Jin Yuanyuan's Top-Tier Life

Chapter 77 Zhao Zhuoran's Little Thoughts

Zhao Zhuoran was the first to notice that something was wrong with Zhang Dali, but why was it him?

Previously, he had seen Dong Xiaoran and Jin Yuanyuan discussing the new brand, and knew that Jin Yuanyuan wanted to have several state-of-the-art sock knitting machines to make matching socks for Hanfu made of environmentally friendly bamboo fiber that met the design requirements. However, such machines could only be purchased from Germany, and were quite expensive.

Although Jin Yaya's hosiery factory is making some money now, it's still far from the 30 million yuan she agreed to in the betting agreement. He knew Jin Yuanyuan was anxious, but these things really can't be rushed.

He listened carefully and learned that Jin Yuanyuan was looking for a bank loan, and that the loan officer was her first love. Cao Xiaoyu, being a big mouth, dared to say anything. While chatting with Cao Xiaoyu in front of Jin Yaya's small restaurant, he told her all these stories.

It turns out that Jin Yuanyuan had always studied in Jinjiacun, from elementary school to high school. However, her high school teacher thought that Jin Yuanyuan's academic performance was excellent, so he strongly recommended that she transfer to a school in Shanghai, believing that she would be able to have a bright future there.

At that time, Jin Yaya was already earning a lot of money, and Zhu Hongying was not short of money; she was even considering sending Jin Yuanyuan abroad to study. So, when the teacher said that, she immediately agreed. Jin Yuanyuan also thought it was a good idea, at least she could leave home and focus on her studies... Everyone had their own thoughts, but ultimately, they all hoped that Jin Yuanyuan would achieve success in her studies.

Jin Yuanyuan's uncle's family lives in a small alleyway in Shanghai, and they have a daughter who is in elementary school. Zhu Hongying originally wanted to rent a place for Jin Yuanyuan, but she was worried that no one would take care of her meals, so in the end, she let her share a place with her uncle's family. Anyway, she's at school most of the time, and when she goes to her uncle's house, she just sleeps.

She studied very hard because she really wanted to go to university and see the world.

"The night before Yuanyuan left Jinjiacun for Shanghai, she pulled me and Jin Feiyan to sit here and talk. She said that after seeing those glamorous worlds on TV, she had to see them with her own eyes. And, the United Nations, New York, the Northern Lights, icebreakers... she had to see and experience all those things about the world so that she wouldn't have any regrets." Cao Xiaoyu and Zhao Zhuoran clinked glasses, reminiscing about their youth, and both of them felt a deep sense of nostalgia.

"Actually, I think so too." Zhao Zhuoran also took a big gulp. "When I was a kid, I also felt that there were so many delicious things in the outside world, much better than the instant noodles at home."

"So that's why you're so determined to open a restaurant? And such a high-class one at that?" Cao Xiaoyu really liked her younger brother, who was so calm and collected despite his young age, and even pushed her favorite salted fried peanuts to him.

"Since we're going to be in the food and beverage industry, we naturally need to have a certain level of sophistication. That way, we can sell at higher prices and still make money. Foods like Jin Yaya's are delicious, maybe even much better than ours, but we're all about presentation, you know?" Zhao Zhuoran was really honest about it. "I don't really like eating that much. My favorite thing is just a simple bowl of braised pork intestine noodles, all soupy and hot."

"I overestimated you. Turns out you're just another ordinary person." Cao Xiaoyu clinked glasses with him and took a big gulp. "You know, Jin Yuanyuan was only a sophomore back then, but she wasn't ordinary at all. Her eyes would light up when she talked about her dreams. Later, she wrote to me saying that she had a male classmate who was very supportive of all her dreams and they got along very well. Whether it was movies like 'The Fugitive' and 'The Lion King,' or the Cold War concept proposed by American political commentator Swope, or Jay Chou and JJ Lin... well, these two seemed to have endless things to talk about, so they started dating, huh."

"That's normal..." Zhao Zhuoran suddenly felt uncomfortable, so he took a big gulp of water.

"After the college entrance exam, we all thought Yuanyuan would go back to Jinjiacun, but unexpectedly, she and Zhang Dali were wandering around Shanghai. If it weren't for my uncle keeping a close eye on them, the two of them would probably have gone to Hainan for fun." Cao Xiaoyu really knew everything. "So Feiyan and I went to Shanghai to visit her. I don't know what happened those two days, but Yuanyuan and Zhang Dali had a fight... It seemed like Yuanyuan wanted to go abroad, but Zhang Dali didn't want to or anything. When Yuanyuan saw us, she went out with us for a walk. Feiyan and I were dating at the time, so we secretly went to the Bund to take a ferry. Unexpectedly, we saw Zhang Dali with another girl there, all lovey-dovey. So, I really disliked him at that time."

"What kind of girl?" Zhao Zhuoran frowned as well.

"She was about the same age as Yuanyuan, but she was wearing makeup, which left a deep impression on me. Yuanyuan didn't like makeup, and back then she always had plain hair and a pale face, always smiling." Cao Xiaoyu had drunk a bit too much and was even lost in the past.

However, Zhao Zhuoran paints a completely different picture: the youthful and adorable Jin Yuanyuan, with her friends on the streets of Shanghai, radiating youthful energy—it must be an extremely beautiful scene. I really should have met her sooner and been a part of her life story.

He watched Jin Yuanyuan talking to Jin Yuanbao in Jin Yaya's restaurant. She was sometimes serious, sometimes coquettish, lively and adorable. This was hardly the public relations director who had returned from studying abroad; she was still that talkative and cheerful young girl.

Perhaps because he had drunk a few bottles of beer, Zhao Zhuoran felt that Jin Yuanyuan in front of him had an aura, looking more gentle and even different from her usual appearance.

So, something about Zhang Dali seems off right now; we should investigate. And the biggest question is, are bank loans really that complicated? He's an entrepreneur who's taken out loans before, so why would it be so complicated?

He quietly turned on his phone and asked a friend who worked at a bank for help, simply asking: "What's the current loan market like?"

His friend quickly replied: "[If it's a mortgage loan, the minimum interest rate is 3%, and the funds will be available in three days.]"

[Is it that simple?]

The procedures are complete and straightforward.

Zhao Zhuoran thought for a long time and concluded that given the previous fire and Jin Yaya's current operational situation, it was impossible for her to be unable to secure a loan. Therefore, there must be something wrong. He asked his friend, "So, the bank my friend went to for the loan kept saying her application materials were incomplete, and that she had a criminal record or something..."

"I suggest you look into this. There have been a lot of scams lately, offering high-interest loans with seemingly perfect paperwork, but once you sign, you could lose everything, even your life. There was even a case of someone jumping off a building just a few days ago."

Zhao Zhuoran broke out in a cold sweat, and the alcohol completely wore off.

(End of this chapter)