Having left "Island Records" slightly past noon, Ruì Xiǎodān bought a bread roll from a roadside vendor, eating it as she drove and washing down a few bites with mineral water—it sufficed as her lunch. Arriving at Nancun Community where Dīng Yuányīng lived, she called him before shouldering her bag and carrying the records upstairs.
Dīng Yuányīng maintained his customary courtesy, inviting her in and offering a seat.
Placing the bag of records beside the sofa, Ruì Xiǎodān took out 200,000 yuan in cash from her bag and placed it on the coffee table, saying, "Mr. Dīng, this is freshly withdrawn from the bank. Please count it."
Dīng Yuányīng asked, "Do you consider this a mature decision for an adult?"
Ruì Xiǎodān retorted, "Is it your promise that lacks maturity, or is it my fulfillment of it?"
Dīng Yuányīng was left speechless, pausing for a moment before offering her a cigarette.
"Thank you, but I've quit," Ruì Xiǎodān said calmly. "By the rules, you should provide me with a loan agreement."
Dīng Yuányīng lit the cigarette himself, took a slow drag, then fetched paper and pen from the bedroom. Facing her, he wrote a loan note for 200,000 yuan and handed it to Ruì Xiǎodān, stating, "This isn't sensible; it's a gamble."
Examining the note, Ruì Xiǎodān pocketed it, stating, "I noticed you borrowed money from a Beijing number—the first person you could think of asking. I'm going to Beijing tomorrow and hope to meet this person. Arrange a meeting for me; I'll inform you of the details. My goal is simple: to understand you, to know who you are."
Dīng Yuányīng was taken aback by Ruì Xiǎodān's bold move, hesitating instinctively, carefully choosing his words. "This isn't appropriate, at least not for you."
Ruì Xiǎodān smiled faintly. "Your manner of speaking to a creditor lacks politeness. I may have many thoughts, but as a creditor, I deserve the respectful right to understand the debtor's situation." With that, she opened the black plastic bag, revealing a box filled with records.
Seeing the records, Dīng Yuányīng's face flickered with surprise.
"These are the records you were selling at 'Island Records.' I've acquired all of them that were available. From now on, if you sell records, sell them directly to me. Here's a 10,000 yuan advance." She placed the money on the table and asked, "How much did you sell them to Liú Bīng for? 50? Or 60?"
Dīng Yuányīng remained silent.
"I'll offer 100," Ruì Xiǎodān continued. "Let's not argue about fairness in competition." Glancing at her watch—it was already two o'clock—she took out the keys to her new apartment and placed them on the table. "The apartment is rented, and I've paid a year's rent upfront. The moving company will arrive at two o'clock, and I've arranged with the landlord to hand over the keys at three. Please pack up quickly."
Before she finished speaking, the sound of a truck braking and shutting off came from downstairs. Dīng Yuányīng walked to the window, confirming it was the moving company's truck. He knew that discussing the fate of 10,000 yuan in cash and a box of records was clearly not the time to resolve issues.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Miss Ruì, I haven't yet postured to the point where I can ignore what might happen, but what you see might not necessarily be what it is. Only heaven and earth know; there may be no outcome."
Ruì Xiǎodān asked, "No outcome for what?"
Dīng Yuányīng fell silent.
Ruì Xiǎodān smiled. "Even if it's right in front of you, you can't say it, because to say it would be wrong. It's like how law cannot convict based solely on deduction; it must allow for an evolving process between possibility and fact."