Ou Yunchen continued to question Ren Xiaoguang.
Ou Yunchen: "Last time we had that training session, you said there was a project. Were you trying to tell me I look like your younger brother?"
Ren Xiaoguang: "No, I've been running into some trouble recently. It's a bottleneck in the real estate industry."
Ou Yunchen nodded. He had heard about it; it seemed the government had started cracking down on the real estate sector. On one hand, they wanted real estate companies to lower housing prices. On the other hand, they didn't want real estate to become the primary driver of the nation's economic bubble.
Ren Xiaoguang: "We've developed a new property, which was originally planned to be a high-end luxury residential community with world-class amenities..."
Ou Yunchen: "Is that the one at the foot of Baiyun Mountain?"
Ren Xiaoguang: "Yes, Bixiu Garden has borrowed a lot of money for this project. But now, with the government's stance... you understand."
Ou Yunchen: "I understand. I even saw the promotional flyers for Baiyun Mountain. I thought to myself, it would be a great place for skiing in the winter."
Ren Xiaoguang: "Last time I approached you, I hoped you could help us with financing to continue with the project. I don't want it to end halfway."
Ou Yunchen: "To be frank, since there are government requirements, I don't want to invest money in something with no potential return or a very long payback period."
Ren Xiaoguang: "Yes, I've met with many investors, and they all feel the same way. That's why I was forced to go abroad for over ten days to see if such a community could attract overseas investment."
Ou Yunchen: "If you want my advice, it's to abandon the high-end luxury residential positioning."
Ren Xiaoguang: "I've considered that too, but the money invested would be wasted. Even if it just sat in the bank, interest would be accumulating every second."
Ou Yunchen: "Actually, this is what I've wanted to discuss with you all along."
Ou Yunchen told Ren Xiaoguang about his project with Yang Danzhou. While changing the initial plan from residential to commercial development would be troublesome, it could bring the Bixiu Garden project back from the brink under the current pressure.
Ren Xiaoguang: "That's indeed a good idea. However, I need to go back and get the project manager to calculate the estimated returns for converting the Baiyun Mountain area into a commercial district and a leisure resort before I can give you an answer."
Ou Yunchen: "Alright. As long as Bixiu Garden agrees to join, Yang Danzhou and I can proceed with the project at any time."
Ren Xiaoguang: "Mr. Ou, there's something else I'd like to ask you as an extra favor."
Ren Xiaoguang brought up her brother again. She hoped Ou Yunchen could help her fulfill her brother's last wish.
***
After parting ways at Haiwan University, Ou Yunchen kept thinking about Ren Xiaoguang's request. As he pondered, he forgot about his appointment with Mo Qingyun. It wasn't until Mo Qingyun called him via video that he remembered he had promised to take her to a circus performance.
Ou Yunchen apologized while rushing to his destination, but the traffic was at a complete standstill. It took him over two hours before Ou Yunchen finally arrived at the circus.
Ou Yunchen: "I'm so sorry, there was a traffic jam. Let's go in."
Mo Qingyun sat sulkily on a chair at the circus entrance, motionless.
Ou Yunchen: "We can probably still catch the second half..."
Mo Qingyun signed: "Second half! It's ending in just over ten minutes!!!"
Ou Yunchen: "I'm sorry, I really rushed here as fast as I could..."
Mo Qingyun shoved the two tickets into Ou Yunchen's hand and walked away in the opposite direction. She was the one who had been waiting at the entrance for over two hours. She watched everyone else queue to enter, the noises from inside had ceased, and the host's opening remarks were already finished, yet Ou Yunchen hadn't arrived...
Ou Yunchen: "I was really wrong. I've been too busy lately, so I completely forgot about going to the circus today..."
Mo Qingyun signed: "You're busy? Am I not?"
Ou Yunchen chuckled awkwardly. How busy could Xie Youlin's foundation be? It was just a job to skim money from the fund...
Mo Qingyun signed: "You don't believe me?"
Ou Yunchen: "I do. So, what do you want to do? Shall we reschedule for another time?"
Mo Qingyun signed: "There's another show tomorrow!"
Ou Yunchen: "No, how about next month? Would next month work?"
Mo Qingyun signed: "Why not tomorrow?"
Ou Yunchen: "I have to... go on a business trip tomorrow."
Mo Qingyun signed: "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Ou Yunchen: "It was decided last minute..."
Mo Qingyun signed: "Where are you going?"
Ou Yunchen: "/
Ou Yunchen: "Okay, let's go for the most expensive one!"
Just as Ou Yunchen was about to pull Mo Qingyun away, she stopped.
Ou Yunchen: "What's wrong?"
Mo Qingyun signed: "Let's take a picture."
Ou Yunchen complied readily. They took a selfie outside the circus entrance, a promise for next time. It wasn't that Mo Qingyun was easily appeased. Like any other girl, she felt jealousy and anger, but she feared that doing so would lead to her being truly abandoned. So, she decided to be an understanding and unassuming girlfriend. At least this way, she could still see Ou Yunchen when he wasn't busy...
As an apology, Ou Yunchen took Mo Qingyun to a top-tier Western restaurant in the city and told the waiter to order whatever was most expensive. While the restaurant's waiters usually shaved only a few slices of white truffle for guests, under Ou Yunchen's instruction, they were told not to stop shaving as long as the lady in front of him didn't say so. However, the waiter didn't know this lady was mute, so he ended up shaving an entire white truffle.
Waiter: "Sir, do you need anything else?"
Ou Yunchen signaled the waiter to ask Mo Qingyun.
Mo Qingyun signed: "Isn't this just a mushroom?"
Ou Yunchen: "This is white truffle, about seventy thousand per pound. But yes, it is a type of fungus."
Mo Qingyun covered her mouth. The plate was piled high with white truffle, emitting a pungent, almost gasoline-like aroma.
Mo Qingyun signed: "That's enough, I don't want any more."
After the waiter left, Mo Qingyun reluctantly picked up a piece of white truffle and put it in her mouth, pinching her nose. Ou Yunchen watched her, sipping his red wine and chuckling. Never before had a woman shown such a disgusted reaction to white truffle.
Mo Qingyun signed: "What's so good about this? It tastes like an unripe chestnut."
Ou Yunchen: "I don't know. Is it worse than eating money directly?"
Mo Qingyun smiled and glared at Ou Yunchen. She still swallowed the white truffle with a sip of red wine.
Ou Yunchen: "I've treated you to the most expensive meal, can you forgive me now?"
Mo Qingyun signed: "Honestly, if I knew expensive things tasted this bad, I'd rather eat at a roadside stall."
Ou Yunchen burst out laughing. Who said expensive things are always good? Only what suits you is the best!
Mo Qingyun signed: "I don't want to eat white truffle ever again. I feel like my whole body smells of gasoline, gas, and pungent garlic!"
Ou Yunchen: "There's a row of numbers above your head."
Mo Qingyun signed: "What?"
Ou Yunchen: "Don't move, let me count..."
Mo Qingyun froze, looking at Ou Yunchen motionlessly.
Ou Yunchen: "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands..."
Ou Yunchen: "Seventy-eight thousand, six hundred and fifty-four!"
Mo Qingyun signed: "What does that mean?"
Ou Yunchen: "Your current value is about the same as that piece of white truffle just now."
Mo Qingyun put a piece of steak into Ou Yunchen's mouth.
Mo Qingyun signed: "An expensive white truffle has come to feed you. Hurry up and eat!"
Ou Yunchen couldn't help but laugh. Mo Qingyun also found it hilarious and giggled along.