Chapter 18 Finally, Another Step Forward!…

The next evening, Ming Jiayao arrived at the street corner half an hour early with his small cart.

After yesterday’s chaotic rush,

today Ming Jiayao could already operate the stove, soup pot, and other equipment on the cart with ease.

At 10:45,

Bai Yuanzhi appeared as promised.

Ming Jiayao’s eyes instantly lit up with joy, “Sister!”

“Ah Yao, today I’ll have a small bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles!” Bai Yuanzhi said with a smile.

Ming Jiayao keenly sensed that she was in a good mood today.

“Alright!”

Ming Jiayao deftly prepared a bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles for her.

He had observed yesterday that the large bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles contained twelve wontons and two taels of noodles.

By the end, she had left some Bamboo Pole Noodles uneaten.

Probably not wanting to waste food,

she eventually finished them slowly.

So today, Ming Jiayao cooked fifteen wontons and one tael of noodles for her.

Actually, by upper-class standards, no young lady could eat that much in one meal…

But Ming Jiayao loved watching Ah Zhi eat.

She would stuff an entire wonton into her mouth, close her lips around it, and chew hard.

Her cheeks puffed out adorably.

While chewing, she couldn’t help but show an expression of amazement, as if thinking, “Wow, how can this be so delicious?”

It gave him, as the person in charge, immense emotional satisfaction.

The way she ate noodles heartily also made her seem like she had a great appetite and was in good health.

In short, everything about Ah Zhi fascinated Ming Jiayao.

Look, when Ming Jiayao brought the freshly cooked fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles to Ah Zhi,

she exclaimed in surprise, “Ah Yao, I asked for a small bowl.”

Ming Jiayao couldn’t help but explain, “But I just wanted to make a little more for you…”

Then, he saw her surprised expression.

She smiled, “Thank you, Ah Yao.”

She didn’t refuse.

She picked up her chopsticks and spoon and began eating the wontons like a little chipmunk lady.

Ming Jiayao watched her carefully.

Actually, she had already eaten fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles once yesterday,

so today… at least she shouldn’t have been as amazed as yesterday.

But she still ate slowly, her cheeks puffed out, her eyes sparkling, her face clearly expressing, “How can these wontons be so delicious?”

Ming Jiayao couldn’t help but smile again.

He asked her, “You seem to be in a good mood today. Did you resolve that gift box issue from yesterday?”

Bai Yuanzhi nodded with a smile, “Yes!”

“After I went back yesterday, I asked my neighbors, and finally, Miss Chen, who works at a trading company, helped me solve the problem.”

“She knows a salesperson from a gift box factory and gave me their contact information.”

“So I went to the gift box factory first thing this morning and have already made initial contact with them.” Speaking of this, Bai Yuanzhi was genuinely happy.

Yes, last night when Miss Chen returned from work, Bai Yuanzhi mustered the courage to ask her if she knew any gift box factories.

Miss Chen thought for a moment, then gave Bai Yuanzhi a knowing smile.

Bai Yuanzhi understood instantly.

“Miss Chen, you’re well aware of my situation,” Bai Yuanzhi said sincerely to Miss Chen. “I’ve just arrived from the mainland and haven’t fully grasped all the rules here yet. But there’s a genuine opportunity before me now… I don’t expect to get rich overnight; I just want steady, long-term work for steady, long-term earnings. So, if there are any rules I should understand but don’t, please teach me.”

Miss Chen smiled.

She told Bai Yuanzhi: she could indeed refer business to Bai Yuanzhi, but for this first deal, she hoped to collect commission from both Bai Yuanzhi and the Gift Box Factory, taking 3% from each.

For example, if Bai Yuanzhi wanted to place an order with the Gift Box Factory she introduced, and assuming Bai Yuanzhi spent one thousand Hong Kong Dollars on gift boxes from the factory, then Bai Yuanzhi would give her thirty dollars in commission, and the Gift Box Factory would also give her thirty dollars in commission.

As for whether Bai Yuanzhi would continue working with the Gift Box Factory in the future, that was none of her concern!

Upon hearing this, Bai Yuanzhi nodded vigorously.

So early this morning, before heading out, Miss Chen gave Bai Yuanzhi a slip of paper with the Gift Box Factory’s address and contact person. She also told Bai Yuanzhi, “…After I rush to the office later, I’ll call this Mr. Tang first to clarify the matter. Don’t leave right away; just arrive at this address around half past ten. That way, you won’t get there too early before I’ve made the introduction, and they won’t know you or be willing to discuss business with you.”

Bai Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly.

Thus, following Miss Chen’s arrangement, she arrived at the Gift Box Factory at half past ten and smoothly met Mr. Tang.

