033 Can’t Back Down
“You know, for me, a cell phone is nothing. And considering you’ll be getting more money from me in no time, this phone doesn’t even count as a gift. At most, it’s just a small favor.”
After Lu Qi said this, Wang Heng couldn’t find a suitable reason to refuse for a moment.
And he thought of another approach—if he acted ungratefully, would it cause Lu Qi to dislike him? So, should he not only accept the phone she was giving him but also make more demands, pushing his luck?
So Wang Heng said, “Then thank you, Sister Lu… By the way, Pei Ningle needs to go home, but she’s out of money. Would Sister Lu be willing to sponsor a plane ticket?”
Pei Ningle, who was standing beside them, was stunned. She felt that she was someone who lacked emotional intelligence, but even so, she couldn’t bring herself to ask for both a phone and money.
However, Lu Qi agreed readily. “Of course, no problem. It’ll be deducted from your payment anyway. I’ll keep a record of it.”
Wang Heng: “?”
Watching Pei Ningle cast another grateful glance at him, while Lu Qi nonchalantly hailed a taxi, Wang Heng felt that something was wrong. Weren’t they supposed to be lowering her affection by pushing his luck? How did it turn into him racking up a debt and also raising another girl’s affection for him?
Then he could only follow the two girls into the taxi and head straight for the airport.
**
Pei Ningle stood in the noisy airport terminal, looking at the security checkpoint not far away, but she couldn’t take a step.
Just now, Lu Qi had bought her a ticket for the next flight home, then left with Wang Heng in a taxi. This carefree manner of coming and going without looking at the meter made the penniless girl very envious.
“Thank you, but I… really don’t want to go back just like this.”
Pei Ningle muttered to herself.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt that if she obediently got on the plane and went home tonight, what awaited her would surely be a hopeless life, a boring future. Of course, she could play music in her spare time while going to school, but Pei Ningle had never been a diligent child. If she were to just muddle through school, her motivation to make music would definitely not be as strong as when she was spurred on by the pressures of life. She knew this very well.
“Maybe you think I’m a fool, but…” The girl suddenly had a flash of inspiration. “Wait, I can get a refund for the ticket!”
Pei Ningle realized that although the refund amount wouldn’t be much, it would be enough for her to get by for a few days. Couldn’t she find another temporary job similar to a bar singer and continue to write her own songs?
“That’s it. If it still doesn’t work out, I’ll just buy the cheapest train ticket home!”
The girl made up her mind, then looked around for a while and suddenly realized another problem.
She grabbed the nearest airport staff member. “Excuse me, I’d like to ask… where do I go to get a refund for my ticket?”
**
Wang Heng was taken to a shopping street in the city center by Lu Qi.
This was the most prosperous commercial district in all of Rongdu, with all sorts of major brands gathered together. Naturally, there was no shortage of shops selling mobile phones.
“Which one do you want to buy, Apple or Samsang?”
In front of several mobile phone specialty stores, Lu Qi asked.
Wang Heng was a little hesitant.
At this point in time, domestic phone brands had not yet risen, and the market was dominated by foreign giants. The quality of their flagship models was of course good, but the price was a bit high, which really didn’t suit his current needs. You see, the big surge in Bitcoin was still two months away, and any money he earned during this period, if he continued to invest it, would yield a six or seven-fold return.
If he were to buy a better phone and buy even one less Bitcoin, it would be truly heartbreaking… At times like this, he couldn’t help but miss certain value-for-money brands.
Wang Heng was hesitating, and Lu Qi watched him hesitate.
After a while, Lu Qi finally couldn’t help but ask, “I already said I’d front the money. What else do you need to think about? Your work payment is at least in the tens of thousands. Which phone here can’t you afford?”
Wang Heng: “I…”
Lu Qi suddenly thought of a possibility. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re still thinking about buying Bitcoin?”
Wang Heng nodded.
Lu Qi was incredulous and questioned him, “You really think Bitcoin can still surge? Are you that sure?”
Wang Heng still nodded.
Lu Qi frowned slightly and said, “I know about Bitcoin too, and I also know that many people have been questioning it recently. It’s been around for a few years. Investors should be pretty familiar with its benefits and risks by now. I don’t see any reason for it to rise in the near future. So, can you explain why you’re so optimistic about Bitcoin?”
Wang Heng was a little dazed. In his memory, when Lu Qi was leading meetings in the company conference room, she looked just like this: confident, rational, not overly aggressive, but impossible to take lightly.
“I’m sorry, it’s hard for me to explain. It’s a gut feeling.”
Lu Qi was a little taken aback. “A gut feeling?”
Wang Heng: “Yes. I’m sure it will definitely rise, this year. And it must be sold off before New Year’s Day. So if I’m going to get a new phone, I’d rather wait until New Year’s Day.”
Lu Qi: “You’re that sure?”
Wang Heng: “I’m that sure.”
Lu Qi stared at him, fell silent, and seemed to be in deep thought. A moment later, this mature-looking woman spoke again, her tone filled with a profound meaning:
“Since you’re so confident, alright, I’ll bet on you this once. I have some spare cash in my account. I’m afraid it will depreciate in the bank, and I don’t have time for investments. So I’ll take a portion of it and take a gamble.”
This time, it was Wang Heng’s turn to be stunned. “You’re going to buy Bitcoin too?”
Lu Qi patted his head. “You can buy Bitcoin, or you can not buy it. You choose. I’ll open a separate account, put a hundred thousand in it, and then hand it over to you. When New Year’s Day comes, I’ll check your work results. How about it?”
The character for ‘Danger’ seemed to flash before Wang Heng’s eyes. They had only known each other for a short time, yet Lu Qi trusted him so much. This was a terrible sign!
He quickly waved his hands and refused, “I don’t think that’s a good idea! Think about it, what if I lose it? I can’t pay you back.”
Lu Qi smiled. “A hundred thousand yuan is less than my salary for three months. It’s nothing to me. And if you lose it, just put it on my tab and pay me back with code. I know your identity and school anyway, so I’m not worried about you running off.”
“Cunning. You won’t lose no matter what.”
“Of course. But if you make a profit, after deducting the principal, one-third of the earnings will be yours.”
Before Lu Qi’s voice had even faded, Wang Heng swallowed.
One hundred thousand yuan, all used to buy Bitcoin, would become… six or seven hundred thousand in two or three months. Of the five or six hundred thousand in profit, he could take one-third.
In other words, an income of nearly two hundred thousand, received within three months.
Wang Heng controlled his emotions and said as calmly as possible, “Since you have the guts, I definitely won’t back down.”
