Rebirth after the college entrance examination

Chapter 179 Forming Good Deeds Without Seeking Expectations
The buzzing sound grew louder as it approached, and when the vehicle turned and drifted, the tires even emitted a plume of white smoke.

Canlanmei and Jin Xiaoxiao, who couldn't drive, sat at the farthest point, their eyes wide with surprise.

The girl smiled, revealing her two canine teeth, and said, "It's much more exciting than bumper cars."

Jin Xiaoxiao blinked her big eyes and looked curiously at the track. Xia An was in the lemon-yellow 911, slightly ahead of Zhou Yang and Wang Suining by a few car lengths.

'He can do all of this? That's amazing.'

Brilliant Girl nudged her and sneered, "Watch out, don't let your eyeballs pop out."

Jin Xiaoxiao looked away, blushing.

Brilliant Girl laughed and leaned over to whisper, "Hey, you're kidding, right? Although the first guy left a deep impression, in this situation... you know, we're not the same kind of people as him. We parted ways after lunch, and you'll only see him on TV from now on."

Jin Xiaoxiao twisted her fingers, wanting to explain something, but then suddenly didn't want to say anything anymore.

Seeing this, Brilliant Girl pouted, thought for a moment, and then coaxed her in return: "It's not bad. I accompanied him to two parties last night, and he didn't even ask me my name. The fact that he took the initiative to ask your name means that he still has a little bit of a crush on you."

Jin Xiaoxiao tilted her head and blinked, looking somewhat happy.

The girl with radiant smile laughed even louder.

After the meal, the two girls were driven back to the city.

Before leaving, Jin Xiaoxiao mustered up her courage and asked Xia An for her phone number. Xia An readily saved her number and dialed it.

During the meal, because Xia An lost by more than 20 meters in the competition, he could only give up a portion of his shares.

He led for nine out of ten laps. On the last lap, even Zhou Yitong noticed that he had deliberately slowed down and asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you doing me a favor?"

Xia An was even more convinced that this was a very smart girl, but smart girls are also afraid of racing. For the first nine laps, Zhou Yitong screamed non-stop, but she didn't vomit.

He answered, "Yes," while shifting gears.

Zhou Yitong had noticed earlier that Xia An wasn't very familiar with these people.

Xia An said, "Since we're new here, we should give each other some gifts."

They were all well-mannered adults, and Zhou Yang and the other new faces he met today didn't actually give him too much of a cold shoulder. Firstly, he was a friend personally brought by Liu Fei, and secondly, Xia An was currently under a relatively bright spot in the spotlight.

The reason Zhou Yang is referred to as a mouthpiece is because her family runs an investment company. Her father is an independent businessman, and her uncle works at Sequoia Capital China, where they are optimistic about the internet.

The fact that they asked for a share is actually a way of giving Xia An face and boosting his project. Otherwise, they wouldn't have even heard of what a mouthpiece was until a couple of days ago.

After getting out of the car, Xia An cupped his hands in a fist salute and smiled at Zhou Yang and Wang Suining, saying, "I'm not familiar with the car, but next time I come, I promise I'll beat you by half a lap!"

The latter two appreciated the compliment and laughed, "You used to drive cars? Your skills are top-notch."

Xia An said, "I drive go-karts occasionally."

Seeing Zhou Yang's eyes occasionally glancing at Zhou Yitong's ample chest, Xia An took off her coat and handed it to Zhou Yitong.

Zhou Yitong was wearing only a shirt, rubbing her chest which was sore from the seatbelt, with her tight black thermal underwear barely visible underneath.

Xia An said, "It's windy, don't get cold."

Zhou Yitong smiled gratefully at him.

During the meal, Zhang Tiancheng sat next to Canlanmei at a very large table.

The main course consisted of several free-range geese from the farmhouse. Seeing that Zhou Yitong only ate the side dishes, Xia An asked, "Vegetarianism?"

Zhou Yitong chuckled: "I'm allergic to goose meat."

Xia An took the initiative to move the fish that was further away to her side, making the other person blush with embarrassment.

Canlanmei, holding her chopsticks, whispered to Jin Xiaoxiao, "Look, that's how he treats the person he likes."

Jin Xiaoxiao pursed her lips and remained silent.