As soon as Mr. Tang heard that the end buyer was Mrs. Xu, he immediately became respectful and readily discussed the production and pricing of the gift boxes with Bai Yuanzhi. He even proactively taught Bai Yuanzhi many rules about trade and intermediaries.

For instance, Mr. Tang told Bai Yuanzhi that she needed to provide a few bottles of sauce or the sauce bottles first, so his staff could manually create a prototype gift box based on the bottle specifications. As for the printing on the gift boxes, if Mrs. Xu or Bai Yuanzhi had no specific requirements, they could use his existing designs. He could have a designer hand-draw a design draft according to Mrs. Xu or Bai Yuanzhi’s requests, revise it until Mrs. Xu was satisfied, and then proceed to make the film…

For example, Mr. Tang also told Bai Yuanzhi that once all the gift boxes were ready, he could deliver them to the Sauce Factory as per Bai Yuanzhi’s request. At the same time, he would send workers over to teach the Sauce Factory staff how to package them…

And for instance, Mr. Tang told Bai Yuanzhi that since Bai Yuanzhi was a new customer, according to trade practices, for the first order with a new client, a 30% deposit was required upfront. The remaining balance had to be paid in full within half a month after he delivered all the gift boxes to the Sauce Factory. The reason for this grace period was that Mr. Tang would assess the damage or loss of gift boxes at the Sauce Factory and replenish materials accordingly. However, if the loss was too significant, Mr. Tang would need to charge Bai Yuanzhi an additional fee…

Bai Yuanzhi learned a great deal from Mr. Tang.

She was, of course, very happy!

Thus, she felt even more that her decision not to choose the cheaper first subdivided flat but instead opt for this slightly more expensive one was absolutely correct!

At least the neighbors were decent people.

After hearing Bai Yuanzhi’s words, Ming Jiayao nodded repeatedly, “…Wow, that’s really great.”

Bai Yuanzhi also smiled and said, “I’ve found that ever since… since I came to Hong Kong City, even my luck seems to have improved.”

Ming Jiayao agreed, “I also feel like my luck has gotten better recently.”

Ah Wu, who was acting as a background extra not far away, couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, quietly saying to Ah Jiu, “Did you hear that? A Yao almost got murdered by his own mother yesterday, and he still says his luck is good…”

Ah Jiu looked at Ah Wu with an expression that said he was an idiot, “Isn’t it precisely because of good luck that he didn’t die?”

Ah Wu: …

Meanwhile, Ming Jiayao and Bai Yuanzhi’s conversation continued.

It started when Bai Yuanzhi asked Ming Jiayao how old he was and what grade he was in.

Ming Jiayao didn’t dare say he had never attended school.

He had been receiving elite education at home, and although only sixteen, he already held an undergraduate degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

It was because of this hesitation that

he heard Ah Zhi say, “A Yao, cultural knowledge is very important. If you have to set up a stall during the day to do business, you might consider attending night school.”

“Night school?” This was beyond Ming Jiayao’s understanding.

So Bai Yuanzhi explained to him what night school was.

Ming Jiayao showed a thoughtful expression, “So, you’ll also go to night school?”

Bai Yuanzhi nodded, “Of course! Soldiers who don’t want to become generals are all unqualified! Not only will I attend night school, but in the future, I also want to take the university entrance exam.”

Ming Jiayao asked again, “Do you have a target school and major?”

Bai Yuanzhi smiled, “HKU Finance Department.”

Ming Jiayao also smiled, “You’re interested in finance.”

Bai Yuanzhi said half-jokingly, half-seriously, “It’s precisely because I don’t understand it that I want to seriously learn about it.”

—In fact, in her previous life, she had later worked in finance.

But to pass exams and graduate easily, she chose to major in law.

Although she later became quite proficient in her work, because she never had systematic training and wasn’t formally educated in the field…

it left her with some regrets.

Given a second chance,

she didn’t want to have any more regrets.

“What about you, A Yao?” Bai Yuanzhi asked, “What’s your dream?”

Ming Jiayao opened his mouth.

—His dream?

Killing his mother, pulling the plug on his grandfather’s oxygen mask in the future, and beating his father into a lifelong cripple… does that count?

But is that something he can say out loud?

Bai Yuanzhi said to Ming Jiayao, “A Yao, we’re still very young, so it’s even more important to set a goal, so we can avoid taking unnecessary detours.”

Ming Jiayao thought for a moment and said softly, “Ah Zhi, my dream… is to start a long-distance transportation company.”

“Wow!” Bai Yuanzhi exclaimed in admiration, “Your goal is so clear?”

