Both your salary and your salary will be as you wish.

Chapter 64

When skyscrapers rise, people fawn over those in power; when they collapse, their cold-bloodedness is revealed. After the glitz and glamour fade, the most touching salvation lies in the gentle, unpretentious peace and genuine affection.

-----------------

In the hallway, Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen stood like two stakes, the air thick and sticky, filled with an awkwardness that was hard to describe.

Since Zeng Jia returned to Beijing, the two haven't been able to speak more than a few words alone. Actually, they're deliberately avoiding each other, and they're both feeling incredibly awkward.

"Um..." Wang Haowen hesitated for a long time before finally blurting out, "My dad actually misses you a lot and keeps asking about you." As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a pang of embarrassment.

Zeng Jia smirked, her tone sarcastic, "Uncle Wang has my WeChat, doesn't he? If he misses me, why doesn't he just say so himself? Do I need you to issue a decree summoning him?"

"I miss you too." Wang Haowen really went all out this time, and felt embarrassed as soon as he said it.

Zeng Jia quickly bit her lower lip, afraid that she would burst out laughing and give herself away. She turned half of her body away, pretending to look at the gray sky outside the window.

Want to? Who wouldn't?

She claimed she returned to Beijing for the sake of that unfortunate Zhang Zihao, but she wasn't really that "kind-hearted." During the time she was lounging around at home, enjoying the aroma of stewed meat and binge-watching dramas, her mind was constantly occupied with thoughts of that nemesis Wang Haowen.

After some careful consideration, she realized he hadn't committed any truly unforgivable, monstrous wrong. Even if he was somewhat selfish, it wasn't a heinous crime deserving of execution. Moreover, she had reflected on her own actions; she wasn't entirely in the right. Ultimately, she had romanticized the concept of "love" too much, viewing it with an idealized, self-sacrificing attitude. Even if Wang Haowen couldn't go through fire and water for her, when it came to that, she would prioritize her own interests and not want to suffer any loss.

Everyone is selfish, just accept it. No one should laugh at anyone for having a scale hanging over their belt. Once she understood this, all the resentment, grievances, and indignation in her heart instantly dissipated.

Seeing that she remained silent, Wang Haowen became uneasy and quickly changed the subject: "What have you been doing at home? Just enjoying the delicious food and the sweet talk of family, haven't you?"

"Absolutely! The prices back home are ridiculously affordable. A hearty braised pork meal in Beijing would only cost the price of two cucumbers. It's no wonder our happiness index skyrockets!" Zeng Jia's eyes darted around, deliberately playing hard to get. "Besides, I've been quite busy, always busy with blind dates."

Wang Haowen was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing. "Give me a break! Who are you trying to fool? You're watching on Youku, iQiyi, Tencent Video, Bilibili, Douyin, and other streaming platforms. Your progress bar keeps surging forward in the middle of the night, like you have a perpetual motion machine. Do you think I'm blind?"

Zeng Jia choked. Damn it! Their accounts were still linked together, she had completely forgotten about that!

She was so angry that she shoved him with her paw: "In the middle of the night, instead of sleeping, you're hiding under the covers studying my progress bar? What, you've retired from being a secretary and switched to being a night watchman?"

"Can't sleep!" Wang Haowen habitually reached into his pocket for a cigarette, but Zeng Jia glanced at him and saw it was like a small knife, so he immediately put it down and withdrew it.

With things having progressed to this point, Wang Haowen steeled his resolve and laid his cards on the table: "Can we make up? I'm not forcing you to agree right now, I just want another chance to prove myself. I... I still want to marry you." His words were quick and urgent, revealing a do-or-die attitude.

During their time apart, he had tried to figure out if he could manage without Zeng Jia. But the answer was a resounding two words: No!

Of all the girls the neighbors enthusiastically recommended for blind dates, none could make him feel as comfortable as Zeng Jia, who made every pore of his body radiate comfort. When he was with Zeng Jia, they might argue and bicker, but they never hid anything from each other's hearts; they would openly discuss any grudges or disagreements.

He rubbed it open, kneaded it until it was crumbly, and it felt so clean and open. Only after understanding this did he dare to throw out the words "make up," to see if he still had a chance.

