money player

When thinking about pre-cooked meals, Sin Yiu-man lists several American companies related to pre-cooked meals in his mind: Campbell Soup, Libby, Heinz, Swanson, Hormel, Stoffel, Burz, and General Mills.

Then he realized he had probably taken too big a step. None of these eight companies were simple. Even the youngest, General Mills, had been around for 23 years and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, was expected to thrive for the next seventy years and soon enter the Fortune 500, followed by the Fortune Global 500.

Wait, a Fortune 500 company?
He suddenly realized that Fortune magazine hadn't compiled this list yet. If he remembered correctly, the first issue was in 55, and General Motors was at the top of the list.

He had barely conceived the idea of ​​creating a Fortune 500 list when he immediately abandoned it. Fortune's position among American business people was already deeply entrenched, and it would be unwise to launch a similar magazine to compete with it.

Moreover, Fortune is not a rootless duckweed; it has its mother, Time Inc., its older brother, Time Magazine, and its younger brother, Life Magazine. Putting aside personal connections, in terms of financial resources alone, Time Magazine's boss, Henry Luce from Shandong, could point a green onion at his nose and say, "You think you can compete with me, you little bear?"

Without a widely read business magazine and good relationships with companies, compiling a Fortune 500 list would lack data support and would only make one a laughing stock.

Since things were beyond his control, he turned his attention back to pre-made dishes.

Although there are already eight major players, pre-cooked food is still in the exploratory stage. It can definitely break into the market with new ideas, such as stir-fried noodles.

After a long day at work, all I want to do when I get home is lie on the sofa, watch TV, and drink a beer. I don't want to spend time cooking dinner. If there were a food that you could just open the package, pour in tap water, wait a few minutes, and eat, that would be wonderful.

He had a great idea: to develop a stir-fry noodle instant bowl and then incorporate the concept of a self-heating pot, using a heating pack for heating.

He pondered for a moment, sorted out his thoughts, and came up with a preliminary plan—to register a new brand, "TV Dinner," under the Shi Ye brand, and develop a series of pre-made dishes bundled with television, with fried noodles being just one of the products.

The English word "Chow Mein" has already spread to a certain extent in the United States, but it has not become a specific word. It can be registered as a brand, and then compete with Chinese restaurants to take the lead in popularizing the taste. The "noodles" in "Chow Mein" can be defined as a bulk instant noodle produced by Shi Ye.

In this way, in the later stages, Shi Ye instant noodles could ride the coattails of Chinese restaurants. Wherever Chinese restaurants sold their fried noodles, Shi Ye instant noodles' influence followed closely.

Having formed a basic idea, he temporarily put the matter aside and focused on eating noodles and reading the newspaper.

After finishing his meal, he called Dabis Advertising. Ava hadn't finished get off work yet, so they arranged to meet at the Golden Finger Bar, the place where they first met.

More than an hour later, he appeared at the Golden Finger Bar, where Ava was already there, sitting at the bar with another woman.

The woman had red, wavy hair, wore a purple silk blouse and pencil skirt, and had a classic hourglass figure, similar to Marilyn Monroe, but with measurements of approximately 36-26-36, making her even more exaggerated than Marilyn Monroe.

As he walked forward, he had a better frontal view; the woman's skin was porcelain white, and her few freckles contrasted sharply with her red hair.

A full, heart-shaped face with a wide forehead, pointed chin, and a smooth jawline, combining softness and strength. High, defined cheekbones, yet not overly sharp, add a touch of maturity without appearing harsh.

Her large, round, blue-green eyes droop slightly at the corners, giving her an air of languid mystery. She has very thick eyelashes and wears a light smoky eye.

A small, straight nose with a rounded tip balances the intensity of the facial features.

Full, M-shaped lips with a prominent upper lip arch, slightly parted in a natural state, exuding desire and provocation.
The lip color is a saturated rose red, giving it a retro feel.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the woman's thighs, which were thicker than his own, before he moved to Ava's side. "Hi, beautiful lady, you look like Eve. May I buy you a drink?"

Upon hearing this, Ava turned her head and said with a smile, "Hey, gentleman, you look like Adam. I'll allow you to buy me a couple of drinks and ask me to dance."

“I’m so sorry, I only brought enough money for two drinks. I’ll have one for myself.” Xian Yaowen sat down next to Ava and extended his right hand to the woman beside him. “Adam.”

The woman extended her hand and shook his hand gently. "Mr. Hepburn, I am Christina."

Xian Yaowen withdrew his hand. "So, you're colleagues?"

“I am Darbis’s office manager,” Christina said.

"Wow!" Sin Yiu-man exclaimed, "Incredible! I thought you were a model, and I was just about to invite you to my company."

