A few days later, Wang Hai invited them to dinner, and He Lang went with Xue Yue.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Wang Hai was already waiting at the entrance.

"Brother Wang, have you been waiting long?"

Wang Hai smiled. "I just got here myself. Come on, let’s go in together."

Wang Hai knew his way around and led them to a private room on the second floor.

"Let’s start with a pot of Tieguanyin tea."

"Right away." The waiter took the order and stepped out.

He Lang joked, "Brother Wang, you come here often?"

Wang Hai sat down at an angle, crossing one leg over the other. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, opened it, and offered one to He Lang.

He Lang waved his hand. "You know me, Brother Wang. I don’t smoke."

Wang Hai glanced at He Lang. "You’ve been trying to make it in Beijing City all these years, and you still haven’t picked it up?"

He Lang just smiled. "Nope. I don’t like the taste."

Wang Hai put a cigarette between his lips, lit it with a match, and took a deep drag. After blowing out a smoke ring, he finally said to He Lang, "This hotel belongs to my younger uncle. I’ve been here a few times."

"How’s business? I should drop by your supermarket and take a look one of these days."

He Lang replied, "It’s not bad. Feel free to come by anytime. It’s in the East City District. Once you’re in the area, you can just ask around."

Wang Hai looked at He Lang and sighed wistfully. "Back in the day, when we were running our small-time businesses, we were always ducking and weaving. I never got a full night’s sleep. Who would’ve thought that private individuals can not only do business now, but even open supermarkets?"

He Lang nodded. "Yeah. So, Brother Wang, haven’t you been doing any business back home these past few years?"

"I have, but it was all just messing around. I wasn’t even earning enough to split with the guys under me. So, when I heard from my uncle that Beijing City is developing fast, I decided to come take a look. And it’s true, I haven’t been here in years, and the streets have completely changed. High-rises are going up everywhere."

He Lang said, "That’s true. Real estate is probably the most profitable industry right now, but the initial investment is pretty big."

Wang Hai reached out and clapped He Lang on the shoulder. "Brother, I won’t lie to you. That’s exactly why I invited you here today. I have a favor to ask."

He Lang watched him impassively, listening as Wang Hai continued, "I’ve already bought a plot of land in the development zone to build a residential building. But just like you said, brother, the initial investment is huge. Buying this land has already wiped out almost all my money, and I even had to borrow a lot from my uncle. I’m still short on capital to start construction. I’ve already looked into it. I’m planning to take out a five-million-yuan loan from the bank, but I need someone to be my guarantor."

Having said his piece, Wang Hai fell silent, just looking at He Lang.

Xue Yue’s brow furrowed. She glanced at He Lang and saw his eyelids were lowered, one of his hands tapping slowly on the tabletop.

"Brother Wang, are you asking me to use my supermarket as collateral to guarantee your bank loan?"

Wang Hai nodded. "That’s the idea. What do you think, brother?"

He Lang shook his head. "Brother Wang, to be honest, if you were asking to borrow money, I’d do my best to pull some together for you. But I can’t be your guarantor. I’ll be straight with you, this supermarket isn’t just about me. I have over a hundred people working for me. It’s not that I think your business will fail, but I can’t gamble with the future of my hundred-plus employees. I have a responsibility to them."

Wang Hai was silent for a moment. He didn’t seem angry, as if he had expected this.

"I understand. Let’s just pretend I never said it. Come on, drink your tea."

He Lang lifted his cup and took a sip. Xue Yue let out a silent sigh of relief. ’I was so worried he would agree. This is the kind of thing you can never say yes to. It’s not a matter of a few thousand, or even tens of thousands. They could manage even if Wang Hai couldn’t pay that back. But this is five million! Most people could work their entire lives, go completely bankrupt, and still never have that much money.’

However, Wang Hai did end up asking to borrow money from He Lang, and to this, He Lang agreed.

Wang Hai still seemed to be in a good mood. He smiled and looked at Xue Yue. "Is your wife okay with that?"

Xue Yue’s lips curved into a slight smile. "He Lang makes the decisions in our house."

At her words, not only did Wang Hai burst out laughing, but even He Lang shot Xue Yue a meaningful look. Xue Yue blinked. ’What are you looking at me for? Isn’t it true? Besides, He Lang is the one who earned the money anyway.’

During the meal, Xue Yue ate quietly, listening to He Lang and Wang Hai talk. Then she heard He Lang bring up Meng Ye.

Wang Hai said in surprise, "Oh, so you know her?"

He Lang smiled. "I know Brother Hua and have some business dealings with him. But my wife and Meng Ye were schoolmates, and now they work at the same company."

Wang Hai broke into a brilliant smile. "Ah, so that’s how it is."

He Lang asked, "Brother Wang, are you planning to marry into the Meng Family?"

Wang Hai paused for a second, then said with a smile, "I don’t have any plans for that at the moment. I just think the girl is quite interesting."

He Lang wasn’t surprised. The two then chatted and laughed merrily, moving on to other topics, but Xue Yue found she couldn’t quite figure this Wang Hai out.

On the way back, Xue Yue asked He Lang, "This Wang Hai isn’t some kind of playboy, is he?"

He Lang didn’t deny it. "Well, I used to hear from his men that Brother Wang was never short on women. But for whatever reason, none of them ever ended up marrying him."

Xue Yue said, confused, "If he has no intention of marrying into the Meng Family, then why is he pursuing Meng Ye? Just because he finds her ’interesting’? Isn’t he a total scumbag? It’s a good thing Meng Ye isn’t interested in him, or she could have gotten hurt. Meng Ye told me Wang Hai is up to no good and probably just wants to get connected with her dad. In that case, why didn’t he ask her dad to be his guarantor instead of coming to you?"

"A man like Brother Hua would never act as a guarantor for someone. Wang Hai probably figured that out, which is why he came to me. As for chasing women, maybe Brother Wang’s interest will only last a few days. He’ll probably give up after a little while."

He Lang had dealt with Wang Hai for several years, so he had a decent understanding of him.

Xue Yue said irritably, "I hope so." Then she looked at He Lang. "You did the right thing today. You absolutely cannot do things like acting as a guarantor for someone."

He Lang smiled. "I know. Besides, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t make the decision on my own."

Xue Yue looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He Lang lowered his voice. "Did you forget? You have a stake in the supermarket too. If you didn’t agree, I couldn’t make the call by myself. So, you see, I’m not the one who calls the shots in our family—you are. I listen to you."

The corners of Xue Yue’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she glanced at him. "Such a sweet-talker. You really know what to say."

He Lang raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Of course. Keeping my wife happy is also my responsibility."