Yang Qi was blown away.

So the commemorative banner and the million-yuan donation were just the appetizers. The real "thank you" was waiting right here.

Yang Pan truly lived up to her reputation as a formidable businesswoman; her methods were flawless.

She had not only expressed her gratitude for him saving her life but had also cleverly transformed that personal debt into a mutually beneficial business opportunity.

This prevented Yang Qi from feeling burdened by a purely monetary reward while also allowing them to grow closer through a partnership.

One word: impressive!

Yang Qi had heard of the Xianzi Group, mainly because Song Wan had mentioned it several times in their small group chat.

It had its own cosmetics brand, hundreds of chain beauty salons, and had recently entered the pet market.

Its market value was in the billions.

...

As he marveled at Yang Pan’s thoroughness and deft maneuvering, Yang Qi quickly scanned the contract’s terms.

Endorser: Xiaojiu (black cat).

Endorsed Product: The "Lingcong" line of natural cat food, a new high-end pet food sub-brand under the Xianzi Group.

Endorsement Fee: 800,000 RMB, post-tax.

Endorsement Term: Two years.

Additionally, there was a special clause: Xiaojiu would receive a 5% share of the net profits from all sales of the "Lingcong" cat food brand (including any subsequent derivative products).

...

In other words...

As long as this cat food was still being sold, Xiaojiu would continue to receive a share of the profits!

Yang Qi was in awe.

For a cat’s "endorsement," these terms were unbelievably generous, brimming with sincerity.

The 5% net profit share was particularly noteworthy. While the percentage might not seem high, given the Xianzi Group’s scale and marketing prowess, the long-term earnings would be a considerable sum if the cat food took off—even if it only captured a small market share.

This went beyond simple "payment"; it was more like a deep, investment-style commitment.

Yang Pan had already put it that way, using the word "help" and adopting a very humble stance.

Yang Qi had already called her "Sister Pan" and accepted the banner and her thanks. Refusing now would be more than just playing hard to get; it would be ungracious.

Without further hesitation, Yang Qi took the pen from the ever-smiling female secretary. Under the smiling gazes of Huang Zhongmu, Mei Ying, and Jiang Kai, he cleanly signed his name on the line for Party B at the end of the contract.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.

Mei Ying, Jiang Kai, and the others offered a timely, gentle round of applause.

"On Xiaojiu’s behalf, thank you for your generosity and trust, Sister Pan," Yang Qi said with a smile, setting down the pen.

"I should be the one thanking Xiaojiu for agreeing to help."

Yang Pan smiled radiantly. "My secretary will coordinate the specific shooting arrangements and style requirements with you. Xiaojiu just needs to cooperate for a few photos and videos. It won’t be too strenuous."

"Not too strenuous" meant Xiaojiu would only need to strike a few poses.

Yang Qi happily got the message.

...

After a bit more small talk, Yang Pan, citing her busy schedule, said her goodbyes.

Before leaving, she took the initiative to exchange WeChat contacts with Yang Qi for future correspondence.

The female secretary in charge of coordinating the details also exchanged WeChat contacts with him.

After seeing Yang Pan and her group off, only the Zoo’s senior management remained in the office.

Huang Zhongmu patted Yang Qi’s shoulder, his face filled with relief and pride. "Xiao Yang, well done! You’ve really brought honor to our Zoo! Not only were you a hero, but now we have socialites coming to present banners, make donations, and discuss partnerships! Your influence has surpassed that of us old-timers!"

"When Xiao Yang first came here, I could tell he was a down-to-earth and hardworking young man with a real spark. I knew I wasn’t wrong about him," Mei Ying added with a smile, her eyes full of admiration.

Jiang Kai nodded repeatedly as well, a constant smile on his face.

"Yang Qi has rendered a great service this time. He saved a life and secured a million yuan for our zoo to improve animal welfare. Good! Excellent!"

...

The Zoo’s executives chimed in one after another, showering him with praise.

This wasn’t just because of Yang Qi’s outstanding performance, but also because he had brought tangible benefits to the Zoo.

A one-million-yuan donation in cold, hard cash!

[Praise from the Sect Leader, Contribution Points +10]

[Praise from the General Affairs Hall Master, Contribution Points +25]

[Affirmation from the Spirit Beast Hall Master, Contribution Points +20]

...

The praise from the senior managers netted Yang Qi several dozen contribution points.

Combined with the points tallied last night, his total once again reached one hundred.

’I can do another lottery draw!’

Yang Qi was secretly delighted but maintained a humble smile. After accepting his superiors’ words of encouragement, he took his leave.

The moment he stepped out of the office building, Yang Qi started the lottery draw.

[Congratulations, Host. You have drawn a prize: Comprehension +1]

’Another increase to my Comprehension!’

Yang Qi was overjoyed.

This increase in Comprehension was permanent, directly affecting his foundation and future potential.

Yang Qi felt his mind become a bit clearer and nimbler, as if he could see things with greater clarity.

Just as he was rejoicing, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He pulled it out to see a text message from his bank.

"[Xia Country Bank] Your account ending in XXXX received a transfer of 800,000.00 yuan on XX/XX. Current balance..."

Xiaojiu’s "endorsement fee"—eight hundred thousand, post-tax—had arrived!

Yang Qi once again marveled at Yang Pan’s efficiency and generosity.

They hadn’t even started shooting the photos and videos, yet the full payment had already arrived.

Just as he was taking it all in, his phone began vibrating nonstop. Messages were flooding the "Zoo Family" main work group chat.

He opened the chat and saw that Mei Ying had posted a formal announcement. It concisely stated that Yang Qi had received a commemorative banner from the Xianzi Group and that the group had generously donated one million yuan to improve animal welfare at the Zoo. The announcement concluded with another round of praise for Yang Qi.

Mei Ying made no mention of Xiaojiu’s business deal to endorse the cat food.

The million-yuan donation alone was enough.

[@YangQi You’re a legend, Brother Qi!!]

[First a hero, now a commemorative banner and a million-yuan donation! Brother Qi is amazing!] 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

[I bow down to Brother Qi! /worship]

[Way to go, Yang Qi! You’ve brought honor to the Zoo!]

...

Chen Ze, Hu Haodong, Cheng Yao, and a few other young employees who were close to Yang Qi led the charge, flooding the chat with cheers and a flurry of stickers.

Soon, senior managers like Zhao Dalong, Cheng Xiaoou, and Jiang Kai also chimed in, offering their praise and congratulations to Yang Qi.

[Huang Zhongmu: @All Members, Comrade Yang Qi is an outstanding representative of our Zoo. Everyone should learn from his example.]

With all this going on, Yang Qi couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t seen the messages.

[Yang Qi: Thanks for the encouragement, everyone! It was just a stroke of luck that I happened to be there. /fist_and_palm_salute]

[Yang Qi: It’s mainly thanks to our leaders’ excellent guidance and my colleagues’ support. /thanks]

After replying, he felt that a few words of text seemed a bit dry, so he also sent a red envelope—not too big, not too small—to the group.

The red envelope was snatched up in an instant.

After grabbing their share, Chen Ze, Hu Haodong, and the others immediately erupted into a fresh round of rowdy cheers.

[Brother Qi is so generous!]

[Stick with Brother Qi and you’ll never go hungry!]

[Brother Qi’s on a roll! A new girlfriend every day... oh wait, I mean a new piece of good news every day!]