129. We Originally Had No Ties, It Was All Bound by Money (Monthly Votes Appreciated)

The next day, Bai Haonan still brought his secretary and assistant to his office in the Jiazheng Building for work.

The Jiazheng Building was a bit stirred up. Chen Meijuan was the plump and voluptuous type; anyone with a little worldly experience and a discerning eye could tell that this woman practically dripped with allure. Her slightly opulent posture constantly radiated her desires, even when wearing the most ordinary black skirt suit and a white base shirt, where every inch was stretched taut and full. Yet, she never gave off a heavy or chubby impression, and even her coiled hair carried the mature charm of a ripe young matron.

Xiao Wan was the exact opposite. Her light gray skirt suit made her look every bit like a newcomer just entering the workforce. Her slightly shy gaze avoided direct eye contact, and she mostly walked with her head down right by Bai Haonan’s side. But she possessed the refreshing crispness of a tender white radish, and she greeted everyone with a careful, timid smile that made it difficult for anyone to keep their guard up.

Bearing the honorary title of Sports Director, Wang Zong swaggered into the office with the two of them, accompanied by Ada, whose tail wagged three times with every step. Ever since latching onto the big tree of Jiazheng, the dog’s nutrition had clearly become excessive; it was starting to grow broader, with a round belly that made it look even more like a successful, arrogant lackey.

In truth, Chen Meijuan and Xiao Wan were still a bit nervous. The sports venues they had visited over the past few days were small in scale. This was their very first time experiencing what a large conglomerate group corporation was actually like—a company that owned its entire building, where the entire first-floor lobby served as a reception area. Bai Haonan casually nodded and gestured along the way to the managers and supervisors who greeted him, and others took his swagger as completely natural. He even tried to enlighten them: "See that? This is what a company with an annual revenue of over a billion looks like. But on a national scale, it's still nothing. What do those 1040 pyramid schemes brag about? Hundreds of billions? Trillions? Take a look at those raggedy big bosses—do they look like rich people? That's why I've never believed in them for a second. A bunch of guys who have to take turns showing off ties, gold chains, and BMW cars are just fooling idiots!"

Once inside the lavishly decorated elevator, Chen Meijuan let out a long sigh of relief: "But when you have no other choice, you just have to force yourself to believe it. What else can you do?"

Bai Haonan’s strength lay in his simplicity: "Don't think too much about it. The opportunity now is great. The boss is willing to support us, and you two can do the job well. Isn't it just about constantly attracting people to participate in fitness? What we offer is solid product service—we have a world-renowned international football star who has played in the World Cup, plus so many professional coaches. Just apply that old head-hunting routine to this, and you'll have a foothold. Gradually, you'll earn more. If you want to go back, you can quietly save up money and pay everyone back. There's nothing in this world that money can't smooth over..." Saying this, he undoubtedly remembered that smoothing things over for himself would probably cost tens of millions. The bookmakers had claimed losses of several millions, and people had even died; a somewhat bitter smile crossed his face.

Xiao Wan had been holding the folder against her chest while watching him. Perhaps she sensed that touch of desolation, so she quickly pledged her loyalty: "Director Wang, I'll just keep following you and working. I don't want to leave."

Chen Meijuan finally revealed a trace of a smile, snickering secretly.

Bai Haonan spread his arms and patted both of their shoulders at the same time: "We're friends. Doing a good job with the fitness center will benefit you immensely. No matter what happens to me in the future, that place will be your turf..."

He had this annoying habit—whenever he talked to the opposite sex, he loved throwing his arms around their shoulders. Both girls felt a pleasant surprise and leaned in closer together.

Right at that moment, the elevator doors opened on the 26th floor. Outside, a large group of company employees immediately saw Director Wang brazenly embracing two young women. The crucial part was that neither of the girls showed any panic under the watchful eyes of the crowd. It wasn't until Bai Haonan let go that they casually straightened their clothes—at a single glance, it was obvious their relationship was out of the ordinary!

So, how could this kind of scene not instantly spread throughout the entire company?

