98. A Massive Loan

After seeing off all the guests, Xiao Zhenshan was still exhilarated. Even Bai Yuzhen turned into a chatterbox, tugging at her son and talking without end. There was only one subject: Cindy was such a good girl, beautiful and capable, and would surely become a fine wife and loving mother one day. Whoever married her would be set for life.

Once they got home, Xiao Yao, desperate to escape his mother’s sermon-like barrage, took the initiative to steer the conversation toward her work.

“Mom, now that you’re vice president of the provincial branch, is the job very tiring?”

“It’s not tiring, exactly. It’s just a lot of responsibility. I have to think of ways to increase lending while not letting risk control slip. My experience is still a little lacking, so every loan approval leaves me on edge. I’m always afraid something will go wrong, because then the consequences would be enormous.” Bai Yuzhen had always been an ambitious woman, and the pressure at work was indeed heavy.

“Mom, have you forgotten you’ve got a good son? If you run into any trouble, just tell me. I’ll definitely find a way to solve it for you,” Xiao Yao said grandly.

“You really think you’re some kind of immortal, don’t you? You think every problem can be dumped on you? Do you even know what our provincial branch’s annual lending target is?” Bai Yuzhen did not believe a word of her son’s boast.

“Huahui Bank hasn’t been around all that long. Even though it’s preparing to go public this year and push for better performance, I’m guessing the provincial branch’s annual lending target still wouldn’t exceed ten billion yuan, right?”

“I didn’t expect you to know our branch’s work so well. In preparation for the listing, head office set this year’s lending target for our provincial branch at eight billion. So far, we’ve only completed three billion. The end of the year is almost here, and such a heavy burden was suddenly dumped on me. The pressure really is tremendous.” Thinking of the fifty billion yuan still left unfinished, Bai Yuzhen felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“Only fifty billion left? That’s not much. If you’d told me sooner, I would have solved it for you already. Having resources right under your nose and not knowing how to use them — as vice president, you’re not exactly doing your job to the fullest,” Xiao Yao said with obvious swagger.

“You mean some of your friends are planning to take out loans? That would be wonderful!” Bai Yuzhen knew her son was no longer the same boy he used to be and did not judge him by old standards. “I really didn’t expect your circle of friends to be so large now. Even Mayor Fan is your friend. Knowing a few powerful business tycoons wouldn’t be strange at all.”

Xiao Yao shook his head. “Mom, who needs to go looking for other people for tens of billions in loans? I can handle this target for you myself.”

“You’re exaggerating. Do you even know how much fifty billion is? I may be the vice president in charge of lending, but every loan I approve still has to be reviewed by head office. Head office keeps risk control on a very tight leash. If I loosen the standards and lend to you, I probably wouldn’t keep this job much longer. By then, even if you don’t mind being embarrassed, I certainly do,” Bai Yuzhen rejected him outright without a second thought.

“It’s just fifty billion in loans. Are you worried I won’t be able to use it, or that I don’t have anything to put up as collateral?” Xiao Yao said indifferently.

“I’m worried about both. Fifty billion is no small sum. Just thinking about it is enough to scare anyone to death. What exactly do you want to use that money for? And what are you planning to use as collateral?” Bai Yuzhen’s expression turned serious.

Since fifty billion yuan was involved, Xiao Zhenshan was equally concerned. He added, “Son, your father knows you’re very well-off now, but even when you have money, you can’t spend it recklessly. If such a large investment fails, it could really hurt us. I advise you to be a little more cautious.”

“Your son isn’t that unreliable, is he? If I didn’t have absolute confidence, how could I dare to move such a huge amount of money?”

If it were not for solving his mother’s work problem, Xiao Yao had no intention of telling his family about his investments, so they would not worry. But now that he needed to help his mother, if he did not explain clearly, then with such a massive amount of money involved, the old couple would definitely lose sleep and appetite over it.

“Have you ever done anything reliable before? If you have, say it now, and from this point on, your parents promise not to interfere in your affairs,” Xiao Zhenshan said with complete justification.

Xiao Yao was momentarily speechless.

He had indeed been rather unreliable in the past, and his parents had every reason not to trust him very much.

“That was all ages ago. I’m not the same person I used to be, okay? Stop looking at people through old glasses.”

After a brief complaint, Xiao Yao continued, “I currently have three investment projects that need funding. Combined, the three of them would take at least ten billion.”

“Ten billion? You’re trying to scare me to death! Are these three projects really trustworthy? You absolutely have to be careful. If you lose everything, how are we supposed to live?” Although Bai Yuzhen handled huge sums after becoming vice president, that was all bank money. The investments her son needed money for were their family’s own money, and that felt entirely different.

Xiao Yao now rather regretted arranging for his mother to work at the bank.

If it were not for supporting his mother’s career, he would not have needed to tell his parents any of this. Fortunately, all three investment projects were guaranteed winners. As long as he explained the details clearly, his parents should stop worrying.

“The first project is a ten percent stake in Huahui Bank. I exchanged thirty billion in cash for that stake. What do you think of this investment? Is it reliable?”

Xiao Zhenshan and Bai Yuzhen exchanged a glance. Bai Yuzhen said, “Of course it’s reliable. Huahui Bank is about to go public, and with performance that strong, an increase in the share price after the listing is inevitable.”

Countless people would fight tooth and nail to get a stake in Huahui Bank at a premium, but without the proper background, that was nothing but wishful thinking.

Her son had exchanged thirty billion in cash for a ten percent stake in Huahui Bank. That was clearly an investment with very little risk and tremendous value.

“My second project was to exchange thirty billion in cash for that Hanguang Building in our city, which has now been renamed Taigu Building. This building is worth at least fifty billion on the market, and because the other party owed me a favor, they transferred it to me at cost, for thirty billion.”

Xiao Yao then gave a detailed introduction to the building and its various conditions.

After hearing his explanation, Xiao Zhenshan and Bai Yuzhen naturally had no objections to this investment.

Not to mention that the building had been acquired at cost and could be flipped for more than twenty billion in profit right away; even if it had been purchased at current market price, since it was a relatively safe investment in real assets, the couple would still not have opposed it.