Ming Jiayao once again received abundant emotional validation, his heart swelling with joy as if about to burst.

“So how do you plan to do it?” Bai Yuanzhi asked again.

Ming Jiayao didn’t know how to answer.

Should he confess to her that he actually bears the surname Ming and is the heir to the Ming Family?

So his family’s business is actually in maritime shipping…

Seeing him remain silent for a long time, Bai Yuanzhi started speaking, “For a long-distance transportation company, the most important thing is big trucks, right?”

“Secondly, it should be understanding road conditions.”

“There’s one more point I think is quite important, which is the supply stations along the way. Big trucks need to refuel and refill water, drivers need to eat and rest overnight… So, building a gas station next to a national highway toll station would probably be quite profitable.”

“I’m just an outsider, talking nonsense, so don’t mind me,” Bai Yuanzhi said with a grin.

Ming Jiayao was stunned.

He could already tell—Ah Zhi didn’t know much about this industry,

But!!!

What Ah Zhi said was absolutely right—for long-distance transportation, supply stations along the way were crucial!

So?

Why did he have to keep his focus on this tiny patch of land in Hong Kong City?

In the past, Ming Jiayao had been making all sorts of preparations to inherit the Ming Family business.

But what kind of person his grandfather was,

And how difficult the old-timers in the Ming Family company could be,

He had already glimpsed a little.

So,

Rather than staying here, being suppressed by Ming Jingxing, and occasionally targeted by Xu Wenrui’s hired assassins…

Why not leave?

He could leave Hong Kong City under the pretense of studying abroad,

Then, he could set his sights on purchasing overseas ports.

As long as he owned the ports,

Wouldn’t the Ming Family’s cargo ships have to obediently dock and resupply at his ports?

Besides, if he really succeeded, he would control global shipping!

The more Ming Jiayao thought about it, the more feasible this plan seemed!

“Ah Zhi, thank you!” Ming Jiayao looked at Bai Yuanzhi excitedly. “Thank you for giving me such a great suggestion!”

Bai Yuanzhi widened her eyes. “Huh?”

But she hadn’t said anything!

“That’s good,” Bai Yuanzhi said with a smile. “Even though I don’t know what suggestion I gave you… as long as you know what you should do next, that’s fine.”

She finished the last bite of the crispy Bamboo Pole Noodles, savoring the last drop of soup in the bowl, then stood up. “A Yao, I’m leaving.”

Ming Jiayao felt a bit reluctant.

He wanted to ask, “Will you come again tomorrow?”…

But Bai Yuanzhi spoke first. “A Yao, I won’t be coming tomorrow.”

The smile on Ming Jiayao’s face slowly faded.

Bai Yuanzhi also felt it was a bit cruel.

But her current financial situation couldn’t afford a daily bowl of fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles.

Like today, she spent 12 yuan on a small bowl, but Ming Jiayao had given her more than the standard portion.

That wasn’t what she wanted.

Bai Yuanzhi honestly told Ming Jiayao, “Your wontons are delicious, and the pricing is fair, but this isn’t something I can afford to eat every day.”

Ming Jiayao grew anxious. “I…”

Bai Yuanzhi raised her hand to stop him from continuing. “I know you’d say you could not charge me and treat me to it.”

“But A Yao, I can’t do that.”

“If I accept your generosity, over time, my flaws would make me take advantage, treating your kindness as something I’m entitled to.”

“Your kindness would become my comfort zone, because I’d have food even without trying… I might become lazy and complacent.”

“I believe that’s not what you’d want either.”

“So, I’ve decided to come here every month… to have fresh shrimp and crab roe wonton noodles twice!”

“Since I’m working two jobs, I’ll come on the day I get my Perfect Attendance Bonus!” Bai Yuanzhi said with a smile. “In the future, I’ll work hard to earn money so I can afford to eat your wonton noodles every day!”

Ming Jiayao’s expression was incredibly rich.

At first, when he heard her say she wouldn’t come anymore, he felt both anxious and disappointed;

Then, hearing her admit she couldn’t afford it, his heart ached immensely;

When she explained why she didn’t want to accept his gifts, he suddenly felt great admiration for her.

Upon learning she would come twice a month in the future, his mood improved slightly.

Finally, when she said she would strive to eat his wonton noodles every day, Ming Jiayao was so happy he almost wanted to cry!

Ming Jiayao desperately suppressed the heat in the corners of his eyes and asked eagerly, “Then when will you get your Perfect Attendance Bonus?”

Bai Yuanzhi told him honestly.

Ming Jiayao nodded, lowered his gaze to the ground, and said nothing.

