C1 Borrowing Money to Rent a Factory.

"Fifth Brother, I've been thinking about starting a business and I need to borrow some money."

"Bro, I'd love to help you out, but I've just taken on a big engineering project and I'm strapped for cash at the moment. Maybe check back with me later?"

"Third Aunt, I'm looking to set up a factory. Could you spot me some cash?"

"She's not here right now. I'm your uncle. Our daughter's college tuition is coming up, and we're pretty tight on money ourselves!"

"Fourth Aunt..."

Lee Zhi had reached out to all his relatives and friends for a loan, but as he had anticipated, none were willing to lend him the funds. One of his friends did give him five thousand yuan, with the caveat that Lee Zhi never contact him again; in return, the debt would be forgiven.

Holding his phone, Lee Zhi's smile was tinged with sadness. He constantly questioned whether it was his own shortcomings or the complexities of society at fault.

Lee Zhi had once lived a life of luxury, but that all disappeared with the passing of his parents.

Now at twenty-one, Lee Zhi was a junior in college with one year left until graduation, but he could no longer afford to continue his education. His academic performance had been mediocre before university, scoring well below average on the college entrance exam. Back then, with his parents alive and financially stable, he had the luxury of attending one of the nation's top private universities. But with his parents gone, the exorbitant tuition and fees were beyond his reach, leaving him with the tough choices of dropping out or taking a break from school.

Luckily, bad fortune doesn't last forever. After months of despondency, Lee Zhi's life took an unexpected turn.

A concept for the 'Nebula I9 Intelligent Factory' system materialized in his mind.

This system promised to help Lee Zhi earn money in the manufacturing sector.

A promising path lay before him, and he felt on the cusp of wealth. Yet, one obstacle stood in his way: money.

Broke, Lee Zhi couldn't even cover next month's rent, let alone start a factory. What was he to do?

The typical solution most people think of is to borrow from family and friends, and Lee Zhi was no different.

Lee Zhi's parents had been stock market professionals, but they had lost a considerable amount of money before their deaths—some of it their own, and some belonging to relatives and friends.

Five thousand yuan was clearly insufficient to launch a factory, considering even the smallest processing plant would cost upwards of a hundred thousand yuan.

Lee Zhi, with the idea of the Nebula I9 Intelligent Processing Plant, wasn't sure he could turn a profit with the factory. However, if the system worked as he envisioned, he wouldn't face losses.

In the world, there are fools and there are geniuses. Lee Zhi was no fool—he aspired to be a genius.

To the Lee Zhi of the past, a hundred thousand yuan was a trivial sum. But now, if he were to take a job with a monthly salary of three thousand yuan, he would have to work for three to four years without spending a dime to save up that amount.

Lee Zhi couldn't afford to wait that long!

He scrolled through his phone's contact list, removing the numbers of many relatives and friends. He resolved not to reach out to them anymore.

Then, the name 'Xiaomei' caught his eye in the contact list.

Xiaomei was a tall, slender girl, standing at least 1.73 meters. She could easily be a model with her sweet smile and tanned skin. While not particularly busty, her beauty was undeniable. Moreover, she hailed from outside the province.

Xiaomei and Lee Zhi weren't in the same college, but their paths crossed in the same university town. They first met at a social gathering where Lee Zhi got Xiaomei drunk, and both ended up intoxicated. That night, they ended up at a hotel together. In Lee Zhi's mind, they were never lovers, just sexual partners, and this arrangement lasted for over a year.

As time went on, the novelty of their relationship wore off. Lee Zhi, known for his playboy ways at the time, seemed to have lost his affection for Xiaomei, and she could sense it. Consequently, they parted ways.

"Hello?"

In a moment of bewilderment, Lee Zhi found himself dialing Xiaomei's number. Just as he was about to hang up, realizing his mistake, Xiaomei answered.

Her voice, familiar and gentle, floated through the phone, "How have you been lately?"

"I'm fine. Muh Xiaomei, I need to ask you for a favor—I need to borrow some money," Lee Zhi said with a grimace, swallowing his pride.

There was a brief silence before Muh Xiaomei responded, "How much do you need?"

"One hundred thousand."

"I can lend you that amount, but you have to promise you'll pay me back," Muh Xiaomei said with a chuckle, then promptly ended the call.

Lee Zhi stood frozen, phone in hand, puzzled by her lack of questions about his reasons for borrowing the money, the absence of a repayment date, and her not berating him.

A text message chimed in from the bank, confirming the deposit of one hundred thousand yuan into his account. Muh Xiaomei knew his bank details because Lee Zhi had given her money in the past.

