing one with the perfect angle could draw thousands of comments.
For her, what's the point of always going to Japan? Of course, the more niche and luxurious the place, the better.
Qiu Fang initially had no luck and was met with frustration. Eventually, he finally got the hang of it and booked the most expensive villa on Tahiti's island, only then did Yoyo condescend to travel with him.
Her social media feeds were flooded with retouched photos and several vlogs, but naturally, Qiu Fang wasn't in any of them. Qiu Fang didn't mind. They each got what they wanted, and it was a perfect match, and he was completely satisfied.
Some wealthy people enjoy climbing snow-capped mountains and running marathons, constantly breaking their best times. It's like a shot in the arm, injecting their fading energy. For Qiu Fang, gaining Yoyo's favor is like climbing Mount K2 or running a sub-three-hour marathon.
He didn't even care that Yoyo used this trip, which he paid for entirely, as material to attract other suitors.
Although this sounds like a Ponzi scheme for relationships between men and women.
*
Having it is enough, why bother with a long-lasting relationship? This clichéd love motto has become Qiu Fang's motto for his relationship with Yoyo. He has taken Yoyo to some informal gatherings, and the mixed glances of envy from the men present have made him feel that it is worth the price of admission.
Their circle has its own set of rules.
He's spent countless dollars on this endeavor, at a significant cost, and it's paying off. One day, a post on social media went viral. Yoyo shared a picture of a pink Lamborghini being driven through the streets late at night by a truck. In another photo, Yoyo posed seductively on the truck, her figure charming and charming, with the caption "Thank you, bebe!"
In the eyes of her fans, she is a rich girl from a noble family who studied abroad. She and her equally wealthy boyfriend are childhood sweethearts, and they are a perfect match.
The pink Lamborghini really caught people's attention, and instantly attracted tens of thousands of comments:
My sister is so beautiful! She has such a great temperament! This is Lao Qian! I accept this fairytale love!
…
Yoyo only replied with a red heart or kiss emoji, and did not comment on the comments.
In this era, envy was reserved for those born into Rome. The more destitute one became, the more they admired the powerful, as if clinging to the rich, beautiful, and powerful would lead them to great heights.
The car was a gift from Qiu Fang. But he naturally couldn't, and didn't want to, appear in the photo. Yoyo didn't want him to be in the photo either. Otherwise, his image as a rich, beautiful woman would instantly collapse.
Their needs are so consistent that they are a perfect match.
Qiu Fang's generous outlay temporarily satisfied Yoyo, but she didn't want to live in Beijing, saying, "It's too dirty and noisy." So Qiu Fang rented her a long-term apartment at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. He suspected Yoyo had chosen that location because it was the most frequented by wealthy individuals staying long-term for various reasons, allowing her to easily hook up with new people.
It can be said to be a huge profit with no investment.
Qiu Fangyuan had no expectations of fidelity in this relationship, but after spending so much money, he couldn't allow anyone else to sleep soundly beside him, so he stayed in Hong Kong for a while.
He often went to Hong Kong on business trips, so it was not a big deal. He just had to spend some time explaining to his family in Shenzhen why he never returned to Shenzhen even though they were separated by a river.
Having too many women is really troublesome.
Qiu Fang has been letting out such complacent sighs quite often lately.
*
After getting her house in order, Vivian took her new colleague, Yang Ziqi, to interview the management of the internet-famous restaurant company. After a few days of personal matters, her schedule was a bit tight.
The company was far away in Shunyi, and Vivian said, "I'll order the car." Since the company had invested in several unicorn projects and made a fortune, it had become generous, providing regular employees with business cars for transportation. However, these were not private cars and had to be reserved in advance.
Yang Ziqi said sweetly, "Okay, Sister Vivian, if you're late, I can ask my driver to take you there."
Vivian nodded and thought to herself with self-mockery: What kind of constitution do I have? There are always fairies like this who are ignorant of the world around me.
