놖뀞 was so touched that she couldn't help but whispered, "Chen Mengzhao, don't be so nice to 놖. I'm afraid that 놖 will develop bad habits because of your pampering. In the future..."
The corners of her mouth rose, her eyes sparkled with intelligence, and she interrupted with a smile: "'Future' is a taboo word for you. Life is short, we must seize the present and leave all the worries for tomorrow."
놖 looked at her quietly. The sunlight shone on her, giving her a layer of golden glow. At that moment, she seemed to come out of a dream.
In a trance, he seemed to see Qingwan's appearance in Zhang Garden in Beijing back then. The familiar eyebrows and eyes, the gentle temperament, made his heart tremble suddenly, and his eyes became blurred involuntarily, with an indescribable melancholy in his heart.
She noticed that 누놖 was in a low mood and asked with concern: "What's wrong with you? You were fine just now, why are you so depressed all of a sudden? Are you thinking of someone you know?"
놖 hurriedly covered up and said, "It's okay, maybe it was the smoke from the barbecue."
The corners of her mouth slightly raised, with a hint of disdain, she said: "Guan Hongjun, don't hide it in front of me. Being moved by the scene is just a reflection of my mind. We are all people who have experienced ups and downs. I don't mind, so why should you care?"
Her words were like an electric current that instantly spread throughout his body. Her tone and the content of her words were so similar to Qingwan when they first met, making her feel as if she had returned to that old time.
The subtle changes in the expression on 놖's face did not escape her eyes. She sighed softly, looked at 놖 tenderly, and said: "놖 is always used to looking for the shadow of the old friend in the mirror, but often ignores that the time passing by like quicksand on the fingertips is turning the person in front of you into a new memory."
He sincerely admired: "Chen Mengzhao, what you said is so philosophical. I never thought you had such profound thoughts."
She playfully covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes smiling into crescents: "Okay, it doesn't matter if there is any philosophy, as long as our old birthday star can be happy."
He sighed softly, rubbed his sore shoulders, and said, "After all, I'm getting old, and playing these rides is really too much for me."
She frowned slightly, glared at him in reproach, and said, "You are in your prime now. Where did your vigor and vitality last night go? Don't act old and frail in front of me."
She smiled helplessly and said, "Can you be a little more ladylike?"
She put her hands on her waist, raised her chin slightly, and said disapprovingly: "I don't want those so-called lady labels. The most important thing is to live happily and freely. If you must label me, then just say that I am heartless. How about this, since you don't like crowds, I'll take you to a quiet place this afternoon."
The so-called "quiet" place she mentioned turned out to be a detached villa hidden in the suburbs.
The villa is nestled in the green mountains and adjacent to the green water, showing the graceful style of the Jiangnan water village everywhere.
Stepping into the elegant courtyard, you will see rocky fake buildings arranged in a staggered manner, as if they were works of art carefully crafted by nature. It's a pity that it's early spring and the lively scene of gurgling water is missing, otherwise it would have added a bit of poetic charm.
놖Man뀞 asked curiously, "Is this your family's property?"
She shook her head slightly and explained softly, "This is the residence of a close friend of my father. It is usually unoccupied and is used exclusively for receiving friends."
As we walked into the hall, a middle-aged woman came up to us with a smile on her face and said in a soft Wu dialect: "Oh, why did I hear the magpie chirping this morning? It turns out that a distinguished guest has come. My dear, you haven't come for a long time, have you? This gentleman is..."
Chen Mengzhao quickly introduced: "This is 놖's friend, Guan Hongjun." As he spoke, he winked at 놖.
놖 nodded slightly, politely.
Chen Mengzhao turned to 놖 again and introduced: "This is Aunt Song."
After a few pleasantries, Aunt Song enthusiastically led us to the second floor and arranged for us to stay in the guest room.
Naturally, 놖 and Shen Mengzhao each had a room, which was decorated warmly and elegantly, with a strong Jiangnan flavor.
They temporarily turned the host's study into a tea room, and sat next to Shen Mengzhao, drinking tea and chatting.
Mr. 놖뀞 was curious and couldn't help asking, "What is the relationship between this Aunt Song and the owner of this house?"
She chuckled, her eyes sparkling with intelligence, and said, "She is Uncle Zhang's confidante."
She joked, "Lovers are just lovers, but you made it sound so elegant and subtle."
She quickly raised her index finger, made a silencing gesture, and said softly: "Uncle Zhang's business suffered setbacks in his early years and he fell into trouble. It was Aunt Song who gave her all to help him get back on his feet. How can this deep friendship be easily summarized by the word 'lover'?"
Hearing this, a feeling of awe welled up in 놖뀞's heart, and he asked, "Does she usually live in this villa?"
She shook her head gently and said slowly: "Aunt Song is from Kunming. She is not used to the climate in the north. This time she came here to stay for a while during the New Year. After staying for more than a month, she will return to the south."
놖 smiled and said, "Nannan, it seems that they are very familiar with you."
She frowned slightly and said coquettishly, "Guan Hongjun, you are not allowed to call me Nannan. It's so unpleasant."
놖 smiled even more and said, "But 놖 just likes your nickname, it feels particularly intimate."
놖 asked curiously: "From your description, it seems that Uncle Zhang is a very extraordinary person. So what industry did he work in before?"
She smiled and replied: "In the early years, he was a leader in the field of regional agency of fast-moving consumer goods, but now he has transformed and devoted himself to the VC industry."
놖 was stunned when he heard this, and asked in confusion: "VC? Did he switch to making medicines? Does it mean vitamin C?"
After hearing what she said, she couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Guan Hongjun, I didn't expect that you also don't understand the field. The VC here is not vitamin C, but the abbreviation of venture capital."
She patiently explained: "Venture capital is essentially a form of equity investment with high risks and high potential returns. It focuses on companies that are in the start-up or growth stage, injecting capital in exchange for part of the company's equity, thereby helping the company to achieve rapid expansion and development."
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "So you get income from equity dividends?"
She shook her head slightly and further explained, "Not really. Venture capital has a complete exit mechanism. The most ideal exit method is for the invested enterprise to successfully achieve an initial public offering. At that time, investors can cash out their equity through the stock market and obtain rich returns. Of course, in addition to IPO, equity can also be realized through corporate mergers and acquisitions, equity repurchases and liquidation."
놖 frowned slightly and asked in confusion: "If we liquidate, doesn't that mean we will lose money?"
She raised her lips, her eyes full of praise, and said, "Not bad, you get it right away. That's why this investment model is called venture capital. It tests the investor's vision and judgment. If you're not careful, you might lose everything."
놖 asked again: "Can venture capital really help companies go public?"
She nodded slightly and said affirmatively: "As mentioned earlier, the best way for venture capital institutions to achieve returns is for the companies they invest in to be successfully listed. From this perspective, their role is like a catalyst for companies to go public. They play a vital role in the development process of companies, helping them to overcome numerous difficulties and eventually enter the capital market."
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