“You want me to sit in at Longye Construction?”
Jiang Wanyin was baffled, her head full of questions.
Her boss Zhou Hai explained, “Longye Construction is bidding on a cross-river bridge project. They have strong connections, so winning the bid shouldn’t be a problem. Our company can tag along as support.”
When Jiang Wanyin heard him say that the company had even hired two top graduates in bridge engineering for this, she was even more confused: “Shouldn’t they be the ones going then? I don’t know anything about bridge building?”
This wasn’t like building a house—even interior decoration skills wouldn’t be needed. What use would she be there?
Most of Jiang Wanyin’s dealings with Shen Ci and the others happened in restaurants and leisure venues anyway.
Sitting in at another company’s office would be so awkward. She didn’t want to go: “I still need to oversee the renovation site…”
Zhou Hai waved his hand, his expression serious. “I’ll send someone to oversee the site for you. You won’t be there long—just following up on information about this project. President Shen has already agreed.”
“Besides, it’s inconvenient for you to be running around looking for them every day. Better to be stationed at Longye and handle both the renovation and the bridge project together.”
Zhou Hai knew exactly what he was doing. Tagging along on the bridge project was just his wishful thinking on its own.
Longye Construction wasn’t Pei Zhou’s one-man show. Only by putting Jiang Wanyin’s card on the table did he get President Shen’s approval and a preliminary foot in the door.
His words carried an unmistakable tone of command. Jiang Wanyin didn’t argue further—her wallet was thin right now, and she needed to finish projects quickly.
Zhou Hai added another instruction: “When you’re there, remember to keep an appropriate distance from the bosses.”
Men were all chasers—once they got what they wanted, they easily stopped cherishing it. And he was the one holding this card; he wasn’t about to let someone else steal it away.
…
Having received her new assignment, Jiang Wanyin returned to her workstation to pack up some everyday items.
Ding-dong. Her phone lit up with a Cloud Message notification.
Jiang Wanyin opened it and saw that it was from her high school classmate Chen Lin, inviting her to dinner.
After that encounter downstairs that day, the two hadn’t been in contact—both understood that what the other had said was just polite pleasantries.
So Chen Lin suddenly thinking of her made Jiang Wanyin a bit suspicious.
Still, she wasn’t a sheltered student anymore. Jiang Wanyin agreed to the meeting.
At noon, at an upscale French restaurant not far from Longye.
A black classic Chanel bag was placed on the table by a woman dressed head to toe in Chanel. The former superficial classmates sat across from each other.
“You haven’t been here before, have you? Try their signature dish later—it’s delicious.”
Chen Lin quickly marked her selections on the menu and handed it straight to the waiter.
Jiang Wanyin’s gaze swept over the bag on the table. She wanted to roll her eyes, thinking to herself that Xu Tiantian had been right—she really shouldn’t have come.
Just before she walked in, her best friend Xu Tiantian had messaged her, and she’d mentioned having dinner with Chen Lin.
Xu Tiantian had immediately dredged up all those high school stories and warned Jiang Wanyin to be careful.
Sure enough, wasn’t all of Chen Lin’s show just an attempt to flaunt?
“Wanyin, you’re doing pretty well for yourself now, aren’t you? I heard you’re making twenty thousand a month?”
Chen Lin scanned Jiang Wanyin’s clothes and bag, her smile unchanged: “Now that your income is higher, why not treat yourself to something nicer?”
Jiang Wanyin was wearing a simple three-hundred-yuan office suit today.
Her bag was a woven basket bag she’d been using for two years.
She’d bought it in her junior year for a little over a hundred yuan—it had hurt her wallet back then.
Jiang Wanyin replied with a natural expression: “I’m used to it. I have a lot on my plate every day, and switching things around is a hassle. Not as comfortable as you, being the boss’s wife.”
The boss gave her a clothing allowance, but Jiang Wanyin paid lip service to it and never actually spent it on clothes.
It’s easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but hard to go from extravagant back to frugal—once you start, it’s hard to stop.
Chen Lin covered her mouth with a laugh, her diamond bracelet swaying as she spoke: “Not at all, even the boss’s wife has to work. But the rewards are proportional to the effort. Look at this bag of mine—sixty thousand.”
Sixty thousand. Well, the price for that was marrying a man more than twenty years her senior.
Xu Tiantian had just sent over Chen Lin’s husband’s information, poking fun at his bald head and flabby gut.
“Twenty thousand a month is pretty decent in Nanzhou, but in the magic city it’s a bit… I mean, Wanyin, don’t you think you should level up a bit?”
Seeing that Jiang Wanyin wasn’t responding, Chen Lin continued on her own: “I heard you’re now doing the work of three people. Why don’t I have my husband put in a word, and you come work for me?”
“I’m fine where I am. Our design work relies on commissions—if I mess up, I don’t get paid. I’d rather follow up on things myself for peace of mind.”
Jiang Wanyin was a bit puzzled about what Chen Lin actually wanted from her.
Was she trying to poach her? She didn’t have that kind of skill or connections to be worth poaching.
Post a job listing and you’d find plenty of people like her.
Just then, the waiter came to serve the food.
Jiang Wanyin dug right in. This was a Hongmen banquet—she’d already paid the time cost, so she might as well eat her fill.
Chen Lin idly poked at her steak without eating, and finally got to the point: “About the cross-river project—I heard Longye Construction and your company are both interested in bidding?”
Heard, heard. Chen Lin had heard quite a lot. Jiang Wanyin had only just learned about it from her boss, and Chen Lin seemed to know about it much earlier.
Jiang Wanyin kept her expression neutral, focused on eating, and just gave a nod.
Chen Lin said casually, “Our Mufeng wants to go for this project too.”
So it was about the new project! Was Chen Lin trying to buy her as a corporate spy?
Jiang Wanyin looked up at Chen Lin, signaling her to continue.
Chen Lin fiddled with her nails, not bothered by Jiang Wanyin’s attitude.
Her impression of Jiang Wanyin had always been that of a frumpy bookworm.
Back then, she’d only lost because Jiang Wanyin had fairer skin and was better at studying.
Chen Lin let out a silent sneer. When it came to success now, wasn’t she the one winning?
Chen Lin let out a fake sigh: “Well, that makes us competitors. Sigh, my husband was actually just thinking of getting to know your boss. Between you and me, Mufeng has the edge in terms of experience. Wanyin, you know…”
“I’m doing very well at Jiamu right now. I don’t want to switch jobs, and I don’t need any ‘side income.'”
Jiang Wanyin wasn’t stupid. Becoming a corporate spy could land her in serious trouble.
Besides, with connections like the banker capitalist, the entertainment mogul, the mining tycoon, and Mr. Pei who could approve permits—
If they still couldn’t outdo the middle-aged man who married Chen Lin, the three of them might as well go home and lie down.
And that was before factoring in that Chen Lin had come to her first.
Whoever lacks confidence is the first to get restless.