Financial freedom starts from graduation

Chapter 620 Above the Clouds
Above the clouds.

The black and white Gulfstream G650 cruised smoothly through the air, with the blinding sunlight overhead and scattered clouds drifting below.

Inside the cabin, the "clack-clack" of high heels clicking on the thick carpet rang out. A flight attendant with a mature and charming face, around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, wearing a business suit, placed a freshly mixed drink in front of Zhou Wang, who was sitting by the window, gently sniffing a cigar.

"Mr. Zhou, your lemon cola with ice is here. Please enjoy!"

"Thank you."

After putting down the drinks, the flight attendant hesitated slightly. Seeing that Zhou Wang was just staring blankly at the clouds outside, seemingly not having anything important to do for the time being, she thought for a moment and then squatted down. Her skirt, wrapped in black stockings, stretched out a rounded curve under the full moon.

"Mr. Zhou, Mr. Cui asked me to inquire with you in person about the crew configuration. What are your thoughts on this? He sent you an email, but you haven't replied..."

Hearing the flight attendant's gentle question, Zhou Wang snapped out of his reverie. After a moment's thought, he remembered one of his many "read but not replied" emails, the one sent by Cui Yeqing, who had been promoted to vice president of Feitian General Aviation.

Zhou Wang has had the Gulfstream G650 for a long time, but he does not yet have his own crew. Both the pilots and flight attendants are temporarily assigned by Feitian General Aviation.

But it wasn't because they couldn't find people; quite the opposite, it was because they had too many options, and because, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the recruited crew members would all sign highly confidential and long-term employment contracts with Zhou Wang...

In other words, these people will be passively involved in many of Zhou Wang's private affairs, so the selection of these people is very important.

At most, Cui Yeqing could only list some suitable candidates for Zhou Wang in terms of resume and experience, but he could not directly overstep his bounds and make decisions for Zhou Wang. Moreover, there would be many hidden dangers in temporarily drawing people each time. Cui Yeqing was afraid that something might go wrong, which is why he was in such a hurry.

Zhou Wang was busy with other things, and also because Cui Yeqing had sent him an overwhelming number of resumes. The pilots were fine, but the flight attendant resumes were dizzying, as they all included full-body photos. At first, Zhou Wang was quite interested in looking through them, but after realizing that the long list seemed endless, he lost interest...

However, it's not hard to understand.

After all, when Zhou Wang entrusted Cui Yeqing to help him find a suitable candidate, Cui Yeqing had asked him about his salary and benefits standards.

After getting a general idea of ​​the industry's average salary, Zhou Wang casually remarked:
"Pilots earn an annual salary of three million, and flight attendants earn about five hundred thousand. They are covered by six types of insurance and two types of housing funds. They receive hourly pay for each flight, and there are also subsidies for overnight stays. In addition, after a certain number of years of service, they enjoy employee benefits such as salary increases, including housing and vehicles in designated cities."

Considering that, as Cui Yeqing said, the crew of a private jet are essentially half "close confidants," Zhou Wang, adhering to the principle of generosity, copied all the benefits that his assistant and driver enjoyed.

Of course, Zhou Wang didn't think these benefits were that outrageous, but he didn't know how much of a ripple his casual remark would cause in a certain circle.

For example, the flight attendant who was almost kneeling in front of Zhou Wang at this moment was named Du Jie. She was originally a first-class flight attendant for a major domestic airline. A couple of years ago, she had a burst of "artsy" tendencies and suddenly wanted to pursue poetry and distant places. So she quit many jobs that ordinary people envied and also gave up the opportunity to be promoted to chief flight attendant...

After finally gaining "freedom," Du Jie initially enjoyed a rather comfortable life.

She traveled to many places, enjoying food, drinks, and entertainment. Although she used to fly around a lot when she was a flight attendant, when work and life were completely separated, Du Jie naturally felt a long-lost sense of ease and joy.

But this lifestyle didn't last long before Du Jie realized something was wrong.

She originally had some savings and planned to relax for a year or two before finding a proper job and starting a new life. However, she never expected that her savings of nearly 100 million yuan would run out in less than three months...

She suddenly realized that when she was a flight attendant, no matter where she flew, she could at least save on travel and accommodation costs.

