Reborn with Consumption System-Chapter 396 - 197 Money is Not the Same as Money
Oh my God! This man is throwing money at me... and it’s so much money!
Liang Wu was not a foolish girl who hadn’t seen money. On the contrary, she had earned enough on her own to buy an entry-level Mercedes; she certainly hadn’t earned or saved too little.
However, money was not all the same.
The salary for the position as assistant director of Zhongcheng Private Equity wasn’t something to get excited about, no matter how high it was.
Even if the monthly salary was 100,000, so what? It was always fake in the end.
Zhongcheng was a special company that would only exist for a specific period. It would have a very short lifespan, and positions within it held no future prospects.
Han Lie’s special status and importance needed no repeated emphasis. He was the absolute core of the company and fully capable of promoting Liang Wu to general manager, offering an annual salary of a million and management bonuses. She believed the shareholders would certainly grant him that respect.
But that was just a beautiful bubble.
Han Lie would soon leave to establish his own business. At that time, what would be left of Zhongcheng without Director Han? Closure was the only outcome.
Even if the shareholders didn’t withdraw their capital and hired another high-level fund manager to continue operations, whether they could make money was a separate issue. On what basis would she, Liang Wu, continue to receive a high salary and bonuses?
Therefore, the positions and salaries at Zhongcheng essentially had no real value. What truly held value was Han Lie’s trust.
Silly women, dazzled by money, couldn’t understand this principle, but Liang Wu did.
Under the premise of Han Lie’s absolute authority, a high salary offered in the company’s name proved nothing, nor was it worth any pride or pleasure.
It wasn’t due to her own capability, but Han Lie abusing his authority for personal gain, like presenting borrowed flowers as his own gift.
That money wouldn’t last long, nor would it be stable.
The higher the company salary, the more it implied Han Lie didn’t truly take her seriously. He wouldn’t consider her one of his own and was likely just trying to dazzle her with wealth for a casual fling before discarding her.
However, the significance was completely different if Han Lie was willing to pay her out of his own pocket.
This was a binding of identities.
It meant: "You are my private assistant, unrelated to the company. So, for whatever work you do for the company and the pay you receive, I will personally compensate you for the rest."
The more he compensated her, the more it proved she was valued.
The 50,000 given privately by Han Lie was even more valuable than 500,000 from the company.
How long could she keep the company’s money? A month, or three at most. Then they would part ways, and everything afterward would have nothing to do with her.
But Han Lie’s money could be kept for years, even decades! It was possible she wouldn’t even need decades; in a few years, she could attain financial freedom.
How should a smart person choose?
Of course, 50,000 was still too much.
Liang Wu wouldn’t accept it with a clear conscience, nor would she treat the money as simple payment for being a kept woman.
Although such a high monthly salary inevitably included *that* aspect, it was merely a diversion; the core was still to work for him.
"That’s too much. Do you need me to provide more... private services?" Liang Wu asked, having calmed down. She didn’t beat around the bush, her tone remarkably serene.
Han Lie was inwardly full of praise. This girl is a real talent, capable of great things...
She’s just over twenty. Other girls her age are still being doted on by their parents, being difficult or dramatic with their boyfriends, moping over love, their heads full of impractical fantasies. Yet, she already possesses wisdom, composure, emotional intelligence, and decisiveness.
It’s no exaggeration—how many women over thirty, even after a divorce, still can’t see reality clearly and live like fools?
The more he interacted with her, the more Han Lie sensed her unique charm.
As a wife? Unsuitable. As a subordinate and partner? 99 points.
Han Lie looked at her with interest and countered, "Are you willing?"
Liang Wu, her experience still shallow, couldn’t detect any particular inclination in his tone. So, she continued to answer according to her own line of thought.
"Of course, I am willing!" she declared, her attitude firm and unequivocal. "When I asked you for this opportunity, I had already offered myself as a bargaining chip. But..."
She paused, then pressed the accelerator again.
Han Lie neither interjected nor hurried her, waiting as she navigated the congested intersection.
"...but I have one concern. If our personal relationship progresses too quickly, it will inevitably affect my learning and work efficiency. You are a very charming man, and I am still very young, inexperienced in love and sex. I’m not sure if, as a lover, I could manage to do everything I should for you. Can you understand? So, I believe the ideal approach would be to postpone the... private services for a time. Let me first become your best assistant. Once we are sufficiently familiar with each other and have developed a good working synergy, then we can allow our relationship to progress naturally to the next stage. That is my personal view, stated without any reservation. Of course, whatever decision you ultimately make, I will resolutely carry it out."
Excellent! Han Lie found himself growing a little fond of Liang Wu.
After his Intelligence stat increased from the low 60s to 79, Han Lie found himself increasingly appreciative of the radiant wisdom emanating from intelligent young women.
There was a term from later generations, "sapiosexual." The scoundrel Han Lie of his past life could never have understood it, but now, he finally did.
Beauty isn’t solely physical. Just as women admire men who are composed, confident, and articulate, men sometimes feel the same. Intellectual women possess the most enduring charm—isn’t that a testament to it?
However, despite the high regard he now held for Liang Wu, Han Lie didn’t show it. He simply replied nonchalantly, "Just take it for now."
