C13 13
Wang Qi was firm in his stance. Wang Zhong and Lee Fengxia exchanged a glance, still unsure. "This is a big investment. What if we lose money?" Wang Zhong was worried. "If we lose, we lose. It’s not like I only have $20,000. Besides, Dad, don’t you want to stop working for someone else your whole life? Being exploited?" Wang Qi’s words struck a chord with Wang Zhong. He had long wanted to start his own business but lacked the capital. "All right, I’ll give it a try," Wang Zhong said, gritting his teeth and deciding to take the plunge. Wang Qi didn’t have much time to manage the restaurant business himself. These days, starting a business wasn’t too difficult; the market wasn’t yet dominated by monopolies. It was much easier than it would be in the future. As long as you had the capital, making money now wasn’t too hard. In the future, even with capital, you might still face failure. After taking a shower, Wang Qi went to bed. He had a date the next day, and it was important. The next morning, Wang Qi had breakfast and arrived at the school gate at 9:15. Qu Menghan was already waiting, wearing a white dress and white shoes, though they were clearly from a bargain store. "You’re late," Qu Menghan said, a bit annoyed. "I’m a guy; being late is my birthright," Wang Qi replied arrogantly. Qu Menghan’s eyes widened. What kind of twisted logic was that? She had never heard anything like it before. "Here’s breakfast for you," Wang Qi said. He had gone out of his way to get breakfast for Qu Menghan: a carton of milk and a slice of strawberry cake. "Thanks," Qu Menghan said gratefully. "We’re family, no need to thank me. You’re mine, and I’m yours, right? But my money is still mine," Wang Qi joked with a grin. "No way. You’re such a flirt," Qu Menghan protested. "I didn’t flirt with any respectable women, so how am I a flirt?" Wang Qi retorted, a hint of amusement in his voice. Qu Menghan fell silent, knowing she couldn’t win a war of words with Wang Qi. Wang Qi flagged down a taxi, preferring it over the bus. He was wary of being jostled by middle-aged women on the bus, which he found bothersome.
"Here is breakfast, for you."
Wang Qi had specifically bought Qu Menghan breakfast: a carton of milk and a slice of strawberry cake.
"Thank you," Qu Menghan said.
"We're family. Why are you thanking me? You're mine, and I'm yours. Of course, my money is still my money," Wang Qi said with a grin.
"Not a chance, you shameless flirt," Qu Menghan said, annoyed.
"I didn't flirt with any respectable woman, so how am I shameless?" Wang Qi said, curling his lip.
Qu Menghan fell silent. She knew she could not win an argument with Wang Qi.
Wang Qi flagged down a taxi, planning to take it instead of squeezing onto a bus. Mostly, he was worried that a crowd of middle-aged women would shove around and take advantage of him, and that would be a huge loss.
"Taking a taxi is expensive. Let's just take the bus," Qu Menghan suggested, tugging at Wang Qi's sleeve.
Wang Qi smirked. "The taxi starts at just a couple of bucks. That's expensive? It'll be much more when we're older."
"I've got money," Wang Qi said with a shrug, opening the back door and letting Qu Menghan in first before getting in himself.
"To the Especially Arrogant Mall," Wang Qi instructed the driver. The mall was well-known in the city, though its name was a bit over-the-top. However, that flashy business eventually went under, a casualty of the financial crisis.
Qu Menghan nibbled on her bread and sipped her milk, looking every bit the picture of innocence. It made Wang Qi's heart itch. This girl was full of potential, but unfortunately, she had been dealt a rough hand thanks to a scheming uncle. Wang Qi planned to find some time to scare Qu Menghan's uncle. Reasoning with that jerk would not work, and bribing him would only make things worse. Intimidation seemed to be the only option.
Before long, the taxi pulled up to the Especially Arrogant Mall. Wang Qi handed over $8 for the fare and then led Qu Menghan out of the cab.
"Are you really going to buy me clothes? Everything in the mall is so expensive," Qu Menghan said, blinking in surprise. She knew about the mall but had never dared to shop there.
"I brought $1,000. Isn't that enough for some clothes?" Wang Qi patted his jacket pocket, which was bulging. He had withdrawn the money specifically for their outing.
