Climbing the Career Ladder - -

Li Mengze had previously held family meetings, such as when they decided to buy their current large house. During one of these meetings, they unanimously voted on the purchase, determining not only the number of rooms and their respective sizes but even the size of the bathrooms. Personal contribution ratios were also finalized at this meeting, which Li Mengze referred to as the “bloodletting meeting.”

Li Mengze’s house is quite large, covering 200 square meters. The real estate agent offered a discount, pricing it at 10,000 yuan per square meter and promising top-notch renovations for an additional 1,500 yuan per square meter. Several eager family members were easily persuaded by the real estate agent and paid 2.3 million yuan in total. However, Li Mengze managed to get a rebate of 20,000 yuan, which he kept as personal income. Finally, after 20 days, the five of them joyfully moved into their new home.

Li Mengze, always looking to save money, convinced Jing Wen to spend an additional 300,000 yuan on furniture and other household items. Of the 2.6 million yuan spent in total, Sima Xiaoyu contributed 400,000 yuan, while Su Qianyun and Liu Yun together paid 900,000 yuan. Li Mengze and Jing Wen covered the remaining 1.3 million yuan. Among the four women, aside from Jing Wen, the funds came from their earnings at Wansheng Company; Sima Xiaoyu made a net profit of 870,000 yuan (initial capital of 30,000 yuan), and Su Qianyun and Liu Yun together netted 2.09 million yuan (initial capital of 70,000 yuan).

Jing Wen didn’t invest in stocks. Although Li Mengze suggested he could cover her share, Jing Wen insisted on using 100,000 yuan from her savings, leaving Li Mengze to spend 1.2 million yuan. The 200 square meters included seven bedrooms, each 15 square meters, a 45 square meter living room, and a 20 square meter lounge.

At Liu Yun’s insistence, a 20 square meter bathroom was added, along with a sizable kitchen. Yet, that wasn’t all; it was also decided that Li Mengze would set aside an additional 100,000 yuan as a reserve fund for family living expenses, justified by the notion that it was his responsibility to do so.

The second meeting at Li Mengze’s home was to decide on the family’s economic director, specifically who would have authority over the distribution and management of family finances.

During the meeting, everyone shied away from taking on the significant financial responsibility, even Jing Wen was reluctant to take control. Ultimately, it was Liu Yun who nominated Su Qianyun.

Liu Yun ended the debate by saying, “Let’s not fight over this anymore. Qianyun, you managed our finances well before, why don ‘t you continue doing it?”

Su Qianyun fainted upon hearing this, but fortunately, Li Mengze was quick to catch her and performed CPR, reviving her.

Su Qianyun’s first order after taking control of the family’s finances was to demand that everyone hand over their private savings, but this command met with unanimous opposition:

Jing Wen commented that this was somewhat inconvenient, while Li Mengze laughed and said, “Does that mean you’ll hand over your several hundred thousand as well?” Su Qianyun then decided not to collect everyone’s private savings but insisted on knowing the amounts, which everyone agreed to. It turned out that Jing Wen had the least, less than 100,000 yuan.

Her second order was that everyone should hand over their monthly salaries to serve as a source of family expenses. This proposal was unanimously approved. However, Li Mengze had reservations, saying that since he worked in Tianjin and had to ask for money from home for every expense, it was too troublesome and none of his colleagues did this; he needed to save face. Finally, Su Qianyun generously nodded and said, “Okay, you can keep 25% for your own use.”

Li Mengze’s monthly salary was only 2,000 yuan! The final tally showed Jing Wen earning 6,500 yuan per month, Su Qianyun 4,500, Liu Yun 3,500, Sima Xiaoyu 4,000, and Li Mengze 1,500, totaling 20,000 yuan in income. However, their monthly expenses were not small, with property management and utilities such as water, electricity, and gas costing nearly 4,000 yuan, transportation and fuel costs more than 4,000 yuan, and other living expenses amounting to 7,000 to 8,000 yuan. Thus, a surplus of 5,000 yuan per month would only be possible if they did not engage in any social obligations.

