I sat in the pool for a while before I came out of this confused and regretful state. I subconsciously looked at Tie Nan and the others and found that they were also looking at me. Coach Ma said to me, "We only talked about half of the investment, and you stopped. We asked you to order takeout, but you didn't... Your behavior is really a bit baffling!"
I quickly replied apologetically, "I just chatted with Chen Jin about something... I'll order the takeout first, and we'll continue our conversation later."
"Hurry up."
After ordering takeout over the phone, I picked up the investment plan again and explained my ideas, the current status of the property, and the overall real estate market in Phuket to them in detail...
After confirming that everything was in order, I said to An'an and Instructor Ma, "This is indeed a money-making opportunity, and I want to make it a project where everyone can make money together. So I accept whatever you invest, no matter how much or how little... I don't make promises to others easily, especially in business, but this time, I can reassure you that once this project is completed and sold, your investment returns will be at least twice the original capital... Moreover, the investment period is not long, because the houses have already been built, so they can be sold during the decoration process."
An'an spoke first, saying to me, "If the returns are really that high, then I'd like to invest some too... I don't have much cash on hand, maybe a little over a million, so I'll invest one million."
I nodded, then asked Coach Ma, "Old Ma, what about you?"
"I don't have any spare money... You guys invest, I won't get involved."
I didn't press the issue, but after thinking for a moment, Coach Ma said, "I can come up with about 100,000, but I'm afraid you'll think it's too little."
"If you don't mind the amount... then it's settled. Tomorrow I'll have the company's legal department draft the investment contract... and then we'll get this project approved as soon as possible."
Everyone nodded, and Coach Ma smiled and said to me, "Such a great money-making opportunity... This time, aren't you going to take Sisi with you to invest?"
“No, she’s not taking it anymore. Her dad’s company is about to go public, and she doesn’t need that little bit of money right now.”
Coach Ma replied, "That's true!"
Tie Nan said with deep emotion, "Over the years, Sisi has been the most discerning... She has always been there for you, unconditionally following your lead... But you haven't let her down either; the mutual trust between you is quite a story... She must have made a good profit buying this villa, right?"
I was momentarily stunned before replying, "Yeah, if she wanted to sell this villa, she could make four or five million just by reselling it... But she's not short of money, so she'll just use it as a vacation home for now."
...
After finalizing the investment details, everyone had dinner together...
After dinner, An'an and Tie Nan went to rest, leaving only Coach Ma and me sitting on the beach... He lit a cigarette first, then asked me, "You always seem so distracted..."
Are you still troubled by relationship issues?
"I wouldn't say that... I'm putting 90% of my energy into my work right now, I don't have time to think about those 'messy' things."
"The problem lies in this remaining ten percent..."
"Stop... Don't talk about me... Tell me how you came to this conclusion... Before you came to Phuket, I really thought you were going to spend your life in a temple."
Coach Ma glanced at me, then took another deep drag of his cigarette before replying, "Before answering your question, let me tell you a story first... Don't think I'm being mysterious; this is something I've recently come to understand."
"you say."
As Coach Ma gazed at the distant lighthouse, he recounted, “One day, Meng Po found King Yama and said, ‘I have to feed soup to people every day, and I’ve seen too much of the coldness of the world… so I want to resign.’ King Yama didn’t even hesitate and just said, ‘Go back to the underworld! Drink the Meng Po soup and prepare to be reincarnated…’ After Meng Po drank the soup, King Yama told her that in her previous life she had accumulated good deeds, and now he would arrange a good job for her… From now on, you will be called Meng Po, and you will serve the Meng Po soup to those preparing to be reincarnated, so that they can forget their past and present lives…’ Meng Po said, ‘Okay…’”
I wasn't quite there yet, so I looked at Coach Ma with a bit of confusion.
Coach Ma slapped my shoulder hard and laughed, “Isn’t that damn ironic? ... Many people think that reincarnation only happens after death; but it also happens while you’re alive... You think that if you work hard, you can forget the past... But after you forget, you will still fall into new traps... So, life is an endless journey of cultivation... Whether you become a monk or live a life of struggle in the real world, you are just repeating the pain of the past... Let me tell you, in the past few years at Jizu Mountain, I haven’t lived a very tranquil life. I still think about things I shouldn’t think about in the dead of night... My master said that I hadn’t gotten rid of worldly desires, so he persuaded me to leave.”
"What a waste of such good treatment at your temple!"
"Didn't you feel anything after hearing this story?"
"No, I am Meng Po who drank the Meng Po soup... I can't remember anything now."
"I knew you were smart...you really have a knack for understanding!"
I joked, "Is it too late for me to go to Jizu Mountain now?"
"I'm not even there anymore, what are you going to do... Michael, as your brother, let me tell you something from the heart... Back when I was a monk, I already saw that you lack the courage to face difficulties head-on, especially when it comes to relationships... You always want to drink the Meng Po soup, and the largest portion at that... But have you ever thought about it? Even if you avoid that relationship you don't want to remember, what then?... You still have to face the next relationship, and when you encounter difficulties, will you give up again?... If you continue to choose this path, then you'll truly enter a vicious cycle, you will..."
Completely losing yourself in your love life... I think we need to try our best in relationships... If you had Sisi's persistence in love, you and Ye Zhi might have been together long ago... But the reality is, you're not with anyone... You're still trapped in the vortex of being single, unable to escape!
"You're the same way..."
"But I have now been reborn... Whether I am enlightened or not, it's just a matter of a moment. Think about it carefully..."
"I don't need to think about it; my conscience is clear!"
"Having a clear conscience and doing one's best are two different things."
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