Joyfully Receiving a New Watch

Today is payday. Throughout the day, everyone in the company carried a faint sense of anticipation, waiting for the arrival of the deposit notification.

After all, they were all counting on this day to get through the month.

By around three in the afternoon, the salary notifications began to arrive one after another. The quiet office was soon filled with a low, buzzing hum of discussion spreading from afar to nearby.

Zhang Yang naturally received his text as well. He glanced at the amount, feeling no ripples in his heart.

Now that he was earning six hundred thousand a month, how could he possibly be moved by a mere ten thousand yuan salary?

For others, ten thousand yuan was a month of back-breaking labor.

For him, oh, that was half a day's income.

"Zhang Yang, Zhang Yang!" Xiang Youde whispered from across the desk, "How much did you get?"

The company didn't enforce a strict salary secrecy policy, and the overall atmosphere was quite relaxed. They didn't mind employees sharing salary information, so asking each other on payday was the norm.

Zhang Yang didn't bother hiding it and casually rattled off a number.

"We're about the same then. It's a pity, though—the money isn't even warm in my pocket before I have to pay off part of the mortgage." Xiang Youde smacked his lips, fiddling with his phone to transfer money to his repayment account.

He had taken out a loan for an apartment back in his hometown years ago, and with monthly payments of over three thousand, he was practically drowning in debt. Still, despite the pressure, the rising property values provided him with a small amount of comfort amidst his toil.

Zhang Yang only had one house back home, but that wasn't an issue. At his current rate of twenty thousand a day, saving up for another property before his next trip home would be a breeze.

Throughout the company, aside from the sales department where salaries fluctuated significantly, the others didn't see much variation, especially in the planning department where the gaps between colleagues were minimal.

It was rare for the company not to schedule overtime on payday, so everyone left work chatting and laughing.

"Zhang Yang, want to grab a bite after work?" Xiang Youde's weight-loss plan seemed to have been nipped in the bud before it even began. Zhang Yang had watched him order diet meals for two days before he completely gave up, even rebounding harder with his diet and constantly eating junk food.

"Not today, I'm busy." Zhang Yang waved him off.

After work, he planned to find time to head to the Vacheron Constantin boutique on West Nanjing Road to pick up his watch.

"I don't get it, you don't even have a girlfriend, what could you possibly have to do after work?" Xiang Youde muttered before heading off on his own.

In the lobby on the first floor of the office building, Zhang Yang stepped out of the elevator, intending to take the subway.

"Brother Zhang!" Bei Wei came jogging up from behind.

"What's up?" Zhang Yang stopped.

"It's payday, let me treat you to dinner?" Bei Wei held up her phone and shook it gently in front of Zhang Yang, "It's the perfect time for a good meal."

"Is that really necessary?" Zhang Yang shook his head, "Isn't it hard to earn money?"

"Let's go, Brother Zhang, I'm a spendthrift anyway." Bei Wei gave Zhang Yang a light tug, "If we wait a few more days, I won't even be able to afford to treat you."

Zhang Yang believed her.

This girl had high expenses; a Starbucks every morning, and word was that her rented place in the Magic City wasn't cheap either. Cosmetics, skincare, and clothes were all fixed monthly costs, so she really couldn't save any money.

That made Zhang Yang even more reluctant to let her pay.

"How about I treat you instead?" Zhang Yang looked at Bei Wei, who stood before him looking dainty in her little Chanel-style dress, "If you're not in a rush, you can accompany me to West Nanjing Road to run an errand first."

"Sure, I'll go with you, but I still have to be the one to treat!" Bei Wei was quite insistent, "Brother Zhang, just give me this chance. Otherwise, I'll keep thinking about it and feel bad—that Japanese meal last time was so expensive..."

"Fine." Zhang Yang smiled helplessly, "Suit yourself."

Bei Wei beamed at his words.

On the subway, it was the peak of the evening rush hour, with people coming and going.

Zhang Yang stood amidst the shifting crowd. Seeing that Bei Wei hadn't found her footing, he instinctively reached out to steady her by her delicate shoulder.

It was a casual gesture, but Bei Wei froze, her body tensing up instantly. She didn't say a word, just lowered her head weakly and let Zhang Yang hold her.

"We're here." Zhang Yang let go naturally.

"Mm." Bei Wei's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum. With flushed cheeks, she followed Zhang Yang off the subway.

The two left the station and walked toward the West Nanjing Road area.

They hadn't walked more than a few hundred meters from the subway exit.

"The egg pancake shop ahead is quite popular, let me treat you to that." Zhang Yang pointed to a shop not far away. It looked busy, with a small line forming in front.

"Huh? Just this?" Bei Wei, who had been prepared for a major splurge tonight, was stunned and felt very apologetic.

Eating just this wouldn't cost much at all.

"Let's go, I just happen to be craving it." Zhang Yang walked over, already smelling the familiar aroma.

The deluxe single set was twenty yuan each, forty for both.

Bei Wei felt quite embarrassed as she took out her phone to scan the code, muttering about treating Zhang Yang properly next time.

A moment later, the two were walking along, each holding a fragrant, soft-skinned egg pancake. The crowd surged around them; everywhere they looked, luxury brands gathered and top-tier businesses stood side by side. It was truly worthy of being called the number one commercial street in China.

"Brother Zhang, how are things with that girl from yesterday? Did it go well?"

"It was alright, I suppose." Zhang Yang ate his egg pancake. It tasted remarkably like the ones from his hometown, making him feel for a fleeting moment as if he were back there. But the surging crowd and the extreme prosperity around him reminded him over and over again that this was the Magic City—the starting point and the destination of dreams.

"Next time, let me be the judge. If you have any questions about clothes or styling, just ask me. I guarantee I can help you take your look to the next level." Bei Wei patted her chest, making her promise.

Zhang Yang subconsciously glanced at her chest before shifting his gaze away.

Truth be told, Bei Wei's taste in fashion is absolutely impeccable; is this a skill that all beautiful women must possess?

Passing by a trendy boutique on the street, Bei Wei felt a sudden whim and actually dragged Zhang Yang inside to try on some clothes.

Shirts, T-shirts, vintage, minimalist...

She handled every style with ease, her eye for fashion truly exceptional.

Zhang Yang had originally intended to just try things on casually, but he never expected that several of the outfits would really hit the mark for him.

"Brother Zhang, looking sharp!" Bei Wei gave a thumbs-up from the side.

With Bei Wei constantly cheering him on, Zhang Yang also felt the outfits were well-coordinated, so he simply bought them all; it wasn't much money anyway.

However, Bei Wei seemed to be enjoying herself far too much, so Zhang Yang had to call a halt in time.

"Bei Wei, I still have things to take care of..."

"Ah, sorry, I completely forgot..." Bei Wei still seemed a bit reluctant to stop. "Right, where are you headed, Brother Zhang?"

"I bought a watch and haven't picked it up yet, so I'm taking the time to grab it today." Zhang Yang scanned his surroundings and spotted the iconic Maltese Cross logo of Vacheron Constantin on the roadside ahead.

"Congratulations to Brother Zhang on your new watch!" Bei Wei offered her soft congratulations upon hearing this.

Although as a woman she wasn't particularly keen on watches, she knew how important a timepiece was to a man.