Bai Yuanzhi felt somewhat uneasy. “Oh, it’s just that I’ll come again in a week! Why does it feel like a life-or-death farewell? A Yao, don’t be like this…”

Actually, Ming Jiayao was calculating in his heart: her two Perfect Attendance days each month happened to fall in the middle and at the end of the month.

So if he went abroad to study and came back twice a month to see her, it would be just perfect.

“Okay!” Ming Jiayao nodded seriously.

Seeing Ming Jiayao was no longer downcast, Bai Yuanzhi smiled at him. “Then I’m leaving! Bye!”

Ming Jiayao watched her leave with a smile, but did not respond.

Ah Wu quietly asked Ah Jiu beside him, “Miss Ah Zhi said bye to Young Master A Yao, why didn’t Young Master A Yao reply? Such a nice girl, sigh!”

Ah Jiu couldn’t hold back. “Young Master A Yao didn’t say bye because he doesn’t want to say goodbye to Miss Ah Zhi!”

Then Ah Jiu’s voice softened. “No wonder Young Master A Yao likes Miss Ah Zhi so much. Miss Ah Zhi is really wonderful!”

Ming Jiayao’s gaze remained firmly fixed on Bai Yuanzhi’s retreating figure,

Until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight…

Ming Jiayao couldn’t help but follow her.

But he didn’t go far.

Because Bai Yuanzhi quickly entered Xingfu Building.

Ming Jiayao sighed and turned back.

He overheard Ah Wu and Ah Jiu chatting:

“But still, why can’t we let Miss Ah Zhi know that our A Yao is very rich?”

“Are you stupid? How Chairman Ming, Mr. Ming, and Mrs. Ming treat A Yao… do you really not know? They want A Yao dead! Right now, A Yao has no say, he can’t even guarantee his own safety. If those three elders find out about Miss Ah Zhi’s existence… Chairman Ming would use ‘helping A Yao grow’ as an excuse to have Miss Ah Zhi killed. Mr. and Mrs. Ming would definitely use Miss Ah Zhi’s safety to threaten A Yao into giving them money!”

“Sigh, alright… you’re right. Looking at it this way, A Yao really should hide Miss Ah Zhi very carefully, otherwise it would bring fatal danger to her!”

“Let’s go, let’s go! Miss Ah Zhi has already gone home, we should pack up quickly too!”

Ming Jiayao stood in place for a very, very long time.

= =

Before going out to work, Bai Yuanzhi glanced at Zhou Zhaodi, who was curled up on the bed, fast asleep.

To put it simply,

Bai Yuanzhi left home at 8 a.m., first visited her elder sister at the hospital, then took her books to study at a small park near Bilanting. She wouldn’t return home until 10:30 p.m. after finishing work.

But Zhou Zhaodi woke up at 3 p.m., went out to stroll, eat, and shop, then went to work at the nightclub, returning at 2 a.m.

This resulted in—Bai Yuanzhi and Zhou Zhaodi living together every day, yet having no opportunity to speak.

Now, the tiny subdivided flat was already crammed with things Zhou Zhaodi had bought.

Perhaps it was because she had been terrified by poverty and starved for money since childhood,

coupled with Zhou Zhaodi being young and lacking self-control,

she had developed the bad habit of buying things indiscriminately.

The bed was piled high with all sorts of clothes, pants, shoes, and socks she had purchased.

Each piece was bizarre in its own way.

The tops were either off-the-shoulder with a single sleeve or had open backs with cutouts…

As for the pants, they were either low-rise skinny jeans or bell-bottoms with fringes dangling from the wide hems…

Bai Yuanzhi thought it over and over, then shook Zhou Zhaodi awake. “Get up!”

Zhou Zhaodi asked groggily, “What time is it?”

“Never mind the time,” Bai Yuanzhi said. “Get up now. I have something to say to you.”

Zhou Zhaodi sighed, fished a wristwatch from under her pillow, and glanced at it. Instantly, she exploded. “Bai Yuanzhi, are you crazy?! It’s only seven-thirty! Do you know what time I went to bed last night? I didn’t sleep until four in the morning!” Zhou Zhaodi shouted angrily.

Only then did Bai Yuanzhi get a clear look.

Zhou Zhaodi’s originally smooth, long hair, though still black, had been permed into a frizzy, explosive style.

And Zhou Zhaodi’s earlobes and ear cartilage were pierced with four or five earrings;

she even had a nose piercing…

Bai Yuanzhi stared at Zhou Zhaodi and frowned. “How did you end up like this?”

Zhou Zhaodi sobered up a little, touched her hair and ears, then shouted defensively, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t interfere with me anymore? So what are you doing now?”

