Chapter Ten

Qin Zhenzhen had never been in a relationship. The single men around her were either rich but not handsome, or handsome but not rich. Looking around, Peng Kun was the only one in the entire company who met her criteria for a partner. However, Peng Kun was the stingiest rich man she had ever met. He always wore the most shabby clothes, ate at the cheapest restaurants, and always traveled in economy class, second class, and chain hotels...

In her early years in the workforce, Qin Zhenzhen was ambitious and full of energy, throwing herself into her work. Because of her social skills, intelligence, and competence, she became the general manager's assistant in just two years. However, as she grew older, her desire to get married became more and more urgent, so she spent a lot of time and energy on dressing up, and her career development completely stagnated.

At this moment, Qin Zhenzhen was examining herself in the mirror. She had a high nose, an oval face, a slightly upturned chin, perfectly shaped lips, and delicate, fair skin. If her eyes were covered, her face could be described as flawless.

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but the window God gave her was rather unremarkable. So, right after graduating from university, she got double eyelid surgery, and now she's much prettier than she was in her student days. But even so, she's still not satisfied.

Because her congenital palpebral fissure was too short, the resulting eyes did not achieve the effect she desired. Qin Zhenzhen consulted many plastic surgery institutions, and most doctors said that in her case, ordinary double eyelid surgery would only increase the height of the eyes. To increase the palpebral fissure, the best way was to have canthoplasty (corner of the eye surgery). Some plastic surgeons even showed her before-and-after photos of canthoplasty, where the girls looked completely different before and after the surgery, with very obvious results.

She had heard that eyelid surgery was risky and was ready to give up, but something happened recently that made her realize the advantages of being a beautiful woman, so she couldn't wait to have the surgery again.

Qin Zhenzhen had a rather handsome male neighbor in her rented apartment building. No matter how heavy her load was, he would always walk right past her without even glancing at her, including once when she bought a 10-kilogram bag of rice and a 5-liter can of cooking oil at the supermarket. Last night, she saw a strikingly beautiful woman carrying a suitcase enter the building. Just then, the male neighbor came out and surprisingly offered to help her carry her suitcase and even struck up a conversation with her.

Qin Zhenzhen couldn't help but sigh with emotion. No wonder so many women were willing to endure physical pain to please others. It turned out that being beautiful could indeed help them acquire more resources and gain more benefits in society.

So, with the same dedication she had when writing her graduation thesis, she compared various plastic surgery clinics, investigated the qualifications and backgrounds of doctors, and finally chose a clinic that had Korean experts working there on assignments. However, the cost was outrageously high. While a typical double eyelid surgery costs three to five thousand yuan, this clinic was charging a staggering twenty-eight thousand yuan for canthoplasty.

Qin Zhenzhen was well aware that she had a well-proportioned figure and her facial features, except for her eyes, were all quite good. The only difference between her and that woman was her eyes.

Her eyes had become her biggest worry; she was even anxious that if she ignored them, they would probably ruin her happiness for the rest of her life.

However, due to her habit of extravagant spending, her bank account balance never exceeded five figures. She had heard that many people were taking out loans for cosmetic surgery, but she hadn't gone to such an extreme. Ever since her college roommate experienced the naked loan scandal, Qin Zhenzhen had been wary and averse to online lending platforms, and she didn't even dare to apply for a credit card.

Now, Ge Donglin has helped her solve her money problem.

During this period, Qin Zhenzhen tutored his son, and the results were remarkable. "A master teacher really makes a difference," Ge Donglin would say every time they met, to show his approval. And he was right. Under Qin Zhenzhen's clear, patient, and insightful guidance, his son seemed to have suddenly unlocked his potential, like a martial artist whose meridians have been opened. In just one month, his exam ranking jumped from the middle of the class to the top three. After the results came out, Ge Donglin gave Qin Zhenzhen a reward of 20,000 yuan, which she accepted with some reluctance.

After receiving the money, Qin Zhenzhen decided to have the surgery. She took seven days off for New Year's Day, a few more days of paid leave, plus two weekends, and in about ten days, the swelling in her eyes would have subsided. She imagined her transformed appearance after the surgery and couldn't help but feel excited and thrilled.

After the surgery, Qin Zhenzhen's eyes were swollen like light bulbs. The doctor told her it would take about one or two weeks for the swelling to subside, but the exact time varied from person to person and depended on individual constitution. Ten days passed in a flash. At work, her eyes, although still very unnatural, were much better than before. Around noon, she hurried to the R&D department wearing high heels, only to twist her ankle as soon as she entered and nearly fall to the ground.

"Oh my god!" Her opening remarks drew the attention of those around her. They quickly noticed the unusual appearance of her eyes, and she readily admitted that she had undergone double eyelid surgery again. Her female colleagues gathered around to listen to her recount the harrowing experience of the procedure.

