I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

Shen Kang remained calm and chuckled, "We've been chatting all along, haven't we?"

"Like we were just talking about, blind dates are getting harder and harder these days. If one condition doesn't fit, the relationship might end, and you won't be able to get to know the other person better. Who knows, maybe after you get to know them, everything else will be perfect? ​​It's such a waste to miss out just because of one unsuitable condition!"

"Mr. Li, you've been through this yourself, so you know very well that there's no such thing as a 100% perfect match in this world. When it comes to marriage, if most of the conditions are compatible and everyone is a little more tolerant, then it's a perfect marriage."

Li Shuwen seemed to be deep in thought.

Indeed, having been married for so many years, he understands this all too well. Most people who are a good match are already perfect marriage partners. It would be a real shame to miss out on a potential marriage partner because one of their qualities isn't a good match, and therefore not bother to learn more about them.

"Our matchmaking program can alleviate the drawbacks of the current matchmaking system to some extent."

Shen Kang continued, "Our matchmaking project is planned for seven days and six nights. Even if a man and a woman discover some unsuitable conditions in each other on the first day and reject each other, they may change their minds later in the trip."

"For example, Mr. Li, you participated in this project..."

Li Shuwen interrupted him, "No, Mr. Shen, I'm already married. Why would I go on a blind date?"

Shen Kang smiled again, "I already said I'd give an example. Just pretend you're not married and are still a strong young man."

Li Shuwen glanced at Shen Kang.

He found this young CEO Shen quite interesting; he had just gone off-topic with him, and now he had come up with this hypothetical scenario.

"Okay," Li Shuwen agreed. "Then I'll pretend I'm not married yet, and I'm still a strong young man."

Perhaps because of the conversation about blind dates in the past, or perhaps for some other reason, after thinking about it this way, Li Shuwen seemed to feel a bit young and energetic again, which was quite interesting.

"Mr. Li, when you participated in this project, you took a fancy to a beautiful woman on the first day, but she didn't like you at first sight."

Shen Kang explained in detail, painting a picture for Li Shuwen: "Actually, Mr. Li, your conditions are quite good. You're a junior manager in a private company, with a good income and benefits, and you own a house and a car. But beautiful women prefer someone with a government job. Mr. Li, you also have your own pride and feel a little regretful, but you won't shamelessly fawn over her."

As Li Shuwen listened, his sense of immersion grew stronger, and he became even more enthusiastic.

"If we follow the current matchmaking model, you might just miss each other, and there will be no future for you."

"But since you participated in this matchmaking trip together, you will still be in the same group for the next few days."

"The next day, as part of an activity arranged by the group, you, the beautiful woman, and a few other people visited a Miao family that was in relatively difficult circumstances."

Shen Kang continued to describe the scene.

"The man of the house went out to work, leaving only an elderly woman, a woman, and a seven or eight-year-old child at home. The elderly woman had difficulty walking and sat at the door weaving bamboo baskets. Although the house was poor, it was clean and tidy. The young woman, being kind-hearted, immediately took out a thousand yuan and tried to give it to the woman."

Li Shuwen's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for the rest of the story to unfold.

"However, the hostess resolutely refused to accept it. The two sides went back and forth, and the atmosphere became a bit tense. The beautiful woman was shy; she held the money in her hand, unsure whether to hand it over or accept it, and her face turned red."

Shen Kang looked at Li Shuwen, then changed the subject: "At that moment, Mr. Li, you stepped forward, didn't participate in the polite refusals, but instead squatted down and chatted with the old man weaving the bamboo baskets. You praised his craftsmanship, saying that your father had also woven these when he was young, but not as finely and evenly as him. Then you said that it was a waste if these bamboo baskets were only sold to vendors at the town market. You asked him how many he could weave a day and how much each one sold for?"

Shen Kang's words are very vivid in their description.

Li Shuwen leaned forward slightly, listening intently.

"The old man told you that he could only weave one or two a day, and it wouldn't sell for much money. So you just took out three hundred yuan and bought all three bamboo baskets that the old man had woven. You said that you run a bed and breakfast, and these bamboo baskets would look better and have more character in the bed and breakfast than any handicrafts. Then you left the old man your phone number and said that you would buy the bamboo baskets he wove in the future, and that you would pay the same price, and that you would pay for the shipping. You told him to have his son send them to him when he came back."

Shen Kang paused for a moment, then looked at Li Shuwen: "President Li, what do you think that beautiful woman thought when she saw this scene?"