Looking at Zhou Zhaodi like this, Bai Yuanzhi couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

In her previous life, Zhou Zhaodi had been no better.

She hung out with Wu Jiayin and Zhou Nian’er, spending her days thinking about how to dress like a wealthy heiress and discussing how to land a rich husband.

The current Zhou Zhaodi…

seemed even more low-class and worse than before.

“Speak up!” Zhou Zhaodi said impatiently. “What’s the big deal waking me up so early? Could it be that you can’t sleep, so you don’t want me to sleep well either?”

Bai Yuanzhi said coldly, “I just wanted to remind you that you’ve been in Hong Kong City for over a month now. You should start making plans for your own status soon.”

At the mention of “status,” the mocking look in Zhou Zhaodi’s eyes instantly vanished.

“I don’t know how to do it. You help me,” Zhou Zhaodi said immediately.

Bai Yuanzhi spoke word by word, “Didn’t you also agree that I wouldn’t interfere with your affairs anymore, and you wouldn’t let me interfere either?”

Zhou Zhaodi was left speechless.

“You’d better go find your mother as soon as possible and ask her to help you with this.” With that, Bai Yuanzhi placed the book she planned to read today into a canvas bag, picked up a flask of cold boiled water, and prepared to leave.

“Just for this?” Zhou Zhaodi exclaimed loudly. “Then you didn’t have to wake me up specially! You could’ve just left me a note!”

Bai Yuanzhi had already reached the door.

Hearing this, she turned back and gave Zhou Zhaodi a cold glance. “I could have left you a note, but would you even understand it?”

Zhou Zhaodi was momentarily at a loss for words.

Bai Yuanzhi walked out.

Zhou Zhaodi bit her lower lip, stared at Bai Yuanzhi’s retreating figure, and muttered softly, “You could’ve written it simply…”

After thinking it over, she really wasn’t confident she could recognize all the characters, so she snorted again, shooting a glare at Bai Yuanzhi’s retreating back. “If you really cared about me, why not just handle it for me? You know I’m young and don’t understand anything, yet you insist I go find Mom and make myself unwelcome!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll go then! Might as well go to Mom’s place for a meal! Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve had a proper meal! If I can make Mom happy, maybe she’ll even buy me a few new clothes…”

Zhou Zhaodi grew more and more delighted as she thought about it, so she simply sat up and started getting ready to head out.

Bai Yuanzhi paid no attention to Zhou Zhaodi.

She followed her own schedule, first going to the hospital to visit Zhou Sier.

Zhou Sier had clearly regained consciousness.

When someone called her name, her eyes would move, and her fingers would twitch.

But she couldn’t open her eyes or speak.

Although her fingers moved, it was unconscious.

Dr. Huang said that Zhou Sier was no longer in critical condition and could be transferred out of the ICU. However, the damage to her brain would prevent her from controlling her body, and recovery would be a long process.

Bai Yuanzhi disagreed with transferring Zhou Sier out of the ICU.

For Dr. Huang or the hospital, as long as there were still beds available in the ICU and Bilanting agreed to cover the medical expenses,

Zhou Sier could stay in the ICU for as long as she wanted.

Bai Yuanzhi thanked Dr. Huang, took her books, and left the hospital to study at a small park.

When it was almost time, she went to work at Bilanting.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Yuanzhi had already worked at Bilanting for a full month.

She had been working very hard.

Drawing on the experience she had gained from her previous job at Aijia,

Bai Yuanzhi developed her own workflow.

—Upon entering a room, she would first open the windows for ventilation, soak items like cups and ashtrays in water, clean the bathroom thoroughly, vacuum, and finally change the bed sheets and pillowcases, replenish tea bags and drinking water in the living room, and restock toiletries in the bathroom.

Most importantly, she simplified the process of changing bed sheets and pillowcases and used tools to get it done quickly.

Bai Yuanzhi not only did this herself but also unreservedly shared her “techniques” with her colleagues in the same group.

However, her colleagues were all older.

Some of them diligently learned from Bai Yuanzhi but couldn’t match her efficiency;

Others had years of experience and had developed their own methods. Now, being required by the team leader to learn from Bai Yuanzhi meant they had to abandon what they already knew…

Everyone had some complaints.

So, Bai Yuanzhi suggested to the team leader: assembly-line work.

Since the interests of the entire group were aligned, why not break down the tasks into smaller, specialized roles?

For example, since Bai Yuanzhi was the fastest at changing bed sheets and pillowcases, she would be responsible for all the bed linens in the rooms assigned to the group.

