"That settles it. I’m going to buy the suitcases."
With that, Li Yueting went next door and started earnestly picking them out. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t even stop her.
But on second thought, she realized she had to go home and sort through her late mother’s belongings, and would indeed need a suitcase, so she just let her be.
In the end, Li Yueting chose two suitcases, one red and one white.
Because Lin Jiang was there, the clerk didn’t take their money, saying they could settle up later.
After buying their things and browsing a bit more, Lin Jiang drove them back.
That evening, they needed to settle down and adjust their mindset, aiming for a good score on the exam tomorrow.
"Don’t feel any pressure for the exam tomorrow, you two. If you do well, you’ll get into Shanghai Jiaotong University. If you don’t, I’ll support you," Lin Jiang said as he was leaving.
"Brother, your comforting is so... down-to-earth."
"What can I do? Your brother is just a down-to-earth guy."
In a way, Lin Jiang’s comfort was the best kind.
When someone has your back, what is there to be afraid of?
It was much better than offering empty platitudes.
For the next two days, Lin Jiang was busy handling company matters.
He also confirmed a piece of news: the city officials were indeed planning to visit Huipin Mall at Xingcheng Bay Phase II.
"President Lin, the officials’ intention is to skip Berkeley and focus on visiting Mu Xing. We finalized the detailed itinerary this morning," He Jing reported to Lin Jiang in his office.
Lin Jiang nodded.
In reality, there wasn’t much to see at Berkeley. A visit there would just be gilding the lily.
Mu Xing was different. The quality of its beef was unparalleled by other similar products.
It was a product with immense potential. If its future development went well, it could even serve as a commercial calling card for the city.
In comparison, Mu Xing’s standing was higher than Berkeley’s, so it was only natural for them to visit Mu Xing. This was also more advantageous for him.
"President Lin, I also heard that Huipin Mall organized a team to go and learn from Donglai Supermarket. They’re planning to carry out corresponding renovations, and they even changed their name," He Jing said.
"They changed their name?"
"It’s become Huipin City. Apparently, they’re planning to go high-end, a different development model from before, so they changed the name."
"So they changed the name..."
Lin Jiang muttered, understanding their tactic.
A complete makeover, a fresh start.
It would create the illusion of an internal strategic adjustment, rather than being beaten down by Berkeley.
"Have they started a massive promotional campaign these last few days?"
"Yes. Although they’re closed for reorganization, their promotional efforts haven’t stopped. They’ve even hired paid posters, who are already praising them as the next Donglai Supermarket. But there are also people standing up for us, so online opinion is split into two opposing camps."
"They probably didn’t expect that in promoting themselves, they were also paving the way for Berkeley."
"That’s right. Our reputation among users is gradually solidifying. What Huipin City is doing might not have the desired effect. The money they’re spending on marketing will likely go down the drain."
"The specific date should be the 31st, right?"
He Jing nodded. "The 1st is New Year’s Day. This timing is also a form of promotion for them."
Lin Jiang checked the date. It was the 24th. There was still a week, plenty of time for his side to prepare.
"Just keep an eye on their situation. No need to take it too seriously."
"Oh, President Lin, there’s one more thing I forgot to tell you." He Jing said, tucking her hair.
"Huipin City is holding a press conference on the 30th of this month at the Gulf Hotel. The topic is related to smart shopping."
"Smart shopping?"
"They’re probably trying to hype up a concept to build momentum for the upcoming opening of Huipin City."
"I can tell. It’s just a gimmick," Lin Jiang said, a bit exasperated.
"I don’t even want to deal with him anymore, but he’s just getting more and more ridiculous. I fucking suspect he’ll end up performing a dance routine on stage."
PFFT—
He Jing couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
’When she thought about it, it was kind of true.’
’President Lin’s attention wasn’t even on Berkeley, yet they kept relentlessly pursuing a fight. In reality, he didn’t even consider them worthy of his notice.’
"Alright, enough about them. Let them make a scene. We’ll just watch it like a monkey show. Get back to your real work."
"Mmm~"
He Jing nodded softly, knelt down in front of Lin Jiang, and started doing what she was supposed to do.
Lin Jiang held He Jing’s head, enjoying her service, while he took out his phone and dialed He Xuelu.
’The officials are going for an inspection; I need to have him get the factory in order.’
After finishing her preparatory work, He Jing, ever so considerate, bent over and knelt on the sofa.
Lin Jiang walked over and gave her a slap on her rear.
"What are you doing over here?"
"A change of scenery might give us a different feeling. If President Lin doesn’t like it, we can go back to the desk," He Jing said in a small voice.
Lin Jiang didn’t speak. He glanced to the side and noticed a full-length mirror, which was perfectly visible from He Jing’s angle.
Lin Jiang’s hand slid over He Jing’s body. "Where did this mirror come from? I don’t remember it being here before."
