Free Web NovelChapter 152: Chapter 115: Find a Woman Who Knows How to Spend Money (Part 2)
"European teams aren’t as rich as you think. Many World Tour teams face the risk of bankruptcy the moment they can’t find a sponsor, let alone these Pro Teams.
There’s a 99 percent chance they won’t pay a huge buyout fee to the Hengxiang Team for you.
So you can tell them you’re definitely interested in racing in Europe, but everything will have to wait until this year’s domestic season is over. In other words, you’ll make a final decision during the winter transfer window.
If you haven’t gotten an offer from a World Tour Team by then, you can just sign with one of them. For now, just give them your word that if you decide to join a Pro Team next year, you’ll give their team priority!"
When Huang Chong heard what Chen Junyi said, it was his turn to be dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but ask:
"How do you know so much about all this?
Why don’t you go talk to those Pro Team managers for me? You’ve already laid out the whole strategy.
Besides, you know foreign languages, which I don’t.
Instead of having it go through a translator, it’d be better if you just handled the negotiations for me directly. It would save me from saying the wrong thing!"
Hearing this, Chen Junyi couldn’t help but laugh, revealing two cute dimples. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and joked:
"Give you an inch and you take a mile, huh? Negotiations are business matters, and that’s not within my scope of work.
If you want me to do work that’s not part of my official duties, you’ll have to pay me a separate salary, you know!"
Unexpectedly, Huang Chong took her seriously. He immediately thumped his chest decisively and said:
"No problem. I can pay you a separate salary. From now on, you can handle all my administrative and business-related work.
I was already worried about going to Europe, being in an unfamiliar place where I don’t know anyone or speak the language. I’d be an easy target for scammers.
Aren’t you going back to the United Kingdom for your master’s degree? You can study, and then in your spare time, you can help me handle business matters on the side.
After you go abroad, you won’t be working for the team anymore anyway. And I’ll be busy traveling the world with my new team for races most of the time. I’ll only need help with business and administrative tasks, so it shouldn’t interfere too much with your studies."
When Chen Junyi heard this, she narrowed her eyes and studied him. She stared until he started to feel unnerved, then extended a long, slender, fair index finger and spoke in a tone that suggested she could see right through him.
"Well now, you’re quite the schemer, aren’t you? To have already thought so far ahead about going abroad... It seems you’re much cleverer than I gave you credit for.
Fess up. The real reason you don’t want to go to Europe right away is because you’re scared you don’t speak the language, isn’t it?
That’s why you want to wait until I go, so I can help you with the basics of daily life?"
When Huang Chong saw she’d figured out his little plan, his face instantly turned red.
As someone whose only trip abroad had been to Thailand, he was genuinely worried about going to Europe alone without speaking the language. He feared he wouldn’t be able to manage.
After all, in the eyes of his generation, the West was no paradise of freedom.
Instead, the internet was full of stories about how major cities like Paris, London, and Milan were teeming with thieves and con artists, and how the streets were littered with homeless people and trash. It all sounded terrifying.
"But if you’re serious about hiring me personally, my salary won’t be cheap!"
Seeing that her words had made Huang Chong blush, Chen Junyi immediately knew he wasn’t as shrewd as he was letting on. In fact, his personality was still quite green.
After all, for a man who had already graduated from college to still be capable of blushing, it was a clear sign that he was still wet behind the ears.
Or maybe Huang Chong was just woefully inexperienced when it came to romance, which would explain it.
In reality, while Huang Chong had received his share of love letters and confessions from girls back in his school days, none of them were his type. As a result, he was indeed lacking in the relationship department.
But never having been in a relationship didn’t mean his emotional intelligence was low. He immediately replied with a cheerful laugh:
"No problem. You can ask for whatever salary you want.
It’s completely up to you. I have some savings now, and as long as I win a few more championships, I’ll definitely be able to afford your salary.
You don’t have to worry about that at all!"
Seeing how quickly Huang Chong agreed, Chen Junyi suddenly changed her tune, huffing,
"The way you put it makes me sound like some heartless capitalist.