For example, Zhang Lina and Liu Yun were short, so using a vacuum cleaner was particularly tiring for others who had to bend over, but they had no such problem. They could be responsible for vacuuming the rooms.

Others would either only clean the bathrooms or only replenish supplies…

The team leader sought everyone’s agreement and tried it once.

During the first attempt, everyone was a bit flustered.

The problem was: Bai Yuanzhi was changing the bed sheets just as Zhang Lina and the others came to clean the carpets, and everyone ended up crowded in one room… causing a blockage!

So, during the second attempt, they learned from their experience:

Bai Yuanzhi’s group was responsible for cleaning rooms on six floors, so they started from different floors.

This way, work that used to take three and a half hours was completed in just three hours!

Moreover, after inspecting the rooms one by one, everyone felt that the cleanliness achieved through this “assembly-line work” method was even better than what one person could do alone!

At the end of the full calendar month,

After evaluations across all teams, Bai Yuanzhi and her colleagues received the highest-level Perfect Attendance Bonus due to zero customer complaints!

In an instant, Bai Yuanzhi became the most popular person in the team.

So on this day,

the team leader, avoiding others, pulled Bai Yuanzhi aside and whispered softly, “Ah Zhi, if the VIP building happens to be short of a room attendant… would you consider transferring there?”

Hearing this, although Bai Yuanzhi remained calm on the surface, she inwardly let out a long sigh of relief.

How wonderful!

She had finally gotten what she wished for.

“Ah, that would be truly great!” Bai Yuanzhi happily said to Team Leader Lily, “Sister Lily, if such an opportunity really exists and happens to fall on me, I’ll treat you to tea!”

As she spoke, Bai Yuanzhi cast a meaningful, unspoken glance toward Sister Lily with a smile.

The slightly probing smile on Sister Lily’s face immediately turned genuine.

She shared more details with Bai Yuanzhi:

For example—

The room cleaning work in the VIP building of Bilanting Hotel couldn’t be compared to the ordinary room cleaning Bai Yuanzhi had done before.

Because the room types, furniture, and decorations in ordinary rooms were all quite similar.

But the rooms in the VIP building were much larger, with each luxurious suite covering about fifty to sixty square meters, all being suites.

These rooms offered excellent privacy, with six rooms on each floor, but eight elevators arranged per floor, each with different entrances…

And for example—

Because the Songhe Building was the most important VIP guest area in Bilanting, only full-time employees could work there as room attendants.

The Songhe Building had eighteen floors in total, with six guest rooms on each floor.

On each floor, there would be one room service attendant and one cleaner on duty simultaneously.

A shift lasted twenty-four hours, followed by one day off.

The salary was two thousand yuan per month.

However, once the labor contract was signed, one couldn’t resign casually. To resign, one had to give three months’ notice and hand over all work clearly before leaving.

Additionally, the supervisor informed her of the benefits:

Personal perfect attendance, personal performance, and team performance went without saying.

The biggest income from working in the Songhe Building was the tips guests gave.

While on duty, staff could stay in the service rooms on the floor;

When off duty, staff could stay in the free eight-person employee dormitory;

While on duty, free work meals were provided—six meals a day;

When off duty, staff could use their employee cards to eat at the employee cafeteria, at about half the price of typical fast food.

As Sister Lily spoke, Bai Yuanzhi thought to herself:

—To become a room cleaner in the Songhe Building, one must be full-time?

But a salary of three thousand yuan was quite worthwhile.

Although working twenty-four-hour shifts might be a bit tiring, it was one day on, one day off.

Honestly, the conditions were quite good.

—Can’t resign casually? Must give three months’ notice?

Bai Yuanzhi fell into thought.

Her elder sister Zhou Sier’s incident happened less than three months ago…

Which meant the attendant responsible for room service and cleaning at that time should still be in the hotel.

For this reason alone, Bai Yuanzhi felt she had to agree.

Not to mention, after becoming a room cleaning attendant in the Songhe Building, she could also enjoy so many benefits.

Bai Yuanzhi agreed without hesitation and, after finishing the day’s work, followed Sister Lily to the Human Resources Department to sign a one-year full-time employment contract.

Just after signing the contract, as Bai Yuanzhi was about to leave the Human Resources Department with Sister Lily—

Suddenly—

A young man rushed recklessly into the office.

At that moment, Bai Yuanzhi was half a step behind Sister Lily.

Seeing that the person was about to collide with Sister Lily, Bai Yuanzhi quickly pulled her aside.

Sister Lily had just let out a startled cry when she found herself firmly shielded by Bai Yuanzhi.

