Chapter 83: Our Compatibility Level: Matching Within Three Rounds of Downloading Day and Night

“Look at how inadequate words are in this world. People just can’t easily get what they want. I’m already so tired, I just want things to be simple, but things will still go against my wishes, teaching me to accept my fate, and then telling me that’s life. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Do you get what I mean?”

When Yu Zhimei returned to the office, the male colleagues’ gazes were lewd. At first, she didn’t understand what was going on. Later, she noticed the BD (Business Development) colleague glancing at her stomach a few times, and she understood. In the city, a woman taking sick leave for an appendectomy was, for all intents and purposes, getting an abortion.

She wasn’t affected by Jian Zhaowen not coming home for three days. On the contrary, she was thinking about how to discuss her content plans with CEO Xing. It had been almost a year since she was promoted to Content Director. These 365 days had been almost non-stop work, and she had achieved a lot, securing more business deals than BD, but there was still a sense of not being able to fully unleash her potential. Shanghai was a sophisticated and cutting-edge city. Car companies preferred to find professional digital marketing agencies for advertising, and offline events didn’t need the small-time CEO Xing to make an appearance. Due to land prices, the used car business wasn’t in Shanghai but in the neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Even if they wanted to expand into new businesses, Shanghai wasn’t a suitable location. CEO Xing had been frequently traveling to Beijing recently, and it seemed he had plans to move the entire team there. Yu Zhimei felt uneasy after learning this news. She was just about to talk to Jian Zhaowen about it when she received his message about working overtime all night, so she had to put it aside for now. During lunchtime, Yu Zhimei quietly pulled Monkey aside and asked him what he planned to do if the company moved to Beijing. Monkey had thought it through very clearly: “I came here alone and have no ties, so of course I’ll follow. It’s you I’m worried about, Sister Mei. Jian Zhaowen is such a good boyfriend, it’s not worth you going to Beijing for a long-distance relationship.”

“It’s not that bad, long-distance relationships aren’t a big deal.”

“You’ll know when you’re really in a long-distance relationship. Jian Zhaowen is that kind of aloof prince; you need to be by his side all the time.”

“I’m not some kind of game cheat; I can’t win without being ‘plugged in’—you need to change your feudalistic, patriarchal thinking.”

“Sister Mei, this isn’t my feudalistic thinking. Two people being separated will definitely cause problems. There will be no shortage of young and beautiful girls around him, and you’re not the kind of woman who isn’t charming or oblivious. Just a simple misunderstanding could create a gap between you two, believe me.”

She did believe it. Even if she unconditionally trusted Jian Zhaowen, Qiu Nuo showing up at their doorstep had indeed made her furious. Especially Jian Zhaowen’s attitude of not taking initiative and not refusing, being respectful and polite to everyone, made it easy for clueless women to cling to him. Seeing her in a daze, Monkey opened a can of Coke and poured it for Yu Zhimei: “Talk to CEO Xing in a few days and ask him what he means.”

Indeed, a conversation was needed, not just about the company moving to Beijing, but also about the company’s development direction. Yu Zhimei looked at herself carefully in the mirror, wondering if she was really taking too much ownership of this company, worrying about things that weren’t her responsibility. Having worked at the company for almost three years, from a small editor to the current head of content, managing video accounts on different platforms, she had to ask CEO Xing about her future.

On Friday evening, Yu Zhimei and CEO Xing had dinner after work. CEO Xing showed up half an hour late, with a sense of going to a decisive meeting. He also boldly ordered a row of Korean rice wines, using large scissors and tongs to sizzle the meat, not talking about work, only urging Yu Zhimei to eat first. After three bottles of rice wine, CEO Xing first brought up Jian Zhaowen: “My wife even downloaded ‘Day and Night’.”

“Oh?”

“She also watched your video of catching the adulterer live. Didn’t see that coming, Yu Zhimei, so vengeful.”

