Chapter Sixty-Eight: A Sales Genius

The dynasty in the game operates on a 32-hour day, but everyone knows that the real world isn’t like that at all.

For an office worker, every day can feel like a holiday—how you spend those twenty-four hours is entirely up to you. This notion of “holidays” is easy enough to grasp: Monday is like Tomb-Sweeping Day, the heaviness of returning to work speaks for itself; Tuesday is Labor Day, with the boss urging everyone, “Comrades, let’s work harder!” Wednesday has the air of Children’s Day—Tomb-Sweeping is far behind, but National Day still seems an eternity away; Thursday is akin to Mid-Autumn Festival, even if the moon doesn’t show itself, it’s the darkness before dawn; Friday is New Year’s Day, and after New Year’s, Spring Festival isn’t far off. As for the weekend, no explanation is needed—Spring Festival arrives and families celebrate together.

But Jiang Yao was far from festive today, for it was Monday.

As she walked into the office lobby, she habitually glanced toward the southeast corner, and immediately her mood sank even lower; that kid Zhang He was once again sitting dumbly at his desk, staring blankly at the empty tabletop.

She simply couldn’t fathom what went on in his head all day—what was there to be so lost in thought about? If he kept neglecting his work like this, he’d turn into a complete simpleton.

“Zhang He!” Jiang Yao tapped on the desk.

Zhang He looked up. “Sister Yao!”

Jiang Yao’s face was impassive. “Where’s that order I gave you last time?”

She’d lost count of how many times she’d asked Zhang He this question. The only thing she remembered clearly was his eternally unchanging answer: “I’m working on it.”

But today, the sun must have risen in the west, because Zhang He’s reply was different: “The order for the Five-Star on Crest Street, right? I’ve arranged for the client to come in for an interview today.”

“Oh?” Jiang Yao was surprised, but more than that, she was curious.

The order she’d handed to Zhang He was a small one—just two thousand yuan—but the client was an old classmate, a department manager and administrative secretary at Five-Star Group.

She knew her classmate’s background well; two thousand yuan was nothing to her. That’s precisely why she was so curious: how had Zhang He managed to invite her for an in-person meeting?

Any sales agent knows, if you really want to sell a product, you’ll wear your legs out running around, and when you finally meet the client, they might barely acknowledge you, forcing you to smile and heap on the compliments: “You’re so wise, so impressive…”

But look at Zhang He now, sitting there with that casual, lordly air, as if people were begging him to buy their products, coming to him for a meeting. It was as if he were the leader, and they were the salespeople.

Jiang Yao was astonished. “Zhang He, how did you arrange the meeting with the client?”

Zhang He answered slowly, “Phone appointment.”

Jiang Yao was equal parts exasperated and amused, feeling her question was rather idiotic. So she changed tack, “What did you say on the phone?”

Zhang He was honest—remarkably so: “I said I’m Zhang He, a sales agent at Power Health. I sell syrup. Do you want any?”

Jiang Yao stared at him for a moment. “That simple? That direct?”

Zhang He nodded weakly. “Mm.”

Jiang Yao could hardly believe it. “And how did they respond?”

Zhang He replied, “He said he wanted some, and arranged to come for an interview today.”

Jiang Yao suddenly felt dizzy. She was one of the top performers in the company; if Zhang He had managed to arrange a client interview with no sales tactics whatsoever, how was she, a star salesperson, supposed to feel?

Classics like “How to Become an Elite Salesperson,” “Ten Secrets of Top Sales,” and “How to Sell an Axe to Lu Ban,” which she’d studied so diligently, seemed utterly worthless before Zhang He, their effectiveness gone.

She was still muddled when Zhang He suddenly stood up, pointing toward the entrance. “They’re here! That must be them!”

Jiang Yao turned around to see her old classmate stepping into the office lobby—a fashionable young woman, her exquisite handbag emblazoned with a prominent “LV” logo. Though petite in stature, the green folder under her arm and her neat, short hair gave her the aura of a formidable professional.

He Qinglan spotted Jiang Yao immediately. “Haha, when I left home this morning, I thought I might run into you at your company, and here we are.”

“Welcome!” Jiang Yao smiled graciously. “As honored clients, you’ll always be welcome here.”

“No wonder you’re a top salesperson—never stray far from your profession!” He Qinglan laughed. “But today I’m here with our General Manager Chu; he’s your true honored client.”

Jiang Yao was startled, whispering, “General Manager Chu, Chu Xingzhi of Five-Star Group?”

He Qinglan smiled. “Exactly, the big boss himself!”

Now Jiang Yao was thoroughly stunned—not because she didn’t know Five-Star Group, but because she knew it all too well.

Never mind the size of Five-Star Group; even their office location—Crest Street, the busiest, most prosperous, most prime area in Dream Star City—was enough for Power Health to look up to with admiration, never hoping to compete.

