Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 019

Chapter 19 ☆, Blind Date for Only 2,000 Yuan.

For several consecutive weekends, Xin Xin had been busy with various things to do. This weekend, she planned to relax until Friday night and sleep in until noon the next day.

As soon as she got home from work, she threw her clothes into the washing machine. Then she opened her bank account and made a comprehensive assessment of the compatibility between her account balance and housing prices.

Xin Xin’s parents were both in the government in a small, 18th-tier city. Their family was well-off, with enough food and clothing to eat and enough to support her. But it wasn’t like she could rest easy forever. This forced her to consider whether she would have to buy a small apartment if she couldn’t get married.

Mary didn’t have this worry. Her family was well-off, and she was more adventurous in investing than Xin Xin. She had made a lot of money in recent years and had long since broken free from the financial burden, successfully joining the ranks of the petty bourgeoisie.

Mary disagreed with Xin Xin’s approach. She expected housing prices to continue to fall. Moreover, if Xin Xin found someone to marry, she could still afford the house, leaving her with some extra cash.

With this in mind, she didn’t hesitate to sign up for a reasonably priced blind date for herself and Xin Xin.

As Xin Xin browsed properties and ate takeout, she had no idea of ​​the disaster that would strike. It wasn’t until Mary knocked on her door that she realized what a shameless act Mary had committed.

“Refund it.”

Mary had already picked out the clothes for Xin Xin. “I can’t refund it. The registration fee is two thousand. Let’s go.”

Xin Xin’s eyes widened. “Are you sick?”

Mary shrugged. “Your birthday is coming up soon. I’ve been thinking about it, and this event is great. If someone’s right, we can date. If not, we can just have some drinks, see the scenery on a cruise, and spend a weekend with our sisters. Perfect!”

Xin Xin rolled her eyes. “If you really have the money to burn, you can just transfer it to me.”

The event was held on a luxury cruise ship. The evening schedule included a charity auction, where men and women could team up and dance. Then, over the weekend, there would be activities like photography, pottery, and hand-painting. They’d make some money while also using the charity label to earn some impressions.

According to Mary, this wasn’t just a blind date event but a comprehensive program encompassing dating, networking, and business negotiations. Participants included many local business and political celebrities, so it was a sure win.

Mary was a master at moving people, and she urged Xin Xin vigorously, “Think about it, even if this event doesn’t help you find Mr. Right, you might still have a brief romance with a guest you like. Even if nothing happens, there’s always a chance you’ll find a big client. Why not?”

Xin Xin was convinced.

After breaking up with Han Canghai, Mary never mentioned the incident again. Xin Xin saw that Mary was in good spirits, but she still felt a little worried, unsure whether she had truly moved on or was just trying to distract herself.

Besides, since the money she had paid couldn’t be refunded, Xin Xin didn’t mind having a “high-end” weekend.

In the evening, the two of them boarded the cruise ship with their simple belongings.

Xin Xin had been on a commercial cruise a few years ago while accompanying Zhao Xi to attract clients. She remembered vividly that they were trying to approach a wealthy, elderly man who was notoriously difficult to market to. Local businessmen respectfully called him “Old Liu.” He had a surly personality, but his power was immense. From the reform and opening-up era to the present, while many businesses had collapsed, his had remained resilient, his business growing ever larger.

They had tried many ways to approach him, but their efforts were consistently met with resistance.

Finally, Zhao Xi heard that he was very fond of sea fishing and might go fishing in his small boat after the cruise party.

They boarded the boat with ulterior motives. Zhao Xi, with his usual composure, was unhurried, but Xin Xin’s stomach churned with nervousness.

Xin Xin had no recollection of what they had done that day or the extravagant scenes they witnessed. The only thing she remembered was that Zhao Xi, with his natural wit and humor, had blended seamlessly into Mr. Liu’s circle.

That day, Xin Xin endured her discomfort and ate fresh sashimi. The strong fishy smell assaulted her taste buds, but she remained enthusiastic and discussed the deliciousness of the sashimi with everyone else.

Afterwards, while she hid in her room to vomit, Zhao Xi prepared hot milk for her.

“Excellent acting,” Zhao Xi praised her lavishly.

Xin Xin’s face paled, but she remained humble. “Thank you so much.”

Though this memory seemed painful at the time, it was amusing now. Xin Xin told it to Mary as a joke.

Mary sympathized with Xin Xin’s dull and bleak life, quipping, “You’re truly a goddess. Zhao Xi, if nothing else, is quite handsome. You two have fought side by side for so many years; who would have thought there was no romantic connection between you two? Zhao Xi must have felt a pang of regret, flirting with a blind man.”

Xin Xin grimaced. “I’m already being merciful by not assassinating my male superior. Romance is out of the question.”

