As Xia Xiao Lan was about to leave, Ji Yuan called out to her:
“I know you’re concerned, and I don’t care about the reasons behind your concern. We could have been friends originally… but now, out of classmate friendship, I should warn you to be careful of my mom and George.”
Xia Xiao Lan was very sensitive:
“If you’re talking about your mom opening her studio in Wangfujing, I already know about that.”
So it wasn’t just about that?
Ji Yuan smiled: “George has invited a billionaire from America. They could crush your small business with just a finger – aren’t you worried?”
Xia Xiao Lan furrowed her brow.
She thought about what billionaire would have such leisure time to come to China to harm her.
Rich people’s time was precious, every minute was calculated in dollars. Someone coming specifically to target her would have to be so mentally ill that they were probably close to bankruptcy!
As the Chinese saying goes, “Why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken?” Xia Xiao Lan was just a small chick now – an American billionaire wouldn’t be interested in her.
What would interest a billionaire?
Except for those with special Oriental fascinations, no wealthy person would tour China in the 1980s.
If any American tycoon was willing to cross the ocean to set foot on Chinese soil, it must be to strike gold… The person George invited was coming to invest in China! Why would George invite someone to invest in China? Xia Xiao Lan hadn’t interacted much with him, but from their brief meetings, she already knew George’s perception of China.
George considered China backward and primitive, believing all Chinese people desperately wanted to leave the country.
How could such an American suddenly change his impression of China, from disdain to deep love, and even help attract investment? No, no, no – George’s purpose was to get Ji Ya out of the country. If he was inviting someone to invest, it must be for this reason.
Why couldn’t Ji Ya leave the country? Because of Tang Hong En’s restrictions.
Tang Hong En happened to be the mayor of the Special Zone, responsible for Pengcheng’s economic development, with attracting investment being the focus of his work.
Could it be that George wanted to use this investment as a bargaining chip with Tang Hong En?
Having cleared her thoughts, Xia Xiao Lan called out to Ji Yuan:
“You might not believe this, but George bringing this American tycoon here is meant to deal with Uncle Tang. This person is George’s backing – I just don’t know if George intends to use him as a weapon or as terms for reconciliation!”
Ji Yuan was stunned. He had just been joking, but after Xia Xiao Lan’s analysis, he now felt he had to take this tour guide job.
Ji Yuan had only recently experienced life’s hardships. Previously, except for initial difficulties adapting to America, he had lived as carefree as other American students. He wasn’t unintelligent, but theory and practice were different things. When Ji Yuan heard about George inviting someone to China, he hadn’t thought as deeply as Xia Xiao Lan had.
He was at odds with his mother, wanting to live independently, but his mother might be blaming his biological father again.
If foreign investors came, Tang Hong En probably wouldn’t be on guard.
Foreign capitalists were all very cunning – would Tang… fall for it?
Ji Yuan now wanted to actively approach this Mr. Harold his uncle mentioned, but without real business experience, could he see through Harold’s intentions? Ji Yuan was very troubled. He looked at Xia Xiao Lan for a while:
“Then you might need to wait for updates, to see if you can help your Uncle Tang!”
Xia Xiao Lan was suspicious, “You can get close to this American tycoon?”
Hadn’t he cut ties with his family? How would George and Ji Ya give Ji Yuan such an opportunity?
Ji Yuan wouldn’t say more, only telling Xia Xiao Lan to wait patiently for a while.
Speaking of being a tour companion, he had learned horseback riding and shooting. However, given rich Americans’ tendencies, having him as a male companion might not be as suitable as finding a young, beautiful Chinese girl… Of course, his mother and George would never let Xia Xiao Lan get close to Mr. Harold, otherwise, she would be the most suitable candidate.
Xia Xiao Lan was young and beautiful, with excellent spoken English, and her mind contained more than just textbook knowledge – anyone chatting with her wouldn’t feel bored. Based on George’s age, his uncle must be in his fifties or sixties. Wealthy American men of that age usually had some sense of propriety and weren’t as lustful as younger men.
Ji Yuan kept his thoughts to himself, just waiting for news from Ji Lin’s side.
…
“Brother, what did you say?”
Ji Ya looked surprised, and Ji Lin had to repeat what he’d just said:
“Ji Yuan said he’ll be a guide, but requires payment – $100 per day! I’m not just saying this, but look at what you’ve driven this child to become. Students should act like students – what university student is obsessed with money all day!”
Ji Lin was still angry talking about it.
Ji Yuan was his nephew – was the Ji family’s financial situation so bad they couldn’t even support their children through university?
Originally, Ji Yuan could have managed through university years with some scholarship money, but having to repay Ji Ya tens of thousands of dollars after graduation made scholarships a drop in the bucket.
Ji Lin believed his nephew’s demanding tour guide fees were forced by Ji Ya’s unreasonable behavior.
Ji Ya didn’t reflect on her mistakes at all. Now having to pay her son for help made her very angry too.
Ji Yuan’s thinking was very Western, while Ji Ya had probably only learned it halfway.
Western openness seemed more like Ji Ya’s weapon, whether she thought others were unsophisticated… Though she might not be unsophisticated, she was not open-minded. An open-minded mother wouldn’t try to turn her son into a puppet.
To put it more bluntly, Ji Ya had double standards!
It was fine for her to give Ji Yuan a nurturing bill, but not okay for Ji Yuan to charge guide fees!
Seeing she was about to get angry, George quickly hugged her:
“Don’t be anxious. I think we should pay Ji Yuan this money. He’s studying economics, and now we need him – he’s the buyer, holding a ‘scarce commodity.’ If I were him, I’d charge $200 per day! I can afford this payment, and what Uncle Harold can bring us will be far more than this small amount!”
Ji Ya indeed had high hopes for Harold.
Billionaires were hard to meet even in America, let alone those willing to come to China. Ji Ya only knew this one.
Of course, they hadn’t met yet.
But Ji Ya thought they would soon – Uncle Harold wasn’t a shy young lady, he couldn’t keep hiding forever, could he?
“Brother, agree to it!”
With George agreeing to pay $100 per day, Ji Ya no longer hesitated.
So, Ji Yuan got this part-time job.
Saturday morning, Ji Yuan rode his bicycle to the Great Wall Hotel.
He had long sold his mountain bike and switched to a domestic Chinese bicycle. After many days, of seeing her son again, Ji Ya showed no excitement at all. Seeing Ji Yuan wearing a faded T-shirt, Ji Ya felt quite satisfied.
“What’s this? Can’t even afford to buy new short-sleeved shirts for the change of seasons?”