Although Han Tao appeared humble, saying he might not satisfy the other party, he had previously given a lesson to that high school sophomore, who was extremely pleased afterward. The boy's father was overjoyed, as he mentioned that out of all the tutors his son had, only Han Tao was asked by the boy himself to stay, claiming that listening to Han Tao teach cleared the confusion in his mind. Initially skeptical of the introduction from an old classmate, the father had been willing to try because the son’s previous tutor had just left due to failing to improve his grades and the son’s dissatisfaction. He never expected such a pleasant surprise from that single thought.

Han Tao looked at the three people lounging on the sofa, seemingly engrossed as if listening to him tell a story, and felt utterly speechless. He couldn't figure them out; didn't they often go shopping? They shouldn't be this bored. "And so, that was how I secured my first job in the capital." Han Tao had only brought a few thousand yuan with him; after deducting tuition and living expenses, he was left with only a few hundred for incidental costs, making finding work his immediate priority. Of course, he wouldn't admit that he brought so little money because he was extremely confident about securing this job.

"That sounds like a pretty high-paying job," Wang Qiqi said with palpable jealousy. "It’s a pity my grades aren't good enough, and I’ve never tutored before, so I don't know how to guide a child. Am I doomed to just live off my past achievements?" Wang Qiqi thought that if tears weren't visibly absent, this situation would be quite pitiful.

Zhu Lina looked at Wang Qiqi, who seemed to be putting on an act, and felt disdain, rolling her eyes several times. "You need to tutor?" Humph, a hidden wealthy heiress like her shouldn't be complaining so miserably.

"Of course, I need to," Wang Qiqi replied, feigning surprise. "You have to understand, as a university student, there are many necessary activities, such as skipping class, having early romances, experiencing heartbreak, and working part-time to support yourself." These were essential experiences of university life; otherwise, it would truly be a tragedy.

"Early romance, heartbreak?" Shi Man turned the words over in her mouth several times, glancing at Han Tao as she spoke. She always suspected there was a story between them, but she just couldn't find the thread. This time was no exception; Han Tao’s poker face showed absolutely no cracks. "I recall someone here already went through both those experiences back in high school."

"Hmph, that was youthful ignorance. You have to admit, Gao Kai only had that good-looking exterior," Wang Qiqi thought that Gao Kai was truly destined to be a dark spot in her life. "But don't bring that up in front of my sister, Wang Rui, in the future. I worry she'll fly into a rage. You know, my relationship with Gao Kai is a secret that cannot be mentioned."

"It’s you who considers your past with Gao Kai a blemish," Shi Man shook her head. "That day, someone spent a fortune just to see you, but alas, they still didn't get to see you in the end. By the way, do you know why the class monitor and the others agreed to help Gao Kai?"

"Nothing more than personal gain," Wang Qiqi had pondered why her popularity plummeted at that moment. She didn't think her social standing was that bad in her final year of high school, so why wasn't she notified about such a major piece of news beforehand? However, a new idea suddenly struck her. "Manman, don't you think it was intentional that someone in the restroom said Gao Kai would be coming today, possibly to make sure you overheard? Of course, they weren't entirely certain. If I had arrived earlier, or bumped into classmates downstairs, they wouldn't technically be letting the cat out of the bag?"

Shi Man hadn't thought deeply about such details before, but hearing Wang Qiqi say it now, she paused for a moment. "Yes, why didn't I think of that? I was wondering why such a private matter would be discussed in a restroom. I initially assumed they wanted to see you make a fool of yourself."

"Maybe they were just playing both sides to look good," Zhu Lina hadn't been present that day, so she didn't know the finer details of what happened. But after hearing Wang Qiqi and Shi Man recount the day, she thought for a moment. "Perhaps the class monitor deliberately leaked it, and those two were the executors."

Gao Kai had contacted the class monitor directly. Even if some people in the class had heard whispers, they were just rumors; only the monitor knew the specifics. "It looks like our class monitor is trying to appease both sides," Zhu Lina sighed. It seemed many people changed after entering university, deviating from their high school image as bookworms who constantly studied.

"I think she’s trying to curry favor with you, Lina. Everyone knows the three of us have the closest relationship in class. If she can't find a good job after graduation, she might need Lina’s help," Shi Man analyzed, concluding that this was the only logical reason for the monitor to suddenly switch allegiance.

"Maybe she'll approach you, Manman, since your parents are civil servants. It's better for a girl to work in government," Wang Qiqi mused. "But Gao Kai’s behavior was pretty decent. Since I didn't show up, he still treated you all to dinner and karaoke." That part deserved praise.

Shi Man rolled her eyes. "If he dared not pay, his reputation as Young Master Gao would be ruined by the next day. Besides, I heard they spent tens of thousands of yuan per person on that trip to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore." Shi Man genuinely admired those wealthy kids; they were still high school students and hadn't earned a single penny yet, yet they spent so lavishly.