Holy crap! He had latched onto General Manager Yu, yet he still dared to boldly forage outside and even bring them to the company?

It was simply mind-boggling!

Only Yu Jiali probably didn't know about it yet, at least temporarily.

Of course, Bai Haonan brought the two of them along purely to slack off. Xiao Wan had decent writing skills and had studied computers in college, allowing her to handle operations. Although Chen Meijuan came from a small town, she had worked in government agencies. These two were the ones who could actually make use of his office. He had the administrative department process their paperwork; from now on, they would take turns coming to work here and attending head office meetings.

Yu Jiali was left laughing helplessly when facing Bai Haonan: "I asked you to come over and work regularly not only so the two of us could see each other, but also so you could gradually learn and grow along the way. What is the meaning of bringing two pretty maids and wet nurses here instead?!"

Bai Haonan argued with full confidence: "I don't understand meetings. They are better at studying than I am. Actually, I think the direction of the goal was chosen wrong in the MLM schemes, but they still manage to pump a bunch of poor, mediocre guys full of adrenaline. These girls are very motivated when they work; who knows, you might even grow to like using them in the future. I'll just focus on tinkering with my own turf of a football field."

On her home turf, Yu Jiali had much more confidence. She propped her chin on one hand and gazed at him: "Are you confident about tomorrow? I'm going to go look together with you."

Bai Haonan nodded indifferently, his curiosity caught by the large calf-length double-barreled telescope and its stand nearby. Seeing him peeking like a monkey, Yu Jiali looked at him with doting affection: "If you want to look, just look. When have I ever been able to control you?"

Bai Haonan beamed, jumped up to peer through the lenses, and muttered: "You actually control quite a bit. Xiao Yu, I really don't like being restrained. For the first ten-odd years, coaches controlled me. Now that we get along as friends, how much freer and more natural it would be! I'll just try my best to help you make money, even though you probably look down on this small amount."

Yu Jiali made a covert funny face: "The rent for every property we invest in—do you think I look down on it? Every single cent matters to us. As long as you can get the fitness center to start making a profit, that's a successful investment, and I can prove to everyone that my vision was correct."

Bai Haonan tried adjusting the focus while habitually striking back: "Oh, come on! Do you think I don't know what you're thinking in your own heart? Holy crap, this thing is so clear! Holy crap... Niu'er doesn't look so good down there..."

Pouting, Yu Jiali jumped up to take a look. Bai Haonan had slightly adjusted the height of the eyepiece, forcing her to stand on tiptoes. She pulled Bai Haonan's hands to wrap around her waist so she wouldn't lose her balance: "Oh, right, sometimes I can see him like this too..." Taking advantage of the momentum, she leaned against Bai Haonan's embrace with motives that clearly went beyond merely looking.

Down below, Qian Niu was indeed acting a bit strange. Sitting alone and dazed under the eaves by the pitch, he probably never imagined anyone could see him from this far away, so the gloomy emotions on his face were displayed without the slightest concealment.

Bai Haonan’s approach to solving problems was simple and crude: "We have to help him pick up girls! As long as he has a girl, this matter won't weigh on his mind anymore."

Yu Jiali playfully scolded: "I'm going too, just in case you abuse your power for personal gain!"

Bai Haonan acted as soon as he spoke. Leaving the two assistant secretaries behind, he took the CEO and Ada downstairs. How long had they even been at work?

The other employees and supervisors practically shook their heads. Holy crap, was the company heading toward a swift demise, or was this a live demonstration of what a life winner looked like?

However, the investment company's operations didn't seem to be affected at all. Perhaps this would even put General Manager Yu in a better mood to hand out more bonuses to everyone. Therefore, the atmosphere was completely different from before; back then, people would constantly tip off and phone Chairman Yu or the Yu family relatives. Now, everyone knew that General Manager Yu had taken full control—as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

And Yu Jiali was indeed happy. She skipped and hopped into the Cayenne, hugging Ada, while Bai Haonan picked up the dejected Qian Niu and sat in the back. She even helped lift the mood: "Niu'er, your big brother always wants you to cheer up. Don't trap yourself in a dead end."