But now, she has to bear these costs herself.

Besides, she's seen so much of the world, and even if she tries to restrain herself from buying luxury goods, she's still used to a high-quality lifestyle. No matter how much she tries to save, her monthly expenses can't be less than five figures...

So when Du Jie realized that her idea was unrealistic, she had no choice but to find another way to go back to working honestly.

Unfortunately, given the current economic climate, the performance of major airlines has declined to varying degrees, unlike in previous years. While some smaller airlines are willing to take her on, it's clear they won't let her start directly as a first-class flight attendant, and the compensation would be significantly lower than before...

Just as Du Jie was secretly pondering whether she should put aside some of her pride and find another way, she suddenly saw a forwarded recruitment notice in a professional flight attendant group.

"An annual salary of 500,000 with full insurance coverage, plus hourly pay?"

Just seeing these two points, Du Jie already felt that they must be fake, not to mention the later "buying a house and a car".

The profession of flight attendant may seem glamorous to outsiders, but the lowest-ranking flight attendants only earn around 8,000 to 10,000 yuan a month. Even for chief flight attendants, it is rare for a monthly salary to exceed 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Flight attendants who have been working normally for several years have an average monthly income of around 15,000 to 25,000 yuan.

It's important to note that "hourly pay" is the bulk of a flight attendant's regular salary. It's through working tirelessly day after day without rest or taking sick leave that they accumulate a five-figure salary.

But Zhou Wang's job posting was clearly the complete opposite.

Even if they don't fly for a month and just lie at home every day, they can still earn 40,000 to 50,000 yuan a month. Not to mention that they are working on private jets. Anyone with a brain knows that even if they can't really not fly for a month, the frequency of their flights must be much lower than when they were working for an airline...

Is this an invitation for them to come to work?

This is clearly "keeping a mistress"...

So even after confirming that the source of the information was genuine, Du Jie still had doubts until she made further inquiries and learned that the person behind it was named "Zhou Wang".

Like many other flight attendants, Du Jie became excited on the spot.

If it's "King Zhou," then even if other services are required, it doesn't seem impossible... "King" is a nickname given to Zhou Wang by a group of female fans online, inspired by the homonym of Zhou Wang's name, "King Zhou," which was how the concubines and subordinates of the Shang Dynasty addressed King Zhou.

Du Jie's appearance on the Gulfstream G650, becoming a member of this temporary crew, was the result of countless efforts and painful purchases of gifts to smooth things over...

If she didn't make a deep impression on Zhou Wang this time, she didn't dare to think she would have such a good opportunity next time, or whether she could compete with those younger, slutty girls.

Although Cui Yeqing wanted Zhou Wang to quickly set up his own crew, he certainly wouldn't rush him. So, what Du Jie said was actually her way of testing Zhou Wang's thoughts.

Of course, she was also very bold, daring to directly use Cui Yeqing's name.

In the past, Zhou Wang might have believed it, but with his current experience, he could immediately see the slight unease in her lowered eyes. However, Zhou Wang didn't say much. He just glanced at the nameplate on her full chest, remembered her name, and nodded, saying, "Please tell President Cui that I will reply to him as soon as possible."

Noticing that Zhou Wang's gaze lingered on her chest for a moment, Du Jie's heart pounded. But seeing that Zhou Wang didn't make any further moves, she didn't dare to openly flirt with him. She could only give him another sweet smile before getting up and leaving.

"If you like, you can pretend I don't exist."

As Zhou Wang was lost in thought, staring at the flight attendant's back, a cold voice came from behind him.

Although his tone clearly revealed some displeasure, his voice was clear and ethereal, with a texture like jade. Just by looking at this beautiful voice, one could tell that the owner of the voice must have an outstanding appearance.

When Zhou Wang turned around, it was indeed so. The girl with the high ponytail had sword-like eyebrows that were rare among women, which made her eyes look particularly bright and spirited. Her clean features were flawless, and she exuded a heroic spirit.

Her temperament is like a sharp ray of light, not only bright but even a little dazzling.

Hearing the girl's tone, which was clearly somewhat sarcastic, Zhou Wang couldn't help but ask in surprise, "But I never even considered you to exist!"