"They have good parents. Maybe next year we can travel using money we've earned ourselves," Wang Qiqi thought. Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand—so what? Perhaps by next year, using their own earnings, they could afford a trip to Europe. However, Wang Qiqi felt going to Europe right now would be throwing money away. "If we have the money next year, let's go to Europe."

"To Europe?"

"To Europe? We can go."

"Europe?"

All three exclaimed simultaneously. The news of going to Europe wasn't a huge shock to Zhu Lina; Europe was just a place name in Han Tao's narratives. Shi Man, on the other hand, was stunned that after her slight complaint about Gao Kai and the others spending so much in Southeast Asia, Wang Qiqi would suddenly become so enthusiastic about going to Europe. "Qiqi, you know going to Europe costs even more."

Wang Qiqi didn't see it that way. "Going to Europe costs money, but what if we bring back brand-name bags and watches and sell them at a price one or two tenths cheaper than in China? Wouldn't we recoup the money?" Some people noticed this price difference, but few actually tried to execute the plan. Why? First, in people's minds, Europe was a paradise for the rich; going there without substantial savings would just look pathetic. Second, getting a visa wasn't easy. "Of course, the prerequisite is that we can actually secure visas."

"Visas aren't that easy to get, are they?" Shi Man hesitated. "Furthermore, even if we bring back designer goods, can we actually sell them?" Although Wang Qiqi's description sounded good, what if the items didn't sell? "And will people believe they're genuine?"

"We'll have the receipts," Zhu Lina wasn't worried about that aspect. "But if we give them the receipts, they can calculate the exchange rate themselves. How would we make money?" How could one ask for extra money for helping bring things back? "Besides, things in Europe are much cheaper than in China, especially after Christmas; the prices are practically cabbage rates."

Zhu Lina’s mother had gone on several major shopping sprees in Europe before, but Zhu Lina wasn't overly concerned with those details. More importantly, her family felt that as a student, she didn't need excessively expensive items.

"We charge a ten percent service fee. I think that’s better than them flying to Europe themselves. True wealth can fly to Europe for their own shopping sprees, but what about those who have some money but not enough to travel comfortably? Wouldn't they be tempted if we offered the items?" Wang Qiqi was confident about this. "Of course, we need to do our homework first, like knowing how many potential customers there are."

"If it’s genuine, I can ask my dad’s colleagues. They have some money, but as you know, traveling to Europe isn't convenient for them," Shi Man considered. "I'll just say it's a friend handling it, so there's an extra fee." Shi Man realized it made sense too; genuine items cheaper than in the mall, plus receipts—only a fool wouldn't buy.

"Forget the watches. If there’s any issue with those, are we going to fly back and forth to fix the problem?" Zhu Lina thought it over. "Let’s stick to bags or cosmetics. Those are easier to sell. If we can't sell the cosmetics, we can use them ourselves."

Right! Doing a cosmetics business—Wang Qiqi thought she was being dense. "How did I forget that? Cosmetics are great; they are consumable goods." Although watches with a ten percent fee would yield decent profit, as Zhu Lina pointed out, if those high-value items didn't sell or got slightly damaged, their small operation couldn't handle it. "Lina, I suddenly regret persuading you to stay in China for university instead of pushing you to advance."

Wang Qiqi's comment stunned both Shi Man and Zhu Lina. Why was Qiqi suddenly shifting to this topic? Seeing their dumbfounded expressions, Wang Qiqi burst out laughing. "If Lina had gone to study in America, we wouldn't even need to go abroad. We could just contact customers here in China, tell Lina what we needed, and have her ship the items back." Alas, Wang Qiqi felt that was a poor strategic move.

Zhu Lina hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to lament this. "Aren't you worried I'd become self-sufficient if I went to America?"

"You wouldn't, because that little bit of money wouldn't matter to you, Nana," Shi Man understood. According to Qiqi’s logic, she could get rich without the expensive airfare—truly a missed opportunity.

"One does not refrain from action because the profit is small," Zhu Lina stated, then smiled herself. "Don't worry, if I really go to America, I'll help bring things back. Han Tao, you join us too. Then the four of us will split it evenly." Her father had met Han Tao once and commented that this young man was clearly extraordinary and someone she should befriend. That was why Zhu Lina was so polite to Han Tao.

Han Tao hadn't expected to be included. He wondered how he could possibly have that much money and quickly tried to decline, but he couldn't resist their three-to-one vote in favor of the plan. Although they called it a plan, with the implementation date still uncertain, Han Tao kept their intentions in mind. Watching them cheerfully discuss how to launch this business, a thought formed in his heart: even if they weren't blood relatives, they were closer than family.

A rare moment of cool weather; one wonders if Monday will usher in the scorching summer heat. (To be continued.)