Chapter 4 — My Friends and I Burned Up the Printer

11 Hesitating for a while, I finally called my best friend. Before she could speak, she eagerly asked: "Giang Hoai Chu said you asked him to borrow money. Duong Duong, did something happen to you?" My brain immediately worked at full capacity, trying to think of a way to lure my best friend... into transferring all of her online loans to me. Her family is financially normal and cannot get money from her parents. But luckily, now on Taobao, WeChat, even shopping apps can withdraw advances, adding up is not a small number. This is a business for both of us, there's nothing wrong with asking her to contribute capital. But how to tell her so she believes it? I've told the "hot product" story over and over again. We've both failed for half a year now. She won't believe vague promises anymore. If I'm being honest and say I can see "comments flying", it's even more wild. I was confused and didn't know what excuse to make, when my best friend's voice began to tremble: "Duong Duong, don't scare me... is something serious?" I suddenly had an idea: "Yes! That's the case! I... I have cancer!" I'm a genius! Using the excuse of having cancer can not only extort money, but also drag close friends back to Hang Thanh. The more I spoke, the smoother I became, and finally my best friend cried until he choked up: "I'll book a plane ticket right now!" “No wonder why your stomach hurts so much this time, why didn't you tell me sooner!” In the background of the phone, I heard her parents scolding loudly: "What plane? Where are you going again?" "You've just been home for a few days, can't you just sit and study in peace?" "Who? Tham Duong is sick? What's wrong?" … 12 A call with a close friend yesterday gave me a spark of inspiration. The next afternoon, Giang Hoai Chu came to the warehouse with a face as black as the bottom of a pot: "So, do you still have to go to some fabric shops today?" “Hurry up, I have a meeting at the company tonight.” I tried to pinch my thigh, then sat down on the ground with red eyes, sobbing and said: "Giang Hoai Chu... can you lend me ten thousand?" Giang Hoai Chu sneered: "Tham Duong, do you really think I'm an idiot?" I raised my head, my eyes were extremely pitiful: "It's not that I need money... it's because of Kim Hue, Kim Hue -" I bit my lower lip, trying to force out a few tears: "She's about to die..." At first I just pretended to cry, but thinking about what my best friend had gone through, thinking about that cold and desperate fire - I really cried. “I couldn't save her, I couldn't do anything.” "She brought me four years of happy youth, but her life was so miserable..." "All her energy was used for others, when she needed it, she had no strength left to save herself..." I screamed, tears streaming down, squeezing Giang Hoai Chu's arm: "Please... help her..." Giang Hoai Chu panicked: "Tell me clearly, what's wrong with Kim Hue? Cancer? Diagnosis Where is she? She's confused, if she has cancer and can't get treatment in Hang Thanh, why would she go back to that poor town?" I quickly lied and continued: "You know that too, why would her parents spend money on her medical treatment? That's why I'm worried about money. Tomorrow she will return to Hang Thanh for a follow-up examination." I also added that Kim Hue did not know that I wanted to spend money on her medical treatment. If she has high self-esteem, she won't accept it - so please ask Giang Hoai Chu to keep it a secret. Giang Hoai Chu nodded, for the first time looking at me with appreciative eyes: "I didn't expect you to be so kind to your friends." "My parents gave me 700,000, intending to buy a house in Hang Thanh. I will transfer it to you immediately." "Don't worry, with us here, we can definitely save Kim Hue!" 13 Having Giang Hoai Chu's money, I didn't hesitate to scan my card and immediately order a large batch of fabric. The processing factory also worked overtime all night, trying their best to complete my order. Everything was prepared and the movie was shown on schedule. Just close friends… arrived a day later than I expected. “Sorry, Duong Duong, my parents locked me up, I had to sneak out.” She gasped and held up her phone to show me: "Before boarding the plane, I transferred ten thousand to you, have you received it yet?" "I borrowed from relatives and friends everywhere... Duong Duong, don't be afraid, you—" Before she could finish, I rushed forward and hugged her. “I'm not afraid!” "Kim Hue, as long as you're with me, I'm not afraid of anything!" My best friend smiled