Wang Qiqi placed some rice and dishes into the refrigerator, then poured herself a cup of tea, while the other two picked up their mugs for coffee.

Shi Man watched Wang Qiqi sit down, glancing at her but remaining silent. Zhu Lina picked up her documents to continue reviewing them, and Wang Qiqi returned to translating her drafts; with the weight on her shoulders, how could she not work hard to earn money?

Wang Qiqi recalled telling Li Xiangdong about her plan to travel abroad for New Year's, and how his face had fallen, looking as if the translation agency would collapse without her. Since Wang Qiqi joined, the agency had seen significant growth, and her status was known to other translation houses. However, because the material Wang Qiqi translated was rather specialized, and she was a student studying finance, the chances of her entering that professional circle later were slim, so no one tried to poach her, which relieved Li Xiangdong considerably. As they interacted more, even though Li Xiangdong didn't know Wang Qiqi completely, he understood she was someone who disliked trouble. Despite studying finance, the likelihood of her entering that field later was small; perhaps after graduation, she would continue taking translation gigs to earn some money, then travel around buying and selling goods.

But thinking of seeing Li Xiangdong’s crestfallen expression made Wang Qiqi adopt a similar look of chagrin in front of Li Qian. Li Qian was wholeheartedly supportive of Wang Qiqi going to France. With the end of the year approaching, relationships with old clients needed to be maintained, and gifts needed to be sent. And what gift could compare to one brought back from overseas? So, Li Qian handed Wang Qiqi another thick stack of papers listing the items she had thought of bringing for the clients over the next few days. This wasn't the most terrifying part; what was terrifying was Li Qian mentioning that she would email the things she needed once Wang Qiqi found internet access in France. This made Wang Qiqi feel that she might actually need a shipping container to return home this time.

“Manman, sort out these lists for me. I’ll print them out later.” Wang Qiqi pulled out the slips Li Qian had given her and handed them to Shi Man. As the only one currently without urgent work, she had to delegate to Shi Man.

Shi Man was stunned by the pile of papers Wang Qiqi handed over. “There’s more?” She recalled Li Qian presenting a stack just days ago; how could there be so much more today? She wondered if they had enough money to cover the initial outlay.

The stock market was performing well; they couldn't just pull money out of it, fearing that after a tiring trip abroad, the money earned might be less than what they could have made by keeping it invested. “Nana, I think we need to start asking those people for a deposit. We can stipulate that if they don’t take the items upon return, the deposit is non-refundable.” Wang Qiqi had been considering this issue lately. The previous two trips used money pulled from stock market gains for investment, and later, when they calculated it, they realized a loss. Some items people clearly wanted were later refused upon arrival. It was fortunate that someone else bought them later; otherwise, it would have been a direct loss.

Zhu Lina had also been contemplating this problem over the past few days. Although items that were pre-ordered but refused were previously resold, if they took a deposit and the person backed out, that deposit would become pure income, especially since the item could still be sold. “I think that’s a great idea; I’ll discuss it with my mom tonight. But the question is, how should we calculate this deposit?” They were currently selling items by taking the invoice amount, multiplying by the exchange rate, and adding a ten percent markup. Some items they had sold before had records, but since this was Christmas, and some items were on massive sale, the exact prices were unknown. This complicated how to set the deposit amount.

After discussion, they finally agreed to set the deposit at ten percent of the domestic retail price. This rate was acceptable to everyone, but it meant, “Our workload just increased. We have to check item prices and issue receipts, sigh.” Shi Man lamented, realizing this was an unnecessary burden. So many receipts—her hand would cramp from handwriting them all. Shi Man instinctively knew she was the one destined for this grueling task.

“We have a printer at home. You can create a spreadsheet for these items and keep a record, like noting down all the domestic prices. That way, if we get the same items later, we can calculate the required deposit. Also, for major clients, track when they purchased and how much they bought, noting the quantity and amount. Once they reach a certain total, we can send them a small gift…” Wang Qiqi added her ideas on client retention. She knew their current arrangement lacked any real technical foundation, and competitors would only increase in the future. Therefore, building strong client relationships now was crucial for long-term business success.

Zhu Lina listened to Wang Qiqi and added her own thoughts. At that moment, Zhu Lina wondered how far this small venture might evolve. Forget large corporations; even small enterprises seemed precarious. However, this was a venture she shared with her friends, and Zhu Lina naturally hoped it would last, as it represented her friendship with Qiqi and the others.

Shi Man looked at the notes she had taken, her head swimming. This seemed too troublesome. Even knowing the long-term benefits, she felt a pang of resentment.

