Chapter 61

"Boss, are you sure?" Qi Ping's face turned somewhat bitter; this news really made him feel both amused and exasperated.

"I'm very sure. This is from an old customer. You know, houses in Hu City aren't cheap, and some of them are owned by big bosses. I've seen the appraisal report, and it seems to be the real deal." Qi Lei said with a smile. During this period, he had always treated his brother's affairs as his own; so in helping his younger brother find jade, he had really put in a lot of effort.

"Alright, I'll return to the country in a few days. If the jade is really of good quality, I'll take it." Qi Ping gritted his teeth. Good jade is hard to come by, and although he was currently short on cash, he couldn't miss out on a good opportunity.

Qi Ping was really at a loss. Although he had made a lot of money recently—his vegetable business had conservatively earned over a million dollars in the past few months—he didn't actually have much cash on hand, as most of it had been invested. So when his brother mentioned finding a good piece of jade, Qi Ping's first thought was to take out a loan.

Qi Ping wasn't someone who liked taking loans. Waking up to find himself with a new creditor was not a pleasant feeling. But there was no other way; sometimes funds just didn't circulate in time, and he had to go to the bank for a loan.

Actually, many of the wealthy in America had bank loans, which helped Qi Ping feel a bit more balanced. He wasn't short on funds, nor was he unable to make money; he just needed some time to recoup a large sum of money. Taking a loan was just a temporary solution.

"You should take a loan. If you show even a slight intention to borrow, I bet a bunch of banks will immediately come running to serve you." Luo Yi took a sip of his chilled beer and started tearing into the steak. He was very open-minded and felt that Qi Ping had finally seen the light. "Your forest has such great potential. If you had taken a loan earlier and invested all at once, the development would have been much faster. Now, you're putting in a little bit of money at a time, which really affects the progress."

"I'm just afraid of the high interest rates; I'm being cautious." Qi Ping wasn't too concerned. He actually knew that taking a loan might not be a problem. "The forest itself makes money quickly, but now many things have come together."

Drinking beer and using chopsticks to pick up the steak, the mood was actually quite pleasant. Since they were at home, they could do whatever made them comfortable. Like Qi Ping, he preferred his steak well-done, which suited his taste. Although he was in America, Qi Ping wasn't particularly adapted to or fond of Western cuisine.

"Think about it, when you first came, you had a few million dollars in hand. Now, your forest has endless potential, and every week, hundreds of thousands of dollars are transferred through the bank. The American bankers definitely know this; they know your financial situation better than you do. You are such a high-quality customer, you must already be a so-called VIP." Luo Yi was a bit envious. He also owed the bank some loans, but his treatment was far from what Qi Ping received.

"Actually, it's been good. Recently, Citibank and Wells Fargo have sent people to discuss cooperation with me. I didn't have this concept before, but the banking services in America are really good." Qi Ping was being honest. In the past, he was always struggling, and with no money in the bank, he didn't know about these things.

But now, he had become a sought-after high-quality customer for some banks. Like Qi Ping, he had received many offers, and many banks were indeed interested in cooperating with him. Banks, which seemed to be high and mighty, actually needed to attract big customers.

"If you're going to take a loan, you might as well take a larger amount. After all, you have the assets, and your income is good. It will prevent you from being constrained when spending money. The interest rate from the bank won't be a big issue for you; it's fine to take a longer time to pay it back." Luo Yi was giving his advice, knowing that Qi Ping now had the confidence. "If you take a loan of a few million dollars, the banks will definitely line up to offer it. For us ordinary people, even a few thousand dollars would take a long time to apply for."

"Indeed, I asked Taylor, and a loan of about three million dollars is not a problem. If it's more, it might take some time. I heard that I'm now listed in the headquarters of those banks as a very promising customer." Qi Ping smiled proudly, feeling he had the right to boast.

"Stop showing off, wait until you get the Centurion Black Card to brag!" Luo Yi, not liking Qi Ping's boastful attitude, tried to bring him down. The American Express Centurion Black Card, with Qi Ping's current net worth, was still out of reach. This card, in a certain sense, is also a symbol of status.

It is usually called a "Black Card" or "Black Gold Card," a charge card issued by American Express. The biggest difference from regular credit cards is that the Black Card has no credit limit. Holding this top-tier card from American Express allows access to top clubs in major cities worldwide, and it offers unique top-tier personal services and premium benefits, including a full-service personal assistant, exclusive travel discounts, lifestyle discounts, and 24/7 support from bank and investment service specialists.

Most importantly, this card is invitation-only and does not accept new customer applications. The Black Card can only be applied for after an invitation, which American Express sends after evaluating the customer's net worth, credit history, and spending habits. The exact criteria for the Centurion Card invitation are not publicly disclosed by American Express.

But let's just focus on eating quietly. We are still discussing the loan, not the top-tier Black Card. For now, Qi Ping just wanted to focus on developing his forest. He didn't really care about the status symbol of the Black Card.

This was also a case of sour grapes. If Qi Ping could get an invitation for the American Express Black Card, he would seriously consider it. After all, these Black Cards could bring a lot of convenience and were worth considering. Although he didn't have the means now, it was something to look forward to in the future.

For now, he wasn't thinking about the Black Card. Qi Ping was still considering how to get a larger loan. Taking a loan was not a simple matter. Although he needed a lot of money and had the ability to repay, getting a larger loan with minimal cost was the most important thing.

"Mr. Qi, based on your asset evaluation and credit situation, we can offer you a five-year loan of 500,000 US dollars." The senior client manager of Wells Fargo sat in front of Qi Ping, determined to secure this big customer.

"No, I think you might not have seen our loan application clearly." Before Qi Ping could speak, Old Taylor interjected. Taylor was very concerned about Qi Ping, his largest client, and the young man's assets were still growing.

Qi Ping was indeed dissatisfied. A 500,000 US dollar loan was a significant amount, but it was just barely enough for him. So, it was better to forget it. If this was the final offer, it was better not to take the loan.

"Mr. Qi, if you are willing to provide some assets as collateral, I believe there will be no problem. We all know your strength, and I think this is not an issue." The client suggested that this was not a problem, as the bankers were well aware of Qi Ping's assets. "We believe a seven-year loan of 2 million US dollars, with your forest as collateral, might be the most suitable for you."

Qi Ping was unhappy. His forest was worth millions of dollars, but this was just a 2 million US dollar loan. However, it was just collateral, not a sale. Getting the money was the most important thing, and Qi Ping didn't really care about the rest.