Zhang Tiancheng was a little confused, even though he knew that his boss and Miss Zhou were not familiar with each other.

Lustful? Hmm, probably.

Wang Suining, a chubby boy with acne still visible, egged on, "Xia An, how many shares are you giving away to everyone?"

Liu Fei watched silently with a smile, seemingly lost in thought as she looked at Xia An.

Unexpectedly, Xia An met his gaze directly, wiped her mouth, waved her hand and laughed, "I really can't say for sure. I reserved five points for internal management shares in the overall structure. Before the first round, only five points will be left, all in Brother Liu's hands. How many are distributed is up to him."

Seeing everyone looking at her with puzzled expressions, Liu Fei felt a surge of anger rising in her head, but she tried her best to remain calm as she looked at Xia An.

Xia An maintained her calm smile.

In a second, Liu Fei could taste the flavor.

He put down his chopsticks and laughed loudly, "Do you think I got these five points for nothing? I exchanged them for two extremely difficult requests from Xia An! You want to take them? Come on, fine, I'll draw a line."

Pointing at Zhou Yang and Wang Suining, he said, "If you two want it, I'll take care of my own brothers. One point each, three million each."

Wang Suining didn't say anything, but Zhou Yang clicked his tongue, spread his hands, and said, "Sure, I'll show my support."

In a simple and hasty manner, the first valuation of the megaphone was born: three hundred million.

Liu Fei raised an eyebrow at Xia An, whose smile remained unchanged, but in her heart she knew that the price was still too low. The interview with Guangyu Weibo next month would double the price.

But it doesn't matter. If you want to integrate into the circle, you always have to pay a price. The Liu family had remained strong and prosperous until the year he was reborn. Using this money to befriend Liu Fei would definitely not be a loss.

After all, He Zhenzhen is no longer a Chinese citizen in the strict sense, and distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. In mainland China, he needs another powerful ally.

Moreover, Liu Fei was so generous that she even gave him two "checks" in advance, so it really wasn't a loss for her.

The meal was enjoyed in a cheerful and lively atmosphere, with both hosts and guests having a pleasant time.

The happiest one was Zhang Tiancheng.

A windfall! Good heavens! My 0.5% option suddenly became 150 million?!

The second happiest person was Zhou Yitong, who ended up here by chance.

Zhou Yang said, "Besides showing support, we should also reciprocate. Everyone has heard about this Ms. Zhou's story. I also have a household registration in Binhai, and I will transfer it there later."

One suggestion, and everyone followed suit.

Liu Fei knew Zhou Yang was a womanizer and was even eyeing Xia An's associates, so she simply waved her hand and said, "No need for that. Little Zhou, is Xia still the branch manager at the Binhai branch?"

Zhou Yitong nodded with a smile.

Liu Fei immediately made a phone call, explained the situation, and asked Zhou Yitong, "Choose either the director of the credit department or the director of the wealth management department."

Zhou Yitong quickly waved her hands, "No, no, people will talk behind my back, I..."

Seeing Liu Fei's indication that she shouldn't worry too much, she turned to look at Xia An and hesitated.

Xia An spat out a bone and asked her with a smile, "Brother Liu moved two corporate accounts over. That's such a big favor. It's not appropriate for you to ask for a lower position."

Zhou Yitong thought for a moment and said, "Then... could I become the manager of the major accounts department?"

"Still one level lower," Liu Fei gave a thumbs-up, said to the person waiting on the other end of the phone, then hung up and said, "Just go next week."

After the meal, before leaving, Canlanmei was kissed on the lips by Xie Wanqing in front of everyone, and the two seemed to have agreed to meet again another day.

After sitting in the teahouse for half an hour, people gradually left. Liu Fei was also going to the city, so she said to Xia An, "I have an appointment tonight, but I have some time this afternoon. Shall we find a place to talk?"

"Okay, I'll see them off first."

"They" refers to Zhou Yitong and Zhang Tiancheng.

Liu Fei said, "It's alright, Xiao Zhou and Xiao Zhang are already friends, and they have good personalities. It's fine for them to sit together."

It can also be...

Knowing his awkward position, Zhang Tiancheng got off the bus as soon as he entered the city.

