Luo Bei has always been popular since she was young. Now that she has entered society, she gets along well with her colleagues in the company. Some people say that Friday is the most satisfying day of the week because it’s close to Saturday and Monday feels so far away. Even though it’s not yet six o’clock, some colleagues have already started tidying up their desktops.
When the bell for the end of the workday rings, Luo Bei looks at her phone and sees that Zhou Jianguo has sent her a WeChat message saying that he is already waiting for her downstairs.
As she was preparing to leave, a new female colleague who started working at the same time as Luo Bei comes to her desk and asks, “Beibei, do you have plans tonight? If not, let’s go eat at a buffet. I had plans to go with my boyfriend, but he has to work overtime today. But I really want to go…I’ll treat you!”
Normally, Luo Bei would have said yes without hesitation, but not today…
She shakes her head and says apologetically, “I already have plans with someone. He’s waiting for me downstairs. Why don’t you ask someone else to go with you? Or maybe you could go eat with your boyfriend tomorrow?”
“Plans with someone? A guy or a girl?” The new colleague grabs Luo Bei’s hand curiously and asks, “Is it your boyfriend?”
There are more girls than guys in this trading company, and some male colleagues are either married or have girlfriends. As for the rest…let’s not even talk about them. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Luo Bei is the most beautiful woman in the entire office building. But she still doesn’t have a boyfriend, which makes some of her female colleagues very curious.
Luo Bei shakes her head and says, “It’s not my boyfriend, just a neighbor. We have a good relationship and we’re going to eat together tonight because we have something to discuss.”
She still knew her limits. Even though the business of the unmanned store was slowly picking up, she only briefly mentioned it to the female boss and didn’t mention it to other colleagues.
Zhou Jianguo also reminded her not to talk about the store or stocks with her colleagues. The reasons were unclear, but that’s just how society works. People might conceal things from their friends, let alone their colleagues.
“So, he’s a guy then. Is he handsome?” The girl asked in a manner that suggested she wanted to get to the bottom of things, leaving Luo Bei feeling helpless.
Luo Bei could only tell the truth, “He’s not bad.”
The two of them walked out of the company together and entered the elevator. It was the end of the workday, and the elevator was crowded.
Beautiful women and handsome men were scarce resources at any time.
Although Luo Bei thought she was low-key, her outstanding appearance made most of the men in the building recognize her, and many of them had struck up conversations with her, passing her their business cards and asking for her contact information.
“Miss Luo, do you have any free time tonight? A new movie has just been released, and the reviews on the foreign websites are really good. Do you want to go see it together?”
“Sorry, I have an appointment.”
“What about tomorrow, Miss Luo? The weather will be nice and my friend recommended a new restaurant. Would you like to try it with me?”
“Sorry, I have plans tomorrow too.”
The women in the elevator didn’t seem to care, but a few persistent men tried again. Unfortunately for them, Luo Bei had no interest in dating…
Luo Bei’s colleague leaned in and whispered with a chuckle, “The woes of a goddess.”
Someone like her would never have to deal with people chasing after her for a conversation.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Luo Bei hurried out. Although Zhou Jianguo was riding an electric scooter, it was rush hour and it was best not to be late.
Just as they walked out of the building with the rest of the crowd, she saw Zhou Jianguo sitting on his scooter, looking at his phone.
“Amy, I just saw my friend. Today we’re really rushed for time. I’ll introduce you guys next time.” After saying this, Luo Bei quickly walked down the stairs and came to Zhou Jianguo’s side.
These days, when a beauty walks with a handsome man, it’s a visual experience where one plus one is greater than two.
At least many people have noticed that Miss Luo on the fifteenth floor is with a man who is in no way inferior to a star in terms of looks.
Zhou Jianguo’s clothes are all black, white, and gray. Today, he is meeting clients, so he dressed more formally than usual, making him look even more spirited.
Luo Bei sat on the back seat of the electric bike, and Zhou Jianguo wasted no time in riding away from the building and quickly merging into the traffic, leaving no trace.
From just now to leaving now, it didn’t take more than five minutes, but it still stunned some people.
Especially the two men who had talked to Luo Bei in the elevator just now.
Another man patted his colleague’s shoulder and sighed, “It seems we can’t say that goddesses only go for rich second-generation guys anymore. This Miss Luo is quite refreshing. Of course, I still think that looks are harder to get than wealth. Some girls want a house and a car, which is very considerate, but if they also demand good looks, height, and figure, it’s even more despairing.”
“……”
“Can you shut up?”
Zhou Jianguo’s skills when riding the electric bike were quite impressive.
On the busy road, he weaved in and out of traffic with precision, avoiding any potential hazards that could cause him to fall. The road was also relatively smooth, and Luo Bei placed her bag in the space between her and Zhou Jianguo, creating some distance between them.
