Chapter 23 I Want to Invest!

“Judging by his appearance, his family is probably just nouveau riche. Their actual assets are likely only in the tens of millions.”
“President Su is a renowned business goddess in Hangzhou. Her hotel group alone is worth billions. He's not even qualified to be her lapdog! At best, he could try for Xin instead…”
Qiao Xin Xin, too, thought he was trying to cozy up to Su Xuanmo, feeling a surge of jealousy.
“Don’t tell me you’ve got your eyes on President Su?”
After she spoke, Lin Fan immediately noticed her affection for him drop from 50 to 40!
Seeing this, Lin Fan hurried to explain that he only wanted to connect with Su Xuanmo for business reasons—he needed powerful allies.
Having money alone wasn't enough; once his company grew, he’d inevitably face suppression from rivals.
If his opponent was a well-connected heir, having money alone wouldn't be enough to fight back.
But with the right backing, many troubles could be solved with money.
Qiao Xin Xin reluctantly accepted his explanation, but her affection for him didn’t change—it remained at 40.
“Miss Su, I’d like to discuss some business with you—about your company…”
Lin Fan faced Su Xuanmo again, composed and steady.
“Business? What do you mean? Don’t beat around the bush—I don’t like ambiguity!”
At last, Su Xuanmo looked him in the eye, though her manner was still icy.
Lin Fan pursed his lips, surprised that Su Xuanmo was so direct.
He liked that.
“I just heard that your company’s been having some difficulties—perhaps poor performance? Maybe you need financing for a transformation. I could lend a hand.”
Lin Fan didn’t mince words and got straight to the point.
“Help me? And just how would you do that?”
Su Xuanmo’s elegant brows drew together in suspicion.
“I’ll invest in your company.”
The words slipped out of Lin Fan’s mouth.
“What did you say?!”
The next instant, Su Xuanmo’s expression darkened, her glare sharp and displeased.
Her affection for him plummeted instantly to minus sixty.
An affection score of minus sixty—at that point, it was as if they were enemies.
Realizing he’d misspoken, Lin Fan quickly amended himself: “Sorry, I phrased that poorly. What I meant is, I can invest in your company and provide capital—how much do you need?”
Su Xuanmo was silent for two seconds, her brows relaxing.
“The amount I need is astronomical. You couldn't possibly provide it, but thank you for your offer.”
Still, she refused him without hesitation.
Lin Fan’s expression remained unchanged; he’d expected her to refuse—after all, she knew nothing about him.

“Name your price,”
Lin Fan pressed on.
“I need five hundred million. Do you have that?”
Her tone was laced with disdain and irritation.
In her view, even if Lin Fan really was a rich heir, he couldn’t possibly help.
In the business world, assets and actual cash were two different things.
Perhaps Lin Fan’s family assets totaled over a hundred million, but cash he could actually use might only be ten or twenty million.
Take herself, for example. Her hotel group was worth billions, but her actual income was quite limited.
Moreover, her company was in trouble, losing money—she was, in fact, deep in the red.
“Five hundred million? No problem. Give me your account; I’ll transfer it right now…”
Lin Fan spoke calmly.
“Transfer it right now? Do you have any idea how complicated the procedures are for moving that much money?”
Su Xuanmo scoffed, her face full of scorn.
She clearly thought Lin Fan was bluffing.
Five hundred million—who could just transfer it at a moment’s notice?
“I’m not joking. That’s just pocket money on one of my cards…”
As he spoke, Lin Fan opened his mobile banking app.
It displayed a balance of over twenty-five million.
In reality, he had only one bank card. The balance reflected the rebate from his “lapdog” spending.
That was the money he truly had control over.
Of course, he said it this way to earn Su Xuanmo’s trust.
Sure enough, seeing the funds in his account, Su Xuanmo fell silent on the spot.
She stood motionless, eyes fixed on Lin Fan as if to see through him.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan was delighted to discover her affection for him had jumped from minus sixty to minus thirty!
Clearly, at this moment, Su Xuanmo was pondering his background and identity.
“I’m curious—what does your family do?”
Su Xuanmo suddenly asked.
Lin Fan was taken aback—he hadn’t expected such a direct question.
In a flash, he considered his options, then decided to tell the truth.
Given Su Xuanmo’s status, she’d certainly investigate him later. If he made up a story, she’d doubt the legitimacy of his money and might refuse his help.
“To be honest, my family’s quite ordinary. My parents are farmers. As for this money, you can rest assured—there’s nothing suspicious about its origin.”

Lin Fan spoke with sincerity.
But his answer only puzzled Su Xuanmo further.
His parents were farmers, yet he had so much money?
Was he deliberately hiding his identity?
After hesitating for two minutes, Su Xuanmo finally replied ambiguously, “It’s not my decision alone. I’ll need to discuss it with the others.”
“No problem. Let’s add each other on WeChat—reach out whenever you need me.”
Lin Fan suggested straightforwardly.
This time, Su Xuanmo didn’t hesitate. After exchanging contacts, Lin Fan was thrilled to see her affection for him rise from minus thirty to zero.
Zero affection—she was indifferent now, just like a stranger.
But in Lin Fan’s heart, this was even more exciting than winning over Gu Qingcheng.
In just a few minutes, he’d managed to completely reverse the attitude of a woman who’d despised him—a sense of accomplishment sweeter than honey.
To be able to connect with a rich and beautiful woman like Su Xuanmo was his dream.
With her as a backer, perhaps he could walk unchallenged in Hangzhou from now on!
The others hadn't heard their conversation, but seeing Su Xuanmo go from cold and distant to chatting and laughing with Lin Fan, the girls could hardly believe their eyes.
The five boys, meanwhile, were grumbling under their breath, full of indignation.
“How did Lin Fan manage this? In the blink of an eye, he’s already so close with President Su? Didn’t she say she doesn’t like being around men?”
“If you ask me, Lin Fan must be the ultimate lapdog! Not only can he win over Qiao Xin Xin, even a goddess like President Su can’t resist—unbelievable!”
“If I had his lapdog skills, I’d never have trouble finding a sugar mama…”
Just then, a cash transport truck appeared on the path outside the pavilion!
“What’s going on…”
Everyone was mystified.
A well-dressed man stepped out of the truck, carrying an exquisite box.
More importantly, everyone saw the badge hanging from his chest.
The badge bore four bold characters: Jinfu Jewelry.
It was clear the man was from Jinfu Jewelry!
His eyes instantly found Lin Fan, and he strode into the pavilion.
“Mr. Lin, I’ve brought what you requested!”
With that, he signaled to the driver behind him.
The driver opened the truck door and brought out a case.