"The mirror is..." He Jing fidgeted for a while before saying softly,
"I saw this mirror and thought it was quite nice, so I had someone move it into your office. It’s convenient for you to straighten your clothes and things."
"Are you sure it’s not because you like doing it in front of a mirror that you brought this in?"
He Jing blushed beet red. She hadn’t expected Lin Jiang to discover her little secret.
’This man is too clever!’
’Nothing can be hidden from him.’
"President Lin..."
"If you like it, just say so. What’s there to be embarrassed about? I’ll satisfy you."
Lin Jiang’s hand traced lightly over her, leaving He Jing completely aroused.
Then, Lin Jiang held He Jing down and went to work, his movements like a sudden storm—rough and swift.
’Lin Jiang couldn’t help it. When a pet gets this hungry this quickly, this is the only way to feed it.’
About an hour later, He Jing stood up, completely exhausted. She didn’t have an ounce of strength left. The battle had been brutal.
RING RING RING—
Just then, He Jing’s phone rang.
"Okay, come to my office. It’s 507."
After saying this, He Jing hung up. Without even a moment to rest, she got up and started straightening her clothes.
"Who’s coming?" Lin Jiang asked, pulling up his pants.
"You mentioned before that two graduate students from Jiaoda were coming to intern with us, and you asked me to fully cooperate and arrange everything. They’ve arrived."
"So they’re here," Lin Jiang muttered. "Alright, have them come here. I’ll meet them as well."
"Yes, President Lin."
He Jing quickly straightened her clothes and left Lin Jiang’s office.
Lin Jiang wanted to meet them for two reasons.
First, because of his personal relationship with Shen Qingqiu.
She rarely asked him for a favor, so he naturally had to make sure things were arranged well for her people.
Second, they were graduate students from a prestigious university. If he could recruit them to the company in the future, they would be considered high-level talent.
Since they happened to be here now, meeting them wouldn’t take up much time.
Soon, there was a knock on the door, and He Jing came in from outside with a young man and woman.
The young man was tall, about the same height as Lin Jiang, with short hair and a slightly dark complexion. He wore glasses and gave off a clean-cut and honest impression.
The other, a young woman, wasn’t very tall. Standing together, they had a noticeable height difference. She had her hair in a simple ponytail. While not stunningly beautiful, she had an enduring charm.
Compared to the young man, the young woman’s demeanor was much more relaxed; she didn’t seem nervous upon meeting Lin Jiang.
Judging from their clothes and style, it was also apparent that the young woman was better off; her family background was likely quite good.
Despite being graduate students, a touch of greenness and immaturity could still be seen on their faces, and they were both a little nervous in Lin Jiang’s presence.
"You must be Zheng Wenqi and Sun Shengyao."
"Yes, we are."
They both nodded, waiting for Lin Jiang to continue.
"Teacher Shen has told me about your situation. From now on, you’ll be following President Liu. If there’s anything you want to know, just ask her."
After speaking, Lin Jiang looked at He Jing. "As for their salary, give them the same package as a mid-level manager."
The compensation Lin Jiang offered was on the high side, all out of respect for Shen Qingqiu.
"Understood."
Lin Jiang looked at the two of them. "Do you have any other requests?"
"President Lin, I have an idea," said Zheng Wenqi.
"Go ahead."
"I can forgo a salary, but I’d like to go to Huipin first, and then come work here. Is that possible?"
He recalled discussing these two students with Shen Qingqiu before.
Zheng Wenqi’s graduate studies focused on management, while Sun Shengyao’s were focused on investment.
According to the original plan, both of them were supposed to spend some time at Berkeley first before being assigned to different positions.
Now Zheng Wenqi was proposing this idea, which wasn’t part of his discussion with Shen Qingqiu.
"What’s your reasoning for doing that?"
"I just want to make a comparison. The data for my thesis would be more direct and convincing that way," Zheng Wenqi said with a grin.
"I want to know how Berkeley got so popular, and I also want to know how Huipin failed."
’Why does that line sound so familiar?’
"The question is, can you even get into Huipin?"
"I saw they’re hiring management trainees. I want to give it a try. If I don’t get hired, I don’t lose anything."
"That’s a good idea. Aside from that, are there any other requests?"
"Nope."
"Alright. If you have any other issues in the future, just talk to President He."
"Thank you, President Lin."
After a brief chat, Lin Jiang left the two with He Jing and departed.
Leaving Berkeley, Lin Jiang drove to Zhonghai Normal University, because the two of them had been assigned to take their exam there.
There weren’t many people at the school gate, just a few dozen parents scattered about.
Compared to the grand spectacle of the college entrance exams, this was nothing.
Soon, students began to walk out one after another.
Everyone was silent. You couldn’t see much joy on anyone’s face; their expressions were placid, making it impossible to tell if they had done well or poorly on the exam.
Although the law says you’re an adult at eighteen, for college students, true adulthood only begins the moment you step off campus for the last time.

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