Leaning against the luxury backseat, Qian Niu was somewhat different from before. He looked outside and spoke in a low voice: "I just feel useless. I couldn't make it in football, and I haven't managed to get a girlfriend, start a family, or build a career. The money I scrimped and saved with such hard work got scammed away, and I was treated like that..." At this point, he closed his eyes in pain again.

Yu Jiali, who had no idea what kind of mind-boggling, chaotic scene he had witnessed with Gao Xiaoting, tried quoting wisdom: "Your injury isn't that big a deal. What imprisons the body isn't physical injury or illness, but our minds..."

Bai Haonan couldn't help but scoff: "You're great at preaching to others, but what about yourself?"

With her teeth itching with frustration, Yu Jiali wanted to hit him with Ada: "I'm helping you comfort Niu'er, why are you undermining me?!" Yet her face was completely plastered with uncontrollable smiles. How she loved this kind of interactive feeling—like a married couple bickering over a useless son, complete with a dog grinning foolishly.

It was simply perfection.

Bai Haonan's routine was completely different: "Niu'er, I was the one who persuaded you to go to that meeting. In a way, I pushed you into the pit. Do you hate me?"

Qian Niu reacted strongly to him: "What are you talking about! I was the one looking for someone. If you hadn't told me to go meet her, who knows, I might have had every single cent cheated out of me without even seeing her face."

Bai Haonan nodded and smiled: "Well then, there's no need to take that kind of woman to heart at all. I'll say this even with Sister Yu in the car: don't you dare believe in any of that emotional bullshit. If you click, hook up; if you don't, break up. You're such a big strapping man, crying and howling over a woman makes me ashamed of you!"

Qian Niu protested: "I'm older than General Manager Yu!"

Yu Jiali didn't care about Bai Haonan's verdict at all. Beaming, she emphasized to Qian Niu: "Follow your big brother's lead—you should call me elder sister too."

Damn it, this was practically forcing dog food down people's throats and publicly showing affection. They were both men and had gone through similar developmental paths; if you wanted to talk about how much difference there was in appearance or physique between them and Bai Haonan, there really wasn't much. Yet why was the gap in their life outcomes so huge? The honest Qian Niu closed his eyes in pain once more and remained silent.

Bai Haonan reached out and tapped the head of the woman beside him: "Can you sit properly and behave yourself? Why are you the one talking so much!" He didn't care in the slightest that this luxury car belonged to her father.

Yu Jiali vividly made a tongue-stretching, funny face at him and focused on where he was going to pick up girls. It was only eleven or twelve in the morning—they couldn't possibly be heading to a nightclub.

How experienced was Teddy Nan? He drove straight to a university, and with a connoisseur's eye, he chose the Foreign Studies University: "They have more exposure to the outside world and aren't as pretentious!"

Yu Jiali rolled her eyes: "Isn't that just being gold-diggers? You really ought to write a book!"

As the Cayenne drove into the campus, it naturally drew attention. Bai Haonan brazenly asked people where the female dormitories were, then parked the car as close to the side as possible. Yu Jiali was so embarrassed she almost didn't want to be associated with him: "I know society is this realistic, but you don't have to strip away the last bit of decency like that!"

Bai Haonan chuckled as he beckoned her to get out: "If you rely on this car to pick up girls, that lacks any technical skill. I'm just doing this to give Niu'er some entertainment." He leaned over to the back door and whispered a few instructions to Qian Niu.

Curiosity instantly peaked, Yu Jiali quickly followed him out. However, Bai Haonan left Qian Niu alone in the car, deliberately leaving the back door open, while he and Yu Jiali walked away with the dog. Burning with curiosity, Yu Jiali stretched her neck as far as it would go to watch. Bai Haonan casually sat down with a slouch on the edge of a flower bed a few dozen meters away, teasing Ada and even letting the dog into the flower bed to fertilize the plants.

