"Very well then. What time does the loan department close?" Wang Qiqi knew she was late, but the attendant's attitude was frankly appalling. Hmph.

"Let me make a call for you." The beautiful attendant was also new and wasn't supposed to handle things herself, but she was on a mission. She hadn't expected to reel in three new account openings today, though she had no idea how much money they intended to deposit.

Shi Man had initially thought the male attendant wasn't bad-looking and had been prepared to take a second look, but his terrible attitude made her scoff. Seriously, rushing off to be reincarnated or something. Shi Man pursed her lips. "Qiqi, that saying of yours was spot on."

"Thanks." Wang Qiqi took the form handed over by the account-opening beauty and picked up a pen. Hearing Shi Man switch to their local dialect, she replied in kind, wondering which statement Qiqi was referring to after all she’d said. "Which one?"

"It's just that pretty boys and girls are spoiled by people," Shi Man said with a grin. To the office staff, she sounded like she was complimenting the male attendant's looks. "Tsk, so what if he’s slightly handsome? What’s there to brag about? To put it plainly, he’s just a pretty, brainless vase, no different from a waiter at a small diner."

Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina glanced at Shi Man’s smiling face, and both felt like giving her a thumbs-up. This girl was an incredible actress. How could anyone present know Shi Man was actually insulting him?

"Manman, you’re wrong. You're insulting the waiters. They perform far better than this peacock," Wang Qiqi said very seriously, looking down at her paper. "And he's not a vase. Even if being a receptionist doesn't require much professional knowledge, if he got this job, it means he either has connections or excellent professional skills. But it's also normal for someone without backstage backing to get this position."

Hearing this, Zhu Lina suddenly recalled something. "Qiqi, you’re studying finance too. Will you end up as a receptionist opening accounts at a brokerage firm after you graduate?"

Shi Man immediately countered, "Qiqi will never be a vase. Qiqi, you have to work hard to become a professional consultant."

Wang Qiqi had just finished filling out her form and handed it to the receptionist beauty. "NONONO, I'd rather be a vase."

Zhu Lina and Shi Man were surprised Qiqi would say that. They finished filling out their own forms, referencing Qiqi’s, and looked at her in astonishment. They couldn't believe Qiqi would actually want to be a vase. "You know, being a receptionist has a very low status; you’ll face so many people..."

"I know, but being a receptionist has less pressure. Consultants are under immense pressure—you have to make money for the company and for the clients. When you make them money, they’ll say you’re great, that you’re brilliant, and that choosing you was the right decision. But the moment you make one mistake, they’ll completely dismiss you, think you’re scum, absolute trash." Wang Qiqi smiled, hoping her words hadn’t scared the two privileged girls. "Being a receptionist is great. You can watch the market trends, maybe overhear some inside tips, and then trade your own stocks. There’s no pressure because your superiors won't expect much ability from a vase. Alright, it’s getting late, we need to deposit the money."

Wang Qiqi changed the subject and said to the attendant waiting nearby, "Beauty, is it possible to transfer the money directly from the card?"

"Yes, but there are fund regulations. Transfers to other locations below fifty thousand are not permitted." The beauty gave a less-than-pleasant smile.

Fifty thousand? Wang Qiqi understood. Perhaps the bank charged a handling fee, but that would be paid by the brokerage. For their convenience, and to attract capital, such a rule was probably normal. "So, if we deposit a total of 150,000 across these three cards, the fee will be waived, correct?" Wang Qiqi didn't know how much the other two planned to deposit, but she certainly intended to put in more than that amount.

Meng Fei couldn't believe her luck. Heavens, if it went according to their meaning, the three of them would be depositing at least 150,000. "Yes, yes, please follow me."

"Qiqi, I have fifty thousand here." Shi Man hadn't originally wanted to put that much into the volatile stock market, but the moment she thought of Peacock Man, anger flared. Hmph, he thinks we’re broke, does he? I'll show off and make him regret it.

"I'll take you to make the deposits." Meng Fei walked out from behind the counter, leading Qiqi and the other two to open fund cards and deposit their money.

Peacock Man watched the four of them walk away and sneered coldly. "Tch, three poor students, talking about depositing 150,000. Meng Fei must be crazy trying to meet her quota." He knew for a fact that the three of them couldn't possibly have that kind of money. It was a pity Meng Fei was running around for them. He didn't believe they’d deposit much at all. "We’ll wait here for Meng Fei and see how much those three actually deposit."

The others inside naturally shared that thought. It would be a lie to say they weren't interested in Meng Fei, but this Meng Fei was just... how to put it... too upright. Not the shallow type. Just as they were about to say more, someone coughed and pointed somewhere. They immediately fell silent, cursing inwardly. Damn it, how could we forget Feng Xuanxiang is here today? Wasn't he supposed to be upstairs trading and busy making money for the company? I didn't expect him to come down here.