Su Qianyun’s third order was for Li Mengze to hand over the initial 100,000 yuan set aside as family emergency funds. In conclusion, she gave him an encouraging remark, “Although I control the family’s financial affairs, I won’t interfere with your economic activities. But do step up, don’t let us sisters go hungry.”

Su Qianyun manages the finances, yet family expenses are discussed collaboratively, ensuring transparency in the household’s financial affairs, aside from some issues everyone prefers to avoid. However, a discussion could no longer be postponed, marking the first real family meeting. Unlike previous meetings, which laid foundational frameworks, this one aimed to collectively address an existing issue concerning family development.

At 5 p.m., Li Mengze and the two women left the jewelry store, Liu Yun and Sima Xiaoyu jubilant, while Li Mengze was dazed and confused. A man without money fears accompanying women to a jewelry store, especially after wandering a clothing department store for three hours. His money spent and his head spinning, he found himself overwhelmed by the dazzling jewelry. As the women admired different pieces, asking each other, “Does this look good on me?” and “What do you think of this one?”, they not only shopped for themselves but also picked items for others, significantly charging Liu Yun’s credit card.

A gust of wind prompted Li Mengze to clutch the jewelry box tightly-it contained items worth hundreds of thousands!

“You two cook at home, I’ll go pick up Jing Wen,” he said upon returning home at 5:30.

Having recovered, Li Mengze went to fetch Jing Wen; Su Qianyun, working late, couldn’t pick her up, and he also planned to visit his father.

Like many major cities in China, Beijing experiences severe traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. From 5 p.m. until about 8 p.m., the streets are bustling with cars, bicycles, and electric scooters-an ocean of commuters. It’s not until 11 p.m. that the streets clear up and traffic flow improves.

When Li Mengze arrived at the hospital, he first visited his father’s ward to chat for a while. Assuming that the doctors had already left for the day, he said goodbye to his father and went to meet Jing Wen. Jing Wen was ready and idly waiting while reading a book; everyone else in the department had gone home, and only occasionally would a doctor or nurse on the night shift pass by the door. Thus, no one saw them leave together in the same car.

“Jing Wen, you should try on the new clothes too. Mengze and the others bought them this afternoon; these are designer pieces, each costing tens of thousands.” Su Qianyun, who was trying on clothes herself, pulled Jing Wen over with a smile. Under the guise of the luxurious clothes, Su Qianyun looked even more seductive and charming.

Unable to resist Su Qianyun’s persuasion, Jing Wen also tried on the new clothes. The outfit fit her perfectly and matched her natural demeanor well, enhancing her beauty and making her stand out among the other women. Li Mengze watched her with pride, feeling immensely proud. At that moment, the other two women also appeared in their new outfits. Li Mengze found it hard to shift his gaze; Jing Wen was naturally elegant and beautiful, Su Qianyun was inherently sultry, Sima Xiaoyu was charming, and Liu Yun was lively and cute. Dressed in beautiful clothes, they looked even more stunning, leaving him almost speechless.

“Hold on, everyone, stay still,” Li Mengze said as everyone was still dazzled, rushing into the bedroom to grab his camera. He wanted to capture this enchanting moment of his women, a memory that would thrill him for a lifetime.

“Mengze, put on your clothes too, let everyone see,” suggested Liu Yun.

“There’s no need for me to change. Seeing you all so beautiful, how could I dare to compete? I’m perfectly happy to let you dress up beautifully; I’d even run down the street shirtless if it made you happy,” Li Mengze replied, choosing not to wear his own new clothes. He knew well enough that his modestly priced clothes couldn’t compare to their luxurious attire and wouldn’t want to spoil the mood.

“What’s going on?” As soon as Li Mengze entered the break room, Su Qianyun asked him, already sensing that something was amiss today. His behavior was unusually out of character, particularly his eagerness to wash dishes-a task he normally avoided, which was definitely not normal.

“It’s nothing, really, just noticing you all working so hard,” Li Mengze quickly denied, reluctant as ever to bring up the matter.

“Qianyun, Jing Wen, Mengze is running low on cash, he only has 5000 yuan left,” Liu Yun couldn’t keep it to herself any longer, seeing that Li Mengze wouldn’t speak up. She was nearly out of money herself.