Even though the sun had not completely set yet, there was still a hint of summer heat in the air. But sitting on the back of the electric bike, Luo Bei’s long hair was blowing in the breeze, making her feel comfortable.
When they arrived at the restaurant they had agreed to meet at, there were still ten minutes until 6:30.
Luo Bei tidied up her hair and took out a mirror to touch up her makeup. After all, they were meeting with a client, and appearance was important.
Zhou Jianguo had already called the restaurant in advance to reserve a private room. It was Friday night, and more people were going out to eat, so the main dining area was bound to be noisy and would affect their business conversation.
Fortunately, when they arrived at the private room, the hotel manager had not yet arrived.
“Today may not necessarily result in a deal. This is how business works. Sometimes accompanying clients for meals and entertainment doesn’t lead to anything. This kind of thing happens often,” said Zhou Jianguo, who knew that it was Luo Bei’s first time coming out to negotiate this type of deal, so he gave her some advice in advance. “More importantly, although we took the initiative to invite him to dinner, we are equals. The hotel manager came because he knew that having a vending machine in the hotel would only benefit them and not harm them. So when we communicate and negotiate, don’t be too eager to please him or lower your stance. Just talk to him like you would with anyone else.”
Although Luo Bei was a bit nervous, she wasn’t as nervous as Zhou Jianguo had imagined.
“Don’t worry, I was never good at fawning over people.”
Regarding this, Zhou Jianguo doesn’t need to worry at all.
“Can you see if this restaurant has any group-buying coupons?” Zhou Jianguo asked, as they walked into the restaurant and he overheard someone mentioning group-buying.
“I almost forgot about this.” Although their unmanned store also has profits, it’s not a lot, so even when treating someone to a meal, they still need to be a bit frugal. Quickly, Luo Bei took out her phone from her bag, opened a certain app, searched for this restaurant, and immediately found a group-buying discount.
As they were treating the client, they couldn’t purchase the group-buying package. This made it difficult to order dishes, but in the end, Luo Bei bought some vouchers.
Although they had agreed to meet at 6:30 pm, it was almost 7:00 pm before Manager Zhao arrived.
Manager Zhao is a middle-aged man, not very tall, and a bit chubby. Maybe due to the hot weather, there was a layer of sweat on his face, which looked quite oily.
As soon as he entered the private room and saw Luo Bei, his eyes visibly brightened.
“Manager Zhao, hello, I’m Zhou Jianguo, and this is my partner, Miss Luo, Luo Bei,” Zhou Jianguo stood up and introduced himself.
“Please sit down,” Manager Zhao chose to sit opposite Luo Bei and said with a smile, “Sorry, the hotel has a routine meeting every Friday, and it was very congested when I drove over, so it delayed my arrival and kept you waiting.”
“Manager Zhao, you are different from us. You have a lot of things to do normally, and it’s only right for us idlers to wait a bit longer,” Zhou Jianguo said calmly.
Luo Bei thought to herself that he had told her not to be too flattering in her speech, but he himself….
Manager Zhao was even more happy when he heard this. The express hotel he worked at was a national chain, but the guests he usually encountered were very demanding, and it was not as comfortable as others imagined. He was busy like a dog, and when he returned home, he still had to listen to his wife’s nagging. He felt the mid-life crisis earlier, and now he loved to hear flattering words like this, which would make him feel much better.
People all love beauty. Seeing this young and beautiful girl in front of him, and a handsome man beside her, Manager Zhao’s mood improved a lot. He felt like he was getting younger too.
After a meal, Zhou Jianguo successfully won over Manager Zhao, who was now beaming with smiles.
Occasionally, Luo Bei would also chime in, and she figured that the plan was still feasible. After all, Manager Zhao had revealed that he had the authority to approve the installation of vending machines in the hotel lobby.
Although Zhou Jianguo did not drink alcohol, he had accompanied Zhao in drinking plenty of beverages and had taken a trip to the restroom midway.
Now, only Luo Bei and Manager Zhao were left in the private room. She felt uncomfortable with the greasy look in Manager Zhao’s eyes, and she couldn’t bear it.
Manager Zhao dragged his chair closer to Luo Bei and asked, “Where does Beibei work?”
……
Luo Bei was silent for a moment. Although Zhou Jianguo had said that they were equals, it was clear that they needed Zhao’s approval for their plan. Thus, she replied, “I work for a trading company.”
“Trading company? That’s not bad,” Zhao said as he placed his hand on Luo Bei’s shoulder and began to squeeze it. “Beibei, you look like a fresh graduate. I bet it’s tough to work in an office every day?”
Luo Bei quickly moved away and sat in Zhou Jianguo’s seat, clenching her fists on her knees. “It’s not tough.”
