Chapter 834: Borrowing Money

On the other side, Hu Bayi and Xu Damao were not idle either.

The two of them went door-to-door everywhere, pestering the people in charge of those old, dilapidated industrial zones, pouring wine and meals down their throats, and managed to negotiate for several plots of land in prime locations within the city.

When the government saw that this group had large amounts of cash in hand, their attitude became very warm, and the approval process was given the green light all the way, so fast that even Hu Bayi felt it was a bit unreal.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of August.

It was time for Ma Rui to return to Si Jiu Cheng.

On the evening before he left, He Yuzhu called him into the study and casually tossed a bank card over to him.

"There is one hundred thousand inside, take it."

Ma Rui caught the card, scratched his head, and said with a grin: "Uncle, I haven't finished spending the money you gave me last time; I really don't need it this time."

He Yuzhu leaned against the desk, looking at him with a half-smile: "If you were going to another school, I really wouldn't give you this money. But that place, the Film Academy, is a vanity fair. A boy with no money in his pocket is nothing; he can only be a spectator—watching good girls being picked up by luxury cars one after another."

"Uncle, you are too good to me! If you ever have a use for me in the future, I will certainly not shirk even at the cost of my life!"

"Although what you said is a bit hollow, I like hearing it. You take my Land Rover tomorrow morning."

Ma Rui was stunned, his eyes wide as saucers: "Uncle, for real?"

He Yuzhu raised his foot as if to kick him, laughing and scolding: "Get lost! Do I need to talk nonsense with a kid like you?"

Ma Rui said with a grin: "Uncle, I want to do something, can you judge for me whether I should help?"

"Speak your mind, out with it!"

"Uncle, I met an actress in the film crew. She is a good-hearted person and is very genuine with others. The drawback is that the people she associates with are too mixed. I think she is quite pitiful; her family is truly short of money, and I want to help her."

He Yuzhu smiled and asked: "Do you think that if you help her, she will remember your kindness in the future?"

"She will, her personality is quite chivalrous."

"How much money is missing?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Five hundred thousand is definitely enough." Ma Rui's small eyes narrowed into slits, and he stared at He Yuzhu with a smile.

He Yuzhu took a card directly from his pocket and said: "There is six hundred thousand here."

Ma Rui's eyes lit up instantly, and he said excitedly: "Uncle, consider this money a loan from you; I will pay you back in two years."

He Yuzhu smiled: "Tell me if you are short of money in the future; as long as the reason is reasonable, I will definitely lend it to you."

Ma Rui slept very soundly that night and got up early in the morning to say goodbye to He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu was not yet fully awake and said groggily: "The driver, Xiao Tian, is parked at the door waiting for you; he will follow you from now on."

"Uncle, are you planting a spy by my side?"

He Yuzhu smiled and said: "Don't worry, I won't tell your mother about those messy affairs of yours when you date girls, and I won't interfere. But remember one thing, kid—do things with a clear conscience. You shouldn't take advantage of anyone."

"Uncle, I understand." After hearing this, Ma Rui felt a warmth in his heart, and tears fell without him realizing it.

He Yuzhu patted him on the shoulder.

Just as a few of them were continuing to buy land, a big piece of news came out—Pudong was upgraded from a county to a district.

Overnight, land prices rose significantly.

The Pudong New Area government also immediately stopped auctioning land and began to brew new land policies.

Xu Damao flipped through the Account Book, grinning from ear to ear: "Zhuzi, your vision is truly sharp! A few days after we bought the land, this place changed from a county to a district, going up a level. Land prices have also risen with the tide. Your timing is spot on."

Wang Pangzi was also so happy he almost jumped up: "Hu is right! Following Master He, you won't suffer a loss!"

He Yuzhu and the others went to Lao Zhengxing again and began to feast.

During the meal, Lingzi called Wang Pangzi outside and talked for a while.

After Wang Pangzi returned, his expression was not very good.

He whispered a few words to Hu Bayi first, and Hu nodded. Only then did Wang Pangzi turn to He Yuzhu and say: "Master He, Lingzi has an old friend, Bao Zong, who wants to borrow money from her. Lingzi asked me to discuss it; do you think we should lend this money?"

He Yuzhu asked with a smile: "How much does he want to borrow?"

Wang Pangzi sighed: "He said he would give 15% interest, only borrow it for three months, and wants to borrow sixty million."

He Yuzhu shook his head directly: "He can't win with sixty million. Even if you lend him this money to fill the hole, it's useless."

Upon hearing this, the worry on Wang Pangzi's face immediately dissipated, and he smiled: "With Master He's words, I understand."

At this time, Lingzi also walked in.

Wang Pangzi said to Lingzi: "Lingzi, I know you and Bao Zong had a very good relationship in the past. But I asked Master He about this matter, and he said that this time Bao Zong is going against the institutions; without one or eight hundred million, it's simply not enough. If you throw sixty million in, you won't even hear a sound. So you might as well tell him directly that this money cannot be lent. Even if you stake your entire net worth, you might not necessarily win."

Lingzi had always respected He Yuzhu, and after hearing these words, she sighed and said: "Sigh, I was just asking."

He Yuzhu said: "You just tell him clearly that lending him this money is like throwing it into the water. Besides, we don't want to get involved in this kind of market manipulation. You can also tell him that all our funds are invested in land, and we are going to transform into building houses in the future."

Lingzi nodded.

Ma Rui had just arrived near Yang Jing's house when he received her call.

"Ma Rui, where are you? My mother has fainted. Can you lend me some money? I really can't borrow money anywhere else, and I don't want to watch my mother die."

Ma Rui didn't answer her question but asked back: "How much money does your mother need for a bone marrow transplant?"

Yang Jing thought Ma Rui was unwilling to help and thought the cost of her mother's bone marrow transplant was too high. She suddenly cried and said: "Ma Rui, you are still a student; I've put you in a difficult position. I'm sorry."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

Ma Rui hung up the phone, feeling very annoyed, and muttered unhappily: "What are you thinking? Didn't I just ask how much a bone marrow transplant costs? Why did you hang up the phone?"

He dialed Yang Jing's number again.

The person who answered the phone was an old woman's voice: "The girl who just called you left crying."

Ma Rui had no choice but to send a text message to Yang Jing's pager: "How much does your mother need for a bone marrow transplant?"

In a single-story house in Si Jiu Cheng, Yang Jing helped her mother up and fed her royal jelly, her eyes red as she said: "Mom, don't worry, even if I have to sell a kidney, I will find the money to treat your illness."

Tao Ran opened her eyes slightly and said weakly: "Yang Jing, forget it. Even if you beg others, you can't save me. Forget it, I'll live one day at a time."

"Beep, beep..." It was the sound of a pager message.

Yang Jing picked up the digital pager and looked; it was Ma Rui's number. She hesitated for a long time and cursed: "Stingy!"

However, she still ran out to return the call.

"Why are you paging me?" Yang Jing asked with some impatience.

"A big brother has taken a fancy to you and wants you to accompany him for a month; he'll give you five hundred thousand, enough to pay for your mother's medical treatment. Are you willing?" Ma Rui stood not far from the phone booth, watching her directly.

"Fuck your grandfather!" After cursing, Yang Jing slammed the phone down.