Upon returning to her lodgings in the capital, Wang Qiqi’s first action was to sift through the business cards she had carelessly tossed into a drawer. Shi Man, after putting away her luggage, stepped out of the room and found the bathroom—which should have been occupied—empty. She found this strange; usually, after taking a night train back, Qiqi’s first move was always a shower. Why the deviation today?

Shi Man walked to Qiqi’s door and saw her rifling through the drawer, holding a few cards. She knocked lightly. “Qiqi, what are you looking at, business cards?” Shi Man knew that most of the cards Qiqi collected belonged to managers or owners of other translation agencies.

Wang Qiqi looked at the sparse collection in her hand and sighed internally. Many people had given her cards back then, but she had discarded some. Qiqi had felt things were going well enough with Li Xiangdong; why bother changing bosses and restarting all those professional relationships? She hadn’t anticipated that her past self’s aversion to trouble would lead her to this very step. “If this boss won’t give me work, I still have loans to pay and living expenses. I can’t just wait around for him forever.” Of course, that was an overstatement; a few small jobs still trickled in occasionally, but the volume was drastically lower than before. Qiqi felt she wouldn't be able to hold back much longer. Li Xiangdong was probably holding out, waiting for her to yield first, but that wasn’t her style.

“If I don’t look for new cards, I won’t eat. Right now, I’m practically idle and bored silly.” Qiqi winced, recalling some Japanese drama she’d recently watched. While her Japanese skills seemed to have improved significantly, that wasn’t currency; it was entirely unromantic.

Shi Man had mentioned Qiqi’s lack of work a few times before. “Is it still like this?” The Lantern Festival had passed; the New Year period was over, and work should be picking up. It looked like the problem was genuinely serious.

Wang Qiqi nodded, a look of helplessness on her face. “Isn’t he forcing me out? Maybe I performed too well before, and he thought I wouldn’t bother finding a new boss?” It seemed being too accommodating only invited bullying.

After voicing this, Wang Qiqi selected a few cards from the pile and started dialing. Hmph, she thought, who cares about company size—as long as the pay is fair and the payment is prompt, that’s all that matters.

Wang Qiqi had braced herself for only half of the calls to yield a positive response, perhaps an appointment to discuss terms. To her surprise, every single recipient asked her to come in within the next two days to discuss a potential collaboration. Some naturally inquired why she was calling them now, given that they had given her their cards a long time ago without any follow-up. Regarding their doubts, Qiqi knew they would find it strange. She worried they might even suspect her of being a spy trying to gather intelligence. How could she explain? Should she tell them she was being sidelined because she refused to listen to Li Xiangdong, and he cut off her work? That would likely scare off any potential partners.

After hanging up, Wang Qiqi agonized over how she would explain the need to switch employers. She thought and thought but couldn't devise a satisfactory excuse. Forget it, she decided. If they want to hire me, fine; if not, too bad. Wang Qiqi didn't believe there wasn't a single firm out there that needed her.

Shi Man watched Qiqi’s expression shift from tension to relief. “How did the calls go?” In Shi Man’s view, Li Xiangdong would surely regret taking action against Wang Qiqi later, though Qiqi herself was also taking a loss.

“In-person meetings. But I doubt many will work out, considering why I’m suddenly looking for a new principal,” Wang Qiqi stated with a sigh, then turned to grab a towel. “I’m taking a shower. Stop thinking about it; it’s useless.” If she couldn’t figure out how to solve the problems, overthinking them was just brain drain. Whatever, she’d take things one step at a time.

Shi Man didn’t know what to say in response, so she just patted Qiqi’s shoulder. “With your ability, someone is bound to recognize your worth eventually.”

Since the semester had started, Wang Qiqi could only schedule visits to the various translation agencies on her days without classes. As she suspected, the principals of those firms all questioned her stated reason for seeking new work. When Qiqi mentioned needing to support several properties and facing significant financial pressure, they exchanged curious looks.

Wang Qiqi knew her story was thin, and the likelihood of them believing it was low, but despite their skepticism, they still quoted their translation rates.

After hearing the prices from several agencies, Wang Qiqi had only one thought: Li Xiangdong was simply too greedy, too unscrupulous. The difference in price was a full third lower! While the percentage might not sound astronomically high, considering the volume of work done annually, if she handled 30,000 yuan worth of work, she’d be losing at least 10,000. How could she not be angry?

“That’s the highest rate I can offer,” Ye Ruizhi said, looking at the somewhat distracted Wang Qiqi seated before him. He slightly raised his voice. Though he didn't know why she had come to him, he was certain she had fallen out with her current employer, and he suspected it wasn't over money.

