The Accomplice 05

Fang Zhiyi looked helpless. "All my money is already invested. I can only lend you a thousand to test the waters."

Lin Zhou gritted his teeth. A thousand was a thousand; it wasn't coming out of his own pocket anyway!

"Deal!"

Fang Zhiyi added, "But... you have to write me an IOU. You can pay me back after you make a profit."

Lin Zhou got anxious. "Are you serious..."

Fang Zhiyi interrupted him again. "If you're my brother, don't ask so many questions. I'm doing this for your own good. Writing an IOU at least proves you invested a thousand. Otherwise, I'm afraid that once I see the profit, I won't have the heart to part with it and give it to you."

Lin Zhou's expression shifted constantly. Looking at Fang Zhiyi's earnest face, he even suspected for a moment that Fang Zhiyi might be scamming him.

But he immediately shook his head. He knew Fang Zhiyi too well; he simply wasn't the type to lie.

Little did he know, this was the closest he would ever get to the truth.

Fang Zhiyi watched him write the IOU. "Just keep that project with your 'Good Big Brother' on the back burner for now. You can invest in that after you've made some money here. The more you invest, the more you earn. Just don't forget about me when the time comes."

Lin Zhou still felt a bit uncomfortable, to the point where he even forgot to complain.

Over the next few days, Fang Zhiyi seemed very busy and didn't contact him. Aside from the irritation of not being able to freeload off him, Lin Zhou felt fine. What was there to fear about an IOU? He didn't believe Fang Zhiyi would fall out with him over a measly one-thousand-dollar note. Impossible!

That night, Fang Zhiyi suddenly asked him to meet up, acting all mysterious.

Lin Zhou stared at the pile of cash in front of Fang, completely stunned. Greed, jealousy, suspicion—a complex mix of emotions surged in his heart.

Fang Zhiyi counted out three thousand, then took back one thousand. "Here, your IOU, plus the two thousand you earned this time. Am I a good brother or what?"

Looking at the two thousand cash and the IOU in his hand, Lin Zhou's heart drummed in his chest. It really made money? Fang Zhiyi really hadn't lied to him!

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't feel happy. Looking at the money in front of Fang Zhiyi—there must have been at least several thousand, maybe even ten thousand!

"Um, you, how did you..."

Fang Zhiyi glanced at him. "By the way, let me tell you, the next project starts in two days. If you still want to invest, get your money ready." He paused, a look of greed appearing on his face. "Even close brothers must settle accounts clearly... I can bring you along, but I need to take the opportunity to make a bit more for myself too. We're brothers, you understand, right?"

Lin Zhou looked at Fang Zhiyi's expression with mixed feelings. I understand! You, Fang Zhiyi, suddenly got rich and became even greedier!

But he wasn't stupid. He knew he couldn't offend Fang Zhiyi right now. After hesitating for a moment, he kept five hundred and handed fifteen hundred to Fang Zhiyi. "I'll invest this much."

Fang Zhiyi looked at the money he handed over. "Brother, I'm not trying to lecture you, but being this timid won't get you anywhere. Sigh, opportunity knocks and you just can't seem to grasp it."

Despite his words, he still accepted Lin Zhou's money.

Lin Zhou didn't look very happy. Perhaps it was because he hated seeing Fang Zhiyi make money, or perhaps he had noticed the change in him.

Very soon, Fang Zhiyi found Lin Zhou again and handed him five thousand. "Luck was on our side this time; we made a bit extra."

Lin Zhou stared blankly at the money before him. By this point, he had completely forgotten about his "Good Big Brother." He had made five thousand doing absolutely nothing? No, five thousand five hundred! And he hadn't even put up any of his own capital!

He was just about to rejoice when he suddenly remembered to ask Fang Zhiyi, "Will there be more in the future?"

Fang Zhiyi's expression dimmed slightly. "Opportunities are running out. They say there's one last round. I've decided to go all in with everything I have. Buying a car and a house depends entirely on this one shot!" His eyes shone as he patted Lin Zhou on the shoulder.

Hearing him mention buying a car and a house, Lin Zhou instantly felt wretched. He could almost see the image of Fang Zhiyi living in a new house and driving a new car, waving at him. No way! How could he!

"I... I'll invest too!" Lin Zhou gritted his teeth and said it. "We're brothers, you wouldn't leave me out, right?"

Fang Zhiyi laughed. "How could I leave you out? Not only will I include you, but today I'm taking you out to celebrate!"

Hearing this, Lin Zhou's eyes lit up.

That night, they enjoyed a full round of dining, drinking, and entertainment. Fang Zhiyi paid for everything, though he didn't give Lin Zhou any room to show off. In truth, suppressing a parasitic friend is easy; you just have to be more dominant than him. Before, Fang lacked that edge, but now things were different. Lin Zhou knew he had to rely on Fang Zhiyi to make money, so even when Fang cut him off or mocked him, he could only curse silently while keeping a smile on his face.

"Brother, let me tell you a secret," Fang Zhiyi said drunkenly.

Lin Zhou hadn't drunk much; he was constantly calculating. Hearing this, he immediately leaned in.

"Making money this time was all about luck, you get it? How many times does a man get lucky in his life? So I... I'm telling you, I mortgaged my parents' house. I'm going to soar to the skies!" Fang Zhiyi spread his arms, mimicking a takeoff.

Lin Zhou was shocked. Fang Zhiyi actually mortgaged the house?

Even after he returned home, his mind was still filled with Fang Zhiyi's words and the luxury of the entertainment venues they had visited. Lin Zhou reached into his pocket and touched the money inside. Suddenly, a wave of jealousy surged up, accompanied by a sense of panic.

He was afraid. If Fang Zhiyi became rich, he might not be so easily manipulated anymore. What would happen then? No, he had to think of a way too. But what could he do? Tell his dad that Fang Zhiyi had a project to invest in? That old man didn't have much money, ten or twenty thousand at most.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Fang Zhiyi said he had mortgaged his house.

Did that mean he could do the same?

He actually knew someone for this. He remembered his "Good Big Brother" telling him that if he ever needed money, he should come to him. He had a buddy named Yang Laowu who specialized in mortgage loans.

Lin Zhou's heart churned. To say he wasn't nervous would be a lie, but every time he touched the money in his pocket, he felt a sense of reassurance.

Just this once. Just once!

After this one time, no one would look down on him ever again!

His hand trembling, he dialed the number. "Hello, Big Brother?"

"Who is it?" The voice on the other end was very impatient.

"It's me, I'm Lin Zhou."

"Oh, f*ck off! Do you see what time it is?" The person on the other end unleashed a torrent of abuse. It wasn't until Lin Zhou mentioned he wanted to borrow money that the tone improved.

"Alright, come find me tomorrow. I'll make the introductions. Hanging up now."

Lin Zhou put down the phone and lay on the bed. Gradually, he fell fast asleep. In his dreams, he lived in a villa, drove a luxury car, and had a beautiful woman by his side...

The next day, Lin Zhou actually went through with it. Under the introduction of his so-called "Good Big Brother," he met Yang Laowu. Incidentally, he produced the property deed he had stolen. Because his name wasn't on it, the amount he could borrow wasn't as high as he had imagined.

Little Hei told Fang Zhiyi about this.

Fang Zhiyi smiled. "Do you believe that if he suddenly comes into a large amount of money, he definitely won't be able to hold onto it?"

Little Hei looked a bit innocent. "Why?"