But let’s talk about the future later. First, let’s solve the problem at hand!"
With that, Chen Junyi strode directly toward the shop’s entrance. She wasn’t going to buy anything after all and was ready to head back to the Doba Training Base with Huang Chong.
Seeing this, Huang Chong knew she had a decisive, no-nonsense personality. Once she was focused on work, there was no room for sentimentality. He quickly called a clerk over and had them wrap up the few local ethnic-style decorations, handmade bags, scarves, and hats that she had been admiring. He bought everything and then hurried to catch up with Chen Junyi, who was already back in the driver’s seat.
However, when he got back into the passenger seat, Chen Junyi saw the pile of bags, big and small, in his hands. Of course she knew what he had done. She asked with a stern expression:
"What do you think you’re doing?"
Huang Chong wasn’t bothered. The handmade items hadn’t cost much anyway. He just grinned and said,
"I gave gifts to all the National Team members tonight, didn’t I? You were with me on the high plateau, suffering right alongside me for eight whole days. You put in just as much effort as I did, so of course I couldn’t leave out a gift for you!
Besides, these are just small gifts. Don’t you dare refuse them, or I’ll really have to start paying you that salary!"
Hearing him say this, she was, of course, very happy, but she kept a serious expression on her face as she said:
"Don’t let this happen again!
I’m not against you giving gifts to thank people who’ve helped you, but you can’t go around spending money like some character in a soap opera.
If I had looked at everything in the store, would you have bought out the entire place?
That’s not romantic. In fact, that kind of spending is a very bad habit.
Money is so hard to earn! You poured so much sweat into winning the Tour of Qinghai Lake overall championship. You should be planning carefully and making good use of these hard-won financial resources."
Getting ’scolded’ like this, Huang Chong couldn’t help but rub his nose in embarrassment.
But in reality, he was overjoyed.
Because he couldn’t help but suddenly recall something his grandfather had told him when he was a child.
His grandfather had told him with a smile:
"Grandson, when you grow up and it’s time to find a partner, make sure you find a woman who knows how to spend money."
To be honest, Huang Chong had never understood what his grandfather meant by that.
’What does it mean to find a woman who "knows how to spend money"?
Would a woman like that, a total spendthrift, really be a good thing?
Was his grandpa just teasing him?’
And yet, for some reason, even though his grandfather had passed away many years ago and even the memory of his face had grown hazy, those words had remained firmly lodged in his mind, never forgotten.
And in that moment, as Chen Junyi criticized him for spending money recklessly like some overbearing CEO from a TV drama, he finally understood what his grandfather meant.
’So his grandpa hadn’t been teasing him after all.
When the old man talked about a woman who "knows how to" spend money, the key wasn’t the ’spend money’ part, but the ’knows how’ part!
"Knows how" means she knows how to plan!’
And clearly, Chen Junyi—with her education, her poise, her intelligence, and her independent personality—was someone who ’knew how’ to spend money.
As this thought crossed his mind, Huang Chong turned to look at Chen Junyi, who was focused on driving.
Born with delicate, well-defined features, her profile was naturally just as beautiful.
In Huang Chong’s eyes, she was even more dazzling than the nightscape of Xining illuminated below.
’But could she become his partner? Could they spend the rest of their lives together?’
The question left Huang Chong feeling both excited and, for some reason, a little worried.
After they arrived at the base, things went just as Huang Chong had requested.
Chen Junyi took the initiative to find Coach Han first and explain Huang Chong’s intentions.
Once she had Coach Han’s full understanding, she went on to negotiate with the managers of the two Pro Teams on his behalf about the possibility of him joining them.
In the end, both team managers were very satisfied to hear that when Huang Chong decided to join a Pro Team next year, he would approach them first to negotiate a contract.
Before leaving, they both shook Huang Chong’s hand warmly and praised him with genuine sincerity.
"Huang, your level of riding is truly impressive. You are the most outstanding Chinese cyclist I have seen in all my years.
Our team very much looks forward to and would welcome you joining us.
We hope that after this season ends, we can become true colleagues next spring and take on the European racing scene together!"