Wang Qiqi was stunned by the final agency; this one offered a delightful surprise. The rate was fifty percent higher than Li Xiangdong’s offer! This was the best quote she had heard after a full week of interviews. “This rate, this rate…” Qiqi wondered if this man was passing on every penny he collected from the client. Was he some kind of saint? But that was impossible; how many bosses weren’t grasping? Perhaps it was the “payment terms?” Dragging payments out for months without interest would mean she was losing a fortune.

Ye Ruizhi observed Wang Qiqi’s expression oscillating between joy and shock upon hearing the translation fee, and he smiled inwardly. It seemed this girl hadn't sought new employers since finding Li Xiangdong and had never bothered to inquire about market rates outside. In truth, for Wang Qiqi’s skill level, this quoted price was slightly generous, but for Ye Ruizhi, while he earned a little less profit, it wasn't without benefit. “Payment immediately upon submission. Don't worry. I can still make money at the rate I’m offering. I run a studio too; I have to profit. What I hope for is a long-term partnership. I don’t want my staff leaving over monetary issues. A stable, ongoing working relationship is better for everyone, right?”

Wang Qiqi strongly agreed with that point. She nodded. “Mhm. If not for what happened, I wouldn’t be scrambling for work; it’s too exhausting.”

The two then finalized a collaboration contract. Wang Qiqi carefully examined the pricing and payment conditions before signing her name. Ye Ruizhi signed his as well. “Mr. Ye, I hope we have a pleasant collaboration moving forward,” Wang Qiqi said as she handed him the signed document.

“I believe we certainly will have a pleasant collaboration,” Ye Ruizhi replied. He knew Wang Qiqi must have spoken to several agencies, and her quick agreement to his terms was likely due to the rate and his assurance of steady payment. Frankly, Ye Ruizhi couldn't fathom Li Xiangdong’s reasoning for letting such a talent go.

After discussing submission procedures with Ye Ruizhi, Wang Qiqi left his office feeling lighthearted.

Han Tao was quite surprised when a classmate told him someone was looking for him. His classmate had described the visitor as a stunning beauty, and Han Tao didn't believe his charm extended that far to attract an unknown classmate.

Han Tao walked out of the Computer Science building, puzzled, only to find Wang Qiqi standing there. Only then did he realize his classmate hadn't told the whole truth. “What’s got you so happy?” Han Tao noticed the bright smile on Wang Qiqi’s face and wondered if she had good news.

Wang Qiqi hummed in response. “Are you done with your work?” She had been so eager to share the wonderful news that she impulsively rushed over to Han Tao’s university. When she arrived at the base of the Computer Science building, she suddenly remembered he had classes until after four. Just as she was about to turn back, she happened to run into one of Han Tao’s classmates. Of course, Wang Qiqi didn't recognize the person, but the classmate stared at her a few times with hesitation before asking if she was looking for Han Tao.

Han Tao shook his head. “Almost done, maybe half an hour. What’s up?”

Wang Qiqi smiled slyly, unwilling to reveal the good news. “Hurry up and finish, we’re going out for dinner tonight.”

Han Tao paused to think. The only thing that could make Wang Qiqi this happy, besides securing a new position, was finding a satisfactory new boss. Realizing this, he asked, “Did you find a new employer you’re happy with?”

Wang Qiqi had planned to surprise him, but he guessed it instead. “Mhm. Only now do I realize how utterly greedy Li Xiangdong was.” She mused that this might be why Li Qian was too embarrassed to accept any favors from her previously.

Han Tao was also shocked when he heard the rates Wang Qiqi quoted. He hadn't realized that even with his rate hikes, Li Xiangdong’s pricing was still so far below the market average. “What did Li Xiangdong say? Ah…”

“But honestly, without him, I might not have gotten to where I am today.” Wang Qiqi still felt gratitude toward Li Xiangdong. However, the later disagreements, compounded by the current issue with pricing, made her feel reconciliation was impossible. Perhaps Li Xiangdong would view her as ungrateful for switching employers, but from her perspective, he had been quite excessive. “But I think I’ve paid back enough of what I owed him. I can’t repay his past help by being exploited forever.”

Han Tao nodded. “It was essentially just a partnership with him. If the boss offers low rates, you find a new one. It’s like how our old programming boss was stingy with rates, and now we don’t work for him, and he’s frantic, coming back and begging us. We name the price, right? Why feel indebted?” Keeping a professional bridge open benefits everyone, but unfortunately, people like that are rare.

…… (To be continued)