Suddenly, Lee Zhi burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face. It's true what they say: you only find out who truly cares for you when you hit rock bottom.

Lee Zhi would never have imagined that the woman who was once just a partner in his bed would lend him money so selflessly when everyone else turned their backs on him.

"Muh Xiaomei, thank you. I'll never forget this kindness," he texted her.

In her dorm room within the university town, Muh Xiaomei lay on her bed, staring at the message and letting out a sigh. She couldn't reveal to anyone, not even her closest friends, that she had lent money to Lee Zhi. They would surely chastise her for it.

To her dorm mates, Lee Zhi was nothing but scum, someone they'd gladly damn to eternal torment. But Muh Xiaomei wasn't foolish. In fact, she was quite astute. The money she lent him was originally given to her by Lee Zhi, which she had saved. Even if he was a scoundrel, she was merely returning what was once his.

She understood that Lee Zhi was a man of immense pride and didn't expect any repayment. Her insistence on repayment was a way to spare his fragile ego.

"I'll share a little secret with you—you were my first boyfriend," she texted him, revealing a cherished secret she had kept close to her heart.

Yet, Lee Zhi wouldn't see this message for a while; his phone service had been cut off due to unpaid bills.

The sum of 100,000 yuan had been deposited into his account. With an additional 5,000 yuan, his total came to 105,000 yuan. There was also the matter of the "friends" who were willing to give him the 5,000 yuan. Their generosity wasn't due to a close relationship with Lee Zhi, but rather because they owed him a much larger sum from past loans.

Sea City, true to its name, was a sprawling metropolis by the sea.

Lee Zhi hailed a taxi and headed out of the urban area, making a beeline for a place known as 'Fish Head Island'. According to his online research, there was a 'factory' there up for rent. Spanning 12 acres with several auxiliary facilities, the annual rent was a steal at just 30,000 yuan.

Armed with funds, the concept of starting his own factory began to crystallize in Lee Zhi's mind. He was nearly set to go; he just needed the proverbial east wind.

There's a saying that with the right lever, one could move the Earth. Lee Zhi felt similarly empowered; with a factory at his disposal, he was on the brink of wealth.

'Fish Head Island' was more aptly 'Fish Head Village', a once simple fishing hamlet. With the burgeoning tourism industry, the village's economy had been revitalized. Boasting the sea, sandy beaches, and rocky reefs, tourists could join fishing expeditions, while local farm stays and food stalls added to the charm, creating a modest but popular tourist spot. Come weekends and holidays, city dwellers flocked here for leisure.

"Hello, Village Chief Wang!" Lee Zhi greeted the man responsible for the factory rental.

The village chief, a man in his forties, appraised Lee Zhi and asked, "Are you the one interested in leasing this place?"

Lee Zhi nodded, replying with a smile, "Yes, that's me. Could you show me around the factory?"

"I'll be upfront with you," Village Chief Wang began. "First, the annual rent of 30,000 yuan is non-negotiable. Second, the minimum lease term is three years."

Lee Zhi had no objections and agreed on the spot, though he reserved his final decision until after he had seen the factory in person.

The so-called 'factory' was, in truth, more of a workshop. Village Chief Wang explained that it was once a collective processing plant run by the village, which had since shut down and sold off all its machinery. What remained were a dozen workshop buildings and a spacious courtyard.

Overgrown with weeds, the workshops' windows were devoid of intact glass. The courtyard, though expansive, was enclosed by a mere two-meter-high wall.

"What do you think? This place has potential," Village Chief Wang boasted. "It's spacious enough for storage or other uses, and it's conveniently located not far from the city center, with easy access via this newly constructed road."

As Village Chief Wang spoke, Lee Zhi pondered the possibilities. The 'Nebula I9 Intelligent Factory' was already taking shape in his mind, but he knew that some things couldn't be achieved by thought alone. He had the system, yet machinery and equipment couldn't be conjured from thin air—they required investment.

Lee Zhi offered a cigarette to Village Chief Wang and asked with a smile, "Do folks around here still make their living fishing at sea?"

Chief Wang accepted the cigarette, pausing briefly at Lee Zhi's question before responding, "Of course we fish. What else would our villagers eat or drink if we didn't? It's not just us in Fish Head Village who take to the sea; fishermen from all the neighboring villages do the same!"

"They all go out to sea to fish?"

"That's right. It means we have rich fishing resources in this area!"

An idea began to take shape in Lee Zhi's mind.