Chapter 94 - 93: My Money Has Its Uses
The two of them reached a rest area to the side and took off their protective gear just as Nina Jennings crossed the finish line.
Nina Jennings parked her car, walked over, and grumbled, "Are you some kind of monster? How did you get even faster? I couldn’t even see your taillights."
Harrison Lowell, acting as Yvonne’s mouthpiece, replied, "We took the Rift, of course we were fast."
’Tsk. Look at him, practically wagging his tail. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was the one driving.’
"What the hell?! You two took the Rift?!" Nina Jennings slung an arm around Yvonne Lowell’s shoulder. "Didn’t we agree to take the left path!?"
’What a maniac! She actually dared to take Harrison Lowell through the Rift! Has she lost her mind?’
She used to love a good thrill, too, but even she had never attempted that track.
She knew her own limits; her skills were no match for Yvonne Lowell’s.
They were just in it for fun, but Yvonne Lowell raced like her life was on the line.
Yvonne Lowell shrugged the hand off her shoulder. "I only agreed to one race with you."
Nina Jennings was left speechless.
"So we’re splitting hairs now, are we? Fine. I don’t care. This bet doesn’t count. Your sponsorship stays as is—no cutting it in half. Otherwise, I’ll just go ahead and embezzle Pluto’s corporate funds."
Yvonne Lowell shot her a sidelong glance. "Go ahead. You’ll either end up in jail or have to pay it all back."
’Seriously? That’s her threat? As if that would work on me.’
"Hey! You..."
"What sponsorship?" Harrison Lowell’s head popped up between the two of them.
’A glint flashed in Nina Jennings’s eyes. Here was a perfect sucker... er, no, a perfect potential sponsor.’
"Brother Harrison, you know I’m a doctor, right? Well, I also have a drug company and a medical lab overseas. Ever considered..."
Before she could finish, Harrison Lowell cut her off. "Hold it. I don’t know, and I don’t want to consider it."
"Come on, I’m not asking for a handout. If you become a sponsor, I’ll send you a batch of the drugs and health supplements I’ve developed every year. They’re on a completely different level from that junk on the market they use to scam the elderly."
"Don’t even think about scamming me," Harrison Lowell said, backing away. "I don’t have any money. My family has other uses for our money."
’Tsk. A sucker with a brain isn’t the problem. A *stingy* sucker, now that’s a problem.’
Unable to secure the sponsorship, Nina Jennings had to settle for second best.
"Then how about investing in the company and becoming a minority shareholder? Yvonne has a stake in it too. We’re all friends here; I’m not going to cheat you."
’Besides, she’d just use the investment money to fund the lab anyway.’
’Giving up a few shares was no big deal.’
"First, tell me the name of the company. How else am I supposed to know it’s not some shady, fly-by-night operation?"
Harrison Lowell eyed her suspiciously, pulling out his phone and opening a business information search portal.
Nina Jennings rolled her eyes, annoyed. "JY Pharmaceuticals. Anyone who’s ever been online has heard of it."
CLATTER. Harrison Lowell’s phone hit the ground, but he paid it no mind. "The JY Pharmaceuticals from Continent M?! That’s *yours*?!"
"Yep, the three of us are partners," Nina Jennings said, bumping his shoulder. "So? I own 40%. If you invest, how about I carve out a piece of my stake for you?"
’Harrison Lowell was tempted. JY was a world-renowned pharmaceutical giant, an industry leader. This was a surefire investment.’
"So how much are you offering?"
The moment she heard his interest, Nina Jennings’s energy surged. She might as well have had "I’m a scammer, send cash" tattooed on her forehead.
"That depends on how much you invest. Back then, Yvonne and Angus each put in 2 billion and split 30% of the shares."
"But hey, we’re practically family, right? So how about this: I’ll give you a nice round number. 600 million for 10%. What do you say?"
’Harrison Lowell mentally calculated his liquid assets. 600 million was definitely doable.’
"Six hundred million for ten percent?! Done! I’m in!"
Nina Jennings clapped him on the shoulder like they were old pals. "Deal. I’ll draw up the contract for you tonight. It’s a guaranteed moneymaker. You’ll probably make your money back from this year’s dividends alone."
’Tch. She sounds like the head of a pyramid scheme.’
’She’s definitely made a lot of money, but she’s also perfected the art of the hustle.’
Yvonne Lowell glanced up at the two of them and said coolly, "Before you two continue this discussion, shouldn’t you clarify which currency you’re talking about?"
Harrison Lowell froze. "What do you mean? Is there a different kind of money? We’re not in the Ardian Empire."
"Exactly. We’ve been talking in M Yuan the whole time. Nothing wrong with that," Nina Jennings added, also confused.
"What?!" Harrison Lowell’s voice cracked in shock. "You mean M Yuan?!"
"Yeah, the company is in State M, so of course we use M Yuan. What else would it be?" Nina Jennings shrugged innocently.
"Converted, that means I’d have to give you over four billion?! For just ten percent?! Why don’t you just rob me?!"
Harrison Lowell was starting to have second thoughts, wanting to take back his words.
In the end, thanks to Nina Jennings’s silver-tongued promises, he invested 120 million M Yuan for a 2% stake.
’Sigh. Yvonne’s annual, no-strings-attached sponsorship for her lab started at 500 million M Yuan.’
’Those old foxes from Apeiron had also sponsored her with a hefty sum when the lab was first founded.’
’But you can’t shear the same sheep over and over. 120 million was 120 million. Better than nothing.’
"Brother Harrison, I knew you were the best! Come on, I’m all yours today. Is there another track you want to try? I’ll go with you!" Nina Jennings said, grabbing her helmet and standing up.
’If she kept him happy, maybe he’d throw in a little more cash.’
"No, let’s just go home. I just spent so much money... Forget about having fun, I’ve lost my appetite."
He paused, then looked at Yvonne Lowell with a pained expression. "Nola, remember to have them refund my club membership fee. That’s thirty million, you know. Every little bit counts."
’Yvonne almost laughed out of sheer frustration. So *she* was the one getting fleeced in the end.’
’Calm down. This is Aurelia. He’s my own brother. I can’t kill him.’
...
Only the three of them knew about the investment. They didn’t tell a soul.
As Harrison Lowell put it, he was going to get rich on the sly and then blow everyone’s minds.
After a week of humoring Harrison Lowell’s whims, Yvonne Lowell was relieved to see he was acting much more like his usual self.
’Sigh. Now that he was placated, it was time for her to get back to work.’
’The client was hounding her daily like a debt collector. It really is true: money is hard to earn, and the shit you have to eat is even harder to swallow.’
Leo Grant, waiting faithfully by Lake Valora: "...Hello? What about me? Do you even remember I exist?"
She switched her phone’s operating system and sent a message to the client.
After informing them she would be there the day after tomorrow, she tossed her phone carelessly onto the table and stepped into the bathroom.
Little did she know, after she was gone, her phone began to vibrate, its screen lighting up and going dark repeatedly.
When she emerged an hour later, she raised an eyebrow at the several missed calls on her phone.
Leo Grant had been back in the country for days, but the two of them still hadn’t managed to meet.
They chatted every day, but he had asked her out to dinner several times and she’d turned him down each time.
’She had to admit, she felt a little guilty.’
’Was he calling to hold her accountable?’