Manager Zhao’s brows furrowed, but he quickly resumed his happy demeanor and followed Luo Bei to her new seat, grabbing her hand. “You’re prettier than a celebrity. If you’re willing, I’m sure I can make your life comfortable….”
Before he finished speaking, Luo Bei stood up, holding back the urge to vomit. “Manager Zhao, sorry, I need to go to the restroom.”
After speaking, she quickly left the private room and leaned against the wall a few steps away, recalling the taste of the smoke that he must’ve been smoking for years, as well as his disgusting face. She couldn’t help but want to beat up Manager Zhao.
Luo Bei was really upset. She had encountered lecherous middle-aged men while accompanying the female boss before, but those people had some sense and at most would only flirt with her verbally. If she remained silent, those people would also be sensible and stop. After all, they had to give face to the female boss. The only one who really acted was Manager Zhao. What was wrong with him? How did he treat her?
But what could she do when she was angry to death? She couldn’t really beat up Manager Zhao. If she did, the plan to place vending machines in the hotel would be ruined. She knew that even Manager Zhao was someone that Zhou Jianguo had asked around for before he was contacted.
Just as Luo Bei was mentally torturing Manager Zhao, Zhou Jianguo came over when he saw she was not inside the private room and asked curiously, “The restroom is over there. Don’t you know?”
Luo Bei pulled herself together and shook her head.
In fact, Luo Bei had no intention of telling Zhou Jianguo about this incident. Perhaps as people grow up, they become more timid and polished, as the euphemism goes. She wasn’t as impulsive as before. Regardless of how disgusting Manager Zhao was, whether or not they could place their vending machine in this budget hotel was up to him to decide.
Who is Zhou Jianguo? In Luo Bei’s mind, he was a cunning person.
He lived up to his title as a cunning person in Luo Bei’s mind. Carefully observing her facial expression, he tentatively asked, “Did something happen while I was away?”
Luo Bei neither nodded nor shook her head. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted to act as if nothing had happened, but she wasn’t a professional actor. She couldn’t control her expression for a moment.
Seeing her like this, Zhou Jianguo’s expression also became bad. “Did that guy surnamed Zhao do or say something?”
At this point, if Luo Bei continued to explain or cover up, it would be redundant. Zhou Jianguo’s gaze was very sharp, and he kept staring at her, forcing Luo Bei to tell him what had happened.
As expected, after Zhou Jianguo heard this, he cursed under his breath, “I shouldn’t have gone to the restroom!”
Seeing him so angry that he kicked the wall, Luo Bei felt relieved. She even comforted him, “Forget it, this meal is almost over.”
Zhou Jianguo was also very regretful. The more he regretted, the angrier he became. “If I had known he was like this, I wouldn’t have gone to the restroom!”
Saying this, he walked quickly towards the private room, but Luo Bei was quick to react. She pulled him aside and whispered, “Are you going to beat him up? If he calls the police, it will be even more troublesome. The express hotel where he works is a chain. It will be difficult for us to take this road in the future. Let’s endure this for now. We can always beat him up later when our store’s business stabilizes. There’s no need to rush things.”
Now looking at their posture, it seems like the person who was just assaulted is Zhou Jianguo…
Zhou Jianguo looked at Luo Bei and asked, “I only ask you, can you swallow this anger? It’s not me who was taken advantage of. Think about it carefully before you answer me.”
“I’m actually very angry too, but I don’t want you to go into conflict with him,” Luo Bei said casually, “If we argue with him and fight with him, then what’s the point of us coming out to have this meal?”
Zhou Jianguo, however, grabbed her shoulder and said very seriously, “We’re here to talk business, not to be bullied. Luo Bei, you’re my friend, and we opened this store together. I don’t want to see anyone bullying you.
“Besides, who told you that I have to hit him and curse him to feel better?”
Zhou Jianguo let go of her, “I’m a civilized person and I still have to do business with him. You can’t let money get in the way of everything. As for what you said about waiting until we have money to hit him, what’s the use? If we didn’t take action at that time, no matter how we hit him later, it wouldn’t have the same effect. Revenge needs to be taken on the spot.”
Just as Luo Bei was about to ask what they should do, Zhou Jianguo asked again, “Did you bring your lipstick?”
The topic changed too quickly and Luo Bei didn’t react at first, “…I did.”
“Give it to me.” Zhou Jianguo held out his palm.
Luo Bei brought her bag when she came out, so she took out a lipstick tube to hand it to him. “What do you need this for?”
Zhou Jianguo clenched the lipstick tube and sneered, “I won’t personally deal with him. There will naturally be someone who will take care of him.”
The two of them entered the private room together. Manager Zhao had already regained his composure. From his tone and expression, he didn’t seem like the kind of person who would lay hands on a girl he had just met. Indeed, with Zhou Jianguo present, Manager Zhao didn’t dare to overstep his boundaries in speech and behavior, other than frequently glancing at Luo Bei.
