How Hard can Losing Money even Be?

For a brief moment, Benny genuinely felt like his worldview had expanded.

Rolling the debts forward...

Companies could survive while continuously operating under pressure.

This...

This was practically an infinite cycle.

The more he learned, the more the modern financial system resembled some kind of legalized miracle.

Qiang, meanwhile, mistook Benny’s stunned silence for nervousness.

He chuckled lightly and waved a hand.

"Don’t overthink it too much. Plenty of companies operate like that."

Benny nodded slowly.

"...I see."

And somehow, that sentence reassured him far more than it should have.

Qiang stood up from his chair first. "Like I said, bring your documents tomorrow morning. Business license, registration details, office address, basic operational information. After that, we can arrange everything else."

Benny immediately nodded. "No problem."

The others around the table also gradually stood up, some stretching lazily while others prepared to head back outside the bank.

Business discussions were clearly over for the night.

Qiang adjusted his jacket before looking at Benny once more.

"Boss Benny."

"Mm?"

"You seem young, but your mentality is pretty good."

Benny blinked slightly.

Mentality?

Qiang nodded seriously. "Most people panic when talking about operational pressure and debt."

Then he laughed lightly.

"But you looked happier the more money we discussed."

The men nearby burst into laughter as well.

"Hahaha!"

"Seriously, that part was weird."

"I thought the kid was about to start borrowing millions."

Benny coughed awkwardly and quickly maintained a calm face.

"It’s because I believe in the company’s future." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The moment he said it, even he almost believed it himself.

Qiang grinned. "That’s good."

He reached out his hand.

Benny looked at it briefly before shaking it.

"Then let’s hope Autumn Investment grows bigger."

Bigger.

Benny’s lips twitched slightly hearing that word.

Oh, it would definitely get bigger.

Very big.

Preferably while losing terrifying amounts of money along the way.

The two finally let go.

"See you tomorrow, Boss Benny."

"Tomorrow."

The group gradually dispersed afterward, returning toward their usual spots outside the bank like experienced hunters waiting for the next desperate customer.

Meanwhile, Benny remained standing outside the tea shop for a few seconds longer.

The night breeze brushed past him quietly.

His hand slowly slipped into his pocket and touched the business card again.

Operational loans...

Expansion capital...

Debt rollover...

Every term replayed repeatedly inside his head.

He had indeed learned a lot of new things today, a grin slowly spread across his face once more.

"...This world really is amazing."

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Benny’s phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.

The grin on his face faded slightly as he pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Unknown number.

He answered casually. "Hello?"

A calm female voice came from the other side.

"Good evening, Mr. Benny. This is Lucy."

Benny paused for half a second before remembering.

Ah. It was the assistant.

His expression immediately straightened slightly.

"Right. Lucy."

"Sorry for calling this late," she said politely. "The agency informed me that the hiring process was completed today, so I wanted to confirm when you’d like me to begin work."

Benny subconsciously glanced at the time.

It was already fairly late.

Yet her tone still sounded composed and professional, without the slightest trace of impatience.

As expected of someone with actual experience.

For a brief moment, Benny almost felt guilty.

Almost.

He quickly shook the feeling away internally.

This was a proper business operation.

"Tomorrow morning," Benny replied. "The office should already be finished by then."

"Understood."

There was a brief pause before she continued: "Would you like me to arrive earlier to prepare the office environment beforehand?"

"No need," Benny said firmly. "Normal working hours are fine."

The silence on the other end lasted slightly longer this time.

"...Understood," Lucy replied again.

Though somehow, her tone sounded a little different now.

Benny didn’t notice it at all as his attention had already drifted elsewhere.

An office, employees, an assistant a loan and an investment café.

Everything was rapidly becoming more and more legitimate.

At this rate...

Autumn Investment might genuinely start looking like a real company.

The thought almost made him emotional.

Lucy spoke again: "Then may I ask for the office address?"

"Oh, right."

Benny quickly pulled out the contract papers from his bag and read out the location.

"Building No. 69, Dog Street."

"...Dog Street?" Lucy repeated softly.

For some reason, there was a faint pause afterward.

Benny coughed lightly. "It’s temporary."

"I understand."

Professional. Very professional.

She didn’t question it further at all.

"Then I’ll report tomorrow at nine o’clock sharp."

"Alright."

The call ended shortly afterward.

Benny lowered the phone slowly.

Then his gaze drifted upward toward the brightly lit bank across the street.

Tomorrow morning:

meet financing consultant

meet assistant

inspect office setup

prepare company operations

The more he thought about it...

The busier he became.

And busy companies naturally spent more money.

Benny suddenly felt incredibly fulfilled.

Just then his stomach rumbled quietly.

Growl.

"..."

Benny lowered his head slowly.

Right.

He had spent the entire evening discussing corporate financing and future expansion.

But in the end...

he still needed to eat dinner.

Staring at his wallet, Benny suddenly felt the urge to skip the meal altogether.

Truthfully, nearly all the money he had left was meant for textbooks and guidebooks for the semester.

And out of everything remaining, only around three hundred yuan was actually supposed to cover his living expenses for the entire month.

"...Hah."

Benny let out a long sigh beneath the streetlights.

For a few moments, he simply stood there quietly.

Then suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"...Wait."

A thought quickly surfaced in his mind.

Yesterday, he had already informed Sarah that he would review the café’s financial records today.

That meant he could actually go pay them a visit and would completely count as official business.

A company dinner expense.

And while reviewing financial statements, naturally he’d need to observe product quality consistency as well.

That sounded perfectly reasonable.

The more Benny thought about it, the more flawless the logic became.

His earlier depression immediately vanished without a trace.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand once more.

"Taxi!"

A cab quickly slowed beside the curb.

The driver rolled down the window slightly. "Where to?"

"Golden Spoon Café."

The driver nodded and Benny climbed into the back seat comfortably.