"When you messaged me privately at noon, you said you wanted a clean, fresh hairstyle, right?"
Jason walked behind Lin Shen, gently running his fingers through his hair while explaining.
"Your face shape is very well-proportioned without too many angles, but your hair texture is soft. I suggest you get a perm and do a Morgan fringe. How about that?"
With that, Xiao Li brought over a tablet, the screen filled with various photos of Morgan fringes, all apparently Jason's work.
Lin Shen glanced at them casually and nodded with satisfaction.
"How much?"
"700 more on top of the 998 base price."
Jason tried hard to sell.
"We'll give you a bottle of Hawkins styling spray and hair clay, worth over 300 in the market."
"As long as it looks good."
Since the Image Transformation Card had a full 50,000 budget, Lin Shen planned to splurge.
Seeing how generous he was, Xiao Li's smile immediately became incredibly bright.
"You can trust our manager's skills! Plus you're so handsome, the Morgan fringe effect will definitely be amazing!"
"Thank you."
Putting aside the price issue, just the emotional value Xiao Li provided made Lin Shen very satisfied.
Especially during the hair wash when she massaged his scalp, her gentle technique combined with the constant wafting of her body fragrance.
All of this made Lin Shen feel rather euphoric.
After everything was ready, Jason began his performance.
First, he used a gradient method to shave the hair on Lin Shen's sides and back, then used hair scissors to trim the layers of his bangs, leaving longer sections that could be permed.
Then Xiao Li helped curl Lin Shen's hair section by section with perm rods. After all this fussing around, time slowly passed.
Lin Shen yawned from boredom, but fortunately Xiao Li was good at conversation. Her casual compliments showed high emotional intelligence, keeping the atmosphere from becoming awkward.
Plus her flight attendant uniform showed off her figure quite nicely.
At least Lin Shen felt the service at this shop was good.
He'd come again next time!
"Done!"
Two hours later, when the hair dryer noise stopped and Lin Shen put on his glasses, he was truly shocked by his reflection in the mirror.
Is this me?
"How is it?"
Jason brought over a folding mirror, letting Lin Shen admire his sides and back. After getting his approving nod, he smiled and said.
"Let me tell you honestly, most popular hairstyles on the market can be done at home with a curling iron and hair clay."
"I'll teach you a hair-styling method in a bit. You can manage it yourself daily. If you need anything, come find me anytime."
"Okay."
Lin Shen couldn't contain his excitement and took out his phone to take a selfie in the mirror.
Then he got up to pay and added Xiao Li on WeChat, leaving the hair salon with a smile for the first time.
"Whew—!"
Lin Shen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling as if everything in the world had become brighter, unconsciously straightening his chest and raising his head.
While gradually breaking free from his wage slave identity, he was also experiencing life's beauty.
Indeed, consumption was the best way to satisfy desires!
Lin Shen glanced at the time on his watch, then took the subway to the company for his appointment.
5 PM.
Third floor of Huamao Building, Pet Haven Marketing Director's office.
Knock knock knock—!
"Come in."
After hearing Qin Yuenan's cool voice from inside the office, Lin Shen pushed the door open.
"Director Qin."
"Sit first, I'll be done soon."
Qin Yuenan sat behind her desk, staring intently at her laptop screen.
Today she was dressed the same as usual for work, wearing a beige blazer with a light-colored inner shirt, her hair casually falling over her shoulders, revealing earrings and an exquisite watch, her overall image quite capable.
Seeing this, Lin Shen obediently sat on the sofa to wait.
Qin Yuenan glanced up at him during a break, and her originally indifferent cold eyes suddenly flashed with surprise, blinking twice in astonishment.
"You changed your hairstyle?"
"Yes."
Lin Shen smiled and explained.
"I haven't been in good shape lately, so I thought I'd change myself up a bit."
"This hairstyle suits you well."
Qin Yuenan's rare compliment made Lin Shen feel flattered, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Thank you! By the way, Director Qin, why did you suddenly think of treating me to dinner?"
"Your operational suggestions for our company have been very useful."
Qin Yuenan closed her laptop, put it in her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and stood up.
"I adopted some of them, so I wanted to treat you to dinner."
"Glad I could help."
Lin Shen chuckled and also stood up, which made Qin Yuenan pause.
"You seem to have lost quite a bit of weight."
"About eight pounds."
Lin Shen followed Qin Yuenan out of the office, looking quite expectant.
"But I want to indulge a bit tonight. What are you planning to treat me to?"
"You're really not polite."
Although Qin Yuenan rolled her eyes at Lin Shen, she actually didn't dislike his straightforward personality.
On the contrary, she quite enjoyed the pure friendship she had with Lin Shen, free from any scheming.
"How about barbecue?"
"No problem."
Lin Shen followed Qin Yuenan into the elevator to the -1 level, discovering her car was a black Volvo S90.
The smooth, natural body lines highlighted a simple Nordic style, with the front grille's vertical slats paired with "Thor's Hammer" headlights creating high recognition.
Of course, Volvo's core technology lay in its City Intelligent Safety System—its "highway tank" reputation wasn't earned for nothing.
"Let me drive."
Since Qin Yuenan had agreed to treat him to dinner, Lin Shen was naturally willing to be the driver.
Actually, he just wanted to try driving this Volvo S90.
Seeing Lin Shen so eager and even a bit excited, Qin Yuenan didn't refuse his offer and elegantly sat in the passenger seat.
The seatbelt crossed the valley, outlining the curves of her perky peaks, and her two beautiful legs wrapped in fitted pants were pressed together.
Qin Yuenan was just sitting in the passenger seat without any extra movements, but her cold, regal aura immediately burst forth.
This made Lin Shen steal several glances, feeling slightly nervous, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Where's the barbecue restaurant you mentioned?"
"Hang Lung Plaza."
Qin Yuenan found Hang Lung Plaza's location on the car's navigation system. With Lin Shen driving, they reached their destination in just half an hour.
Daiwu Yakiniku.
Lin Shen had heard of this barbecue restaurant. It had a good online reputation, just the price was a bit expensive, over a thousand per person.
But this was a small matter for Qin Yuenan.
"Two guests, please come in."
Led by a server, Lin Shen followed Qin Yuenan to a quiet private room.
Its design concept incorporated classic dry landscape elements, with simple and elegant decoration creating an refined dining environment.
Especially under the dim lighting, Qin Yuenan's exquisite face radiated smooth, delicate contours, gradually filling the quiet atmosphere with a hint of inexplicable ambiguity.
Could something happen?
Lin Shen's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, then he laughed at himself mockingly.
He couldn't be fooled by the "three great illusions of life."
Better to focus on improving himself—fate would naturally come knocking.