Chapter 59: Qin-era Capital

In the aunt's view, Sister Li's reaction was somewhat incomprehensible and rather bizarre.

To be sure, Liu Jing was exceptionally talented and smart, but his elder cousin placed too much value on him—after all, he was only a child of eight or nine years old.

Liu Jing's future would undoubtedly be brilliant and radiant, a point the aunt firmly believed in as well.

Yet, simply because Liu Jing favored Jinshan, her cousin dared to make such a substantial investment. This she truly could not understand.

No matter how one looked at it, a person as astute as her cousin would never do such a thing.

"In this lifetime, a person has to act crazy at least once. When I married Old An back then, many people said I had lost my mind. Even when we divorced, I never regretted that bout of madness. This time, I want to go crazy once more. Failure is nothing to be afraid of; we have the ability and the backbone to stand back up," Sister Li said calmly, sounding as though she were discussing someone else's affairs.

"Old Chen has both vision and experience. It seems he still failed to persuade you," the aunt sighed.

"Back then, when Zhang Min and I bought shares in Tongchan, it wasn't because Chen had a silver tongue, nor was it because I was optimistic about his future prospects. Wooden Head said we could invest, which was how the idea first crossed my mind. Facts have proven that over the years of development, Wooden Head was right. Since I trust Wooden Head's judgment, I will trust it all the way to the end." Sister Li radiated an overwhelming aura, genuinely stunning the aunt.

"Where is the money going to come from? Mortgaging the house for a loan takes time," the aunt said with a bitter smile. Because of the publishing house's situation, she was currently going through her poorest period as well.

"No choice. I'll ask my mother, and I'll ask Old An," Sister Li said, gritting her teeth.

"No! Our funds and our business must never be entangled too deeply with Uncle An; it won't look good for him. Even if things could be explained clearly later on, this matter would make it muddy," Liu Jing flatly refused.

"Then what should we do?" the aunt fretted. How wonderful it would be if she had money.

Xixi pursed her lips and suddenly scurried into her bedroom, though no one paid her much mind.

"Let's just drop this matter. Investment opportunities are a dime a dozen. Once we have money in the future, we can invest however we want and in whoever we want," Liu Jing had already given up on the way back.

He possessed a system, which was why he understood, but he had no way to explain it. Moreover, the system's instructions were not omnipotent; everything was fraught with variables.

"No! How can one give up halfway through a task? Just like you said last night, though the road is rugged, persistence will bring success. If push comes to shove, I'll sell my shares in Tongchan; those are worth a pretty penny," Sister Li declared at this moment, showing an unprecedented vigor, as if she had finally found her ultimate goal in life.

"Sister Li, you've truly lost your mind," Liu Jing couldn't understand it. Did this woman have some kind of obsession?

"Wooden Head, aside from what you've said, there is another factor: those people are doers, and sooner or later, they will accomplish great things," Sister Li explained.

"What about the money? We're short on cash, yet Tongchan is also a goldmine, and a ready-made one at that," Liu Jing worried. If they gave him a year, he would have the confidence to make ten million.

"Thud!" Xixi emerged from her room and slapped a wallet down onto the table. "Take it. There are four hundred and fifty-three yuan inside. This is my little treasury, and you'd better remember to pay me back double later!"

"You actually kept a private stash behind my back?" Liu Jing felt it was incredible.

Right under his nose, she had saved up several hundred yuan without him noticing a thing at all.

Among students, she was absolute royalty—a tiny tycoon, and her little notebook even recorded over a hundred yuan in credits.

"None of your business," Xixi said with an air of haughty pride. "I'm saving my money fair and square."

The aunt sighed. "I still have tens of thousands in private savings, and I can swallow my pride to ask a few friends for help, tagging along with your madness. But the funding gap is still far too large..."

"How much of a gap? I have it," Zhang Min walked in from outside, looking quite pleased with herself. "What are you all conspiring about in the middle of the night? You didn't even lock the front gate."

"People don't pocket lost property; isn't that a sign of a great society?" Liu Jing muttered darkly, a premonition dawning on him that Zhang Min was about to become his creditor once again.

The first time he borrowed three million to buy the courtyard house beneath their feet.

The second time he borrowed eighteen million to acquire a 4.2% stake in Marvel.

"Xixi, Wooden Head, one of you looks like you're in morning mourning and the other is draped in white, did something happen?" Zhang Min asked with a bizarre expression. She found not only the atmosphere in the room strange, but the two kids' attire even stranger.

Liu Jing had gauze wrapped around his head, while Xixi wore a white dress with gauze wound around her arms and shoulders... and perched at the top of the gauze seemed to be badminton feathers.

"..." Sister Li.