Ava asked, "You want to recruit Christina to the Flower Society?"

“No, another company,” Xian Yaowen replied, then said to Christina, “Sorry, I thought you were a cute little girl like Ava…”

Before he could finish speaking, Ava retorted angrily, "Who's the pretty face?"

[Sweetie, Doll, Eye Candy: stereotypes of women in 1950s Hollywood movies, advertisements, and popular culture; for example, Marilyn Monroe was basically portrayed as a blonde, naive, and innocent woman.]
“Your beauty has deeply attracted me, but I haven’t had time to discover your wisdom.” Xian Yaowen shrugged. “Eve, you do have wisdom, don’t you?”

“My wisdom will soon be smashing into your nose,” Ava retorted, then said to the bartender, “A Manhattan for this gentleman.”

"Classical, thank you."

"Adam, only old guys drink classics."

Sin Yiu-man picked up the cherry that was used as decoration on Ava's wine glass and put it in his mouth. "I prefer orange peel to cherry."

Ava glanced at him. "I plan to save this for last."

"You can have another one."

"I won't be polite."

Xian Yaowen said to Christina, "Christina, it was just a joke, don't mind it."

Christina gave him a look that said, "I don't care."

Ava: "You just got back to New York?"

"I just got off the plane today."

"In Hong Kong before?"

"Taiwan is about to enter typhoon season, so there's nothing I can do there. That's why I flew to New York to do something else."

"Your business has expanded to Taiwan?"

"uh-huh."

"Magazine?"

"No, it's my main job."

Ava's eyes suddenly lit up. "Adam, you told me before that you were going to run an underwear brand. Was that a secret?"

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly, "You guessed right."

Christina, who had been listening to their conversation, had a glint in her eyes.

"Your underwear is too expensive. I need a membership card."

Secret stores will proactively offer membership cards to major clients, which not only allow them to enjoy discounts but also accumulate points. Of course, some limited-edition items are only available to members.

“No problem, I’ll give it to you next time.” With that, Xian Yaowen looked at Christina, “Would I have the honor of giving you a secret membership card?”

Christina smiled faintly and said, "Of course."

"Adam, did you orchestrate the secret Paris launch event?"

"Yes."

"Advertising agencies are all studying this, Adam, your idea is brilliant."

Sin Yiu-man picked up the glass the bartender had set down, took the orange peel from the rim, raised his glass and said, "Thank you for the compliment. Let's toast to the moonlight tonight."

After a sip of wine, the three began to chat about some lighthearted topics.

Ava: "Beckie von Furstenberg and Conrad Hilton Jr. are together and will probably get married."

Christina: "How long have Conrad Jr. and Elizabeth Taylor been divorced, six months?"

"almost."

"What does Becky like about Conrad Jr.? Gambling, alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence. Elizabeth miscarried because he kicked her in the stomach. Isn't Becky afraid?"

"Perhaps it's because of money that the Hilton family is so wealthy."

Sin Yiu-man didn't join in the gossip, but he did recall meeting Zsa Zsa Gabo in Paris. By seniority, Zsa Zsa Gabo was Elizabeth Taylor's former mother-in-law.

After discussing Elizabeth Taylor, Ava and her partner went on to talk about Rita Hayworth and Ali Khan's marital crisis; Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's May-December romance; Rock Hudson's fake date with Piper Laurie to cover up his sexual orientation; and Judy Garland's long-term use of drugs by MGM to control her weight and emotions, leading to a mental breakdown and her admission to a mental hospital.

The topics were all celebrity gossip, and Sin Yiu-man never participated, but even if he didn't take the initiative, he would be the one to take the initiative.

"Adam, Mr. Simpson of the Flower Society was photographed by reporters leaving a hotel with Marilyn Monroe. Are the two of them having an affair?"

"The two of them have no relationship; they probably went to the hotel to discuss work."

"Does the Flower Society always go to hotels to discuss work?" Ava teased.

"Not necessarily. I like to invite people to my home to talk about work. After the fun time, I'll come home with you because I have work to discuss with you."

“Ha,” Christina laughed.

Ava rolled her eyes. "Adam, I have no interest in a playboy like you. Don't try anything with me."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged. "I'm sorry, and I'm sorry for you too. In fact, I do want to talk to you about something, maybe tomorrow at lunch or dinner?"

"Dinner, 6:30."

"OK."

"I'm going to the restroom, Christina, want to come with me?"

"I do not need."

Upon hearing this, Ava got up and went to the bathroom alone.

Xian Yaowen raised his glass to Christina, "How long have you been working at Darbis?"

"Five years."

“I’ve been to Dabis, but I haven’t seen you. You’re very special. If I had seen you, I would definitely remember you.”

Christina smiled faintly, "I guess I just happened to be taking a day off."

