Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Chapter 748 I believe you

Lin Bufan strode back to the group, phone in hand, a mischievous gleam on his face. He deftly located Hu Yifei's account and made a video call.

The video call was quickly connected, and the phone screen lit up, showing the scene on Hu Yifei's end.

At this moment, she was lounging boredly on the sofa in the living room of the Love Apartment, holding a magazine in her hand, and said listlessly, "Lin Bufan? Why aren't you staying in your Miao Village, being your darling? Why are you suddenly video calling me? Don't you know my time is precious?"

Lin Bufan's face lit up with a warm smile, and his voice rose an octave: "Yifei! I have some amazing news to share with you!"

Hu Yifei put the magazine aside and shifted to a more comfortable position: "Oh? Good news? Is it that the supermarket downstairs is having a buy-one-get-one-free pork sale, or have you gone bankrupt?"

Lin Bufan: “…”

"I'm here to tell you good news, not for you to fantasize!"

After giving Hu Yifei a disdainful look, Lin Bufan didn't give her a chance to continue her train of thought and directly delivered his so-called good news: "Yifei, Zhanbo has made something of himself!"

This immediately piqued Hu Yifei's interest. She sat up straight on the sofa, her eyes brightening. "You've finally made something of yourself? Tell me, tell me, did some clueless girl finally see through his husky exterior and discover his... even more husky-like heart, and decide to sacrifice herself for him, like a moth drawn to a flame, and die for his cause?"

Although he knew that Lu Zhanbo was Hu Yifei's half-brother, Lin Bufan was still moved by their selfless sibling affection and didn't even know how to respond!

Seeing Lin Bufan's expression, Hu Yifei knew she had guessed wrong, so she guessed again:

"no?

Could it be... that he got that girl pregnant?!

"This kid's something else! He's made such a big fuss without saying a word! How many months has it been? Who's the girl? I'm going to buy a plane ticket right now..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Lin Bufan quickly interrupted Hu Yifei's increasingly outrageous conjecture: "Comrade Hu Yifei, please calm down and control your wild imagination!"

"Not this either?" Hu Yifei's expression became even more confused. She touched her chin, her eyes glazing over as she fell into even more bizarre speculation: "Then it can't be that the baby was already born?! They only told us when the child was old enough to run errands? Did he have it while he was studying abroad? Is it white or black? Is it a boy or a girl? Could it be twins? Who does it look like?"

"Hu Yifei!" Lin Bufan raised his voice, unable to bear it any longer: "I'm saying Zhanbo has made something of himself, not that Zhanbo has mutated! How could someone like him possibly have a girlfriend? And a child? You're dreaming!"

Hu Yifei: "..."

"Alright, alright, stop guessing. It's giving me a headache. Let me show you Zhanbo after he becomes successful, so you can have a direct impression."

As he spoke, Lin Bufan flicked his wrist, flipping the front camera of his phone and pointing it at Zhou Xun, who was standing in front of him, his face still showing some confusion and embarrassment.

"Look closely, this is our Zhanbo, Comrade Lu Zhanbo, the brand new version after being tempered by society and refined in the workplace!" Lin Bufan's tone was full of smugness at his successful prank.

On the phone screen, Hu Yifei squinted, leaned forward, almost pressing her face against the screen, carefully examining the face that looked exactly like her younger brother's, yet exuded a completely different mature aura.

"I go!"

The next second, Hu Yifei sprang up from the sofa as if propelled by a spring, almost dropping her phone. Her eyes widened, and her voice suddenly rose, filled with disbelief:

"This...this...this...Lin Bufan! Did you give him hormones or send him to Korea? This change...it feels like a genetic mutation wouldn't be this dramatic! Yesterday, Zhanbo was the same idiot who asked me what we should do if aliens attacked Earth, how did he become like this today?"

Hu Yifei's exclamation immediately attracted the attention of everyone else in the living room.

"What's wrong, Yifei? What happened to Zhanbo? Did the aliens really attack?" Zeng Xiaoxian, wearing a flashy pink pajama, swayed his hips and squeezed his face into the camera lens, immediately spotting Zhou Xun on the screen. He froze for two seconds, then gasped sharply, his finger trembling as he pointed at the screen: "Who...who is this gentleman in the suit, so respectable...no, I mean, so distinguished? Where's our Zhanbo? Bufan, where did you hide him? Tell me, did you do something shady to our Zhanbo?!"