It turned out that Sister Lily had injured her lumbar spine some time ago and had undergone surgery less than a month ago. If she had been knocked down during this period, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Still shaken, Sister Lily grasped Bai Yuanzhi’s hand. “Ah Zhi, thank you!”

Then, Sister Lily was about to scold the young man who had almost knocked her over. Before she could utter, “Are you blind?”—

Bai Yuanzhi had already stepped forward to greet him. “Mr. Zhou, long time no see!”

After Sister Lily got a clear look at the young man, she immediately fell silent.

It turned out that the young man who had almost collided with Sister Lily was Zhou Weihao, the HR specialist who had interviewed Bai Yuanzhi last time.

After spending more time at Bilanting Hotel, Bai Yuanzhi learned about Zhou Weihao’s background.

It was said that Zhou Weihao was a rich second-generation heir, but due to some disagreement with his family, they had stopped covering his expenses. That was why he had taken a job as an HR specialist at Bilanting Hotel.

Bai Yuanzhi found this rumor quite believable.

Because Zhou Weihao’s looks could be rated about six out of ten—if full marks were ten.

But with his lean and upright figure, refined fashion sense, and the aura cultivated by wealth…

Zhou Weihao was already enough of a heartthrob among the employees at Bilanting.

At this moment, Zhou Weihao snapped back to reality and hurriedly apologized to Sister Lily and Bai Yuanzhi. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I was… lost in thought just now and didn’t see clearly. Sister Lily, I’m sorry I almost bumped into you.”

Of course, Sister Lily wouldn’t hold it against Zhou Weihao.

After all, Zhou Weihao held a higher position than Sister Lily.

However, before Sister Lily could say, “It’s okay”—

Sister Marry had already scurried over, speaking warmly and amiably, “Alright, alright! Sister Lily is so kind-hearted, how could she possibly hold a grudge against you, Ahao?”

Sister Marry was Bai Yuanzhi’s future direct supervisor.

She was not of Chinese descent but Filipino—around thirty or forty years old, with dark skin, slightly plump, and able to speak fluent but heavily accented English.

When Bai Yuanzhi first joined, she had been scolded by Sister Marry along with her coworkers.

To be honest, Bai Yuanzhi didn’t have a good impression of this Sister Marry.

But when under someone else’s roof, one must lower their head.

So Bai Yuanzhi stood behind Sister Lily, appearing meek and submissive.

She didn’t notice how brightly Zhou Weihao’s gaze shone upon her.

Sister Lily probably couldn’t be bothered to argue too much with Sister Marry, so she didn’t say anything more. She just responded with “Yeah,” then gave Zhou Weihao a polite yet distant smile before pulling Bai Yuanzhi away.

The two walked until they reached a secluded spot.

Only then did Bai Yuanzhi take out the Perfect Attendance Bonus she had just received—fifty dollars—from her pocket.

Without hesitation, she stuffed all fifty dollars into Sister Lily’s hand. “Sister Lily, thank you so much this time!”

Sister Lily was startled!

She knew Bai Yuanzhi would pay her some compensation for her efforts, but she never expected Bai Yuanzhi to be so generous.

“Oh, no, no,” Sister Lily quickly declined. “Ah Zhi, you just came from the mainland. You’re new here and unfamiliar with everything, and there are so many places where you’ll need money. You don’t have to give me that much…”

Bai Yuanzhi pressed Sister Lily’s hand down. “Sister Lily, you gave such a great opportunity only to me. I know who treats me well… Besides, you just had surgery on your back, right? You’ll need money for follow-up physiotherapy, won’t you?”

“Sister Lily, take this money! Since I’ve already taken it out, there’s no reason to take it back,” Bai Yuanzhi added.

Hearing Bai Yuanzhi say this,

and considering that fifty dollars was no small amount…

Sister Lily found it impossible to resist.

She gritted her teeth and accepted it.

After a moment’s thought, Sister Lily said to Bai Yuanzhi, “That Sister Marry and Zhou Weihao just now—you must be careful of them in the future!”

Bai Yuanzhi: ???

How exactly should she be careful?

After all, Sister Marry would be Bai Yuanzhi’s direct supervisor from now on!

Bai Yuanzhi immediately widened her eyes.

Sister Lily glanced around, and seeing no one nearby, lowered her voice to tell Bai Yuanzhi:

“Sister Marry’s husband has a younger sister named Duoluoxi… A long time ago, Sister Marry and Duoluoxi came to Hong Kong City together to work. Back then, Duoluoxi went to work as a maid for a wealthy family and introduced Sister Marry to become a team leader at Bilanting.

Later, Duoluoxi was punished by the employer’s family for dating the young master and lost her job…”

Hearing such gossip, Bai Yuanzhi widened her eyes in shock.

