Chapter 112: Looking for Money (First Update to Celebrate yhhqiul)

What’s it like to be embraced by a 200-plus pound fat man? Xu Lei only had to lean in, and the young guy felt immense pressure.

His face went pale as he struggled to squeeze out a smile, nodding incessantly, “Brother Xu, I get what you’re saying, I really do.”

The other party had made it very clear. If he couldn’t even understand that, then there was no point in him being a broker anymore.

After sending off the broker, Xu Lei called over to the three guests at home, “Well, you three don’t leave either. Sit down and have some tea. I’ll treat you tonight, we have some game dishes here.”

“That won’t be necessary,” said Feng Jun, the first to politely decline, “Hai Feng and Sister Hong both need to arrange some finances, and I have some personal matters. After we complete the transaction, there will be plenty of time to drink together and celebrate properly.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Don’t rush off,” pleaded Xu Lei, “The deal is set, the house is yours now. I’ll just pack up my things and find another place to stay, and you can move in here.”

Feng Jun assessed him as a straightforward man! Of course, that might be because he hadn’t paid yet, and the other party was probably worried about potential complications, but regardless, the ready-to-go attitude was indeed very genuine.

So he waved his hand with a smile, “There’s really no rush. I also have a lot of stuff temporarily stored elsewhere; moving it over will take some time. You should take your time to arrange things. Even if I’ve bought the house, I’ll give you time to move out.”

“Most of my family’s possessions have already been moved,” said Xu Lei nonchalantly, though he couldn’t hide a hint of depression in his eyes, “It’s just some clothes and daily necessities left. I don’t want the furniture and appliances… My wife and children have already moved out.”

Feng Jun and the others fell silent. In the end, it was Sister Hong who spoke up, “Alright, let’s all do things by the book.”

Going by the book meant that Feng Jun still had to stay in a hotel, but this time, he swore not to stay at Penglai Grand Hotel, switching directly to “Funiu Hotel” instead.

This was the official provincial guesthouse with top-notch facilities and services. Aside from the rooms being a bit pricier and the presence of more portly officials, there were no other inconveniences.

Even more fortunate was that the guesthouse’s deluxe suite was available – normally reserved for department-level officials, with all necessary amenities and ample electricity supply. Of course, Feng Jun didn’t qualify for the even better suites meant for provincial and ministerial-level officials.

Although the staff found it strange that this guest was concerned about the room’s electrical capacity, modern government guesthouses have become customer-oriented. After communicating with the maintenance staff, she provided the young guest with an answer.

“You can turn on all the electrical appliances in the room without issue. The designed current load is about fifty amps, but it should be fine to use anything up to one hundred amps as you please.”

For Feng Jun, such a level of electricity was still a bit low, but it was significantly better than the constant worry of charging in other ordinary guesthouses.

As for the room being more expensive? Feng Jun ignored this concern. For him now, the priority of charging took precedence over room rates by several levels.

The next day, after breakfast, he went straight to Li Dafu and found Li Yongrui, indicating his wish to organize an industry internal jade auction in two days.

Li Yongrui was rather bemused. Who was he? The head honcho of a state- owned enterprise, the jewel in the crown of Funiu Province’s jewelry industry, with so many encounters with the governor and deputy governors he couldn’t count them all. His office wasn’t a place just anyone could walk into.

And yet, here he was, being hassled by this lazy youngster who had a sudden whimsy to hold an auction in two days’ time.

If it were anyone else daring such recklessness, he would have ensured they understood the stature of Chairman Li of Li Dafu.

But when it came to Feng Jun, he truly had no leverage and could only express his amusement and concern, “An auction in the day after tomorrow? Isn’t that too hasty? Invitation cards are easy, but other companies might not have the time to send their VIPs.”

“Lesser VIPs will do,” Feng Jun expressed, not much caring for formality, “As long as I can sell the jade, that’s good enough.”

“Your mindset is wrong,” Li Yongrui sternly lectured him, “If you can provide a stable supply of products long-term, why not build a brand? To establish a brand name, the first time has to be taken seriously.”

“The first time… taken seriously?” Feng Jun blinked, seemingly letting his thoughts drift elsewhere.

Then he smiled awkwardly, “I’d like to take it seriously too, but I desperately need money right now, and there’s just no time to spare.”

The tone from the other side was a bit patronizing, but Feng Jun knew Chairman Li meant well and explained sincerely.

“Need money?” Li Yongrui glanced at him disapprovingly, “Feng, as long as you develop your brand well, would money still be an issue? Young man, don’t aim too high without a solid foundation, doing things practically is the right way.”

Again Feng Jun chuckled sheepishly, “But… distant waters won’t quench immediate thirst. I really need the money, and it’s urgent.”

Li Yongrui was somewhat helpless, “Feng, I’m giving you advice for your own good. If it were someone else, I wouldn’t bother explaining… You now have the chance to establish your own brand, which is a rare opportunity, and you must cherish it.”

