Chapter 90: Who is the Real Swindler?

TL: Etude

The most crucial point was that he didn’t know how to answer these questions.

Ren Tianci had deceived several locals, and these small bosses were not like this at all!

As long as Ren Tianci presented himself in a shiny and splendid manner, taking on the identity of a sea-turtle—a returned overseas Chinese—and painting a big picture, those people would believe him unconditionally.

Who would be like Chen Jianghai, always asking some irrelevant questions?

In order to win over these few small bosses, Ren Tianci knew he had to answer the question.

“This… I plan to invite a few famous Cantonese chefs over to take charge of the cooking.”

Luckily, having swindled in various places, Ren Tianci was somewhat knowledgeable about different cuisines.

However, Chen Jianghai shook his head after hearing this, “That won’t do, that won’t do.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Ren Tianci frowned.

Chen Jianghai explained, “Boss Ren, since you have come back from abroad, you should naturally feature international elements. Western cuisine is indispensable, and you might consider Japanese cuisine as well.”

“That’s the only way to elevate the hotel’s class, don’t you think?”

“Yes, yes, yes, Boss Chen, you do have a point. Then I’ll just hire a few American chefs. But let’s talk about the investment first, shall we? Without the hotel being built, we can’t hire any chefs, right?”

Ren Tianci nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Chen Jianghai smiled slightly, “Right, let’s talk about the investment.”

“Boss Chen, Boss Jin, Boss Li, this hotel is definitely going to make money. Do you want to invest some shares and earn money together?” Ren Tianci smiled as he revealed his true intention.

Regrettably, Jin and Li were already skeptical at this point and did not express their stance easily.

“Brothers, this project is indeed good. Why not give it a try?”

Chen Jianghai waved his hand.

“Jianghai, you should have a good chat with Boss Ren! We don’t understand this stuff, as long as you think it’s appropriate, we’ll invest with you,” Boss Jin said.

Li Detian also hastened to agree, “That’s exactly what I think!”

Ren Tianci was overjoyed upon hearing this. Convincing one person was always easier than convincing three.

“Little Brother Chen, let me be frank with you. As soon as the hotel is up and running, it will earn at least this much in a year!” Having said that, Ren Tianci held up a finger.

Chen Jianghai pretended to be surprised, “A hundred thousand a year?”

“What hundred thousand, a million!” Ren Tianci emphasized his tone so that everyone at the table heard it.

Jin and Li raised their eyebrows. Was this true?

Lin Meifeng and Lin Wanqiu were surprised but had no other thoughts.

After all, neither of them understood this, as the business was managed by their husbands; they were envious but had no other considerations.

But Ren Qing was different; after all, she had struggled alongside Li Detian.

This profit of a million was indeed too tempting for Ren Qing.

“I’m going to the restroom, Old Li, come with me,” Ren Qing stood up and said.

Li Detian looked displeased, but in the end, he followed.

Ren Tianci did not pay attention to them; there was only one thing he wanted to do now, and that was to win over Chen Jianghai.

Chen Jianghai exclaimed at the right moment, “Can we really earn a million a year?”

“Exactly, and that’s a conservative estimate!” Ren Tianci’s tone was full of allure.

At this moment, Chen Jianghai’s face was full of struggle, clearly in the midst of a difficult decision.

This led Ren Tianci to believe that with just a little more effort, he could secure Chen Jianghai.

“Little Brother Jianghai, do you have any concerns?” At this point, Ren Tianci had even changed the way he addressed him.

Chen Jianghai spoke with a hint of difficulty, “Boss Ren, I really want to invest, but I’m currently having some trouble with my business, and I can’t free up the funds!”

“What about these two brothers?” Ren Tianci lost interest upon hearing that Chen Jianghai didn’t have the money.

Boss Jin hurriedly said, “If Jianghai isn’t investing, then I’m out as well!”

This statement left no room for negotiation, and Ren Tianci was a bit disappointed.

“Boss Li?” Ren Tianci hadn’t given up yet.

…

At that moment, Li Detian was talking to Qing Ren about this very matter.

“A return of nearly a million a year, if you invest 10%, wouldn’t you make a hundred thousand in a year?” Qing Ren was doing the math.

Li Detian couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “You just believe whatever you’re told?”

“What do you mean?” Qing Ren also realized something was wrong at this point; there had to be a problem.

“You blockhead!”

Li Detian angrily said, “Can’t you see there’s a problem here?”

“What’s the problem? Isn’t Chen Jianghai talking with him? Could there still be a fake?” Qing Ren pointed inside as he spoke.

Li Detian said with irritation, “Brother Chen has long seen that there’s an issue. He’s just putting on an act right now, wanting to see what this Ren Tianci is up to.”

“Could it be that this Ren Tianci is a swindler?” Qing Ren was dumbfounded.

“It’s very likely,” Li Detian stated, “but what I don’t understand is, after talking with him for so long, what is Jianghai up to?”

“Is this Chen Jianghai that impressive?” Qing Ren inquired.

“Let’s go, we should head back!” Li Detian concluded.

…

Chen Jianghai shook his head, “You’ll have to ask Boss Li about that.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Li Detian returned with Qing Ren.

“Boss Li, what do you think about the investment?” Ren Tianci hastily asked.

Seeing Ren Tianci so eager to rope someone in, Qing Ren was now somewhat convinced that Ren Tianci was a swindler.

“I’ll repeat what I’ve said: if Jianghai thinks it’s a good investment, I’ll invest!”

Li Detian swiftly passed the buck to Chen Jianghai.

Ren Tianci was a bit annoyed; they had almost sealed the deal last time, and the money was nearly in hand, but now they were saying not to invest!

“Ah, such a great project. If I could manage the funds, I’d definitely drag you brothers to invest five or six hundred thousand!” Chen Jianghai mumbled to himself at that moment.

Hearing this figure, Ren Tianci’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes started rolling around.

“Brother Jianghai, we are all friends here. How much do you need to turn around?” Ren Tianci asked.

Chen Jianghai casually responded, “Not much, just thirty or forty thousand.”

Ren Tianci gritted his teeth and said, “Brother Jianghai, if the funds are in place, how soon can you recover the money?”

“Ten to fifteen days,” Chen Jianghai vaguely said.

Ren Tianci confirmed once more, “And you can really invest several hundred thousand?”

“Absolutely!”

Chen Jianghai immediately said, “As long as the funds are in place to get through this period, I can recover two hundred thousand in cash!”

He lied without even blinking, completely fooling Ren Tianci.

At this moment, Wanqiu Lin also realized that Chen Jianghai was spouting nonsense; something was off about the situation.

“Brother Jianghai, even though we’ve only just met, I don’t know why, but I feel a strong connection with you. I can lend you the money first. After all, business is all about helping each other out!” Ren Tianci said with great emotion.

Hearing this, Boss Jin and Li Detian exchanged glances, both a bit stunned. In the end, who was the swindler?

…

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