Chapter 3: Loan in Progress

After going out, Alex dialed a phone number found on a local website.

"Hello, this is the Convenient Answering Service Center. What business do you need to consult?"

Oh, it seems quite formal? Alex was almost amused by the customer service on the other end. A makeshift answering service team actually has such a high-end style...

"Hello, I'd like to ask if your company sells mobile phone numbers?"

"Yes, sir, but you may need to come for an in-person interview."

Wow, that's amazing! There really are? Alex was overjoyed. "Okay. Where is your address?"

After hanging up, Alex immediately took a taxi and rushed over. When he found the place, he discovered that the seemingly high-end Convenient Company was actually in a residential building in an open community.

Alex knocked on the door and found no signs of a company. There was only a middle-aged man in the room. When he smiled, his mouth full of yellow teeth was revealed.

"Is this an answering service company?" Alex was a bit confused.

"Yes!" The middle-aged man nodded affirmatively, smiled, showed his yellow teeth, and then offered a cigarette.

"Little brother, are you buying a mobile phone number?"

"No, thank you." Alex waved his hand and felt a bit hesitant. "You really don't look like you're doing a proper business..."

The middle-aged man smiled meaningfully, lit his cigarette on his own, and said leisurely, "This is not a proper business in the first place. How can it be done properly?"

Well... That actually makes a lot of sense. It's speechless. While Alex was stunned, the middle-aged man took out four mobile phones from the drawer and placed them on the table one by one.

"We've been in the business of raising numbers for three years and have never had any problems.

Answering calls is just a small side business for the people below to earn some cigarette money.

Little brother, talking too much is useless. Among these four mobile phones, you can pick one at random.

I'll check the communication details for you. After you see it, you can decide whether to trust us or not, okay?"

Okay, let's take a look. Alex randomly pointed to one. The middle-aged man opened the computer on the table and checked the detailed bill on the mobile online business hall.

It was a real surprise. There were an average of more than twenty calls per day, more on weekdays and fewer on weekends; more outgoing calls and fewer incoming calls; the call durations were also uneven.

There was a number that regularly had calls lasting twenty or thirty minutes, while the rest were generally two or three minutes.

The middle-aged man explained, "This is set as a white-collar worker with a lover. The persona is relatively homebody, so there are fewer calls on weekends.

The number with an especially long call time is their couple's number."

Persona... Couple's number... Alex only felt that he had a stomach full of complaints but didn't know where to start.

He was stunned for a long time. You guys are so professional! Loving your job is really the spirit of a good rogue in China!

The middle-aged man sized up Alex for a while and picked up a mobile phone. "You should be more suitable for this one.

You don't have a partner, and your calls are more scattered. This number has been in use for two years."

Alex took it numbly and felt very strange. So professional... If these people had enough high-quality fake ID cards, all the small loan companies in China would be ruined by them, right?

In fact, Alex was right. In a few years, when small online lending emerges, those in the gray industry of raising numbers will make a fortune. This is a later story and not mentioned for now.

"How much is the card?"

The middle-aged man held up a palm. "5000."

Alex exploded immediately. "Why don't you just rob me?" A scattered number that can be obtained at the mobile service hall for only 95 yuan is sold for 5000?

The middle-aged man was very calm. "We've raised this number for two years. It's not easy... Little brother, you want to take out a loan, right?

In the entire province's 13 cities, only our company can provide such a clean number and also offer answering service."

So you think you've got me all figured out? Alex calmed down and thought carefully. It seemed that he really couldn't refuse.

It's easy to buy a cheap number from a private person, but the problem is that if you want to take out a loan, you must get hold of all the numbers that the other party frequently calls at the same time in order to handle the risk control inquiries of small loan companies.

Otherwise, what's the point of just buying a cheap number?

Alex was quite decisive. After thinking it through, he gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Okay, 5000 it is! But I don't have enough money now. Can you give me the card first and I'll pay you back later?"

The middle-aged man looked up, stared at Alex's face for a long time, and suddenly grinned. "It seems that you're not taking out a loan from just one place...

Okay, pay a deposit of 1000 first and pay the rest after getting the loan."

After thinking for a while, probably because he thought Alex was young and afraid that he was too impulsive and unclear-headed, he added a reminder.

