money player

"Please connect me to the Academic Affairs Office of the Teachers' Affiliated School."

At noon, Xian Yaowen held a bakelite receiver and made a phone call to the affiliated high school of the Teachers' College.

There was a slight electrical noise in the line, and after a short while, someone finally answered the call.

"Hello teacher, could you please help me find Ms. Lin Peijun?"

He held the receiver and waited patiently for five or six minutes before Lin Peijun's voice finally came from the other end of the line, "This is Lin Peijun. Who is looking for me?"

“Teacher Lin, it’s me, Xian Yaowen.” He lowered his voice a little. “No one will be bringing you lunch today. I’ll be waiting for you at the Lao Shandong Noodle Shop near the school gate at noon.”

Lin Peijun paused slightly, then replied softly, "Okay, I understand. I'll take them there after class. Please wait for us a moment."

"Okay, see you in a bit."

After hanging up the microphone, Sin Yiu-man went directly to Lung Chuen Street.

After parking the car, he opened the trunk and rummaged around for a moment, then pulled out a velvet box containing a pearl necklace. He casually stuffed it into his inner pocket and walked towards the noodle shop.

The Lao Shandong Noodle Shop is hidden under a tin shed on the street corner. It has no proper storefront. A few old wooden signs hang crookedly on the shed pillars, with the five large black characters "Lao Shandong Noodle Shop" written on them. The edges have been faded by wind and rain.

The shed was temporary, its corrugated iron roof mottled and yellowed from sun and rain, and made a slight rattling sound when the wind blew. It was secured to the four corners with stones tied with thick hemp ropes, for fear of being blown over by the wind.

Under the shed were four long wooden tables, their surfaces polished shiny from years of bowls and chopsticks, still stained with a few drops of oil. The legs were wrapped with wire, barely securing the loose joints.

Each table comes with four long benches. The benches have rough surfaces and some burrs on the edges, so they creak when you sit on them.

Several bags of flour and coal briquettes were piled up in the corner, next to which stood a dark charcoal stove. The charcoal fire in the stove was burning brightly, and wisps of smoke rose up, mingling with the aroma of flour and the rich fragrance of beef soup, spreading throughout the shed and drifting on the wind to the street.

The boss was a veteran from Shandong wearing a dark blue short jacket, his face etched with the marks of time. He was busy at the stove next to the charcoal stove, stirring the hot noodle soup in the iron pot with long chopsticks. The steaming soup blurred his features.

Several large, rough porcelain bowls were placed next to the stove, their rims slightly chipped. A bamboo basket next to them contained washed greens, chopped scallions, and minced garlic, simply piled together without any extra embellishment.

A few students and teachers from the affiliated teachers' college were already sitting at the tables. Some were slurping noodles from rough porcelain bowls, while others were eating braised pork rice from their bowls. The sounds of talking, clinking bowls and chopsticks, and the vendor's shouts mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Outside the shed, a few vendors carrying loads of goods passed by on the roadside, their calls adding to the lively atmosphere of the marketplace.

Xian Yaowen found a seat closer to the inside, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the velvet box in the inner bag, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the stall, quietly waiting for Lin Peijun and her group.

Before long, light footsteps could be heard from the street corner. Lin Peijun walked in front, still dressed as she had been on Sunday, followed by Li Lizhen and Yang Jingyi, both wearing school uniforms, their steps light yet slightly reserved.

As soon as the three of them stepped under the tin shed, they were enveloped by the aroma of noodles—beef soup was bubbling on the charcoal stove, and the fragrance of scallions mixed with the warmth of the charcoal fire wafted far into the air.

Lin Peijun raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear and smiled as she nodded to Xian Yaowen: "Sorry I'm late."

“It’s not late,” Xian Yaowen replied, his gaze sweeping over Yang Jingyi and Li Lizhen before returning to Lin Peijun’s face. “Teacher Lin, please sit down.”

Lin Peijun nodded slightly and sat down opposite Xian Yaowen, while Li Lizhen sat on the left and Yang Jingyi sat on the right.

"Teacher Lin, would you like some beef noodles?"

Lin Peijun nodded.

Without asking Yang Jingyi and Li Lizhen, Xian Yaowen shouted directly towards the stove: "Boss, three bowls of beef noodles, one bowl of clear broth noodles, less scallions, no dried shrimp, and half a pound of sliced ​​beef."

"okay."

After placing the order, Xian Yaowen casually stroked Yang Jingyi's hair, his gesture practiced yet tinged with a subtle hint of affection. "Do you still have any pocket money?"

Yang Jingyi blushed slightly, leaned closer to him, and said in a soft and gentle voice, "Anything else?"

"Tell me if you don't have any more."

