128. If One Does Not Strive, Who Shall Cherish Them?

The support provided by Jia Zheng to the Jianeng Fitness Center was appropriate. Beyond the initial capital investment, they only provided a group of logistics management staff. The two old vehicles provided were clearly over seven or eight years old and wouldn't fetch much on the second-hand market, but for a fitness center of this scale, they were sufficiently presentable. If they had really chosen high-end luxury vans or business vehicles, it would have been inappropriate.

A boss driving a Cayenne was more than enough.

Bai Haonan soon began taking Xiao Wan and Chen Meijuan out to solicit business. It wasn't about using their beauty, but rather the three of them were experts at negotiating high rebates. For every person they brought in to sign up for a monthly or annual membership, they could negotiate a kickback of around forty percent!

For companies and organizations operating soccer fields, this was a highly attractive proposition. Without spending a cent themselves, they gained a team of sales agents. Two of the soccer field operators even took the initiative to offer to create promotional roll-up banners, asking the fitness center to prepare more promotional materials to distribute among the soccer enthusiasts playing on weekends. They even invited the Jianeng Fitness Center to hold promotional events on-site on weekends; naturally, as long as they secured sign-ups on the spot, the field operators would get their cut.

This was a win-win situation for the field owners, who could make money without much investment. They hit it off immediately. When they saw Boss Wang arriving in a two-million-plus Cayenne SUV, accompanied by a curvaceous assistant and a delicate young secretary, they were left with nothing but admiration for a successful businessman.

Within two or three days, they had signed agreements with the five most important amateur soccer venues in the city. Chen Meijuan and Xiao Wan were energetic and excited, as they were using the same persuasive tactics they had once used for pyramid schemes to negotiate ordinary business deals. It felt like using a butcher's cleaver to slaughter a chicken—it was too easy. Where was the need for any complex maneuvering?

Old Li and the soccer player who could drive were familiar with vehicles and the city's geography, though they wouldn't really be put to use until the weekend. However, Old Li, who had spent decades driving various types of vehicles at a provincial airport in the Northeast, had meticulously drawn a map of the best routes based on the city map, calculating how to shuttle between the various amateur fields with the least fuel and time. Having spent so long driving at an airport, he had developed a habit for this; this kind of cost-consciousness was something Bai Haonan lacked, yet he would later realize how important this seemingly trivial matter was.

In fact, the Li family was quite well-off for a middle-income household. At the very least, the benefits from their civil aviation jobs were good, and they hadn't had to worry about food or clothing back home. Mrs. Li had rented a small room in a nearby "urban village" for the couple, while their daughter lived in the fitness center dormitory. Bai Haonan had initially found this a bit hard to understand, but later, seeing the couple strolling around every morning and evening, or taking advantage of their free time to go hiking in the suburbs, he realized they truly treated coming to the South as a vacation or a retirement.

And, incidentally, they were keeping their daughter company.

Li Lin was indeed a simple-minded girl. Seeing Xiao Man beginning to rigorously organize the financial system, and watching the girl who could calculate bonuses lightning-fast start to take control of the cashier work, she grew anxious. She was no good at bookkeeping, and she didn't understand the legalities of contracts. She had supposedly studied international trade in college, but she got dizzy whenever she saw any kind of document. Only then did Bai Haonan realize she had gotten into some vocational college because of her status as a civil aviation company dependent. Since she was in her second year, which was the internship season before graduation, it felt like her parents weren't there to protect their daughter's safety, but rather to help her avoid getting fired for being too slow!

So, for the first day or two, she bit the bullet and tried to learn aerobics from Kara. Despite her saying she had some foundation in dance, the black uncle taught her several fitness dance routines in a row, but in his African eyes, the kid had zero sense of rhythm. At best, she could only practice slow-paced yoga, but yoga was easy to mess up without a solid foundation. Was a fitness center yoga instructor supposed to learn yoga on the spot?

The funniest part was that Li Lin couldn't even manage to fake running on a treadmill. Her entire movement was completely uncoordinated. As soon as the treadmill started, she would be so scared that she would tense her arms and clutch her chest, her arms only able to swing horizontally in front of her. It was clear she was trying her absolute best to force herself to keep going, but as soon as her steps faltered, she would be thrown off the treadmill, her face turning pale with fright. Even the automatic power-off protection of such high-end machinery couldn't save her from her lack of motor skills.

By comparison, Yu Jiali’s lack of exercise might just be because she was fat and had given up on herself, but this Li girl was simply devoid of any athletic cells. Yet, heaven had gifted her a figure that didn't put on weight no matter what she ate, and she lacked nothing in the right places—perhaps a broad heart really did lead to a well-developed chest.