Li Shuwen didn't answer, but his eyes already showed a hint of understanding.

Most importantly, the way Shen Kang described made him feel that it was something he would do, so it didn't sound out of place and he could relate to it—indeed, he probably would do that.

Seeing that Li Shuwen remained silent, Shen Kang answered for him: "She will discover that you're not just good at giving money. You know how to spend money while upholding someone's dignity. You're not just compassionate; you have solutions to problems. What you gave that old man wasn't charity, but a path, a partnership."

Li Shuwen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and without commenting on himself, simply said, "You've thought of these details quite thoroughly."

Shen Kang smiled and thought to himself, "I have to be thorough and create a sense of immersion so that you can empathize with me. Otherwise, how can I fool you, or rather, how can I convince you?"

In fact, this is a common method for attracting project sponsorships or startup investment: whether your project is good or not is not that important. The key is to make investors/sponsors believe that your project is good. That is the most important thing.

Otherwise, just like when Ma Yun faced Li Shuwen, what's the use of his project no matter how good it is? People don't believe him.

Next, Shen Kang began to describe the second scene.

"On the afternoon of the third day, the group arranged a hiking activity. It wasn't too difficult, but there was a section of the path that was a small riverbed with moss on the rocks, making it quite slippery. Everyone was walking in twos and threes on the riverbed. That beautiful woman was walking not far in front of you when she suddenly slipped and fell into the water."

"At that moment, Mr. Li, you reacted quickly, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back. She wasn't hurt, but one of her shoes got wet after stepping into the water."

Li Shuwen chuckled: "That's the old 'hero saves the damsel in distress' trope."

Shen Kang didn't deny it, and said with a smile, "The old tricks will work. The key is, what do you do after you've grabbed the person?"

"You didn't take the opportunity to help her up, nor did you ask in a dramatic way, 'Are you alright? Are you alright?' Instead, you let go of her hand and naturally took a step back, maintaining a comfortable distance for her. You looked down at her wet shoe, frowned, and then opened your backpack and took out a spare pair of socks."

You handed her the socks and said, "They're new, never worn. You can put these on first. Walking in wet socks will cause blisters."

Shen Kang looked at Li Shuwen: "Then, you walked to the side, turned your back to her, and chatted with the other members of the group, leaving her with all the space."

Li Shuwen didn't interrupt this time.

"The pretty girl came over to thank you after changing her socks. You waved your hand and said it was nothing, then added, 'That part was quite slippery. I'll walk in front, and you follow behind me. My shoes have better traction, so if you slip again, I can cushion your fall.'"

Li Shuwen still didn't say anything.

People tend to idealize themselves.

At that moment, Li Shuwen felt that this did indeed sound like something he would do.

Shen Kang finished speaking: "You see, throughout the whole process, you didn't fawn over anyone or make anyone feel offended; you handled the situation perfectly. However, you did everything you were supposed to do—you protected their safety immediately, provided practical help, and even thought of follow-up preventative measures."

"At night, the beautiful girl is chatting with another female member of the group by the campfire. When she talks about you, she might say, 'That Li Shuwen is quite reliable. He doesn't talk much, but he's very thoughtful in his work.'"

Shen Kang paused here and poured Li Shuwen a cup of tea.

"Mr. Li, have you noticed? From the first day when you were vetoed, to now, only three days later, that beautiful lady's impression of you has changed from 'not from someone within the system' to 'reliable and considerate'."

"You're still the same person, and the conditions are still the same. You've never been part of the system, but those things that were originally covered up by a 'list of conditions'—your ability to uphold the dignity of others, your tact in your actions, your sense of responsibility and resourcefulness—can't be hidden during a seven-day trip."

Shen Kang pushed the teacup in front of Li Shuwen, his tone calm yet persuasive.

"Therefore, her thoughts might change. She might realize that it doesn't matter if you're not in the system, the key is that you are a really good person in every way, and it would be a pity to miss out. In the end, this blind date might very well turn from 'one meeting and it' into 'finally getting together'."

"This is the biggest difference between our matchmaking tourism project and any other matchmaking model. We don't have two people verify each other's conditions; we give them time and space to discover what kind of person the other person really is."

"Conditions may become outdated, incomes may change, and the status quo is not static. But a person's true character, their way of dealing with people, and their reaction to unexpected situations—these things cannot be faked or hidden. Our project aims to make these things visible."

Li Shuwen remained silent for a long while.