"Little brother, all the communication contacts in this card are in our hands. If you don't pay off the money, you won't be able to use this number for anything in the future. You understand, right?"

Alex replied impatiently, "Don't worry, I understand!" Buying a 95 yuan broken number for 5000 is all for the answering service. No one would be stupid enough to default on your debt!

But while feeling annoyed, Alex was stunned again. Eh, wait... What did you say just now? It seems that you're not taking out a loan from just one place?

That's right! Everything is fake. Why should I be satisfied with just 40,000 yuan from one place? If I do it at multiple places, I might be able to boost the system to level 4!

Alex's thinking suddenly broadened and a happy smile appeared on his face. The middle-aged man stretched out his hand. "Answering calls for one company costs 200 yuan.

Give me the form. I guarantee everything will be arranged perfectly!" Small money, no problem! After feeling that he could make a big profit, Alex's mood was completely different.

He took out the half-filled form and completed the remaining part. First contact person, father,

David. Second contact person, mother, Lily. Third contact person, colleague, Kevin. Fourth contact person, friend, Andy. All of the above are completely made up.

The yellow-toothed man picked out four numbers from the communication records and then found four sticky notes.

He wrote down their respective names and stuck them on the corresponding four mobile phones.

"Little brother, change the card and correct the names in the address book. Remember, when filling out the form, don't fill in the wrong person. Otherwise, all my efforts will be in vain."

Alex nodded and did as he was told.

When correcting the address book, the middle-aged man quickly glanced through the application form and suddenly asked, "Dude, why didn't you fill in your home address?"

"I haven't found a house yet." Alex was looking at his phone while casually blurting out the truth. As soon as he said it, he regretted it.

Why was he so lacking in vigilance! Fortunately, the middle-aged man was experienced and understood. He smiled knowingly and didn't take it seriously.

"Then I'll make a copy first. Later, when you determine the address, send me a text message."

After saying that, he took the form and went into the inner room, made four copies, and then returned the original to Alex.

"Okay, dude. I guarantee there won't be any problems here. Just wait and see!" Although it was expensive, Alex was really confident in this guy.

Since he had already mastered this crooked industry, such a small matter as answering calls definitely wouldn't go wrong.

With a debt of more than 4000, Alex went out. He dialed a phone number found on a telephone pole at the entrance of the village today.

"Hello, who is this?" A polite yet somewhat vigilant voice came from the phone. According to the script he had prepared, Alex put on a show.

"Hello, big brother. I'm a friend of Brother Hu from Xiawa Village. Can you make fake certificates?"

"Oh, a friend of Brother Hu... Yes! What do you need?"

"A fake receipt and a carved radish stamp."

"Oh! That's simple! I'm near Xiawa. Can you come over?"

"I'll come to you. How long will it take to finish?"

"At most two hours!"

Alex looked at the time. It was now 11:10. In two hours, it would be just in time for the afternoon work. Perfect. After having lunch, start working immediately!

Full of energy, Alex took a taxi and rushed straight to the family area of the education bureau in Xiawa. On the way, he just received a call from his aunt.

"Aunt, my classmates invited me to eat. Don't worry about me. Go home and cook for Yaoyao!"

"..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Okay, you go about your business. Bye!"

After dealing with his aunt, Alex quickly found a real estate agency near the family area. He pushed his glasses, took two deep breaths, and walked in.

"Hello, sir. Are you looking at houses?"

Alex asked casually, "Are there any two-bedroom apartments in the family area of the education bureau? I want to rent a house."

"Yes, there are!" The salesman quickly replied and led Alex to the computer to show him photos.

If Alex really wanted to rent a house now, he didn't have the money. For a two-bedroom apartment, the deposit and three months' rent would cost at least five thousand yuan.

The breathing salary for two days might not be enough. However, Alex could first determine which room to rent.

Once the room was determined, he could use that fixed address in advance.

Making fake certificates required modifying the house number on the form, and the answering service company needed to answer about the address.

By taking care of these two things, he could start doing things. Before actually getting the key to the house, the pre-loan review of Lake Sea Company would definitely not pass.

However, not all small loan companies require on-site inspections. First, take out a loan from a small company.