But after nearly twenty years of being carefree, Li Lin was finally under immense pressure. After falling off the treadmill, she burst into loud sobs. In fact, according to Chen Meijuan, who reported to Bai Haonan, the girl cried quietly under her blankets almost every night; crying in public was a first.

Since there were no customers for the moment, the girl let it all out in the lobby. The group of men felt too awkward to comfort her, and the female former pyramid schemers were used to such things. So, when Bai Haonan returned, all he saw were two "peaches"—her eyes were so swollen from crying they looked like they had blisters. She was genuinely heartbroken. He asked a few more questions and then couldn't help but laugh: "Who told you to mess with these things? You aren't supposed to be on duty until Saturday. Why are you struggling with this? Go, go, go, go wash your flight attendant uniform, iron it properly, buy a silk scarf, and I'll give you special training tomorrow afternoon!"

Li Lin, sporting a pair of "peach" eyes, sniffled: "Uncle, what am I supposed to do..."

Bai Haonan had a clear plan: "Let me tell you, today is Thursday. If your eyes still look this ugly the day after tomorrow morning, you really don't have to do this job anymore!"

Li Lin quickly jumped up to look in one of the mirrors scattered around the fitness center: "I will, I definitely can!" She looked back and pouted, bracing herself: "I know I'm stupid, but I'm really trying hard. Don't scare me all the time. Or, I'll go clean up first."

Bai Haonan’s heart had already softened: "Fine, fine, do whatever you want. Honestly, you could easily go hook a rich guy, but you insist on working hard to earn money—you really are stupid."

Li Lin widened her eyes as much as she could: "Hook who?"

Faced with this conversation style that was always a few beats behind, the cunning Brother Haonan couldn't take it: "Hook yourself! Your advantage is that you're pretty. Pretty people should do pretty things; you cleaning is a waste!"

The "peach" probably felt encouraged, so she whispered a presumptuous wish: "Am I... am I still an intern?"

Bai Haonan wanted to "hook" her the moment he saw her looking like a little idiot: "Who said that? You're a full-time employee. Do you want to sign a contract?"

The "peach" pouted, but quickly retracted it, looking aggrieved: "They all have salaries, they say it's what you advanced them..."

Bai Haonan was immensely amused. Just based on that sweet, soft voice, even with the "blistery" eyes deducting points, she was worth him offering up all the money in his pocket with both hands. He had to keep a straight face: "The weekend. I'll advance it after this week's work is done. They had it agreed upon long ago; you and your parents just settled in."

Li Lin immediately smiled in surprise: "Really? You promised! Don't get my hopes up for nothing!" Her thick regional accent came out again, and she reached out to tug at him.

Bai Haonan could only retreat: "Fine, fine, as long as you're happy, don't flirt with me! I can't take it!"

The "peach" blinked her eyes in surprise: "What does flirting mean? Is it like a little tug?"

Even if he didn't fully understand that bit of Northeastern slang, just hearing the tone—that look and sound like a little kitten giving a swipe—was enough to make Bai Haonan struggle to control the primordial force within him: "Damn it..."

Fortunately, at that moment, a teasing voice came from the door: "Boss Wang is quite free during working hours!"

Like a bucket of cold water being poured over him, Bai Haonan’s romantic notions vanished. He turned to face Yu Jiali: "Well, Boss Yu is also quite free..."

Chen Meijuan and Xiao Wan, who had been busy looking at documents, had been standing a few meters away from Bai Haonan, intentionally or unintentionally blocking him and helping him flirt. Other employees hadn't been able to walk over, and now they quietly circled around, pushed the bewildered Li Lin away, and quickly cleared the area!

Fearing that Boss Wang’s flirting would annoy the big boss, having such a secretary and assistant was a man's dream.

Indeed, with that girl gone—who, even with swollen eyes, was still a pitiful sight—the big boss's expression softened, looking more like a wife who had caught her husband cheating: "If I weren't so 'free,' I'd really only be able to live my life alone!"

This was said quite directly. Bai Haonan spread his hands, feeling no guilt: "Don't you know I've been busy for three or four days? I've burned four or five hundred in gas. You really timed this well, catching me in the act just as I was having a little fun with a young girl."

Yu Jiali walked over, holding her bag with both hands behind her back, looking up at him, and whispered with annoyance: "I thought making you look like an old man would help, but instead, you've become mature and weathered! Are you avoiding me by coming to the gym these past few days? If I don't come to find you, you won't come to keep me company?"

Bai Haonan complained: "I really want you to see how hard I’ve been running these past few days. How much time have I even spent here since I got back?!"

Yu Jiali exposed him: "But when you get off work, you're always playing soccer on the roof!"

Bai Haonan didn't blush: "That's my profession. Since I'm about to start leading others, I naturally have to practice my craft!"