Mary thought it through and quickly put the matter behind her. “We’ll split up for the costume party later. Give others a chance to approach us, and then reunite in our room at midnight.”

With that, Mary donned her bunny girl mask and gracefully joined the crowd.

Ever since Xin Xin learned they needed to contribute the massive two thousand yuan, she felt she had already given enough to charity. She refused even the paid mask and accepted the free one at the party.

Throughout the charity auction, she sat bored at the bar, drinking. When it came to drinking, she was a complete slouch. So by the time the auction was over, she was half drunk and half groggy, and in her trance, someone approached her and asked her to dance.

Xin Xin raised her chin, lost in her own world, playing the queen. “No, not unless you sincerely beg me.”

The man chuckled softly, as if amused. He knelt solemnly on one knee and placed a feather-light kiss on the back of Xin Xin’s hand. “Okay, I sincerely beg you.”

Somewhere in Xin Xin’s heart, it felt like a burning sensation. Before she could react, the man put one arm around her waist and, with the other, pulled her onto the dance floor.

It was waltz music, and the two of them were so close, so close that Xin Xin could smell the faint woody scent of the other person. It felt familiar, and she had no objection to dancing with him.

Having drunk a bit of wine, Xin Xin was a bit excited. She muttered as she danced, “It’s strange! After all these years of human development, I still have to dance like a bird.”

The man barely managed to hold the staggering Xin Xin in place, saying little but smiling.

Xin Xin was already drunk, and everyone was double. She stealthily leaned closer to the man and said, “Tell me, how much did you pay to come here?”

The man sighed, seemingly resigned. “You’re really drunk.”

Xin Xin was unconvinced. “I’m not drunk. Just tell me the price, and I’ll see if I’m losing money.”

The man agreed, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers. “Luckily you met me; otherwise you’d be out of luck, and there might not even be a trace of you left.”

Perhaps to match the atmosphere of the blind date, the music and lighting became more intimate. Their breaths mingled, and Xin Xin closed her eyes. Their soft lips barely touched, and she couldn’t help but lick them, craving the faint scent of candy.

Even at that fleeting contact, the person being kissed seemed startled, taking a step back. Xin Xin lost her balance and nearly fell, but the man quickly reached out and embraced her.

“I can’t stand. Hold me.” Xin Xin was so drunk that she could tell the person beside her was strangely familiar and reassuring, but she couldn’t quite discern the appropriateness of her actions.

At those words, the hand holding Xin Xin froze, and her breathing became irregular.

Xin Xin put her arm around the man’s neck and reached out to remove his mask, but he dodged her.

“How stingy,” Xin Xin muttered, dissatisfied.

The man steadied his breathing, sighed, and left the party with Xin Xin.

The river breeze brushed against her face, sobering Xin Xin a little, and she finally took a closer look at the man. Xin Xin was quite tall, and the man was about half a head taller. He wore a black suit and a black mask, revealing a distinct jawline. Perhaps because supporting Xin Xin wasn’t an easy task, the man’s carefully styled hair had become a bit disheveled.

This, in turn, made him look vulnerable, giving him an opportunity to exploit.

“Who am I?” the man suddenly asked, grabbing Xin Xin in the night breeze.

Xin Xin looked at him intently, her mouth preempting her thoughts: “With your stature, it doesn’t really matter who you are.”

Even though he was still wearing a mask and the thick darkness, Xin Xin could sense the man’s anger. And his dissatisfaction was quite obvious. “I didn’t expect you to be here for sex.”

Xin Xin wasn’t sure what went wrong. The alcohol was taking its toll on her, and her mind was at a dead end. She asked naively, “Did I pay too little?”

The man laughed, annoyed. “You’re talking nonsense. I’ll take you back to bed.”

Xin Xin thought that was outrageous and stubbornly said, “No, why should I sleep? I want to have fun. I paid two thousand yuan.”

“Xin Xin, do you know what you’re saying?” the man said, almost slurring his words.

Xin Xin wondered, confused, “How did he know my name?” before she fell unconscious. Before falling asleep, Xin Xin was still thinking that Mary would come to see her.

Mary wouldn’t come to see her.

Because Mary herself hadn’t expected it. She had clearly come here to kill time, relax, and forget the sadness of the past. But she hadn’t expected to see someone she shouldn’t have seen on the dance floor, surrounded by men and women.

With a cold gaze and a self-possessed expression, the man dancing on the dance floor, hugging a scantily clad woman, was none other than Han Canghai, who only moments before had denounced Mary as a superficial liar.

Instantly, a cascade of emotions—rage, pain, and bitterness—surged, and Mary nearly committed something utterly mad and humiliating. But fortunately, she suppressed herself, quietly lurking beside Han Canghai. When the next dance music started, she switched partners with the woman in red.