Wang Qiqi and Julina fell into discussing their beauty business venture over a late-night snack, while Zhu Hanlin sat nearby, eating and watching their animated exchange. A sudden thought struck him: perhaps Julina's interest in this small business surpassed her involvement with the Zhu family's larger enterprises. Was it because her partners were friends? Zhu Hanlin felt utterly unsure how to proceed.

Ever since his uncle made his fortune, Julina, despite being a woman, had been taught everything her uncle knew. It was impossible that she didn't understand the swift nature of those profits; Zhu Hanlin truly couldn't grasp why she seemed to prioritize this.

"It’s always happiest doing business with you two; there's no need to worry about whether someone will scheme against me later," Julina suddenly mused. "Even if the money is less, it requires less mental energy. Oh right, should your sister and sister-in-law get a share of this business?"

Although they hadn't finalized any concrete plans, if they were to open branches in several major cities as discussed, they would absolutely need trustworthy people overseeing things. Manman and Qiqi might not stay in the country permanently, and Julina also had her own commitments, possibly leaving her little time to personally manage the storefronts—yet beauty salons required constant oversight. After careful consideration, Song Yao seemed the most suitable candidate. As for Yang Jing, Julina's impression of her was only average, though not mentioning Yang Jing after bringing up Song Yao felt slightly awkward.

"Ask my sister," Wang Qiqi also hesitated about involving Yang Jing, yet leaving her out seemed impolite. "Then ask my sister-in-law. By the way, Nana, do you have any capable people on your side you could recommend?" Regarding Shi Man, Wang Qiqi knew she absolutely refused to collaborate with any relatives from her family; it would invite too much trouble, making it simpler to earn money straightforwardly.

Julina shrugged. "My family is numerous, but not as useful as your few. If they need money, they run faster than anyone, but when it comes to putting in effort, they all drag their feet." What Julina was even more embarrassed to admit was her fear that if they were left to watch the stores, the money would quickly end up in their own pockets. Worse, they might stock cheaper goods and sell off the genuine items. Those people were certainly capable of such deceit.

"If your Old Zhu has time, he could perhaps oversee things," Wang Qiqi pondered. Since Julina now had a man, and based on the principle of not being wasteful and to put Julina at ease, Wang Qiqi suggested giving Zhu Hanlin some responsibility. Despite Julina's previous dismissiveness towards him, the atmosphere between them suggested that unless Zhu Hanlin had lost his mind, the engagement was set. Given that, it might be best to involve him now. As for whether Zhu Hanlin should share in the purchasing agent business, Wang Qiqi would need to discuss that with Shi Man back home. After Old Feng and Shi Man confirmed their relationship, Old Feng was included in the purchasing agent profits. Now that Julina had a partner, excluding her man seemed unfair, but including Zhu Hanlin presented its own issues—he would essentially be someone who received profit for nothing.

The thought gave Wang Qiqi a headache, and in the end, she dropped the idea. She would discuss it with Shi Man later; out of the three, at least two needed to agree.

When Julina first heard about Zhu Hanlin overseeing the operations, her immediate reaction was resistance. Good heavens, this was a place where only women came to spend money. What business did a man have there? Wouldn't he scare the customers away? But then she reconsidered; perhaps Qiqi was only concerned about her opinion. "Old Zhu, what do you think?" She decided to ask his thoughts instead of always being domineering. Moreover, she would have more and more matters to handle, leaving less mental space for managing private assets. Having him conduct inspections might actually be suitable.

Julina's dissatisfaction with Zhu Hanlin stemmed not from the man himself, but from her parents' insistence that marrying him was the best path for her. Knowing him since childhood, Julina recognized that Zhu Hanlin possessed capability. While not a towering figure of talent, he was sufficient to stand behind her. Furthermore, he was exceptionally discreet, making him the best person to help manage her private holdings.

"Me?" Zhu Hanlin nearly spat out the soup he was eating, coughing until he regained composure. He grabbed a napkin from the side of the table to wipe his mouth. "I have no interest in business. Teaching and nurturing others has been my lifelong aspiration—not just my grandfather's wish, but mine too. Even though schools aren't as pure as they used to be, for me, it’s still better than dealing with people in society. Besides, aren't you running a business for women?" How could he, a grown man, understand such things?

"You wouldn't be managing the shop; it would just be attending meetings and such. You know I'm sometimes inconvenient to appear publicly," Julina reasoned, finding the more she thought about it, the more perfect it seemed to have Zhu Hanlin handle things. "You could just help me look over the accounts or handle certain matters." After all, a university teacher had plenty of free time. Rather than fiddling around at home, perhaps encountering those nightmare relatives, it was better for him to go out and do some work.

