area51novel Chapter 13 No wonder she could become a capitalist
Chapter 13 No wonder she could become a capitalist
No wonder they can be capitalists; they're really good at ripping people off as they go!
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The next morning, Wang Haowen was woken up by his alarm clock.
He closed his eyes and reached out to grab something, only to find nothing but a slightly cool blanket in his arms. Zeng Jia had already left.
He sat up, rubbing his sore and tired eyelids, and saw a pale yellow sticky note on his pillow: "My dearest baby, I saw you stuck the receipt on for me! Love you!" Aunt Chen had her checkup this morning; I rushed to the hospital at 7:30. I cleaned the Burberry; remember to take it to Grandpa Zhang at the alley entrance for repairs. He's incredibly skilled and reliable, much more affordable than the store.
Next to the neat little handwriting, there was a small heart drawn. Wang Haowen yawned loudly, kissed the sticky note, and then got up to wash up.
His face was covered in dirt and grime in the mirror, with dark circles under his eyes like a panda's. After running around to three different places in three days, he was sure he couldn't recover in just one night's sleep. Normally, he would never have pushed himself this hard, but Zeng Jia was so focused on getting the down payment for that run-down house.
Actually, he didn't want to live under such immense pressure; ever since his mother passed away, he had advocated living for the moment. But since he wanted to marry Zeng Jia, he had no choice but to risk everything.
After tidying up, Wang Haowen stuffed the two "battle-damaged" Burberry shoes that had come unglued into a plastic bag and left them at Grandpa Zhang's shoe repair stall at the alley entrance.
……
Although Yu Li had a business dinner every night, she was never late for work. She stepped into the company gate right on time, and Wang Haowen followed her in and went straight to her office.
Presenting the report he had painstakingly compiled after staying up all night, Wang Haowen's voice was still hoarse from the exertion: "President Yu, this is a research report I compiled after visiting two secondhand stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou. I also jotted down some of my humble opinions on the marketing of high-end luxury goods. Please take a look."
Yu Li lifted her eyelids, her gaze lingering briefly on his listless face. She picked up the report with her fingertips, flipped through a few pages, and said, "I do have a few ideas, but high-end luxury goods require a certain level of sophistication, you know?"
She casually tossed the report onto the smooth table, her tone nonchalant. "Luxury goods aren't just small-time operations like Zhang Zhishan's down comforters. It's not just about marketing and copying; the emotional premium and social recognition hidden behind scarcity are the real core of the business. But..." She changed the subject, offering a hint of approval, "You actually used your brain during this trip, not bad."
Wang Haowen remained completely unmoved; Yu Li's reaction was exactly what he had expected. He hadn't anticipated that the report would be groundbreaking or receive effusive praise from Yu Li; he simply wanted to demonstrate his commitment and prove that he wasn't just a gofer.
"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Yu. I am very grateful that you have taught me so much with just a lipstick. I will definitely use my brain more in the future, and I also humbly request that you continue to guide me. I really want to learn more from you. You can practice on my steel frame as you please!" he said respectfully.
Hearing his tearful gratitude, Yu Li felt a little conflicted. She hadn't gotten the lipstick to instruct him; it was just a whim, and she simply had to get what she wanted.
There was no need to argue about this. Yu Li paused for a moment, then pulled open her desk drawer, took out a black Armani gift box, and pushed it in front of him: "Don't be so flustered in the future. Act like a high-level assistant. This scarf suits you quite well. Take it and wear it."
Wang Haowen was stunned. Yu Li gave him a gift?
An Armani scarf is worth at least several thousand dollars... Does this mean he's firmly in his position as senior assistant?
Wang Haowen suppressed his surprise and slight delight, immediately accepting the gift box. "Thank you so much, Mr. Yu! I will certainly not let you down!"
"Although the deadline is set at six months, there's a board meeting next Monday." Yu Li nodded slightly, then quickly returned to business, getting straight to the point. "The ULUL contract must be secured before Monday. The signing ceremony needs to be grand. You need to keep a close eye on the media and publicity. I heard from my staff that young people are all into door-to-door canvassing these days. Do you think ULUL's spokesperson is suitable?"
Wang Haowen quickly put the gift box away, his face immediately becoming serious: "Door-to-door canvassing is usually used by male and female leads in movies and TV series for promotional purposes. It's not common for brand ambassadors to do it this way. If you want to create a big buzz, I can ask ULUL's CEO Su. But..." He paused, also being cautious, "I'm afraid the artist's management company might take the opportunity to raise prices, leaving us with unnecessary expenses."