and patted my back, tears suddenly flowing: "Yes, don't be afraid, you will definitely get over it." “Let's go, I'll go to the hospital with you.” “Wait, there's one more thing I need your help with.” I dragged her to the warehouse. As soon as the door opened, what caught my eye was a mountain of packaged goods almost touching the ceiling, making my best friend stunned. “What is this?” The printer beeped non-stop, spitting out bills of lading as long as a coiled snake. A pile of white papers piled up into a mountain. Giang Hoai Chu sat in the middle of the pile, his hair messy, two dark circles under his eyes. “Kim Hue, you're here—” He was just about to stand up, thought of what I said before, and slowly sat down again. “Come help, there are many.” I once told Giang Hoai Chu that the most important thing for people with cancer is their spirit. Don't create feelings of sadness or despair, always keep a normal attitude. Kim Hue's mentality was already weak, only when everyone acted as if nothing was wrong did she feel more natural. As for my best friend, I pulled her aside and whispered in her ear: "I don't understand why that blue dress suddenly sold out." "Maybe God saw that I needed money for medical treatment so he gave me this opportunity. I'm really lucky, right?" My best friend happily nodded: "Yes! That's it, Duong Duong, God is helping you, you will definitely be okay!" Having finished speaking, she immediately rolled up her sleeves and started working: "Come on, I'll handle all these applications today!" “Tomorrow we go to the hospital together!” 14 There is even less time tomorrow. The machine printing bills of lading beeps all night long, how can the speed of pasting orders keep up with the printing speed? Giang Hoai Chu took care of my best friend, taking everything into her hands: "You go rest for a bit, let me do it." My best friend was worried about me, constantly urging me to go rest: "Duong Duong, you lie down and sleep for a while, let me do it for you." But I can't lie down. Anyone who has ever experienced the feeling of being "lonely" in the e-commerce profession knows - The sound of a printer whirring is the most wonderful music in the world! I posted the application with both hands at the same time, rushing into work like a trance. Orders became more and more, in the end the first person to collapse was Giang Hoai Chu. “Shen Duong!” “You are the patient, why do you do such heavy work?” My best friend was also full of resentment: "Health is revolutionary capital. If your body is not good, no matter how much money you make, it's useless. I think you're really crazy!" She pulled my hand, Giang Hoai Chu pulled her hand: "Go, go to the hospital!" The two froze, looking at each other in bewilderment. My best friend turned and nodded at Giang Hoai Chu, then immediately scolded me: "See, even he can't stand it anymore. Is there anyone who is sick and still tortures themselves like that?" “Duong Duong, come to the hospital with us immediately!” Giang Hoai Chu listened and felt even more wrong: "That's right! Who in the world is seriously ill still self-harming? I told you to lie down and rest, why don't you go?" The more he spoke, the angrier he became, his voice getting louder: "If other people don't value you, then don't you know how to value yourself?" Giang Hoai Chu's eyes were full of sadness. Looking at my best friend, tears seemed to overflow. She was bewildered at first, then her face turned red when she looked at him: "Who... who doesn't value me?" “The sick person is Duong Duong, why should we rest?” 15 Seeing that the situation was starting to get out of control, I was still trying to make excuses when — The moment two people confronted each other, the lie was immediately exposed. My best friend was so angry that his face turned red: "Tham Duong! Explain to me now!" "Well... actually... it's all because of the exploding orders. You two saw it too, I bet right, we're about to make a fortune!" I desperately shook her shoulders, trying to make her brain spin, no longer able to think logically. Sure enough, my best friend, who was soft-hearted, was immediately infected with joy: "Yes, yes, yes!" “Oh my god, so many orders, you must have earned a lot!” I immediately corrected myself: "It's not me, it's us! Have you forgotten? In this company, you have 40% of the shares!" “That's right on your head!” Giang Hoai Chu shouted straight at her: "Just because you want to borrow money, you come up with lies like this?!" "Cancer, dying? Do you know how much I've been worried about you lately? I—"