Zeng Jia hadn't expected Wang Haowen to be so direct, and all the sarcastic remarks she had prepared got stuck in her throat. Actually, during her time back in her hometown, her aunts had indeed dragged her to go on blind dates. But the scenes were so ridiculous they'd make people laugh out loud.

She had initially been somewhat picky, but to her surprise, her blind date found her incredibly difficult to choose from. Some complained that at 26, she was "not young enough, and it would be difficult to have children in a couple more years"; others bluntly asked, "When are you going to have children? If you're not willing to have them right away, don't waste time"; and one guy's eyes lit up when he heard she used to be the secretary of the boss of "Tianyi," saying he wanted to get married and go back to Beijing with her, hoping to use her connections to find an easy job, treating her as a free stepping stone.

After going on a whole series of blind dates, not a single one seemed normal. Perhaps in their eyes, she was the abnormal one.

The two were locked in a fierce eye-testing contest, the air itself almost twisted into a pretzel, when suddenly the door to Zhang Zihao's hospital room creaked open.

Yu Li came out and looked at the two bickering lovers. She managed a rare smile, but it was like a willow catkin in spring, which would disappear as soon as it was blown away.

"You can see my current situation. I can't give you a bright future, but if you want to start your own business, I can allocate some funds to set up a company for you. You are familiar with e-commerce, so it won't be difficult for you to get started."

"No need!" Wang Haowen refused crisply. "I'm helping Zihao, not for your paltry sum."

"We ordinary folks earn a penny and spend a penny. Your grand plan is too lofty for us to carry. We're afraid we'll hurt ourselves!" Zeng Jia wished she could put up a sign on the spot with four big characters: This road is blocked.

Putting aside whether Yu Li is reliable or not, she's currently embroiled in lawsuits and scandals, and the two of them can't even avoid her. Who would dare to get involved with her?!

Yu Li's forced smile completely crumbled, and she walked away in her sky-high heels, her back view revealing a desperate panic at the end of her rope.

Zhang Zihao, who was inside the house, overheard their conversation. Seeing the two of them return, he perked up: "My mom's money is too hot to handle. You two don't care for it, but I have money too! You two can do whatever you want. I just want to be a hands-off manager. Just one thing: give me a year-end bonus!"

"Ha! You're quite the schemer, no wonder you're a capitalist's daughter!" Zeng Jia rolled her eyes.

Seeing that Zeng Jia didn't strongly refuse, Wang Haowen quickly pledged his loyalty, "What he said isn't necessarily wrong. Do you have any ideas? This time I'll follow your orders!" He lowered his stance, only hoping that Zeng Jia would stay and not go back to her hometown in Northeast China.

Zeng Jia, too lazy to argue any further, stroked her chin thoughtfully, her eyes darting around. Suddenly, she grinned, a sly glint in her eyes: "There's a deal I'm sure to make!"

Zhang Zihao and Wang Haowen exclaimed in unison, "What?"

Zeng Jia smiled and said, "Taking advantage of the elderly!"

Two weeks later, Zhang Zihao was discharged from the hospital, and their small business of "profiteering" sprang up in full swing.

The "freebie hunting" that Zeng Jia mentioned wasn't the kind of thing you do to fool old people into giving away free eggs. What she was doing was "elderly entertainment economy," which, to put it bluntly, was organizing group purchases by senior citizens.

Technology is advanced now, but people are also more distant. Young people can solve all their problems with a tap on their phones, but what about the older generation? Even if they can figure out how to use a smartphone, presbyopia can make it hard to see the screen, and they might make a mistake ordering takeout eight hundred times. Going to the market to buy groceries is heavy, and for those with mobility issues, carrying a block of tofu is like lifting weights.

Zeng Jia had previously been deeply involved in the small commodity industry. She knew all about the healthy local specialties and daily necessities from every corner of the country, as well as the logistics channels in various places. She had a clear understanding of which company's free-range eggs were fresh and additive-free, which company's vegetables were picked and shipped on the spot, and which company's logistics were fast and could deliver to the door without damage.

Wang Haowen unleashed his social prowess as a "hutong local," quickly gathering all the elderly residents of the hutong into a WeChat group. The group was bustling with activity every day, with him posting the next day's fresh produce in advance: fruits and vegetables, free-range eggs, whole grains and noodles, as well as everyday household items. He never repeated the same items, clearly labeling their origin and price with pictures and text, and even adding cooking suggestions.

