Although awkward, Yu Zhou and Qin Siyue were both people who could proactively ease the tension.
Thus, as the journey progressed, the four of them gradually found more topics to discuss.
About an hour later, at 7:30 AM, the green-skinned train finally pulled into Wang Hai West Station.
"Ah! Yu Zhou..."
After alighting, they were naturally going their separate ways. But just as Yu Zhou and Wu Dabiao were exiting the train station, Qin Siyue, who had been following behind them, called out to him.
Yu Zhou turned around and saw that both Qin Siyue and Qin Feng looked somewhat flustered, and he immediately understood.
Handing the quilt he was carrying to Wu Dabiao, Yu Zhou turned back and took a ten-yuan bill from his pocket.
"Out of money to go back, right? Next time you take the train, remember to divide your money, preferably in a few different places."
"A place like a social welfare home, don't go unless absolutely necessary."
Looking at the flustered Qin Siyue, Yu Zhou found it somewhat amusing.
Who would have thought that a woman who would later dominate the business world would be in such a predicament at this time?
It was all due to a lack of social experience.
"I... I'll pay you back."
Qin Siyue had lost all her pride. She couldn't possibly seek help from a social welfare home as Yu Zhou suggested.
The social welfare homes of this era mostly accommodated those who were penniless, either robbed or swindled of their money, or outsiders.
She didn't know what it was like inside, but if she went, she would be utterly humiliated.
Actually, if it were Yu Zhou, he wouldn't necessarily have to borrow this money and owe such a favor.
Qin Siyue surely had a house and businesses in Wang Hai. She could just take a taxi home and pay then.
However, this girl, while appearing wealthy now, truly lacked social experience. She hadn't thought of this at all and instead followed Yu Zhou, hesitating for a long time before wanting to ask for money.
"We'll meet again if fate allows."
Yu Zhou smiled and didn't pay attention to her promise.
What a joke! He actually hoped Qin Siyue would forget about this and not return the ten yuan.
For such a prominent figure, he didn't think there would be no chance for them to meet again.
After parting ways with the siblings, Yu Zhou and Wu Dabiao took a taxi.
"Wang Hai is just a bit more crowded with cars, has taller buildings, and more people than our hometown. It's not as amazing as people say."
Once in the car, Wu Dabiao carefully observed the road and streets.
In his opinion, Wang Hai was indeed more populous and had more cars than Jiangbei.
But whether it was the architectural style or other aspects, it hadn't reached a level that would make one gasp at first glance.
To put it this way, the Oriental Pearl Tower hadn't even been built yet.
In Pudong, which was just being developed, most buildings hadn't even started construction.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this an old city.
The stock exchange hadn't even been listed yet. Wang Hai, of course, didn't resemble the city of later generations with its skyscrapers, becoming the largest metropolis in Asia.
"Brother! What do we do next?"
Seeing Yu Zhou remain silent, Wu Dabiao continued to ask.
At this moment, Yu Zhou, sitting in the back, finally spoke.
"Let's find a place to stay first, and then we'll talk. We're here to make money. We'll have plenty of opportunities to see tall buildings later."
Although Wu Dabiao was somewhat skeptical, he had always supported his boss.
So, after a day of running around, they finally settled into a small hotel.
Unpacking the quilt, Yu Zhou took out all the cash inside and put it into the drawer.
This money was his entire fortune, totaling over thirty-four thousand yuan.
The two of them ate something haphazardly and stayed in the hotel for several days without going out.
Finally!
Time arrived on New Year's Day, 1992.
During this period, they witnessed the disintegration of that behemoth of the year on the news and also learned about the situation in Jiangbei over the phone.
Perhaps knowing that Yu Zhou was no ordinary person, Song Qing had maintained contact with him.
Upon learning that Song Qing intended to develop in the north and to "reap the benefits" from the disintegrated behemoth,
Yu Zhou felt a surge of emotion.
Indeed, in this world, no one achieves success casually.
Song Qing, on the surface, seemed like a second-generation heir who had reached her current position with the help of her parents.
However, possessing such foresight, and even being willing to gamble everything to "reap the benefits" from that behemoth, one could imagine that her success was far from accidental.
On the day of the public sale of subscription certificates, the bank entrance was not as crowded with people queuing to buy as Yu Zhou had imagined.
He left Wu Dabiao at the hotel and went to the bank alone.
A few scattered individuals were inquiring about the subscription certificates.
The public price was 30 yuan per certificate. Blank certificates in consecutive order were the same price.
Because this was the first time it appeared in Wang Hai, people's trust in it wasn't very high.
On the first day, there was no sign of queues to buy, which indicated the situation.
"Buddy? Are you here to buy subscription certificates too? Is the prospect of this thing good or bad?"
Just as Yu Zhou was about to go to the counter to inquire, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind.
It was a man in his forties wearing a wide-collared suit and a pager on his waist.
His look of inquiry, as if he knew nothing, made Yu Zhou chuckle.
In this era, anyone dressed like this would be considered either rich or influential.
Of course, those who were even wealthier would have already used the "big brother" mobile phones. If you said he was a super-rich person, it would be an exaggeration.
"Would you believe me if I told you?"
"As far as I'm concerned, it's worth investing in. As for how much to invest, that depends on your consideration."
Yu Zhou didn't refuse the man's overture, but he didn't act like a know-it-all and analyze it extensively.
Was he going to say that these subscription certificates were called "fortune certificates," and buying more meant more fortune?
It was easy to say, but someone had to believe it.
In his memory, the subscription certificates that the authorities planned to issue were not all sold.
What did this mean? It meant that the market's confidence in subscription certificates was not very strong.
The other party smiled and didn't respond further. At this moment, it was Yu Zhou's turn.
"Brother, are you here to buy subscription certificates? Do you want blank ones or registered ones?"
The teller seemed to have overheard Yu Zhou's conversation with the man earlier and showed some anticipation on her face.
Each of these tellers had a quota to meet. If they failed to meet their assigned tasks, they might have to buy the certificates themselves.
Therefore, these tellers were very enthusiastic towards people who clearly came to buy subscription certificates.
"How much are the blank ones?"
Yu Zhou got straight to the point.
His purpose for coming today was to buy blank ones. He wasn't from Wang Hai, and he came this early precisely for the blank subscription certificates that didn't require registered information.
"The same, thirty yuan each. How many do you need?"
Hearing that Yu Zhou was serious about buying, the teller became even happier.
However, Yu Zhou's next sentence struck him like lightning.
"How many can you sell?"