Chapter 69
In fact, Joshua already had a specific manufacturer in mind for the bicycles, and that was Pharell’s Bikes.
Over the past few days, he had reached out to them, testing the waters by inquiring about pricing. However, the company’s business manager had yet to reply. Joshua suspected it was because of his age, as his youth. probably made him seem unreliable in their eyes, causing them to hesitate about whether they should take his business seriously.
But Joshua had a plan. Once he wrapped up his next round of Bitcoin trading, he would put down a deposit. and place an order directly.
For the first batch, he decided to order just 1,000 bikes. It wasn’t wise to flood the market right away as he wanted to test the waters first. If the initial rollout proved successful, he would increase the order to 2,000 or even 3,000 bikes, steadily expanding until the operation fully scaled up.
“The app needs to be developed as soon as possible,” Joshua said during a meeting with his programmers. “We don’t need anything too fancy. Just a few core features like scanning QR codes, GPS tracking, and basic payment and withdrawal options. It has to be ready within a month!”
“Once the app is live, we can start printing some posters for promotion. For the initial launch, we’ll distribute 1,000 bikes in high–traffic areas. Some will be placed near university gates, others at subway exits, and a few in business parks,” he added.
“As long as the city management doesn’t confiscate them and people don’t steal them, we might actually make some money!” he said confidently, his tone light but resolute.
“My biggest fear is theft,” Tom admitted, his worry evident. “What if people just run off with the bikes?”
Joshua chuckled, brushing off the concern. “Don’t stress about it. Even if we lose a few bikes, it’s not the end of the world. What we really need to worry about is the city management. If they decide to crack down on us, that could cause some serious problems. But honestly, just look at all the e–scooters out there. There are so many of them parked all over the place, with no one following the rules. If we’re careful about where we station our bikes, chances are they won’t even notice us at first. And by the time they do, we’ll have already expanded enough to make it hard for them to intervene!”
Gwen smiled at Joshua and said in a half–teasing tone, “Joshua, aren’t you even the least bit worried about the SATS? You still have time to develop this project?”
Joshua’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a seriousness that hinted at the weight he carried. “What choice do we have? We’re orphans, and we’re broke. If there’s a chance to make money, we have to take it. You two focus on your studies for now. Once the exams are over, you can jump in, and we’ll work together to promote the development of the bike–sharing dream!”
“Deal!” they both replied in unison, their spirits lifted as they turned back to their textbooks, immersing themselves in practice problems.
As for Joshua, he continued to pour a significant portion of his funds into Bitcoin, aiming to make another substantial profit.
He had a strong feeling that Bitcoin was going to skyrocket again.
After all, back in 2013, Bitcoin had surged over 200 times its original value in just one’year. Right now, it had only risen about twentyfold, leaving plenty of room for further growth. Joshua was certain that the latter half of 2013 would mark Bitcoin’s true golden era.
He wasn’t about to miss this incredible opportunity to make money!
While tackling practice exams, Agnes handed him a lunchbox. He glanced at it briefly, then tossed it onto a chair without another thought.
1
Chapter 69
The next day after school, he grabbed the untouched lunchbox and headed toward the school gate. As he stepped outside, he spotted a familiar black Audi parked near the entrance.
Sure enough, as soon as he appeared, Wendy got out of the car again.
The sight of her was enough to sour his mood. Irritated, he strode over to a nearby trash can and, with deliberate defiance, dropped the lunchbox into it right in front of her.
He had no idea why she kept showing up like this. What was she after? Whatever her reasons, he no longer held any affection for his older sister.
He still remembered that time, lying alone in a hospital bed, dying. No one had come to visit him. Not a single one of them. They had all been busy doting on Frankie instead.
And now, Wendy was here again, for the third or fourth time, acting overly concerned. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she had some ulterior motive.
Chances were, their family group chat was probably buzzing with laughter at his expense.
When she saw him toss the lunchbox into the trash right in front of her, her expression faltered for a moment, the forced smile slipping just slightly before she regained her composure. With a strained grin, she walked toward him. “Joshua, you’re done with school for the day?”
Joshua didn’t bother hiding the disdain in his gaze as he looked at her. His lips curved into a bitter smirk as he shot back, “You people are something else. You won’t make a move unless there’s something to gain, will you?”
“Joshua, I brought you some food!” She quickly explained when she saw the look of irritation on his face. “This is the soup made by Mrs. Locker and some deep–sea fish oil from home. It’s good for improving memory and fighting fatigue. Your SATS are coming up, so you should eat something to keep your energy up!”
“Fighting fatigue?” He let out a sharp, mocking laugh as if he had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. His tone dripped with sarcasm. “You people really are relentless, aren’t you? Like a shadow that never goes away. What on earth did I ever do to offend your family? Why do you keep messing with me? Fine, I give up. Is that what you want?”
She panicked at his reaction and hurriedly tried to explain. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong! I’m just hoping you’ll do well on your SATS-”
“Stop, please, just don’t! I can’t take this anymore!” He cut her off abruptly. “Your family has really gone all out to mess with my exams, haven’t you? All this effort–did Frankie promise you a bonus? Is he paying you a salary for doing this?” His piercing gaze locked onto her, unrelenting and filled with disdain.
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