Read Novel Full Chapter 49.2 – Birthday Banquet: First Part (II)
Chapter 49.2 – Birthday Banquet: First Part (II)
Fan Xiuzhi barely concealed her smugness. “All thanks to our Xiao Yang. To be honest, I was worried at first—the land prices were already high. But they have those advanced risk prediction models abroad, and after running the numbers, Xiao Yang told me it was a solid buy. So I gritted my teeth and went for it. Look at it now—it’s already tripled in value.”
A chorus of admiration followed, though some voice spoke up skeptically, “Isn’t the stock market in a free fall lately? The fluctuations are so crazy. You must’ve bought in at a high price.”
Fan Xiuzhi waved off the concern with a confident smile. “That just shows you don’t understand the game. You are supposed to buy stocks when they’re low, not when they’re soaring. Market fluctuations are normal—when prices dropped, Xiao Yang told me to buy more and lower our average cost.”
“Alas, none of this compares to what’s coming,” she added with a laugh. “Have you heard about the Mohe mobile phone?”
“Of course! It’s supposed to be way better than those old brick phones. I heard the few that are out now are just prototypes,” someone with insider knowledge chimed in. “The official launch is still six months away.”
“I heard a few Chinese students developed it while studying abroad. Now they’ve started a company back home, and even the government is taking it very seriously.”
Fan Xiuzhi nodded. “Of course! Director Qi himself is coming today for this.”
“That’s unheard of! Usually, we’d struggle to even get a meeting with them—now they’re coming to us?”
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
“President Fan, please tell us more!”
Fan Xiuzhi smirked. “Those brilliant students who developed Mohe phones? They’re all senior classmates of our Xiao Yang. I’ve even invited the company’s executives today—we’re planning to sign a collaboration deal.”
The guests’ enthusiasm instantly soared.
“That’s a guaranteed gold mine!”
“President Fan, truly a woman of remarkable talent!”
“What’s the nature of your collaboration with Mohe? Equity investment or distribution rights?”
“President Fan, please remember our friendship—just say the word if you ever need anything!”
Listening to the conversation, Xia Mian struggled to keep a straight face, while Rong Xin laughed out loud. “Fan Xiuzhi really is something else. She dares to say anything because no one here knows Ning Shaoyang’s so-called ‘seniors.’”
“Look at that guy’s face—he looks like he wants to disappear into the ground. She’s piling all this on her dear son’s head now, but later, he’s the one who’s going to pay for it.”
“Let me tell you a secret.” Rong Xin leaned in and whispered to Xia Mian. “When Mohe was first starting out, it was Brother Bai who invested in them.”
“Now, Brother Bai owned 40% of the company, while the remaining 60% is divided among the three other founders. In other words, Brother Bai is the largest shareholder of the company.”
Although Xia Mian knew that Ning Shaobai was a shareholder of Mohe, she was still a bit surprised. “Developing a mobile phone cost a fortune, didn’t it?”
“It wasn’t too bad,” Rong Xin said. “Brother Bai has an eye for talent. The Mohe team is full of geniuses—they avoided a lot of costly missteps. Besides, you have no idea how much money Brother Bai makes.”
“I’m not sure about his overseas dealings, but in China,” Rong Xin’s voice became more animated, “all those stock market plays and the Hainan real estate investments that Fan Xiuzhi oh-so-proudly brags about are his leftovers.”
“A few months ago, we pulled out of the stock market just before it began to plummet. Since then, prices have been halved. We also exited the Hainan property market recently. Knowing Brother Bai, that place is about to collapse, too.”
‘It’s indeed going to crash.’ Xia Mian mused silently. Furthermore, the real estate bubble was far worse than the stock market. With stocks, as long as you hadn’t bet everything, there was always a chance to recover, but the Hainan property bubble would soon ruin countless people.”
Rong Xin smirked. “Fan Xiuzhi is gloating about being the perfect bagholder.”
Xia Mian suddenly asked, “How much have you made by copying him?”
“I started with just seventy or eighty thousand, and now I’ve got more than enough to start my own entertainment company…”
Xia Mian’s eyes gleamed as she turned toward Ning Shaobai, who immediately grew wary. “What?”
She clung to his arm with a flattering smile. “Boss, aren’t we good sist—”
Seeing the murderous look in his eyes, she quickly corrected herself. “Aren’t you my good brother? You can’t just take care of Brother Rong and leave me out! Boss, please take me under your wing!”
Ning Shaobai pulled his arm free. “Come back when you actually have some capital.”
“Don’t worry about that!” Xia Mian declared. “I’m not as stingy as Brother Rong—I’m putting in 200,000!”
Rong Xin was stunned. “Where did you get that much money?”
Xia Mian lifted her chin proudly. “Take a guess.”
“Are you still eyeing the Huo family’s houses?” The soft, sweet tone clashed with the sharp accusation. “Scheming all day long—such bad habits.”
Xia Mian turned around, unsurprised to see Fan Xiaowan and Zhou Qianqian.
“Wrong guess.” Xia Mian grinned. “I told you before, if you don’t have good judgment, don’t speak recklessly. Why didn’t you take my advice? See? You’ve made a fool of yourself again.”
Fan Xiaowan’s face darkened.
“Miss Fan, why waste your time with her?” Zhou Qianqian sneered. She’s all talk. Let’s see how long it takes before she starts crying.”
Zhou Qianqian was wearing a cheongsam today. That alone was alright, but she was also decked out with an overwhelming amount of pearl jewelry, which made her shimmer so brightly it hurt to look at her. She was clearly feeling smug, her confidence soaring for some reason. “Xia Mian, don’t forget our bet. Don’t back out when the time comes.”
Xia Mian smiled faintly. “Of course not. I always keep my word. Go ahead and pull whatever dirty tricks you’ve got—I’d love to see if you can win.”
Zhou Qianqian’s expression stiffened.
Xia Mian rolled her eyes. “Some people never learn.”
The commotion finally drew attention. Across the courtyard, Ning Shaoyang’s eyes lit up, and he quickly strode over. “Brother Bai, Sister Yun, Brother Rong—you’re here.”
His gaze briefly paused on Xia Mian before he recognized her, his brows furrowing slightly before he swiftly masked it with a polite expression. “Miss Xia, welcome.”
“Thank you!” Xia Mian chirped.
Their group was already eye-catching—aside from Ning Shaobai and Ning Shaoyun’s striking looks, Xia Mian’s cropped haircut practically guaranteed a hundred percent turn rate.
Perhaps earlier, people had held back because they weren’t sure who they were. But now that the host himself had greeted them, the crowd slowly gathered around.
Fan Xiuzhi narrowed her eyes slightly before stepping forward with a welcoming smile. “Oh, Xiao Bai and Xiao Yun are here.”