The Proposal
Zuri felt warmth in her heart as she read the message. The tiresome events at the banquet seemed to vanish like a breeze in spring.
Seeing Owen staring at his phone for a long time without responding, his assistant couldn't help but remind him again, "Owen, the director is urging."
Just as the assistant finished speaking, the phone buzzed.
Zuri: [Thank you, I'll be careful. Good night!]
Seeing this message, Owen's lips curved into a slight smile. He put away his phone, stood up, and said, "Let's go."
He opened the car door, and his assistant quickly followed.
The gentle breeze and the warm weekend sun made people drowsy. In the afternoon, a graceful figure sat by the window of a café. Passersby couldn't help but glance at the beautiful girl by the window.
To outsiders, she was a sight to behold, but to her, they were also part of the scenery.
Suddenly, a staggering figure appeared on the street. Dressed in a wrinkled plaid shirt, with slightly long hair covering his brows, thick-framed glasses obscuring most of his face, he was carrying a thick stack of documents.
The young man pushed open the café door and hurried inside, rushing to the booth where a sharply dressed man, looking like a high-level executive, was seated. The man raised his hand, revealing a Cartier watch on his wrist.
Several customers noticed the sparkling watch and couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The young man placed the documents down, repeatedly apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, there was traffic, I'm late."
The executive snorted coldly, his tone arrogant and condescending, "I hate people who are not punctual. You made me waste two minutes here."
Zuri leisurely sipped her coffee, her gaze fixed on the booth across from her.
The young man was nervous and anxious, only able to say, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
The executive waved his hand dismissively, full of disdain, "Alright, stop wasting time. Let me see your proposal."
The young man respectfully handed over the documents with great care.
Five minutes later, the executive slammed the documents shut and tossed them on the table, accidentally knocking over the coffee. The dark brown liquid instantly spilled onto the papers.
The young man hurriedly picked up the documents, frantically blotting the coffee stains with napkins.
"Trash, why so nervous," the executive insulted mercilessly.
The young man ignored him, carefully wiping the documents.
"This kind of trash proposal, don't embarrass yourself by bringing it out again. What a waste of my time."
With that, the executive stood up and left.
After the man left, the young man dejectedly packed up his documents and stood up to leave. A waiter blocked his way, holding a bill.
"Sir, please settle the bill."
The young man was taken aback.
"I didn't order anything."
He pushed up his glasses, his voice soft and gentle.
The waiter explained with a smile, "Your friend ordered. He didn't pay. Please settle the bill."
The young man looked at the coffee and snacks on the table. "How much?"
"Four hundred and eighty."
"H-How much?" the young man stammered.
The waiter patiently repeated, "Sir, the total is four hundred and eighty yuan."
The young man was stunned.
A cup of coffee and two pieces of cake cost four hundred and eighty yuan.
That was half a month's living expenses for him.
The waiter was growing impatient, reminding him again, "Sir."
The young man pulled out an old wallet, searching through it and turning out every pocket. He only managed to find three hundred and five yuan.
"I-I only have this much," he said, embarrassed, his head lowered.
The waiter's eyes showed undisguised contempt. "Our shop accepts card payments and transfers."
"I-I-I don't have any money in my card."
The surrounding customers glanced over, their gazes filled with disdain.
"The remaining amount will be on my tab."
A clear, cold voice interrupted.
Everyone turned to look at Zuri. The young man stared at her in surprise, meeting her beautiful eyes, feeling at a loss.
"I'll pay you back," he promised earnestly.
Zuri dismissed the waiter with a wave and motioned for him to sit.
The young man hesitated for a moment before sitting across from her.
He took out a pen from his pocket, grabbed a napkin, and wrote down his name and phone number, then handed it to her.
"I'll repay you as soon as possible. Thank you."
Zuri glanced at the name on the napkin.
Evan!
It was him, no doubt.
In her previous life, she had heard this name many times from the Lin family and that perverted man.
He was a legendary figure.
She had to thank that pervert who had repeatedly told her about Evan's achievements and his struggles before he became famous.
He had even read Evan's biography to her several times, lamenting why he hadn't invested in that project back then.
Before she died, Evan had already become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, worth billions. He had built his empire from scratch in less than eight years, reaching the pinnacle of the financial world and making it onto the Forbes list.
He was a legend.
Behind this legendary figure was a sharp-eyed financial tycoon.
Nolan!
It was Nolan who found him, provided funding, and gave him the space to freely pursue his ambitions.
At the time, the entire industry's bigwigs didn't think much of Nolan and Evan. They thought Nolan had made a terrible move. To them, Evan's ideas were too bold and impractical.
But Nolan believed in him, and Evan surpassed everyone's expectations, creating a business empire and their legendary story.
Zuri looked at the shy young man in front of her. This was the future famous and spirited Evan. His current disheveled and embarrassed state, despised by everyone, was so different from his future self.
"Can I see your proposal?" she asked.
Evan was taken aback.
To everyone else, this document was worthless, but he valued it more than his life.
"If it's not convenient, that's okay."
Evan hurriedly shook his head, realizing she misunderstood. "No, it's just…this proposal is dirty now."
"It's fine, I just want to read it."
Seeing that she really didn't mind, Evan carefully handed over the proposal, avoiding the coffee cup, fearing another mishap.
It was evident he cherished this proposal greatly. Zuri understood that every proposal was the result of the author's hard work and dedication.