Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these two days, Mia came to see Jake every night. Girls in the honeymoon phase of love are like this, they miss their partners after not seeing them for a while.
Moreover, Jake had recently injured his finger, and it wouldn't heal anytime soon, making it difficult for him to cook.
Children from poor families grow up fast. Jake learned to cook rice in elementary school and mastered stir-frying in middle school. Back then, he often made extra meals for the younger kids at the orphanage, earning him many beatings from the director.
Whenever he recalled those tough yet beautiful memories, Jake couldn't help but smile.
When he saw Mia, the pampered little princess, cooking for him herself, he was deeply moved. But at the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about how his aunt used to cook for him.
Every time this thought crossed his mind, Jake forced himself to push it away. Since the day he sent that message to his aunt, there had been no response. He sent several more messages afterward, but all went unanswered.
Though they hadn't spoken again, the fact that his aunt hadn't blocked him gave Jake a glimmer of hope. Yet, thinking this way made him feel guilty toward Mia, so he chose to bury his head in the sand.
Jake always faced his emotions head-on, accepting them openly. His traditional mindset made him unwilling to let down any woman he had been intimate with.
Happy days always fly by. Over these two days, under Jake's guidance, Mia barely managed to cook a couple of "nutritious meals." Jake didn't care how they tasted—he finished every bite and even joked that it wasn't enough, which delighted Mia.
For a spoiled rich girl who had never lifted a finger, doing this much for Jake was more than he could ask for.
Of course, except for anything sexual, including oral sex. Mia was afraid Jake wouldn't be able to control himself and break his vow, so she refused no matter what.
Though no one was actively monitoring them, the slightest hint of sexual activity would never escape the watchful eyes of Mia's mother, Yana.
As Mia had guessed, Jake really couldn't hold back. A young man in his prime had a raging libido.
Jake also told Mia that after these two days, she should stop coming for a while. He needed to focus on boosting his performance and securing the top spot.
Mia was understanding. She knew a bit about the company's inner workings and understood that this competition could very well break her mother's conditions. If Jake could get promoted to team leader in the sales department within six months, their marriage would practically be secured.
She agreed with Jake to meet again after the competition ended and reminded him to take care of himself. If his hand wasn't healed, he shouldn't cook, just order takeout.
Jake had always been frugal. Except for the gifts he bought Mia on special occasions, everything he owned was about cost-effectiveness cheap, durable, and practical.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have saved so much money. It was all pinched penny by penny.
After graduating, Jake meticulously planned every cent he earned. Every year, he sent 10% back to the orphanage and put the rest into fixed deposits.
Perhaps it was this sense of gratitude and his clear understanding of what he needed to do at all times that earned him Mia's unique affection.
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Shigella Building, Sales Department, Meeting Room
When Manager Mina stood at the podium to speak, all the male employees in the room stared with wide eyes.
No wonder.
The tall Manager Mina had ditched her usual office-lady style. A gray-and-white checkered women's coat hugged her figure, sleek and poised, exuding an air of sharp elegance.
The wide collar was stretched open by her ample bust, revealing a tantalizing hint of cleavage. A four-leaf clover necklace dangled above it, fueling endless fantasies among the men.
Her snow-white swan neck supported a face of mature beauty, her sharp, confident eyes gleaming. Emerald earrings swayed gently, casting an aura of innate nobility over her entire being.
Her waist was slender, her hips curvaceous. The long coat completely covered her black shorts, creating the illusion of a "disappearing bottom."
The hem stopped just between her thighs and knees, exposing her smooth, flawless legs. The sheer white stockings were almost invisible, making her skin's delicacy unmistakable. Her feet were clad in black letter-patterned high heels, radiating sexiness and allure.
Jake could even hear the sound of male employees swallowing their saliva.
Manager Mina's vermilion-painted lips spoke eloquently, while Director Brant beside her kept sneaking glances at her.
Manager Mina and Director Brant—one the sales department's manager, the other its director—officially kicked off the competition.
This meant that from today until the end of the month, a fierce nine-day battle for sales performance had begun.
Jake began to admire Manager Mina's cunning design. The carefully planned incentives and hefty rewards had fired up the entire sales department, filling them with enthusiasm.
The short timeframe seemed unreasonable at first glance, but it made perfect sense. The sales department wasn't built overnight—every seasoned employee had their own resources. Rather than racing against time, this competition was about squeezing the last drops of value from those resources.
A large corporation would never allow ordinary employees to hold onto rich client resources under the company's name indefinitely. If they left and took clients with them, the losses would be immeasurable.
Another point: when resources were exhausted or new employees joined, it was necessary to seek out other client sources. This created a virtuous cycle. After all, with such a vast market for women's products, as long as someone put in the effort, there would always be resources to tap.
No wonder this proposal had passed the board of directors. Capitalists knew how to make people work their hardest.
But one thing was undeniably good: the bonuses were limitless. If you had the ability, you could buy a car in a year or two and a house in four or five. That was no exaggeration!
While marveling at Manager Mina's beauty and poise, Jake was also strategizing his next moves. His real test had only just begun.