Chapter 46: Hexuan's Unexpected Surprise
Fang Hong didn't find it difficult to distance himself from the beauties of Xincheng University. All he needed to do was use his financial power, something he was perfectly capable of.
However, Fang Hong didn't plan to take that route. His goal wasn't simply to please these girls, but rather to use this as a strategic business promotion.
Spending money recklessly is a failed business strategy, and the high cost of acquiring users would be seen as a failure. Fang Hong's approach was designed to be replicated at other universities, a business move rather than a personal indulgence.
"The art festival sponsorship cost more than 10,000 yuan, and the "chicken leg" tactic is estimated to cost 3,000 to 4,000 yuan. The chartered cars to send students home for the New Year will be under 10,000 yuan. The total for these activities adds up to nearly 30,000 yuan," Fang Hong thought to himself. After deducting these promotional expenses, he still had about 10,000 yuan left, which was within his budget. Going over this amount would compromise the plan.
Now, the challenge was how to use that 10,000 yuan to impress the "Xinda Wumei" (the four beauties). Fang Hong had already learned from Hexuan that his ex-girlfriend, Lin Ruoshui, had suspended her studies due to family issues, so that was no longer a concern.
As for the other three, Yun Xiaoli, Su Dongyan, and Zhong Xue, Fang Hong didn't know them very well. However, he knew Hexuan quite well, as they were considered "good sisters," though whether that friendship was genuine or just for show was unclear. Dormitory groups often had such close-knit but sometimes superficial relationships.
At this point, Fang Hong had an idea. Throwing money at the girls directly seemed like a cheap move, but with only 10,000 yuan to work with, there wasn't much room for waste.
What did these girls like?
Although everyone had individual preferences, one thing that all girls shared in common was their love of beauty, especially those with good looks. When considering what to buy for them, cosmetics came to mind.
"That's it," Fang Hong nodded to himself. Once he knew what he wanted to do, everything else would follow smoothly.
He decided to exchange his 10,000 yuan for high-end cosmetics and gift them to the girls. This was a more tasteful and high-end approach than simply giving them money.
...
After class, Fang Hong left school and headed to the Xincheng Commercial Plaza, located in the city center. This was a large shopping complex with a variety of stores, including many international cosmetic brands. Xincheng was one of the top ten cities in the country, and its commercial center reflected that.
Among the brands, he spotted one that stood out: Lancôme.
"That's the one," Fang Hong thought as he walked into the store.
The store employee, upon noticing him, greeted him enthusiastically: "Welcome!"
However, upon seeing the young man, she was a bit surprised. His clothes didn't look particularly wealthy, yet she was still polite and attentive.
"No need to introduce yourself, I'll take a look first," Fang Hong said, stepping forward before the clerk could speak further. This made the clerk slightly embarrassed, but she nodded and remained silent, though she followed him closely.
Although the clerk didn't exhibit the typical snobbish attitude you'd expect in these situations, she was still surprised when Fang Hong made his purchase decision so quickly.
After a while, Fang Hong pointed to a product with a price tag of 2,186 yuan and said, "I'll take three sets of this one, and also one set of the more expensive one, the one priced over 3,000 yuan."
The clerk was momentarily stunned. The total price for the four sets of cosmetics came to nearly 9,800 yuan. But she quickly recovered, smiled, and said, "Certainly, sir!"
She immediately called her colleagues to pick up the items according to Fang Hong's order and led him to the cashier.
At the cashier, the girl smiled and said, "The total is 9,782 yuan. Would you like to pay by cash or card?"
"By card," Fang Hong replied, pulling out his wallet. He didn't carry large amounts of cash; it would be too cumbersome.
The clerk, still surprised by the large order, watched as Fang Hong took out a sleek, black credit card from his wallet. The words "Diamond Credit Card" were clearly visible on the upper right corner of the card.
This type of credit card had an overdraft limit starting from 500,000 yuan.
Fang Hong placed the card on the counter and said, "No need for a password."
A few moments later, the cashier handed the card back to him with both hands after completing the transaction. The clerk's enthusiasm grew noticeably, and the other employees in the store shared in her excitement.
Once the four sets of cosmetics were packed and handed over, Fang Hong left the store, and the employees started chatting amongst themselves.
"Wow, I can't believe it. He doesn't look rich, but he just made a huge purchase!"
"Four sets all at once! Is he planning to give them to four different girls?"
"Looks like he's some sort of playboy."
"Well, it's normal for a rich family's son to act like that."
"You're lucky you were standing right behind him during his purchase, huh? Now you're getting the reward!"
"Let's go out tonight to celebrate!"
...
Meanwhile, Fang Hong, after leaving the cosmetics store, walked over to a mid-to-high-end café, though he didn't go in. Instead, he found a quieter spot nearby and took out his phone to call Hexuan.
After a few moments, the phone call connected. Fang Hong smiled as he spoke, "Hello, Hexuan. How are you? Is your foot feeling better?"
It had been several days, so if her sprained foot hadn't healed by now, something was definitely wrong.
"It's all healed now, thank you for your concern," Hexuan replied with a sweet, slightly playful tone.
"That's great to hear. By the way, are you free now? I'd like to treat you to a drink, and I also have something to talk to you about." Fang Hong casually mentioned while glancing at the time. Since school had ended, he was already at the café, waiting for her, adding a little pressure to ensure she would meet him.
If Fang Hong knew what Hexuan was thinking at that moment, he would have realized that she was overanalyzing the situation.
When Hexuan heard Fang Hong's invitation, she was both surprised and delighted. "He really wants to meet me? Does he have something to say? Maybe he still likes me?"
Her excitement grew as she convinced herself that Fang Hong was also interested in her, and this could be the start of something more.
"What's wrong? Can you not make it?" Fang Hong's voice came through again, snapping Hexuan out of her thoughts. She quickly shook herself back to reality and replied, "I'm actually busy at the moment, but could we meet at 8 PM instead?"
Fang Hong paused for a moment, thought it over, and then agreed, "Alright, let's meet at 8 PM."
...