On Saturday, when there were many people traveling and traffic jams, Zhou Yitong took the initiative to thank Xia An.

Xia An drove slowly, then swerved sharply to bypass a rear-end collision, cutting in front of a taxi. Through the window, she could clearly see the taxi driver cursing before speeding away. Zhou Yitong smiled gently, her beauty serene and graceful.

Xia An glanced at her face in the rearview mirror and smiled, "Since you've already come to support me as my companion, of course I should finish this good deed."

Zhou Yitong brushed her hair aside, turned her head to look at him, and asked, "Do you want something in return?"

Xia An laughed: "Make good connections without expecting anything in return."

Zhou Yitong was also happy.

She had originally wanted to tease the girl about what happened last night, but she held back. Asking "Do you want something in return?" would have been too beneath her dignity.

After a moment of silence, while waiting at a traffic light, Zhou Yitong suddenly turned her head and said, "Actually, I was lying to you. I resigned from the Construction Bank before, and when I was buying a house in Haiyun Lantian, I saw you and wanted to ask you for help to get back into the bank."

Upon hearing this, Xia An looked ahead, and after a short while, nodded and smiled.

"You resigned but want to go back? It must be because someone at your old branch made things difficult for you, right?"

Zhou Yitong replied crisply, "Yes, the bank manager forced me one night, but I didn't do it."

Xia An licked his teeth and said, "That's quite common. Has that house been sold?"

Zhou Yitong said, "The day you went to buy those two apartments on the 6th floor, I had an allergic reaction to seafood the night before and had to take the day off to go to the hospital, otherwise..."

Xia An turned her head to look at her and smiled, "Otherwise, if I had seen you, I would have bought it from you. It would have been a bit of a pity."

Zhou Yitong shook her head and said crisply, "It's not a pity. If I sell one and get a commission, I might not have the ambition to go back to the bank and would waste many years as a real estate agent. I can accept having a bad experience, but I can't let myself live a bad life forever. Fate will reshuffle the cards, and I will play my own hand."

These words finally made Xia An look at her directly, and he met her gaze with a hint of surprise.

After a long pause, he nodded and smiled, "Not bad. Having had an experience, I realize that what's more unsettling than change in life is the unchanging."

Zhou Yitong blinked, her gaze fixed on Xia An's fair profile and the light stubble on his chin. "Yes, we should try everything, because no one knows what kind of thing or what kind of person will change our lives."

Xia An didn't respond to that sentence.

After passing two more intersections, they were almost at Liu Fei's destination when he turned right onto a side road.

Zhou Yitong suddenly asked, "Shall I treat you to dinner when we get back to Binhai?"

Xia An: "Okay, I'll transfer the 20 million to you."

I left 20 million for my family and 20 million for my own savings. Damn, I finally don't have to borrow money to make ends meet.

"Is the co-owner on that property certificate one of the three golden agreements?"

Zhou Yitong's sudden question almost made Xia An slam on the brakes.

Turning his head, he saw her smiling playfully and meaningfully. Xia An coughed twice to ease the awkwardness.

Seeing him like this, Zhou Yitong covered her mouth and chuckled.

"You know what? I never understood why a gentle and beautiful girl would have a boyfriend who was just average-looking."

Xia An knew she was referring to the few other unremarkable-looking men she met today, excluding herself, and asked with a smile, "Why?"

Zhou Yitong said, "Because I used to only see people with average looks."

Xia An deliberately remained silent for a long time.

Zhou Yitong frowned slightly. "Have you lost your curiosity? Shouldn't you be asking 'What about me?' right now?"

Xia An chuckled, "And me?"

Zhou Yitong: "You are both pleasing to the eye and have great inner qualities."

Xia An nodded: "Alright, alright, your hard work wasn't in vain, you deserve this compliment."

Zhou Yitong sighed and said, "It's also very possible that it's one of those girls, just like those two college students today."

Xia An agreed: "That's more likely. Power, wealth, and love all seem real when you're obsessed. But once you've experienced them, they might all seem fake."

This time, Zhou Yitong remained silent.

……

Liu Fei chose a very secluded and stylish coffee shop on the third floor of a commercial building.

There is a bar and bar stools.

