Both your salary and your salary will be as you wish.

Chapter 9 One rafter cannot support a beam

Beneath the gilded exterior of praise lies contempt and scheming—and the law of survival is nothing more than dancing with the same mask on.

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Wang Haowen picked up the teapot and moved closer to Su Manli. While refilling the tea, he interjected, "President Su has a really sharp eye! AI smart home technology is definitely going to be a hot trend. Not only can home appliances work together, but they can also read people's minds. Sooner or later, every household will have to get one!" He was very tactful and didn't steal the spotlight from the host.

Su Manli nodded hastily, as if grasping at a lifeline, "Yes, yes, that's the one with the whole house working together!"

Wang Haowen grinned, "Early smart homes were just about installing voice-activated switches on appliances and giving a few commands. But now it's different! For example, at seven in the morning, the curtains open and close automatically based on the sky, the coffee machine brews your favorite coffee, and the bath water is preheated to 38 degrees Celsius. This isn't just based on your voice; AI has figured out your lifestyle habits over the past three months and prepared everything for you in advance. It knows you better than you know yourself!"

"This isn't anything new, is it?" Mrs. Zhang looked at Su Manli with a questioning expression. Su Manli pretended to drink her tea and looked at Wang Haowen, clearly indicating that she wanted him to speak.

Wang Haowen immediately chimed in, "The novelty lies in how everything is connected! For example, if you forget to turn off the gas when you leave, AI will not only turn it off for you, but also open the windows for ventilation and send an alert to your phone. If you get up in the middle of the night, the hallway lights will automatically adjust to a soft, non-glaring light that's still easy to see. Just because of this thoughtfulness, we can increase repeat customers by 40%, and each order earns us half again as much as ordinary home appliances! These middle-class people who are particular about things are most willing to spend money for convenience."

Mrs. Li's eyes lit up instantly. "What about the technical barriers? Is it easy for others to copy?"

"It's practically impossible to copy!" Wang Haowen laughed confidently. "AI needs to be fed with massive amounts of user data. But that's no problem for President Su. He has nearly ten million active users under his command—that's a ready-made gold mine! Besides, the product can be integrated with President Su's other projects. For example, a smart mattress can recommend pillows if it detects you're not sleeping well, and a smart wardrobe can help you coordinate your outfits and shoes. This combination of 'home appliances + AI + life scenarios' is something no one else can replicate!"

Su Manli's eyes lit up as she listened, her earlier embarrassment completely gone. What Wang Haowen was saying was exactly the trick she had been looking for when investing, but unfortunately, she was too tongue-tied to explain it clearly.

Several ladies eagerly asked, "Can I invest in this project?"

"You have to take me with you, or you'll miss this opportunity!"

In just ten minutes, the awkward investment session turned into a money-grabbing frenzy, and Su Manli couldn't stop smiling.

As the game ended, Su Manli jokingly teased Yu Li, "President Yu, where did you find such a great assistant? Since we're collaborating, why don't we bring him to my company? I'll offer him three times his salary!"

She had initially thought Wang Haowen was just a pretty face carrying Yu Li's bags, but she hadn't expected him to be so shrewd about market tactics. She hadn't wanted to cooperate with Tianyi because she'd heard that Zhang Zhishan held sway over the company, leaving Yu Li powerless and her word meaningless.

But judging from the current situation, the rumors may not be reliable...

Yu Li glanced at Wang Haowen, "I carefully selected him, and I even argued with my husband, Lao Zhang, over him. I'm reluctant to give him to you, but during our cooperation, I'll have him assist you; consider it working for you!"

Su Manli was just joking; they laughed it off and the conversation ended.

Once inside the car, Yu Li turned to look at Wang Haowen in the passenger seat. "Not bad, you even know about AI?"

Wang Haowen's eyes were incredibly sincere. "When something is trending, even a pig has to know a few words about it. Besides, President Su made the right bet. I just helped to sort it out."

Yu Li smiled knowingly: "Not greedy for credit, not boastful, she's quite a good prospect."

"How much do you know about ULUL?" Yu Li continued to probe. "Their family is currently very popular."

Wang Haowen's heart skipped a beat. His worst fears had come true! He'd only casually looked up two pages of ULUL on Baidu earlier. He was just wondering how to praise it when he suddenly remembered Zeng Jia saying that Yu Li preferred classic, established brands, and that the purpose of luxury goods was to ensure they would last.

ULUL is a newly emerging trendy high-end brand. Would Yu Li even be interested in it?

He glanced at the square Burberry check pattern on his clothes, then swallowed back the flattery he was about to say. "I only know it's a Chinese high-end fashion brand that focuses on non-perfectionism, but I personally prefer a more structured style and don't know much about it. If Mr. Yu needs it, I'll go back and look at the information carefully."

Yu Li suddenly chuckled, her eyelids fluttering openly, her disdain blatantly displayed. "What 'national trend high-end luxury'? It's just a scam, a rip-off of internet celebrities' brands! The material is so cheap it's like a disposable rag; it'll fall apart after a couple of washes. It's nothing more than adding two zeros to the price of cheap street vendor goods. If it weren't for attracting investment, I wouldn't even bother looking at this garbage!"