After getting the money, rent the house and pay off the balance for the mobile phone card.

Wouldn't the whole thing be completely set up? It's all about playing the time difference.

Based on the idea that the rent doesn't matter but the location must be safe and secluded, Alex quickly selected a property near the backyard.

It was far from his aunt's house and had different entrances and exits. After looking at the house with the real estate agent, it felt good.

The furniture and appliances were all complete, just like a proper home.

Alex immediately decided to rent it but told the salesman, "I still have some things to take care of. I can move in a few days. I'll come back then to sign the contract and pay the money and get the key."

Such situations were common, so the salesman naturally didn't question it.

After determining the address, Alex rushed to the place where he made the fake certificate without stopping.

Once everything was ready, he could finally take a breather. Go home and rest first. When passing by the watermelon stand at the entrance of the village, Alex squatted down and glanced around.

He picked out a small watermelon from the pile.

The vendor enthusiastically advised, "Kid, let me pick a big one for you? Yours won't be sweet!"

Alex raised his eyebrows. "If I take this to the supermarket, I can sell it for four times your price!"

The vendor laughed heartily, thinking Alex was just joking. Who's joking with you? This is the best one among dozens of watermelons. It's the king of watermelons!

After going home and putting the watermelon in the well to cool, Alex ordered a meal casually and collapsed on the rattan chair.

The busy morning had exhausted Alex, but it was also an unprecedentedly fulfilling experience.

A month ago, Alex sitting in the college entrance examination room would never have imagined that he would be here today.

It was the system that had broadened his mind. Spending two or three thousand yuan a day and living a decadent life for ten days.

After the system was upgraded, continuing to live a decadent life. Upgrading the system to level 4 before going to college. What kind of skill is that? If you want to play, play big!

The Habit Cultivator was definitely within reach. Next, the goal had to be changed—to sprint to upgrade the system level at the fastest speed!

Of course, washing off the naive and poor student aura was equally important. Alex didn't know what kind of man could be called a tycoon.

But just thinking with his heels, he knew that he was still far from being a successful man. If he could solve this matter, it would mean he had gained a bit of experience.

Thinking like this, Alex was filled with fighting spirit again. The fatigue and heat caused by the high temperature were no longer a torture. Endure a little longer. Victory is just ahead!

After finishing his meal and taking a shower, fatigue overwhelmed him. Alex was tired, hot, and hungry, sticking out his tongue. In the summer, it was really not easy to run around everywhere.

If only he had a car.

Driving with the air conditioning on and a gentle breeze blowing, he could handle things comfortably. Why suffer so much?

Well, when he had enough money, he must go and buy a car!

It seemed that the Audi A4L was good. With its stylish appearance and high price range, it would definitely be cool to drive it on the university campus!

In fact, Alex had never seen any luxury cars.

As a kid from a city village, before the demolition, he was just a rural kid. Even if he was lucky enough to have his place demolished, at most he would be a nouveau riche.

Among the cars that picked up children from school at the campus gate, Alex's favorite was the A4L.

He just thought it was a good car based on its appearance. After daydreaming about driving the cool A4L for a while, Alex gradually fell asleep. Yesterday he went to bed early but couldn't sleep.

Today he got up early and was busy all morning. He was really tired.

In his dream, the sky was intertwined with light to form a palace. Inside the palace, there were countless beautiful women constantly presenting delicacies and fine wine to the throne.

In the hall, there were rich businessmen from all countries waving all kinds of novel things, trying to win a smile from the king.

The person on the throne was in a leisurely posture with a majestic aura like a mountain and sea, but his face couldn't be seen clearly. Who was that?

...

Waking up from the messy dream, the person who made the fake certificate called.

"Is it done? Okay, I'll be there soon!"

...

For two very simple things, Alex paid 300 yuan. Pressing the radish stamp on the abandoned document of the education bureau, the two stamps were basically the same.

The craftsmanship was quite good. Very good.

It was worth it! As for that payment receipt, Alex made 30 copies at one go. It was hard to say if he could use them all. Anyway, he did his best.

After going out, he went straight home. At the copy shop at the entrance of the village, he printed 30 blank income certificates in a fixed format.