This was related to Zhou Jianguo’s physique. He was at least 1.8 meters tall and had been doing physical labor at the construction site. He also helped supermarkets deliver goods. At a glance, he looked strong and sturdy. Manager Zhao was half a head shorter than him. If they were to fight, Zhou Jianguo could easily knock him down. In terms of combat power, the two were not at the same level.
“Manager Zhao, managing a hotel is not easy, right? Only someone with your abilities can do it. People like us who run small businesses are lucky not to be losing money. Nowadays, they say that real industries are difficult to do, and we’re all just working for the landlords, right?” Zhou Jianguo pulled Manager Zhao into a conversation about their shared experiences. “I really admire you. You’re so young and already the manager of a big hotel, with a house and a car. Who wouldn’t envy that?”
Perhaps because he was skilled at flattery, Manager Zhao also opened up, “It all looks good on the surface. Now the customers are difficult to deal with, and there are so many hotels. They pay over 100 yuan for a room, but want to enjoy services and treatments worth over 1,000 yuan. If they’re even slightly dissatisfied, they complain and come to me.”
Luo Bei silently ate her food and didn’t participate in the discussion. When Zhou Jianguo came in, he had her sit in his original seat and deliberately separated her from Manager Zhao.
“It’s all like this,” Zhou Jianguo poured another glass of wine for Manager Zhao, “It’s all my fault for not being able to drink. As soon as I drink, I’ll pass out. Next time, I’ll find someone who can drink to accompany you. Manager Zhao, no, that sounds too formal. If you don’t mind, I’ll call you Brother Zhao. Just now, my friend here said you look like a successful person at first glance, completely different from the rest of us. I’m not trying to flatter you, but with your temperament, people would believe you’re a hotel owner.”
Manager Zhao was flattered by his words and downed another glass of wine, causing his face to turn red.
With his good eloquence, Zhou Jianguo convinced Manager Zhao to allow vending machines to be placed in his hotel.
The hotel management didn’t object, and Manager Zhao was only looking for an excuse to gain some benefits. However, he felt that he got along well with Zhou Jianguo and didn’t mention anything about receiving gifts. He saw it as making a new friend.
Luo Bei was amazed by the scene.
If Zhou Jianguo became a salesperson, he would be excellent at it.
As the dinner party ended, Zhou Jianguo and Manager Zhao were already calling each other brothers. Zhou hugged Manager Zhao and kept saying it was a pity they didn’t meet earlier….
While Manager Zhao was still caught up in the moment, Zhou Jianguo quickly opened the lipstick he had hidden in his hand and applied it to his lips, then smeared it on the collar of Manager Zhao’s shirt behind his neck several times.
After finishing all of this, Zhou Jianguo let go of Manager Zhao, “Brother Zhao, I really see you as my big brother, I couldn’t control myself for a moment, don’t lower yourself to my level.”
Manager Zhao shook his head happily, “No, no.”
After settling the bill, Manager Zhao couldn’t drive because he had been drinking, so Zhou Jianguo thoughtfully found a designated driver for him. After seeing him off, Luo Bei asked, “Did you deliberately leave a lipstick mark on his shirt?”
After all, Manager Zhao had been drinking and reacted slowly, but Luo Bei noticed what he hadn’t.
She then understood the intention behind Zhou Jianguo asking her for lipstick.
Zhou Jianguo glanced at her and said, “Didn’t his wife call during our chat earlier? Although he tried to conceal it, I could tell that he was afraid of his wife. Of course, Manager Zhao is not a good guy. He would touch female staff members in the hotel without hesitation, as we can see from his behavior towards someone he just met. He is a habitual offender in this regard, so this is a small punishment for him. He was drunk and not as aware as before, so his wife will definitely discover the lipstick mark on his shirt before he does. In short, he won’t be able to live a good life for a while.”
Luo Bei was still a little worried, “What if he finds out it was you who did it?”
Zhou Jianguo laughed, “You overestimate him. He already likes to hit on women in the hotel, so his first reaction will be guilt. Besides, we were having a pleasant conversation just now. He won’t suspect me. Relax, I have full confidence in what I did.
“Actually, I really wanted to beat him up to vent my anger. But on second thought, it wouldn’t be good if he turned the tables and beat me up instead. Moreover, I can only beat him up once, but his wife will torture him more than once. This way is more cost-effective and satisfying, don’t you think?”
Luo Bei thought about it seriously and realized that Zhou Jianguo was right.
“Feeling better now?” Zhou Jianguo looked at her and asked in a low voice.
Luo Bei looked back at him, and the two of them burst into laughter at the entrance of the restaurant, happy and content.
I can’t help but laugh while visualizing Jianguo’s lipstick scene. 🤣🤣🤣
I love their friendship and i low-key ship them together