KC | Chapter 79

At the start of September, there was one good news and one bad news. The good news was that this month, his credit card had limit again. The bad news was that he had to pay back last month’s spending limit.

Chen Xi lay on the bed looking at the credit card repayment bill, and let out a long sigh.

Lanhai paid salaries on the 15th of every month. Last month’s expenses had been too much, and the dinner he treated Xu Dongxu to at the end of the month became the last straw that broke the camel’s back. There were only 32 yuan left in his WeChat balance, and with 11 days to go, even if he ate instant noodles every day, he still would not be able to hold out.

Having no money was really annoying, what was he supposed to do.

Chen Xi swiped through the all-purpose Moments, wanting to look for business opportunities. He had 3,000 WeChat friends, 80% of them were marketing messages related to work sent by clients, 10% were people who had just quit their jobs and were traveling, posting Moments to show off, and another 10% were showing off their kids and their lives. Over the years, friends saw each other less and less, and Moments gradually changed from an emotional hub into a marketing tool.

Last year, Chen Xi had a toothache, and suddenly remembered that a university classmate worked at a chain dental clinic, so with the idea of taking advantage of the situation, he went to find that classmate. In the end, the whole set of tooth treatment and crown work cost 3,000 yuan, twice as expensive as the small dental clinic downstairs. He had thought that the expensive one meant good quality, but after the crown was fitted, he could not stand even cold or hot food. On top of that, work pressure was high and he often had internal heat, so he took metronidazole for half a year before the tooth finally got completely better.

After that, compared with “relying on friends when out in the world,” Chen Xi was actually more willing to believe “familiar people will cut you three times”.

But since he had taken the initiative to send himself up to be slaughtered, he could not blame his classmate. No matter what kind of work they did, it was all to make money and get by.

His bedtime routine: check his fortune. Aries tomorrow, career luck 5 stars, love luck 5 stars, wealth luck 3 stars.

Sigh, the more you lacked something, the less it came.

“What, did the client fall through?” Lin Yiran leaned against the headboard, a MacBook propped on his legs as he worked, smoothing the little emo head’s hair.

He had wanted to go back to the study to deal with the piled-up client issues, but then he felt that Chen Xi would be going home tomorrow, and he wanted to keep him company more.

Chen Xi immediately covered his mouth: “Tomorrow’s career luck is 5 stars, you crow mouth, don’t say nonsense!”

Lin Yiran ran his tongue across his palm twice. Chen Xi shrank his hand back as if he had been infected by a plague, thinking: To stay energetic tomorrow, I need to avoid physical contact tonight, I can’t let that old lecher take advantage of the situation.

“What career luck, where did you see that, let me take a look.”

“Uh, it’s just horoscope fortune, you know horoscopes, the twelve zodiac signs.”

“Your brother is 35, not 65.” Lin Yiran pinched his cheek. “Help me check, how’s Leo’s fortune tomorrow?”

Chen Xi knew Lin Yiran’s birthday was 8.22, and he also knew that Leo and Aries were the best match.

Little schemer Chen opened a WeChat mini program in front of Lin Yiran, his smile so wide it nearly reached the back of his ears: “Your career luck and love luck are both 5 stars, wealth luck is 4 stars.”

Lin Yiran took his phone and looked at it very carefully, as if he were reviewing a proposal project.

Chen Xi tilted his head, sneaking a glance at the MacBook screen, trying to peek at tomorrow’s morning meeting content.

Lin Yiran found it funny and said, “This is a proposal for the client. I don’t have time to make PPT for every morning meeting.”

Chen Xi said “oh,” thinking: Well, then your PPT skills probably don’t take much time anyway, at most 3 minutes. If you could do that kind of thing that quickly too, it would be great QAQ

That refined scum was good at using public business for private gain. Lin Yiran saw through his little thoughts. After thinking for a while, he asked, “How much collection can there be this month?”

“Zao Wang Cheng 290K, Shanyao’s framework hasn’t been negotiated yet, Gulin… I don’t know about Gulin.”

Talking about work with his boss before bed really was strangely energizing; having been busy for two months and still making no major progress on the gross profit assessment was really miserably sad.

“Recently, Shanyao has been spending a lot, 10K a day. The framework can be negotiated at 3 million first, but I estimate the battle line is too long, he won’t sign with you.”

“Ah, Brother Lin pays so much attention to my clients!” If I didn’t do data reports for Shanyao every week, I wouldn’t even pay attention to him. You have so many key clients, and you still help me pay attention to my clients. Hehe, you really like me so much!

“I pay attention to every account with 10K daily spend.” Lin Yiran’s expression was steady.

That refined scum would absolutely not admit that he was observing Chen Xi in secret.

In order to show how magnanimous he was, Lin Yiran put Chen Xi’s phone on the bed, and in front of him swiped over “Aries and Leo pairing index 100%”, then searched for “Shanyao” in the WeChat chat interface and looked through Sun Xingshun’s Moments.

Sun Xingshun rarely posted Moments related to the company, mostly travel, gatherings, and daily life, about 1 to 2 posts a month. He was not like Chen Xi, who reposted Lanhai activities so frequently, and not like Lin Yiran, who never posted anything at all. Lin Yiran pulled up a photo of a Naruto figure from 5 months ago and said thoughtfully, “You can check Naruto merchandise, don’t buy something ordinary, you have to buy something hard to get, preferably an out-of-print figure, and give that to him.”

“Yo, Brother Lin, you even know NARUTO?”

“Not only do I know NARUTO, I also know Tokyo Hot.”

That old lecher always went vulgar after saying a few words. Chen Xi did not know whether Tokyo was hot or not, but his face was definitely hot.

Lin Yiran touched his flushed face and said with a light smile, “Have you never given a client a gift before?”

