Chapter 114 Milk Tea Sister
"I need some time to consider the feasibility of the 'virtual currency' research topic. If you are in urgent need of research results, you can hand it over to the business school."

After a brief detailed discussion, Professor Joseph politely declined the invitation to the project.

As expected, Yu Tong, who holds a doctorate in biomedicine, once said that she is very proud of the research topics she is engaged in, and every step forward is a field that has never been explored in the entire history of human civilization.

This argument also applies to Professor Joseph, who stands at the top of the academic world. Money is not 100% effective for them. There are always some idealists in this world who pursue their self-worth.

Xie Jingxing had been mentally prepared for this, and did not intend to achieve his goal in one lobbying. He changed the subject and said, "I personally want to acquire shares in a professional sports club. Teacher, can you help me find a few suitable targets?"

"NBA or NFL? What's your budget?" Professor Joseph asked after a moment of thought.

If foreign tycoons want to integrate into the American business world, becoming a shareholder of a sports club is a good way to do it. It does not require too much money, and they can just acquire about 5% of the shares as a ticket.

Except for a handful of wealthy clubs, all other top sports leagues have many scattered small shareholders. These people naturally form decent social circles, which are often old American families passed down for generations.

If you want to buy shares from them, you either have to spend a lot of money or have a reputable intermediary to endorse you.

Xie Jingxing did not have a clear budget. For now, he only had some ideas about the acquisition target. It would be best if it was an NBA club with a certain influence in the country, which would not only satisfy his personal preferences but also feed back his personal public image to some extent.

There are Kobe's Lakers, LeBron Wade's Heat, the New York Knicks, and the Thunder, which has been very popular in the past two years.

These are basically the four options. He has already posted a reward for an acquisition commission on the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Home, and asked Professor Joseph to help with the matchmaking. It is expected that this matter will be completed before the end of the year, which will coincide with the fundraising of Grapefruit Capital's domestic fund.

"So you want to commission the business school to research the topic of 'virtual currency'?"

After smoking a cigar, the master and the apprentice basically finished discussing the trivial details of American Grapefruit Capital in the next period of time. Professor Joseph finally hinted a little embarrassedly that he could help invite other big professors in the business school to accept the project.

After all, he was earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for almost nothing, and he and Zhou Fenglan maintained a good interpersonal relationship.

Xie Jingxing did not agree directly, but asked Professor Joseph to pay more attention to the market price fluctuations of Bitcoin in a mysterious way.

The virtual currency market is still in its infancy and there are still several years before the real market arrives. He has enough patience to plan and there is no need to rush.

Since then, all the goals of this trip to the United States have been successfully achieved, and Xie Jingxing happily said goodbye to Professor Joseph.

I was walking on the campus to the parking lot with a relaxed mood when I suddenly thought of something and asked, "Is Liu Qiangdong coming to Columbia University?"

He remembered that when he was browsing his friends' circle a few days ago, someone seemed to say that Daqiangzi had dropped his job and was going to Columbia University for "further studies". It was a pity that he didn't have much time, otherwise they could make an appointment to meet and chat. JD.com will have another round of financing before its listing next year, and if he could get a share of the investment, it would be like making money without doing anything.

"Forget it, let's just take a walk." Xie Jingxing thought about it and said to himself.

Now it is September, the start of the school year, and young students can be seen rushing around everywhere on campus. He was also so busy grabbing classes, applying for student apartments, and integrating into the new living environment. For a moment, he felt that he had lost the motivation to find Daqiangzi and make friends with him.

Li Yan followed beside him, confused and speechless, with a stern face, playing the role of a ruthless and taciturn expert bodyguard.

The Columbia University campus was very small, and the two of them walked out of the school gate in a short while. Xie Jingxing was still not satisfied and walked straight to Barnard College across the street.

This women's college affiliated with Columbia University has an independent financial budget from Columbia University and is very wealthy. Many Columbia students go to Barnard College to eat in the cheapest cafeteria and see beautiful girls at the same time.

Xie Jingxing also came here often in those days. As an undergraduate student of CC College with a status comparable to that of the first four classes of Huangpu Military Academy, girls would approach him without him showing the watch on his wrist and ask him to go to the drive-in theater to watch literary and romantic movies.

Of course, there are some proud girls who don't buy it and take the initiative to distance themselves from Columbia University. When they go out, they just say that they graduated from Barnard College.

Most of these girls come from wealthy families and have all kinds of skills. They can either dance the Four Swans or play any musical instrument, making the dating experience a great one.

"Do you want me to pay for your meal?"

While Xie Jingxing was reminiscing about his good college days, he and Li Yan came to the cafeteria. When they were queuing to order food, a girl standing in front of them turned around and said in Chinese that using a campus card was cheaper than swiping a credit card.

The girl looks very pure, with fair and shiny skin and a hint of baby fat on her face. She wears white sneakers, jeans and a white T-shirt, an eco-friendly canvas bag on her shoulder, and her hair is simply tied into a bun.