Then, a question was raised: "It sounds good, but there's also this situation. Perhaps a man and a woman are satisfied with each other's conditions when they first meet. Under the blind date model you described, they are very likely to get together. But under your blind date project, they are more likely to discover things about each other that they are not satisfied with as they get to know each other, thus preventing them from getting together. In this way, your blind date project actually increases the failure rate."

Shen Kang smiled and said, "Mr. Li, in the situation you described, even if they are very satisfied after their first meeting and continue, they will gradually discover things about each other that they are not satisfied with in subsequent interactions, and they still won't be able to stay together."

"If that's the case, they've actually incurred more 'unnecessary time costs.' If they had participated in my matchmaking program, they would have been able to discover the other person's incompatibility earlier, saving them from these unnecessary time costs."

Upon reflection, Li Shuwen realized that this was indeed the logic.

After thinking for a moment, Li Shuwen asked, "Is there anything else?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Kang knew that since President Li had taken the initiative to ask, it was a very good sign. So he continued talking.

"Yes. From a psychological perspective, travel-style blind dates are inherently more advantageous than traditional dinner-style blind dates. One-on-one dinner-style blind dates are high-pressure and involve a single exposure. Both parties directly engage in conditional assessment within a limited time, with psychological defense mechanisms fully activated and the confrontation level maximized."

"Travel-style blind dates offer passive, multiple exposures in different scenarios. During the trip, even without direct interaction, the other person's voice, smile, and behavior will repeatedly enter your perception. Psychological research shows that increased familiarity itself can enhance liking. The familiarity that naturally accumulates in this non-confrontational environment is more likely to foster intimacy and has a higher success rate than 'interview-style blind dates'..."

"During travel, encountering steep mountain roads or breathtaking scenery often triggers nervousness and a racing heart. The psychological theory of 'false attribution' suggests that people sometimes mistakenly attribute this physiological arousal to the attractiveness of those around them. When two people experience this together, the brain is more likely to interpret this reaction as 'being attracted to this person,' thus increasing the likelihood and success rate of a relationship. However, in a calm yet confrontational dinner-style blind date, this possibility is nonexistent..."

Shen Kang spoke eloquently.

Li Shuwen listened and watched without saying a word.

Actually, he already thought the project was pretty good when Shen Kang gave that example.

Judging from the project itself, he was willing to sponsor it and was not worried that the project might fail or drag down Canon.

However, he still had a lingering concern: Anjia Tongcheng Hui's current user base was far too small.

Of course, Shen Kang has already explained this point. According to Shen Kang, the current number of people in Anjia Tongcheng Hui is the result of his deliberate control, and it will steadily increase in the future, so there is no need to worry about this.

But should I believe Shen Kang's words or not?

As Li Shuwen listened and watched Shen Kang speak in front of him, his eyes suddenly flickered, and he inexplicably recalled how Boss Ma had spoken to them at the dinner party years ago.

Actually, judging from the content of their conversations, General Manager Shen and General Manager Ma are different; one is more specific, and the other is more grandiose. But Li Shuwen was thinking of Boss Ma, and how Boss Ma went from being a small fry to becoming the entrepreneurial godfather he is today.

Having already missed it once, should he miss it a second time...? Li Shuwen gradually made up his mind.

After Shen Kang finished speaking.

Li Shuwen smiled and said, "President Shen, it's a pity you're in the housekeeping business. If you opened a matchmaking agency, I reckon you could go public in a few years."

Upon hearing this, Shen Kang laughed heartily, "That's a great idea, Mr. Li, you've given me the perfect guidance."

After they laughed for a while, Li Shuwen said, "Mr. Shen, you just used me as an example, making me go on blind dates. I'm not really going to find anyone suitable, but I have a nephew whose family is quite well-off. His parents run a small business and have a net worth of around a million. Mr. Shen, do you think it's possible to get him into your first phase of this project?"

Li Shuwen still hasn't said whether he'll sponsor the project or not, but since he's planning to get his nephew into this "first phase project," it's clear he intends to sponsor it. Otherwise, where would the first phase project come from?

As for the people from the sponsor fortress, Shen Kang naturally wanted to take care of them as well: "No problem, but we still need to go through the procedures. Mr. Li, could you get your nephew's family to become a member of Anjia Household Services as well? I'll give them special consideration. Other families might have to do a lot of work to get the qualifications, but your nephew's family might be a bit lucky and just got all the qualifications after participating in the activities a little."