Sister Lily continued, “Zhou Weihao is that wealthy family’s young master!”

Bai Yuanzhi was stunned!

Sister Lily added, “As for that Duoluoxi… Although she was only three years older than Young Master Zhou, she married early back in her hometown. I heard she got married at fifteen and had a child. She was only eighteen when she came to Hong Kong City, and she was the one taking care of the fifteen-year-old Young Master Zhou… The two relied on each other for seven or eight years. Young Master Zhou swore he would marry Duoluoxi, and Mrs. Zhou was so angry she fainted. She cut off Young Master Zhou’s allowance… That’s why Young Master Zhou came to Bilanting to work as a personnel specialist!”

This gossip was so explosive

that Bai Yuanzhi was speechless for a long time.

Sister Lily then warned Bai Yuanzhi, “Actually, the fact that Duoluoxi is already married with children back in her home country, the Philippines, is no secret in their circle. Many people know about it!

But to secure Young Master Zhou as a wealthy catch, Sister Marry has been trying every possible way to cover it up.”

Several of us (referring to the Chinese community) who learned this secret and wanted to inform Young Master Zhou and the Zhou family were all caught by Sister Marry for some mistake she managed to find. They were fined heavily and dismissed!

So you must keep this in mind—we’re here to seek wealth. Young Master Zhou’s love story has its own course; we shouldn’t interfere with others’ fateful encounters, lest we ruin our own financial fortune!”

Sister Lily earnestly instructed.

Bai Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly.

She immediately made up her mind: from now on, she must avoid Zhou Weihao at all costs.

After all, she came to work at Bilanting not primarily for money—the most important thing was that she must uncover the hidden secrets behind Zhou Sier’s fall from the building, to the extent that Zhou Sier had to die!

At the time, she thought it shouldn’t be too difficult.

After all, Zhou Weihao was a personnel specialist, holding a high position!

While she was a room attendant,

There was no overlap in their work, nor any chance of crossing paths!

Bai Yuanzhi thought for a moment and arranged a breakfast meeting with Sister Lily.

Sister Lily declined several times but couldn’t resist Bai Yuanzhi’s enthusiasm. They agreed to meet the next morning at a popular tea restaurant near Bilanting Hotel.

Then, Bai Yuanzhi went to report to her new department.

As she had just transferred, there wasn’t much work to do. She simply got acquainted with her coworkers in the same group.

Including herself, there were five coworkers in Bai Yuanzhi’s team.

Two were female attendants and three were female cleaners.

The attendants’ positions and salaries were higher than those of the cleaners, so the cleaners took instructions from the attendants in their group.

The attendant currently on duty in the guest rooms was A Xi.

A Xi was around twenty-three or twenty-four, with a slender build and somewhat pale skin—typical of someone from Guangdong. Her eyebrows were very light and slanted downward, giving her a fierce and unapproachable appearance.

The cleaner was Xiao Yu, who looked like a pretty young girl of about eighteen or nineteen, giving off a cheerful and lively vibe.

Bai Yuanzhi exchanged names with them, mentioned where she rented her place, and shared her official start date—although Bai Yuanzhi had just signed a new employment contract with Bilanting, she had indeed just received her full attendance bonus, so she was entitled to one day of paid leave.

Bai Yuanzhi decided to take the next day off and officially return to work the day after.

After getting slightly familiar with her new coworkers, Bai Yuanzhi prepared to leave Bilanting.

Carrying her water bottle, she left chatting and laughing with a few coworkers.

She originally planned to go to the mall to find Sister Wen, inform her about signing the full-time contract with Bilanting, and then check on the batch of gift boxes Mr. Tang was handling…

But just as she reached the street corner,

Bai Yuanzhi spotted Zhou Weihao wearing jeans and a white T-shirt at a glance.

Bai Yuanzhi paused in her steps.

She intended to detour before Zhou Weihao noticed her,

But Zhou Weihao had already seen Bai Yuanzhi immediately and happily approached her, “Ah Zhi!”

The coworkers beside her glanced at Zhou Weihao, then at Bai Yuanzhi, all wearing meaningful expressions in unison.

But no one said anything, choosing instead to ignore the situation and hurriedly leave.

Bai Yuanzhi took a deep breath.

Alright, the first day of my transfer and I’ve already run into a big shot I can’t afford to offend and can’t avoid.

Better make this quick!

Bai Yuanzhi quickly adjusted her smile to one that was polite yet distant, greeting Zhou Weihao as he approached. “Mr. Zhou, what a coincidence.”

Zhou Weihao stared intently at Bai Yuanzhi.