"Exactly, exactly," Wang Qiqi nodded vigorously from the side. "My sister can watch over the Beijing branch, but we have no one in Shencheng. I could ask my brother to check in, but he’s busy, and it's not his venture, so he might not be diligent enough. This really requires someone personally involved." Wang Qiqi urged him on, wanting someone reliable so she wouldn't have to constantly fly back to China to check in with Shi Man. Flying felt glamorous but was exhausting, and was such a trivial business worth all that travel?

"And look at it this way, Shi Man and I are women; we both have families to care for..." Wang Qiqi then played the pitiable card, adopting an air that suggested they wouldn't stop until he agreed.

Zhu Hanlin hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to stage such a display, and Julina looked entirely supportive. "Uh, uh, I really don't understand these things. And if I manage this, your relatives will definitely accuse me of being after your family’s money." If he actually harbored such intentions, fine, but the problem was Zhu Hanlin never planned to take anything from the Zhu family. Besides, if he couldn't secure it now, wouldn't Nana's assets eventually go to their children? Was greed necessary? But accepting Nana's private business now... what would that imply?

"They'll say that the moment you agree to marry me. Unless there's no chance between you and me, they wish I'd marry into some old-fashioned, wealthy household so I couldn't manage the company, and they could eventually benefit. But they don't realize that a truly wealthy family wouldn't want me unless I brought the Zhu family's assets with me," Julina said, shaking her head with disdain. "They all look like smart people, but the moment money is involved, they lose all sense. I give up on them."

"Who cares about that if there's money involved, just like Wang Da Gui," Wang Qiqi finished the last sip of soup. "Alright, I'm going to check if Manman is online. If she is, we'll finalize this matter, and then I’ll call my sister." It was past eleven, a bit late, but Wang Qiqi knew Song Yao would likely be finishing her shower and watching TV right about now.

"Call your sister first, see what her thoughts are," Julina glanced at the time. If they didn't call now, Song Yao might already be asleep by the time everyone reached an agreement.

Song Ziwen sat in his car, eyes closed, resting. He didn't even notice Wang Qiqi getting out of the car. "Brother, Brother." Wang Qiqi came downstairs, preparing to leave, but found the car door wouldn't open, forcing her to tap on the window glass.

Song Ziwen yawned, squinting slightly before recognizing Wang Qiqi. He quickly opened the door and rubbed his face. "You didn't sleep well yesterday." It was normal for him not to sleep well; although he had called property management to chase the Han family away yesterday, he worried they might sneak back, so he had left the house before 5 AM. But Qiqi shouldn't have dark circles under her eyes this early unless something else was wrong. "The luggage is in the back."

Wang Qiqi got into the car, handing Song Ziwen the coffee and pumpkin cake she had prepared early that morning. "Brother, breakfast. I chatted with Nana for a while yesterday, then vented to Han Tao."

Wang Qiqi slumped back into the seat with a yawn, ready to rest. Yesterday, after informing Song Yao, she had planned to briefly discuss things online with Shi Man and then go to bed. But when Song Yao heard about a get-rich-quick scheme, she completely forgot Wang Qiqi’s plan to go to sleep after applying a face mask. She scrambled out of bed, booted up her computer, and the four of them started discussing, getting more and more engrossed until they realized it was past 3 AM. Wang Qiqi felt like she had barely slept when Song Ziwen called to say he was downstairs.

Wang Qiqi rubbed her temples with closed eyes. Ugh, sleeping for only two or three hours after such a late night was taking a toll on her head, especially after such an intense discussion before bed. "It was already so late when I went to sleep. Ugh, those Han family members really ruined me yesterday. Brother, I keep wondering how the Han family knew where I lived." Although Wang Qiqi had a strong suspicion, she wanted to state it explicitly. She was leaving soon, and she could pretend nothing happened, but she refused to let it go. If Wang Rui wanted to start trouble, she shouldn't blame Wang Qiqi for finishing it.

"You mean Wang Rui?" Song Ziwen’s first suspect after receiving Wang Qiqi’s call yesterday was also Wang Rui. The Han family hadn't advertised when they bought that house, and they only returned occasionally. Furthermore, that neighborhood wasn't the type of place the impoverished Han family would frequent. Knowing the specific building number meant someone must have tipped them off. "I think so too. What is she planning? How did she get involved with the Han family?" Song Ziwen was speechless regarding his sister; she had a good life but insisted on stirring up trouble.