Her face was covered with a sweet smile, and under the incandescent light from the dining room cabinet, one could clearly see the fine transparent hairs on her lips... She was full of youthfulness, like a cup of warm bubble milk tea...

"Uh, ok, thank you."

Xie Jingxing was stunned for a moment, then looked around for Da Qiangzi.

Zhang Zetian unconsciously lifted the sparse hair beside her ear and said: "You are not photogenic."

"Hmm?" Xie Jingxing was confused.

"You're more handsome in person than in your photo."

Zhang Zetian's cheeks were slightly red, her eyebrows were slightly drooped, and she lowered her head, pursing her lips and explaining, "A classmate posted your freshman course selection schedule on Facebook as a guide, and it included your photo."

"Really? Some courses at CC College are not open to Barnard College. You can't use my course selection list." Xie Jingxing kindly reminded.

"..."

Zhang Zetian opened her mouth blankly, not knowing what to say. When a girl praised her handsomeness, she responded with contempt for her academic qualifications. What kind of person is she?

"Here, I'll give you money."

Xie Jingxing took out twenty dollars after ordering the dishes in a familiar manner. Two self-selected plates cost about the same price when swiped with a student card.

The 20-year-old Milk Tea Sister was obviously not skilled enough. She was confused by the two unexpected interactions in succession. She suppressed her shame and continued, "Let's add WeChat and you send me a red envelope."

"Okay, but don't let it out to anyone else, it will have a bad impact." Xie Jingxing reminded again.

Zhang Zetian managed to maintain a sweet smile and said in a wronged voice, "I don't know why the media published such reports. I'm sorry to cause you trouble."

Ever since she announced that she would be an exchange student at Barnard College, the innocent internet celebrity Milk Tea Sister has appeared in gossip news from time to time with the super rich second generation who have been in the spotlight recently.

The combination of handsome men and beautiful women from Columbia University alumni has become a hot topic. Even Sohu Entertainment tabloid made a comprehensive comparison between her and Concubine Pei from appearance to academic qualifications. It is self-evident what they want to do.

"Actually, you don't need to care too much about the media's evaluation. Just concentrate on studying at school." Xie Jingxing added meaningfully.

In fact, he was the one who caused trouble for Zhang Zetian. This considerate and good sister is now under Zhou Fenglan's nose. She is following her original life trajectory and having a loyal and romantic love affair with Da Qiangzi, and nothing will happen to her.

If I insist on having some unspeakable little story with him, I'm afraid I'll end up with a tragic life.

Zhang Zetian got added to Xie Jingxing's WeChat as she wished and couldn't help but start looking forward to the next contacts and interactions. She completely ignored his reminder and smiled and looked for various topics to liven up the atmosphere during the meal.

"The Chinese food trucks outside the west gate of the school are now using you for advertising. I heard that the owner of Uncle Luoyang's food truck has the same last name as you. He said that you were from the same family five hundred years ago, so many new students go there to check in and try your luck."

"I'll tell you a hidden offer. During the final exam week, go to Uncle Luoyang's food truck and cry on the ground. You can get a free sausage."

"Everyone knows that Boss Xie said that you went there to cry in the winter of your sophomore year. Is that true?" "...Actually, his food is not delicious, simply because it has been in business the longest. Aunt Wang's food truck is much better than his!" Xie Jingxing gave a serious evaluation.

Zhang Zetian smiled and said, "The boss of Auntie Wang's food truck said that you always bring different girls with you every time you go there, and ask them to treat you."

"Is this how they spread gossip about me?" Xie Jing Xing gave up struggling and felt very upset.

Zhang Zetian blinked her eyes and looked at him curiously: "Several food truck owners said that you are a very nice person and don't look like a rich second-generation. You eat at food trucks to save time, and you study harder than many international students who take out student loans."

Xie Jingxing shrugged without comment. He had known since kindergarten what kind of rewards hard work would get, but this was not the case for most people. There was nothing to praise about it.

"Do you have anything to do later? Do you want to go to the dining car and catch up with everyone?" Zhang Zetian found a new topic.

Xie Jingxing was slightly moved, hesitantly looked at the time: "You don't have class..."

"Mr. Xie, this is Assistant Song calling."

He was interrupted by the phone that Li Yan handed to him when he was halfway through his words. He picked up the phone and answered it. Song Anli's low voice came from the other end of the line: "Something happened to Didi. It's a rather troublesome problem."

"Meet at the airport." Xie Jingxing hung up the phone without asking anything.

Zhang Zetian perked up and asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"I have to go first for work. Bye." Xie Jingxing smiled and picked up the plate.

"I'll collect it, you go and do your work, and be careful on the road."

Zhang Zetian quickly stood up and grabbed the plate. Xie Jingxing didn't insist any more. He said thank you and left with Li Yan.

On the way to the parking lot, he did not rush to contact Cheng Wei, but first called the friends in New York who had made arrangements to meet and gather one by one to explain and cancel all the scheduled subsequent trips.

There is also the recruitment of assistants. I don’t know if Song Anli has secured Choi Yun-soo, and the donation to Columbia University also needs to be rearranged.

