A Graduation Gift

Cassandra wondered, 'Did I hear that right? Is someone really planning to make an investment in the Qin Group?'
"Excuse me, which investment company are you calling from?" she asked carefully and seemingly intrigued.
She remembered that the last time she took a taxi, the driver unexpectedly drove her to a hotel under the pretense that someone
wanted to have a word with her. When she discovered that the person who met her at the hotel was looking to invest in the Qin
Group, she walked out of there without a word. In her arrogance, she let her pride dictate her decisions and refused to accept
investments from anyone at that time. However, circumstances had changed drastically for the Qin Group since then. Now the
sudden emergence of this potential investor was starting to feel like a blessing.
"Hello, Miss?Qin, we have met each other before."
The man on the other end of the phone had a confident tone to his voice. The moment he said that, she knew exactly who she
was speaking to.
"Well then, let's meet and discuss everything in detail,"
she diligently asked to make an appointment to elaborately assess the investment.
After hanging up the phone, Cassandra took a careful look at the printed e-mail in her hand, ready to conduct a detailed research
into the e-mail sender's information over the Internet.
Just as she clicked the browser open, the latest news popped up on her news feed.
The news article had a picture of Rufus holding Amanda's hand as they strolled around the streets of Paris. Glancing at the
picture left her insides contracting with a shocking coldness.
'Oh no! This can only mean that Lionel wasn't lying to me at all. He was actually speaking the truth when he said that Rufus and
Amanda had gone to Paris together. This picture of them in public is enough to prove the intimacy of their relationship.'
Cassandra shuddered at the thought.
Like a child immersed in a fairytale, she looked at the pictures and concluded that the two were undoubtedly in love with each
other. The more she saw, the sadder she felt. So her hands began to shake involuntarily.
Finding it hard to have the courage to carry on with the visual torture, Cassandra quickly turned off the computer to allow herself
a few moments of peace. Soon after, she turned away from the computer screen, sat there motionlessly, and consumed in her

own thoughts.
'I know that I was the one who broke up with you. Rufus, have you really moved on with your life? Did I push you into Amanda's
side? It's over, isn't it?'
Tucked away in a crescent-shaped cove with miniature villas spread out at the side, it was the biggest hotel in G City, where a
man in his fifties was sitting right across Cassandra.
With an unmistakable tall figure, the man was a lovely union of grace and majesty.
The name of the man was Charlie Ke.
"Miss?Qin, as far as I know, the Qin Group is being pressured by the bank to repay the loan. But I don't think that you have
enough money to repay the loan, do you?"
Charlie had no problem in candidly pointing out the most urgent problem currently underlying the Qin Group.
Taking a deep breath and steadying herself, Cassandra paused to collect her thoughts so that she could come up with a tactful
response to counter the middle-aged man with eagle-like sharp eyes.
"Yes, you are correct. If I want to repay the loan now, I will have to sell the workplace in which the Qin Group is currently
operating and all the office equipments I had purchased before. However, if I want to keep my father's wish of developing the Qin
Group for a long time, I cannot do that."
With a measure of maturity beyond her years, Cassandra donned a bitter smile on her sad face as she spoke to Charlie.
"Since you've agreed to come and talk with me today, would it be safe to presume that you are ready to accept our investment
proposal?"
Raising his lips, Charlie looked at her with confidence, as if he was fairly certain of his ability to persuade her.
"I can consider accepting this investment from you, but I'm curious about how you wish to cooperate with us."
Although she still had the exuberance of youth, Cassandra wasn't born yesterday. She wasn't gullible enough to believe that this
man would willingly take the risk to invest in a small company like the Qin Group with no strings attached, especially now that
they were financially in a precarious position.

'What does this man really want from the Qin Group?' she wondered.
"You are clearly aware of what the financial state the Qin Group is in right now. Earlier on, when the Qin Group was developing
rapidly, I wanted to invest in your company, but you turned me down. However, even though the Qin Group is facing imminent
closure, I am still willing to invest in your company as a display of my sincerity. I hope this help to erase any kind of suspicions
you may have had in the past. Okay?"
What a sharp-witted fellow this Charlie was! His astute mind had a flair of extracting what Cassandra was thinking. With his silver
tongue, he deliberately fashioned his words to gain her trust so she wouldn't second-guess his real intentions.
"May I ask you one question, Mr. Ke? Now that the Qin Group is struggling financially to make ends meet, aren't you afraid of
incurring a loss once you invest on us?"
Cassandra sat there, carefully observing the man's reactions, but she still couldn't see through his underlying motives.
"Ha! If the Qin Group's business were prospering financially and it had many talents operating in its office, you would still refuse
my proposal if I wanted to invest in your company. As for the rationale behind my investment, it is essential for investors to pay
more attention towards long-term interests rather than the immediate interests."
Raising the corner of his mouth again, he gave her a faint smile. In this way, he managed to appear a bit milder compared to the
intimidating look he had before.
"I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Ke. I am happy to know that you attach such great importance to the Qin Group. The fact that you
wish to stand by the company during these trying times is evidence of your eagerness and unwavering trust in it."
After carefully considering what he had said and finding sincerity in his words, Cassandra gradually put the doubts and
suspicions in her mind to rest.