Running such a sizable enterprise, General Manager Chu was always busy; Jiang Yao had visited his office several times, only to be turned away by the receptionist each time with the excuse that she needed an appointment. She’d always gone home in defeat.

And now, the busy big boss was here at the Power Health branch at nine o’clock on a Monday morning—the most golden hour. Jiang Yao’s mind short-circuited; this was a magical world indeed.

Fortunately, she had already spotted Chu Xingzhi. Like many accomplished young men, Chu Xingzhi looked to be thirty-six or thirty-seven, an age where men radiate an irresistible mature charm. Dressed in a sharp dark suit, carrying an expensive designer briefcase, his handsome features and confident manner exuded the aura of a highly successful executive. His prominent status drew the attention of everyone in the office.

General Manager Li, somehow tipped off, hurried out to greet Chu Xingzhi, the illustrious Five-Star boss.

Compared to Chu Xingzhi, Li—usually projecting an air of success—looked like a mere attendant, utterly outmatched.

Seeing Li’s sycophantic smile, Jiang Yao almost laughed, but the next scene wiped the smile from her face, as Zhang He walked up, “Hello, are you General Manager Chu?”

Chu Xingzhi was taken aback. “Little Zhang? Zhang He?”

“Yes, it’s me!” Zhang He extended his hand politely. “Welcome, General Manager Chu!”

“No need to stand on ceremony!” Chu Xingzhi smiled broadly, as if he were an old friend who hadn’t seen Zhang He in years, his handshake warm and enthusiastic, reluctant to let go.

“Come, let’s talk about the product at my desk!” Zhang He’s invitation was cordial enough, but Jiang Yao and General Manager Li were dumbfounded, especially Jiang Yao—she couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams that the person Zhang He contacted wasn’t He Qinglan, but Chu Xingzhi.

Even stranger, Chu Xingzhi not only showed up, but looked positively honored to be invited by Zhang He, as if sitting at Zhang He’s desk was a remarkable privilege.

General Manager Li wanted to say, “Let’s discuss this in my office,” but the words wouldn’t come, since Zhang He and Chu Xingzhi were already seated face-to-face at Zhang He’s desk, and listening to their conversation, Li’s head spun even more than Jiang Yao’s.

“Little Zhang, how’s your health? Is work going well? The company may be small, but every salesperson has to start from the ground up. When you called the other day, I was in the middle of a contract—sorry about that. Oh, and how’s your girlfriend?”

Li was dizzy. Normally, he could only glimpse Chu from afar at public events, never even getting the chance to speak to him. But now, it seemed Chu was Zhang He’s uncle or cousin, fussing over him with genuine concern.

Zhang He’s attitude left Li and Jiang Yao utterly defeated; he looked impatient. “General Manager Chu, are you going to buy our product or not? If you want it, say so. If not, just tell me—let’s be clear!”

You couldn’t really blame him; after years of doing business in the “Dynasty” game, Zhang He could spot a fellow professional instantly. When it came to business, a few words were all it took to size things up.

“Buy, of course I’ll buy!” Chu Xingzhi gestured, and He Qinglan stepped forward, ready.

“What’s the product called again? You mentioned it on the phone the other day, but I forgot. What’s the price?”

Zhang He looked at Chu Xingzhi as if disappointed in him, sighing, “Kidney Silver Deer Antler Syrup, General Manager Chu. One box, twenty bottles, two thousand yuan.”

“Two thousand!” Chu Xingzhi turned to He Qinglan, clearly instructing her to pay.

He Qinglan frowned. “General Manager Chu, a check for two thousand is a bit small—hard to issue.”

Chu Xingzhi replied, “Just pay cash, then.”

When a bundle of red bills landed on Zhang He’s desk, Jiang Yao and General Manager Li were at a loss for words. The conversation was over, and Chu Xingzhi stood as if preparing to leave.

“General Manager Chu, please wait a few minutes—General Manager Li will fetch the product for you.” At this crucial moment, Jiang Yao kept her priorities straight; after all, this was business.

But Chu Xingzhi waved his hand dismissively. “Just deliver it to the Five-Star Group reception desk.”

Clearly, he didn’t care about the syrup at all; it seemed he’d come mainly to see Zhang He. As he left, he turned back, “Little Zhang, let’s have a meal together sometime?”

Now, not only did Jiang Yao’s eyes nearly pop out, but colleagues like Chu Bo and Yu Yan found it unbelievable—a Five-Star Group executive inviting a mere salesperson to dinner. Was Zhang He some second-generation official? Or a wealthy heir? Or maybe a legendary “Red Third Generation”?

But one glance at Zhang He’s jacket—likely worth no more than a hundred yuan, made of simple cloth—was enough to dispel those notions.

Watching Zhang He’s casual expression as he saw them off, everyone felt like crawling under their covers for three days, unable to make sense of what had just happened.

Zhang He answered blandly, “Sure, when I’m free. Safe travels, let’s keep in touch by phone.”