Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love-Chapter 203 - 201 - I Invest in You
Yes, if he remembered correctly, the girl walking with Yang Xiao Zhi was called Chen Fang. She was Chen Ying’s cousin. He even seemed to still have her QQ number, which he had added specifically to pursue Chen Ying back then. He had never actually chatted with her, though. The reason he remembered her was probably that he had visited Chen Ying’s home on the day the college entrance exam results were announced. Chen Ying wasn’t there, but Chen Fang was, so they had chatted for a bit. That was when he heard that she hadn’t gotten into high school and had gone to work instead. He had sighed at the time, not understanding why a girl like her would choose not to continue her studies. Then he had thought of Chen Ying, who wouldn’t even consider dating for the sake of getting into a university, and it struck him how vastly different people’s perspectives could be. Looking at it now... she must have had an agreement with Yang Xiao Zhi all along, right? Actually, Xue Yang still didn’t quite understand why someone would pass up the bright future of a university education to start working early. But it was someone else’s life, and he had no right to comment. Besides, it was too late to say anything now. Living well in the present was what truly mattered.
"You... you’re Xue Yang?"
Chen Fang recognized Xue Yang at a glance. No need to ask why she recognized him instantly—it was mainly because he left such a deep impression. It would have been difficult not to know who he was.
"You don’t look like you went to college, more like you got plastic surgery."
If it weren’t for her strong impression of him, Chen Fang really would have hesitated to believe that the sunny, cheerful, and handsome young man before her was Xue Yang.
Yang Xiao Zhi stood to the side, pouting, but didn’t say much. He was already working; why bother arguing with a kid still in school?
"So, do you think I had plastic surgery?" Xue Yang asked with a smile.
"No, you’ve become very handsome. It’s unbelievable. It seems going to university really can transform a person."
"Thanks for the compliment. Please, take a seat."
A tea table was set up in Xue Yang’s courtyard specifically for entertaining guests. He invited Chen Fang and Yang Xiao Zhi to sit down, then went inside the house.
"Sister Xiao Fang, you know my brother?" Xue Xing asked curiously.
"Your brother and I were in the same grade. In junior high, our classrooms were right next to each other, though your brother never knew. He was so obsessed with studying back then, he was like a madman."
"Oh."
"You have no idea. Back then, we all secretly called your brother the ’Book Maniac.’" Perhaps because there were no elders around, Chen Fang was more outgoing and talkative, showing the kind of liveliness expected of someone their age.
Xue Yang returned with tea leaves and the snacks and fruits his parents had prepared earlier.
"What are you all talking about? You seem so happy."
"Brother, Sister Xiao Fang was saying you used to be a ’Book Maniac.’"
"It’s true. Back then, all your brother did was study. If his grades hadn’t actually been improving, the teachers were ready to have his parents take him for a check-up."
After boiling the water, Xue Yang placed the tea leaves in the teapot, not bothering to refute Chen Fang’s words. He really had been a bit like a madman back then. His old friends from elementary school were especially shocked. After he ignored them a few times, they gradually stopped trying to hang out, and they eventually lost contact. I wonder how they’re all doing now.
"After the New Year, I don’t plan on going back to my job," Yang Xiao Zhi suddenly said with a serious air. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
"Brother Xiao Zhi, what are you planning to do?" Xue Xing asked.
Yang Xiao Zhi pulled out a pack of pricey cigarettes, lit one, and acting like a grown-up, he said in a worldly tone, "I’m planning to strike out on my own."
Xue Yang nodded. "That’s great. After all, working for someone else isn’t a long-term solution. It’s always best to be your own boss if you can."
Hearing Xue Yang’s words, Yang Xiao Zhi was slightly taken aback and asked subconsciously, "You... you think what I’m doing is right?"
He had, in fact, already discussed it with his parents, hoping they could provide him with some startup capital. However, his mother, Xue Yuanxia, simply slid two mahjong tiles across the table from her game and bluntly dismissed him. "Our family isn’t rich. If your business fails, who are we going to cry to? Your third sister is still studying and will need money for university. Every little thing costs money. Since you’re not studying anymore, you should be working hard to lighten the family’s burden, not thinking of ways to add to it. Besides, look at you. You couldn’t even handle school. What kind of business do you think you can build? Just give it up and go to sleep!"
Her words were undeniably hurtful, but they were also brutally realistic. To support their four daughters, their family had always had a harder life than others. Since everything they needed cost several times more, life was naturally a struggle.
"Of course," Xue Yang said. "A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general is no good soldier. By the same token, an employee who doesn’t aim to be the boss isn’t a good employee. We’re still young. If you have an idea and want to take a chance, you have to act on it. Otherwise, when we’re older and buried under the pressures of life, chasing a dream will be nothing but a fantasy."
Perhaps because Xue Yang actually agreed with his idea, Yang Xiao Zhi opened up to him. "But I... I don’t have the startup capital."
"What are you planning to do, Brother Xiao Zhi?"
"I want to open a car repair shop. Cars are becoming more common, and in the future, every family will probably have one. It’s not even impossible that everyone will have their own. As a result, the demand for car repairs will definitely increase. If I can open a shop, I’m sure I can make money."
Xue Yang agreed. Hui City was developing at a dizzying pace, and the number of cars was increasing at a rate you could see with your own eyes. The demand for repairs would certainly rise, just as Yang Xiao Zhi had said. On this point alone, Yang Xiao Zhi’s market insight was quite good.
"Do you know how to do repairs?"
"I’ve been out making my way since graduating from junior high. Over the years, I’ve done all sorts of jobs, including a stint in auto repair. I decided later that I wanted to open my own shop, but since I didn’t have the capital, I figured I’d work in a factory to save some money. But the money comes in way too slow at a factory..."
Working in a factory was fine for covering basic living expenses, but if you wanted to save up startup capital, it would take years. By then, any opportunity would be long gone. And even if he had the capital then, what good would it be?
"Brother Xiao Zhi, if I invest in you, would you dare to do it?"
Xue Yang has the money, and Yang Xiao Zhi has the skills. Hmm, this has potential. Besides, the fact that Yang Xiao Zhi even came up with this idea proves he has a mind for business. As for his competitive streak... well, everyone has a little vanity. It’s harmless.
"I..."
Yang Xiao Zhi was incredulous. He knew Xue Yang had gotten a hefty reward for getting into Yanbei University. But he had never entertained the idea of asking for that money. He had only brought it up this time to show off a little.
