11: Another appointment - 1

A bowl of millet porridge, a cage of steamed buns, and a plate of pickled vegetables—it cost twelve yuan in total.

Watching his WeChat balance drop from 712.35 to 700.35, Jiang Ye chewed on his bun and planned his next move.

Plan B had its first success last night, but this trick could only be used at night, and the 800 yuan daily car rental fee was a bit too much.

While he still had a few hours before returning the car, perhaps he could try his luck with Plan C.

After breakfast, he drove around the city. Around ten in the morning, following the guidance of his phone map, he arrived at the “Jiayuan High-End Matchmaking Agency” located beneath a high-rise office building in the city center.

Just looking at the entrance gave off an “expensive” vibe; the floor-to-ceiling windows were polished until they gleamed, and the interior was arranged like a hotel lobby.

The receptionist was a Young Woman with delicate makeup, wearing a black pantyhose skirt suit. She immediately offered a polite smile upon seeing him:

“Hello, sir, welcome to Jiayuan. How may I help you?”

“Hello, I'd like to inquire about membership services.”

“Certainly, sir, please have a seat here. I will arrange for a consultant for you.”

The receptionist led him to the nearby waiting area. Soon, another slightly older woman approached, holding an iPad, introducing herself as Matchmaking Consultant Teacher Li.

“Hello, sir. Seeing how young you are, what kind of partner are you looking for?”

Following his prepared script, Jiang Ye vaguely stated that he had just entered society and his career was in its initial phase, and he hoped to find a partner who was independent, assertive, financially compatible, and capable of mutual growth.

Teacher Li nodded while swiping on the iPad. “I understand, I understand. There are many young people with ideas like yours nowadays. We indeed have many excellent female members, such as corporate executives, independent entrepreneurs, returned overseas elites, and so on. However...”

She changed the subject, a look of difficulty on her face. “Sir, Jiayuan offers high-end customized services. To ensure member quality and matching efficiency, you must first complete the membership procedures. Are you familiar with our membership system?”

Jiang Ye's heart sank, and he had an ominous feeling. “Uh, I'm not very clear. What exactly is it like?”

Teacher Li smiled and turned the iPad toward him. The screen clearly listed different levels of membership packages:

[Basic Membership]: Service period 3 months, offering basic matching and introduction services. Membership fee: 2,298 yuan.

[Basic Premium Membership]: Service period 6 months, includes one-on-one service from a senior matchmaker, and priority access to offline events. Membership fee: 10,000 yuan.

[Advanced Customized Membership]: Service period 12 months, includes an exclusive matchmaker team, personalized partner selection requirements, and arrangement of high-end dating venues. Membership fee: 30,000–100,000 yuan.

[Supreme Headhunting Membership]: Service period negotiable, includes comprehensive background checks, precise targeting of potential partners, and extremely high success rate. Membership fee: starting from 200,000 yuan.

Jiang Ye stared at the long strings of zeros, feeling his head spin.

“This... Teacher Li, do you have any kind of... trial service? Or a first-time discount?”

“I apologize, sir, we do not offer trial services.”

The smile on Teacher Li's face faded slightly. “The membership fee is also to guarantee service quality and the sincerity of our members. After all, we serve high-end clientele. If the threshold were too low, it would be disrespectful to our existing members, wouldn't you agree?”

“Uh... right, right, I understand, I understand.”

Jiang Ye chuckled awkwardly and stood up. “Um... Teacher Li, I suddenly remembered I have an urgent matter at the company. I'll reconsider the membership and contact you later!”

...Two minutes later, Jiang Ye sat back down in the BMW driver's seat, his face dark with frustration, and slammed the door shut.

Oh my god!

The threshold for blind dates is this high now?

I've only ever heard of headhunting, what the hell is 'Marriage Hunting'?

Are they trying to poach young, pretty wives from other people's homes? Are you kidding me?

He slumped in the seat, watching the hurried passersby outside the window, rubbing his temples speechlessly.

He only had a mere seven hundred yuan on hand, and the car rental was eight hundred a day. Even if he wanted to continue using Plan B to swindle people, he first needed to recover the principal for the rental... Just as Jiang Ye was pondering how to get some money, his phone suddenly rang. It was a WeChat voice call invitation from “A Very Big Orange”—Ye Cheng.

Huh?

This woman actually contacted him voluntarily?

He adjusted his mood and answered the call. “Hello? What's up?”

On the other end of the line, Ye Cheng's voice held a hint of hesitation. “Um... Buddy, would you be able to... do me a favor?”

“Tell me about it, and I'll see if I can.”

“My class has a party tonight, and when it ends... could you drive over and pick me up?”

“Drive to pick you up?”

Jiang Ye glanced at the BMW emblem on the steering wheel, his tone playful. “Oh, trying to show off? Aren't you the one who hates showing off the most?”

The other side fell silent for a moment, then sounded slightly exasperated. “Just tell me if you're coming or not!”

“Coming! Of course, I'm coming!”

Jiang Ye knew when to stop pushing, but didn't forget to haggle. “But... I can't just be a driver for free, can I?”

Ye Cheng seemed relieved, and her tone lightened. “I'll treat you to a meal, how about that?”

“Deal!”

Jiang Ye immediately felt a surge of joy.

Treating someone to a meal costs at least a hundred yuan—wouldn't that cover the principal for the car rental?

“What time tonight? Where?”

“Millennium Bar at the South Gate of the Conservatory of Music. Just get there at ten. If I get too drunk, I'll call you, and you can come in and pick me up.”

“Sounds good.”

Jiang Ye chuckled. “But you're getting drunk again... Girl, have you fallen for me and are actively creating opportunities for me?”

“Creating what opportunity?”

A soft laugh came from the other side. “Oh, oh, oh, I know. Don't worry, I'll be wearing socks today~”

“Alright, alright, I get it!”

Jiang Ye interrupted her, his face darkening with embarrassment. This woman actually remembered!

Listening to Ye Cheng laughing louder and louder on the other end, he cleared his throat, trying to salvage his image. “Actually... you threw up on my foot yesterday, so I...”

Ye Cheng drew out her tone playfully. “Fine—fine—fine, I believe you, I believe you... But Handsome, what do you say? Should I give you another pair tonight as payment for the ride?”

Jiang Ye was locked in an internal struggle.

His dignity was screaming, but money was tempting him!

Finally, he gritted his teeth fiercely.

It's just making money! No shame in that!

This is the path to becoming a Divine Magnate! Besides, don't rich people like doing weird, Pervert things?

“Ahem... well, if you're offering... do you have any... you know... the ones with letters, the really expensive ones...”

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Cheng burst into laughter on the other end and immediately hung up, leaving only a dial tone.

“Hello? Hello?!”

Listening to the dial tone, Jiang Ye sighed helplessly.

What the hell is she laughing at? Didn't she offer to give them to him herself?