It was almost time to leave work, and her commotion had everyone on edge. Some had already sneaked out for lunch, and even some of the male colleagues sitting at their desks were distracted, eavesdropping on the women's discussions about cosmetic surgery. Only Zuo Xutong remained seated at her desk, like a recluse on a deserted island, afraid to interact with anyone or allow anyone to pry into her private life, keeping her distance from any colleagues who tried to get closer to her.

It wasn't that she was withdrawn or unsociable; she had simply learned from her experience two years prior and was terrified of getting too close to anyone and being discovered using company resources to research her own projects. Therefore, in many people's eyes, she seemed so out of place.

Qin Zhenzhen looked down on her a bit; her plate was always piled high like a small mountain, making the female white-collar workers in the company lose face. Once, when Qin Zhenzhen was lingering in front of the blueberry yam and yogurt mochi counter, racking her brains to weigh which had fewer calories, she was surprised to see Zuo Xutong carrying her empty plate and then getting a full cup of soy milk and a vegetable salad.

That period was the poorest time for Zuo Xutong; she survived on just this one lunch every day. She didn't care what others thought; she was already used to their strange looks.

Qin Zhenzhen discovered that everything women pursued seemed irrelevant to her. She was like an old woman in her twilight years, indifferent to everything. Sometimes, her coldness and detachment from the things around her were unbelievable.

Is this how a woman should be? Shouldn't women her age be pursuing beauty, fashion, and a refined life like me? But she was wearing an old, dowdy cotton coat, and all winter long, she only had those two coats, changing them over and over again.

If you're calling her career-oriented, she's not like those so-called female elites who are strong-willed, decisive, and always proactive and ambitious. They always have impeccable makeup, wear carefully matched business attire, and their high heels exude confidence and make a statement wherever they go. But what about her? She always keeps her head down, never competitive or showing off. Aside from helping Zhao Yimeng translate documents that time, she only does her job. Although her work is done very well and flawless, this unambitious attitude reveals absolutely no hidden drive or ambition.

If you'd say she's family-oriented, there's absolutely no indication that she has any desire or longing for love or family. A senior colleague in the company's administration department has repeatedly tried to introduce her to potential partners, but she's always politely declined. A nearly thirty-year-old single woman who isn't pursuing a career or in a hurry to get married—who knows what she's really up to?

Reducing the amount of platinum used in fuel cell catalysts is a key technology for lowering the price of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which can help solve the global problem of the high cost of hydrogen fuel cells preventing the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

There are many factors that affect whether hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can be promoted in the passenger car sector, such as hydrogen production and storage, the number of hydrogen refueling stations, and operating costs. Among them, a very crucial factor is the purchase cost. Imagine if a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle costs more than twice as much as a gasoline vehicle, how many people would still buy it?

Today, as global temperatures rise, environmental problems are becoming increasingly prominent. High temperatures and droughts are causing frequent wildfires, leaving the "lungs of the Earth" riddled with holes. Abnormal climates are exacerbating floods, threatening small, low-lying island nations with catastrophic consequences. The world's largest coral reef system is disappearing, Arctic glaciers are melting and collapsing at an unprecedented rate, tropical rainforests are shrinking rapidly, and numerous species are on the verge of extinction.

Some people whose livelihoods depend on the ice and snow industry are about to lose their source of income. The reduced food production caused by drought and floods has accelerated the spread of famine around the world. Humanity is facing the most severe challenge in history, yet it still cannot stop its excessive exploitation of resources, nor can it get rid of its comfortable lifestyle. Therefore, it has to gamble with the future of its descendants in exchange for the chips for today's extravagant enjoyment.

Every year, gasoline-powered vehicles worldwide convert nearly 10 billion tons of fossil fuels into greenhouse gases. Therefore, in the transportation sector, replacing traditional gasoline-powered vehicles with new energy vehicles is an inevitable trend in energy transformation. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to reduce the cost of purchasing vehicles for consumers, which is what Zuo Xutong has been working hard to do over the years.

At noon, she went to the self-service restaurant downstairs. After getting her food, she found a secluded spot to sit down. A short while later, Pang Lijuan, the head of human resources, also sat down with her tray. Halfway through their meal, they noticed Qin Zhenzhen arriving late. Her eyes weren't completely swollen yet. Although she had worn sunglasses when she left home, it had snowed lightly that day, making the sunglasses extremely incongruous with the weather, so she hadn't worn them when she came downstairs for lunch. To avoid attracting attention, she carried her tray towards this corner.

As soon as Qin Zhenzhen sat down, Pang Lijuan looked up and exclaimed, "Oh my, Qin, your eyes...you...you had plastic surgery?"

The word "cosmetic surgery" is offensive. These days, can surgery that doesn't involve the bones still be called cosmetic surgery? Qin Zhenzhen looked displeased and said stiffly, "Sister Pang, don't make a fuss. It's just double eyelid surgery."

