Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 40 Diverging Paths

Nan Zhuren raised an eyebrow.

The same reward as when I completed the [Monthly Goal] last time?

Three guesses suddenly popped into his mind:

The rewards for the Psychological Ability Training are completely random; whichever reward you receive is pure luck.

Second, the rewards for [Psychological Ability Training] are always the same, and will keep increasing by +1+1+1 until the maximum value is reached before changing to another reward.

Third, since the [Psychological Ability Training] is a reward for the [Monthly Goal], the reward may be the same for the current month. Only after the next month will the reward for completing the [Monthly Goal] change.

As for which situation it is, further verification is needed.

"Speaking of which, my [Emotional Soothing Ability (Voice)] is now at [+2]," Nan Zhuren pondered. "Shouldn't there be some major changes by now?"

……

"We don't need to change!"

The angry voices couldn't be blocked by the soundproof walls; they penetrated the office partitions and reached the ears of everyone in the office area.

The sleeping counselor was startled awake. The counselor who was looking at the thighs quickly closed the browser. The counselor who was playing a game also silently pressed "X" to prevent his career and the little character he controlled in the game from going to a black screen.

The consultants, unusually, began to look through various materials, putting on an act as if they were working hard.

Because the source of that loud sound was the boss's office.

Behind the blinds, on the other side of the soundproof glass, Howard repeatedly made downward pressing motions with his hands, begging Weng Pingting for mercy.

"Keep your voice down. It's working hours now, and there are employees outside. There might even be visitors inside the consultation room right now."

"You studied psychology, how come you have absolutely no emotional management skills..."

Seeing that Weng Pingting's eyes were starting to look more dangerous, Howard quickly stopped talking and steered the conversation back to where it started.

Howard gave a fawning smile: "Let's get back to what we were talking about before—I've already signed the contract."

Weng Pingting looked incredulous: "When?"

"yesterday."

"I've been watching you all day!"

"...when you are giving a consultation."

Weng Pingting pressed her heaving chest, her voice incredulous: "So, you really did rent another studio space in the heart of Zhongjiang Road's commercial district?"

Howard nodded slowly: "Yes."

Weng Pingting was so angry she could barely speak: "Do you know how much our revenue is this month? Why don't you open the curtains and see how idle the consultants outside are!"

It's no wonder that Weng Pingting is so angry.

The situation at Yannuo Center is really not good right now.

Yan Nuo has only been established for a few months and has not yet made a name for itself in the industry. At present, most of the consultations are actually attracted by the reputation of Weng Pingting, the consulting director.

From another perspective, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Weng Pingting has raised the entire Yan Nuo family.

A senior consultant can only provide a limited number of consultations, and with the center supporting so many consultants, Yan Nuo's financial situation is actually quite unfavorable.

Let alone making a lot of money, just maintaining a balance between income and expenditure is actually quite difficult.

In this situation, Howard, the boss, actually took over another shop in the core business district of Zhongjiang Road.

“Pingting, listen to me, you really should go check out that shop.” Howard said confidently, “It’s by the river, in the commercial center. The foot traffic and the economic level of the visitors are on a completely different level compared to here. We were too conservative to set up our first office in the law firm building. This place is too remote, and many visitors are unwilling to come here after knowing the location…”

Weng Pingting interrupted, "How much is the rent?" Howard gritted his teeth, "Forty-eight thousand a month."

Weng Pingting pressed further: "That place is a 20-kilometer drive from the current office. How do you resolve any conflicts that might arise with the visitor's schedule?"

Howard replied, "I'll take a taxi; the fare will be reimbursed by the finance department."

Exhausted, Weng Pingting pressed her throbbing temples, feeling her skin begin to dry out: "Do you know how many more consultations our counselors will need to do each month to make up for this shortfall? Besides, the important thing right now isn't that counselors aren't doing consultations, but that there are no clients! The psychological counseling market in Jiangdu is only so big, and many of my clients are referred from other provinces through my connections!"

"We'll soon be running into a deficit. Let's cancel that office contract now and pay the penalty. Getting this place done is more important than anything else..."

Howard interrupted Weng Pingting before she could finish speaking.

"We've discussed this before. You handle the professional matters, I won't interfere; I'll handle the management matters, you don't need to worry about them."

Howard still had a smile on his face, but Weng Pingting knew perfectly well that the smile had become a social, perfunctory one.

She could tell what Howard's true expression was right now.

“We live in the internet age now. I’ve already contacted a team that’s very experienced in online lead generation and promotion. We can use online psychological counseling to expand our reach to Chinese communities across the country and even overseas!”

Howard vividly described Yan Nuo's blueprint: "They are still in the handover process with the previous client. I have read their report, and it is very effective. The riverside office I rented was even prepared for them."

"As for the fact that we will indeed suffer some losses before they arrive, I have thought about that as well..."

Weng Pingting became alert; her eyes caught something she didn't want to see: "What are you thinking?"

Howard took a deep breath: "I think..."

boom!
An even angrier voice came from the boss's office.

The counselors sat up straight and, unusually, began to look through the files of visitors coming tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even the day after that.

Their eyes were fixed on the table, their gazes following the boss's figure. They watched Howard escape from the office, watched him survey the room with feigned authority, and watched him hesitate around, unable to find the place, before heading towards the break room.

"Xonan?"

Nan Zhuren stood in the tea room, holding a freshly brewed coffee, and looked at Howard with some surprise.

Are you slacking off in the break room during work hours?

Howard felt that the suppressed anger he had just felt in the office was about to burst forth.

"you……"

Howard was preparing to exercise his duties and powers as the boss.

"Boss? Would you like a coffee?"

Nan Zhuren handed it over, his tone gentle.

"This kid's actually quite polite." That was Howard's first thought.

Moreover, this kid seems to be doing quite well lately, with a pretty high conversion rate. This was Howard's second thought.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Howard reached out and took the cup of coffee.

He looked down at the coffee again: it was deep in color, had a wonderful aroma, fine foam, and a subtle caramel sweetness.

This kid's coffee-making skills are pretty good, even if it's just instant coffee. This was Howard's third thought.

I guess I shouldn't have gotten angry at Xiao Nan; if I needed to yell at someone, I should have gone to Lao Yang.

As Howard thought this, he also tried to control his expression, forcing a smile onto his lips.

(End of this chapter)