Feng Jun stroked his chin, hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Thanks for your concern, Chairman Li, but… are opportunities really that rare?”

Li Yongrui was suddenly choked half to death, “How could I have overlooked this point? This guy holds a large amount of high-quality jade resources. As long as he can guarantee supply, it’s never too late to build a brand.”

Even if he doesn’t build a brand, it doesn’t matter. As soon as the news spreads, won’t the others in the industry swarm in to buy?

Chairman Li sadly realized that the experience he gained from half a lifetime of business completely failed to apply to this young man.

Only then did he begin to take seriously what Xiao Ma had just said, “You’re short on money? Didn’t you just get over thirty million from Henglong?”

“That’s not enough,” Feng Jun replied helplessly, “Chairman Li, you only see the money I make, but I’m also very good at spending it.”

Li Yongrui’s brows creased, “Can’t you spend… more frugally?”

No sooner had he spoken than he regretted it. Although the other party was young, not much older than his own son, he was still a business partner of his company, and a very capable one at that. How could I act superior and lecture him?

Feng Jun didn’t mind. He didn’t like Chairman Li’s nagging, but he knew it came from genuine concern. Just for that, he couldn’t get angry—only after stepping into society can one truly appreciate what “tough love” means.

So he could only reply with a smile, “You can only earn it back if you’re willing to spend it. If you’re reluctant to invest, how can you expect any return?”

“Oh, it’s an investment,” Li Yongrui was just worrying about not having a way out when he heard this, quickly taking the out offered. He nodded and said seriously, “That definitely shouldn’t be skimped on. How much more do you need?”

“A friend is helping to raise money,” Feng Jun replied with a smile, “I’m not short of money for the time being. My main concern is not to owe my friend for too long. I want to sell the jade as soon as possible, also to repay my friend.”

Li Yongrui glanced at him irritably, “Boss Feng, you’re being too polite. Why didn’tyou askme?”

“Is that… appropriate?” Feng Jun stared wide-eyed, thinking to himself that we aren’ t really that close. I did want to ask you for a loan. I was afraid you would think I was out of my mind.

Of course, he couldn’t quite say that out loud, “I just thought that borrowing from a friend is a personal affair. Chairman Li, your deal is a public affair. If I asked you for a loan, wouldn’t I be forcing you to do something wrong?”

“I wouldn’t dare lend to you without collateral,” Li Yongrui stared straight at him, “but you have jade that’s going to be auctioned… it can serve as collateral. What do I have to be afraid of?”

Feng Jun scratched his head and gave an awkward smile, “I always thought there would be some procedures and it might not go smoothly. If you work within the system, isn’t it all about following procedures?”

“You’re young, yet your thinking is quite old-fashioned,” Li Yongrui said dismissively, “State enterprises also have to participate in market competition. Procedures are important, very important, but… the market comes first. You can’t be too rigid in your thinking.”

Feng Jun’s eyes turned, “So according to Chairman Li, if I am short on money in the future, I can use jade as collateral?”

Li Yongrui, able to turn a state enterprise into the industry leader within the province, was certainly responsible. He nodded, “As long as it’s jade authorized for auction by us, it can serve as collateral. I can guarantee that. But… the valuation certainly won’t be too high.”

“It doesn’t matter how high the valuation is, just don’t let it be too far off,” Feng Jun agreed readily, “After all, in the end, it’s settled at the auction price, minus the loan and some processing fees are fine.”

Li Yongrui looked at him strangely, with a hint of a smile, “It’s better to be your own boss, Xiao Ma. You agree so readily… By the way, if you mortgage for a loan, what percentage would be in gold?”

This was also an indirect way of suggesting that Feng’s deal with Henglong likely involved gold to a significant extent.

However, he didn’t spell it out, so it wasn’t much of an issue—just a case of envy at most.

“Gold… I don’t have an immediate need for it,” Feng Jun said with a smile, thinking that the jade already purchased on the other side was enough for Zhengyang to process for a few years. The sixty kilograms of gold he held could still buy him a lot of time on Mount Zhige.

Moreover, the jade business was influenced by demand and couldn’t expand indefinitely. Therefore, his focus needed to shift to something else. He couldn’t keep going down one single path.

In fact, what he aspired to most was cultivation. He engaged in the jade business just to make a name for himself in the real world, to fight for some respect.

And for him, gold was not irreplaceable. To continue buying stones from Mount Zhige, silver was a better choice, even if it cost a little more. Trading silver carried much less risk.

“No immediate need?” Li Yongrui’s eyebrows raised slightly, feeling somewhat disappointed.

Li Dafu had a significant advantage in the gold trade. He had hoped to leverage his own advantage to impose some constraints on Feng Jun. Unexpectedly, this plan fell through.

He also wondered what kind of negative impact Henglong had had in this matter!

(First update, celebrating alliance leader yhhqiul, an old friend, calling for monthly votes and recommendations)