Yang Jingyi looked up at him, her eyes filled with a soft, dependent look, and softly replied, "Okay, I know."

“From now on, come to my place on the 30th of every month. That day is when we distribute your monthly allowance. You will receive 500 yuan each month, which should be enough for your daily expenses.”

Upon hearing this, the three reacted in different ways.

Yang Jingyi felt warm and at ease. She lowered her eyes and softly hummed in agreement, her fingertips secretly clutching the hem of his clothes, showing both the affection of a lover and the trust of a child towards an elder.

Lin Peijun sat to the side, her face still gentle and polite, but her fingers, hidden under the table, stiffened almost imperceptibly, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes, before she returned to normal.

Li Lizhen lowered her head slightly, her gaze falling on her knees. Her face showed some unnatural unease, a mixture of envy and a vague sense of restraint. She pretended to be looking intently at the corner of the table, not daring to look too closely.

After some time had passed, Xian Yaowen felt more clearly that Yang Jingyi's love for him was always mixed with a father complex.

She depended on him and clung to him, like a young girl falling in love for the first time, and like a helpless child clinging to her father.

This is good; it makes it easier for him to manage the relationship between the two.

There was silence for a moment as the four of them waited quietly for their noodles to be served. About ten minutes later, the owner came quickly with a tray, the rough porcelain bowls clinking together with a crisp sound, and the steam carrying the rich aroma of beef instantly filled the table.

"Here comes three bowls of beef noodles!"

The owner, with a loud voice, arranged the bowls one by one, each containing three thick pieces of beef. The broth was thick and white, glistening with oil, and sprinkled with bright green garlic sprouts, along with a few drops of sesame oil, the aroma wafting straight to the tip of the nose.

Yang Jingyi's eyes lit up, but she didn't pick up her chopsticks first. Instead, she looked up at Xian Yaowen, like a child waiting for an elder's instruction, her eyes full of dependence.

Xian Yaowen smiled and gestured with his chin towards her: "Eat up, it's freshly cooked, eat it while it's hot."

As he spoke, he casually helped her stir the garlic sprouts in her bowl, his actions both practiced and indulgent.

Lin Peijun picked up her bamboo chopsticks and gently stirred the noodles in her bowl. Her expression remained calm, but when she picked up a mouthful of noodles, her gaze inadvertently swept over the two of them before quickly looking away. She ate quietly, without saying a word or probing.

Li Lizhen picked up her chopsticks somewhat awkwardly, her fingertips slightly clenched, carefully picking up a few strands of noodles and slurping them down. Her gaze occasionally fell on Yang Jingyi and Xian Yaowen before she quickly lowered her head again. The aroma of the noodles in her mouth seemed unable to dispel her unease.

The noise inside the shed remained the same, with the sounds of bowls and chopsticks clattering and slurping mingling together. Each of the four was lost in their own thoughts, and only the steam from the noodle soup provided a touch of warmth and tranquility in the cool afternoon.

After the four of them finished their noodles and were quite satisfied, Sin Yiu-man let Yeung Ching-yee and Lee Lai-chun leave first.

Although Yang Jingyi was somewhat reluctant, she nodded understandingly and led Li Lizhen ahead towards the school. After taking a few steps, she would turn back to look at him again, her eyes filled with longing.

As the two girls walked away into the distance, the noise under the tin shed seemed to subside. Xian Yaowen then looked at Lin Peijun again, "Teacher Lin, would you like to walk with me for a few steps?"

Lin Peijun hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently, her tone calm and appropriate: "Alright, Mr. Xian, please."

Xian Yaowen placed the money on the table, and the two walked out of the tin shed side by side. The afternoon sun shone on the street, carrying a lazy warmth. The noise of the noodle shop was left behind, leaving only the soft sound of shoes scraping against the pavement.

With his hands in his pockets, Xian Yaowen walked at a leisurely pace. He glanced at Lin Peijun, who stood beside him with an upright posture, and asked gently, "Ms. Lin, are you married?"

Lin Peijun paused almost imperceptibly for half a beat, her face still maintaining a composed demeanor, though her earlobes felt slightly warm. She then replied softly, "It's... not yet, things are a bit complicated."

“I understand.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “Is there someone you like?”

Lin Peijun's fingertips curled slightly, her eyes lowered to avoid his gaze, her voice so soft it almost melted into the southern breeze: "No... never."

Have you ever thought about having a real relationship and having someone you can rely on?

Lin Peijun's cheeks flushed slightly, and she subconsciously clenched her fists. Her gaze fell gently on the ground in front of her, and her voice was soft and steady, with a touch of girlish shyness and poise: "I have never seriously thought about these things before."

Sin Yiu-man suddenly stopped and turned around to look at her, his gaze calm yet carrying an undeniable seriousness.