Qin Zhenzhen disliked Pang Lijuan, not because she was direct, but because she was keen on matchmaking and even wanted to pair up two trees on the roadside! But none of the men she introduced to her were good enough: no house, no car, hereditary deafness, or a divorcee with a child... Qin Zhenzhen stopped going after a few meetings and started looking for a partner on dating websites.

Pang Lijuan sensed her dissatisfaction, but her years of experience in the workplace honed her emotional intelligence, allowing her to conceal her emotions. She smiled and asked, "Does it hurt? I think you've had your eyes opened, haven't you?"

"It's alright, a short pain is worse than a long one." Qin Zhenzhen truly regretted sitting here.

"You're really brave. I wouldn't dare to have such a big knife cut on my face." Pang Lijuan's words, spoken with a smile, were anything but pleasant to hear.

Qin Zhenzhen was not to be outdone and retorted, "What's so special about getting eyelid surgery? Some people even get genital surgery."

Hearing this, Pang Lijuan finally stopped smiling and showed a surprised expression. She was over forty years old and had never heard of anyone getting cosmetic surgery on their private parts before. Women these days were truly crazy; it was beyond her imagination.

"What? Did I hear that right?" As someone who isn't so conservative, she was too embarrassed to say those two words in public.

"What's so strange about that? What woman doesn't love beauty? In this technologically advanced era, as long as you love beauty, you have the opportunity to become beautiful." Qin Zhenzhen spoke her wise words with righteous indignation, and then glanced at Zuo Xutong. "So in today's society, beautiful women are no longer a scarce resource."

Perhaps noticing the gaze directed at her from the side, Zuo Xutong looked up and met Qin Zhenzhen's eyes. She took a quick look at her and then said from the bottom of her heart, "She looks like a completely different person."

Qin Zhenzhen was overjoyed and gave her a grateful smile for the first time ever. She then said to Pang Lijuan, "Sister Pang, just wait and see. Maybe in a few years, you won't be able to find any girls with single eyelids on the street."

Pang Lijuan surprisingly nodded in agreement: "If you ask me, you should wait a few years before doing it. What if people get tired of double eyelids by then and single eyelids become popular again? This kind of surgery is irreversible, isn't it?"

"Sigh, you know, I'm already in my early thirties, and my family keeps pressuring me to find a partner. We women really go to great lengths to please men."

Upon hearing this, Pang Lijuan dared not utter another word and quickly lowered her head to continue eating. She had no intention of introducing any more potential partners to this difficult young lady. Over the years, with her dual roles as a personnel manager and matchmaker, she considered herself to have seen countless people and understood the mindset of these young women when choosing a partner.

But she always felt that she couldn't figure Qin Zhenzhen out. The first time, she was introduced to a handsome young man, who was 1.8 meters tall and almost exactly "tall, rich, and handsome." He was also a graduate of a prestigious university. However, his family was not well-off, and he had taken out loans to pay for his university tuition. So, after working for several years, he hadn't saved much money.

To be honest, this young man was quite good-looking, highly educated, and seemed to have a gentle personality. Perhaps it was just because he was too poor that he lacked a bit of masculine boldness and assertiveness. The restaurant for their date was chosen by Qin Zhenzhen; it was located on a bustling commercial street, with an elegant and upscale environment, hence the higher price compared to ordinary restaurants. Upon first meeting him, Qin Zhenzhen was genuinely attracted to him, given his height and good looks. Unfortunately, her good fortune didn't last long. When it came to ordering, his hesitant and indecisive manner while holding the menu immediately dampened Qin Zhenzhen's spirits. Even the waiter who took their order grew impatient and stood aside, sighing silently.

No wonder they say even a penny can bring down a hero; a man's confidence comes from money. After ordering the food, Qin Zhenzhen's impression of him plummeted. She felt a mix of emotions, unable to say whether it was disappointment, pity, or contempt.

Before the blind date, Qin Zhenzhen had learned a little about his family situation. She heard his parents didn't have stable jobs, and he had a younger sister in high school. Qin Zhenzhen saw the young man's photo, which is why she agreed to meet him first. However, his family's financial burden was too heavy; once his sister went to university, he would inevitably have to help her financially. Although he himself graduated from a prestigious university, his after-tax salary was only seven or eight thousand yuan. In this city with soaring prices and high housing costs, when would he ever be able to afford his own house?

Qin Zhenzhen was a very pragmatic woman who didn't believe in the saying "deep affection knows no bounds" or "strong love knows no hardship." In her view, material conditions determine consciousness—this was an irrefutable truth. She believed that poverty-stricken couples faced endless sorrows, and even the deepest feelings would eventually be worn down by the mundane realities of life. She believed that no matter how handsome a man was, she shouldn't marry him without a solid financial foundation.

After putting down the menu, the young man said twice, "The prices here are ridiculously high." Qin Zhenzhen, being so clever, immediately understood what he meant, so she took the initiative to suggest that the two of them split the bill. After leaving the restaurant, she decisively parted ways with him.