“Who gave you permission to do that?” Meng Haoqian practically growled. “You got together with someone else?”
“Yes.” Jiang Zhinian looked at him as though he were an idiot. “Young Master Meng, you don’t actually think I’m still hopelessly devoted to you, do you?”
“Let me tell you, we haven’t had anything to do with each other for a long time.”
After a pause, she seemed to remember something.
“Oh, actually, we do still have one kind of relationship.”
She held out her slender, jade-like fingers and began counting them off one by one.
“That of creditor and debtor.”
“In May, you asked me for 2,000 yuan because you said you didn’t have enough money to buy a car.”
“In April, you took 500 yuan from me because you said a friend was celebrating a birthday.”
“In March, you asked for 1,000 yuan, saying you needed money for your mother’s birthday…”
Jiang Zhinian raised an eyebrow and looked at Meng Haoqian, whose face had gone pale.
“Young Master Meng, do I really need to keep going? Tell me, how much do you think you should pay me back?”
Meng Haoqian clenched his teeth until they creaked.
He really wanted to punch the woman beside him into the air.
But they were in the middle of driving. It would be a shame if he wrecked the car he had just bought.
Forget it.
“Fine. I know. I’ll pay you back some other day, all right?”
The truth was, he didn’t care about that little bit of money at all. It was only because the old man at home had cut off access to his private funds that he’d gone to Jiang Zhinian for money.
In his mind, whenever he needed something, Jiang Zhinian should obediently offer up everything she had.
And now she actually dared to ask him to repay her?
Heh. Even if Jiang Zhinian came crying and begged to get back together with him in the future, he wouldn’t show her the slightest mercy.
Jiang Zhinian merely hummed in acknowledgment.
The two remained silent all the way until they arrived outside the department store.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Zhinian noticed that Meng Haoqian was following her.
“What are you following me for?”
Meng Haoqian raised his voice. “Who’s following you? I’m going in too. Don’t flatter yourself, woman.”
“Oh.”
Jiang Zhinian rubbed her nose, feeling just the tiniest bit embarrassed.
The first-floor hall was packed with people, all of them staring anxiously toward the counters.
Perhaps Meng Haoqian’s flashy young-master attire was too eye-catching. After sizing the two of them up for a moment, the crowd actually moved aside slightly to make room.
The two easily squeezed their way to the front.
The shelves were filled with imported electronics.
There were Sony cameras from a certain East Asian country, as well as Matsushita televisions and radios, but the quantities available were pitifully small.
Before long, the salesperson handed the last camera, wrapped in a cardboard box, to an excited customer.
Then she shouted at the crowd, “That’s it! Everything’s sold out! You can all go home!”
The people at the back of the line immediately erupted into commotion.
“Why did they sell out so fast? I’ve been standing in line for three hours!”
His complaint was immediately echoed by others.
“Tell me about it. I’ve already gone to five stores, and I still couldn’t buy the television my wife wants.”
“Comrades, it’s way too hard to buy electronics these days. Our families are all waiting and hoping for them. What a headache!”
Listening to the noisy discussion around her, a sudden idea flashed through Jiang Zhinian’s mind.
She turned to the salesperson.
“Where are most of these electronics imported from right now? And why are they in such short supply?”
The salesperson gave her a once-over. Seeing that Jiang Zhinian was dressed like someone from a wealthy family, she answered her question.
“Our department store mainly imports goods from Japan. Their exports are limited now. If you want something, come early every week and try your luck.”
Jiang Zhinian nodded slightly, understanding the situation.
This was an era when newly emerging electronics were in short supply. China’s own electronics industry was still underdeveloped, and its production capacity was extremely limited.
Japan not only restricted technology exports but also imposed trade barriers, making imports into China especially difficult.
“Then please call your boss for me. Tell him I have an important business matter to discuss.”
The salesperson immediately looked troubled, her gaze shifting toward someone behind Jiang Zhinian.
At that moment, Meng Haoqian let out a mocking laugh.
“Jiang Zhinian, who are you putting on an act for? Don’t tell me you don’t know that I’m the owner here?”
This time, Jiang Zhinian was genuinely surprised.
She had assumed Meng Haoqian was just a useless, spoiled rich second-generation heir living off his family.
She hadn’t expected this entire four-story department store to belong to him.
“Meng Haoqian, I’m seriously here to discuss a business deal with you.”
Jiang Zhinian cleared her throat, her expression turning solemn.
“You know how scarce electronics are right now. Let’s start with televisions—the product with the highest demand. Let’s work together.”
“You provide the money, and I’ll do the work. We’ll split the profits fifty-fifty. How about it? Give me one week, and I’ll secure a European source of supply for you.”
Meng Haoqian looked as though he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Are you out of your mind? If you’re still dreaming, then go back home and sleep!”
Jiang Zhinian rolled her eyes at him.
“If I fail, you won’t have to pay back the money you owe me. Either way, you won’t lose anything.”
Meng Haoqian rubbed his chin twice.
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable her proposal seemed.
In the end, he snorted, silently indicating his agreement.
By then, the disappointed customers had gradually begun to leave.
But in Jiang Zhinian’s eyes, those potential customers were all walking piles of money.
Not caring about her image, she dragged over a chair and stood on it.
“Everyone, listen to me! I have a source for European televisions. As long as you pay a deposit now, you can come pick up your television in two weeks!”
Her words instantly caught everyone’s attention.
But when they saw that she was merely a beautiful young woman, they were naturally skeptical.
“Who are you? Why should we believe you?” someone shouted.
At last, Meng Haoqian decided to cooperate.
He cleared his throat and announced, “This is Miss Jiang, the new business partner of our Hengxin Department Store. She can help us obtain European goods, so there’s no need for anyone to doubt her.”
The customers still trusted Meng Haoqian as the owner.
After all, Hengxin Department Store had been around for many years and was a family business of the Meng family.
The tide changed instantly.
The customers who had just been pushing toward the exit immediately turned around and tried desperately to squeeze back toward Jiang Zhinian.
“Miss Jiang, here’s my deposit!”
“Boss Jiang, don’t forget me!”
“Me too!”
“…”
Half an hour later, Jiang Zhinian walked out of the department store with Meng Haoqian, carrying a large kraft-paper bag stuffed full of money.
Since she still didn’t know how much stock the European suppliers had available, she didn’t dare accept too many orders and limited the sale to fifty televisions.
“Boss Meng, I’m a little short on cash lately. The deposits come to 2,500 yuan in total, so I’ll hold on to them for now.”
With cash in hand, Jiang Zhinian’s mood immediately improved.
For once, she even smiled at Meng Haoqian.
Because of the heat, a thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead, while several damp strands of hair clung to her skin, adding an unexpectedly seductive charm to her appearance.
Combined with her large, sparkling eyes, she was more alluring than the most beautiful flower.
Meng Haoqian was momentarily stunned by her beauty.
It took him two seconds to recover, but his voice remained as disdainful as ever.
“Whatever. I’m not as poor and pathetic as you.”
“Mm. Pick me up at eight tomorrow morning. We’re going straight to the European Chamber of Commerce.”
“Hey! I’m not your driver!” Meng Haoqian snapped.
How was it that, even now, Jiang Zhinian still had no intention of begging him?
Wasn’t she in a hurry to return to the Jiang family?
“For the sake of making a fortune, Boss Meng, you’ll just have to put up with it.”
Jiang Zhinian had originally intended to make Meng Haoqian drive her home as well. After all, there was nothing wrong with ordering a heartless scumbag around once in a while.
But then, from the corner of her eye, she spotted a military jeep parked quietly not far away.