Wang Qiqi and Han Tao went out for steak. Although Han Tao was a bit clumsy at first, following Wang Qiqi’s lead, he quickly became adept with the knife and fork. “For such a small piece of steak, it’s so expensive,” Han Tao murmured quietly. No wonder a student he used to tutor had said taking a girl out for Western food was a drain on the wallet. For the same amount of money, Han Tao felt he could buy several pounds of beef and eat for a long time at home.

Wang Qiqi looked at Han Tao’s pained expression. “It’s fine for an occasional treat. Besides, I’ve earned some money now, so it’s only right to treat the middleman to a nice meal.”

Han Tao grunted an acknowledgment. “Then I guess I’m at a loss,” Han Tao said with a laugh. “But if I had the choice, I’d rather eat several more regular meals.”

Seeing Han Tao looking unsatisfied, Wang Qiqi snorted. “Don’t worry. If there aren't any major issues, I’ll be heading over there frequently. If I run into you, I’ll buy you something to eat.” The thought alone gave Wang Qiqi a slight headache. She knew the winters in Beijing were brutally cold. Even with indoor heating, being outside in the snow felt like a real trek.

“Besides, once winter comes, I expect all the submissions and assignments will fall to you,” Wang Qiqi suddenly realized. Didn’t she have the perfect candidate right in front of her? Since Han Tao already had to tutor Li Zhe regularly at the Li residence, it would save her the trouble of running errands.

“My errand-running fee is quite high,” Han Tao joked, not refusing the suggestion. In fact, even if Qiqi hadn't brought it up, once the snow started, Han Tao was already planning to suggest she send the manuscripts to her.

Expensive? Wang Qiqi had no objection. “Just make sure you raise my wages accordingly.”

“Wages aren’t high?” Han Tao caught the unstated meaning in Wang Qiqi’s words.

Not high? “How should I put it? The price is acceptable, after all, I’m new here.” Wang Qiqi put down her knife and fork, staring intently at Han Tao’s face for a long moment. “But I just feel that man, Li Xiangdong, is rather shrewd, and—and he has a bit of a sharp-dealer tendency.” His eyes were full of calculation, whereas Li Qian was slightly better; she had her own schemes, but they weren't quite as deep-seated.

“Just as you said, if he weren’t a sharp dealer, how could he grow a small workshop into something big?” Han Tao retorted, using Qiqi’s own logic against her. “Actually, Li Xiangdong isn’t a bad person. At least he lets you see his shrewdness. Some people are so cunning you can’t even detect it; they might sell you out while you’re helping them count the money and still call them a good person.” Those were the types truly worth guarding against.

Listening to Han Tao, Wang Qiqi suddenly recalled her past life. It was precisely because Li Cui acted so kindly after her parents died that she was ultimately deceived. She realized she had been exactly the kind of person Han Tao was describing. “You’re right. But forget it. I’m new, and new people get the new-person rate. Once my skills improve, he’ll surely give me a raise.”

“Exactly.” Han Tao nodded. He had immense trust in Wang Qiqi. A little over a year ago, her math grades were abysmal, but she had persistently brought them up. Many people credited his tutoring as the reason, but that was due to the sheer volume of problems Qiqi had solved herself. Now, if Qiqi applied the same grit she used for math tutoring to her English studies, she would improve rapidly. “If they refuse to raise your pay then, we’ll just switch bosses.”

“Aren’t you worried they’ll fire you?” Wang Qiqi certainly supported Han Tao’s suggestion, but it seemed the boy had forgotten one thing: he was Li Zhe’s tutor, meaning his livelihood was in the hands of the Li family.

“Do I have to be a tutor for my entire life?” Han Tao had a brief, somewhat vague, yet appealing path for his future laid out after talking with Dai Lijun yesterday. “I plan to phase out some of my tutoring jobs once I reach the sophomore year.”

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Han Tao to decide on his future direction so quickly, though she supposed it was normal for him to have such thoughts. “Then what about your living expenses and tuition next semester?” Han Tao refused to take money from home; he insisted on covering those himself, with the only exception being the rent, which was covered by Aunt Luo back home.

“Don’t we have the stocks?” Han Tao said excitedly. “I watched the price climb quickly, and my mom has been slowly putting more money in recently too.” He was clearly pleased. “But Qiqi, are you sure this stock will really climb that high?” While the increase wasn't dramatic—there weren't many limit-up days—the upward momentum was undeniable. It had barely corrected in recent days, creeping slowly upward, which made Han Tao happy, yet he also felt the current price was a good point to sell.