He filled them out one by one by hand and then stamped them. After putting everything away, Alex carefully checked. Basically, everything was ready.

Only one thing was missing: the personal credit report.

Alex logged in to the credit reporting center of the People's Bank of China with his new mobile phone number, registered as Liu Dapeng, and queried his personal credit information and saved it as a df file.

Carrying all the necessary items, he marched towards the financial street with high spirits. Now that he hadn't rented the house yet, he definitely couldn't go to Lake Sea Company.

Alex casually walked into the first store on the right side of the road.

This company called Changfu hadn't even finished decorating the first floor. The separated empty rooms and waiting area were completely empty.

Only a consultation desk stood alone in front of the stairs. As soon as Alex said, "I want to take out a loan," the front desk quickly called down a marketer.

With the sound of high heels clicking on the ground, a young girl came running down. She looked even younger than Alex who deliberately didn't shave.

Alex's skin wasn't very good. It was a bit dark and rough. Coupled with his stubble, he looked like he was in his early twenties.

So the girl immediately called him "big brother." Alex suppressed a smile and followed her upstairs.

While on the stairs, he first asked if they needed to inspect his home.

The girl replied, "As long as you don't apply for a housing mortgage loan or provide a purchase contract, there is no need to inspect your housing situation on-site."

That's good. Start filling out the form. When filling in the blanks, the girl kept encouraging him.

"Big brother, you can directly apply for an 80,000 yuan credit loan.Given your situation as an employee of a public institution with a monthly salary of 7000 yuan, even if there is a discount, you will be approved for 60,000 yuan."

Alex insisted on only applying for 40,000 yuan. It wasn't that he didn't want more money, but he had a plan in mind.

According to Jack's words, there was an important classification for small loan companies—more than 50,000 yuan and less than 50,000 yuan.

Once the application amount exceeded 50,000 yuan, not only would the review be more detailed, but the probability of being rejected would be as high as 50%.

The higher the application amount, the harder it was to be approved. With a good credit record, the probability of directly getting approved for 40,000 yuan was 90%.

If you apply for a loan of 50,000 yuan at 20 small loan companies 20 times, with a 50% approval probability, you would eventually get 500,000 yuan.

If you apply for a loan of 40,000 yuan each time, with a 90% approval probability, you would eventually get 720,000 yuan. How big is the difference?

...

Next, continue filling out the form. The loan term is 24 months, and the purpose is for renovation...

These are all minor details and are completed smoothly. Then, Alex took the girl and the marketing manager to the education bureau to verify the work unit.

In July, it was vacation time for the education sector. Alex's aunt was at the unit because she was coordinating new school uniforms for various schools.

There was not a single person in sight in other offices.

After seeing Alex open the office door with a key, the manager said with a smile, "Sir, please rest assured.

We will upload your application tonight. If everything goes smoothly, there will be a phone 回访 (return visit) tomorrow morning, and you can sign the contract and get the money in the afternoon."

The two parties waved goodbye. Alex, full of energy, visited seven more companies in one go. Four of them didn't even bother to visit the work unit.

Among the remaining three, one needed to inspect the housing situation and couldn't be done for the time being.

At this time, it was the golden age when the offline stores of small loan companies were at their busiest. Little Alex was like a drop in the ocean, so insignificant and unnoticeable.

When he fell asleep tiredly at night, Alex was even thinking: If it continues like this, how many companies can I do business with? 50? 100?

Every day there are new companies opening and old companies closing down. It's really a wild and vibrant industry...

He had a good night's sleep. The next day, when he got up, Alex changed his clothes, put on a baseball cap, and carried the Louis Vuitton briefcase he bought at the night market last night as he went out.

Continue taking out small loans. When filling out the form, Alex saw an unmasked look of contempt in the eyes of a salesman.

Probably because that Louis Vuitton bag was too obviously fake? Alex was not angry at all.

Instead, he thought with malicious amusement: When your company's money comes down, I'll buy a real one. Thank you in advance!

In the morning, verification calls started coming in one after another. The numbers all started with 010, 021 and so on.

The risk control department of Changfu Company asked a special question: "Sir, why is there no one answering your office phone?"