"you……"

The girl instantly became furious and got up to leave.

"Hey, hey, just kidding, just kidding... With such a beautiful woman like you sitting next to me, how could I possibly have any feelings for these ordinary girls?"

Zhou Wang quickly pulled her back, smiling apologetically.

"Then why don't you dare say the words 'common and vulgar' a little louder?"

The girl was clearly not so easily fooled. She glanced at the flight attendant's figure, who was still not far away, and just sneered.

"I have no grudge against them, why would I want to harm them?"

Zhou Wang said helplessly, then said seriously, "I only saw her back just now, and it suddenly reminded me of an old friend..."

The girl didn't believe it at all and was already sneering, "You old friend, are you also one of those...that spas in Australia? Do you usually wear uniforms like this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wang didn't even have time to describe that he did indeed have an old friend named Cheng Yiyi, and his expression became somewhat awkward.

The spirited girl with a single ponytail who wasn't very friendly to him was none other than his senior's best friend, Qu Peining.

While in Pengcheng, Zhou Wang's series of shady actions of eavesdropping on her thoughts led the confused Qu Peining to subconsciously fall into a choice trap: whether or not to become Zhou Wang's so-called "security consultant".

She completely forgot that when she woke up in the nightclub's VIP lounge that morning, she had only intended to find Zhou Wang, demand an explanation, and then disappear from his life, staying far away from him...

Zhou Wang gave her a week to consider it, and then the day before she left Australia for South Korea, he contacted her to ask how her decision was going.

To Zhou Wang's utter surprise, Qu Peining was actually in Macau.

He sensed something was wrong then, and sure enough, upon seeing Qu Peining, her first words were full of disappointment:
"Zhou Wang, I know you're a lecher, but why go to places like that... Don't you think it's disgusting?"

If it were before, the naive Qu Peining might not have known what that spa was for, but after her experience at the No. 9 Club in Shanghai, and seeing so many girls dressed in various styles coming and going, how could Qu Peining not understand?

Zhou Wang couldn't explain it either. When he heard that Qu Peining was also in Macau, he knew that this silly girl had followed him all over Hong Kong Island and Macau Island during the week she disappeared.

As for why Gao Xing didn't remind him, Zhou Wang could figure it out...

After all, Qu Peining came from Shanghai in this state, and Gao Xing was unaware of the entanglement between the two. He probably assumed that Zhou Wang already knew.

Although Qu Peining saw some things she shouldn't have seen, Zhou Wang didn't really need her answer.

Even after all this, they still followed behind me and didn't leave, which is no different from saying "I'm willing".

So Zhou Wang immediately asked Qi Jiayi to draft a contract template, but Qu Peining was clearly still a little embarrassed and refused to agree, saying that she hadn't thought it through yet.

Zhou Wang was good at giving people a way out, so he immediately said, "There's a one-month trial period after signing the contract. If you feel it's not suitable, you can always refuse me then..."

Sure enough, after hearing Zhou Wang's words, Qu Peining, though still reluctant, acquiesced.

That's why on December 10th, the two of them took a private plane to South Korea.

Besides Cui Min'er, those accompanying her included Gao Xing, Xiao Wang, and other members of the security team, as well as Qi Jiayi's assistant, Sura.

Sura came along partly to connect with the overseas legal team, and partly to act as Zhou Wang's translator when Cui Min'er was not around... Although she was only Qi Jiayi's assistant, Sura was fluent in five languages, including Korean.

"That day was also a misunderstanding. I have a senior from university who happens to work at that store..."

"Wow, you know a lot of people."

Qu Peining said with a cold laugh, shook off Zhou Wang's hand, and walked towards the bathroom.

Zhou Wang didn't insist on chasing after her to explain. After all, he knew that Qu Peining wasn't really angry about him "peeking" at the flight attendant. She was just feeling ashamed of herself for agreeing to be Zhou Wang's cheap bodyguard again without thinking.

Even if we only consider the trial period, there's still a month left, so we can take our time to coax them.

Zhou Wang put down his cigar, then took out a Da Zhong Jiu cigarette instead. He looked up at the window, his gaze sweeping across the azure sea, where he could already vaguely see the outline of the peninsula...

(End of this chapter)