“Don’t worry. The receipts and packing lists will all be computer-printed, in duplicate. We’ll have them sign both copies to avoid any later disputes about the transactions,” Wang Qiqi thought. This way, they were moving toward a more formalized process. All overseas expenses would have receipts, purchase invoices would be kept on file, along with all income records. Regardless of when their collaboration ended, or if disagreements over profit arose later, starting with proper procedures now ensured they could remain friends even if they eventually parted ways.

Hearing that everything would be handled by computer, Shi Man naturally had no objections. While typing the initial input might be slightly tedious, she could easily copy and paste names and amounts, only needing to adjust the purchased items. Though the workload was still considerable, it was vastly easier than writing everything by hand. “I’ll take care of this job,” Shi Man said quite agreeably.

“It was your job to begin with. Spend the next few days checking the market prices of those goods,” Zhu Lina thought. This task wasn’t exactly easy, either. So many brands and so many items—if Shi Man just stood at the counter staring at prices without buying anything, the sales assistants might not be very polite to her.

Wang Qiqi watched Shi Man, who seemed relieved about the workload easing up. She realized the girl hadn't considered another issue: the task of checking product prices. Honestly, that job wouldn't be easy at all. At this moment, Wang Qiqi wasn't kind enough to enlighten Shi Man, otherwise, she’d have to spend the next few days accompanying her aimlessly through shopping malls like a fool.

Zhu Lina observed Wang Qiqi, who, despite looking at the computer screen, revealed a mischievous smile that betrayed her scheming. Poor Shi Man! While she anticipated a leisurely holiday trip to Hainan, she never realized the huge trap Qiqi had set for her. Zhu Lina was immensely looking forward to seeing Shi Man’s expression when she went out to check prices. She hoped everything would go smoothly and they could get the price lists for the required purchases sorted out within a week.

Shi Man noticed a momentary, slightly off expression shared by Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina. Before she could fully process it, Wang Qiqi urged her, “Stop daydreaming and start inputting the data into the computer. I need it before I leave.” Wang Qiqi realized Shi Man was starting to feel suspicious and couldn't let her dwell on it. For the sake of her own peace, Wang Qiqi spoke up, “I have tons of drafts to finish before New Year’s, so you need to complete these tasks seriously, Manman.”

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi, who was intensely translating on the computer, and wondered if she had been too dense, especially after learning yesterday that Daizi had gone out on a date. Shi Man stopped dwelling on why Qiqi and Zhu Lina had looked suspicious earlier. “I questioned Daizi for a long time today, but he refused to say where he went yesterday, sigh.” Daizi hadn't divulged even a hint, which was frustrating for Shi Man. She considered herself close friends with Daizi, and now even a friend was hiding things from her; Shi Man felt generally uncomfortable about it.

Wang Qiqi, remembering what Han Tao had told her before lunch, was no longer curious about who Daizi went on a date with. She was now one hundred percent certain that Daizi’s date was Jiang Xin. As for how Jiang Xin presented herself to Daizi, Wang Qiqi didn't know, but what she did know was Daizi's current calm demeanor—he wasn't playing the good guy—suggesting he viewed Jiang Xin as just an ordinary friend. She wondered if Jiang Xin would regret things later. “Daizi seemed much cheerier today, and his smile was genuine. He even offered a few comments when we mentioned Jiang Xin, instead of showing his usual slight aversion.”

“Hmph, I didn’t see any actual moves toward pursuing a girl. It’s a pity the girls in my department are too pragmatic; they don’t care for Daizi. What about the girls in your class…” Shi Man felt that since everyone was busy making money, their social circle had narrowed, making it impossible to find suitable matches for Daizi. As for Gong Junyu and the others, Shi Man pouted; they were bachelors themselves, so how could they help Daizi find someone?

Wang Qiqi knew Shi Man was thinking of her dorm mates. The problem was, “They have a good relationship with Jiang Xin. Do you really think they’d be willing to date Daizi?” It would be incredibly awkward; Jiang Xin might even badmouth Daizi’s dullness in front of them.

Shi Man fell silent. She understood that Wang Qiqi’s classmates were also off-limits. “Heaven above, please bless Daizi by quickly introducing him to a beautiful and gentle girl. Daizi is truly a good guy.”

Wang Qiqi thought Shi Man’s prayer was unreliable. How would a homebody like him meet girls? It wasn't like in later eras with the internet and QQ, which facilitated introductions for countless couples. Of course, everyone understood Shi Man’s sentiment.

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