Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing sighed heavily, shook her head helplessly, and slowly said, "It's such a waste to just leave my money there! I might as well use it to invest. Lately, I've been keeping an eye on various projects, but with my tiny investment, I'm afraid it wouldn't even make a splash! Besides, I think your messing around in Shanghai isn't going anywhere. It's better for you to just go back to Shenzhen. If you really don't want to come back, you can go to Guangzhou to develop your career."

Zhang Yongle was displeased when he heard this. He quickly retorted, "That's not true. My dad and I came to Shanghai this time and specifically contacted a lot of old friends. But over time, our relationships have indeed become a little distant. We've been so far apart for so long and haven't been in touch much. Even if we do see each other now, it's just a meal together at most. How can we say we have any deep friendships? But thankfully, I've already found a contact in Shanghai and will be starting soon. I may have to travel back and forth between the two places in the future."

Hearing this, Zhang Jing's face instantly darkened. She raised her voice and said, "If that's what you said, then you don't know when you'll be able to pay me back if you borrow money from me. Humph, I've decided not to lend you the money!"

Zhang Yongle was immediately furious and shouted, "Well, woman, you are truly heartless and ungrateful to the extreme! I have always treated you as my own sister!"

Zhang Jing showed no sign of backing down and responded coldly, "Your father is worried all day long about you starving to death on the streets. So I'll keep this money for you. When you really have nowhere else to turn, come back to me for it!"

After saying this, Zhang Yongle angrily cursed a few times and then hung up the phone. On the other side, Zhang Jing breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

She thought to herself, dealing with these people every day, battling wits and courage, is really tiring! It seems that from now on, she must hold on tightly to the purse in her hand and never let go easily.

Based on the unique structure and layout of Zhang Jing's house, the designer meticulously drew two sets of design drawings, each with its own distinct style and ingenuity. These drawings were respectfully presented to Zhang Jing for her choice. However, even with her advanced aesthetic vision, which came from a later era, Zhang Jing didn't feel the slightest bit satisfied when she examined the two designs.

Thus began a long and tortuous journey of rework. After five or six rounds of back-and-forth, the staff in charge of the connection gradually grew dissatisfied. They even began to suspect that Zhang Jing was deliberately making things difficult for them. Finally, unable to tolerate it any longer, they lashed out at Zhang Jing with a harsh remark: "If you're still so dissatisfied, you can find another company! We can't serve you, you difficult person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jing flew into a rage, shaking with anger. Furious, she immediately called the original contact and engaged in a heated argument. Fortunately, the contact was considerate of their relationship, having established a partnership through an acquaintance. Unwilling to provoke a confrontation, he soothed Zhang Jing's indignation with kind words and promised to take immediate action to resolve the issue.

Sure enough, not long after, a young man named Xiao Zhang, who had just entered the workforce from college, appeared before Zhang Jing. He was said to have been specially assigned to take over Zhang Jing's previous job and continue to provide high-quality services.

"Sister, don't get so angry. Tell me what your ideal home should look like. Feel free to tell me, the more detailed the better. I'll slowly start drawing, and then we can discuss how to improve it." Xiao Zhang was handsome and elegant, especially his bright, expressive eyes, which seemed to read people's hearts. Even Zhang Jing, who always prided herself on her calmness and composure, was momentarily lost in thought when she saw Xiao Zhang's handsome face.

But she soon came to her senses and secretly laughed at herself in her heart, wondering how she could be so out of control and almost be seduced by the male beauty.

After calming down a bit, Zhang Jing unpacked her innermost thoughts and expectations about the house renovation to Xiao Zhang in detail. Xiao Zhang listened attentively, occasionally asking crucial questions to further understand Zhang Jing's true needs.

In this way, the two of them exchanged questions and answers. After a long and in-depth communication, Xiao Zhang finally understood exactly what Zhang Jing's dream home should look like. In the days that followed, Xiao Zhang toiled day and night, constantly revising and improving the design drawings.

Hard work pays off. When Zhang Jing finally nodded in satisfaction and readily paid, Xiao Zhang was overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude. After all, he was just a fledgling intern designer. The reason he was assigned to handle such a difficult client as Zhang Jing was because everyone thought she was too picky and demanding.

Although Xiao Zhang was well aware of his good looks, he hated using his looks to please others. Therefore, earning Zhang Jing's recognition and praise for his professional abilities was undoubtedly a tremendous encouragement and affirmation for him.

Zhang Jing's meticulously crafted design was gently presented to him like a precious gift. There were two reasons for this: first, he was new to the job, and everyone felt he had a tough, resilient character, capable of withstanding the challenges of this potentially tedious task; and second, his striking appearance—handsome and sunny—led everyone to the hope that such a charming face would calm Zhang Jing's somewhat unnatural anger.

If Zhang Jing knew her unique ideas for house decoration would lead people to mistake her for a psychopath, she would have been furious and taught those who made wild guesses a lesson. But then again, Xiao Zhang did contribute many constructive opinions and ideas during the drawing process, which made Zhang Jing look at him differently.

