Chapter 112: Can

Qin Ze poured her a cup of tea without changing his expression:

"Here, have some tea."

Zhao Yutong took the teacup and politely said thank you.

Qin Ze poured himself a cup as well, then leaned back onto the sofa and said leisurely:

"I've been way too busy these past two days; I almost forgot about our meeting."

"Don't mind me."

Zhao Yutong smiled and waved her hand:

"It's fine. You've struck it rich now, so it's normal to be busy."

Qin Ze smiled and continued:

"How about this: you drink some tea here first, and we'll go grab a meal later to chat while we eat."

"How does that sound?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on Zhao Yutong's face stiffened slightly.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then said:

"Um... there's no need for a meal."

"I still have to run to see a few more investors later; my time is a bit tight."

"I haven't secured any funding at all yet, so I need to see more investors!"

"Let's just... chat here? The sooner the better!"

Qin Ze leaned back on the sofa, looking at her, his mind as clear as a mirror.

Running to see a few more investors?

To put it plainly, she hadn't just made an appointment with him today.

Zhao Yutong hadn't placed all her hopes on him at all.

In her view, although Qin Ze had money, he was ultimately just a small boss who had just started out, and might not be able to afford to invest in her project.

Her coming today was likely just going through the motions.

Qin Ze sneered inwardly.

But he didn't show it on his face, merely picking up his teacup and taking a slow sip:

"Fine, then let's chat here."

"Sister Yutong, we grew up together, so I won't bother with those polite pleasantries with you."

"Did you bring the project materials?"

Zhao Yutong nodded and immediately took a folder and a small USB drive out of her bag:

"I brought them. This is the project proposal, and the electronic version is on the USB drive."

"My project is mainly focused on smart healthcare and software development. When I was studying abroad, this was my main research direction."

"Plus, I've already formed a team with a few classmates, so the technical side is absolutely mature..."

"You can look through these materials first, and if there's anything you don't understand, I'll explain it to you in detail."

As she spoke, she pushed the folder toward Qin Ze, her speech rapid—clearly a version she had rehearsed many times.

Qin Ze flipped through the project proposal casually, then set it down and looked up at her:

"How much money do you need for the whole project?"

Zhao Yutong paused and swallowed:

"For the initial phase, we need a total of eight million."

"But this initial capital can be provided in five installments, one every three months, about 1.5 to 1.6 million each time."

"Of course, I know eight million isn't a small sum, but we are a startup after all, and our cost control is already very good..."

As she spoke, seemingly afraid that Qin Ze would be scared off by the number, she quickly added:

"However, you don't need to put up the eight million all at once."

"I mean, you only need to cover the first installment, which is 1.5 million."

"I'll find a way for the subsequent funding."

"Once the project is successful, we'll split the profits proportionally; I definitely won't let you suffer a loss..."

"Stop right there."

Qin Ze interrupted her directly.

Zhao Yutong froze, looking at Qin Ze.

Qin Ze leaned back on the sofa, looking at Zhao Yutong, his tone unhurried:

"My dear Sister Yutong, eight million is not 800,000, nor is it 80,000."

"You know the current investment climate; there aren't many investors left who can pull out that kind of cash!"

"However, this 1.5 million isn't a huge amount!"

"But if you ask me to put up 1.5 million, where are you going to find the remaining 6.5 million?"

"You've been running around to investors and pulling strings for so many days—how much money have you actually raised?"

Zhao Yutong opened her mouth but couldn't say a word.

Qin Ze continued:

"And the time it takes for you to find the rest of the funding—that's going to take at least a month or two, right? Plus the time to push the project forward!"

"That's at least a whole year! Maybe even more!"

"If I take this 1.5 million and play the stock market, buying a few stocks with good momentum, I might even make a 30% profit."

"Why would I invest it in a project of yours that I don't even know will succeed?"

Zhao Yutong's expression began to look unnatural.

Qin Ze looked at her and smiled:

"Besides, you're a startup. No brand, no market scale, nothing."

"The only reason I'd consider investing in you is because we grew up together."

"But why should anyone else give you money?"

"Just because you're a returnee?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yutong looked displeased!

As if to say, what else could it be?

Qin Ze's tone carried a hint of mockery:

"I have a few returnees in my company, and to be honest, their work ability isn't even as good as graduates from domestic top-tier universities."

"And you're out here looking for investment with just this research result and this project proposal."

"Do you think people invest based on these documents, or based on you as a person?"

Zhao Yutong's face flushed red instantly.

She bit her lip, wanting to retort, but realized she didn't know where to start.

Qin Ze didn't stop, continuing:

"Also, your ideals are just too bloated."

"Starting a business, talking about eight million right off the bat—what is your business model? How do you implement it? Have you considered that?"

Zhao Yutong opened her mouth:

"This isn't a question of the business model; everything is becoming intelligent now, I, I..."

"I what, I?"

Qin Ze looked at her:

"And as far as I know, there are already companies in the country working on this direction, and they've already entered the testing phase. You didn't know that, did you?"

Zhao Yutong was completely stunned.

She froze on the sofa, her expression changing from disbelief to anger.

"Qin Ze!"

She stood up abruptly, her chest heaving with anger:

"I came to you because we grew up together, and because you previously said that if I ever needed anything, I should come to you!"

"But I never expected that my sincerity would be met with your insults!"

"It's true that I, Zhao Yutong, came to ask you for a favor, but you shouldn't be so disrespectful!"

"If you don't want to invest, then don't! Did you have to say such hurtful things?"

"Qin Ze, I misjudged you!"

"Coming to see you today was truly me being self-indulgent; I was just asking for humiliation!"

"If you didn't want to invest money, you could have just refused me over the phone; I wouldn't have come to beg you so subserviently!"

After she finished speaking, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave.

"Stand still."

Qin Ze's voice came from behind.

Zhao Yutong's footsteps halted, but she didn't look back.

Qin Ze looked at her back and said unhurriedly:

"If you can't even handle this little bit of a blow while seeking investment, how will you ever accomplish anything big in the future?"

"Besides, when did I ever say I wouldn't invest in you?"

Zhao Yutong turned around abruptly.

She looked at Qin Ze, her expression changing from anger to surprise:

"You... what did you say?"

Qin Ze leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, pulled a pack of cigarettes from under the coffee table, took one out, and lit it.

He took a drag and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"I said, when did I ever say I wouldn't invest?"

Zhao Yutong stood at the door, completely stunned.

Qin Ze looked at her silly, dazed expression and smiled:

"Turn back around and sit down." ===== CHAPTER 113 =====