These words were like a sudden shard of ice, choking Wang Haowen and making his throat ache. Just moments ago, she was praising the "pioneering design" of the samples Su Manli brought, but the moment she turned around, she dismissed them as trash, clearly showing that she didn't think much of them at all.

Where women gather, there are bound to be drama queens, Wang Haowen unconsciously patted his chest. Luckily, he remembered Zeng Jia's advice and didn't flatter her indiscriminately, otherwise he would have been killed off in the very first episode of this palace intrigue drama.

Late at night, Wang Haowen dialed Zeng Jia's voice message. As soon as the call connected, the two of them simultaneously groaned, "We're exhausted!" and then burst out laughing in unison.

Zeng Jia has already left the earthen bed in the countryside and checked into a hotel in the city. She's currently waiting for takeout in the hotel lobby. After two days of non-stop work, she's so hungry her eyes are practically glowing green; she definitely needs a late-night snack to replenish her brain.

"Wow, Da Wenzi, you've got some skills! You managed to fool the investors with just a few words!"

"Thank goodness for you! If you hadn't told me about Yu Li's preferences, I would have praised ULUL to the skies! If I had blurted out those nice things, I would definitely be packing my bags and going home today. I wouldn't even make it through the probation period, and I wouldn't have gotten a single penny. Not only would I have worked for free, but I would have had to pay for my own travel expenses." Wang Haowen rubbed his hands in fear.

"Of course, who do you think I am?" Zeng Jia said smugly, but her face fell again. "I negotiated using your method, and Chen Dewei relented, but he didn't give me a definite answer. Tomorrow I still have to haggle over that logistics subsidy. One cent a pound may seem insignificant, but it might be my lifeline!"

She couldn't understand the 1% loss rate. She either had to go back to HR and sit on the sidelines, or Zhang Zhishan would fire her directly, like throwing away a piece of waste paper.

"I didn't expect Yu Li to be so two-faced, praising her to the skies in front of others and cursing her to the core behind their backs. She'll have to watch her words in the future." Wang Haowen's illusions about the rich were shattered; he had truly seen the hypocrisy of capitalism today.

"Two kinds of people can't sleep in the same bed, they're a perfect match." Zeng Jia, too lazy to dwell on unpleasant things, turned sweet and cloying, "Wenzi, I never thought you were that capable before, but now I know what it means to be a single person who can't carry a heavy load. I'm just a lousy secretary, and I still need you to give me advice. How lucky I am!"

Wang Haowen felt a pang of guilt at the compliment. "I miss you too. When are you coming back?" His longing for her grew like wild grass, and he hadn't been able to sleep soundly these past two nights without her by his side.

"Arriving at Daxing Airport late the night after tomorrow."

"I'll come pick you up."

"It's too far, don't bother."

"What's the fuss about? I wish I could grow wings and fly to your side right now. If my job stays stable until the end of the year, the down payment will definitely be no problem. I'll drag my dad along to meet your parents during the Spring Festival and settle things between us first."

He lost his mother when he was fifteen, and his father was too busy cooking to take care of him. From the moment he met Zeng Jia, she was the closest person to him, without exception. Especially since she helped him get a job after he lost his job, he had to give her an explanation, otherwise he wouldn't be a real man.

Zeng Jia felt a warmth in her heart and smiled like a flower. "Okay, I'll tell my family later!" She raised her phone, about to give the screen a kiss, when she caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye—Zhang Zhishan was standing behind her like a night owl, staring at her!

Zeng Jia let out a shrill scream, as if she had stepped on a cat's tail, and her phone almost flew out of her hand.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Wang Haowen's heart was in his throat on the other end of the phone!

Zeng Jia gripped her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. Forcing down her pounding heart, she deliberately raised her voice to speak to Wang Haowen: "Mr. Zhang, you're back so late?"

A strong smell of alcohol hit him, and Zhang Zhishan slurred his words, "Is your boyfriend checking up on you? I've been calling you for ages and you haven't heard me."

Zeng Jia trembled in fright, and blurted out, "Not my boyfriend, my dad!"

"Your dad?" Zhang Zhishan's drunken eyes suddenly lit up, and he sobered up considerably. He reached for the phone. "Perfect! I was just about to ask about the source of Northeastern specialties. I'll chat with you for a bit and learn from your experience!"

What the heck? Want to chat for a bit? Zeng Jia was scared out of her wits!

Who would have thought Zhang Zhishan would have a chat with his "dad"! Wang Haowen's thick Beijing accent would give him away the moment he opened his mouth!

She hurriedly shrank back, hiding her phone in her clothes. Trying to remain calm, she changed the subject: "Mr. Zhang, how much have you drunk? Your voice is hoarse. Shall I get you a glass of plum juice to sober you up?"

Zhang Zhishan, however, was determined. He plopped down on the creaking sofa and stretched out his large hand towards Zeng Jia: "Not drunk! I'm perfectly sober! Give it to me! Northeast ginseng, black fungus, deer antler... those are all good stuff! You have to contribute to your hometown's specialties, give them to me! I want to have a good chat with my brother!"