Yu Jiali was definitely much more lively than she had been before losing weight. Leaning against Bai Haonan as a handrail, she climbed up onto the flower bed to stand tall and watch. After a good while, she carefully minded her skirt hem and squatted down. Ever since her waist and legs had shaped up, she practically lived in hip-hugging skirts. Her self-restraint had been pushed to the limit, but the chances of suffering a wardrobe malfunction were slightly high.

Bai Haonan was thoughtful. Glancing at her, he took off his outer denim shirt and tied it around the girl's waist. Not only could Yu Jiali now sit down comfortably, but she could also pull the hem up between her legs. She gave him a grateful, "you know what's up" look, instinctively leaning against his arm, and found an excuse for herself: "I'm a bit tired, leaning for a second... What on earth are you planning to do?"

Actually, Qian Niu's leg was still wrapped in a splint. The trip wasn't meant to force him to pick up girls right away, but rather to change his environment—to swap it for a crowded, bustling, youthful atmosphere. Bai Haonan smiled: "Well, just wait and see. In a little while, close to when the girls' classes let out, someone is bound to recognize this Porsche license plate..."

Yu Jiali pouted and hummed: "That's true... When I was in university, those pretty female classmates also loved showing off whatever car came to pick them up, but... you shouldn't always use this to test morality."

Bai Haonan dismissed it with contempt: "There's no such thing as morality. It's all about money and technique!"

Unable to help herself, Yu Jiali walked right into the trap: "Fine! Don't rely on money, and don't rely on that car—go pick one up for me to see!"

Bai Haonan chuckled: "If I really go pick up a girl, I won't be eating lunch with you at noon, then."

Glancing swiftly at her wristwatch, Yu Jiali said, "It's a quarter to twelve. Most universities let out class at twelve. I'll give you ten minutes after class lets out. If you can pick someone up, I'll admit you're the best!"

With a proud smile, Bai Haonan replied, "Ten minutes? I can pick up two!" With that, he stood up.

It must be said that at the very last second, Yu Jiali's reason overcame her curiosity. She jumped up and grabbed the man by his arm: "Fine, fine, fine! I believe you, you're the greatest!" Dragging Bai Haonan back down to sit, she helplessly covered her forehead: "What kind of sins did I commit in my past life to run into a nemesis like you?" Yet she was truly adept at self-consolation, instantly breaking into a giggle again: "You could also call it good fortune. I think I'm doing pretty well right now..." As she spoke, she struck a graceful posture with her legs crossed—which, truth be told, really did look quite pretty.

Bai Haonan’s indifferent attitude made him look more like a seasoned veteran of a thousand battles who didn't care at all about the outcome of this particular match.

So, Yu Jiali used both hands to smooth a smile onto her face and asked curiously, "What are you planning to do?"

With practiced ease, Bai Haonan explained: "When we drove in and asked for directions, didn't you see that flower shop over there? You buy a bouquet of flowers, stand downstairs, and when a pretty girl walks by, you go up and ask, 'Hello, I'm delivering flowers. These are from your boyfriend.' If the beauty says, 'Oh, I don't have a boyfriend,' then I say, 'Actually, these flowers are from me. Can I take you out to dinner?' Regardless of whether she actually has one or not, the success rate of claiming not to have a boyfriend is very high..."

Yu Jiali wore an expression completely overwhelmed by this kind of technical wizardry, yet having once been a female college student herself, she had to admit it actually worked. Among a large group of girls, the vanity of being presented with flowers like this would infinitely push toward the desired result, especially since Bai Haonan still looked quite presentable. "But... but what if she says she does have a boyfriend?"

Bai Haonan smiled deviously: "How simple. 'Thank you, that'll be one hundred yuan, cash on delivery.' If I were a bit uglier, wholesaling a bundle might even let me turn a small profit on the side."

Yu Jiali instantly burst into uncontrollable, wild laughter. It was too vicious; she laughed so hard she threw herself right into Bai Haonan's arms.

Yet Bai Haonan gently pushed her up and whispered, "They're coming!"

Sure enough, a blushing Yu Jiali stood up and stretched her neck to look. A well-proportioned girl was currently leaning against the car door, chatting away...