Chapter 75: Chapter 75: The Symposium at Qi Fei’s Home

After settling things with the designer, Wu Yun spent the afternoon with Qi Fei, enjoying some time just for the two of them. They watched a movie, had a candlelight dinner, and then Wu Yun drove Qi Fei back to Jingyang.

Qi Fei was heading home, planning to pack a few things before returning to school.

Pushing open the front door of her family’s villa, Qi Fei saw two people sitting on the sofa. They were Qi Guo and a graceful, beautiful woman who looked to be in her thirties—Qi Fei’s mother, Liu Yan.

Both of them looked at Qi Fei, their gazes filled with scrutiny.

"You dared to stay out all night! And with a boy, no less! Spit it out, who is this boy?" Liu Yan demanded, her face stern.

"It’s the same young man from last time," Qi Guo chimed in.

Liu Yan shot Qi Guo a look that clearly meant, ’I wasn’t asking you, so stay out of it.’

"Quick, tell me! Where is that kid from?" Liu Yan pressed on.

Qi Fei felt a bit helpless. Knowing her mother’s personality, she knew she wouldn’t have a moment’s peace tonight if she didn’t clear the air.

"His name is Wu Yun. We’re both from Jingyang, and he’s a year below me," Qi Fei said.

"A Wu family in Jingyang? I don’t recall any," Qi Guo asked, confused. What he meant was, he’d never heard of any wealthy family with that surname.

"Wu Yun is an orphan. He was adopted by his grandparents when he was little, and now he’s the only one left in his family!" As Qi Fei spoke, a flash of compassion for Wu Yun crossed her eyes.

Liu Yan’s expression softened slightly. As long as the boy’s background was clean, what did it matter if he married into their family? But then she realized something. "Wait, if he’s an orphan, where did he get the money to buy a villa? Your Uncle Xiao told us that you brought your boyfriend to buy a villa from him today, and he even paid 25 million in full! Your father and I couldn’t believe it. Not even the son of the richest man in Sichuan would be so extravagant!"

"Don’t let him fool you!" Liu Yan’s anger turned to worry.

Qi Fei understood her mother’s concern. It wasn’t that she was afraid Wu Yun was a con artist, but rather that he might be toying with her feelings, especially since they were both so young.

"Dad, Mom, don’t worry. Wu Yun earned all this money himself. Of course, he also won a fifty-million-yuan lottery prize a while ago!" Qi Fei felt a bit speechless thinking about the secret Wu Yun had shared with her. ’He makes money and has insane luck on top of it. How are ordinary people supposed to compete?’

"Fifty million!" Qi Guo and Liu Yan exclaimed in unison, thoroughly surprised. Fifty million wasn’t an astronomical sum for their family, but it wasn’t insignificant either. The profit from a single real estate project could be one or two hundred million, but it took a very long time to earn that.

To think that Wu Yun had stumbled into such a windfall.

"Even if he won fifty million, he spent most of it on a house and a car! Doesn’t he know how to be frugal?" Liu Yan continued.

"Oh, Mom, stop worrying. Wu Yun is much better at making money than you think. Have you heard of the bike-sharing trend that’s so popular recently?" Qi Fei said with a proud expression. She had watched Wu Yun from the moment he founded the company to the project’s launch, and she deeply admired his business mind.

"Don’t tell me that ’Little Red Car’ thing is his?" Qi Guo asked in astonishment.

"That’s right! It’s his company. I’ve known about it from its founding all the way to Little Red Car’s launch. Dad, he probably has more cash flow on hand than you do!" Qi Fei’s words made Qi Guo a little jealous.

"How much more?"

"Yesterday, when I was seeing a classmate off, he told us that in just over a day, his company had received over 400 million in deposits!" Qi Fei then briefly explained the Little Red Car situation.

Qi Guo fell silent, but Liu Yan said, "Those are deposits, not his own money."