Feng Xuanxiang had been busy for a long time, and his head felt a bit fuzzy. He just wanted to relax a bit, so he came to the very front desk where he had started his career at the company. Many people might see the receptionist job as boring and without prospects, but opportunities were equal; it just depended on whether you seized them. Unfortunately, among the many receptionists, most were restless and impatient. Only one girl, Meng Fei, performed well with a serious work ethic. But beautiful women usually have many choices and might not choose to stick with such a tedious career. Besides, being a receptionist at a brokerage firm wasn't bad. Just as Feng Xuanxiang was idly thinking of tidying things up and returning to his office, he heard the familiar local dialect. What truly caught his attention was the smiling, pleasant demeanor of the girl, contrasted with the cutting remarks in her words. Of course, Feng Xuanxiang knew the so-called Peacock Man brought it upon himself, but the little girl was quite interesting. Feng Xuanxiang stayed put, deciding not to get up. Frankly, he was curious to know how much money those three women would deposit, especially that little wildcat. However, he wasn't concerned with the little wildcat's wealth, but rather worried that the three of them, out of sheer curiosity, might throw in all their tuition and living expenses. Although the overall market trend was currently upward, it didn't guarantee a profit.

Meng Fei led the three of them toward the deposit office. Only one person was stationed there. "Feifei, you finally made it." A refined-looking girl pushed up her glasses, looking happy to see Meng Fei. "I thought you wouldn't make it in time."

Meng Fei checked the time—it was almost half past eleven. If she hadn't arranged this with her old classmate, the deal would likely be off. "Thanks, Nuannuan."

The girl Nuannuan smiled. "Don't mention it. They arrived right during work hours." She quickly prepared the shareholder cards based on the three women’s documents. "How much are you planning to deposit?"

"Can I just deposit fifty thousand?" Shi Man felt a little anxious as the moment of depositing approached. Who knew how much that money would be by the New Year. "Forget it. I'll put in the whole eighty thousand from this card."

Wang Qiqi watched Shi Man close her eyes as she handed over the card, making her feel like Comrade Dong Cunrui. She reached out and patted Shi Man’s back. "Relax, Manman. We might not lose. Maybe by the New Year, your eighty thousand can turn into two hundred thousand."

"Exactly! No pain, no gain. Didn't you say you wanted to buy an apartment? Maybe your two-bedroom can become a large suite that can even be nicely renovated," Zhu Lina pulled a bank card from her wallet and handed it over. "I’m depositing two hundred thousand."

Meng Fei felt faint. Heavens, she never expected to have such incredible luck today. Just these two women had deposited 280,000. It wasn't just Meng Fei who felt dizzy; her friend Nuannuan was also overjoyed for her. If Meng Fei failed to meet her target this month, she wouldn't get to become a permanent employee, which would be a blow to her. Thankfully, she had finally waited for this.

"I’ll deposit two hundred thousand too." Wang Qiqi had initially considered depositing more to earn more, but then she thought that if Lina only put in 200,000, wouldn't depositing more seem like she was trying to outdo her? Besides, she should keep some money on hand for emergencies.

Hearing Wang Qiqi's words, Meng Fei immediately leaned against the wall, afraid she would faint if nothing supported her. Heavens, she didn't recognize this world. How could a few young women come up with 480,000? Her own target for becoming permanent was just 500,000, and she had been short by over 200,000 before. She never expected to run into three benefactors who would complete her task so easily. If it weren't working hours, she would have worried about scaring these three girls away and would have shaken their hands to thank them profusely.

Nuannuan quickly transferred the money into the fund account. After they confirmed and signed the receipt, she said, "You can go up to the main trading room to operate. They have dedicated computers and seats for you there." Nuannuan handed over the receipt and two slips indicating their seat numbers.

Wang Qiqi was surprised they qualified for the main trading room treatment. "If we don't come often, can these seats still be reserved?"

"Yes," Nuannuan smiled. "But you must ensure the total funds in your card plus stock balance does not drop below fifteen thousand."

"Okay, thank you, beauty. So we can start trading at our seats this afternoon?" Wang Qiqi wasn't overly excited about the main trading room—after all, it was a room shared by at least five or six people—but it was definitely better than trading in the main hall.

Bu Bu’s friend Yu Wai Hua Xian has returned and started a new book. Everyone has time to go support it: A Tang Dynasty Elderly Spinster—A modern archaeology major spinster who spends her days dealing with antiques, gets transported to the Tang Dynasty, and is still a spinster! (What?) Fortunately, she can safely live as a homebody and a parasite, pure happiness, right? However, after that man appears, murders happen constantly around her. Don't do this; I won't be able to marry off! What? He’s the young Di Renjie? "Xiao Jie, don't follow me! Go find your Yuanfang!!" "Yuanfang, who is THAT?" "The indispensable person in your life!" "Wait a moment, my lady, what is your take on this case?" "Don't ask me how I see it; I'm not your Yuanfang. I don't want to solve cases; I want to get married..." What is this feeling of powerlessness?