Alex replied calmly, "It's summer vacation for the bureau. Of course, there are no colleagues. If your company needs it, I can go back in the afternoon and call you back with the office phone."

The customer service representative didn't say anything else and said goodbye politely.

In the afternoon, when Alex was leading a manager of another company to verify the office

location, the salesman from Changfu Company suddenly called, sounding very excited.

"Sir, your loan has been approved. You can come and sign the contract!" Alex sent the manager away without showing any emotion. Then he took a taxi alone and hurried to the financial street.

The signing process was very simple. Ten minutes later, Alex stood in front of the ATM of the

Construction Bank and entered his password silently. Balance: 4,000,000 yuan! The first small loan was successfully obtained!

Alex suppressed his ecstatic mood, opened the system mall, selected the only item, and confirmed the purchase.

The Habit Cultivator was finally in his hands! Moreover, the system also upgraded to level 3.

[With every breath, you will receive a cash reward of 0.20 yuan.]

[When tasting delicious food, there is a 2% probability of obtaining a mysterious reward related to eating.]

[When you drink, there is a 1% probability of obtaining a mysterious reward related to drinking.]

[Experience value: 0/90000]

The cash growth doubled again. Now it's about 4 yuan per minute. It's so straightforward. I like it!

As Alex's interest grew, he started doing elementary school math problems again. 4 × 60 × 24 = 5760 yuan.

But the upgrade experience continued to multiply by 3, becoming very exaggerated. 90,000! In the past, this was a number that Alex couldn't even imagine.

The living expenses his parents promised him for one semester was 4000 yuan. You have to know that this year is 2015! And now?

If there are no surprises, at the earliest in the afternoon and at the latest tomorrow, the system will upgrade to level 4 and provide 11,500 yuan per day.

With more than 300,000 yuan in a month, how should it be spent? Spend it blindly!

First, pay off the money owed to the answering service company. Looking at the remaining money, he went to rent a house. He went to the agency, paid the money, and got the key.

Then he started putting things in the house. Put a few pairs of slippers at the door. Buy several sets of mattresses and quilts at the nearby market.

Clean up in a rush and take care of the hygiene. Finally, buy two boxes of cigarettes, wash some fruits and put them on a plate.

Open a bag of melon seeds and put them all on the coffee table. Immediately, the house looked like several people were living in it. Okay, open for business!

The house was indeed rented. If it was used for mortgage, it would definitely be exposed. But it was more than enough to fool small loan companies.

Alex lay contentedly on the sofa, turned on the standing air conditioner in the living room, and happily checked the [Habit Cultivator].

[Each use will cultivate a natural good habit for the host. Number of uses: 3/3]

The description was as simple as always. There was a note below: After selecting the system courses, simple custom modifications can be made.

At a glance, there were very many options available. Reading, fitness, speech, behavior, life...

There were more than ten major categories alone, and there were many small sub-category options.

Alex was about to take a closer look when his phone suddenly rang. He had to put it aside for now.

"Hello, is this Mr. Liu Dapeng?"

"Yes, I am."

Well, deal with the important matters first.

After a whole day of running around, it was only when all the companies closed in the evening that

Alex had time to seriously study the Habit Cultivator. Everyone understands the power of habits.

Correct and good habits even have the power to change a person's inherent character. But the hardest part is persistence.

Everyone knows that maintaining a fixed amount of exercise every day will make one energetic and full of vitality.

But how many people can actually do it? Everyone knows that going to bed early and getting up early is good for health.

Reading more is beneficial for broadening one's horizons and cultivating temperament. But how many people can actually do it? Knowing but not doing is all in vain!

The powerful thing about the [Habit Cultivator] is that it enforces habits and then makes them become instinctive.

There is no need to persist with willpower. It can even cultivate willpower in reverse. After completely understanding its purpose, Alex slapped his thigh.

Oh my! If I had gotten this thing ten years earlier, how awesome would I be now? Well, it's not too late now.

The three good habits were like freebies. They had to be chosen carefully. For the first habit, Alex chose the "reading" category and made a simple custom modification.

Finally, it was confirmed as—studying hard for two hours every day. It could be textbook knowledge or learning other knowledge, but the necessary way was through reading.