“Relax. It’s just getting started. Listen to me, and you won’t be wrong. Aren't we waiting for this capital so we can move on to the next step?” Wang Qiqi was very satisfied with the current stock trend. The more capital they amassed, the more confidence they’d have later when they started doing personal shopping services abroad, right? Even if they only charged a ten percent commission, it would be a decent return, and Wang Qiqi remembered they could claim tax refunds—that wouldn't be a small sum when calculated. “And I saw Li Qian today. I suddenly feel that targeting Li Qian is the best way to go.”

Wang Qiqi believed people like Li Qian could certainly afford luxury brands. They could even fly to Europe themselves to shop, but the issue was, did they have the time? For them, perhaps one vacation spent cultivating a client base could result in that client defecting to a competitor. They would then be forced to buy luxury goods domestically at inflated prices, and likely not even the newest items. This, she realized, was their business opportunity, compounded by the current hassle of traveling abroad. If it weren't for Juliana’s family having overseas business dealings, getting a visa might not have been so easy.

Li Qian? Targeting her? Han Tao didn't grasp the conversation’s abrupt shift in topic immediately; he was truly baffled.

“Europe,” Wang Qiqi said, laughing when she saw how blankly Han Tao was staring. “Weren't we always worried about sales before? Now, we don't have to worry anymore.” Although both Juliana and Shi Man had said they could push products through their family connections, Wang Qiqi felt trying it herself would be the best form of training. “Earlier, I noticed Li Zhe’s mother was carrying a Chanel handbag. Someone like her certainly wouldn't carry fakes. But if we can provide genuine items at a lower price, I think she would buy from us. Besides, we can provide receipts.”

Han Tao finally understood. “That’s actually a good suggestion.” He wondered why he’d never considered this, despite visiting the Li residence so many times.

“You’ve only met her a few times. Besides, you’re a man; how could you possibly stare at her that closely?” Wang Qiqi found it normal that Han Tao hadn't noticed so many details. Unless they were in a design-related field, men rarely noticed such minute details, especially now when so-called luxury goods hadn't permeated the general public consciousness, remaining popular only within specific strata.

Han Tao chuckled sheepishly. “Honestly, even if I did notice, I wouldn’t pay that much attention.” To Han Tao, he truly couldn’t understand why a mere bag would cost thousands of Yuan. He thought only people with questionable judgment would buy such things. “We really don’t understand the world of the rich.”

Han Tao genuinely couldn’t comprehend spending so much on a handbag. He calculated that his and his mother’s entire monthly food budget was perhaps six or seven hundred Yuan combined. That was half a year’s worth of living expenses, and it wasn't enough to buy one of those bags. This truly astonished him.

“Maybe one day you’ll be doing the same,” Wang Qiqi said. She knew that for the current Han Tao, survival and food were his primary concerns. He was resistant to things he considered impractical, though he wasn't opposed to making money. “People’s mindsets change once they reach a certain level.”

Seeing the look in Wang Qiqi’s eyes suggesting he too would change, Han Tao wanted to retort that he would never do such a foolish thing. But the words caught in his throat. How could he be certain about the future? Perhaps his job would require him to buy these luxury goods someday. “Maybe so.”

The two of them ate their steak quite enthusiastically outside, while Shi Man, waiting anxiously at home for news, hadn't even eaten a proper lunch. “Lina, do you think Qiqi got through?” Although Shi Man thought Wang Qiqi’s English foundation was decent, being an interpreter wasn't easy, and she worried about how down Qiqi would be if she failed the interview.

Juliana shot Shi Man a look. “You! Stop pacing back and forth. You have enough time to clean the house instead.” Shi Man was already nervous, but Juliana’s constant movement only made her more anxious.

Shi Man looked at the composed Juliana and sighed; she certainly couldn't calm down as easily. Alas, her own patience was lacking. However, she silently cursed, thinking they wouldn’t even inform the family first once there was news, leaving her in such a state of worry.

Just as Wang Qiqi and Han Tao reached the door and were about to take out the keys, they heard footsteps from inside, followed by the sound of the door opening. “Qiqi, you’re back. Have you eaten?” Shi Man had wanted to ask Qiqi about the interview, but seeing Qiqi in person, she hesitated to ask about food so abruptly, in case Qiqi was in a bad mood.

Wang Qiqi nodded. “Yeah, Xiao Tao and I just ate steak outside.”

Steak? Shi Man’s mouth dropped open, and she glared at Han Tao. Anger flashed in her eyes: while they were sitting at home fretting, she had actually taken a man out for steak! “I’m furious, I’m angry!” Shi Man stomped back into the house, her footsteps heavy enough to clearly convey her displeasure.

Wang Qiqi found it strange. It was just a meal outside, albeit steak, but was it necessary to be this angry?