"Teacher Zeng, don't push me!" Chen Meijia hopped over to Hu Yifei's side, blinked her big eyes at the screen, and then clutched her heart with both hands, her eyes turning into stars: "Wow! So handsome! This version of Zhanbo is so stylish! That suit, that hairstyle, that gaze... I feel like my IQ has increased by at least 250 percentage points!"

Qin Yumo, who wore glasses and looked very alluring, was also drawn over. She remained calm and looked closely: "He does look exactly like Zhanbo, but his temperament is completely different. This gentleman looks much more mature and composed, and his eyes are sharper. He must be a businessman. Even if Zhanbo grew a beard long enough to knit a sweater, he still couldn't exude this kind of aura."

The reactions of everyone in the Love Apartment were clearly transmitted through their phones' speakers. An eerie silence fell over the doorway of Room 5.

Zhou Xun's expression froze completely, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with absurdity and confusion. He couldn't understand what the people in the video were saying—"Zhanbo," "Erha," "Alien"—but these words were definitely directed at his face.

Lin Bufan watched the chaotic scene on his phone screen—the cast of Love Apartment yelling and shouting at Zhou Xun's face—a mischievous smile spreading across his face. Feeling he'd had enough of the joke, he cleared his throat and raised the volume on his phone:

"Alright, alright, quiet down! Zhanbo and I have important business to discuss, a multi-million dollar project. We don't have time to talk about aliens and hormones with you guys. I'm hanging up now, we'll talk later!"

Before Hu Yifei could roar in anger, Lin Bufan swiftly pressed the red hang-up button. The world instantly became quiet.

He casually slipped his phone back into his pocket with a flick of his wrist, his mischievous expression vanishing instantly, replaced by a business-like smile. He then extended his hand to Zhou Xun again: "Mr. Zhou, please excuse my lively manner. My friends are quite playful. Now, we can formally discuss your unmanned supermarket project."

Although Zhou Xun had a thousand questions in his mind, he knew that now was not the time to ask them, and he should focus on the purpose of his trip: "Okay, Mr. Lin, thank you for taking the time."

……

Meanwhile, inside suite 3601 of the Love Apartment in Shanghai, the atmosphere was far from calm.

"Hello? Hello! Lin Bufan! How dare you hang up on me! You just wait!" Hu Yifei yelled at the now-black phone screen, then angrily sat back down on the sofa.

"What's going on here?" Zeng Xiaoxian scratched his chin and twisted his body to analyze, "Have the beauty effects on mobile phones developed to the point where they can change souls with one click? Or... did Bufan really invest in some kind of black technology gene modification project and transform Zhanbo?"

Chen Meijia cupped her face in her hands, her eyes still sparkling: "He's so handsome! That cold, domineering CEO vibe! If Zhanbo is really like that, I think I could consider it too!"

Qin Yumo, being relatively rational, pushed up her glasses: "It should be two different people, maybe they're lookalikes! Their temperament and eyes are completely different."

……

Just as the group was having a heated discussion, the lock on the living room door clicked.

The door was pushed open, and Lu Zhanbo poked his head in. He was wearing his signature plaid shirt, his hair was a little messy, and his eyes were clear with a touch of habitual naivety. He was also holding a brand new box in his hands like a precious treasure.

"Hi, everyone's here!" Lu Zhanbo walked in with a smile, revealing his standard, innocent smile.

In an instant, the entire living room fell silent.

……

Returning our attention to the Windy Courtyard, four people sat around the stone table. Zhou Xun spoke, and Lin Bufan listened. Under the pavilion, Ma Qiushan continued meditating as usual, but today his ears were perked up!

Zhou Xun has succinctly explained the core advantages, market prospects, team composition, and current funding needs of the unmanned supermarket project.

He placed his hands clasped on the table, straightened his back, and looked at Lin Bufan with renewed sharpness and focus: "President Lin, I have given you a brief report on the core business model, technological barriers, market forecasts, and financial model of Xunjing Technology's unmanned supermarket project."

