Chapter 107: The Space Update

After finishing the call with Sun Tao, Li Dong found himself unable to sleep.

His mind was still occupied with thoughts of Baidu. He wanted to buy Baidu's stock, but just having the money wasn't enough.

Baidu was listed on NASDAQ, and purchasing stocks through the right channels was a problem.

In 2005, buying American stocks from the mainland was still somewhat challenging.

If Li Dong didn't want to go abroad himself, he would have to use American securities brokers.

But entrusting fifty million to a foreign company that he couldn't even meet face-to-face made Li Dong uneasy.

After some thought, Li Dong considered whether he should go to the U.S. himself.

However, just thinking about his mediocre English made him worry that he might not only fail to buy the stocks but might even get lost.

And since he didn't have a suitable companion to accompany him, it seemed quite troublesome.

The channel wasn't the biggest issue; Li Dong was more worried about whether he'd be able to actually purchase the stocks.

He remembered that the stock allocation when Baidu was listed wasn't very large, so whether he could grab a share from those fund companies and big asset holders was uncertain.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became!

Li Dong muttered a curse under his breath, "It's all Li Yanhong's fault!"

Why couldn't they just list domestically? Why did they have to go abroad? Otherwise, he wouldn't have to rack his brains like this.

But then he thought, if Li Yanhong had gone crazy and listed domestically, Li Dong wouldn't have dared to buy the stocks either.

Everyone knew the state of the domestic stock market. If something went wrong, it would be a real disaster.

Sighing, Li Dong decided to set aside these worries for now.

There were still three months left, and there would always be a solution. Being anxious wouldn't help.

Of course, in Li Dong's ideal scenario, he would buy the original shares of Baidu before it was listed, even if the price was high.

Though there was a lock-up period for original shares, Li Dong didn't mind waiting a year or so.

It seemed he should first try contacting Baidu's shareholders and executives. If that didn't work, he could then consider going to the U.S.

With his decision made, Li Dong prepared to go to sleep.

For now, dealing with the money issue was the priority. Without funds, everything else was just talk.

As soon as Li Dong lay down on the bed, his phone rang.

He glanced at the phone and immediately sat up.

Yuan Xue!

Just a moment ago, Qin Yuhan had been jealous, and now Yuan Xue was calling. Were these two women conspiring against him?

Li Dong seriously questioned his own intelligence. He was afraid he might one day be sold out by these women and still help them count the money. They were terrifying!

Despite his doubts, after some hesitation, Li Dong answered the call.

Without waiting for Yuan Xue to speak, Li Dong asked, "Are you in touch with Qin Yuhan?"

Yuan Xue was taken aback and took a while to respond, "Li Dong, are you doing this on purpose?"

Li Dong gave a dry laugh. It seemed it was indeed just a coincidence. Besides, Qin Yuhan probably wouldn't contact Yuan Xue.

Since it wasn't a test from Qin Yuhan, Li Dong relaxed a bit and asked, "What made you think of calling me?"

He hadn't been in contact with Yuan Xue since their farewell at the station a few months ago. He was curious why Yuan Xue decided to call today.

"I wanted to call, so I did."

Li Dong was now puzzled. This reason was really something, and he didn't even know how to refute it.

Not wanting to get caught up in this, Li Dong asked again, "Is there something you need?"

"Can't I call you without a reason?" Yuan Xue's tone was not very pleasant, clearly annoyed by Li Dong's response.

Li Dong was speechless. Why did everyone seem so irritable?

Before he could respond, Yuan Xue said, "Do you have time? Come out and have dinner with me."

Li Dong quickly replied, "I'm not in Dongping."

"I know you're not in Dongping! You're in Beijing, aren't you? I'm also in Beijing. Come to the food street. I'll wait for you!"

Li Dong was a bit confused. Were these women clairvoyants?

It was no surprise Qin Yuhan guessed it, but Yuan Xue? They hadn't been in touch for a long time, and she could guess his location?

Li Dong thought for a moment. If he went out to meet Yuan Xue now, and Qin Yuhan found out, it would be trouble.

But outright rejecting Yuan Xue wasn't a good idea either. Li Dong forced a laugh and said, "Where did you hear that? How could I possibly be in Beijing…"

Before he could finish, Yuan Xue interrupted, "Enough! Li Dong, don't lie to me. I'm not stupid. Qin Yuhan's QQ space was updated, and I'm not blind. I can recognize Weiming Lake."

Li Dong was utterly speechless. No matter how he calculated, he hadn't expected that Qin Yuhan and Yuan Xue were QQ friends!

He just couldn't figure out how these two women could be friends. It didn't make sense.

But regardless of whether it made sense, since Yuan Xue had said so, Li Dong couldn't really refuse.

Moreover, he hadn't done anything outrageous; meeting an old classmate for a meal wasn't a big deal.

Li Dong comforted himself and then thought about what would happen if Qin Yuhan found out…

Forget it, it was better not to think about it. Just thinking about it was chilling.

---

Beijing is a city that never sleeps.

When Li Dong arrived at the food street by taxi, the place was bustling with people and brightly lit, despite it being nearly ten o'clock.

With so many people and Yuan Xue not specifying a location, Li Dong looked around but couldn't spot her.

Just as he was about to call her, he suddenly felt a tug on his clothes from behind.

Li Dong initially thought it was Yuan Xue. When he turned around, he saw an unfamiliar young woman.

Seeing Li Dong's puzzled expression, the young woman timidly said, "Sir, can you lend me ten yuan? I don't have money to eat and have been starving all day."

Li Dong's face fell. He thought he wouldn't encounter such people in Beijing, but it seemed they were everywhere.

He had seen many similar situations, but rarely had he met anyone genuinely in need.

Recalling the internet jokes from later years, Li Dong, feeling bored, said casually, "How about I buy you ten buns? That should last you for several days."

The young woman's expression changed, and she snorted before turning and leaving.

She muttered, "Crazy…"

Li Dong ignored her and was about to call Yuan Xue again when someone tapped him on the back.

Now Li Dong was really annoyed. Was this never-ending?

Turning around, he found Yuan Xue smiling at him.

Seeing Li Dong look over, Yuan Xue said with a grin, "Are you hitting on young girls again?"

Li Dong's face darkened. When had he ever hit on young girls?

Moreover, he wouldn't be interested in such girls who liked to get something for nothing, no matter how pretty they were.

Not responding to Yuan Xue's teasing, Li Dong asked, "Haven't you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten," Yuan Xue replied, glancing at him with a half-smile. "What? You don't want to have dinner with me?"

Li Dong forced a smile. Since he was already there, it wasn't appropriate to say he didn't want to.

Yuan Xue didn't continue to tease him. She led Li Dong to a small food stall and sat down.

Li Dong deliberately checked the chair she sat on and grinned, "Has your obsession with cleanliness disappeared?"

Yuan Xue shot him a look and said irritably, "You're the one with cleanliness issues!"

Li Dong's comment reminded her of last year's meal at Dongfang Plaza, when he had deliberately chosen a dirty chair for her to sit on.

And then he had mocked her for being obsessed with cleanliness. He was really awful!