Seeing the number of uses change to 2/3, Alex immediately felt a hunger deep in his soul. He found a copy of "Basic Accounting" on the Internet.

As soon as he started reading the first word, he was completely immersed in it. Two hours passed in a flash. After getting out of that focused state, Alex was shocked.

"Damn! What kind of efficiency is this?!"

A boring professional book. He read 46 pages in two hours! That extreme focus, that improvement in understanding ability, and that pleasure of the brain working at high speed were experiences

Alex had never had in his life. In the past, reading was forced. Now it was enjoyment. That was the biggest difference.

If it had to be measured by numbers, in these two hours, Alex felt that his learning ability had increased by at least 200%.

"Damn! The study time was set too short..." Alex regretted it so much. He felt that he had suffered a great loss.

If he set it to study for 12 hours a day, wouldn't he become a top student in a few years? Eh? Wait...

If I study for 12 hours a day, when will I go out and have fun? But on second thought, Alex quickly stopped being depressed.

Effort has a limit. With our ordinary talent, even if we work hard for a hundred years, we might not be able to catch up with Tao Zhexuan at the age of 20.

It's better to be a tycoon. Alex knew his own character and pursuit very well. So he simply didn't think about becoming a top student.

Two hours of reading every day could meet his basic needs and gradually increase his knowledge and cultivate his temperament.

That was good. If he was so busy that he had no time to go out and have fun, that would be tragic. It was definitely too much of a good thing.

For the second and third habits, Alex was extremely cautious. After thinking for a long time, he finally decided to hold off for now.

There were only two uses left. The effect was unexpectedly good. Alex really didn't dare to choose casually.

From today on, he would spend some time every day studying the system courses. Try to think carefully and choose according to actual needs. Perfect!

Humming "I love taking baths and having good skin", looking forward to tomorrow's harvest, Alex gulped down two bottles of beer. Nothing happened.

So he went to bed early again.

When he opened his eyes again, it was July 28th. Starting from this morning, Alex's lending business officially got on the right track.

In the morning, he signed contracts with six companies and directly got 2.15 million yuan in loans.

The average amount for each company was as high as 360,000 yuan. Basically, there was no major reduction.

Yesterday, he still thought that 90,000 experience points were a lot. As a result, before the morning was over, he had saved enough money. Come on, start spending!

Alex didn't hesitate for a second and immediately ordered an Alienware 15 online.

As a heavy gamer, Alex hadn't been online much in a year because of the college entrance examination.

But his desire for this flagship gaming laptop grew day by day. At the beginning of this year, Alienware remade the 15-inch laptop. How many players were excited?

Just a few days ago, at Liu Weilong's college entrance celebration banquet, that guy proudly showed off. His college gift was the 13-inch gaming laptop from Alienware last year.

The price was as high as 29,999 yuan. How many classmates were envious at that time! And what about the Alienware 15?

The thickness was unprecedentedly controlled to less than 34 centimeters. The travel weight was 3.9 kilograms.

The CPU was Core i7. It had dual graphics cards, an IPS anti-glare screen, and a carbon fiber shell. But the price was only 48,888 yuan!

Was there any need to think? Buy it!

Then he bought a set of Logitech gaming keyboard and mouse. 50,000 yuan was spent. Alex really didn't know what to do with the remaining 40,000 yuan.

Yesterday, he was only thinking about the Alienware. He didn't think much about it. Today, he was so busy that he really had no idea for a while.

Just when he was in a hurry, he suddenly remembered the marketing guy who looked down on him yesterday.

Alex slapped his forehead: Alright, I'll buy a real Louis Vuitton bag! Louis Vuitton's luggage was very powerful. It seemed to be better than its clothing.

Alex had heard his classmates talk about it. There was no time to go to the mall. He went directly to the official website.

Alex immediately took a fancy to the Keeall 50 travel bag. The blue and black two-tone mosaic design was cool and trendy without being tacky.

Only 18,000 yuan? Take it! There was still a shortfall of more than 20,000 experience points. Alex was too lazy to choose carefully.

He directly selected a four-wheeled trolley case that looked the most pleasing to the eye.

The Ondair Graphite series, 70 centimeters long, with a price as high as 30,000 yuan.

After placing this order, the system upgraded again!