Chen Jin asked him what the chances were, and Ping Ge held up five fingers, indicating a 50/50 chance, because many bars on Renmin Road were run by these foreign women, and these women were not only enthusiastic but also very open-minded... He felt that Chen Jin had a chance because Chen Jin's spoken English was very good, and foreign women, living abroad, liked Chinese men who could communicate with them without any problems.
I have absolutely no idea how he calculated that 50/50 chance. I just felt a filthy stench spreading through the air; to describe it in one word, birds of a feather flock together!
I tore open a can of beer, took a sip, and said to them, "You two practically have the word 'lewd' written all over your faces... Get to it... Let's talk about something serious."
Chen Jin replied, "Let's chat. I've been idle all day and just waiting for you to speak."
I looked at Brother Ping, who had a look of lingering dissatisfaction on his face. He had truly lost all willpower in "Jiulongju"; it seemed I needed to give him a dose of "spiritual chicken manure" to awaken his heart, which had lost all ambition.
I smiled and said to Brother Ping, "I mainly want to talk to you about... I'm going to buy the four shops you don't need. I'd like to ask how you prefer to cooperate."
"Show me a solution."
I had already thought about this in my head, so without much thought, I replied, "The simplest way is to give you rent, but not too much... just a symbolic amount."
"That won't do. I spent several million to buy these shops. If you play it this way, I'll lose a lot of money!"
I smiled and replied, "Aren't you quite greedy for money?"
"Isn't that obvious? People die for money..."
“Okay… if you still have this drive, we can talk even more… I suggest you give these four shops to our studio for free use for three years. It won’t be free; consider it your investment in kind. We’ll convert it into a certain percentage of shares for you to participate in the studio’s final profit sharing.”
Bottle glanced at me and replied, "That's interesting."
Chen Jin echoed me, saying, "What do you mean by 'interesting'? This is incredibly interesting... Let's stick to the facts. If it were a physical investment, the property rights of these shops should all go to the studio, but we don't want them. The property rights remain with you personally... Think about it, these shops are practically worthless sitting here. If we use them, you can not only get a share of the studio's profits, but also potentially double the value of the shops in three years. Imagine your returns then... It would be a textbook example of a successful investment..." After a slight pause, Chen Jin continued, "I suggest you use Michael's plan and work with us to make this a business."
Brother Ping smiled and replied, "Let's make this clear beforehand: is this a favor or a business deal?"
I said seriously, "We're only talking about business, not personal relationships. Everything we're discussing now will be written into the contract and standardized... I guarantee you won't suffer any losses."
I have my reasons for saying this; before, using Brother Ping's shop as a temporary inn was indeed out of personal favor, and Brother Ping was happy to do that favor... But now it involves a three-year cooperation, and talking about personal favors again would be a bit unfair. I am not willing to do this kind of favor business, and Brother Ping is certainly not willing either, which is why he asked this question.
I have a feeling that Brother Ping is definitely not what he appears to be on the surface, so it is necessary to have a sense of awe towards him, especially when it comes to matters involving business interests.
Sure enough, Ping replied, "That's enough... If you're only talking about personal relationships, this really can't be discussed."
"Okay, so you're planning to use these four shops for our studio?"
"The intention is very strong... but you need to bring over a proper cooperation proposal."
"No problem, since you're interested, the deal is half done... We can discuss the terms later."
As I spoke, I raised a beer can to Brother Ping to signify a pleasant cooperation... At the same time, I was also thinking about how to get the operating rights of another 16 shops from Cao Jinbo at the lowest possible cost, and that was the real challenge.
...
I downed the beer in the can in one gulp and subconsciously wiped my face with my hand to relieve the fatigue from staying up all night... Just then, my phone, which was lying to the side, vibrated again. Judging from the frequency of the vibration, I had received a message.
It must be Ye Zhi who replied. Actually, I've been waiting for it all along; because this is the first time I've said "I love you" to her. It's different from "I like you." It's like a special ritual, and of course I hope she can feel my sincerity.
I turned on my phone, and it really was Ye Zhi replying.
"I love you too."
It's a feeling so sweet it's almost suffocating. Like most couples in love, our happiness comes from these words, which sweep away fatigue and suspicion, and make us look forward to the future.
I put down my phone and subconsciously looked out the window, hoping to see a wider space, but instead I saw the apartment I was living in and the balcony... The image of Yang Sisi staying up all night here with me waiting for the guests to return is still vivid in my mind.
I feel a little sad... This is probably the kind of emotion a man would feel when he's caught between two women. Although I never admit to having feelings for Yang Sisi, or any romantic feelings involved, she has indeed occupied too many of my memories. And these memories are like a rainbow, hanging in the cracks of life, making me forget those shadows that can kill.
I'm sorry, I was wrong!
If I had a choice, I would rather not have taken her car to Dali... but that way, I wouldn't have met Ye Zhi.
Look, this is the web woven by fate.
It can bring ecstasy, but also helplessness and sorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