Chen Xi nodded, his face even redder: “Most of the clients I dealt with before were small and medium-sized ones, so they didn’t need gifts. Now I want to give one, but I’m a little strapped for cash.” Can you lend me some money?

“Haha.” Lin Yiran guessed what he was going to say, transferred 6666 to him, then seemed to think of something and laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

“Uh, you don’t need to give that much, 2000 is enough. I’ll pay you back when I get my salary in the middle of the month.” Brother Lin is really smart, he understood at the first hint. Hehe, now I have living expenses and won’t have to eat the northwestern wind.

Chen Xi accepted the payment, then sent back 4444 to him.

“Tsk tsk, that number is inauspicious, I can’t take it.”

“No, I…” I didn’t want to ask you for money!

“Haha, alright, alright, borrow money, borrow money, whatever you say goes.” Lin Yiran gave in and did not argue with him.

The two of them, after talking three or five sentences, would go off track, after ten sentences or eight they would definitely quarrel, and while quarreling they would end up kissing, and then it would be time for exercise. The indulgence of the body was certainly pleasurable, but he really did have to work tomorrow. In order not to let Chen Xi step into a pit, he still had to say what needed to be said.

Lin Yiran covered his little paw and forcibly pulled the topic from “sex” back to “work”: “Giving gifts is a necessary method for KA key client signings. You never gave gifts properly before, I’ll teach you.”

“Ah, isn’t it just buying a figure? I’ll check later and buy one for him.”

“No.” Lin Yiran lazily leaned against the headboard, touched a cigarette and was just about to put it to his lips when he put it back into the cigarette case, saying slowly, “There are rules to giving gifts to key clients. If the other side doesn’t accept it, you might lose the deal.”

“Huh? If I give a gift and the client doesn’t accept it, that’s not okay?” Sending something up to someone and then having it refused could even cause trouble. This was really… unbelievable and unheard of.

“Of course.” Before, when he was home, if he wanted to smoke he would smoke. When he could not sign a key client, cigarette ash had once fallen all over the head of the bed. Now Chen Xi was on the bed, so he could not be too casual, but nicotine addiction really was hard to deal with.

Lin Yiran pulled Chen Xi into his arms and used the act of inhaling his cuteness to relieve his craving for cigarettes. A dangerous look flowed in his lazy eyes, with an undisguised possessiveness rolling underneath.

“Hey, don’t cut off in the middle of a sentence and then kiss me, keep talking.” Good student Chen Xi pushed Lin Yiran away, his head full of curiosity.

Lin Yiran deliberately spoke by his ear: “When giving a gift, you must cater to the other person’s preferences. The amount for a gift is generally based on the key client’s cooperation amount. When the budget is sufficient, choose luxury goods to give. When the budget is low, choose the most expensive item among niche products. For example, Sun Xingshun, he can’t contribute much gross profit, but the good thing is that he’s stable, and he can maintain your spending base, so if you give him a slightly expensive figure, that also counts as catering to his preferences.”

“Also, gifts can be given to shareholders, but bosses are taboo about receiving gifts. For example, if you give something to Gulin’s Wang Yaohua, he will think you’re squeezing Gulin’s interests. And Xu Dongxu, you should still give what needs to be given.”

“Huh?” Chen Xi was confused again. “I remember you said before that if you give Xu Dongxu something expensive, he’ll throw it in my face. How come you’re changing your mind again?”

Lin Yiran laughed: “When breaking the ice with a key client, you have to attack emotions first, then benefits. Small things are the key to opening the door for emotional progress, big things are the trust token for making the deal on benefits.”

Σ(⊙▽⊙”a No wonder after Xu Dongxu sent out the requirements, he didn’t really talk to me anymore, so it turned out he was still holding a grudge!

“You can check figures later. The earlier you place the order, the better. Once the thing arrives, go find Sun Xingshun. Shanyao will sign a framework next week, first fish out some collection.” Lin Yiran spoke clearly and methodically. “Xu Dongxu has to be given something more valuable, preferably bought in a physical store, and give him the shopping receipt together with it.”

“Huh?” In order not to reveal the price when giving someone something, shouldn’t the shopping receipt be destroyed? Why keep it too?

Chen Xi again and again still did not understand.

“Because he may not necessarily like the thing you gave him, giving him the receipt also makes it easier for him to return it and exchange it for money.”

Chen Xi: (个_个) So that’s how it was, got a new skill!

“So your expenses this month will be very large, keep the money for now. If it’s not enough, you can come a few more times too, haha!” After saying the serious matter, that old lecher went off track again. Chen Xi got so angry he laughed, and directly slammed him against the head of the bed in one big wall pin.

“How are you talking, treating me like something to sell!”

Lin Yiran laughed but said nothing.

A negotiator’s usual move, leaving three-tenths of the words unsaid.

Chen Xi finally thought it over, after the fact asking for money, wasn’t that just selling himself? No wonder he had been smiling the whole time when transferring the money!

“Get lost, damn it!” Chen Xi lunged over fiercely and bit hard at his neck.

“Don’t bite the neck, wearing a high collar in summer is hot.” Lin Yiran gathered him into his arms and said in a low voice, “Your brother is an ATM, you… really don’t want to think about earning a little more?”

“After you went home last week, the next day I wanted to go find you. I even thought, if you acted reserved and didn’t open the door for me, I would pry it open.”

The few words he opened with could not leave vanilla behind. A happy weekend was just: eating, sleeping, () Chen Xi.

Chen Xi was used to his rough way of speaking, and did not find it strange at all. After even forming a conditioned reflex, he would occasionally get scolded by him…

Little Chen raised his head and bumped into that old beast, money that comes to your hand and you don’t earn is a bastard!

He did not know when it would end, but this really was the last time this week.