“You’re telling me Director Jiang from the logistics department is Jiang Wei’s actual uncle?!”
Zhang Xinzhou looked genuinely stunned.
Xu Ye nodded. “With Jiang Wei as the go-between, this thing basically takes care of itself. Tomorrow we go to the factory and look at the prototype units.”
Zhang Xinzhou frowned. “But why would Jiang Wei help us?”
“She wants in.”
“…What?”
He stared. “You’re saying campus belle Jiang Wei wants to start a business with us?”
“It was her condition. If I’d said no, Director Jiang was a non-starter. And she said she can put in a hundred thousand, which isn’t nothing — we’re still pretty capital-light right now.”
Zhang Xinzhou still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. “But why would she want in? We’ve barely even interacted with her.”
“She probably thinks there’s money in it.”
Nothing else happened that night. The next morning, Xu Ye brought Zhang Xinzhou straight to the vending machine manufacturer. The factory produced three models.
The basic unit held drinks and water only — scan a code, press the button beneath your selection, and a bottle dropped into the retrieval slot.
The mid-range unit added several user-friendly features, and scanning the code brought up a full purchase page directly on your phone.
The top-tier unit was high-capacity with a display screen and built-in refrigeration.
Prices: 900, 1,900, and 4,500 yuan respectively.
The school had six teaching buildings. Post one at each stairwell on both ends of each floor, then one in each dorm building’s lobby, one at the student activity center, one near the basketball courts, one near the track and field area…
Xu Ye ran a quick estimate. At minimum, one campus would need thirty units.
“Let’s do this — I’ll take twenty of the basic units, ten of the mid-range, and three of the refrigerated ones.”
“No problem. That comes to fifty-five thousand yuan in total. [TL: roughly $8,800 USD at the time] Put down five thousand as a deposit and I’ll have everything ready within the week. For anywhere within Shanghai, we deliver to your door and send someone to help you configure and calibrate the machines.”
They spent the morning at the factory. On the way back, a WeChat message came in from Jiang Wei: “6 p.m. tonight. The new steakhouse on the third floor of Baolong Plaza.”
Xu Ye replied: “When can you take me to see your uncle?”
“Right after dinner.”
“Perfect. See you tonight.”
“See you.”
With the evening planned, Xu Ye spent the afternoon in his room and napped. When he woke up, there was a string of messages from Qin Zhiwei.
Qin Zhiwei: You around?
Xu Ye: For anything except lending money, I’m around.
Qin Zhiwei: I want a relationship so badly.
Qin Zhiwei: Set me up with someone.
Xu Ye: How much do you need?
Qin Zhiwei: …
Qin Zhiwei: I’m bored out of my mind in the dorm this weekend. I’m coming to find you tomorrow.
Xu Ye: Come on over. I’m not going to my girlfriend’s this week.
…
Well-rested, Xu Ye headed to Baolong Plaza that evening.
Coming off the elevator, he spotted the new steakhouse immediately — flower wreaths still lining the entrance, the way new restaurants advertised their opening week. [TL: it’s standard practice for businesses to receive large decorative flower stands from friends and associates when they open — lined up outside, they serve as a kind of visible social proof] Jiang Wei was standing outside with a small black leather bag, waiting.
“You’re early.”
She checked her wrist. “You were two minutes from being late. If you’d missed it, I wouldn’t have stayed.”
He scratched his head, smiling a little sheepishly. “But I didn’t miss it.”
She glanced past him. “Where’s your roommate?”
“My roommate?”
“Why didn’t you bring someone with you?”
“Why would I bring someone?”
Jiang Wei said it plainly. “If your girlfriend finds out you’re having dinner alone with another girl, isn’t she going to be jealous?”
“How do you know I have a girlfriend?”
“I saw that girl bring you water at the basketball courts.”
“You misread it. She’s not my girlfriend.” He smiled. “My girlfriend doesn’t go to this school. And if you’ve got a clear conscience, you’ve got nothing to fear. The question is whether you’re worried about being misread.”
“Not even a little.”
The restaurant was new and drawing a crowd, but when they walked in, there were still a few two-person tables along the wall. They sat down across from each other and the server brought menus.
Jiang Wei pointed to the 199-yuan set. “I’ll have this one.”
The set came with a steak, pasta, and a small green salad. Cheaper than Xu Ye had expected — he’d braced himself for worse.
“Same for me.”
The server nodded. “And how would you like your steaks cooked?”
Before Jiang Wei could answer, Xu Ye said, “Completely well-done.” [TL: Xu Ye asks for “十分熟” — literally “ten-doneness” — a level of cooking that doesn’t exist in formal steak terminology, which only goes up to 全熟 (well-done). The joke is that he’s both exaggerating and performing his rural-background unfamiliarity with steak culture]
“Um…”
“You’re probably about to tell me there’s no such thing as ten-done. That’s fine — if your chef doesn’t know how to pull it off, I can go back there and do it myself. I grew up in the countryside. I can’t eat anything with red in it.”
The server smiled, took the menus, and retreated.
“I went to the vending machine factory this morning. I’ve already paid the deposit. As soon as you’ve squared things with your uncle, installation can happen within the week.”
Jiang Wei’s eyebrow went up. “You paid a deposit before even speaking to my uncle? What if—”
“I trust you,” he said, cutting her off. “You’re my partner now. Even if your uncle doesn’t want to do me any favors, he’s not going to turn his niece down.”
She looked at him, something shifting in her expression. “Why do I feel like you’ve set me up?”
“How would I set you up?”
“What’s in that bag you’re carrying?”
“Cigarettes and tea.”
“For my uncle?”
“Can’t show up empty-handed.”
She’d been sitting on a question since they sat down, and she finally let it out. “How are you this good at navigating people? You really don’t seem like a college freshman.”
“Stop looking at me like that. I’ll get the wrong idea and think you’ve fallen for me.”
She snorted. “You’re unbelievably full of yourself.”
The steaks arrived fresh off the grill, portioned generously. Once the server had everything on the table, he also handed Xu Ye a voucher — new restaurant promotion, fifty percent off next visit with the coupon. Xu Ye pocketed it and tucked into his steak without ceremony.
Jiang Wei could barely watch. “Xu Ye. Can you try to be a little more civilized? You’re eating steak, not gnawing on a pig’s trotter.”
“Eat your food. What’s it to you how I eat mine?”
She glanced around the room and felt a creeping regret that she’d come alone. She should have brought her roommates.
She forged ahead with her steak.
By the time Xu Ye finished, he’d settled into watching her eat. Somehow, the attention made her lose her composure. She set down her knife and fork, picked up her bag, and stood. “Let’s go.”
“You haven’t finished.”
“I’m never having dinner alone with you again.”
“Why?”
“Embarrassing.”
(End of Chapter 95)