“Perhaps.” Xian Yaowen gestured with the hand holding the glass toward Christina. “I apologize again for what happened with ‘Little Cutie’ before.”

"I didn't mind. Cheers."

"cheers."

Sin Yiu-man was interested in Christina, not only physically, but also in her abilities.

The main responsibilities of an office manager at an advertising company include managing the team of secretaries, stenographers, and telephone operators; meeting the needs of senior management; and organizing company events.

More specifically, it requires coordinating the relationship between the boss and senior executives, participating in the management of the company's finances, and urging and reminding male employees to fulfill their responsibilities to customers.

Basically, this is equivalent to a secretary or confidante who doesn't have a very close working relationship with the boss. Christina is only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and Dabis is probably her first job. Considering that she has worked there for five years, she was most likely promoted from a regular secretary.

A woman who faced discrimination in the workplace rose to the position of office manager in just five years or less, demonstrating her remarkable abilities.

Christina also had a good impression of Sin Yiu-man. He was visibly young and handsome, and she could tell he was wealthy from just a few words. He was also humorous and witty, and chatting with him was very interesting. If this kind of fun could continue, she might not be lonely tonight.

"Adam, do you fly around so often?"

"My business is in a period of rapid expansion, and the pace is very fast. The development of the management team cannot keep up. I need to do many things personally. So, I am in New York today, in Taiwan tomorrow, and may be in Paris the day after tomorrow. I am always on the move."

"Actually, this is not bad, you can travel everywhere."

“You’re imagining things too beautifully. To me, Paris and New York are no different. I’m busy working during the day and don’t have time to appreciate the scenery. I only have time at night. If you agree that women are also a kind of scenery, then yes, I travel all over the place.”

Christina smiled and said, "So, you're the playboy Ava was talking about?"

“Hmm, I don’t deny that.” Sin Yiu-man raised his glass. “Another toast to you, beautiful Lady Scenery.”

"what."

Christina was not offended by Sin Yiu-man's directness. She raised her glass in response, "Cheers, Mr. Playboy."

After taking another sip of wine, their private conversation came to an end. Ava returned, and the two women didn't continue gossiping. Instead, they pulled Sin Yiu-man into a more casual conversation.

At 10 o'clock, the happy hour at the bar was coming to an end. The men and women who had hooked up with each other were already leaving. Sin Yiu-man and his two companions finished their last drink and left the bar together.

"Ava, where do you live?"

“It’s very close, I can go back by myself.”

"Christina?"

"I live in Chelsea."

“I live in Greenwich, we’re close by, I’ll take you home.”

"OK."

The three parted ways, and Christina got into Sin Yiu-man's car.

When the car arrived near Greenwich Village along the main road, it stopped heading towards Chelsea and instead turned into the village.

Christina noticed, but said nothing. Since she got on the bus, she had already tacitly accepted what was happening.

After getting out of the car, the two entered the building. Christina, who was already somewhat drunk, took Xian Yaowen's arm and was led forward by him. When he opened the door, Christina's entire weight was hanging on his arm.

The door opened, and the two stepped inside. Christina suddenly stumbled, put one hand on the wall, and then leaned her back against it, saying, "Ha, ah~".

Sin Yiu-man leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Christina's. Christina stood on tiptoe, bringing her face close to his, her nose touching his, her breath reeking of alcohol. She wrapped one arm around his back and the other clutched the chest of his shirt.

What are we doing?

"I do not know."

Christina kissed Xian Yaowen a few times, then leaned her head against the wall and whispered, "I have a boyfriend, and we'll probably get married. That means you're my last romantic encounter."

“I’ve been married for a long time.” Xian Yaowen rubbed his nose against Christina’s. “Believe me, you have many more opportunities.”

Christina sighed and pressed her forehead against Xian Yaowen's. "Today is my birthday. I just remembered. Nobody reminded me."

"today?"

"Today."

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday, dear christina, Happy birthday to you."

Amid Christina's laughter, Sin Yiu-man finished humming "Happy Birthday," and said, "If you don't mind it being so late, you'll see a birthday cake when you wake up tomorrow morning. I'll make it for you."

"Really?" Christina asked in disbelief.

"uh-huh."

Christina covered Xian Yaowen's mouth again, but this time she did not give up easily. Instead, she became more and more aggressive and pushed Xian Yaowen into the bedroom in one go. She took out his belt and tie, tied his hands apart to the headboard, and then took off her own silk scarf and stuffed it into his mouth.

She straddled Sin Yiu-man's lap, leisurely lighting a cigarette. "Adam, you are my birthday present. Welcome to hell."

Sin Yiu-man closed his eyes, appearing ready to be slaughtered.

"Hahaha~" (End of this chapter)