"Brother Qingfeng! You're amazing!" Billy gave Ye Qingfeng a big thumbs-up, his face full of admiration.
"Qingfeng, have some water..." Anby's expression and tone had noticeably softened as she poured him a cup of cooled water from the tea set on the table.
Flattered by the attention, Ye Qingfeng accepted the cup and drank half in one go.
Anby refilled it expressionlessly. Out of politeness, Ye Qingfeng picked it up and drank again. The two repeated this little dance several times.
Nicole watched the scene with immense satisfaction. Yes! This is how you win someone over with kindness! He's sure to stay!
Although she admired this newly acquired younger brother and hoped he would stay, if he later insisted on leaving, she wouldn't stop him either.
"Ahem!"
After a moment, Nicole seized an opportunity, cleared her throat lightly, and drew everyone's attention.
"Qingfeng, since you haven't officially joined yet, let me briefly explain the basic situation of the Cunning Hares. So you can think it over carefully."
Ye Qingfeng was genuinely moved—there really aren't many bosses who care for their employees like this! He looked at Nicole eagerly, waiting for her to continue.
"Since this is an agency, we take on commissions to earn money. When there's no work, you're free to do as you please, so it's quite flexible... Also, we provide meals and accommodation, and there's plenty of room for growth in our office..."
Nicole enthusiastically listed the benefits, carefully avoiding the topic of salary while observing Ye Qingfeng's reactions. Seeing him nod repeatedly with a satisfied look, she felt that his joining was practically a done deal.
"Nicole, you still haven't mentioned the salary," Anby reminded softly, a slight frown creasing her brow.
Anby recalled characters from movies with tragic pasts who endured hardships and eventually found success.
But Ye Qingfeng after finally getting out of jail, one might think he was on the path to success, only to be lured into the Cunning Hares by Nicole.
"Ah, right! How could I forget that!" Nicole shot Anby a displeased glance and forced an awkward laugh.
Billy and Anby exchanged looks, both convinced that Ye Qingfeng had been sweet-talked by Nicole and probably had no idea about the Cunning Hares' actual situation.
"Boss, to Qingfeng you can't not after all he's went through..." Billy couldn't bear to see Ye Qingfeng kept in the dark and quickly spoke up with a hint of warning.
Nicole's cute face flushed slightly.
Was she really trying to deceive Ye Qingfeng? The Cunning Hares was indeed struggling financially, on the verge of collapse. Yet here they were, all defending him after just after hearing his story. Billy was one thing, but even Anby was siding with him!
'Forget it... After all, he did call me "sister"!'
'Better to be honest and let things take their natural course!'
"Qingfeng... I'll be straight with you. The Cunning Hares is currently facing some cash flow issues, so salaries can only be paid when we have the funds..."
"Whether you stay or leave is up to you. Of course, if you choose to stay, we'll welcome you warmly and definitely won't let you go hungry. If you decide to leave..."
Thud—!
Ye Qingfeng slammed his hand on the table, the sharp sound cutting Nicole off. His voice, thick with emotion, rang out:
"Big Sis! What are you talking about!
"Didn't you say every encounter is fate? I just got out, and you're willing to take me into your company. You've been completely honest with me, not hiding anything!"
"I won't find another office as good as this anywhere. So if you'll have me, I'm definitely staying!"
Ye Qingfeng wasn't naive. From Anby and Billy's hints and the fact that salary hadn't been mentioned, he'd already guessed the agency was likely in financial trouble.
But at the very least, they provided food and shelter—more than enough for someone just starting out. Besides, it was only a temporary cash flow problem!
If everyone worked together, they could definitely turn things around!
Nicole felt both delighted and moved, her admiration for Ye Qingfeng shining plainly in her eyes. Look at him! So articulate! So much better than those other two!
As happy as she was, the top priority now was to get Ye Qingfeng to sign the contract!
"Of course I want you! Come, sign the contract quickly!"
Nicole pulled a contract from her desk drawer, along with a nearly dried-out pen, and eagerly placed them in front of him.
Ye Qingfeng skimmed the contract quickly. It looked standard, even a bit sparse, with just a few clauses. The last one read:
Under special circumstances, one may leave unconditionally at any time.
Without hesitation, he signed his name on the document.
"Qingfeng, aside from the money issue, we'll make sure you're satisfied in every other way. For example..." Now that Ye Qingfeng had officially joined the Cunning Hares, Billy immediately sat beside him and began enthusiastically listing the various benefits.
Ye Qingfeng listened intently, nodding from time to time.
"Still, we don't know much about you yet. What are your hobbies? Any favorite foods?"
Anby also sat down next to Ye Qingfeng, leaning in slightly with an expectant gleam in her eyes, her tone full of curiosity.
Nicole, too, focused her attention on Ye Qingfeng.
"I don't really have any specific hobbies or favorite foods..."
That was the truth. Having grown up in an orphanage, he'd never had the chance to cultivate hobbies during his years of struggle, and he'd never been picky about food!
Nicole's eyes sparkled with excitement; her mood was soaring. No hobbies = won't spend much money. No favorite foods = easy to feed.
'Today really is my lucky day! To land such a perfect employee—I've hit the jackpot!'
"Here, take these 5,000 Denny! Consider it an advance payment!"
"You just got out, so you must be short on cash. Just a short-term investment from me!"
Beaming, Nicole took out a stack of Denny and handed it to Ye Qingfeng.
She was usually the type to agonize over every single Denny she spent.
To be honest, 5,000 Denny wasn't much, thankfully, they'd just completed a commission, or she'd only have been able to scrape together 500, which would have been downright embarrassing...
D...Denny?
Wait, something felt off. Really off—more off than usual!
In just three years, currency couldn't have changed from Yuan to Denny!
No way... Could it be that I've crossed into another world?!
[Ding! Correct! I am your personal assistant, though you can also call me System.]
A voice suddenly echoed in Ye Qingfeng's mind, and his expression shifted from shock to utter astonishment.
He'd just blinked and he crossed worlds?!
For transmigrators, the biggest fear upon arriving in a new world is that their browsing history from the previous life hasn't been cleared. Luckily, his new phone hadn't been used yet before he was pulled over...
A cause for celebration! How fortunate... sniff...
"Um... 5,000 Denny does seem a bit little. How about I add another 3,000?"
Noticing the rapid shifts in Ye Qingfeng's expression, Nicole awkwardly scratched her cheek and asked in a tentative tone.
"N-no, it's fine..."
Ye Qingfeng quickly snapped back to reality, his gaze fixed on the stack of Denny on the table. Under the watchful eyes of the trio, he slowly reached out and took it.
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A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Honkai Impact 3rd, I Can Transform into a Valkyrie!
patreon.com/deadlygoober