Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi putting on an immovable stance, and sighed, "I brought hundreds of thousands this time to buy a house." Sooner or later, she had to say it, and since Qiqi asked, she didn't intend to hide it anymore.

Hundreds of thousands? Wang Qiqi was stunned by Shi Man’s words. She looked at Shi Man in surprise. What did Shi Man’s parents mean by giving her this much money? Wang Qiqi didn’t believe this was all their money; normally, wouldn't it be better to keep it hidden? Besides, aren't the perks of being a civil servant what they are nowadays?

"My mom said to keep the money for buying a house in the capital." Shi Man noticed Wang Qiqi’s thoughtful expression. She knew that although Qiqi wasn’t part of the bureaucracy, she had some understanding of the system. However, Shi Man also knew that Qiqi was generally averse to politics, or perhaps she always maintained a pessimistic outlook. "To leave a fallback."

Zhu Lina happened to come out of the room to pour water and heard Shi Man say that, raising an eyebrow. "Things aren't looking good?" Zhu Lina hadn't expected Shi Man's parents to feel this way. Even though Shi Man's parents weren't exactly high-ranking officials, their family had so many relatives in business for so many years; it shouldn't be that easy for someone to take them down.

Shi Man actually wasn't entirely clear either. She thought for a moment, "I'm not entirely sure either. My mom said keeping the money is also a problem; even if nothing happens, it’s still losing value in the bank." Shi Man knew her parents had considered buying property near their hometown, but that was a small city; how much could they buy? If they acquired too many properties, what if rivals found out and reported them? Don't let appearances fool you—even though her parents seemed to be doing well now, you never knew if those smiling faces and sweet words would suddenly turn into a knife in the back, all for the sake of climbing higher. "My mom said the issue isn't catastrophic, just that my dad's upward momentum will be blocked."

Wang Qiqi understood. So, Shi Man’s father was aiming for a certain position, and his rivals were stronger than ever, perhaps even playing dirty. However, Shi Man’s father wasn't young anymore. If he could ascend this time, he might manage another step up before retirement. If his momentum was blocked, to put it bluntly, Old Man Shi's career would likely cap out at his current level. Unless he encountered a powerful benefactor, but Wang Qiqi didn't know how to tell Shi Man that—should she just say it doesn't matter if her dad gets promoted or not?

"Sigh, let's not overthink it. If my dad gets promoted, the social obligations will increase, which isn't good for his health either." Shi Man was actually conflicted about her father's promotion... but she also knew some things were beyond her comprehension. "Right now, my only thought is securing a house in the capital. If my dad really can't get promoted, at least we won't worry if he’s transferred to a sinecure."

Wang Qiqi was startled by Shi Man's words. Could it be? If he failed to advance, the consequences were that severe? Shi Man’s father currently held a very lucrative post, with countless people paying respects. If he was covertly demoted to a quiet, low-stakes office, anyone would find that unbearable. "Do your relatives have any influence?"

Relatives? Shi Man let out a cold "Hmph." "Who knows? They’d probably be happier if my dad got moved to a sinecure." The affection between relatives was truly chilling. Shi Man never imagined things would turn out this way. Thinking of it, Shi Man was extremely dissatisfied with the newly transferred Secretary—a Secretary who hadn't even settled in yet... and was already focused on promoting his cronies. What made Shi Man even more furious was that with so many available positions, why did he specifically target her father's post?

"A sinecure has its advantages," Zhu Lina interjected. "Many people are eyeing your dad's position. It's either moving up, or a quiet post... which is still better than a bad outcome." While Shi Man's father wasn't overly greedy, how many officials were completely clean? If someone reported him, there was a real chance Old Man Shi could end up serving time. Before, when Shi Man’s father's backer was in power, those jealous rivals could only suppress their envy. But now that the benefactor had retreated to the sidelines, those people were finally making their move. In Zhu Lina’s view, if Shi Man’s father had looked further ahead and applied for a transfer to a specific low-key department, the higher-ups might even show him favor later.

"Well, my dad thought the same way, but he's unwilling to concede. He feels that doing so would be detrimental to..." Shi Man thought that anyone could say such things, but few could actually make that resolve when the time came... "By the way, Nana, did you hear any rumors?"

Shi Man knew that although Zhu Lina's father interacted frequently with people in official circles, he wasn't aligned too closely with any particular faction; rather, he knew everyone and maintained connections across the board. This had its pros and cons. For someone running a business, avoiding politics might slow down development, but it wouldn't cause the factory to shut down instantly if one person fell from grace. It was like her father—his promotions weren't fast, but the key was that he'd held this lucrative post for so many years; without the strength of his connections, how could he have held on? But now that his patron had stepped back, his position was precarious. This gave Shi Man a deep-seated fear of the officialdom.