Li Shuwen nodded, gaining another impression of Mr. Shen's "prudent and thorough" approach to the arrangement, and finally gave a clear answer: "Okay. Mr. Shen, Canon will sponsor your matchmaking project."

"Also, I'd like to ask, Mr. Shen, is this project a one-phase project, or a long-term project?"

After asking the question, Li Shuwen added, "My thought is that Mr. Shen's idea is quite good. If the first phase of the project is successful, I personally suggest that it can be continued long-term and developed into a continuous program."

As she spoke, she even joked, "This can be considered as making up for the shortcoming of Anjia Housekeeping not having a matchmaking service, and giving President Shen room to show your talent in this area, hahaha."

Shen Kang smiled and said, "Actually, that's what I was thinking too. If the first phase goes well, then this project can be continued long-term."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuwen immediately said, "If that's the case, I'd like to add an additional condition—if we continue this program long-term and are satisfied with the results of the first phase, then Canon will have the priority sponsorship right for every subsequent phase of this matchmaking program."

Shen Kang thought for a moment and replied, "No problem, but there's one more condition. If other companies want to sponsor us, this priority can only be based on the premise that Canon's sponsorship terms are equal to those of other companies."

Upon hearing Shen Kang's condition, Li Shuwen pondered for a moment before finally giving an affirmative answer: "Okay."

With the sponsorship deal essentially finalized, Li Shuwen then began discussing with Shen Kang the specifics of how to play GG.

Shen Kang naturally had a contingency plan for this.

"I've thought it all out. Taking photos is an essential part of traveling, so Mr. Li, you can provide a batch of cameras based on the number of people, for users to use during their trip. As for us at Anjia, we'll offer another benefit: we'll provide cameras for users so they don't need to bring their own—in other words, they can use your cameras..."

"During the promotional period for this event on the website, Canon's name will naturally be featured on the relevant event page..."

After the two finished discussing the general direction of these matters, today's meeting was successfully completed.

Shen Kang was quite satisfied: he had many expenses, and if he spent the money on this event, it would definitely slow down other things. Now that Canon was paying for it and handling his own affairs, it was good.

He had originally prepared two backup plans: if Canon was unwilling to sponsor, he could approach Nikon and Sony and demonstrate the "project Canon was in contact with." Now that it's all settled in one go, those backup plans can be temporarily shelved.

……

After finishing their business, the two left the private room and went home with their respective families.

"See you next time, Mr. Shen."

"See you next time, Mr. Li."

After parting ways at the entrance of the teahouse, Shen Kang led Wu Jiahao to the parking lot, got into the car, and drove away.

Wu Jiahao was still sitting in the back row.

This time, however, he didn't sit behind Shen Kang, but on the right.

Previously, Wu Jiahao was quite talkative, but after leaving the teahouse this time, he has become noticeably more silent and hasn't said a word since.

He remained silent, his eyes occasionally glancing forward towards Shen Kang in the driver's seat, but he could barely see Shen Kang's profile, only half of the back of his head and the edge of his ear.

Wu Jiahao watched silently.

Just now at the teahouse, Wu Jiahao was excited when he first learned that the two people were from Canon and that Li Shuwen knew Ma Yun.

But now, his excitement has gradually subsided over time.

In his eyes, Shen Kang was completely different from before.

Li Shuwen knows Ma Yun, so they're from the same world. And Shen Kang seems to have a good relationship with Li Shuwen. So, rounding it up, are Shen Kang and Ma Yun also from the same world?

This understanding is the reason why Wu Jiahao is silent now.

In addition, there were some things Mai Xiaohui had said to Shen Kang when he was chatting with Li Shuwen alone: ​​Mai Xiaohui spoke highly of Shen Kang and was very generous with his praise.

Wu Jiahao had actually heard Guo Pinyan praise Shen Kang from her, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. After all, who was Guo Pinyan? Just an ordinary college student. But who was Mai Xiaohui? He was a manager at Canon. Even he seemed to highly regard Shen Kang; the difference in their levels was completely different…

"What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

Shen Kang, who was in front, felt the gaze and glanced back, only to see Wu Jiahao staring at him.

Wu Jiahao instinctively looked away, avoiding eye contact. "I wasn't looking at anything, President Shen..."

He was stunned as soon as he said it.

Shen Kang was also taken aback.

Goodness, first it was Little Shen, then Old Shen, and now it's President Shen. Wu Jiahao really has a flexible and ever-changing system of addressing people.