Yu Li smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly. "Then invite President Su to the company for tea. Have her bring ULUL's spokesperson along, and I'll meet her."
Wang Haowen was stunned for a second, but he understood in a flash!
By using Yu Li's name to invite people, Su Manli will definitely come. Then, let that spokesperson "casually" stroll around the company, chat "friendly" with the employees, and we'll get plenty of attention and exposure without having to pay a single extra penny!
As for whether the company's employees would get excited and take photos to post on social media, that was just a matter of going with the flow. The word "door-to-door sales" was never mentioned from beginning to end, and no one was thinking about money.
Wang Haowen gave Yu Li a thumbs up in his heart. No wonder she can be a capitalist. Her trick of getting something for nothing and using someone else's strength to fight back is really smooth!
Wang Haowen, holding the Armani box, emerged from the crack in Yu Li's office door. As soon as he turned his head, he bumped into Zhang Zhishan, their faces almost touching.
The old fox lowered his eyelids and glared at him fiercely. His gaze was like a razor blade just pulled from an ice hole, scraping at the face until it stung and sent chills down one's spine.
Wang Haowen's heart tightened, but he still had to maintain a respectful demeanor: "Hello, Mr. Zhang."
Zhang Zhishan snorted coldly, not bothering to say a word, and with a stiff shoulder, he brushed past Wang Haowen's arm and slipped into his own office.
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut, shaking the ground. Then, with a whoosh, the blinds in front of the large glass window were pulled shut tightly. Today, the small commodities sales department was holding a closed-door meeting, and he was so wary of even glancing at Wang Haowen that he felt uncomfortable, as if he were guarding against a thief.
Wang Haowen was already used to Zhang Zhishan's antics, so his face remained unchanged. He went straight back to his assistant's seat and subconsciously glanced at Zeng Jia's seat—it was empty.
They haven't come back from the hospital yet.
He rummaged through the dark, exquisite box in his hand, pulled out the incredibly expensive-looking dark gray cashmere scarf, took out his phone, snapped a picture, and tossed it to Zeng Jia with a tap of his finger: "A gift from Yu Li. If you don't mind the old color, I'll put it on you later."
Zeng Jia glanced at Wang Haowen's message, but didn't have time to pay attention to him at all; she was in a real bind.
She accompanied Aunt Chen to her follow-up examination this morning, and the results won't be available until tomorrow. Who would have thought that the old lady had already quietly bought a high-speed rail ticket back to Gaoyou for today, refusing to stay in Beijing for even one more day?
Zeng Jia tried everything to persuade him, but it was no use. He was determined to leave, so she had no choice but to call for help. She made a phone call to Zhang Zhishan.
Zhang Zhishan, on the other hand, was quick and decisive: "The old lady is so old, and she just got discharged from the hospital. How can we let her take the high-speed train alone? You go with her, book a business class seat! Consider it a token of our Tianyi Group's sincerity." He then changed the subject, revealing the shrewdness of an old fox, "While you're at it, keep a close eye on that little bit of profit from the logistics subsidies, don't let that kid Chen Dewei try to shirk his responsibilities!"
Upon hearing this, Zeng Jia's mind went blank.
She's only been back for a few days, barely had time to warm up her bed, and she's already been sent back?
She mentally cursed Zhang Zhishan's ancestors for eighteen generations, but she couldn't fight city hall, so she had to bite the bullet and persuade Aunt Chen to cancel the second-class tickets and reluctantly book two business-class tickets.
Only after her bottom settled into the wide seat of the high-speed train did she, like a fish out of water, gasp for breath and reply to Wang Haowen's WeChat message: "Keep the scarf for yourself! I've been exiled to Gaoyou again! They call it a show of sincerity, but they just want me to keep an eye on Chen Dewei. That old fox Zhang Bapi, he's got more tricks up his sleeve than a honeycomb briquette!"
Wang Haowen looked at the message and then glanced at Zhang Zhishan's tightly closed door. No wonder the old fox was acting like he was guarding against a thief earlier. He was planning to make some noise before Monday.
He replied to Zeng Jia with "Be careful on the streets, let me know if anything happens." Just a second after the message popped up, ULUL Su Manli's call came in like a mad dash.