It's just that they have money.

Fang Chen sat alone at the dining table, eating slowly.

There were no social engagements, no dinner parties, and no one around to say polite things.

The TV was on, playing some kind of variety show, and waves of laughter kept coming in. He didn't really listen to it, treating it as background noise.

This is life.

It's not about signing a contract, negotiating, or falling out with someone; it's about sitting at your own dining table and eating a meal you cooked yourself.

Fang Chen held the bowl, picked up a piece of water spinach with his chopsticks, shoveled a mouthful of rice, and chewed very slowly.

This feeling is even more reassuring than receiving a bank notification that money has been deposited.

The phone rang.

It was a phone call from Luo Shanshan.

Perhaps feeling awkward, Luo Shanshan hasn't contacted Fang Chen much since their last parting.

This was the first time she had called me proactively in recent times.

He answered the call.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Fang Chen heard her take a breath and then slowly exhale, as if she was organizing her thoughts or encouraging herself.

"I'm quitting being a fitness instructor."

Fang Chen remained silent.

It's not that he didn't know what to say, but that he knew there were many things behind those words that he hadn't seen.

"The shop officially closed last month." Luo Shanshan's voice was flat, so flat that it didn't sound like she was talking about something that concerned her. "The police found the boss, and they paid part of the owed wages. The boss said the rest could be paid in installments, but I doubt it. As for the membership classes... I registered you, but it's hard to say when you can get a refund."

Fang Chen leaned back in his chair, wanting to say that there was no need to return it, but he opened his mouth and didn't say it.

It's not that I'm reluctant to part with those tens of thousands of yuan, it's just that I feel it's inappropriate to say this at this time.

She called not to tell him about dropping the course, but for something else.

"So what are your plans next?" Fang Chen asked.

Luo Shanshan chuckled softly on the other end of the phone. There wasn't much bitterness in her laughter; rather, it was something indescribable.

"I'll go home and stay for a while. My mom kept telling me to go back, but I said I'd go back when work wasn't so busy. Now that I've lost my job, it's perfect."

Fang Chen remembered that Luo Shanshan had said that she studied secretarial studies in college, which was the major her family had chosen for her.

She was preparing for the civil service exam at the time, but she didn't like it. After graduation, she secretly came to Jiangcheng to work as a fitness instructor.

I sneaked in, went to the store, and then went back, like a circle, going around in circles and returning to the starting point.

"Fang Chen, I know what you want to say." Luo Shanshan suddenly spoke, her tone faster than before, as if she was in a hurry, afraid that Fang Chen would say something she didn't know whether to respond to.

"Are you trying to say that you can help me think of a solution?"

Fang Chen didn't reply.

He really wanted to say that.

"I know you have money and are willing to help your friends, but this isn't about money." Luo Shanshan's voice softened, not as a refusal, but as an explanation—an explanation to him, and also to herself. "Becoming a fitness instructor was my own choice, and I accept that choice. Now that path is blocked, I have to find my own way. I can't keep letting others push me along."

Fang Chen held his phone without saying a word.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

"And to be honest, I'm not particularly sad." Luo Shanshan's tone suddenly became a little lighter.

"And after you go home? Will you come back?"

Luo Shanshan didn't answer immediately. She was silent for two seconds on the other end, then whispered something.

"I don't know. I'll go back and rest for a while, go out and have some fun, and see how it goes. If I pass the exam, I probably won't come back. If I don't... we'll see."

Fang Chen nodded, only to realize after he finished that she couldn't see him.

"Okay. Call me if anything comes up."

Luo Shanshan chuckled softly on the other end of the line, this time the laugh seemed a little more genuine than before.

"You really are something."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Bye."

"Um."

Before I could even put my phone down, Zhang Zhenghao called again.

Fang Chen answered the phone, but before he could speak, a loud bang came from the receiver.

"What are you doing? The phone was busy the whole time."

Fang Chen moved his phone further away, and only put it back on after the sound had subsided.

"What's the matter?"

"Do you remember my group for gardening enthusiasts?"

"Remember."

Liu Wenhu was the person Fang Chen connected with through Zhang Zhenghao.

"There's a guy in the group, surnamed Gu, a Chinese from the United States, a first-generation immigrant." Zhang Zhenghao spoke quickly, as if afraid of being interrupted. "We've been chatting in the group for more than half a year. I told him about the cross-border medical project we're working on before, and he was very interested, which is why we closed our second deal."

Fang Chen leaned back in his chair and listened.

"He's over sixty years old and has bad knees. He had surgery in China before and recovered well. He said he also saw a doctor in the United States, who said he needed a joint replacement, but even with insurance, it was ridiculously expensive."

Zhang Zhenghao lowered his voice as if he were telling a secret: "He told me that many Chinese people over there are like this. They take some painkillers to get through minor illnesses, and only go back to China for treatment when they have serious illnesses."

"and then?"

"Then he said that overseas Chinese like him, especially those in North America, actually know in their hearts that if they really need surgery, it's more reliable and cheaper to go back to China for the procedure."

"Mr. Gu said that among the Chinese people he knows, there are at least a hundred who come back every year for medical treatment. They have dental, ophthalmology, orthopedics, oncology, all kinds of specialties. In North America, if you want him to do a test, you have to wait two weeks to make an appointment, one week to get the results, and another two weeks for a follow-up appointment. A whole month goes by in that time."

Zhang Zhenghao paused for a moment after saying this.

"I think this is a market. Not the kind of market with a few million dollars, but a hidden market with real money involved."

"How big?" Fang Chen asked.

"This guy wants to work with us. Not the kind of collaboration where you refer clients and get a commission, but a long-term, in-depth partnership. He has his own channels and connections in the United States, and he said he can help us set up an office there to handle the initial client communication and screening. All we need to do is focus on one thing: provide excellent service and build a good reputation."

"You want to shift your focus to North America?"

"No, that's not it," Zhang Zhenghao chuckled. "Didn't we say before that we were going to spend 20 million to beat GG? This ready-made market setup is a sure way to save money, isn't it?"

Fang Chen smiled.

Zhang Zhenghao's proposed solution did indeed save a lot of promotion costs.

How much does it cost to build the framework?

"We've already calculated it out in advance. The initial investment for the office, venue, equipment, and personnel will be around three to four million. Even if we still need to do promotion, that's half of what we'll save. How about that? Aren't I amazing?"

"Impressive, impressive, you deserve credit."

"Let's have a drink sometime. My liver function is normal now."

"Aren't you afraid it'll break again?"

"I'm not afraid."