Chapter 361 - 200: Just Made a Little Money, That’s All

Chapter 361: Chapter 200: Just Made a Little Money, That’s All

Upon further inquiry, he learned that after Mark’s daughter was separated from her family, she had wandered along with the crowd and somehow ended up near the City God Temple.

The owner of a small food stall noticed the little foreign girl was by herself and asked if she’d gotten separated from her family. When she confirmed she had, he immediately called the police.

He even gave her some of the stall’s specialty snacks. Unexpectedly, this gesture completely unleashed the little girl’s appetite. She devoured four or five servings and still wasn’t full.

By the time Mark and his family arrived, the little girl’s belly was round and full. The stall owner could only watch, his heart—and his wallet—aching.

Once he understood what had happened, Mark didn’t hesitate to pull out ten thousand yuan as a thank-you payment. But there was no way the owner would accept it—after all, this was a great opportunity to build up his shop’s reputation.

After some back and forth, the owner ultimately only accepted payment for the food the little girl had eaten, which still came out to over four hundred yuan.

Having heard from his daughter how delicious the food was, Mark and his wife tried some for themselves and were instantly captivated.

For the next several days, Mark’s family spent all their time around the Bund, not going anywhere else.

Su Chen hadn’t expected such a strange story to be behind it all. Now he understood why Mark had seemed so emotional earlier. It would be an unforgettable experience for anyone.

The reality he personally experienced formed a stark contrast with what he was used to back home.

"Mark, you’d better prepare yourself," Su Chen said with a smile. "You probably won’t be back in Shanghai for another three to five years!"

After all, in Huaxia, every province and city has its own unique culinary culture. Even two adjacent counties will have their own distinct cuisines and attractions. If Mark really wanted to see it all, it would take him several years.

He could even spend six months to a year in a single province.

"What? How is that possible? I estimated it would only take three or four months to see the most popular sights!" A look of confusion crossed Mark’s face. This was the conclusion he’d drawn after watching countless videos online.

Mark quickly outlined his travel plan.

After hearing Mark’s plan, a wry smile appeared on Su Chen’s face. ’So his grand tour of Huaxia is just hitting the most famous tourist cities.’

Places like the "8D City" of Wudu, the "Panda Kingdom" of Rongcheng, and the "Carb Capital" of Xi’an. None of the neighboring cities were in his plan. To put it bluntly, he was just picking one city per province to check off his list, just to say he’d been there.

"Mark, I suggest you explore it one province at a time. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed."

Mark nodded in agreement without a second thought. He knew Su Chen must have a good reason for saying so; he certainly knew more than someone like himself, who had only just arrived in Huaxia.

The two chatted a little longer about traveling, and something Mark said struck a chord with Su Chen.

"You should go out and see the world while you’re young and able. Otherwise, you’ll get old and won’t be able to move, and then it’ll be too late even if you want to go!"

The words were a reminder for Su Chen. ’I haven’t properly seen the beautiful landscapes of my own country, either. Maybe once I’m done with the work I have on hand, I should take a spontaneous trip, too.’

The idea planted itself in Su Chen’s mind like a seed.

"By the way, Mr. Su, I heard from President Pei that you own an investment bank. I’d like to entrust five hundred million in capital for your firm to manage. Would that be possible?"

As he spoke, Mark carefully watched Su Chen’s expression, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t want to miss the chance to latch onto a powerful connection like Su Chen. The only thing he had to create a bond between them was the nine hundred-odd million he possessed.

He had chatted briefly with Pei Rang before and learned that he was in charge of an investment bank called Yunmengze Capital. He had also done some research on his own and discovered that the firm’s investments spanned an incredibly wide range of industries.

He was hoping to use this opportunity to climb aboard Su Chen’s juggernaut for good.

Mark’s proposal was within Su Chen’s expectations. He just hadn’t thought he would be so bold as to offer five hundred million USD right off the bat.

After a moment of contemplation, Su Chen said, "You should find some time to discuss this with Pei Rang. He’s in charge of the investment bank, so I won’t interfere."

Mark was a little stunned. If this had been any of the major investment banks back home, they would have immediately agreed the moment they heard he was willing to entrust them with five hundred million US dollars for investment. No one would react like Su Chen.

However, Mark’s respect for Su Chen deepened. ’To trust his subordinate that much, giving the person in charge full autonomy... where else could you find a boss like that?’

With business taken care of and everything said, Mark didn’t stay to bother Su Chen any longer. He gave him a bow and turned to leave.

Watching Jiang Hui escort Mark out, Su Chen muttered to himself, "This Mark has some real nerve!"

’That five-hundred-million-USD investment was his foot in the door, a touchstone to see what I thought of him.’

’If I agreed, it would mean I had a decent impression of him, that this wasn’t just a one-off deal, and that we could work together in the future. If I refused... well, that would speak for itself.’

’Anyway, I’ve left it all to Pei Rang. What’s there for me to worry about?’

Then, Su Chen flopped back onto the sofa, picked up the novel he had been reading, and continued where he left off.