“Well, 5000 yuan isn’t little. Our family only has a little over 100,000 yuan altogether. Besides, Mengze doesn’t need to spend much now, right? He’s already bought clothes. From now on, we should try to save where we can! 5000 yuan used to last him a whole year,” Su Qianyun feigned ignorance, yet her reasoning was sound.

“But the money for buying clothes was borrowed by Mengze from me, Jing Wen,” Liu Yun finally spilled the beans and turned to Jing Wen, hoping she would intervene.

“You lent money to Mengze just like that?” Su Qianyun looked at her as if she were a panda.

Su Qianyun couldn’t imagine Li Mengze being short of money, especially not for clothes, and certainly not borrowing from Liu Yun. She had assumed if he ever needed to borrow, he would ask Sima Xiaoyu.

“I’m the one who has the least money now, apart from Mengze, Jing Wen,” Liu Yun continued to lament her financial woes, feeling very aggrieved.

“What did you guys buy this time? Show me,” Su Qianyun immediately caught the hint in Liu Yun’s words, knowing very well how much money Liu Yun had and concluded they must have bought something.

Liu Yun glanced at Li Mengze, who shook his head with a smile, prompting her to swallow back her words.

“Qianyun, let’s not pry further. When it’s time to know, we’ll find out. Mengze, explain yourself. Have your expenses been higher lately?” Jing Wen also sensed that they must have made a purchase that afternoon but didn’t want the other two to know just yet, as it was clear from Li Mengze’s silence and Liu Yun’s hesitance that the three of them had discussed it, and asking Sima Xiaoyu would be no different.

“I really didn’t want it to be this way! You all know that I only had my previous savings, and for Wansheng’s business, I used up nearly all of that. Since being with you, I’ve never saved any money privately. Lately, all my expenses have been charged to my credit card-buying a house, paying for my father’s medical bills, buying gifts for my sister, travel expenses, and some everyday spending. Altogether, it’s amounted to over 3 million yuan. You know I only get 500 yuan a month, which just isn’t enough to cover everything. This afternoon, I borrowed some money from Liu Yun just to buy you all some gifts.”

Li Mengze laid out the facts; he was really out of money, having spent most of his savings, and he hadn’t been depositing any money into his credit card either.

“Mengze, you should be a bit more careful. If you keep being so careless, you’ll run into trouble,” Su Qianyun chided. In reality, she wanted to say that spending money was like pouring water, but she held back because she knew that being in a man’s position, he had to spend so much.

Although Mengze had used so much money, it wasn’t for himself. Everyone knows their man wouldn’t just spend money. They all knew how much he could eat each day, and he had never worn expensive clothing, never had a luxurious meal, and even when inviting others to dine, it wasn’t at high-end places. He was always saving, saving, and saving more (he wouldn’t even take taxis, often squeezing into buses). How could anyone still blame him? Moreover, it seemed he didn’t have a long-term plan, which put him in a very passive and complicated position when problems arose.

“Qianyun, it looks like you’ll have to be the one to deposit money into his credit card,” Jing Wen suddenly pinpointed the root of the issue.

“Let’s do this-I’ll transfer some money from my funds into our family account for you to manage. That way, I’ll have a clear idea of how much I’m spending and it’ll also keep me in check. Does that sound good?”

Li Mengze suggested, having not withdrawn any money this morning. I think it’s not good to extract directly like that. Although he earned the money, the family was a collective unit. Since they were a family, they should follow certain rules. He deeply respected his women, cherished their feelings, and valued their relationships.

“That makes sense,” Jing Wen agreed first, “We should keep some money in the family account for emergencies. Mengze spends more regularly, so Qianyun can handle the transfers. Additionally, if us sisters need something, we can also take it from there.”

“That’s fine by me. Let’s save a few billion yuan in there; then we’ll never run out, and Mengze won’t be short of money either. He still has to pay when we go out to eat!” Liu Yun thought bigger.

“No, we can’t keep that much in the family account. At most, we can save 5 million yuan. If Mengze’s expenses are under 2 million yuan, it should come from the family account. If it exceeds 2 million yuan but is less than 5 million yuan, it can be transferred from the family account in emergencies. For other situations, it should come from the funds,” Su Qianyun immediately countered Liu Yun’s suggestion and proposed her own.