Finally, the design drawing, the product of their countless efforts and wisdom, was completed. When it was presented to everyone, both Zhang Jing and the relevant personnel praised it highly. Consequently, the subsequent signing and payment process went exceptionally smoothly, as if everything had come naturally.

Taking into account the significant differences in climate and environment between the north and south, Zhang Jing, after careful consideration, proposed to the design company whether she could hire Xiao Zhang to oversee the renovation process. Furthermore, she generously stated that she would cover all expenses.

Once the news reached the design company, it caused an uproar. Even the company's boss, upon hearing the news, made the decision without hesitation. Not only did he agree to Zhang Jing's request, he also announced on the spot: Xiao Zhang would be promoted to a full-time employee ahead of schedule.

Immediately afterwards, the company made arrangements to send Xiao Zhang on a business trip to Northeast China, to Zhang Jing's hometown, so that he could personally supervise the progress and quality of the entire renovation project and take beautiful photos as a successful case for archiving.

Who would have thought that what was originally just an ordinary business deal would actually travel from the bustling Shenzhen, across thousands of mountains and rivers, and directly fly to a remote small county in Northeast China. One can only sigh: having money really allows you to do whatever you want!

Zhang Jing's face flushed with excitement. She couldn't wait to call her mother, her voice filled with uncontrollable joy. "Mom, I have good news! I've found someone to help us design the renovation plan for the house! I've also arranged for someone to oversee the progress. All you need to do is contact a reliable local renovation team to take over the work, and you'll be done!"

My mother on the other end of the phone was suddenly panicked when she heard the news. She bombarded me with questions like a machine gun: "Hey, Xiaojing, what kind of person did you find to do the job? Is he reliable? Where is he from? How did you get to know him?"

Facing her mother's anxious questioning, Zhang Jing calmly replied, "Mom, don't worry. This person is called Xiao Zhang, and he was recommended by a friend. He's very down-to-earth and capable, and his company has done many similar renovation projects and has a very good reputation. And his family is also in the north, so communication will be convenient. As for food and accommodation, you don't have to worry about it at all. We don't need to worry about that."

Then, Zhang Jing continued to explain to her mother, "When the time comes, all you need to do is give him the key to my house and take him to see the house in person. Xiao Zhang will take care of everything else, and we don't have to get involved at all."

As Xiao Zhang was about to leave, Zhang Jing patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Xiao Zhang, if this house can be perfectly presented according to our design drawings and the quality can pass the inspection smoothly, I will have a big reward! I will give you an extra 2 yuan as a reward!"

Xiao Zhang was stunned for a moment, then an ecstatic expression appeared on his face. He nodded quickly and said, "Thank you, sister. You can rest assured! This is not only a task you assigned to me, but also the first important work in my career. I will do my best to make it the best it can be!"

Zhang Jing thought for a moment and added, "Oh, right, Xiao Zhang, the climate in the north is special, and we experience thermal expansion and contraction. So when you get to the site, you must first understand the situation and adjust the construction details accordingly. Also, I've heard that some people move in and live in their homes for a week or so before officially starting renovations. This way, they can quickly identify any areas that aren't working well, and then make unified adjustments and renovations. If you think this method is feasible, you might want to give it a try."

Xiao Zhang's eyes moistened slightly, and she said with a trembling voice, "Sister Zhang, I'll remember this! Thank you so much for your trust in me! This trust is invaluable to me. I will definitely do my best to live up to your expectations!"

Zhang Jing smiled and gently patted Xiao Zhang's shoulder. She said in a friendly yet firm tone, "Xiao Zhang, I actually bought a house in Shanghai, and it's not expected to be delivered until the year after next. And here in Shenzhen, we have several resettlement houses. All my friends and family have nearly ten houses in total. As long as our cooperation goes smoothly this time and everyone does an excellent job, Sister Zhang will definitely maintain a long-term cooperative relationship with you!"

Hearing this, Xiao Zhang became even more excited. His eyes widened, sparkling with excitement, as if he saw an infinitely bright future right before his eyes. He quickly said, "Sister Zhang, don't worry! I promise to treat your house like my own and renovate it with all my heart! Every detail will be meticulously addressed, and absolutely no effort will be spared! Please trust me and wait patiently for my good news!"

Zhang Jing was very satisfied with Xiao Zhang's enthusiasm. She said goodbye to Xiao Zhang with a smile and prayed that the shot of chicken blood she had just given Xiao Zhang would have a big enough effect.

However, what Zhang Jing did not expect was that when the design company she commissioned learned the feedback information brought back by Xiao Zhang, they decided without hesitation to send an additional employee to travel to the Northeast region.

They were determined to renovate Zhang Jing's house to perfection, hoping to secure the enticing partnership opportunities and lucrative rewards she'd promised them. They also planned to keep Zhang Jing's renovated house as a sample for their company's renovations, as many of her decorating ideas had opened up new perspectives for the designers.