Yu Jiali sighed: "Yes, practice, with a row of girls sitting on the side watching! How do you expect me to feel?"

Bai Haonan looked up. As soon as he made eye contact with them, the female pyramid schemers in the vicinity all looked away. So he lowered his head and said fiercely: "Then I'll ruin their faces!"

Yu Jiali pouted too, though her look was a bit worse than Li Lin’s. Bai Haonan was secretly grading them in his mind. The girl kicked her feet and walked toward the stairs to the roof: "I know you're working hard, and I know you haven't done anything, but I just feel panicked."

Bai Haonan smiled and followed: "Actually, we do have results. I believe we'll see them this weekend!"

Yu Jiali walked up the spiral staircase to the roof. The open view of the rooftop seemed to make her feel a bit more at ease: "Old Bai, I think I really like you. If you don't come to see me for a day, I feel restless. But if I were to use my investment or money to force you to come to me, that would be meaningless. This feeling in my heart..." She stood there, took a deep breath, and pointed far away toward her office building: "I installed a... they call it a spotting scope on my office window. It's this big, mounted on a tripod. When I have nothing to do, I can sit there and watch you from here. Do you know how I feel?"

Bai Haonan walked closer and reached out, wrapping his arm around her shoulder: "Who was it that made big boasts to me earlier? To me, I think this is a low-investment, high-return thing. We get to know each other through a working relationship. I’m not in any danger of losing money, right? Haha, who said that?"

He used all his memory for flirting, and he mimicked her perfectly.

At this gesture, Yu Jiali didn't have any thoughts of breaking free. Instead, she leaned against Bai Haonan’s chest and whispered: "Yes, it sounds like a joke now."

Bai Haonan smiled: "Mindset. Really, you keep nagging me about mindset. What kind of mindset do you have now? Why get emotional? Don't you believe that in the next turn, I'll go off and flirt with someone else? Why bother getting emotional over a piece of scum like me? Just focus on whether I can make money for you. Or perhaps you don't care about the money I make, and you can kick me away at any time. Anyway, they can keep this gym running. After this week, I think we can make money and make this place lively."

Yu Jiali wasn't scared off by this self-deprecating talk. She leaned in even closer and, instinctively, wrapped both arms around Bai Haonan’s waist: "Old Bai, do you really have me in your heart?" Her voice was faint.

Bai Haonan was helpless: "Aren't you just lying to yourself?"

Yu Jiali whispered: "I never had the confidence to like anyone before. I always felt that if someone liked me, it must be because of my money. Now that I finally have some confidence to like you, I wish that even if you only liked me for my money, that would be fine..."

Bai Haonan felt nothing inside as he reached out and patted the girl’s back: "Big sister, wake up. Either learn to stop being so emotionally invested and don't get attached to people so easily, or just kick me out, find an honest guy, and have a good relationship, get married, and have kids. A guy like me... hehe..."

Yu Jiali tightened her grip and rubbed her head against the tall man’s chest: "Yeah, I’m slowly beginning to understand your feelings. If you love someone with all your heart and then lose them, that must be truly painful. To avoid the pain, one simply chooses not to love, not to fall into the trap. But now, I’ve already fallen in."

Bai Haonan didn't get sentimental: "I’m wondering, do you think Old Yu is secretly watching us from behind that spotting scope of yours right now?"

Yu Jiali finally burst out laughing. She leaned lazily against Bai Haonan’s chest, turned her head, and squinted at her office: "Well, let him watch."

Bai Haonan made a "peace" sign toward that side, and Yu Jiali also laughed and gestured along with him.

If Old Yu were really watching, he might be thinking about the issue of his grandson's inheritance, but if he had heard the whole conversation, he would probably be furious.

Bai Haonan simply modified the fitness plan and decided to have Yu Jiali play soccer today. Even without soccer shoes and with zero foundation, she changed into sportswear and played barefoot on the artificial turf, using cones and plastic bars to practice shuffling, small jumps, crossover steps, and high kicks: "There’s no such thing as all that messy, lingering talk about love. Get moving! Your body will secrete hormones, and once you start sweating, you won't be thinking about these useless, complicated emotions. Only your body belongs entirely to you. If you're still thinking about it, that means the exercise isn't enough—add more intensity!"

Ada also ran around happily, treating it as rehabilitation after his broken leg.

With beads of sweat sticking to her cheeks even from her hair tips, Yu Jiali encouraged herself: "Keep going! Right? Just like this workout, it’s about pushing yourself, fighting your inner struggle to see if you can keep going! I think I have the confidence!"

Exercise truly could spark a positive mindset. She now had the confidence to face those competitors!

And this brand-new way of adjusting through exercise was indeed very effective.