The Zhwei Garden is considered one of the most upscale restaurants in Dong County. In Wang Longhu's memory, typically it was only during holidays or family celebrations, such as a child getting accepted into college or getting married, that people would host banquets here.
A table with a dozen hard dishes starts at 1500, and the better the dish, the more expensive it gets.
Wang Longhu hadn't expected that after being away for several years, his childhood friends would still throw such a grand banquet for him. He felt inexplicably touched.
"Eat, eat, eat, don't be shy. It's been two or three years since we last met, hasn't it? You don't even come back for the New Year." The sky outside was already dark, and Ye Yuanpei, sitting at the table, directly opened a bottle of Maotai and handed it to Wang Longhu with a smile.
Wang Longhu, a bit at a loss, reached out to take it, quite shocked at the sight of the newly opened bottle of Maotai.
Has the dining scene in Dong County become this lavish? It's one thing for three people to share a big table, but to start with Maotai?
The problem is, I don't usually drink spirits, at most just some Budweiser.
"I only stay for a few days when I come back, so I feel it's pretty meaningless. I've simply stopped coming back altogether," Wang Longhu explained.
Lin Haitao patted Wang Longhu on the shoulder: "Ah Hu, big cities aren't so great. If you have money to live in a big city, it's called enjoyment. Without money, staying there is suffering. You might as well come back to Dong County to develop. Look at how well we're living."
"No worries, consider these years as a time of honing and gaining experiences outside. If you ever decide to stay in Dong County, I can help you find a job that's well-paid and with little work. If that doesn't work out, Ah Hu, you can join us." Ye Yuanpei cheerfully opened another bottle of Maotai, filled his small cup, and raised it to toast Wang Longhu.
Although he had never drunk baijiu, seeing his childhood friends being so courteous, Wang Longhu couldn't refuse and had to pour himself a glass and join in on the toast.
The baijiu slid down his throat, its harshness rushed to his nose. Swallowing it was like gulping down fire, burning his throat and stomach intensely, leaving Wang Longhu clicking his tongue.
"Yeah, Ah Hu, join us. Over the past few years, Ah Pei and I have made quite a bit of money. Last year, Xiaofang got married, and this year his wife had a baby. He's busy taking care of the child and isn't working anymore, so we're in need of trustworthy people now." Lin Haitao pulled out a card, waving it, "See, a Tesla Model 3, which I bought outright last year."
In Hang City, buying a gasoline car requires a lottery, and it's extremely tough to win. Many people who need cars have turned to consider green-plate cars.
Wang Longhu had researched this area; currently, among the green-plate electric vehicles, Tesla and BYD sell the best. Last year, the price of a Tesla Model 3 was 250,000.
Buying this car outright shows that Lin Haitao definitely earned more than 250,000 last year. This annual income counts as a high-level worker even in Hang City, let alone in a small place like Dong County, where the average monthly income is around 4000, making him undoubtedly part of the high-income group.
"Damn, what do you do to earn so much in Dong County?" Wang Longhu curiously inquired.
Upon hearing this, Lin Haitao instinctively glanced at Ye Yuanpei, who nonchalantly smiled and said, "What are you hesitating for? Ah Hu isn't an outsider. Go ahead and tell him."
Only then did Lin Haitao, as if he had received a reassurance pill, speak with a mysterious air, "We pooled together a sum of seed money and lend it to others, charging 20% interest every month."
Wang Longhu's eyes widened, "High-interest lending?"
"Fortune favors the bold," Lin Haitao took out a pack of Huanghe Lou 1916 cigarettes, offering one to Wang Longhu.
"I don't smoke, no need." Wang Longhu quickly declined, jokingly, as he was almost on the verge of succumbing to lung cancer.
"Ah Hu, the 'business' we're running is quite stable. We lend to grandpas and grandmas who urgently need cash for turnover, ensuring we can collect the loans. Our scale isn't large, so each person can earn about 300,000 a year."
Ye Yuanpei pulled out a key with a three-pointed star emblem from his pocket, placing it on the table, tapping it with his fingers, "Benz, this is what I bought. Model GLE300, also paid in full. Our plan is to save up a million or so over a few years to buy a house for marriage in Dong County, then we'll stop. At that point, we can open a restaurant and live a proper life.
Ah Hu, you know, an ordinary person's life is busy all for that one house and one car. But achieving these goals in a few years versus most of one's life makes a big difference. Are you willing to waste your life and time on building a capital of just over a million?
Better to take a risk, grit your teeth, work hard for a few years, and then prepare to enjoy life. Whether in the past century or this one, it's always been about the bold getting richer while the timid starve."
Wang Longhu poured himself a small glass of Maotai, quietly downing it in one go. Being a compliant person for over twenty years, suddenly encountering such a thing, his mind was indeed finding it hard to cope.
Am I short of money? Quite short, indeed. Attempting to gain potential through dietary supplements costs me hundreds each meal, and my current savings can't last two months.
Besides, Wang Longhu wasn't sure if the panel could help him cure his lung cancer. If he were to die and couldn't leave behind enough money for his parents to retire comfortably,
his parents, losing their only child, would live very miserably in their later years.
"Let me think about it," Wang Longhu sighed.
"No worries, we've been friends since childhood. You can think it over. If you're not interested, that's fine too. Let's eat; the food's getting cold." Ye Yuanpei grabbed his chopsticks to pick up food while beckoning to Wang Longhu.
Wang Longhu was fully aware of the characters of these two friends, neither of whom would easily break the law.
Ye Yuanpei had always been righteous. In middle school, he often lent money to others and never talked about repayment, yet being overly righteous tends to harm oneself eventually.
Around four or five years ago, he somehow got a credit card with an eighty thousand limit. Being young and reckless, he squandered money that wasn't his on clubbing and consumption at bars with friends.
He ended up lending a lot to friends and couldn't recover any debts, leaving himself with eighty thousand in bad debts, leading to verbal lamentations over the years.
Now embarking on this venture must be a last resort due to hardship, taking one final gamble.
As for Lin Haitao, living in Dong County all along and getting involved for help, while also making significant income, Wang Longhu could understand their choices.
Dishes were served one by one. Without mentioning the realities of life, the three gradually began toasting each other, each sharing their experiences over these years.
They talked about mischievous antics from middle school to interesting stories and events from the outside, covering topics from relationship issues to future plans.
Wang Longhu, flushed and red-eared, leaned back in his chair, laughing particularly joyously.
After graduating and entering society, none of the friends he made in Hang City ever managed to truly connect with him, yet these friends he'd known since childhood were indeed more genuine.
Subconsciously, Wang Longhu straightened his back, his spinal joints suddenly moved, and a wave of heat surged, with sweat pouring uncontrollably from every pore until his clothes were drenched.
All of a sudden, Wang Longhu felt his head turn dizzy, but the drunken feeling suddenly disappeared entirely.
"Can you even do this?" Wang Longhu's expression was one of surprise.