Lin Peijun felt a little flustered by his gaze, and subconsciously slowed her breathing, clenching her fists even tighter.

Xian Yaowen didn't speak immediately, but looked at the faint blush on the tip of her ear. He spoke softly, but each word was clear: "Peijun, I'm not a gentleman. I'm lustful and never lack women around me. But I do have one redeeming quality—I'm responsible and I never start a relationship and then abandon the woman."

He paused, his gaze open and direct, without the slightest concealment: "Let me be frank with you, I'm interested in you, and I want you to be my woman. I'm quite capable, I've earned some money, enough to support you, so you won't have to worry about making a living in the future, and you can live a stable and respectable life."

In bed, I will never mistreat you. It's just that I'm constantly traveling and busy, and the days I can spend with you throughout the year are few and far between. If you were to come with me, your days would likely be no different from being alone in an empty room.

At this point, his tone softened, revealing a rare frankness: "Fortunately, I'm not a chauvinist, and I won't use titles and rules to bind you."

If one day you can't bear the loneliness, or meet someone you truly want to entrust your life to, just tell me in advance, and I will let you go. Not only will I not make things difficult for you, but I will also prepare a respectable dowry for you, just like your brother would for you.

He paused, looked directly at her, and said calmly, "Think about it, do you want to give it a try with me?"

Lin Peijun felt her heart pound wildly, and even her fingertips felt slightly cold. She tried to calm herself, but still dared not look up to meet his gaze. Her voice was soft and trembling, with a hint of helplessness and determination: "Mr. Xian, you...you don't need to tell me these things. I'm just an ordinary teacher, and I just want to live a peaceful life at the podium. Besides...I have a husband."

A playful smile curled at the corner of Xian Yaowen's lips as his gaze fell heavily on her tense profile. "Husband? What is your husband's status? Brother-in-law? Distant brother? Cousin? I guess there are only a few possibilities, otherwise you would have already gone along with the mistake, and we wouldn't be having this conversation now."

He paused slightly, took half a step forward, lowered his breath, and said with an all-knowing certainty: "Of course, even if you really have a husband, the conversation will still take place, but... the content of the conversation will be different."

Lin Peijun's face paled instantly, her lips trembling slightly, but she still maintained the composure of a teacher, her voice soft and hoarse: "Regardless of the type, there is still a marriage contract involved, Mr. Xian, there's no need for you to..."

Before Lin Peijun could finish speaking, Xian Yaowen interrupted her directly, "Peijun, I don't like to force people, and I won't pester them. An engagement is not a good excuse to refuse me. If you don't want to get entangled with me, you can just say you don't want to."

Lin Peijun was stifled by his blunt and sharp words. Her already pale face lost even more color, and her eyelashes trembled in panic. She could no longer maintain the composure she had just maintained.

She lowered her head slightly, her voice as soft as a breeze, yet carrying a resolute determination: "I refuse."

“Okay.” Xian Yaowen nodded slightly, a faint smile on his lips. He reached into his pocket, took out a velvet box, and gently handed it forward. “It’s a pearl necklace. It’s not very valuable. Please accept it, Teacher Lin.”

Lin Peijun paused for a moment, chewed on "Teacher Lin" a few times, then smiled and bowed slightly: "Then thank you for your kindness, Mr. Xian. I accept it."

Seeing her accept the box, Xian Yaowen's smile grew even warmer, and his tone was gentle and calm: "It's just a small gift, nothing special, but I hope it suits Teacher Lin's taste. I have some things to take care of here, so I'll take my leave now."

After speaking, before Lin Peijun could reply, Xian Yaowen nodded slightly, turned and left with a composed gait, leaving behind only a handsome silhouette.

Lin Peijun held the velvet box, her fingertips tightening slightly. Watching his receding figure, she momentarily forgot to call out to stop him.

Only after the figure disappeared from sight did she let out a soft sigh, her cheeks unconsciously flushing slightly. She looked down at the gift in her hand, a faint warmth rising in her heart.

Xian Yaowen was not arrogant enough to regard all women as his possessions. He was not a currency, and there was no reason for him to like all women. Although he knew that Lin Peijun had feelings for him, he did not expect that his confession would be successful.

Even if he is unsuccessful, he will become a special person in Lin Peijun's heart. When using his money to do things, it is not easy to become greedy. In fact, if you think from his point of view, the budget for the Li Lizhen case can be reduced.

Success goes without saying; he was freed from the impending "responsible companionship," took a breath of fresh air, and adjusted his mindset.

The current situation is that Lin Peijun is not easy to win over; he needs to "pursue" her several times to peel away her defenses layer by layer.

When playing games, it's more fun if there's a bit of difficulty.

