Childhood Sweethearts?

"Why haven't they arrived yet? I'm practically getting a tan."

Jin Hanhan shielded her forehead with her fair, jade-like hand, looking up at the scorching sun. She complained, "Young Master Zhuang is really something... making me prepare for half the day with the department, only for him not to show up."

She then lowered her head, her gaze sweeping across the plaza until it landed on six girls.

These six girls looked a bit familiar.

They seemed to have been here seven or eight times before, but their business wasn't with her; it was with one of her subordinates.

Could the person Young Master Zhuang asked her to wait for be them?

"Hello, did Young Master Zhuang send you?" Jin Hanhan approached the six girls, holding a file.

Qiu Qi also extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Qiu Qi, and Zhuang Xin asked us to come."

The two women were almost equally beautiful, both considered top-tier beauties, and naturally couldn't help but size each other up.

Jin Hanhan muttered to herself, "No wonder Young Master Zhuang asked me to wait here. So it's a great beauty. As expected, rich people are all show-offs." Outwardly, however, she put on a professional smile and asked curiously, "What's your relationship with Young Master Zhuang?"

"This... Young Master Zhuang?"

Hearing "Young Master Zhuang" twice, Qiu Qi was a little confused. Wasn't Zhuang Xin an ordinary person? How did he become Young Master Zhuang? Still, she answered honestly, "I'm Zhuang Xin's classmate, from the same school... We've known each other since middle school."

"Oh, oh, oh, childhood sweethearts? I get it," Jin Hanhan made an OK gesture. "I'll help you with anything you need."

"Anything... at all?" Qiu Qi was even more bewildered.

She sized up Jin Hanhan, her gaze finally settling on the nameplate: Deputy General Manager Jin Hanhan.

"Are you... are you the Deputy General Manager of the New World Mall? Or... the Deputy General Manager for the mall's storefronts?"

"Uh..." Jin Hanhan asked, surprised, "Didn't Young Master Zhuang tell you?"

"No, he didn't say anything, just told us to come over."

"Alright." Not understanding the mindset of the rich, Jin Hanhan still warmly invited them, "Please come inside. I recall you've been here a few times; you're looking to rent a shop, right? There's a really good location available recently. As for the price... I can give you a bit of a discount."

She winked and led the way with her folder.

The six girls followed Jin Hanhan into the small building housing the management office. They finally understood that this woman was definitely not just a deputy manager for the mall's storefronts, but the deputy general manager of the mall's management office...

"Whoa, what's Zhuang Xin's deal? He actually got the Deputy General Manager of New World to personally greet us?" Chu Nuan was also shocked. In all their previous visits, they had only met the receptionist and another basic management staff member.

Qiu Qi was also full of questions, smiling wryly. "I don't know either. Zhuang Xin... he was quite mysterious when we were kids."

Actually, only she knew in her heart that Zhuang Xin wasn't mysterious as a child; he was just introverted, often walking alone, having no friends, and getting bullied frequently.

"Mysterious? Okay... maybe he's a rich second-generation heir in hiding."

Finally, led by Jin Hanhan, the girls arrived at the office.

Seeing Jin Hanhan enter, the staff member sitting at the office immediately stood up. "Hello, Sister Jin. Why did you come back? Where's Young Master Zhuang? Didn't he come?"

"He had a last-minute issue and ran off..." Jin Hanhan shook her head helplessly, then tapped the desk. "Bring out the latest preferential policies for Miss Qiu Qi to look at. Hmm... she was introduced by Young Master Zhuang, and she's his middle school classmate, a childhood sweetheart..."

"Ah?" The staff member glanced at Qiu Qi and immediately recognized her. She had been here more than seven times, and she was Young Master Zhuang's childhood sweetheart? If she had mentioned Young Master Zhuang's name earlier, this would have been settled long ago.

"Never mind, you can go. I'll handle this," Jin Hanhan waved her hand and rummaged through cabinets, finally pulling out a folder and handing it to Qiu Qi.

Qiu Qi opened it and was stunned by the terms inside.

"No way..."

"No way what?"

The other five sisters crowded around, peeking inside, and were instantly dumbfounded.

"Holy crap! This policy is too good!"

It included things like a 10% rent reduction for renting for a full year.

It offered low-cost advertising on mall billboards for promotions.

It even included free advertising on elevator LCD screens...

These were benefits usually only available to top-tier brands and large corporations that invested heavily, weren't they? They were just a small, ordinary clothing store.

"Hmm... choose the fifth one. The fifth one is the best," Jin Hanhan said, tapping the fifth preferential option with her pen. The girls immediately swallowed. "We'll do whatever Sister Jin arranges. Sister Jin is so beautiful, she definitely won't trick us."

"Hehe, you know how to talk," Jin Hanhan smiled and took out the contract. "Sign here, and the second storefront from the entrance will be yours. You'll need to pay one year's rent upfront. Hmm... if you're short on funds, I can cover it for you for now, and you can pay me back monthly."

More than ten minutes later, after signing the contract, they left the office.

Stepping outside, the six girls felt like they were in a dream.

"Oh? Out so soon? Haha, were you rejected again?" The plump woman who had mocked the six girls at the parking lot was waiting for them at the entrance. Seeing them emerge, she said arrogantly, "Wait until I go in and get my contract to show you. You haven't seen a New World contract before, have you?"

With that, she led her young companion and walked in dismissively.

The six girls couldn't help but chuckle. "You think that fat woman will go crazy if she finds out the contract is in our hands?"

"It'll probably be hilarious, right?" Qiu Qi covered her mouth, watching the boastful, swaggering woman enter, filled with emotion.

This time, they had to thank Zhuang Xin. Otherwise, they really wouldn't have gotten this contract.

The six girls didn't linger. Chatting and laughing, they walked towards their parking spot.

After a while, hysterical screams erupted from the office, and then the plump woman was directly escorted out by security.

"How is this possible? How could this happen..." The plump woman, like a madwoman, rushed towards the parking lot and happened to see the six women driving out. "You six sluts, what did you do? Give me back the contract, you stinking whores!"

"Pah, you're the stinking whore! If you have the guts, go sign another contract! Blech..." Bai Xinxin even made a face.

The plump woman was furious, roaring, "I'm not done with you! How dare you poach from me, I'll kill you! Open the door if you dare, and see if I don't rip your mouths apart."

"Barbarian, we are good youths of civilized society and won't stoop to your level! Qiu Qi, let's go." Bai Xinxin couldn't have felt more satisfied.

Qiu Qi also grinned and stepped on the gas, speeding out.

But in her heart, she wondered, 'Who exactly is Zhuang Xin? How did he help them get the contract so easily? But... why doesn't he want to see me? It's so strange.' Thinking this, the car had already hit the road before she could pull her thoughts back.