Shen Yuyan looked at Bai nglin beside her, with a smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
The feelings of "returning ho in glory" and "showing off" gradually faded away.
In fact, there had been no real animosity between the two of them.
On the contrary, they had a good relationship, having been deskmates for a year in high school, and their families lived close to each other.
But because they were both excellent, there was inevitably a subtle sense of competition between them.
Now, with ti smoothing the past and the working world honing their edges,
eting again, those youthful conflicts and grudges had long since dissolved into thin air.
What remained were only the smiles and sentints in their mories.
...
Bai nglin lived around West Camp tro station, a little over two kiloters from New Era Square.
However, due to the peak commuting hours, the taxi stopped and started, with the streets outside the window teeming with crowds, small shops brightly lit, and congested traffic.
Finally, after more than ten minutes, the car slowly stopped in front of a café on a street corner.
"Here we are."
Bai nglin got out of the car first, leading Shen Yuyan into an old-fashioned café.
The shop wasn’t big, decorated in a vintage style, with yellowed nus and old Hong Kong movie posters on the walls, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of milk tea, eggs, and stewed soup.
The noise of the crowd mingled with Cantonese and Mandarin, as waiters weaved through, bringing plates and shouting orders, their movents quick.
The two of them found a small table for two in the corner.
Holding the nu, they laughed and chatted for a while, and Bai nglin ordered food in passable Cantonese.
In less than ten minutes, steaming dishes were successively brought to the table.
lancholic Rice with shiny and slightly charred char siu, paired with a special sauce, slled delicious.
The specialty Western French toast, crispy on the outside, drizzled with condensed milk and butter, was temptingly sweet.
...
Amid the steaming heat and noise of the café.
The two of them relished the food while chatting about their experiences over the years.
Perhaps having been drifting alone in Xiang River for too long, Bai nglin had a lot to say.
The topics shifted from life to careers, from rent to the real estate bubble in Xiang River, becoming more and more animated.
Shen Yuyan listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a few words, but mostly just nodding and smiling.
Gradually piecing together detailed information about her old classmate.
Bai nglin pursued a Master’s in Finance at Xiang River Chinese University for her graduate studies, a one-year taught master’s program with a tight schedule.
She had graduated more than two years ago.
Though she had a 211 undergraduate degree and a master’s from Xiang River Chinese University, despite her hard work, she didn’t have the opportunity to enter the top foreign-invested firms and investnt banks she had dread of.
Instead, firms like Guotai Junan International, a Chinese securities firm’s Xiang River branch, were more welcoming to soone with her mainland background, and the competition was sowhat lower.
She worked very hard and with great pressure.
Last month, she was finally promoted from Analyst to Associate.
Shen Yuyan sipped her milk tea, a complex look flashing in her eyes.
She originally intended to bring Bai nglin into Rongliu, at least starting as an investnt assistant, leveraging connections to give a fairly good starting point.
But now, hearing this, she suddenly felt a bit uncertain.
Bai nglin was already an Associate at a leading Chinese securities firm; switching to a basic position in private equity seed sowhat inappropriate.
If it were her, she likely wouldn’t want to leave a familiar workplace and a hard-earned promotion for a chance at a mid-sized private equity firm.
...
After dinner, the two settled the bill and walked out of the café.
The night deepened, streetlights casting mottled shadows on the damp cobblestone road.
They slowly walked uphill along Second Street in West Camp, passing by unique little shops.
They turned into a gray and white apartnt with slightly mottled exterior walls.
"Our building is over 60 years old, with five floors in total, and I live on the fourth floor..."
Bai nglin spoke as she headed upstairs, her steps brisk and her tone natural.
The key clicked into the lock, and with a light sound, the door opened.
Bai nglin’s roommate was an auditor working at one of the big four accounting firms, who often worked overti until close to midnight, making it rare for them to see each other.
The house was a 625 square foot (about 58 square ters) two-bedroom unit, not very large, but well-kept and warm.
The furnishings and appliances were quite complete.
Shen Yuyan had seen her share photos on the Little Red Book before, so she wasn’t too curious.
"It’s a bit small, but it’ll do."
"It’s quite cozy. In Xiang River, this is considered a pretty good place, right?"
"Not quite," Bai nglin chuckled lightly, "better than subdivided flats, at least. The total rent is seventeen thousand; I’m in the master bedroom, so I pay 9,300 Hong Kong dollars."
She leaned against the sofa, sharing sentints about her living experiences over the years.
During her postgraduate studies, because she couldn’t apply for on-campus housing, she rented a small bedroom nearby, squeezing with classmates in a tiny ten-square-ter space.
Not until her job stabilized after graduating did she move here, finally having a bit of private space.
Listening, Shen Yuyan’s eyes flickered, suddenly asking, "nglin, can I ask... what your salary is now?"
Bai nglin paused, then smiled, "Why not. My base monthly salary is forty thousand Hong Kong dollars, with an annual bonus of about three to six months, depending on performance."
"So, your annual salary is around six hundred thousand?" Shen Yuyan quickly calculated.
"More or less," Bai nglin nodded, "but in a mainland firm, it’s normal; if I joined a top-tier investnt bank, I’d earn at least half more in the sa position, but unfortunately, my academic background isn’t enough."
Looking at her, Shen Yuyan asked seriously, "What are your future plans?"
Bai nglin was silent for a mont, then replied calmly, "My plan is to first secure permanent residency in Xiang River. Then try to get promoted to VP. Beyond that, I don’t dare to think too much; the ceiling is too visible. If not, going back to the mainland is fine. Though the platforms might be inferior and the earnings less, at least the costs are lower, and the pace is slower."
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