Chapter 23 - Hexuan's Thoughts
The following day, Tuesday, 2nd September.
Cao Chenghui drove a brand-new BMW X6 to Xincheng University. The full price of the car was approximately 970,000 yuan. After receiving a call from Fang Hong the previous day, he decided to pick up his boss. His old, beat-up car worth only a few thousand yuan felt completely inadequate for the occasion.
Although Fang Hong might not mind the car, Cao Chenghui understood the importance of making a good impression. It wasn't just about the boss's preferences—it was about showing respect. His emotional intelligence told him that the boss wouldn't tolerate a lack of consideration.
Cao Chenghui, who had only known Fang Hong for a little over a month, had already come to realize that the young boss was not someone to be underestimated. Fang Hong may have looked only around twenty years old, but Cao Chenghui quickly concluded that his boss was far more capable than he seemed.
With this in mind, Cao Chenghui drove to the 4S dealership, requesting them to quickly process the car purchase and license plate change. He paid a little extra to ensure that everything was handled at lightning speed.
Luxury cars like Mercedes-Benz and BMW were quite popular in China at the time, seen as symbols of wealth and success in the eyes of the public. However, despite the flashy new car, Cao Chenghui had not paid in full. He financed the purchase with a loan, knowing that he could not afford to buy the car outright. He still had more than a million yuan in savings, but it was all tied up in investments and couldn't be used to purchase property. Like many others, Cao Chenghui was also reliant on loans to eventually buy a house.
Though Cao Chenghui hadn't yet mastered Fang Hong's exceptional skills in short-term financial tactics, he had picked up on some basic financial concepts. He was confident that sticking by his boss's side would lead to success. The question of paying off the loan in the future seemed far less daunting now.
As Cao Chenghui sat in his new BMW, he waited patiently. He had arrived early, not wanting to risk being late due to traffic. After about ten minutes, as 9 o'clock neared, Cao Chenghui spotted Fang Hong walking among the crowd approaching the university gate.
"The boss really is punctual!" Cao Chenghui thought to himself, mentally noting that this was a standard he needed to follow going forward.
He immediately got out of the car, walked up to Fang Hong, and, in a low voice just loud enough for them both to hear, said, "Boss, this way please!"
He then escorted Fang Hong to the car. Seeing the new car, Fang Hong couldn't help but laugh. "Already changed your car?" he asked with a smile.
Cao Chenghui smiled back nonchalantly, "I went to buy it yesterday afternoon."
Fang Hong, impressed by Cao Chenghui's quick action, raised an eyebrow. It wasn't just the car—it was the speed with which Cao Chenghui had made it happen. This was more than he had expected from his employee.
Cao Chenghui opened the back door of the car, gesturing for Fang Hong to get in, before quickly taking his seat in the driver's side and starting the engine.
Once they were on the road, Fang Hong casually commented, "In the future, try not to park near the school gate. It's better to stop somewhere further away." Although this BMW wasn't particularly special in Fang Hong's eyes, it still carried the risk of drawing attention. It was better to maintain a low profile for his upcoming plans.
"Got it," Cao Chenghui responded immediately. It seemed that his boss preferred to keep a low profile, which was something he'd gladly adopt moving forward.
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Meanwhile, not far from the school gate, a girl who was just as beautiful as Lin Ruoshui stood still, her gaze fixed on the direction of the BMW. She witnessed the entire exchange as Fang Hong got into the car.
"Isn't that Ruoshui's ex-boyfriend?" the girl thought to herself, puzzled. She was Lin Ruoshui's roommate and best friend, Hexuan.
Like Lin Ruoshui, Hexuan was renowned on campus for her beauty, and both of them were among the "New Big Five Beauties" at Xincheng University. While Lin Ruoshui had already been pursued by Fang Hong, Hexuan had never really paid attention to him before.
Seeing Fang Hong get into the BMW made her realize that this "ordinary" boy wasn't so ordinary after all. Hexuan couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that Ruoshui's ex-boyfriend is actually part of a rich family? I never realized this before.
The thought lingered in Hexuan's mind as she stared at the car driving away. "He must come from a very wealthy family to be able to afford such a car," she murmured.
She then remembered that Fang Hong had recently broken up with Lin Ruoshui. A new, bold thought flashed through Hexuan's mind—What if I could become his girlfriend?
Hexuan wasn't naive—she knew that pursuing Fang Hong would likely end her friendship with Lin Ruoshui. But, after considering the situation, she decided that her own happiness was more important than the potential fallout with her best friend.
"I'm sorry, Ruoshui," Hexuan thought as she walked away. You and Fang Hong are over now, so it's not like I'm breaking up a relationship. This is a chance I can't miss.
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Meanwhile, Fang Hong had completed the purchase of his new property that very morning, thanks to Cao Chenghui's efficient execution. He had secured a three-bedroom apartment in the city center, located in a development called "Binhu Garden."
The apartment was 127 square meters and had cost over 2.2 million yuan. Fang Hong made a down payment of approximately 450,000 yuan. Given the global financial crisis, the down payment requirement was only 20%, which made this purchase possible.
Fang Hong didn't plan to pay for the property in full, even though he could technically afford it. Instead, he was smarter with his cash flow—preferring to use his liquidity to generate more profits in the capital market.
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End of Chapter 23
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