She picked up the digestive tablets on the table, unwrapped them, and placed them in her mouth, chewing slowly. The corners of her lips curled up unintentionally. “I never thought the cold-faced CEO would be so considerate.”
Having overeaten at lunch, she had no appetite by evening. She ate some fruit but skipped dinner.
She opened her laptop and browsed through part-time job websites. Unable to take on design commissions, she had no choice but to rely on part-time work to support herself.
She settled on a part-time job for the next day: wearing a mascot costume and handing out flyers outside a shopping mall, earning fifty yuan per hour. When it came to part-time work, she never chose jobs that suited her background. Instead, she went for whatever paid the most, regardless of how tough or exhausting it was.
Just as she was about to contact the staff to sign up, she received an email. The sender’s address was the one she used for design commissions.
She clicked to open it.
The email stated that the sender needed ten design drafts, with attached text outlining the design elements and features.
The transaction amount was one million yuan…
Ten design drafts for one million yuan. Jian Jinci’s first instinct was that the person on the other end was either insane or playing a prank on her.
Although Jian Jinci had gained some recognition in the jewelry design circle, her work was far from being worth a hundred thousand yuan per draft.
The other party was definitely a scammer.
She closed the email interface. This was clearly a massive scam—since when did good things just fall from the sky?
Switching back to the part-time job page, she was about to sign up when Jian Jinci received a text message.
She picked up her phone. It was from the bank, notifying her of a remittance…
Five hundred thousand yuan…
This… Could it really be a stroke of luck falling from the sky?
She found it hard to believe. How could such good fortune come her way?
Considering the sophisticated tactics scammers used these days, this might be a new type of fraud.
Suddenly having a windfall appear in her account would make anyone panic.
Just as she was about to call the police, her phone rang. Her first thought was that the scammer was calling.
She looked at the phone number on the screen—it matched the one in the email. Scammers were getting bolder these days.
She believed good things could fall from the sky, but she didn’t believe they would land right at her feet.
She hung up the call immediately. As she was about to block the number, the caller tried again. Since they were so eager to play games, she decided to humor this scammer.
She answered the call and spoke first: “Hello, this is the Anti-Fraud Center. How may I assist you?”
Silence greeted her…
Had she scared the scammer speechless?
After a moment of silence, a voice said: “Ivy, the jewelry designer, right?”
Ivy was her virtual alias on the commission platform, and it was through this alias that she received orders.
She remained silent for a moment before the man on the other end continued: “I’m Shao Xun, the general manager of Hengyun Jewelry. I’m not a scammer. You can verify this on our official website. Your design drafts align well with Hengyun’s future development direction. If possible, Hengyun would like to establish a long-term partnership with you.”
Hengyun…
She knew of Hengyun Jewelry—a newly listed jewelry brand focused on trendy elements with a broad audience.
Hengyun Jewelry stores dominated the shopping malls in the capital, overshadowing other brands since its launch.
As a jewelry designer, she had to stay informed about such developments. Ever since Hengyun Jewelry captured the market, countless jewelry designers had been scrambling to get in.
Her only redeeming quality was her self-awareness. She knew that a company as large as Hengyun would never take an interest in a third-rate jewelry designer like her, who only dared to take orders online.
She had never imagined, nor dared to imagine, that she could become a designer for Hengyun Jewelry.
Even though the other party had already given their name, she still felt like she was dealing with a scammer. After all, the information he mentioned could easily be found online.
She said, “Everything you’ve said can be searched online. If you want me to believe you, send over Hengyun’s business license and draft a contract. I’ll sign it then.”
“If you can’t send them, we’ll meet at the police station.”
Jian Jinci was particularly cautious about such matters. Having suffered from poverty for years, she feared that falling victim to fraud would only worsen her already difficult situation. Moreover, she had Jian Xu to think about. Unless she was truly cornered, she would rather miss out on some opportunities than take unnecessary risks.
Jian Jinci added, “You have ten minutes.”
After hanging up, she waited in front of her computer, hoping this might be a real opportunity.
Shao Xun stared at the disconnected call, his expression conflicted as he looked at the man behind the desk. “Mr. Pei, this…”
He truly couldn’t understand why Hengyun, such a large jewelry company, would want a designer who was just a fresh graduate—a greenhorn—and one who spoke so arrogantly at that.
But these thoughts remained unspoken. After all, this was someone the boss had specifically requested.
Pei Yanzhou’s expression was cool and detached as he lightly tapped the surface of the desk. “Do as she says.”
“Yes, sir.” He didn’t dare question the boss’s decision.
Ten minutes later, Jian Jinci looked at the business license and draft contract sent via email. At the bottom of the contract was Hengyun’s official seal.
The terms stated that ten design drafts were to be completed within three months, with a deposit of 500,000 yuan and a final payment of 500,000 yuan. If the drafts were not delivered on time, deductions would be made from the final payment.
If the designs satisfied Party A, and if Party B was willing, a three-year cooperation contract would be signed.
Jian Jinci read the contract word by word. For her, this was an opportunity—a chance to earn money and pursue her dreams.
Ten design drafts in three months were more than enough for her; she had plenty of time.
Now convinced that the other party wasn’t a scammer, Jian Jinci called back to apologize for her earlier behavior. Fortunately, the person on the other end didn’t mind and was quite understanding.
They then signed the contract online.
She was preparing for a long-term battle.
If she could secure a three-year contract with Hengyun, she and Jian Xu would no longer be financially suppressed by the Jian family. Given Hengyun’s size and status in the capital, even if the Jian family found out about her collaboration with Hengyun, they would be powerless to interfere.
For the sake of her and Jian Xu’s lives, she would pour all her effort into her designs, focusing entirely on creating work that would satisfy Hengyun.
If she signed a three-year contract with Hengyun, Jian Xu could attend a better high school in the capital after graduating from middle school.
At this thought, she cried.
She had always been strong. She hadn’t cried when her stepmother beat and scolded her as a child, nor when her father stood by indifferently. She hadn’t cried when Jian Ying pushed her into a frozen pond in winter.
But now, at the possibility of Jian Xu attending a better high school, she wept.
Over the years, Jian Xu had followed her through hardships and instability, enduring no small amount of suffering.
The capital was where she was born and raised, yet in her own hometown, she had drifted without a place to call home.
Life didn’t seem so bleak after all. It seemed to be getting better bit by bit, and it seemed she, too, could encounter a stroke of luck.
Jian Jinci wiped away her tears and entered the bathroom. After coming out, she didn’t go to sleep. Instead, based on the elements and characteristics sent by Hengyun, she began drafting the design.
She didn’t have a good background, nor did she have money. All she had left was hard work.
If she couldn’t even manage that, then she had no right to complain.