Chapter 13
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Upon hearing Li Shanshan’s complete plan, John decided to lend her a hand. Even though he didn’t believe she would make a fortune—after all, these were just surplus goods, usually piled up in warehouses and almost treated like junk.
“Wait until I return to Hong Kong—ah no, you don’t even have to wait. I’ll help you inquire. Although I’m not in this industry, Josephine once opened a garment factory in Guangzhou years ago. It was a sole proprietorship, one of the leading garment factories locally, mainly exporting products and running production lines for foreign luxury brands. I’ll ask if there are any surplus goods available for you.” John still valued his reputation.
He had connections to dispose of junk, which could only benefit the garment factory. However, since he wasn’t involved in its management, he wasn’t sure about the status of surplus stock.
As a businessman, John didn’t intend to handle everything himself. “Li, if there are surplus goods, I’ll notify you. Pricing and such will need to be negotiated by you personally; you’ll have to inspect the goods yourself, and contracts must be signed between both parties. The only guarantee I can offer is that I’ll act as a guarantor, allowing you to pay after you’ve recouped your funds.”
Li Shanshan was overjoyed. She almost wanted to call John a godsend—he was so considerate.
“That’s more than enough. Thank you so much, Mr. Bush. As soon as I come down the mountain, I’ll buy a phone and leave you my number. Please be sure to inform me if there’s any news.” Originally reluctant to buy a phone, now that foreign trade in surplus goods didn’t require her to prepare funds herself, having a phone became essential.
“A phone?” John took out his own and glanced at it. “I’ll give you one.”
Li Shanshan waved her hands repeatedly. “No, no, my father and I earned some money from street vending. It’s not enough for buying stock, but enough for a phone.”
How much did phones cost now? A few thousand or over ten thousand? She couldn’t recall precisely. After all, she only got her first phone after marrying Zhou Yuqi—and it wasn’t even bought by herself.
John smiled upon hearing this. “Kirin Technology has the world’s top-end mobile phone assembly line. Most brands on the market are manufactured in our factory. Do you think we’d be short of phones? I carry a few company-issued phones with me to give away. I’m pleased with your work ethic and will need to trouble you further. Consider this a trial; provide feedback on your personal experience.”
He thought Li Shanshan was a girl worth associating with—transparent, straightforward, neither sycophantic nor vulgar, with an unlimited future.
What truly impressed John was that she hadn’t succumbed to Xiang Hui’s temptations, choosing to entrust the jade three-cornered melon to him for handling. Even Yang Hailin praised her several times over the phone.
Li Shanshan firmly shook her head. “Thank you for your kindness, but I’d rather buy my own phone.”
John’s face showed even more admiration. “Why not let me sell it to you? At factory price, you get a phone cheap, and I make a little pocket money. What do you call that? A win-win.”
A few thousand yuan was pocket change to him; he just wanted to build a good relationship with Li Shanshan.
She was tempted. “What’s the cost price?”
John held up three fingers. “Three thousand yuan. But the network activation fee is on you. The domestic market is slow to develop; the activation fees are a shock.”
“That’s fair, that’s fair. Thank you, Mr. Bush,” Li Shanshan smiled brightly. She was poor and saved every penny.
Xiang Hui sneered inwardly. If she had followed him, a phone would be nothing. If she wanted to please him, he could give her a million-yuan luxury home in Hong Kong without a second thought. Too bad she didn’t know what was good for her.
Worried John would report to Yang Hailin, Xiang Hui became more restrained, no longer openly or covertly flirting with Li Shanshan, putting on a serious front.
Li Shanshan suspected he was too tired to talk. When they reached the mountaintop, he was panting heavily.
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Back at the Ronghua Hotel after descending the mountain, he didn’t step outside his room again and ate dinner alone there.
Li Shanshan noticed Assistant Wang asking the hotel manager for liniment.
Serves him right!
Li Shanshan enjoyed a beautiful sleep.
The next day, Xiang Hui didn’t get up. John and the leaders arranged to play basketball at the hotel’s sports ground. With their approval, Li Shanshan took a break to withdraw ten thousand yuan from the bank, paying three thousand to John.
John wiped the sweat trickling down after sports and had his secretary give her a new phone.
A Nokia, no less—the famed rugged and durable kind.
The leaders joked, “Xiao Li, you go activate your phone first. There are other translators here. Don’t worry; it won’t deduct from your translation fees.”
“Thank you, leaders.” Li Shanshan had already asked Xu Huihui the night before where to get the SIM card.
When she registered for the phone card, she learned the activation fee was three thousand yuan, plus a thousand yuan prepayment for calls, a three hundred yuan SIM card fee, and a monthly rental of fifty yuan with two-way charges.
Over seven thousand yuan gone in one shot!
If she used that money to buy a high-end jade piece, it could appreciate to tens of millions in the future.
A phone was just a consumable; it would be replaced soon. Entering the new millennium, a few hundred yuan could buy one.
Li Shanshan winced in pain and grudgingly chose a good number, paying an extra fee for it.
Earning money is hard, but spending it is fast.
She would have to work hard.
Li Shanshan hurried back to the hotel. When John and the leaders finished playing and rested, she boldly approached to exchange contact details, taking the opportunity to ask when he would be willing to inspect Fengcheng’s various aspects accompanied by the leaders.