"What do you know! As long as those deposits are in the company’s account, they generate interest. That interest is their profit! They could even buy short-term funds with it. If he’s bold enough, he could use it to manufacture more bikes. Money making money... " As he spoke, Qi Guo couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for the young man he had yet to meet. The business model was simple and aggressive, but not something that was easy to come up with.

If Wu Yun knew of Qi Guo’s assessment, he would have definitely given him a thumbs-up. ’As expected of the boss of a major company, his insight is truly sharp!’

Liu Yan then said, "Why don’t you invite him over for a meal? So we can get to know him?"

Qi Fei shook her head. "His company just launched, so he’s very busy! Besides, we only just made our relationship official. He’d be embarrassed."

"How about this! Invite him to celebrate the New Year with our family. The poor kid has had a hard life," Qi Guo said, cutting off whatever else Liu Yan was about to say and setting the date.

........

While the "symposium" was being held at Qi Fei’s house, Wu Yun didn’t immediately head back to Rongcheng. Instead, he drove to Gao Qiang’s apartment building.

A moment later, Gao Qiang came running down. He looked around and spotted Wu Yun’s Big Black Bull.

"Hey, Ah Yun! You son of a bitch, you lied to me about being downstairs! Goddammit! There’s nothing here but a Lamborghini!" Gao Qiang cursed as soon as Wu Yun picked up the phone. He had just gotten a call from Wu Yun inviting him for a late-night snack, saying he’d be there in a few minutes.

"That’s right, the black Lamborghini! That’s my car!"

"Bullshit! You’re just trying to make me look like a fool! Wait, how did you know it was black?" Gao Qiang stopped mid-curse and, stepping forward in his flip-flops, walked over.

He peeked through the driver’s side window and saw that it really was Wu Yun. Excitedly, he ran around to the passenger side, pulled open the door, and awkwardly settled inside.

"Ah Yun, you’re the man! Is this really your car? It’s so fucking cool!" Gao Qiang said, practically drooling as he stared at the steering wheel.

"Ah Yun, how much did this car cost?" Gao Qiang’s questions came out like a string of firecrackers.

Wu Yun made an ’eight’ gesture with his hand and said, "Buckle up. We’re going for some fried-egg noodles."

Fried-egg noodles were a signature late-night snack in Jingyang. Besides the tomato and fried-egg noodles, they also served things like barbecue. Back in ’14, the place was still in a small alley on the East Bank of the Zhujiang Bridge. Business was booming, and they’d open around six or seven in the evening and stay open until three or four in the morning. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

It was now ten o’clock at night, which was considered the early rush hour for the noodle shop. After parking in a spot on the side of the road, Wu Yun walked a few dozen meters to reach the storefront.

The two of them each ordered a bowl of fried-egg noodles, then picked out some barbecue skewers and gave them to the server before finding a place to sit.

"Ah Yun! How’s your company doing?" Gao Qiang asked curiously. He had tried to get Wu Yun to hang out recently but was always turned down, being told that Wu Yun was in Rongcheng, busy with his company.

"It’s finally on the right track! You’ve heard of Little Red Car, right? That’s our company’s project!" Wu Yun then gave him a brief rundown of the situation, leaving Gao Qiang full of envy.

Gao Qiang said, "I’m so envious that you’re already a successful entrepreneur! I still have to rely on my dad. If I can’t make a name for myself in the future, I’ll just end up being a foreman at his little construction company."

Wu Yun thought for a moment and said, "Are you interested in starting a business? If there’s a good project, I can fund you."

Gao Qiang quickly shook his head and refused. "Nah, I know I’m not cut out for business. I’m not a smooth talker and my EQ is low. I’d probably lose my shirt. I’d better just study hard, find a good job, and if all else fails, go back and be a foreman."

What Gao Qiang said was a perfect reflection of his path in the previous life: studying, getting certified, getting promoted, and getting raises, all by the book.

"So, do you want to make some money or not? I’ve got an idea!"