"Just joking. I brought some food along. Wenqiong, keep me company for a couple of drinks tonight," Zhang Min stood on no ceremony, placing the side dishes she had bought onto the table and instructing Liu Jing to go to the kitchen for plates and chopsticks.

"Oh! So happy today, glowing with radiance. Could it be some young master is courting you, my great goddess of a friend?" the aunt bantered.

Zhang Min laughed self-deprecatingly. "That person has already put out words like that; who would still dare to court me?"

"This is the mainland, not Hong Kong. Didn't that fellow open a night club in Yan京 last year and end up slinking away in disgrace?" the aunt mocked.

"Let's not talk about him. Let's talk about you lot. I've only been out of town for two days, yet it feels like I've been gone for two years," Zhang Min poured the wine, and the drinking session officially commenced.

Her alcohol tolerance was formidable; only the aunt could keep pace with her.

Sister Li went into the kitchen, brought out the dishes the aunt had prepared, stir-fried two more, and thus the feast was underway.

When Zhang Min finished listening to Sister Li's description, she immediately responded, "If Wooden Head says it's a goldmine, the prospects must be fantastic. It's only ten million, why not invest? I'll lend you the money."

"So straightforward? Aren't you afraid of losing it?" The aunt was stunned. These two women had more faith in Wooden Head than the other.

"If it's lost, it's lost. Money is a worldly possession; you can't take it with you when you die," Zhang Min rested her chin in her hand, swirling her red wine glass with a hazy look in her eyes. "Besides, this is a loan to Wooden Head, and he can pay me back slowly. A lifetime is very long; I can afford to wait."

Her effortless charm went unappreciated; the two women opposite her were no less stunning, and the two children beside them were both blind as bats.

"Then lend me a bit more, and you can wait slowly," Liu Jing didn't stand on ceremony either. Since the topic was already broached, he might as well solve everything at once.

"How much do you want to borrow?"

"However much you have, I'll borrow all of it."

"There will be twenty-six million in my account very soon."

"Give me twenty-four." Just as he finished speaking, Liu Jing suddenly looked puzzled. "Wait a minute, it hasn't even been a month yet, how did your money double? Zhang Min, you haven't been up to anything illegal, have you?"

Liu Jing knew exactly how much money Zhang Min had—sometimes even better than she did.

Before he paid her back, Zhang Min had just over a million left. After he returned the eighteen million, she spent six million opening a beauty parlor in Yan京, which was currently under renovation.

The elder sister had even purchased the storefront property for the beauty parlor, which was why it had cost so much.

Calculation after calculation, Zhang Min should only have had a little over thirteen million left.

"Don't I have a few properties over in Hong Kong? I sold two of the smaller ones and kept the big one. The two apartments sold for eight million, and that money just came in. I originally intended to use that eight million for the beauty parlor, but who knew you'd return my money so fast? I already told you I wasn't in a rush to use it," Zhang Min said with a hint of genuine regret in her tone.

"Who complains about people paying them back too quickly?" the aunt muttered, completely uncomprehending.

Zhang Min raised her glass to toast Sister Li, "Sister Li, I have to thank you for the reminder; otherwise, I would have walked right into a trap."

"What?" Liu Jing looked blankly.

"I had partnered in so many businesses in Shanghai, and aside from the beauty parlor I personally oversee, all of them turned out to be running at a loss. Sister Li felt something was off and had me send people to thoroughly investigate. Once we looked into it, the shady dealings were staggering. This young lady isn't playing with them anymore; treating me like a fool. Aside from the beauty parlor, I've withdrawn my stakes from every single business—even at a discount. And just like that, several million more is in my hands," Zhang Min said triumphantly.

The aunt was left between laughter and tears, "You got cheated by others, yet you're still this happy."

"Losing some money to see through certain people is well worth it! Come on, everyone, bottoms up!" Zhang Min laughed cheerfully, not even bothering to ask Liu Jing what he wanted to borrow so much money for.

Since she didn't ask, Liu Jing had to explain. "Aunt, Marvel owes the publishing house about fourteen million in publication fees. Your publishing house is tight on cash, and who knows when Marvel will pay up. I'll pay this sum in advance, but after Marvel is reorganized, their shares belong to us."

"Deal!" the aunt replied.

"Sister Li, tomorrow you go down to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to register an investment company. The new company's very first investment will be Jinshan," Liu Jing instructed.

"Alright! What should we name it? Should we find a fortune-teller to calculate a good name?" Sister Li asked.

"Qinsheng Capital," Liu Jing had already settled on a name.

"Why call it that?" Xixi asked with a flash of curiosity, unable to hold back.

"Because I want to."

"Hmph! Is that any way to treat your creditor?"