The leaders hadn’t realized John was the real decision-maker.
John smiled at her words. “We’ll have to wait for Xiang to rest well. But you can introduce Fengcheng to me first.”
“No problem.” Li Shanshan had prepared some material the previous night.
The leaders finally witnessed Li Shanshan’s eloquence—she could really talk.
She praised Fengcheng like a blossoming flower.
She even cited the Ronghua Hotel as an example: “If Fengcheng were lacking in any way, how could a five-star hotel like Ronghua be located in this small city? The Ronghua Building, belonging to the same group, is Fengcheng’s premier office tower. Built simultaneously is the Ronghua Shopping Plaza, already home to numerous brands, making it the busiest and most prosperous area in Fengcheng.”
The goods inside were expensive, luxury-level, priced far above department stores, attracting only wealthy customers. Since her rebirth, Li Shanshan hadn’t deliberately entered.
John nodded. “I know. Ronghua belongs to the Zhou family.”
Li Shanshan nodded. “Correct. Ronghua Hotel Group is part of Changning Holdings, Hong Kong’s largest comprehensive multinational group. They operate over twenty hotel brands, ranging from high-end luxury to ordinary hotels, leading the industry. Ronghua Hotel is just one of them. Their vision is trustworthy. I heard Changning Holdings plans to develop real estate projects in Fengcheng; the land has already been purchased.”
She did not lie about this.
Last year, Changning Real Estate, under Changning Holdings, acquired land in Fengcheng to build the city’s most upscale residential project beneath Phoenix Mountain. It would be completed in two years, followed by two years of design by famous architects, culminating in a lavish handover. They reserved the most luxurious mansion for her and Zhou Yuqi; the couple and their children would occasionally stay there.
Ah!
She would never own it again!
Tears welled up.
John nodded repeatedly. “Josephine plans to establish the next Kirin Technology branch factory in Fengcheng because, like Changning Holdings, she is optimistic about Fengcheng’s development and sent us here for an initial inspection.”
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“Ms. Yang truly has foresight,” Li Shanshan admired.
The leaders were also pleased.
Although nothing was finalized yet, their optimism about Fengcheng signaled strong investment intent.
They needed to work harder on their side.
At noon, they invited John and others to a private room downstairs for Western food. John, however, was not fond of it and straightforwardly said he wanted to try Fengcheng’s specialty dishes. Li Shanshan suggested going to Yipin Xian.
Yipin Xian is located in the Phoenix Restaurant beside the main building of Ronghua Hotel; on the other side is Ronghua Shopping Plaza. It welcomes not only hotel guests but also outsiders seeking fine dining. It houses not just Yipin Xian but various eateries offering cuisines from all over China. Guests can find any regional dish here.
The scenery is beautiful—windows overlook Phoenix Mountain and Phoenix Lake. Prices are high; ordinary people hardly dare step inside. The place aims for a high-end, elegant atmosphere.
There are no private rooms; all diners receive equal treatment.
The leaders, needless to say, and the translation team except Li Shanshan, who hadn’t accompanied employers to various occasions, entered the Phoenix Restaurant confidently.
Yipin Xian serves Fengcheng’s specialty dishes and is quite famous.
The leaders and Kirin Technology’s executives, including John, sat at one table. Some leaders spoke English, so communication was smooth. The translators and accompanying staff, including secretaries and drivers, sat at two other tables.
John didn’t deliberately call Li Shanshan over, so she didn’t join the main table.
Green plants separated the tables, ensuring privacy.
The restaurant had few customers, all well-mannered, speaking softly to avoid disturbing others.
While Li Shanshan happily enjoyed her meal, she suddenly noticed the entire restaurant fell silent, as if the previous chatter had frozen.
Something was happening!
“What’s wrong?” Her table was deep inside Yipin Xian, far from the entrance. Sitting with her back to the door, she hadn’t noticed anyone come in and was only puzzled by the sudden silence.
Xu Huihui, facing the door, whispered, “An important figure has arrived.”
“What important figure? Aren’t the Fengcheng leaders and provincial officials already here?” Li Shanshan turned to look toward the entrance but was blocked by plants.
Xu Huihui shook her head. “No idea. They look imposing.”
The provincial official’s driver nodded, chopsticks still holding a piece of mutton. “Not just imposing—I’ve never seen such a commanding man. His background must be extraordinary.”
“Such a pity,” someone murmured.
Li Shanshan was puzzled. “A pity what?”
The plants still blocked her view, and she was hesitant to move them or stand up, so she turned to ask those she could see, curious about the person causing such a stir.
No one responded.
Her curiosity deepened. Just as she was about to ask again, she suddenly heard the sound of a wheelchair scraping the floor in the left aisle and looked up.
That single glance shocked her.
In the wheelchair sat an exceptionally handsome man—high forehead, aquiline nose, strong brows, deep-set eyes. If not Zhou Yuqi, then who?
No one looked better than him.
Since her rebirth a little over a week ago, Li Shanshan could never forget her husband’s face, even across time and space, appearing decades younger than before when they had tea face-to-face.
Though young, his gaze remained sharp and profound, exuding an indescribable strength beneath a gentle exterior.