We at Puling Capital, and I personally, have full confidence in its business model and market potential, and we also have a comprehensive execution plan to bring it to fruition.

Is there anything else you would like to know, Mr. Lin?

His demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, expressing his desire to seek investment while maintaining the professional aura of a seasoned investor.

Lin Bufan leaned back in his rattan chair, relaxed, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. After listening to Zhou Xun's words, he didn't hesitate for a second and nodded directly: "That's all. It sounds pretty good. Okay, I'll invest in this project."

"..."

The air was quiet for a moment.

Zhou Xun's prepared arguments, meant to handle all sorts of probing questions, risk assessments, and even haggling, all stuck in his throat. He'd seen straightforward investors before, but never one this... hasty? Especially when it involved such a large sum of money.

Even Jiang Xiaoguo next to her couldn't help but open her mouth slightly, her eyes wide open, wondering why she could never meet such a silly... such an understanding customer.

Duan Jiabao, on the other hand, remained calm, only subtly pursing his lips as if to say, "See? I knew it."

Zhou Xun took a deep breath, suppressing his surprise, and cautiously began, "President Lin... what I mean is, don't you need to... reconsider? Or, we could provide a more detailed financial model, a technical barrier analysis, and a competitor comparison..."

"What are you considering?" Lin Bufan interrupted, his tone as casual as if he were deciding what to eat for dinner: "It's just a little money, what's there to consider? Besides," he looked at Zhou Xun's face, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, "I trust you."

This simple word "belief" surprised Zhou Xun more than any complex business analysis, and even made him... somewhat uncomfortable. After all, in his view, investment is based on rational judgment, not on personal feelings or emotions.

Lin Bufan's casual "I believe in you" sent a shiver down Zhou Xun's spine. In the investment world, "belief" is the most expensive and the most elusive word. He'd seen many investors who were initially agreeable, but often ended up with more trouble later.

To avoid future trouble, and also out of professional ethics, Zhou Xun decided to make things clear: "President Lin, thank you for your trust. However, there are some things I must explain to you fully before the investment intention is finalized."

I have confidence in Xunjing Technology's unmanned supermarket project, its business model, and its team; we've also conducted a thorough market analysis. However, no investment is 100% successful. Technological iterations, policy changes, market competition, team execution… any problem in any of these areas can lead to project failure and a complete loss of investment.

Zhou Xun paused, looking directly at Lin Bufan: "What I mean is, this money might make money, but it could also... be lost entirely. It's a high-risk project."

Faced with Zhou Xun's reminder, Lin Bufan simply waved his hand dismissively: "Like I said, I trust your judgment. Even if we lose money in the end, I'll accept it!"

Since Lin Bufan has already said that, what else can Zhou Xun say?

Of course, I could only accept it gladly!

……

With the project settled, the atmosphere relaxed. Duan Jiabao immediately became lively, saying that since they had come all this way, they couldn't just sit idly in the courtyard.

"Your Highness, please show us around and be a good host!" Duan Jiabao suggested with a grin, while also pulling Jiang Xiaoguo along: "Xiaoguo, what do you say?"

Jiang Xiaoguo was very interested in exploring Yunmiao Village, especially with Zhou Xun, so she looked at Zhou Xun with hopeful eyes!

Zhou Xun instinctively wanted to refuse, as he thought this kind of "play" was inefficient and unnecessary. However, when he met Jiang Xiaoguo's eyes, he hesitated. Oh well, he had already booked tickets to return to Shanghai for tomorrow, and Jiang Xiaoguo had helped a lot this time, so he decided to play for one day.

Lin Bufan originally wanted to invite Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing along, as it would be more fun with more people. However, Xu Hongdou's slight anger from being kissed without her consent hadn't faded, and she refused without hesitation. Chen Nanxing was quite tempted, but unfortunately, Xu Hongdou quickly grabbed her and forcibly pulled her to her side.

As for Sang Biao, he ignored Lin Bufan's calls and was clearly still immersed in his self-isolation. Seeing this, Lin Bufan had no choice but to explain to Chen Nanxing and Xu Hongdou.

Then, he took Duan Jiabao, Zhou Xun, and Jiang Xiaoguo out the door.