Chapter 423 - 259: What Kind of Swimsuit Should I Choose?

A glance at the reward confirmed it was pretty good.

Coupled with the 500,000 in cash, it was more than enough to make him realize the wealth gap between them.

Lin Jiang glanced at Yu Bin, then at the other parents, and said,

"Someone’s offering to pay, and people still don’t want to go?"

"He’s offering 5,000, and the other parents are supposed to cover the rest," Fang Jie whispered, leaning in.

Lin Jiang understood immediately.

’This guy is really something else,’ he thought.

’If he had offered 30,000, with everyone else just chipping in for the rest, that would have been one thing.’

’But just 5,000? What’s the damn point?’

"With this many people, chartering a boat would cost at least thirty or forty thousand. You must be doing pretty well for yourself."

Lin Jiang’s voice wasn’t quiet, and the parents around them all heard him. They subconsciously glanced at Yu Bin, their expressions awkward.

Faced with a series of strange looks, Yu Bin started to feel a bit awkward.

"Well, it’s not quite like that. I planned on putting up 5,000 and having the other parents chip in for the rest, but they didn’t agree."

"Oh, so that’s how it is."

"How about this? You look like you’re doing well, too. I’ll put in 6,000, you put in 4,000, and then everyone else can pitch in for the rest. The kids want to have fun; we can’t let them down, right?" Yu Bin said.

’This guy has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.’

’He’s trying to take the lead. If the other parents agree, he gets to take all the credit.’

"How about this? I’ll cover the whole thing. As for your 6,000, just keep it and buy yourself some cigarettes."

With that, Lin Jiang looked up at Jiang Xiaoqi.

"Teacher Jiang."

Hearing Lin Jiang call her, Jiang Xiaoqi stood up and walked over.

"I’ll cover the cost. Can we arrange a cruise for this afternoon?"

At his words, the students all cheered as if the matter was already settled.

"Well..." Jiang Xiaoqi hesitated. "It’s possible to arrange it last minute, but I need to call the director and get the parents’ consent."

The parents were all looking on with anticipation. If someone else was paying, they were more than happy to go.

"You go call the director. As for the parents, whoever wants to come can just sign a waiver. That should solve the problem."

"Okay."

Jiang Xiaoqi stepped aside to make the call.

The other parents watched Jiang Xiaoqi eagerly.

This was an official school activity, so even if someone was paying, the final decision still rested with the school.

"Brother Yu, that guy’s a real show-off, but he’s also loaded. We’re talking tens of thousands, and he offered it up just like that," Zhang Wanqiang whispered.

"It’s just a few tens of thousands. I can afford it too. But we’re not family or anything, so I just don’t feel like spending it on these people."

Holding his phone, Yu Bin muttered to himself, loud enough for others to hear,

"Just getting out for a bit has really improved my luck. That final payment of over two hundred thousand someone owed me from last year just came through."

"Nice! So you’ve got some extra cash on hand now," Zhang Wanqiang played along.

"Thinking about it now, a thirty-thousand-a-day cruise isn’t that expensive. If I’d known, I would have just treated everyone myself."

Lin Jiang slapped his thigh. "That’s great! You treat everyone, then. I won’t fight you for the honor."

Yu Bin: ???

"AHEM... But I suddenly don’t feel like going anymore."

"That’s a shame. I guess it’ll just be the rest of us, then."

PFFT—

Fang Jie couldn’t hold back a laugh, reminded of the mountain-climbing incident from the day before.

This Yu Bin guy was completely at Lin Jiang’s mercy.

Just then, Jiang Xiaoqi walked back.

"The director agreed, but every parent needs to sign a waiver."

The outcome was exactly what Lin Jiang had expected. Zhou Hejuan was Jiang Xiaoqi’s backer, a fact well-known to everyone at Huaihe Second Primary School.

With her making the call, any request would likely be approved as long as it wasn’t too outrageous.

"Let’s get a headcount. I’m covering the cost. It’s completely voluntary, but if you don’t come, you’ll be missing out. I’ll have to trouble Teacher Jiang and the other teachers to tally everyone up. Oh, right..."

Lin Jiang looked at Yu Bin. "This parent isn’t going."

"Got it."

Yu Bin sat awkwardly in his chair, not knowing whether to leave or stay.

But life rarely has a large audience. At that moment, few people were paying attention to Yu Bin; everyone was busy signing their waivers.

Only occasionally, when he was brought up in the future, would someone say:

"Oh, that guy? I know him. All talk, no substance. Loves to act like a big shot..."

With someone else footing the bill, it was naturally a unanimous decision.

Fang Jie also bent over a table, writing diligently.

"Lin Jiang is standing up for you," Wei Xue said quietly.

"Huh? Standing up for me?"

"He totally played Yu Bin and excluded him. He just wants the guy to stay away from you."

"I doubt it. We just have a professional relationship. You’re overthinking things."

"I don’t know about that. It’s not like his money grows on trees."

"Let’s just drop it. In any case, I think things will be a lot more peaceful without him around."

While the two of them were talking, Lin Jiang called over the hotel manager, who still remembered him.

He was the one who had paid an extra ten thousand to upgrade to a sea-view room last time. A definitely wealthy man.

"You must have the contact info for a cruise company, right? Could you help me get someone over here? We want to head out to sea."

"No problem at all. I’ll have someone contact them right away."

Everyone worked in the same scenic area, so of course they had each other’s contact information. It was no trouble at all.

The manager stepped aside to make the call. After he was done, he returned to exchange a few more pleasantries with Lin Jiang before leaving.

One by one, the parents finished signing their waivers.

Just then, someone from the cruise company arrived at the hotel’s second-floor buffet restaurant.

He scanned the room and immediately spotted Yu Bin, the man who had been asking him questions earlier. Smiling, he walked straight toward him.

"Sir, have you made a decision? We have a 20% discount right now. It’s a great deal, but the offer ends this week."