35. Bathing Crab

Vivian wasn't surprised to see Yang Ziqi leaving. Most VIP employees like her only stayed for two or three years. Afterward, they either returned to the family business and became "small CEOs," or their parents funded something else, euphemistically calling it entrepreneurship. In short, they weren't like the average person like Vivian, who painstakingly climbed the ladder, one level every three years.

Yesterday's Feng Simiao, today's Yang Ziqi, are all like this. Just like many crabs whose value doubles after just a bath in Yangcheng Lake. These wealthy children aren't after the wealth; they simply have a reputation for having worked at investment institutions or internet giants, which gives them a prestigious title.

However, the time this hairy crab spent bathing in Yangcheng Lake was a bit too short. It usually takes several years.

"Congratulations, Ziqi! Your next stop will surely be a better option than toiling away like a slave in the primary market." Though it was a joke, it was also heartfelt. Lately, she'd been truly exhausted, questioning the people and things she once believed in.

She deliberately ignored the word "marriage" from Yang Ziqi's mouth.

"Actually, Mr. Jia talked to me before he left and asked if I wanted to go with him to his new company. But honestly, I don't like the VC lifestyle; it's too grueling, and I still need to have a work-life balance. Besides, I know he only values ​​my dad's connections."

Yang Ziqi actually said this, and Vivian looked at her with admiration. She said sincerely, "You are really insightful, Ziqi. The most important thing is that you have a choice. There is really no need to suffer like this."

"Anyway, I'm planning to start my own business. I haven't told HR yet, but I'll tell you first."

Weiweian had a hunch: "You wouldn't say 'Sanchuan', would you?"

"Sister Vivian, no wonder everyone says you're smart," Yang Ziqi said with a smug look. "I know the company ultimately rejected this project, but I've actually carefully reviewed the store data. While the company's book assets are inflated, the value of the brand IP and stores in the core business districts of first-tier cities is solid. We plan to close the stores that are clearly losing money and prioritize the few that are performing well. Actually, after this turmoil, I've learned a lot about the industry. Anyway, I'm not in a rush to raise funds. It's my own business, so at worst, I can ask my family for some support. They've had trouble raising funds and are in urgent need of cash, so we can negotiate a good deal."

The first half of the pitch sounded familiar: "Brand IP value and store value." Amy had proudly expounded it on Vivian more than once. After all, she was the company's "Chief Brand Officer," and those were her proudest achievements.

But Vivian didn't ask any more questions. This had nothing to do with her, and Yang Ziqi wasn't asking for advice, so why would she bother to comment?

Besides, even if everything goes to zero in the end, this girl can afford to lose. Her family is fully capable of supporting her playing such a large-scale real-life Monopoly game.

She just said, "I wish you success, Ziqi."

Vivian's guess was correct; it was Amy who approached Yang Ziqi. After much searching, it wasn't hard to find a mutual friend in the industry willing to act as a matchmaker. Amy told Yang Ziqi that a bank had offered to provide a bridge loan, using the store assets as collateral. The immediate priority was to close the bleeding stores and reduce costs. As long as they could weather the current crisis, the brand's value would remain.

She also volunteered to stay in Sanchuan and continue to be responsible for brand and market development.

When Amy and Dai Qi met with investors and partners, she often complained that Dai Qi was too stupid. But what if he wasn't smart? His family could afford to let him squander his money. She knew she was much smarter than Dai Qi, yet she only received a small amount of equity from Dai Qi. Dai Qi was so stingy with everyone, even to a key executive like the CFO, that he wouldn't even give her equity. So why would anyone bother hanging around in a startup with him? It was thanks to her own skillful networking that she was able to stabilize the team.

After the impending financing vanished, Deqi was devastated. But Amy was unwilling to leave. After all, she had worked so hard, only to be left with nothing. She simply couldn't bear the thought of starting over again with Deqi, copying some startup and continuing her so-called entrepreneurial venture.

Instead of that, it would be better to catch Yang Ziqi. Amy could see that this girl had no scheming, and it would not be difficult for her to influence her subtly by her side.

She was humble, and Yang Ziqi was impressed by the vision she portrayed, and the two hit it off immediately. Yang Ziqi had met Amy several times before and felt that she was smart and capable, with a solid understanding of management. If she wanted to do something, she needed a capable assistant to help her.

Amy seemed like a perfect fit.

Yang Ziqi wanted to do something, even if it was just tea and baking, which her parents thought was a joke. From childhood to adulthood, no one thought she could do anything serious. She only knew how to eat, drink and have fun, and she had become a semi-expert. Apart from spending money like water, she had achieved nothing.