"She just can't stand to see me happy and wants to annoy me," Wang Qiqi said, though she still had a question. "Why did she only tell the Han family yesterday? Were they just meeting, or did she only decide to target me later?" If it were her, Wang Qiqi would have chosen a middle date for the Han family to show up, maximizing the annoyance while ensuring she couldn't avoid coming back home to escape them, which would inevitably cause a massive scene.

"It should be because I refused to partner with Gao Kai on business," Song Ziwen admitted, though he disliked saying it. Qiqi wasn't foolish; she had panicked yesterday and forgotten, but once she calmed down, she would connect the dots. It was better to tell her honestly than let Wang Qiqi guess. "Gao Kai was nice to Wang Rui before; he probably wanted to use me to do business with him, but alas..."

"Alas, he didn't use legitimate means," Wang Qiqi remarked. She had hoped Gao Kai had changed, but his core nature hadn't shifted. "He exploited women when he was down, and he still uses women now that he's successful. Brother, if you cooperate with a man like that, I truly worry he’ll sell you out." Business relies on mutual trust or camaraderie, but Gao Kai’s secrecy made anyone wary.

"Mmm-hmm," Song Ziwen felt a chill of fear too. He had initially thought that since they got along well and Wang Rui was in the middle, she wouldn't harm her brother, who was her backer, just to gain status around Gao Kai. Now he realized Wang Rui might not betray him, but Gao Kai himself might harbor ill intentions.

"By the way, Qiqi, do you know anything?" Song Ziwen hesitated to ask her, but since they were on serious matters, one thing came to mind. He knew the "facts" only as Gao Kai presented them, and he genuinely wanted to hear the perspective of the other party involved.

"What is it?" Wang Qiqi asked, puzzled.

Song Ziwen finished his coffee and slowly started the car, preparing to leave. In the cold weather, running the heater without the engine on could be dangerous. "Didn't Gao Kai want to partner with Julina's real estate business before? Why did that fall through?"

So, that was the question. Wang Qiqi knew a little, but not the specifics. She hadn't let anything slip previously because she assumed if Song Ziwen believed Gao Kai's version, he wouldn't trust her and might think she was a gossip trying to sabotage his partnership with Gao Kai. Since he was asking now... "How did Gao Kai describe it to you?" She wanted to know just how shameless Gao Kai was being.

Song Ziwen recounted everything Gao Kai had told him. "Honestly, Qiqi, I didn't embellish anything. These were Gao Kai's exact words. He said Julina was being excessive; they were classmates and got along quite well, and he never expected her to act so outrageously when money was involved." Song Ziwen did have doubts—if Julina was that kind of person, how had she and Qiqi partnered so happily for so many years? "Gao Kai claimed Julina lets big money slip but is stingy with small change. He even kindly warned me to be wary of Julina and not let her sell me out later."

Wang Qiqi could only offer a cold laugh. "He is certainly shameless. He didn't tell you that he partnered with Julina out of consideration for her as a classmate, but then he conspired with others to use substandard steel and cement. Brother, can you cooperate with someone like that?" It was fortunate that Nana's subordinates discovered it; otherwise, if it had erupted, Nana would have borne the brunt of the consequences. "Nana went out of her way to help him, and he repaid her like this? If this news got out, who would buy houses built by Nana's family? Even if the company belonged to Nana's father, do you think she'd escape unscathed?"

Of course, Nana had only told her about this yesterday. Previously, she had just vaguely mentioned not cooperating with Gao Kai, and Wang Qiqi hadn't thought much of it. Learning the truth yesterday, Wang Qiqi genuinely felt sick; it was too outrageous.

"Ah," Song Ziwen exclaimed in shock, stalling the car engine. Fortunately, it was early morning, or disaster could have struck. "How could he do something like that?" Buildings rely on rebar and cement for structure; using poor materials could lead to catastrophe. Even if no one died, if lives were lost, it would mean total ruin. "He's in real estate too."

Song Ziwen felt a lingering fear. While he loved money and wanted to earn as much as possible, he absolutely would not take money earned through such blatant exploitation. A master had once told him that the better one cultivated hidden virtue (Yin De), the better their fortune would be, and wealth would come faster. Conversely, doing bad deeds would damage one's Yin De, something Song Ziwen was unwilling to risk.

"It's a good thing we didn't partner with him," Song Ziwen sighed again. If he had partnered with Gao Kai, he would have been the one handling these matters, and as a shareholder, he wouldn't have escaped responsibility if something went wrong. "He's digging his own grave. But why would he treat Nana like that?" The Zhu family was established locally; unless absolutely necessary, one wouldn't provoke them, especially since Gao Kai's strength wasn't sufficient. One wrong move, and the Gao family would suffer.