Moreover, Wang Haowen personally inspects and tastes every single item. If he sees anything even slightly wilted, bruised, spoiled, or with a slightly off taste, he returns it without hesitation, resolutely guarding the first line of defense.

The uncles and aunties were overjoyed, looking at the two boys with even more affection than their own sons and daughters. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, especially these two kids—they're honest, reliable, and considerate, always thinking of things for them with utmost care, giving them complete peace of mind.

From one alley with sixty or seventy households, the couple expanded to ten alleys with nearly a thousand households. From a monthly allowance of a thousand or eight hundred yuan, they earned seventy or eighty thousand yuan a month. In just one year, their lives took off like a rocket, and they no longer worried about money.

Moreover, they have a loyal user base of elderly people, and their future development potential is a real goldmine. They can develop any service projects they want, and making money is no longer a problem.

Life is like the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley, seemingly slow, yet its rings grow steadily, one by one. After graduating, Zhang Zihao flew to the other side of the ocean, not sure what kind of prestigious degree he was pursuing, but mainly to escape the murky waters of China and avoid getting involved.

Not long after he left, Zhang Zhishan, after a year of legal battles, finally couldn't escape the "silver bracelet" and was sentenced to ten years in prison. Yu Li's situation was even more dire. Although she managed to cover up the tax evasion, "Tianyi" was ruthlessly abandoned by the financial giant FOX. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't withstand the swift and decisive blows of capital. After a year of holding on, "Tianyi," this once-glorious ship, sank to the bottom amidst sighs and declared bankruptcy and liquidation.

After a busy day, Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen settled down in the freight station building, enjoying a hot pot of meat bubbling in the steam. Scrolling through their phones, they saw the tragic fates of these two once-unapproachable figures, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

This time last year, "Heaven's Will" was at its peak, with Zhang Zhishan and Yu Li wielding immense power. And now, in just one year, it's all over? It's truly a case of watching it rise to prominence, hosting lavish banquets, and then witnessing its collapse. This fall was swift and brutal, just like the unpredictable weather in Beijing.

Wang Haowen tilted his head back and gulped down half a bottle of chilled Yanjing beer, slamming the bottle down on the table with a thud. As if by magic, he pulled a small red book from his pocket and slapped it into Zeng Jia's arms with a swift motion, like throwing out a pair of royal flushes.

"Comrade Zeng Xiaojia, when are you going to marry me? Give me a straight answer!"

That year, the two of them worked tirelessly, from dawn till dusk, enduring immense hardship. They tacitly kept quiet about getting married. But everyone in the neighborhood knew they were an inseparable couple and was always urging them to get married.

Upon seeing the bright red notebook, Zeng Jia quickly wiped her hands, which were covered in sesame paste and oil, and carefully opened it.

The property certificate clearly states "Zeng Jia" in the owner's column. What's even more incredible is that it comes with a note attached with a red handprint, which reads in black and white: "Voluntary gift, never to be regretted."

"What the hell? Are you trying to force me into marriage with a house? I need to think about this carefully!" Zeng Jia said stubbornly, biting her lip to keep her mouth from stretching to her ears.

She was getting impatient waiting for his proposal; she was afraid that if she waited any longer, she would skip marriage and head straight for menopause.

Wang Haowen pulled her into his arms, rubbing his chin against her soft hair, his voice tinged with a hint of smugness: "What are you waiting for? My dad personally went to the Northeast to find your parents."

Zeng Jia suddenly looked up from his embrace. "I was wondering why I hadn't seen Uncle Wang these past few days. When did this happen?"

"You took the plane yesterday! I bet you're sitting around the kang table with your parents right now, enjoying some sauerkraut and pork belly, having a great time chatting!"

Wang Haowen tightened his grip. "Still not agreeing? My dad wiped out our entire hideout. Or what else do you want? I'll save up enough money and buy it all for you, even the stars in the sky... uh, I'll buy you the naming rights to one?"

Zeng Jia simply stopped pretending; it would just get boring if she kept going!

She tilted her head back and planted a loud "smack" of a kiss on his lips, then lifted his chin, a hint of smug provocation in her voice: "Your money, your body, I want them all!"

"As you wish." His kiss was fierce and overwhelming.