The night passed peacefully without any incidents.
The next morning, Qin Chuan drove to the bank, where Shang Bingrong was already waiting for him.
When Qin Chuan opened the leather case and revealed all the money inside, Shang Bingrong exclaimed in surprise, "Is all of this your income from yesterday?"
"Yes, it's a total of one million six hundred and eighty-five thousand three hundred and twenty. Please deposit it into my account!" Qin Chuan said with a smile.
"That's amazing. At this rate, you must have sold half of your houses yesterday!" Shang Bingrong marveled, then jokingly added, "With so much money coming in at once, aren't you going to pay back some of the loan?"
"No, it's not due yet, so why would I pay it back?" Qin Chuan flatly refused. Their relationship had reached a point where they could speak their minds openly.
Shang Bingrong didn't mind. They sat on the sofa and began to chat.
Shang Bingrong expressed his reluctance for Qin Chuan to take over Xinhua Electronics Factory, as the situation there was truly dire. For many years, Xinhua Electronics Factory had been a target of public scorn in Yongnan County. After all, it had once carried the hopes of all the county's residents, and its decline had naturally led to widespread criticism. Why take on such a mess? It would be much better to focus on developing real estate, which had a vast prospect and was supported by favorable national policies.
Qin Chuan chuckled wryly, "Uncle, do you think I want to? I'm just caught in the currents of the martial world and can't help myself!" He explained his situation with Ye Qingping. Shang Bingrong frowned upon hearing this and tentatively offered, "How about I help you talk to County Magistrate Ye..."
"Uncle, that would be absolutely out of the question!" Qin Chuan rejected without a second thought. "Actually, I also want to challenge myself. Don't worry, it definitely won't affect the real estate business." Shang Bingrong saw this and could do nothing but sigh. As someone with experience, he understood that business and politics had always been intertwined with mutual interests. Once someone stepped into that arena, it was inevitable that they would get mired in various predicaments and lose their autonomy.
As they continued to chat, the conversation turned to Shang Honglian. Speaking of his daughter, Shang Bingrong sighed, "That girl, I don't know who she listened to, but she ran off to Beijing to look for a job, refusing to pursue her Ph.D.! She's driven me and her mother mad!"
Qin Chuan, who was about to take a sip of tea, froze. Fortunately, he didn't make a fool of himself. He coughed slightly, feigning awkwardness, and asked tentatively, "Did Honglian mention to you if she found a suitable job?" After going to Beijing, Shang Honglian and Qin Chuan occasionally called or messaged each other. At the time, Shang Honglian told Qin Chuan that she had visited Zhongguancun but hadn't found a job that was quite right. Qin Chuan had advised her not to rush and to take her time. Later, Qin Chuan became increasingly busy, and they hadn't been in contact for quite some time.
"She called us yesterday, saying she found a job at a company called Jingxi and is going to give it a try!" Shang Bingrong said at this moment.
"Jingxi? Are you sure it's Jingxi?!" Qin Chuan's eyes widened, and he asked seriously. Shang Bingrong looked a bit puzzled, not understanding why Qin Chuan would react so strongly, but he confirmed, "Yes, it's Jingxi. The boss's surname is Liu!"
"Holy crap!" Qin Chuan mentally exclaimed in Chinese, his face filled with surprise. He truly hadn't expected Shang Honglian to choose to work at Jingxi. As someone who had lived through it, he understood the future prospects of working at Jingxi too well. It was one of the giants of e-commerce in later years, with a market value of hundreds of billions, incredibly impressive. If Shang Honglian continued to work at Jingxi, Qin Chuan believed her future would be boundless. However, Jingxi at this time was just a small company, less than three months old, still in its nascent stages, primarily selling optical and magnetic products. Given Shang Honglian's talent and her status as a "little rich woman," going to Jingxi felt like a compromise. He wondered how she ended up choosing Jingxi.
Driven by curiosity, Qin Chuan immediately called Shang Honglian. After a few rings, the call was answered, and Shang Honglian's pleasant, youthful voice came through, "Qin Chuan!"
"Honglian, what are you doing?" Qin Chuan asked gently. Shang Bingrong, sitting opposite him, subtly perked up his ears, but the distance made it impossible to hear anything.
"I'm at work, Qin Chuan. I'll tell you, I found a job!" Shang Honglian said happily.
"What kind of job is it? Tell me about it!" Qin Chuan teased.
"Oh, it's one of those internet companies you talked about. I spent a lot of time and finally found a suitable one." Shang Honglian said playfully over the phone, but there was a hint of evasion in her tone. After all, Jingxi had just been established, and it wasn't really an "internet company" yet. It started by selling optical discs and later transformed. Because Liu Dongqiang was also very knowledgeable about computer programming and considered a genius, Jingxi eventually became the e-commerce giant it would be.
Qin Chuan felt that something significant must have happened on Shang Honglian's end, or she wouldn't have chosen Jingxi at this stage. However, the girl was indeed very astute. Qin Chuan tried to probe three times, but she successfully dodged every question. Finally, using the excuse of being busy with work, she ended the call.
"Qin Chuan, what did Honglian say on the phone?" Shang Bingrong asked anxiously.
"It's nothing. She told me her work is going well and that I shouldn't worry." Qin Chuan fabricated a reason. If he were closer, he would have gone to see the situation for himself, but Beijing was too far away. Although Jingxi had a great future, it was a very small company right now. Logically, Shang Honglian shouldn't have chosen to work for such a small company. Furthermore, Shang Honglian had mentioned on the phone that she was with friends.
After leaving the bank, Qin Chuan returned to the real estate development. It was the second day of its grand opening, and the sales office was still bustling with activity. Salespeople were busy explaining to customers who were inquiring or interested in buying, while others were showing them around the properties. It was a scene of great activity. He was confident that today would also yield good sales results!
Qin Chuan stood in a shaded area, smoking with his elder and second brothers.
"Brother, Third Brother, do you know what I want to do most right now?" Qin Er Ge said while smoking.
His brothers glanced at him, and Qin Chuan retorted, "Your brain is on your head, how could we possibly guess!"
"Exactly, that's a pointless question!" Qin Yang chimed in, uncharacteristically.
Qin Er Ge chuckled and then turned serious. "What I want most right now is for it to be New Year!" Seeing the confused looks on Qin Yang and Qin Chuan's faces, Qin Er Ge slowly explained. "Xiao Chuan, when you went to the provincial capital a while ago, I went back to the village!"
"You have no idea how everyone in the village looked at me. It was incredibly satisfying!" Qin Chuan frowned. "Did you specifically go back to show off?"
Qin Gang quickly waved his hand. "Am I that bored? I went home to get some farm produce. Mom and Dad specifically asked me to go back." "After going back this time, I realized that the news of the great ventures we three brothers are undertaking in the city has already spread throughout the surrounding towns, and everyone in the village knows about it!"