The aromatherapy is subtle and pleasant, with a prominent floral scent; the lighting is also very sophisticated, with candlesticks by the windows, chandeliers and ambient lighting in the partitions, and no harsh spotlights.

The screens are made of solid wood with intricate carvings, and the decorative items include porcelain vases, ceramic tiles, and Buddha statues—none of them are cheap, mass-produced junk.

The devil is in the details, and it's clear that the prices here are not low.

Liu Fei drove even more recklessly than Xia An, arriving twenty minutes early.

Seeing Xia An and Zhou Yitong approaching side by side, he didn't ask where Zhang had gone, but simply waved and called out, "Here."

Xia An and Zhou Yitong sat down, and Liu Fei handed Xia An a membership card: "Red wine, spirits, coffee, tea, cigars, this place serves coffee during the day and drinks at night, not open to the public. I don't know your preferences, so I've stocked up on a little of everything, things I enjoy myself."

Xia An examined the two black cards, which only had the begonia logo and membership number printed on them. Without any ceremony or even asking how much money was deposited, he generously stuffed them into his pocket, took a sip of authentic Maojian tea, and said, "It's a pity I'm not often in the provincial capital."

Liu Fei slapped her thigh and laughed: "What a coincidence, the InterContinental Hotel by the Sea is also on the third floor."

Xia Anqi said, "I've stayed here a few times, but I really didn't notice."

Liu Fei poured tea for the two of them, tapped his knee with his thick fingers, exhaled a cloud of smoke, put down his cigar, looked at Xia An and said, "Brother Xia, I was still too conventional about what happened last night. You really opened my eyes today."

Xia An shook his head and laughed, "It's nothing. Brother Liu, you treat me with sincerity, take me out to eat and have fun, and even introduce me to resources. There's not much I can give back."

"Oh dear, I'm so embarrassed!" Liu Fei waved her hands repeatedly. "Don't mention last night's eating, drinking, and having fun again. If I had known you weren't thinking like someone your age, I wouldn't have dragged you there even if I were stupid..."

Having said that, he glanced at Zhou Yitong and immediately stopped talking.

Miss Zhou lowered her eyes, sipped her tea, blushed, and listened intently, both curious and shocked.

Xia An also chuckled and said, "If you exert too much force, you won't go far. I'm not hiding my abilities, I just haven't experienced many of these situations."

Liu Fei scoffed and said directly, "At your age, I'm nothing."

He took another puff of his cigar, smoke billowing as he spoke: "Let's get straight to the point, we're officially acquainted today. I'll be frank with my sister-in-law, even without Liu Xiao, I would still consider you my friend."

Putting everything else aside, the way they casually tossed me shares really caught me off guard. See? I didn't give you a bad deal, did I?

Seeing that Xia An did not refute, Zhou Yitong knew that it was not that he agreed with what he said, but that there was no need to refute it, because it was not important.

What they said truly shocked Zhou Yitong, and even made her think more highly of Xia An's abilities. It really broadened her horizons.

'The 5% equity wasn't what was agreed upon beforehand? My God, I was right there at the dinner table, how come I didn't notice they were improvising?'

Xia An didn't mince words and said to Liu Fei, "It's still a bit low."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Liu Fei didn't seem to care much.

"Brother Liu, do you understand the internet?"

The question was sincere, not sarcastic. Liu Fei shook her big head and said, "I don't really understand. I've always worked in the physical world, and no one in my family has invested in the internet. Isn't everyone saying that the internet is going through a tough winter?"

Xia An smiled wryly and said, "Then I won't explain any more. I'll have someone deliver the equity agreement to the villa tomorrow. Brother Liu, I advise you not to distribute any more shares. Take another look at the situation at the end of next month and find a professional to do an evaluation."

Liu Fei pouted and asked, "How much lower did I mark it?"

Xia An thought for a moment and then held up three fingers.

Liu Fei: "Thirty percent? That's almost a million less per point, right? The total valuation is a hundred million less, but that's not so bad, is it?"

Xia An's lips twitched slightly, and he said, "At least three times after the Spring Festival."

Liu Fei choked on her cigarette smoke.

Zhou Yitong sat upright to the side, her eyes practically wide open.

(End of this chapter)