Fortunately, the executive car this time was a GL8, which was considered respectable. The little princess said nothing and followed her obediently.
The company's founder, Dai Qi, is a serial entrepreneur. He previously ran a fintech company, where he provided the funding and his partner provided the technology. However, the company proved to be a sham and soon ran into trouble. After a period of depression, Dai Qi regrouped and, with the support of his parents, launched Sanchuan, a high-end, new-style Chinese tea and bakery brand.
Sanchuan currently has eight locations in Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu, becoming a must-visit destination for local influencers. Besides selling its own products, it also supplies baking to luxury brands and high-end events. This is how it first caught Jia Lan's eye as an investment target.
Dai Qi is a rich second-generation. Although his parents are not wealthy people whose names can be seen in the business media, they fully support the dream of their only son and can afford the money.
He was always full of ambition, determined to be an entrepreneur. Failure didn't matter; "serial entrepreneur" sounded good.
Working? I can't possibly work part-time in this life.
*
Vivian is actually not interested in this type of project. She thinks the so-called boutique chain in the catering industry is a false concept, and that "chain" and "boutique" are fundamentally contradictory.
But this project was personally pushed forward by Jia Lan, although he only said, "Just take a general look first, don't spend too much time on too much detail."
But she was obedient and knew that this project had a background, so she took it very seriously.
Sure enough, Jia Lan made the decision quickly, passed the initial screening, and prepared to launch the project.
On social media and dating apps, the word "finance" is a common tagline used to enhance one's image. Even in romance novels, it's common to see the male protagonist listed as an "investment banker," as if he were truly elite.
But after a few years in an investment institution, it's easy to discover that no matter how shabby a project is, it can still boast incredibly well-written documents, filled with countless number games and wording tricks that distract and confuse the reader. Too early in the game, the market potential is enormous. After all, with a market of 1.4 billion people, even in smaller segments and with smaller market shares, the numbers are still staggering. Too late in the game, the exit path is clear. When it comes to certainty, there's no such thing as too much.
It makes sense no matter what you say.
So such a project has reached the project establishment stage.
Vivian didn't agree, but she comforted herself that the people above her would make the judgment, and her responsibility was only to make the document look good.
*
Interviewing management wasn't difficult; it was practically muscle memory. During my years as an analyst and investment manager, I conducted countless interviews with directors, and she was the one quietly navigating the surroundings. Her quick hands and mind were equally agile, and her written work was surprisingly more coherent than her in-person conversations, something Jia Lan particularly admired.
Today, Yang Ziqi and Dai Qi chatted freely, their laughter punctuated by silver bells, and they showed no sign of pulling out their laptops to take notes. Vivian sighed inwardly, unfolded her notebook, and smiled at Dai Qi: "David, let's record a little so we can organize the files later. Do you mind?"
Yang Ziqi didn't respond. She could only whisper, "Then why don't you record a voice?"
She doesn't like conflict, but she can't really be a babysitter.
We spent a whole day chatting with everyone from the founder to the heads of product, operations, finance, and marketing. It was exhausting. It was all standard practice, but it was a necessary formality.
Dai Qi’s partner is his girlfriend Amy, who recently returned from Singapore and joined her boyfriend’s company directly as chief brand officer and chief development officer.
Amy has good taste and is eloquent. She speaks eloquently and is more organized and coherent than Dai Qi. It's hard to say how far the company will go, but after this conversation, the documents will at least be decent.
After completing the task, she and Yang Ziqi stood up and said goodbye. Dai Qi and Amy also looked relieved.
Yang Ziqi's driver was already waiting at the door. Yang Ziqi asked, "Sister Vivian, my parents are waiting for me at home. I won't be going back to the company today. Is that okay?"
Vivian thought that she probably lived in a high-end villa area nearby.
"Of course." She waved and turned to get in the car.
The two cars drove side by side for a brief moment, and she caught a glimpse of a man in Yang Ziqi's car. She silently raised the window, not wanting to see her secret.
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