Shi Man had always feared the political world, having heard her parents talk about it, yet they insisted that if she returned to their hometown to be a civil servant, they would ensure her security. But looking back now, it seemed overly simplistic. Even her old man, a seasoned veteran of the bureaucracy, could be taken down; wouldn't she, a complete novice, be eliminated in a few moves? "Is this considered turning a misfortune into a blessing?" Shi Man suddenly considered the advantageous angle for herself. Before, she had spoken of traveling the world like Qiqi, bringing back interesting things to sell domestically, occasionally dabbling in stocks, and collecting rent from properties. But Shi Man knew Qiqi did this without obstruction, whereas if she did the same, her parents would immediately object, viewing it as not having a proper career.

Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina didn't expect the topic to shift so suddenly. They could only exchange glances, unsure whether to call their friend enlightened or to celebrate that she wouldn't be forced into the system by her parents anymore.

Shi Man certainly knew her thoughts might be excessive, but what could she do? Things were already like this. "It was Qiqi who said it. No matter how bad things get, you have to think about the positive side."

"For instance, I'm thinking about the positive side right now. Will my worrying make my parents avoid those cruel realities?" "Alright, alright, now you know why I'm so motivated this time. G.G.GQ, let's go look at houses."

Wang Ranqi felt like slapping herself a few times. Why did she have to be so tactless as to suggest looking at houses, and insist on using a realtor, which now put her in such an awkward spot?

Shi Man saw Wang Qiqi collapsed on the sofa, showing no inclination to move. She rubbed her eyes and put on an expression of extreme unhappiness, implying she was about to be bullied. Wang Qiqi knew the other girl was pretending, but she still had to comply with the wishes of the formidable Shi Man. "Remember to buy me a drink." Since they had to go out anyway, Wang Qiqi set her price. "Don't tell me you also need to go out. I’m sacrificing my lunch break for you."

Shi Man rolled her eyes at her friend. "Don't you hate drinks? How about a bottle of Wahaha?" Shi Man went straight to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of Wahaha, and handed it to Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi had originally considered asking for a cup of bubble tea, a novelty that had only recently entered the country and was quite expensive. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi suddenly realized she could suggest Song Yao open a tea shop. Doing that in these two years would easily yield over a hundred thousand a year. Of course, this line of work was tiring. Tao Tao’s situation was special, so Wang Qiqi decided against telling Song Yao; this wasn't like running a clothing store where you were busy from morning till night. Running a successful tea business meant working from opening until closing.

Shi Man noticed Wang Qiqi just standing there, lost in thought and not taking the mineral water. She found it strange. "You don't seriously expect me to buy you a drink, do you?" Previously, when Qiqi demanded a treat, Shi Man just bought a bottle of mineral water. Why was she refusing it now? She poked Wang Qiqi a few times with the bottle, trying to bring her back to reality, as that blank stare was quite unnerving.

A gentle poke from Shi Man quickly snapped Wang Qiqi out of her daze. "I just suddenly remembered I could ask my cousin to go into the bubble tea business, but unfortunately, she doesn't have the time."

Bubble tea business? Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi in surprise. "You know how to make it?" Wasn't that stuff supposedly complicated? But then again, thinking about how Qiqi occasionally concocted strange, delicious things, it seemed perfectly normal that Wang Qiqi could make bubble tea. "How about it, Qiqi, make a few cups for us today, so we don't have to go out to buy them?" ... A cup of bubble tea cost over ten yuan... Although this amount was negligible to Shi Man, she felt reluctant to spend it, but if Qiqi made it, it should be much cheaper, right?

Make a few cups? Wang Qiqi completely ignored the look of near drooling on the other girl's face. This girl always looked like that when food was mentioned. Even though there might be harmful additives in commercial bubble tea, if she made it herself, she could control the ingredients. Of course, just using black tea and milk would result in a mediocre taste, even with adjustments to the ratio. Fortunately, Wang Qiqi had loved bubble tea in her previous life and had even tried making it herself; the flavor could be decent. The only thing she couldn't replicate was the pearls—she always bought those pre-made. But she was making the tea. "I can make it... You two pay for the ingredients; I'll just charge for the labor."

How could Shi Man object to this proposal? She nodded enthusiastically, agreeing to Wang Qiqi’s terms.

(To be continued)