Zhu Fei was silent for a moment, then seriously said, "But I feel, no matter how hard I try, I could never become that kind of person. I’m actually pretty stupid."
"No, it's not that you’re stupid. You’re just too kind. You don’t want to disrespect others to get your own way. That’s not something you need to change, and it’ll pay off in the future. Think about Xiao Fei. She’s just worried about what she can get in the present, so she’ll never have as much as what you’ll get in the future."
Qin Feng continued, "I bet, after Xiao Fei works for ten years, she may have just enough money to buy a flat in the Tianhe, but her days won’t be peaceful. By then, you may be a senior white-collar professional and the boss's most trusted person. Your qualities would be appreciated by any boss with big ambitions. Your trustworthiness can’t be faked, and that’s what’ll take you to the top."
Hearing Qin Feng's words, Zhu Fei shook her head immediately. "This isn’t making me feel any better. I could never become a senior white-collar worker. It’s not good to be that power-hungry."
"Everyone has a field they’re suited for. Maybe you’re not suited for sales but rather behind-the-scenes work. How about I hire you?"
Zhu Fei looked shocked, but Qin Feng was completely serious. He looked around and asked, "How much money do you make in a month selling clothes?"
"At the most?" Zhu Fei laughed in a self-deprecating manner. "It’s usually more than 3,000 yuan, but 4,000 at the most. It’s just enough to live on. But I still have my father, and he..."
Zhu Fei stopped speaking as concern welled up in her chest. Her father still hadn’t recovered, but he was desperate to get back to work sweeping the roads. If she could earn more money, her father would not need to work so hard.
However, she had no experience and knew she couldn’t find a good job with her skillset. She could paint, but her work was abstract and not the right style to land her a job as an art teacher. She’d taken several art courses and worked in several studios, but management always felt that although her painting skill was high, her style was too niche and that she wouldn’t be able to modify it to teach others.
"I'll give you 10,000 a month plus a bonus at the end of the year. How's that?" Qin Feng asked.
"What?! Ten thousand?" Zhu Fei shook her head and said, "Don't tease me. How could you hire me to make that money in a bar? Forget it. If you’re free, you can accompany me to the vegetable market to do some shopping. I don’t have much, but I could catch a fish to make us for dinner."
Zhu Fei liked what she heard, but she still couldn’t believe Qin Feng’s proposal. "OK, don't sweep me up in a fantasy. What shop are you talking about? If you want to open the shop in the Tianhe, you’re going to need at least 800,000. Can you really handle that?"
Qin Feng said, "Don’t worry about the money. In the next two days, hand in your resignation. When my affairs are in order, I’ll hire you. The salary will be clearly stated in the contract."
Zhu Fei was still a little dubious and said, "When you get up and running, I’ll come. If you can’t stick to your word, don't blame me for breaking up with you.”
"Haha, if I can't fulfill my promise, I'll repay you all my life," Qin Feng joked.
Zhu Fei and Qin moved on to other topics and happily visited the vegetable market together. Qin Feng insisted on paying for Zhu Fei’s purchases. Originally, he’d planned to take her around the area to buy her clothes and jewelry, but she was insistent on returning home to be with her father.
Qin Feng missed Uncle Zhu and decided to accompany her home. He also thought he’d like to see where she lived.
However, when they arrived at the old district where the Zhu family lived, Qin Feng wrinkled up his nose. Looking at advertisements pasted along the wall, he said, “How can you live in this dirty environment? The last place I used to rent wasn’t great, but at least the security was better. Look at this place. Anyone can just come and go, and they even try to sell you things at home.”
"Well, my father still has to take medicine. I’ve argued with Li Jianbin, and I no longer get a penny from him. Like I said, I don’t make much money. I have to save it where I can."
Qin Feng listened to Zhu Fei speak, then grabbed her phone from her hand and said, "Sign into your phone."
"What are you doing?" asked Zhu Fei, although she did as she was told and gave Qin Feng access to her phone.
Qin Feng immediately opened a money transfer app on her phone and used his own to send her 20,000 yuan. “There, use this to eat and live. Don’t live such a shabby life, okay? I’ll find you a new house tomorrow. And don’t let your uncle return to sweeping the streets. He can work in my shop too as the security minister. I’ll give him some employees, and if he’s got nothing to do, he can direct the cars in the parking lot and do some of the cleaning. How about 5,000 a month?”
Qin Feng knew what he was offering was above the standard salary, but he wanted to take care of these two. They weren’t related, but it was fate that they’d met. Besides, Zhu Fei was a very good girl. She voluntarily left a comfortable life in Su City to come to Tianhe and take care of her father. Qin Feng admired and respected her for this.
His own family situation was very awkward. His eccentric and obstinate father, Qin Wannian, had planned Qin Feng’s life track from the beginning. Although he had struggled against the course while growing up, he had ended up in the barracks like he was fated to—or maybe doomed to.
Zhu Fei looked at Qin Feng and said reproachfully, "Can you not make fun of our family? 5,000 for an old man to handle security?"
"I pay high because I have a reason to pay high. The higher the price, the better the quality of the merchandise." Qin Feng laughed and said, "I have to be a good capitalist, otherwise I may lose money."
Zhu Fei shot him a dirty look, then opened the door. It was just after noon, and Uncle Zhu was not at home.
Zhu Fei took the groceries into the kitchen and then changed into more comfortable clothing. Qin Feng walked around, observing the house and wrinkling his nose again.
Qin Feng said, "So, when the shop is built, I’ll let your uncle live in the shop. He’ll have a comfortable studio, fully furnished. I’ll rent you a house in the upscale neighborhood next to the shop, and if you don’t want to live alone, you can live with one or two girls from the shop."
"Are you serious about all of this? I still don't believe that you can get enough money to open the shop in such a short time. Have you won the lottery recently?" Zhu Fei asked jokingly. Then she put on her apron and began to prepare the vegetables for dinner.
"Haha, just wait. You’ll see!" As he laughed, Qin Feng’s phone rang. It was Sister Flower calling.
“Tomorrow I’ll go back to Tianhe. Pick me up at the airport?”
Qin Feng said, "Ah, so soon? I'd like to see you tomorrow in Yunnan." Then he grew concerned and asked, “Is something wrong? Aren’t you having fun there? What about going somewhere else? Maldives, Phuket, Palau…”
Sister Flower sighed. "I miss Tianhe. No matter how good things here are, none of it belongs to me. I feel like a vagrant. I want to go back to my big bed and have a good sleep." She laughed.
Hearing this, Qin Feng sighed. Last night he and Green Snake had been lying in Sister Flower's big bed, their clothes scattered on the floor.
He pulled himself out of his thoughts to say, "Ah, fine. What time? I'll pick you up."
"I'll send you a message tomorrow. Where are you right now? You’re speaking so quietly." Sister Flower laughed and said, “You’re not up to bad things, are you?”
"What? No! I'm at a friend's house."
At that moment, Zhu Fei shouted and ran out of the kitchen carrying a spatula. "Qin Feng, Qin Feng!"
"What? What happened?” Qin Feng shot up, expecting a disaster. Zhu Fei pointed to the stove. She’d somehow put out the fire and didn’t know how to get it to relight.
Qin Feng slowly went over, turned the gas off, waited a moment, and then relit the stove as usual. The pot began bubbling again.
"And you call yourself a chef," Qin Feng said sarcastically.
"I did it very well last time. I was trying to show off for you this time. The fire just went out somehow." Zhu Fei pouted.