"Profit," Wang Qiqi said. Although Julina hadn't specified why Gao Kai acted this way, a little deduction suggested it. "The Zhu family isn't completely unified. As Nana takes over the company, she will slowly push out her relatives. Do you think they won't resist? If Gao Kai's actions hadn't been covered up by some Zhu family members, do you think he would have succeeded? Moreover, perhaps they conspired to make more money, and if they could overthrow Julina, wouldn't that be even better?" Although the partnership with Gao Kai was approved by the company, if anything went wrong, they would certainly blame Julina for leading the company into such a predicament, in which case Nana would certainly resign her post.

Song Ziwen felt dizzy listening to the machinations. "They stir up so much trouble. If they had that energy, why not start their own venture? Don't they realize this is the company Julina's father founded? If he doesn't leave it to his daughter, is he supposed to give it to his nephews and nieces?" In Song Ziwen’s view, even if there were no sons, leaving everything to a single daughter was natural. "It’s all about money. It’s better that we cooperate." With no unnecessary squabbles, cooperation was enjoyable.

"Gao Kai is also brainless. Would cooperating with Julina really be worse than cooperating with those relatives?" Song Ziwen was exasperated with Gao Kai. "I've had a very happy year cooperating with Nana. With the Second Boss above watching my back, no one dares give me a hard time. Inspections are quick, and payments are prompt." Song Ziwen hadn't been entirely without looking at other real estate developers for potential partnerships, but their payment terms had scared him off. Lowering prices was acceptable, as it was wholesale, but a six-month delay in payment was something Song Ziwen absolutely could not agree to. His factory was just stabilizing, and capital was tight. While business would increase, capital turnover would be slow. He’d rather use that time to open a few more stores and build the brand name. Thus, Song Ziwen abandoned the idea.

"Maybe the price they offered was very good. Gao Kai, like his parents, is short-sighted." He had suffered major losses before. Song Ziwen had hoped that after all the previous turmoil, they would have learned a lesson and improved, but they were still prioritizing profit above all else. "Brother, making more money in business is right, but profit shouldn't be the ultimate goal. Sometimes, taking a small loss is a blessing." Wang Qiqi thought if she tried so hard to brainwash him, and he still fell for the grand promises Gao Kai dangled before she left, she would be speechless.

"I understand, I understand," Song Ziwen quickly nodded. Gao Kai had urgently contacted Song Ziwen yesterday to propose a second plan: partnering to acquire the land near the development zone and build factories. Song Ziwen had initially thought this suggestion was good but now felt deep regret. "After I pay respects at the grave, I'll take you to the airport." Although the flight was in the afternoon, given the current situation and Wang Qiqi's mood, Song Ziwen didn't believe she would want to stay in her hometown. "By the way, do you need me to find someone to help you convert your money to foreign exchange?" Exchanging money at the bank would incur significant losses, especially since Wang Qiqi wasn't converting a small sum.

"No need, Brother." Wang Qiqi had no intention of moving that money abroad. She had actually been in contact with several people who would give her US dollars, and after confirmation, Wang Qiqi would transfer the corresponding amount to their accounts in China. This way, everyone saved on transfer fees and avoided losses from exchange rates. "I've found someone."

"Oh." Song Ziwen didn't press further; since Qiqi had her own arrangements, it saved him effort. "Gao Kai also wanted to invite you to lunch today." Although Wang Qiqi probably didn't want to see him, Song Ziwen still relayed Gao Kai's invitation. How to respond was up to Wang Qiqi.

Gao Kai invited her to lunch? Wang Qiqi looked at Song Ziwen as if she had seen a ghost. "Brother, did you mishear? Why would he invite me? Is he planning to throw sulfuric acid on me at the table to disfigure me?" She had ruined his plans upon her return; why would he invite her to a meal? "No banquet is truly good; it might be a trap."

"Then tell him I'm unavailable," Song Ziwen said quickly. Indeed, he had just learned too much; he needed time to process it, or he worried he wouldn't be able to put on a pleasant face for Gao Kai.

"Why refuse his treat?" Wang Qiqi was only sighing; she hadn't expected Song Ziwen to actually turn down an offer from someone. "He earned so much illicit money; how can we not help him spend some? Tell him to meet us at that Sheraton near the airport." The prices there were exorbitant, and making him travel a long distance was exactly what Wang Qiqi intended to show him she was deliberately vexed for the moment.

Song Ziwen knew Wang Qiqi wouldn't be genuinely kind; his initial suspicion had proven correct. "Fine."

Bu Bu has started a new book! The title is Rebirth: Goodbye Scumbag. Friends who like it can go take a look; it would be even better if you could add it to your collection and give it a recommendation vote. Thank you all for your support. RL