I didn't know where Yang Sisi had gone. She didn't reply to my messages or answer my calls. After I felt I had done my best, I didn't try to contact her again. Then I took the clothes she had left behind and went back to the inn.
During dinner, Tie Nan and I chatted for a while, discussing whether we should change the name of the inn. I felt that the name "Fragrant Clouds" was too feminine, which would inadvertently limit our scope.
Tie Nan agreed, but if they changed the name, all the reputation and achievements they had made on some websites would be invalidated, which was a pity.
Since we couldn't reach a conclusion, we temporarily put the issue aside. Then Tie Nan brought up a more practical topic with me: we should find a way to raise money for sewage treatment equipment, because Bai Lu had already made some progress.
One of the suppliers she contacted was willing to provide us with a set of equipment at a 30% discount, which was definitely a favor. Even so, we still had to prepare a huge sum of 80,000 yuan.
We now have two options. One is to save costs by buying equipment worth around 10,000 yuan. The second is to grit our teeth and buy the best equipment to lay the most solid foundation for the guesthouse to resume operations in November.
We all leaned towards the latter, but the money became the biggest headache, because in addition to the equipment, we also needed to change the bedding, stock up on supplies for the bar, make wine racks, and build a bar counter...
Tie Nan and I did the math, and we estimate we'll need at least another 200,000 yuan in investment. But neither of us, including Bai Lu, has any more money to spare.
...
Back in my room, I lay down on the soft chair overlooking Erhai Lake, pondering how to resolve the 200,000 yuan investment. I'd talked to Tie Nan, and we decided that this money wouldn't fall on just one person. Instead, we'd each contribute 100,000 yuan, and then we'd finally settle things.
The reason Bai Lu wasn't included is because she has already contributed a wealth of connections that money can't buy. Since it's a collaboration, we can't just keep exploiting her value. As for Coach Ma, he genuinely doesn't have any money, so we can't count on him.
I do have some money left, but it's not enough to completely solve the problem. But since we've already come this far, even if we have to borrow, we have to bite the bullet and keep going... Then I thought of Ye Zhi. This money should be a piece of cake for her, so the chances of borrowing it are still quite high.
I found her WeChat, but when it came time to actually speak to her, I realized it was a very difficult task. So I typed and deleted many times in the chat box, but I still couldn't send the message.
I tossed my phone aside in frustration until someone sent me a message.
The message was from Peach: "Michael, I've got the leave I needed and bought a plane ticket to Dali the day after tomorrow..."
What time will you arrive?
"Landing at 5:30."
Before I could reply, she sent another message, filled with emotion: "When you want to do something, you really have to be ruthless. Look at Leilei, she always thinks going to Dali is something incredibly difficult... But how difficult is it really? I'm going now... She just can't bear to miss out on making money; she puts so much pressure on herself!"
This time, it took me a long time to reply: "That's why I really hope you can get out of that job as soon as possible. I don't want a similar tragedy to happen again!"
"Easier said than done!"
...
As I finished talking to Taozi, I also gave up on asking Ye Zhi for money. At least now was not the right time, because although she had money, we weren't really close friends. Asking for money rashly might put her in a difficult position and make me feel awkward.
Perhaps because I had a lot on my mind, I couldn't sleep on my second night in Longkan. Not wanting to suffer in vain in bed, I got dressed and decided to take a walk along the coastal road in Longkan.
Compared to Majiuyi, Longkan is much quieter at night. Apart from the chirping of insects and the sound of the tide, there are no other noises in the entire area.
I found a flat rock to sit on, put on my headphones, and listened to Wang Feng's "Goodbye, 20th Century" again. But this time it wasn't simply to remember Wang Lei; I just felt like I was the "lost" person described in the song...
As I listened, I felt a strong desire to see Lu Jia again in my lifetime, and to do so in a very successful way, because I am not a block of wood, and I know why she gave me up.
Another gust of wind blew across the sea, causing the lights on the opposite shore to sway violently, shattering my heart as well. Suddenly, I craved even the slightest bit of warmth. Then I thought of the woman who always gave me warmth, and then I felt even colder, because she was more ethereal than the wind blowing right now; she would never again appear in my life like a candle flame.
Therefore, more than ever, I need a ruthless heart to kill the loneliness and emptiness that are poisoning me. I am keenly aware that in this world, the only thing that can stand by me through thick and thin is self-reliance; no one will ever care for me like Wang Lei did.
I tucked my coat in even tighter! Then I lit the lighter, then extinguished it, repeating this process over and over again...
...
I don't know how much time had passed, but my phone, which had been silent all along, suddenly vibrated beside me. I picked it up and looked at it; it was that number I'd known for so long, yet which had suddenly become unfamiliar.
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