As for the rent and renovation funds, He Wenjie had been making a killing in the US stock market during this period. At his peak, a single stock he bought surged by 32% in a single day. Even though he had been spending money like water, the funds in his US account continued to climb steadily.
Soon, the day arrived for Yang Tao to sign her contract termination with the hotel. Completing the final paperwork, she walked out of the hotel carrying a cardboard box, looking dejected. Several of her close colleagues accompanied her. The moment they stepped outside, the women's eyes involuntarily drifted to a car parked at the entrance. Most of them recognized the Porsche logo on the hood, and two of them even named the model.
"Wow, a Porsche Panamera! That car is gorgeous. I wonder which client drove it here."
"Is this car very expensive?" one woman asked.
"At least a million-plus."
"Sigh, just look at it. Ordinary folks like us could never afford one in a lifetime."
Just as they were chatting, the car lights flashed and the doors unlocked. A set of keys suddenly appeared right in front of Yang Tao's eyes. Yang Tao turned her head and saw He Wenjie standing behind her, grinning.
"You bought this?"
"Congratulations on your new beginning. This is my gift to you."
Before Yang Tao could even react, the surrounding women started chattering excitedly.
"Sister Yang, you are so blessed! Brother-in-law bought you such a gorgeous car."
"Yeah, Sister Yang, with such an amazing husband, why keep working? The hotel job is exhausting, has no future, and basically makes you a servant. I'm dying of jealousy!"
Flattered by the compliments from all around, Yang Tao's initial depression instantly vanished. She put down her cardboard box, threw her arms around He Wenjie, and kissed him hard. Amid the teasing laughter of the onlookers, she tightly wrapped her arms around his waist and refused to let go. Their antics caused a traffic jam right in front of the hotel entrance, but the security guard didn't say a word. After all, Yang Tao had worked there for six years, and having just received a generous tip from He Wenjie, a little blockage was no big deal. Even if they tried to dock her pay—hell, if anyone dared dock her pay, she'd quit tomorrow. Who's going to risk their life for a measly three or four thousand a month?
Finally, amid everyone's congratulations, Yang Tao drove He Wenjie away from the hotel. In the back seat sat Xue Sumei, who had been watching the whole show. Why was Xue Sumei there? Because the legal owner of the car was actually Xue Sumei. To give Yang Tao a surprise, He Wenjie couldn't give her advance notice, so he had registered the car under Xue Sumei's name. At the same time, spending over a million yuan this way allowed Xue Sumei to see his sincerity toward Yang Tao—killing two birds with one stone.
Although Xue Sumei had some misgivings about Yang Tao quitting her job, the moment she saw the million-plus luxury car, quitting didn't seem like such a big deal after all. It would be even better if she had free time to date He Wenjie; the sooner the two got married, the sooner her mind could be at ease.
On the way to the hotel just moments ago, Xue Sumei had asked He Wenjie about marriage, and his answer was practically flawless.
"Auntie, I am ready to marry Taozi at any moment. I have an idea, let me know if you think it's feasible. If you have some free time lately, you could look around for a place you like. I plan to buy two properties: one as a matrimonial home for Taozi and me, and another for you to live in. That way we can live close by. I don't have any immediate family left, and Taozi only has you as an elder. Having you nearby gives us peace of mind. Do you prefer a villa or something else?"
"Auntie is getting up there in years, and the place I live in right now is just fine. No need to change apartments. You two youngsters can pick whatever place you want to live in; Auntie won't interfere."
"It's fine, Auntie. Given how fast property prices are rising nationwide, buying a couple of extra places, even if we don't live in them, makes for a high-quality asset. Let me be straight with you: you don't need to worry about the price of the apartments. Anything under ten million is no strain for me at all. If you fancy a villa worth hundreds of millions, I can easily afford it through installments. Judging by the current pace of national development, real estate is definitely not going to depreciate, so you don't have to worry about heavy mortgage pressure either. Even if I feel the repayment pinch later on, selling it off then will definitely fetch a high price."
He Wenjie's frank confession had completely won Xue Sumei over. Now, she was actually starting to worry whether her scatterbrained daughter could keep a leash on such an exceptional catch. Placed on the matchmaking market, this man was an absolute nuclear option. Wouldn't all those young girls go crazy trying to throw themselves at him? No, she had to cut through the knot quickly and not let the two drag their feet. Getting them married as soon as possible was the only way to give her peace of mind.
The two dropped Xue Sumei off at home, politely declined her invitation to stay for dinner, and headed back to their own place. They went upstairs, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. The moment the door clicked shut, Yang Tao proactively kissed He Wenjie, catching him a bit off guard by her sudden passion. "Why are you so eager today?"
"Carry me inside and show me what you've got."
Rarely did he encounter such an enthusiastic peach, and He Wenjie certainly wasn't going to refuse. He scooped Yang Tao up in his arms and strode into the bedroom as the curtain rose on the performance.
In the days that followed, Yang Tao began driving her Panamera around to various job interviews, only to hit wall after wall. Meanwhile, He Wenjie set about executing his next plan. The people tracking Li Wei had already handed over Li Wei's daily routine, revealing that Li Wei had a habit of playing golf every weekend.
So, He Wenjie went and bought a membership card. Having no prior experience in golf—neither in his past life nor in his current body—he hired a coach for a short-term crash course. After half a month of practice, he had successfully graduated to the level of a golf novice.
During his time practicing at the course, he met several other golfers through his coach. After showing them his stock trading records, he quickly integrated into their circle.
He Wenjie recommended a few stocks to them that surged by twenty percent in just a short week. Deeply grateful, the beneficiaries held He Wenjie in even higher esteem.
Around ten o'clock one morning, He Wenjie arrived at the golf club and declined his coach's accompaniment. He wasn't here to play golf today.
Ordering a cup of coffee and taking out his laptop, he waited for his prey to appear. During this time, a few people who had made a killing on his stock tips came over to greet him. While chatting, they casually tried to fish for more stock tips, but he brushed them off. Are you kidding me? Letting you taste a little profit was enough.
Soon enough, he spotted the figure of Zhuang Yan. He had seen photos of Zhuang Yan, and Zhuang Yan had also inquired about He Wenjie's prowess through others, but the two men had never had the chance to meet.
He pretended to be absorbed in the stock data on his laptop while keeping a corner-of-the-eye watch on Zhuang Yan's movements. He saw Zhuang Yan walk up to a rather plump woman and strike up a conversation with a look of extreme delight.