Li Zhi helped Yunjie into the car and drove directly to a nearby park where the dim lights created a suitable ambiance for their meeting.
During the ride, Yunjie sat there without saying a word.
Upon arrival, Li Zhi rushed over…
"Do you smoke?" Yunjie lay there, lazily taking out a box of Zhonghua cigarettes from her backpack, and asked Li Zhi.
Very refreshing!
Li Zhi leaned back in his seat and shook his head, saying, "I've already quit."
Yunjie lit a cigarette for herself, put the rest back in her bag, opened the car window for ventilation, and then, with a snap, used a diamond-studded all-metal lighter to light the cigarette. She took a deep drag, then exhaled a long stream of smoke, smiling nonchalantly as she said, "You're lucky to be young and talented." "Have you taken your medicine today?"
Li Zhi touched his nose. He hadn't taken any medicine, but he wondered if the twenty years of tiger whip wine counted as medicine. He never expected that he would end up having such a chance encounter with the legendary Yunjie tonight.
"Why did you seek me out?" "May I ask a question?" He inquired with curiosity.
Yunjie's hair was already disheveled, with sweat beads on her forehead. Lying there smoking, she exuded a very pleasant aura.
They say that having a cigarette after the deed is better than being a living god. It was hard to say whether it was Li Zhi who pursued her tonight, or she who pursued him.
"Why are there so many questions?" I found you somewhat pleasing, so I came over to chat with you for a bit. Who would have thought you were so bold, pulling me out... Aren't you afraid of trouble? Yunjie asked with a smile.
"Afraid!" Li Zhi nodded directly.
Yunjie turned her head, staring at him with a smile that was not quite genuine, and said, "You're afraid, yet you dare to be so lecherous." Let me tell you the truth, I am a woman with a powerful big brother. If you don't want to die, you'd better leave Haicheng tonight. "Otherwise, you'll be in endless trouble, and no one will be able to save you if you get caught."
"Will people die?" Li Zhi asked.
"Maybe!" Yunjie said lazily.
Li Zhi smirked, opened the car door, and walked around to the passenger side. Yunjie frowned in confusion as she looked at him and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Since I won't live much longer, I might as well take advantage of the beauty in front of me and enjoy it a few more times." Just a few puffs will do. "Smoking too much is bad for your health!" Li Zhi lifted her by the waist, opened the back door of the car, placed her inside, and then got in himself.
"More?"
"Opportunities like this are rare." After tonight, I'll have to flee, so I have to make the most of it. How can I be content without doing enough? Li Zhi smirked and pounced.
"You little rascal..." Ah.
Yunjie left without Li Zhi seeing her off; she got into a black Audi A8. As she left, she gave Li Zhi a disdainful glance and said nothing. She had let this little guy cause enough trouble!
As Li Zhi lay in the car, he wanted to take a nap, but he kept forgetting. However, that twenty-year-old tiger whip wine from Lao Zhang was really something.
He checked the time. It was already 2 a.m.!
Struggling to fight off his drowsiness, he drove the car to the rented house.
He fell asleep while lying on the bed. When Li Zhi opened his eyes again, it was almost noon.
"Yunjie!" Li Zhi murmured the name softly while looking at the ceiling. She was a woman with a lot of charisma, but definitely not plain. He decided to avoid provoking her in the future, if possible.
As for what she said about being the sister of a powerful man, it was just a bluff to scare him. She was a prominent figure in Haicheng, and Li Zhi had no interest in knowing who her partner was. Their encounter was merely a coincidental meeting, and there was no need to delve deeper.
A woman with a story, huh!
He got up, took a shower, and checked his phone. No useful messages were found. A member of the 67th Interstellar Alliance wanted to purchase fish balls in large quantities, but they were unable to agree on the price set by Li Zhi.
He took the "micro" interstellar core from the safe, set it up, and entered his private trading hall in the 67th Interstellar Alliance.
"Pillar Brother, is there any way to quickly obtain a 'standard-grade' interstellar core?" Li Zhi asked as he sat in the all-metal tech chair.
The Nebula I9 intelligent factory system had assigned a task with a one-year time limit, but for Li Zhi, one year was still too long. The "Factory World Map" made him itch to explore it as soon as possible.
"If cost and expense are not a concern, there is indeed a way for you to obtain a standard-grade interstellar core in a short period of time," Pillar Brother said after three seconds of silence.
"What method?" Li Zhi perked up at Pillar Brother's words, sitting up straight.
"There are many methods, but the most direct and effective one is to engage in 'private commercial loans'," Pillar Brother said.
"Private commercial loans?" What does that mean? "Is it similar to taking out a loan from a bank on Earth?" Li Zhi asked, wide-eyed.
Pillar Brother explained, "It's not much different, but it's not the same as borrowing from a bank." With your current manufacturing capabilities, it is impossible to secure funding for a standard-grade interstellar core through official commercial loans, and the value of the property you currently own is not adequate. Therefore, official commercial loans will not be able to provide the funds for a standard-grade interstellar core. However, you can explore private commercial loans offered within the alliance, which tend to be more flexible and adaptable compared to official commercial loans. "Of course, the price you pay will also be much greater."