“I support Qianyun’s approach,” Sima Xiaoyu said.

“I agree too.” The situation was increasingly unfavorable for Liu Yun, even Jing Wen agreed.

“I, too, agree.” Liu Yun felt her suggestion was somewhat unreasonable. Seeing everyone supported Su Qianyun’s idea, she had no objections and agreed, but then she turned her eyes to Li Mengze.

“I mostly agree, but not about saving 5 million yuan. It should be 20 million yuan. Storing 20 million yuan seems better,” Li Mengze also agreed with everyone’s opinion, but he felt more comfortable saving a larger amount, which seemed to make his sense of responsibility feel more tangible.

Liu Yun was the first to agree; she actually had the most faith in Li Mengze. The other two women exchanged glances, then looked at Su Qianyun, and also expressed their agreement. A vague intention formed in their minds, only to disappear into the depths of their hearts. They couldn’t find any reason to oppose this man they deeply loved; they could only echo his ideas.

“Have you decided to enter the business world?” Liu Yun and Su Qianyun asked Jing Wen, looking puzzled.

Jing Wen quickly came to terms with it; while Liu Yun and Su Qianyun showed expressions of realization-as if to say, that’s exactly it.

“I don’t know, I don’t know if it’s the right time,” Li Mengze candidly said, his words revealing his insecurity. Indeed, he was hesitant. “Once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. Business is a one-way path; you can only move forward, not back. And right now, I have no foundation-no manpower, no favorable location, and I don’t know where the underworld lurks, completely in the dark. I’m also not used to trusting others easily. In this world, apart from you, there are very few I can trust. It’s too hard to start. This time with Wansheng Company, we aren’t going to show our faces directly, and the company isn’t ours. Our share is too small to be effective. I’m currently focusing on trading stocks, as you know, also as a way to avoid making this decision.”

“But avoiding it isn’t a solution. You’ll eventually take the path of business,” Jing Wen said after a moment of contemplation. They understood his feelings, recognized his wisdom, knew his timidity, believed in his strength, and were concerned about his worries. “But no matter what you choose, we will support you unconditionally.”

“Yes, just do whatever you want to do; we all support you,” Su Qianyun added.

“Don’t be afraid, Mengze, I’ll be your bodyguard. If we encounter any bad guys, I’ll handle them,” Liu Yun declared, boosting Li Mengze’s morale with determination.

“Liu Yun, you can’t even beat me, let alone anyone else; martial arts are divided into fitness and combat. The skills you’ve learned are alright for fighting, but utterly useless in real combat. Besides, you’re not allowed to fight with others. You need to save those skills to protect your own life. Never act impulsively, understand?” Li Mengze was startled; he couldn’t afford to let Liu Yun get into trouble. Of all the girls, she was the one he worried about the most.

“Hmph, fine, I won’t fight. But did you have to make it sound so grave? Besides, I was holding back last time, just didn’t want to hurt you,” Liu Yun retorted, trying to justify her previous defeat by Li Mengze.

“Stop being stubborn. I can take on at least two of you, don’t believe me? Ask Su Qianyun,” Liu Yun said, pulling Su Qianyun into the conversation to strengthen her point.

“Liu Yun, listen. Mengze is right; there’s a difference between a simple fight and fighting for your life,” Su Qianyun immediately chimed in, always worried about Liu Yun. Their biggest mishap was the time the sisters ended up sharing a bed with Li Mengze.

“Let’s not decide anything for now; Mengze needs some peace. Let’s head back to Tianjin tomorrow. You’re more familiar with the area, and it’s quieter there. I hope the next time we see each other, you’ll be in better spirits,” Jing Wen made the final decision, her opinion always held the most weight among the girls.

“Liu Yun, come on, tonight I’ll teach you the skills to fight for your life,” Li Mengze, knowing this was the collective decision and understanding the significance of the matter, anticipated the difficult days ahead. Overcome by a mix of emotions, he disregarded Liu Yun’s vehement protests and kicked open her bedroom door, to the astonishment of the three women.