Chapter 98: Another Windfall

Daniel really left.

Whether he would one day regret his decision to withdraw his shares, no one could say for now, but this time he left decisively, boarding a plane to New York the very next day.

Before leaving, he sent Sumu a postcard, which had not yet arrived. After this brief intersection over the past two months, Sumu and Daniel Brown, who had only recently met, parted ways and returned to their separate lives.

On Thursday morning, Principal Batistuta convened the students to deliver a speech on campus bullying. Out of consideration for the girls involved, he did not mention any names, but every student knew whom he was talking about.

Once the rumors between Sumu and Daniel were cleared up, no one brought it up again. Those who had previously rolled their eyes at Sumu simply went back to their studies and daily routines as if nothing had happened.

Under pressure from both their families and the old principal, Molly and the other girls reluctantly blocked Sumu at the classroom door after school that Thursday to apologize for their actions.

He did not respond, calmly informing them that Daniel had transferred, and pointing out that their so-called “jokes” might have a direct impact on Daniel’s entire life...

...

On Friday, Mr. Charlie had prepared the goods the school needed. Sumu and Li Ping’an, looking to save a bit on shipping, asked a security guard from Menlo Park High School to help them, making several trips back and forth by car, and then moved everything into the school building themselves.

After that, there was nothing more for them to worry about. Once a qualified teacher was hired, someone would be brought in to assemble everything. Sumu thought Daniel had been right: once his father donated the money, it belonged to the school, so he “ruthlessly” raised the profit on each computer to eighty dollars—still much lower than retail prices on the market.

That afternoon, they smoothly received the payment. After settling accounts with Mr. Charlie, Sumu’s balance had grown by $4,200. Subtracting the $1,000 he set aside for Daniel and the fee paid to the security guard for helping with transportation, the profit from this deal reached about $4,100.

They returned to the same Chinese restaurant to celebrate. When Sumu finished tallying the profits, Li Ping’an was stunned by the “huge sum” of over four thousand dollars.

“My goodness, my dad has to drive a truck for two months to earn that much! And you made it in no time—being a businessman is really lucrative!”

Sumu was already fairly well-off; four thousand dollars didn’t faze him. On the first day of school, Wang Kai had tossed more than six thousand dollars out his car window as if he were throwing away scrap paper.

He had won over a hundred thousand dollars in the lottery over the summer, but that was gambling money; this four thousand was earned by his own efforts. It felt different, and he was understandably delighted.

He shook his head and told him, “If Daniel hadn’t withdrawn, I would’ve given him a thousand more, and the profit would’ve been even higher. Of course businessmen have money—you don’t need to tell me. America practically belongs to them; getting rich just by working a job... it’s too hard.”

“A thousand dollars? You haven’t even started a company yet; how could it be worth so much?” Li Ping’an looked at Sumu like he was an idiot, upset that he’d simply handed over several extra hundred dollars.

“It’s different. If Daniel hadn’t asked his father to help, I might not have gotten the school’s order at all, so it’s only right to give him a share.”

Li Ping’an took a sip of cola, picked up some food with his chopsticks, and said, “Maybe his father just wanted a tax break. Right after donating, his son transfers—he must be heartbroken now.”

Sumu laughed, “That’s not my concern. I profited from it, and accounts ought to be settled clearly. That way, no one owes anyone else. Just like tonight: I’m treating you to dinner. Would you really not return the favor?”

“Absolutely, because now you’re rich.”

Hearing such a confident response, Sumu was momentarily speechless, then managed, “That’s just because you’re shameless. Boss, how much do we owe?”

“Hey, wait! Let me check what you ordered... Twenty-three bucks in total,” the middle-aged Chinese owner replied.

The restaurant owner before him always reminded Sumu of his own father, who also ran a restaurant.

Now that he could make money himself, Sumu felt genuinely happy at the thought. In a few days, when Qugo Supermarket opened, his family’s financial pressure would ease considerably. If the supermarket did well, he could finally tell them about his investment.

After paying, they rode their bikes back. Li Ping’an gave Sumu a lift, and suddenly Sumu asked, “I’m going to look for more business at other schools tomorrow. Many of them don’t have computer classes yet, so I should be able to sell more. Once the other salespeople catch on, there’ll be fewer opportunities.”

“We’ll have to go register the company next week, too. Daniel told me to find his family’s housekeeper, Josiah, for help. With him out, that five percent stake is unclaimed—are you interested?”

Who wouldn’t want a chance to make money? Joking aside, friends could eat and drink together all they liked, but business was a serious matter.

Li Ping’an replied without hesitation, “Five percent? You gave Daniel so much when he left, but to invest I’d need several hundred bucks. I don’t have that kind of money. I only brought a little over five hundred this time—once it’s gone, I’m heading back. But if your company needs people, you can hire me to help.”

The company was so small it barely counted, neither of them took it too seriously.

Li Ping’an declined, and Sumu didn’t push. The guy had so little money—forcing him to invest would feel like a scam.

Besides, just because the first deal had succeeded didn’t mean there’d be more orders down the line. Sumu said no more and changed the subject: “All right, come be my salesman. I’ll give you commission for every computer you sell. I have classes during the week, so I can only visit other schools on weekends. If you do well, this big boss will give you a bonus!”

“Pff! Big boss? With that beat-up bike, you don’t look the part. The tires are flat—why don’t you give me a ride for once...”

Three computers still sat in Sumu’s room.

He didn’t have time or money to hire employees, so he decided to wait a while and focus on the more promising business of computer sales.

After each showered and went to bed—Sumu taking the bed, Li Ping’an sleeping on the floor—the night was still hot, and the fan ran all night.

Hauling all those computers had worn them out, so Sumu slept in for once, not waking until after nine; Li Ping’an was still snoring away on the floor.

Unable to hold it, Sumu went to the bathroom first. As he got up, he realized his arms were sore—maybe a pulled muscle, but it would heal in a couple days.

After changing, he woke Li Ping’an, and they went out for brunch after ten. As they pedaled away, Sumu muttered,

“We have to work hard today. Help me think—who needs computers? The kind who buy in bulk. We have to land a deal today or tomorrow. If anyone asks, just say we’re adults; white folks can’t tell our age anyway.”

“Sure thing, boss! I’ll give it my all!”

“...Knock it off. Don’t make fun of me.”

...