She wanted to really slap them in the face.

Besides, taking over Sanchuan didn't mean donning an apron and becoming a greasy restaurateur. Being the controlling shareholder and perfectionist product manager of a high-end Chinese tea and lifestyle specialty store—that title was definitely better than being a largely unknown investment manager.

Besides, my father started out by carrying bags in a garment factory. Why should he look down on this business?

She had made up her mind. She knew that from childhood on, she would eventually get what she asked for. If it really didn't work, she could just cry, and her mother would feel sorry for her, and her father would give in.

She quickly made plans in her head. Once this was finalized, she and her two best friends would travel to Seoul and Tokyo to explore the specialty coffee, tea, and high-end roasting markets. They'd often gone to Japan together before, but those trips were just for food and drinks. Things would be different from now on. She had transformed herself into a hands-on, perfectionist, and craftsman-oriented young entrepreneur.

Yang Ziqi was very satisfied.

As a result, she had even less motivation to go to work. Recently, she had been inviting colleagues from different departments to farewell dinners every day. However, she did not look sad at all and was in high spirits every day.

Although she'd risen in rank, in this industry, anyone short of managing director still had a desk in the shared work area, and a view from the window was a bonus. Next to Vivian's desk, a few maple trees, their leaves turning from green to yellow, resembled a painting. She'd been feeling rather melancholic lately, often staring blankly at the trees. When Jia Lan left, she felt like she'd lost her core, and she felt a bit uneasy.

Work is just about making money; talking about love is childish. But people aren't machines after all, and it's hard not to be emotionally affected when you spend eight to ten hours together every day. Once that changed, she felt truly empty.

Over the past few years, she'd been preoccupied with working hard with Jia Lan. While she was kind, she didn't have many truly close colleagues with whom she could confide her innermost thoughts. Coupled with the previous incident, many colleagues now offered only a polite, distant greeting when they saw her. She had no one to share her innermost thoughts with.

To outsiders, she seems to be extremely low-key recently, not fighting or competing, and is living a rare nine-to-six life.

Work was finished early that day, and Vivian was able to leave the office before dark, and she saw Eric downstairs.

It's been a long time since we last met. She has been too upset lately to think about this person.

He stood by the fountain in front of the office building, his hands in his pockets. Dusk had already begun to deepen, and the sky, shimmering with the water, shone a deep blue-purple. After staring at the computer all day, her eyesight was blurry. Even from a distance, she thought, "This guy has a nice figure."

The man was waving at her.

It turned out to be him.

Vivian thought: It seems that good things are really coming. I have never seen him pick up Yang Ziqi from get off work before.

She has been deliberately polite and distant to Yang Ziqi recently, feeling that her mind is not on work at all, so it is normal for her to leave.

What she didn't know was that her childhood sweetheart, Ding Tongxin, was now relentlessly pursuing Yang Ziqi.

Yang Ziqi's father had previously been less impressed with Ding Tongxin, believing her family was less wealthy than his own. But after much searching, he couldn't find a more suitable match. Several of his friends' children were a good match, but those boys were truly unremarkable, constantly hanging out with internet celebrities and models, their indulgences in sensual pleasures exceeding their years. While he didn't think lust was a fatal flaw in men—everyone was a glutton in their youth—it was a bit inappropriate for someone so young to indulge in such extravagance. Men typically become more unrestrained in middle age.

After much consideration, Ding Tongxin seemed the most suitable. Old Ding was known for his strictness, treating his son like a subordinate. He was cautious and treading carefully in front of his father, and even more frugal outside of his home, with no history of extravagant activities. Although a bit dull, he was a promising son-in-law.

Once he made up his mind, he acted with remarkable speed. He immediately invited Old Ding for tea and hinted at something. Old Ding, being a clever man, immediately understood what he meant. If he could take the next step towards furthering his relationship with the Yang family, why not?

Ding Tongxin obeyed his father's every word. Moreover, although he was honest and dull, he really liked the cute and lively Yang Ziqi. This liking was not false.

Therefore, during this period, Ding Tongxin did not even stay in the factory. Old Ding allowed him to stay in Beijing from time to time and asked Yang Ziqi to meet him. Yang Ziqi was still a child at heart and probably did not think much of it. Recently, she was always happily eating, drinking and having fun with this childhood brother.

Eric waved his hand, and Vivian came over: "Zi Qi is not in the office this afternoon."

"No, I'll wait for you." He said softly.

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