Chapter 19

The female salespeople burst into laughter. The one who had misspoken laughed along, defending herself as she did. "I just didn't know!"

"Then what does IPO mean?"

"Initial Public Offering—the first time a company publicly sells its shares," Gu Chen explained with a smile. "It means the company is going public."

"Oh!" The women nodded, half-understanding, then asked Gu Chen, "So when the big boss said it matched your major, did he mean this is what you'll do after you graduate?"

Gu Chen thought for a moment. "My major is economics and financial management. This line of work is relevant."

"Helping companies go public must make far more money than selling houses!" someone remarked. "That means Gu Chen really is overqualified working at the sales office."

For the first time, they suddenly realized just how valuable Gu Chen's status as an A University student was. They realized that even though he was selling houses alongside them now, he would never stay at the sales office forever. His future lay in a field unfamiliar to them—a field beyond their reach.

For some inexplicable reason, they suddenly felt a faint sense of awe toward Gu Chen—or, more precisely, toward his academic credentials.

Gu Chen did not notice the shift in his colleagues' feelings. While eating lunch, he suddenly received a call from Zhongli Sui.

"Mr. Zhongli?" Gu Chen had not expected Zhongli Sui to call at this hour, and could not help feeling puzzled.

Zhongli Sui did not understand why he had called Gu Chen either. He had simply wanted to make a call, so he did. Once the call connected and Gu Chen's voice came through the receiver, Zhongli Sui realized that he did not even know what to say to him.

But that did not stump Zhongli Sui at all. He casually found a topic. "My place needs renovating, but I'm extremely busy and don't have time to keep an eye on the renovation company. It suddenly occurred to me that you work at the sales office. I was wondering if I could ask you to help keep an eye on things?"

Gu Chen hesitated slightly.

As though sensing Gu Chen's reluctance, Zhongli Sui said, "Don't worry. It won't take up too much of your time."

"That's not the issue," Gu Chen said. "I'm still in school. Working at the sales office is just a part-time internship. I only come in on weekends."

"I don't need you watching over it all day. Just check in occasionally and see how the progress is going." It was something his assistant could easily arrange, yet Zhongli Sui insisted on asking Gu Chen. "I just think you understand the style of decoration I like, and you know a lot about the details as well. If you can help me communicate with the renovation company, it'll make things much more efficient."

"Of course, I won't ask you to work for nothing." Zhongli Sui spoke sincerely. "I'll pay you. Please."

Gu Chen smiled. After thinking it over, he said, "All right."

Zhongli Sui struck while the iron was hot. "Then I'll have the designer contact you tonight. I've already explained the style I want to the designer. You can discuss the remaining details gradually. I'll return to City A in a week, and then we can look over the design drawings together."

Gu Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "All right. I get off work at six tonight. Have the designer come find me at the sales office. I'll take them to see the apartment."

After a pause, Gu Chen asked, "The designer has a key, right?"

"I'll have my assistant take the designer over, and I'll also give you a spare renovation key." Zhongli Sui smiled. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

"It's no trouble." Gu Chen smiled. "I'm being paid, after all. It's my job."

Zhongli Sui smiled and followed up on Gu Chen's topic. "Has your work at the sales office been going smoothly?"

"Pretty well." Gu Chen glanced at the time. There were ten minutes left before work resumed that afternoon.

As though sensing what Gu Chen was thinking, Zhongli Sui said, "I still haven't properly thanked you. Because of your reminder, Tiansui Capital needs to redo the budget for its acquisition of Haoyang Technology. This time, we can save a huge amount of money. Once the work here is finished, may I treat you to dinner?"

Before Gu Chen could reply, Zhongli Sui added, "At least give me a chance to thank you."

"All right." This time, Gu Chen answered especially readily.

Zhongli Sui smiled. "Then I won't keep you from your work. We'll talk again when we have time."

"All right," Gu Chen replied. "Goodbye."

The call on the other end did not disconnect. After waiting a few seconds, Gu Chen repeated, "I need to go to work. Goodbye."

Then he hung up first.

Listening to the busy tone, Zhongli Sui unconsciously curled his lips into a smile. By social convention, he should have been the one to hang up first. Yet Zhongli Sui had hesitated. He shook his head with a self-mocking smile, finding his current mood rather intriguing.

Maybe Gu Chen was simply too unusual, Zhongli Sui reasoned with himself. Anyone who encountered someone who knew their habits inside out and could also warn them about their career would naturally become curious. Zhongli Sui considered himself an ordinary person, so of course he would be no exception.

"With one sentence, he helped me save several hundred million US dollars." Zhongli Sui muttered to himself. "That's quite a favor. I really need to consider it carefully."

After hanging up, Gu Chen stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out at the greenery beyond the sales office, also falling silent.

He knew that when he met Zhongli Sui, he had revealed quite a few flaws because he had been too emotional. He had assumed Zhongli Sui would try every possible way to probe how he knew those things. Yet from beginning to end, Zhongli Sui had not even asked. It seemed they had tacitly chosen to ignore those questions. This careful maneuvering, which left room for each other, made Gu Chen breathe a sigh of relief. Although he had already thought of how to deal with Zhongli Sui's questions, Zhongli Sui had not asked them.

It had to be said that Gu Chen liked the way Zhongli Sui treated people. He knew how to respect others' secrets and never pressed too aggressively, which made Gu Chen feel comfortable and safe. He was even somewhat grateful for that unspoken understanding.

Gu Chen stretched, feeling that he might be overthinking things.

Because of Liao Chunhua's instructions, Gu Chen received two new clients on his own that afternoon. He closed one deal. The client was the administrative creative director of a 4A advertising agency, thirty-five years old, buying a marital home because he was getting married. It was a 150-square-meter luxury flat. He paid nearly five million for the down payment and took out a thirty-year mortgage. Gu Chen helped him calculate the various tax rates and loan interest. When it came time to pay, the client joked with Gu Chen, "Now I really can't afford to quit my job. From now on, I'm like an old ox with a rope around its neck—I can only keep my head down and work myself to the bone."