In the afternoon, I continued writing the report. During afternoon tea, I met with the senior executives of Prince Enterprises: Richard Beresford, manager of Prince Trading, Xu Shi'an, deputy manager of Prince Trading, Zhao Tingzhen, manager of Prince Chemicals, Francesca Rothschild, manager of Prince Capital, Fu Yancheng, deputy manager of Prince Capital, Zhang Mingqiang, manager of Prince Construction, and Lu Jingshi, deputy manager of Prince Construction.

Prince Trading does all kinds of import and export business. Except for avoiding the bananas that Chung Fung Company wants to manipulate, it can achieve a monthly volume of three to four million US dollars with an average profit of 21.37%, which is quite considerable.

Prince Chemical currently has no real business operations, but it is also engaged in trade, only dealing in pesticides and fertilizers. On the condition that it does not affect the government's foreign exchange reserves, it indirectly imports them in Taiwan Dollars, thus replacing some government functions.

Of the NT dollars earned, after deducting operating capital, 70% was given to Prince Trading for export to Taiwan, and 30% was given to Prince Construction.

Prince Capital focuses on investment, primarily venture capital with angel investment as a secondary focus. It doesn't discriminate based on project size, investing in everything from small shops to large factories with thousands of employees, as long as there's a hint of profitability.

In this field, Sin Yiu-man's "golden touch" was not very effective. Most of the Taiwanese companies he had paid attention to in his previous life had not emerged. Rather than pretending to be a charlatan and giving advice, Francesca should follow the investment principles—Prince Capital signed share redemption agreements with most of its investment targets, with varying terms.

Xian Yaowen had a heart-to-heart talk with Francesca, asking him to mentor Fu Yancheng without reservation. He said that once Fu Yancheng could take charge of Prince Capital, he would be transferred to New York to work on Wall Street for a few years, and then he would support Fu Yancheng's triumphant return to Austria to revitalize the Viennese Rothschild family.

Some birds can never be caged, because every feather of theirs is imbued with the brilliance of defying human dominance.

Prince Construction's main business is acquiring land in the suburbs and city of Taipei, predicting Taipei's future development, and acquiring land in key locations. They also plan projects and drive development.

For example, the Sanchong Garment Industrial Park project marks the first step in industrial real estate development.

Getting this project approved wasn't difficult, but acquiring the land was a bit challenging. The real challenge lay in the distribution of benefits. Once the interests were clarified, the problem would be easily solved.

The real challenge lies in electricity. Taipower prioritizes public enterprises, military and civil servants, and US-aided industries. The power supply to the garment industrial park is not guaranteed. Furthermore, Sanchong lacks the conditions to build hydropower, thermal power, and wind power. The government also prohibits private power plants, so they can only apply for the park's power room and provide their own generator sets.

However, the cost is quite high, so it is a last resort. The more cost-effective way is to try to get into Taipower's priority list.

Besides, the only truly profitable projects for Prince Construction were undertaking American-aided industrial construction and government highway construction projects. The Nationalist government had not yet introduced advanced experience in qualifications and multi-layered outsourcing, nor had it played the "advance payment" card. Although the profits were not high, it was not difficult to collect project payments. Kickbacks were settled, a few drinks were given, and the official seals were stamped loudly.

Sin Yiu-man flipped through the payment slips and the undisclosed accounts, asked about the grades of the son of Prince Construction's self-employed accountant at his school in Hong Kong, and noted that he would look into the suicide methods that had become popular in Taiwan in the past two years.

Afterwards, he looked through the roster of the New Life Club and thought about organizing a mahjong tournament and a chess tournament. Anyone who signed up could receive a generous registration fee, which would cultivate the sentiments of the wealthy women.

We need to take another look at the athletes' diet during the competition. They must eat fresh food and try something rare.

While browsing through the staff roster and suggestion book in Beili, one can not only admire the beautiful women but also understand the "tastes" of the distinguished guests and see if the staff structure needs to be optimized.

Regarding Kitari, he could only talk about it theoretically; he couldn't go to the front lines to understand it in depth. Kitari didn't exist, at least not in his eyes. If someone exposed it, he didn't want to bear the blame for negligence or lax management.

At five o'clock sharp, he left work on time and returned to the Xian residence.

Guo Biwan was sitting in the pavilion when she saw him and looked up at him.

Xian Yaowen stepped into the pavilion, gently pulled her into his arms, rested his chin on the top of her head, and said in a relaxed tone, as if he had just returned home: "Awan, I'm sorry I didn't pick you up at noon."

Guo Biwan nestled obediently in his arms, gently wrapping her arms around his waist, her voice soft and gentle: "It's okay, I know you're busy." (End of Chapter)