Zhan Jingchen returned home and was idly lying on the sofa scrolling through his phone when he received a call from Pei Kexin.
To be honest, he was a little surprised.
He had just parted ways with Fu Duoduo; could Fu Duoduo have already won her over so quickly?
The call connected, and upon hearing his familiar voice, Pei Kexin paused awkwardly before speaking.
"Do you have time? I'd like to treat you to lunch."
This confirmed Zhan Jingchen's suspicion; it seemed Fu Duoduo had indeed managed to win her over.
This woman indeed possessed some capabilities.
Zhan Jingchen feigned ignorance, "Why the sudden urge to treat me to a meal?"
Pei Kexin didn't answer and asked him again.
"Just tell me if you're free and willing to come. If you agree, I'll send you the address."
She was acting so bossy about inviting someone for a meal?
Zhan Jingchen really wanted to reprimand her, but he was afraid of backfiring and reluctantly agreed.
Soon, they met at a restaurant.
Pei Kexin didn't beat around the bush and poured him a cup of tea.
"Are your words from the day before yesterday still valid?"
"What words?"
"Asking me to come work at your company."
Zhan Jingchen deliberately asked, "Didn't you not want to go?"
Pei Kexin replied, "People's thoughts can change. Have you already found someone else so quickly?"
Zhan Jingchen stared at her for a few seconds, "Just be direct, Pei Kexin. What exactly do you want from me today?"
Since he was so straightforward, Pei Kexin decided to get straight to the point.
"I'd like to ask you for a loan."
"What?"
She held up a hand to stop him, "Let me finish speaking."
"I want to borrow two hundred million yuan. I know it's a lot, and asking you for such a sum based on our acquaintance sounds like something out of a fairy tale. But I promise you, once I join the company, I'll help you earn the money back as quickly as possible. I won't take a salary; consider it an advance. We'll settle the accounts once this money is fully repaid."
Trying to get something for nothing, asking for an advance of two hundred million before even joining the company—she truly had the nerve to say that.
Zhan Jingchen hadn't expected her to approach him for this reason and laughed in exasperation.
"Two hundred million? And we'll settle once it's repaid? What if it can't be repaid?"
Pei Kexin, flustered, hadn't thought that far ahead.
"It's impossible not to be able to repay it."
"Why is it impossible? Do you think the company will definitely be profitable, and highly profitable at that? Are you God? Or do you believe you have such immense capabilities that you'll never make a losing deal?"
Pei Kexin was stumped by his questions.
Indeed, she wasn't God; she couldn't guarantee that the company would definitely be profitable, let alone highly profitable.
Two hundred million yuan, while not a significant amount for the Zhan family, was a astronomical sum for her.
If they truly lost money, she might not be able to repay it.
After some thought, with no other options, Pei Kexin could only offer vague promises.
"If the company isn't profitable, I'll find work elsewhere to earn the money to repay you. As long as I, Pei Kexin, am alive, I will eventually return the money. I have that much confidence."
Zhan Jingchen was once again amused by her determined gaze and confident tone.
"Can you tell me why you suddenly need so much money?"
Pei Kexin detected ridicule in his gaze.
After all, he was younger than her. Having to beg him for money was quite embarrassing.
"Can I not say?"
Zhan Jingchen said arrogantly, "No. Two hundred million is not a small sum; I need to know what you intend to do with it."
Pei Kexin sighed and had no choice but to truthfully explain Fu Duoduo's family's predicament.
Zhan Jingchen couldn't help but burst out laughing inwardly.
Fu Duoduo, Fu Duoduo, to achieve your goals, you'll say anything, even selling out your own father!
Regardless of how Fu Duoduo managed it, the objective was achieved, and Zhan Jingchen was quite pleased.
He was willing to lend the money, but he himself didn't have two hundred million.
"Alright, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, and this isn't just one life. I'll believe you for now. Wait for news from me; the money will be in your account within two hours."
Pei Kexin, worried about Fu Duoduo, ate a little, paid the bill, and left in a hurry.
Zhan Jingchen sat in the restaurant and called his second brother.
Jiang Jingyu was also surprised when Zhan Jingchen asked for two hundred million.
"What do you need so much money for?"
"Don't worry about why; I'll borrow it for a few hours. It'll go out and come back to you. Don't worry, you won't lose money."
Jiang Jingyu's attitude when Zhan Jingchen borrowed money from him was similar.
"Two hundred million is not a small amount. You just ask to borrow it, without even giving me a reason. Isn't that a bit too casual?"
Zhan Jingchen still didn't want to say.
"Just tell me if you'll lend it or not. If not, I'll find someone else. Eldest brother, eldest sister, second brother, second sister, and her husband, any of them could easily come up with two hundred million."
That brat, acting like a big shot even when borrowing money.
Jiang Jingyu knew he intended to acquire the Pei Corporation and assumed he wouldn't misuse the money. After some thought, he agreed.
"You said it yourself. You have four hours; return it to me before five this afternoon."
At three in the afternoon, Pei Kexin's account received two hundred million yuan.
Fu Duoduo was incredibly touched upon hearing that Pei Kexin had successfully borrowed two hundred million.
In her many years of life, the most reliable thing she had done was become friends with Pei Kexin!
The money went in a circle and returned to Jiang Jingyu's hands. He called Zhan Jingchen.
"Are you planning to start a business recently? Don't worry, I won't interfere, and I'll actively support you. That studio on Binjiang Road, your sister-in-law renovated it but hasn't used it. You can use it for now."
That would be great, saving him the trouble of finding a place.
Zhan Jingchen thanked his second brother and sent a message to Pei Kexin about starting work the next day.
At seven-thirty the next morning, Pei Kexin arrived at the location.
The spacious studio was luxuriously and beautifully decorated, but there were only the two of them.
"This is your company? It's just us two?"
Zhan Jingchen said, "Why wouldn't it be? First, give me the proposal. If it's feasible, I'll recruit personnel; otherwise, there's no point in hiring so many people."
Although his reasoning made some sense, Pei Kexin was still a bit surprised.
"You want me to create a proposal for acquiring the Pei Corporation? Are you that confident in me? I'm not professional, and it requires a lot of data. With just me, how long will it take?"
Zhan Jingchen replied, "I'm not that confident in you, of course. We'll also engage professional agencies. Then we can compare the two. This way, we can identify any discrepancies and also test your work capabilities. What's not to like?"
Pei Kexin had nothing to say.
He was the boss; she had to do as she was told.
She took out her laptop, found a workstation casually, and started working.
Zhan Jingchen had no work experience and didn't know what else he could do, so he sat opposite her and played with his phone.
It had to be said that when Pei Kexin worked seriously, she exuded an aura of quiet authority. While typing on her keyboard with her eyes fixed on the computer screen, she possessed a captivating professionalism.
Zhan Jingchen acted as a supervisor, quietly keeping her company opposite her, and sat there for a whole week.