abcnovels
Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Chapter 67
At the end of June, Yu Shu became busier and busier.
Yu Yang's college entrance exam scores were just so-so. He was a little unwilling and wanted to retake the exam to try to improve his scores next year, but Yu Shu dissuaded him. His scores weren't enough for top universities like the 985 and 211 schools, but getting into an average four-year college wouldn't be a problem.
There were plenty of choices for taking the graduate school exam or studying abroad in the future, so why suffer through another year?
This time Yu Yang listened to her advice. After filling out his college preferences, he wanted to get a summer job to earn some money. Yu Shu objected strongly and signed him up for a two-month study abroad summer camp, putting him on a plane to Europe to gain more experience.
Why waste the best years of your youth working when you'll have plenty of time for that later? She didn't have a choice back then. She always talked about "tempering herself" and "reducing the burden on her family," but deep down, she envied her traveling classmates so much whenever she saw their vacation photos online that it made her heart ache for a long time afterward.
She didn't want Yu Yang to be like her.
At the end of June, their skewer shop opened for business under the name "Sizzling Skewers." On opening day, Zhixia grabbed Yu Shu by the neck and made her recite a long string of auspicious phrases: "Booming business and rolling in cash, opening a second branch next month and three more in two months, expanding internationally next year, across Asia in three years, global dominance in ten, leaving two billionaire rich ladies in this world."
"Two? What about you?"
Yu Shu blinked. "I already am one."
"Ohhhhh I'm so jealous, so jealous!!!"
But as Yu Shu said, on opening day the skewer shop was packed with customers, with a long line out the door. Their little shop became the brightest spot on the street. Zhixia, Zhiyang and two employees were run off their feet. They even called in Lin Fangyu, who was busy with renovations, to help out. By 3pm, they had sold out of all the ingredients they had prepared.
That evening, Zhiyang tallied the accounts while Zhixia counted the cash. Both their hands were shaking.
Zhixia's dad walked by their room and joked, "Ah, both my darling daughters are counting money until their hands are numb? Does Daddy need to help?"
It wasn't counting money that was tiring, but working in the shop all day.
Whimpering, Zhixia hugged her dad's arm and acted cute, handing over the money counting to him while she went to the kitchen to find her mom and act cute for a midnight snack.
Seeing her two daughters, Yang Mom's heart ached. "Why don't I go help out with you two tomorrow? I could lend a hand."
The sisters rejected the idea without a second thought.
No way. If they really let her work herself exhausted, any money they earned wouldn't be worth it.
Xia Dad gently reassured his wife, holding her hand. Watching their daughter eat a midnight snack under the warm yellow light, the couple was surrounded by happiness, full of pride for their family.
Yang Mom thought to herself that having the whole family living in the city she loved most was the greatest joy.
The most important reason they had moved to Chengdu was because Yang Mom had grown up here. She had spent the happiest childhood and youth in this city. It was also here that she had met and fallen in love with Xia Dad.
Lin Fangyu took back her share of investment in the bakery. Her aggressively protective uncles had ruthlessly extracted a sum from the Chen family as well, giving all the money to Lin Fangyu. Her uncles doted on her and each one sent her a huge red packet to comfort her after the breakup.
With Versailles-like arrogance, Lin Fangyu said, "I've never heard of getting rich quick by having your heart broken. If they keep treating me like this, I might just go lose my heart a few more times."
"..."
Lin Fangyu decided to open a dessert shop in Chengdu. She chose a storefront on the same street as the skewer shop. She didn't have enough funds on her own and didn't want to ask her parents for more money, so she pulled in Yu Shu as a partner. More importantly, she wanted to leech off her lucky fortune.
What a coincidence - the landlord who owned that property was away traveling abroad, so the lease contract was signed with his son, the studly stutterer she had met the day she was dumped.
The stutterer was still stuttering away, unable to get out a complete sentence. Yet he busily helped Lin Fangyu renovate the space.
In July, Yu Shu received her demolition compensation. Shen Youlin was still abroad, so the president of the investment company handled the transaction with her.
After paying back the bank loan, Yu Shu's assets had doubled.
Qi Yu and Fan Caiyun's domestic helper company was running smoothly, with profits growing each month. Their domestic helpers were in high demand, and they had successfully built up a stellar reputation. They started expanding into surrounding provinces.
Wan Tusui's movie had finished filming. Yu Shu invested another 10 million yuan for post-production and promotions. It was scheduled for release during the National Day holidays.
In mid-July, Yu Shu started establishing her own company, renting out an entire floor of luxury office space. Although she didn't graduate from a business program herself, she could just hire business school graduates!
Manager Yi, Yu Yan and Elder Sister Xing all recommended many talented people for her to interview.
The night before the interviews, Yu Shu had another dream. In it, a woman repeatedly chanted "money, money, money" in a strange dialect...
The voice played on repeat in her mind, oddly catchy and brainwashing.
The interviews were held in the office space she had rented. Renovations hadn't started yet, just leftover tables and chairs from the previous company.
The interviewees were all elite talents, averaging Ivy League master's and doctorates, the cream of the cream. Standing in the empty office space, they talked grandly with her about ideals, as if Wall Street was just mud stuck to the soles of their shoes. Their passionate visions got Yu Shu's blood pumping, yet she felt like something was missing.
In the afternoon, Yu Shu grew tired from the interviews. The last person today was a high school classmate of Yu Yan's. When she opened the door, in walked a woman wearing silver-framed glasses, the silver chain swaying lightly on her cheek. She had long, flowing hair and a mature, elegant aura, yet pulsated with a fatal sensuality.
Sensual, but not the bewitching sexiness that attracted men. Instead, it was the kind of captivating sensuality that fascinated women. Just standing there silently, she seemed to Yu Shu a living work of art.
She shouldn't have been a fierce female tycoon dominating Wall Street, but rather a woman of letters sitting under a gingko tree in the winter sun, holding a book of Tagore's poems, with a faint smile on her face as she picked up a fallen leaf and tucked it into the pages.
Yet with just one sentence, she convinced Yu Shu.
"Hello, my name is Yin Minbi," she said.