The next morning, the morning light shone into the room through the gauze curtains. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the jade ring on the dressing table.
It glows with a warm luster in the sunlight. I decided to go to Zhang Pingmin's house today to return this valuable item.
After Lin Xun learned about this, he looked serious and kept repeating: "Zhang Pingmin helped us solve Yu Zhiming's debt problem. This favor is as heavy as a mountain. It is really impolite to come to him empty-handed."
I thought about simply returning the ring, but Lin Xun was adamant and I couldn't argue with him.
Afterwards, Lin Xun hurried downstairs and headed for the underground wine cellar. I followed behind. The wine cellar was filled with the rich aroma of wine. Rows of wine bottles were neatly arranged, exuding a mysterious atmosphere under the dim light.
Lin Xun walked between the wine racks, his eyes lingering on many wine bottles, and finally locked on a bottle of 1982 Rothschild Lafite in a wooden box. He held the bottle of wine carefully in both hands, as if holding a rare treasure.
I glanced at the bottle of wine and couldn't help muttering, "Zhang Pingmin has a big family and a lot of wealth, would he care about this bottle of red wine?"
Lin Xun turned around, his eyes full of reproach: "This is not an ordinary red wine, it's a collectible Lafite! The market price starts at at least 100,000, and we're giving it as a token of our appreciation."
After I heard this, I took a deep breath and couldn't help but sigh in my heart that the world of rich people is really hard to understand. This bottle of wine, one sip, costs as much as an average person's monthly salary. Can drinking it make you rich overnight?
I drove Lin Xun's car slowly into the courtyard of Zhang Pingmin's villa. The sunlight shone on the neatly trimmed lawn, reflecting a vibrant green.
Zhang Pingmin and Aunt Song were sitting under a parasol in the middle of the yard. On the table in front of them was a set of quaint tea sets, and the aroma of tea filled the air.
Hearing the movement of the car, they both raised their heads at the same time. Zhang Pingmin saw that it was me, and the corners of his mouth rose. He raised his eyebrows at Aunt Song, and said with a little pride: "Well, I won."
I walked up to them and asked in confusion, "Brother Zhang, Aunt Song, what are you betting on?"
Aunt Song smiled, put down the teacup in her hand, and explained, "Well, we were guessing whether you would come today. Unexpectedly, Lao Zhang guessed it right."
I was stunned for a moment, then I didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What's the point of gambling? The ring is so valuable, I must give it to you."
Zhang Pingmin and Aunt Song smiled at each other with deep meaning in their eyes. They did not respond to my words, but their eyes suddenly fell on the exquisite wooden box in my hands.
Aunt Song's eyes were full of reproach, and she said in a soft Wu dialect: "Hongjun, this is such a valuable thing, how can I accept it?"
Zhang Pingmin laughed heartily: "Take it! If you don't, I won't be able to report to you when I go back."
I quickly agreed: "Brother Zhang, you really see things clearly and understand me. You are indeed a generous man from Northeast China!"
After saying that, we both looked at each other and laughed. Aunt Song shook her head helplessly, took the red wine from me with a smile, and went back to the house with brisk steps.
Zhang Pingmin pointed to the chair opposite and motioned for me to sit down.
I took out the ring from my pocket, returned it to him solemnly, and then told him the details of the negotiation with Brother Dian last night.
Zhang Pingmin listened very attentively, nodded from time to time, and said slowly: "Although Brother Dian's mind is full of profit, he is a righteous man, which is undeniable."
I agreed with him, and took the opportunity to ask him a question: "Brother, do you think P2P finance has a future?"
Zhang Pingmin leaned back, his eyes calm, and analyzed: "Internet finance is essentially just a new shell for traditional finance. The underlying logic is the same, and it is not an innovation. For now, before the country strengthens supervision, P2P may usher in a few explosive periods. But in the long run, it lacks a solid foundation and is difficult to sustain. I am not optimistic about it."
I nodded thoughtfully.
At this time, Aunt Song came back with light steps. On the exquisite tray in her hand, there was a bone china teacup as white as mutton fat, emitting a warm luster.
Seeing this, Zhang Pingmin reached out and picked up the elegant silver teapot and poured me half a cup of Earl Grey tea.
In an instant, the rich tea aroma, wrapped in the fresh scent of citrus, wafts in the air.
Aunt Song sat down gracefully. Zhang Pingmin smiled gently and asked softly, "Ajie, have you asked Aunt to prepare noodles for four people?"
Aunt Song smiled and responded in soft Wu dialect: "The braised duck noodles in white soup are cooked at home. I'd like to invite Hongjun to eat Kunshan specialty noodles. After all, it's more considerate to make them at home."
Hearing this, I quickly stood up and declined with a smile: "You two will have guests later, I won't disturb you, Aunt Song, please don't worry about this."
Zhang Pingmin immediately waved his hand and said in a generous tone: "Brother, here, there are no guests, they are all family members!"
Aunt Song echoed on the side: "Yeah, that's right, that's right."
Since the host was so warm and sincere, it would be impolite of me to refuse, so I gladly accepted and sat down again.
After a few sips of black tea, the topic unknowingly turned back to Brother Dian.
I was full of doubts and asked, "Brother Dian's warehouse has always been very profitable. Why would he suddenly quit this business?"
Zhang Pingmin looked calm, took a sip from his teacup, and said slowly: "This is all due to the impact of the Internet. In the past, warehouses were a piece of fat meat with lucrative profits, and naturally became the focus of people in the underworld fighting for territory. But now, the Internet era has completely changed the commodity circulation model, from traditional B2B to B2C. In such an environment, warehouses characterized by point-to-point transactions have seen their market share shrink and decline is an inevitable trend. In sharp contrast, the express logistics industry characterized by point-to-point services is experiencing explosive growth."
I suddenly realized, and thought of Zhang Pingmin's experience in my mind, and couldn't help asking: "Is this the reason why my brother gradually faded out of the fast-moving consumer goods agency industry?"
Zhang Pingmin smiled faintly, looked into the distance, and said slowly: "This is indeed part of the reason, but not all. I can't sit still, and I'm always worried that I can't keep up with the times and become old-fashioned. Now I'm in the field of venture capital, and I meet energetic post-80s every day. They have active minds and are full of creativity, but they lack the start-up capital to turn their ideas into products. I hope to support them with my own strength, help these young people realize their dreams, and reflect my own value in time."
After hearing his heartfelt words, I couldn't help but feel a surge of respect in my heart, and I exclaimed sincerely: "Brother is not only a visionary, but also a sentimental person, which is admirable!"
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