Chapter 69: I Want a Share

Bai Rou took Zhao Guoyang to a Cantonese-style congee shop, open twenty-four hours a day. Even outside of mealtimes, convenient snacks like shrimp dumplings and rice noodle rolls were always on offer.

The driver, Xiao Feng, was perceptive enough to notice Zhao Guoyang walking alongside a woman whose beauty was almost unreal. He promptly volunteered to stay in the car to keep an eye on their belongings, ordered a congee to go, and returned to the vehicle.

Seated at a table deep within the small eatery, Zhao Guoyang devoured the steaming food before him with ravenous urgency.

Watching him eat and drink so voraciously, a gentle smile appeared on Bai Rou’s lips.

Ten minutes later, seeing Zhao Guoyang polish off two plates of rice noodle rolls and a serving of shrimp dumplings, Bai Rou couldn’t help but scold him, her tone half reproachful, half affectionate. “You know, when you’re hungry, you should eat more slowly, not wolf it all down like that.”

Zhao Guoyang wiped his mouth, offered a sheepish laugh, and turned to the main topic at hand.

“Bai Jie, to tell the truth, even if our car hadn’t broken down near here today, I’d have been looking for you anyway. There’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

“Oh? What is it? I’m all ears!” Bai Rou replied, taking a sip of tea, beaming with curiosity.

“It’s like this: Last time you asked me to think about potential business ventures. After I got back, I stumbled upon an opportunity…”

Zhao Guoyang briefly explained his plan to team up with an old classmate and set up a small workshop to manufacture hair clips. Bai Rou listened in astonishment.

“So, Guoyang, you mean, after seeing that hair clip in the mall last time, you thought about making the same thing?” Bai Rou asked, her face full of surprise.

“That’s right. When we were shopping together, I realized how much profit is hidden in something as small as a hair clip. So I went back and investigated. Turns out, producing this kind of clip isn’t hard at all.”

“To be honest, as long as you have the blueprints and a die-casting machine, you can produce them. After forming the base, you just attach the decorative piece, and it’s a finished product.”

“Is it really that simple?” Bai Rou asked, incredulous.

Zhao Guoyang nodded and explained, “It really is. You know my background in mechanical engineering. If I can design a bicycle frame, how could a little hair clip possibly stump me?”

He spoke with such conviction that Bai Rou—already aware of his credentials as a top student from Jinling Institute of Technology—couldn’t help but believe him.

“If you really can make a decent product, there’ll be no worry about sales. I’ll take care of marketing for you!” Bai Rou promised enthusiastically.

“That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say, Bai Jie!” Zhao Guoyang clapped his hands in delight. “We’re basically ready on our end. The first batch should be ready within a month. I’ll ship the goods to you, and then we’ll adjust production based on your sales.”

Bai Rou nodded with a smile. “No problem. My food factory’s business hasn’t been great lately; I was just thinking of trying something new.”

“If you’re this confident, I’ll believe in you. How about this: count me in as a shareholder. I’ll invest fifty thousand yuan, and you can decide how much of a stake that’s worth. How does that sound?”

Fifty thousand yuan was a considerable sum in those days.

Bai Rou expected Zhao Guoyang to be ecstatic at the offer, but he merely nodded calmly, betraying no excitement at all.

Feeling a little put out, Bai Rou couldn’t help but tease, “Well, then, do you think I’m taking advantage of you, or is fifty thousand not enough?”

Zhao Guoyang started and quickly waved his hands. “No, no, Bai Jie, you’ve misunderstood.”

“Fifty thousand is more than enough… To be honest, the upfront investment for equipment and materials doesn’t require nearly that much. I’m just trying to figure out how much equity would be fair for you, since you’re investing so much.”

Hearing his frankness, Bai Rou’s expression softened at once.

Resting her chin in her hands, she adopted a playful, coquettish air, her voice gentle. “I don’t need more. Just give me twenty percent. This project was your idea from the start, and that alone is worth a fortune.”

“These hair clips may be small, but the profits are substantial. Who knows, maybe in no time, we’ll make a hundred thousand. In that case, my fifty thousand is a real bargain.”

Zhao Guoyang immediately protested, “Twenty percent for fifty thousand isn’t enough… How about this: you take thirty percent, and my classmate and I will hold the other seventy. How does that sound?”

“I’ll go with whatever you decide!” Bai Rou answered readily.

There was no denying that doing business with someone as generous and straightforward as Bai Rou was a pleasure.

Zhao Guoyang had been wondering how to persuade her to invest, but she was so forthright, she even asked for his bankbook number to transfer the money the next day.

With her fifty thousand yuan, the initial funding issue was instantly resolved.

Thinking of this, Zhao Guoyang felt a surge of excitement and glanced at Bai Rou with some surprise. He couldn’t help but ask, “Bai Jie, you trust me so much, without even checking things out in person—aren’t you afraid I’ll just run off with your money?”

Bai Rou giggled, reached out, and lightly flicked his cheek with her finger. “Silly boy, I can read people’s faces. You’re not that kind of person!”

They chatted a while longer about the hair clip business. Seeing that time was getting on, Zhao Guoyang excused himself to visit the Siyang Group—if he delayed any longer, they’d be closed for the day.

Before he could leave, Bai Rou pressed several hundred-yuan bills into his hand, refusing to take no for an answer. “Take this as a little bribe from a minority shareholder to the main one. Prices are high in Yangcheng—don’t scrimp on expenses these next couple of days. Don’t let our future big boss be shortchanged.”

Zhao Guoyang didn’t know how to refuse her kindness and could only accept the money with some reluctance.

Bai Rou walked him out, side by side, and only waved goodbye after watching him climb into the car.

Back in the small truck, Zhao Guoyang noticed the look of deep admiration in Xiao Feng’s eyes.

Zhao Guoyang knew exactly what Xiao Feng was thinking. The matter between him and Bai Rou was not easily explained, so he chose to remain silent.

“Section Chief Zhao, was that your girlfriend? Tsk tsk, girls from the big cities really do have a different kind of elegance!” Xiao Feng couldn’t help but exclaim as the truck started up.

Zhao Guoyang shook his head helplessly. “Xiao Feng, don’t say things like that. She’s been married before—she’s just a friend of mine.”

“Oh…” Xiao Feng paused, then caught on.

Since Section Chief Zhao said “been married before” and not “is married,” it meant she was currently single.

With that thought, Xiao Feng was filled with admiration: Section Chief Zhao really is something. Even a beautiful, single woman who’d once been married couldn’t resist his charm…