There were so many things that needed to be finished, so Xie Jingxing asked Li Yan to drive. He sat in the passenger seat, his brain racing, and he was lost in thought. The car stopped just after it drove out of the school gate.

"Here, luckily I missed it. I just had a drink of water after dinner."

The car window was lowered and Zhang Zetian's figure appeared. She was holding two bottles of mineral water and a pack of tissues in her hands. Her chest was heaving and she was breathing heavily. There were beads of sweat on the tip of her nose, her hair was slightly messy, and a canvas bag was hung diagonally on her shoulder.

His expression was sincere, yet revealed a concern and shyness that was hard to describe.

"it is good."

Xie Jingxing looked at him and said only one word, then he took the water, raised the car window, and waved goodbye.

Watching the white Porsche going further and further away, Zhang Zetian wiped the tip of her nose. Fortunately, she did not get lazy today and put on fake natural makeup that would not be easily smudged by sweat. The amount was just right.

She took out her cell phone and opened WeChat Moments, deleting and revising a message before carefully posting one - personally tested, it only takes five minutes to get from the cafeteria to the school gate!

After posting on the circle of friends, I let out a sigh of relief, and then I couldn’t help but smile.

"Did anything happy happen?"

Suddenly, a clear and pleasant female voice came from her ears. Zhang Zetian withdrew her thoughts and looked at the woman who had stood beside her at some point: "Teacher Zhou, what a coincidence."

"Well, what a coincidence." Zhou Fenglan said in a light tone.

Zhang Zetian didn't know what she wanted to do, so she just talked to herself: "I just met Xie Jingxing in the restaurant. He is the Columbia University alumnus who worked on the WhatsApp acquisition case some time ago. He came to the school to donate and stopped by the cafeteria to eat. I swiped his meal card for him."

"So you are very happy?" Zhou Fenglan laughed.

Zhang Zetian sensed something and asked tactfully, "I feel lucky to meet such an outstanding alumnus right after entering school. Teacher Zhou, you should know him, right?"

"I know him. He was quite famous when he was in school. What did you talk about just now? Are you free to tell me?" Zhou Fenglan asked.

Zhang Zetian understood that he was a fangirl, and frankly said, "We talked about his school days, and he said he liked eating at Auntie Wang's Chinese food truck. I wanted to go and catch up, but something happened and I left."

"Oh, actually he likes to eat Flying Pig Pancakes, but Flying Pig Pancakes are not sometimes available. When we were in school, many dining cars were not fixed, and we would often miss them, so we had to settle for second best. After a long time, we got used to it." Zhou Fenglan looked at her and introduced softly.

Zhang Zetian echoed thoughtfully, "No wonder he said that Uncle Luoyang's food truck attracted so many customers only because it has been in business the longest."

“Not entirely true. During the winter and summer holidays every year, other food trucks close down but Uncle Luoyang operates regardless of rain or shine. Moreover, I think Uncle Luoyang has the best value for money. It is cheap that attracts customers.” Zhou Fenglan seriously gave a different opinion.

Zhang Zetian agreed and concluded: "So, cheapness and persistence are both important. When diners need it, they will never miss it."

"Smart, I haven't eaten yet, do you want to accompany me to see if the Flying Pig Pancakes is open?"

Zhou Fenglan invited: "I'll treat you to a deluxe version with sausage and egg."

"Okay, I'll take a picture and send it to Xie Jingxing so he can see if there are any changes to the Chinese food truck at the school gate." Zhang Zetian agreed happily.

She was really lucky today. Not only did she add Xie Jingxing on WeChat, but she could also use him to make friends with alumni. She came to Barnard as an exchange student to make connections and seek opportunities to cross classes. There was no reason for her to refuse to make friends with a teacher from a top university.

Moreover, the young female teacher in front of her, who was obviously either rich or noble, also taught her classical literature class.

Zhou Fenglan raised his eyebrows in surprise, and said jokingly with a mischievous expression: "He added you on WeChat? Be careful, he is a playboy. When he was in college, he was always surrounded by girls. It is said that he has two or three girlfriends."

"Is this true? Doesn't he have a public girlfriend?"

Zhang Zetian laughed it off and pretended to be surprised. Being a playboy was not a disadvantage for her.

Zhou Fenglan gossiped confidently, "Really? He was caught having sex with his first girlfriend and trapped in bed. The girl on the bed was his first girlfriend's best friend. Add in the now publicized Concubine Pei, so that makes three people, right?"

"Ah? That means his first girlfriend and her best friend are still in a relationship with him?" This was a bit beyond Zhang Zetian's understanding.

Zhou Fenglan sighed and shook his head: "I don't know what they are thinking. Once when Xie Jingxing was drunk on his birthday, the three of them slept together."

"Impossible! Teacher Zhou, how do you know so much?" Zhang Zetian found it difficult to comment and felt that the teacher was deliberately asking her to give up.

Zhou Fenglan said casually: "I am his first love."

"Haha, then I am his fourth girlfriend." Zhang Zetian joked with complete determination and cooperation.

(End of this chapter)