Private commercial loans?
Is there such a thing as the Interstellar Alliance? Could it be usury?
Li Zhi looked at Pillar Brother eagerly and asked, "Is the interest on private commercial loans very high?"
Pillar Brother smiled and said, "Yes, the interest rate is very high." For example, if you want to borrow a standard-grade interstellar core and you take out a commercial loan for ten years, when it comes due, you will need to repay not only the standard-grade interstellar core but also ten standard-grade interstellar cores as interest. Of course, this is not absolute. Manufacturers can negotiate the interest rate with private commercial loan companies. "In theory, the shorter the time frame, the less interest needs to be repaid."
Li Zhi thought for a moment and asked, "If I were to borrow a standard-grade interstellar core from a private commercial loan and repay it within a year, how much interest would I have to pay?"
"If you only borrow for one year, you would need to pay about half a standard-grade interstellar core as interest," Pillar Brother said.
The price of a standard-grade interstellar core was 10 billion US dollars, so half of it would be 5 billion US dollars. In one year, 5 billion US dollars was just the interest. Li Zhi, including the principal, would have to repay 15 billion US dollars. It was a large number, and just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
There was an even more serious issue. Li Zhi was considered a "low-level" manufacturer with limited skills. Would anyone be willing to lend him a standard-grade interstellar core?
Before deciding whether to borrow, he first had to check if there were any lenders available.
"Can I find a private commercial loan company?" "I don't want interstellar coins; I only want to borrow a 'standard-grade' interstellar core and then repay it in the form of interstellar coins," Li Zhi said, taking a deep breath. He was going to take a gamble on the "Nebula I9 intelligent factory system" in his mind, hoping it wouldn't let him down.
"If you need, I can help you apply to a private commercial loan company," Pillar Brother said.
"Please do!" Li Zhi nodded. It was just 150 billion US dollars in one year. He could earn it back!
"Okay, the private commercial loan company may not reply promptly as they need to review your qualifications." "Please be patient and don't be hasty!" Pillar Brother said, then began sending applications to various private commercial loan companies within the Interstellar Alliance.
A standard-grade interstellar core was a significant asset for Li Zhi, but for private commercial loan companies, it was simply a standard-grade interstellar core valued at 1000 interstellar coins. If managed well, it could potentially bring a substantial return. Of course, this return needed to be followed by the words "with risk" in parentheses.
In fact, it was better than Li Zhi had expected. By late afternoon, at least three private commercial loan companies had provided a clear response, offering to lend Li Zhi a standard-grade interstellar core. If he only borrowed for one year, the highest price was two standard-grade interstellar cores, and the lowest was 0.8 standard-grade interstellar cores.
In other words, the highest company would charge 200 billion US dollars in interest for one year, and the lowest would charge 80 billion US dollars in interest. Both prices were significantly higher than the 50 billion US dollars mentioned by Pillar Brother. The prices of the three companies were all too high, and Li Zhi hesitated. All three private commercial loan companies also offered discounts if Li Zhi needed a longer loan.
The longer the loan period, the greater the cost Li Zhi would have to bear, which aligned more with the interests of those private commercial loan companies.
Wait a moment!
There were over 12 billion members in the 67th Interstellar Alliance alone, and there were at least hundreds of millions, if not billions, of individuals or companies with the ability to provide private commercial loans. Therefore, there was competition among the commercial loan companies, and there might be even lower prices available.
Li Zhi spent the entire evening waiting, feeling uncomfortable. So, he made a vow in his heart that when he became rich in the future, he would definitely be an honest and principled boss. If he encountered small businessmen asking for a loan, he would not only be generous but also offer low interest rates.
"Boss, there's a 'Dang Dang Dang' commercial loan company willing to accept your request." They can lend you a standard-grade interstellar core, and if you repay it within a year, you only need to pay 0.5 standard-grade interstellar cores as interest. "But if you can't repay it within a year, you'll need to pay double in the second year, quadruple in the third year, and so on, doubling each year until the tenth year when the contract will be terminated, and the Interstellar Alliance will intervene in arbitration," Pillar Brother said as he approached.
Li Zhi's spirits lifted. Someone had finally agreed.
"Agree to it!" Li Zhi gritted his teeth. He had no other choice now, and according to the Pillar Brothers' calculations, this interest rate was the lowest possible.
Pillar Brother did not act immediately but formally warned Li Zhi, "You need to think carefully." "If you are unable to repay the debt promptly, you will be burdened with a significant financial obligation that will be very challenging to settle."
Li Zhi licked his parched lips, and a glint of fierceness flickered in his eyes. He smiled and said, "Let's do it." People die, but debts live on. "There must be sacrifices in order to gain rewards, right?" Time was money to him.
"Okay, I will formally submit an application to the private commercial loan company on your behalf." The loan is for one standard-grade interstellar core, with a loan period of one year. During the loan period, 0.5 standard-grade interstellar cores will be generated as interest. If you cannot repay the debt within a year, the interest will double every year!
"Ding: The 67th Interstellar Alliance agrees to this private loan."
"A standard-grade interstellar core has arrived at your private warehouse." Please pay attention, manufacturer!