"Where did you get so much money?" Qu Menghan asked, shocked and adorably clueless.
"I earned it by being a boy toy for a rich lady," Wang Qi said with a grin.
Qu Menghan rolled her eyes, not believing a word. Boy toys were supposed to be good-looking, and Wang Qi's looks were just average. No wealthy woman would be interested in him.
The Especially Arrogant Mall was a high-end shopping center in the capital city, catering to the affluent who preferred expensive over practical. As a result, the prices there were significantly higher than elsewhere. Wang Qi strode in confidently. The mall had seven floors, with nearly everything imported. The first floor sold watches, with prices starting at a few hundred dollars and reaching into the tens of thousands. This was back in 2003, when the average salary in the city was just over $2,000.
Wang Qi curled his lip, then opened the rear door of the taxi. He let Qu Menghan get in first, then climbed in after her. "To Especially Arrogant Mall." Wang Qi named the destination. Especially Arrogant was a well-known mall in the Imperial Capital. The name was a bit too arrogant, though. In the end, Especially Arrogant still went bankrupt, brought down by the financial crisis. Qu Menghan took small bites of her bread and sipped her milk, looking like a well-behaved girl. It made Wang Qi’s heart itch. This girl was a potential gem, but her luck was bad. She had run into a vicious second uncle. Wang Qi planned to find time to properly scare Qu Menghan’s second uncle. Reasoning with that kind of bastard would not work, and bribing him would be even worse, since he would only push his luck. That meant there was only one option: threats. Before long, the taxi arrived at Especially Arrogant Mall. Wang Qi paid $8 for the fare, then got out with Qu Menghan. "You really want to buy me clothes? Things in the mall are so expensive." Qu Menghan blinked. She knew about Especially Arrogant Mall, but she had never dared to go inside. "I brought $10,000. Isn’t that enough to buy clothes?" Wang Qi patted his coat pocket. It was bulging. He had withdrawn $10,000 on purpose for today’s date. "Where did you get so much money?" Qu Menghan was startled, her face blank with innocent shock. Wang Qi pulled Qu Menghan along and took the elevator to the second floor, where a lifestyle supermarket sold imported snacks and toys, but he was not interested. He headed straight to the third floor, where a clothing boutique displayed trendy pieces priced in the hundreds, many in the thousands, and some even over $10,000. "Pick whatever you like," Wang Qi said, full of confidence. "This stuff is too expensive. Maybe we shouldn’t buy anything," Qu Menghan said, overwhelmed by the price tags. She had never bought clothes that cost even $100, so these prices felt astronomical. "Seriously? I’m spending money on you, and you’re not happy? If you don’t pick something, I’ll make you. Hurry up and try on a few things," Wang Qi said, rolling his eyes. Qu Menghan had nothing to say. She looked around, not knowing where to start. Wang Qi led Qu Menghan into a boutique that sold dresses. With a sharp eye, he picked out five or six pieces and handed them to her. "Go try these on," he said with a grin, not even glancing at the price tags. "Young man, you can’t just try on clothes here if you’re not planning to buy. If you get them dirty, that’s a problem," the saleswoman warned. She was in her thirties, dressed in a suit and high heels. "Ma’am, these clothes aren’t yours, so why are you so concerned?" Wang Qi replied bluntly. "What did you just call me?" The saleswoman trembled with anger. She was only 30, and being called "ma’am" felt like an insult. "Ma’am. Didn’t you hear me? Back in the day, someone your age would definitely be called that," Wang Qi said with a smirk. He might have been dressed simply, but that was just his style. It did not mean he could not afford the clothes here. The saleswoman was about to lose her temper when she noticed new customers entering: a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a young woman in a red dress. Both were dressed fashionably and looked well-off. Ignoring Wang Qi, the saleswoman hurried to greet them. Wang Qi caught a strong whiff of perfume from the young woman in the red dress. She was attractive, though her makeup was a bit heavy. "Does she have body odor or something? She’s wearing such strong perfume," Wang Qi muttered, blinking. Perfume had originally been invented to cover bad smells. Back then, the people who created it did not bathe, wash their feet, or shampoo regularly. Of course they smelled bad, so they came up with perfume. Over time, it evolved into something people used to enhance their charm.