“Of course you have to think about fighting back when you’re being bullied to the point of no return.” Yu Zhimei was a little relieved that he hadn’t seen the video of her ribs being cracked.

CEO Xing didn’t speak, only continued drinking with a smile. Halfway through, he took out a wet wipe to wipe his face, blew his nose loudly, rinsed his mouth with barley tea, and leaned back cleanly in his chair: “You’ve been holding back, wanting to say something to me, pouring so much wine down my throat.”

“Look, there’s a cognitive bias here. You’ve been constantly pouring wine for me, but you say I’m the one forcing it on you.” Yu Zhimei refilled CEO Xing’s small wine glass: “But I do need to toast you. Thank you for trusting me so much over the years, promoting me directly from a small editor to director. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve it.”

The two of them held back the words in their hearts, adding a bit of emotion and tactics, revealing only a little with each sentence. CEO Xing knew Yu Zhimei’s cunning, but since she was useful to him, his appreciation outweighed his caution: “What have you been doing in the past year? Editing videos, writing scripts, finding clients for the company, making contracts... you’re practically an all-rounder. Of course, I trust you the most.”

“Being able to work on cars with CEO Xing is lucky. When I came out of the bank, I was really confused. Thinking about how much I loved driving as a child, doing this feels like destiny. But actually, the things people can do are very limited. Except for a very few who can defy fate, most people are set from the moment they are born, and the rest is just slowly realizing that ending.”

“That’s true.” CEO Xing suddenly became serious: “I, a junior college graduate from an auto repair school, have struggled to build a small company to where it is now. Thinking about it, it’s quite a legend. But in this lifetime, I’ll probably just make programs to earn some advertising fees and resell used cars to make a profit. It’s unlikely I’ll have any other pursuits.”

“And you’ll also become the kind of person you hated the most, doing things you once thought you would never do.”

CEO Xing pointed at Yu Zhimei, as if she had hit the nail on the head. “When I was little, I particularly hated my dad going out to drink. A few buddies would get together, and when he came back, he’d be drunk and disorderly, and the whole house would smell of vomit and alcohol. Now that I’m this age, I’ve realized that drinking a little helps me sleep, allows me to talk and release stress, and can slightly alleviate my depression. With so many illnesses and things not going smoothly, it seems only this wine going down my throat feels solid. For example, the thing I disliked the most was recommending bad cars to others, but now, after a long time, I do it if I get paid. I have to support my family and make sure my employees have food to eat.”

“Then... going to Beijing, is it true?”

CEO Xing smiled: “How did you know?”

“The news has spread throughout the company, and you’re the only one keeping us in the dark.”

“Going to Beijing offers a better environment. After so many years in Shanghai, we’ve done all we can do here. There are still opportunities in Beijing. If you don’t want to go, I completely understand. Jian Zhaowen is a very good boyfriend, and it won’t be difficult for you to find a job in Shanghai. There are advertising companies all along Line 13.”

“But I won’t be able to work on cars anymore. I still want to make videos. Advertising companies are good, but their essence is still that of traditional middlemen. I don’t want to leave the new industry.”

“I’m also reluctant to leave you in Shanghai. Going to Beijing means I’ll have to hire a new person to coordinate content.” CEO Xing slapped his thigh and stood up: “Alright, that’s about it. I’ll pay the bill.”

Yu Zhimei suddenly added, “CEO Xing, if you trust me, I’ll go to Beijing with you.”

“You don’t want Jian Zhaowen anymore?”

Yu Zhimei was silent for a moment. CEO Xing, holding his phone, flicked a finger at her: “Think about it again. I know you’re career-oriented, but long-distance relationships aren’t that easy. It’s better to stay in Shanghai if you can.”

A week later, Yu Zhimei saw an email CEO Xing had sent, CC’ing all employees: “Dear colleagues, as the National Day holiday approaches, I also have important news to share with everyone. The company has officially signed a contract to become a car media under Yue Dong Media. In the future, video production and business will receive greater traffic support and become more professional. We hope that within the next year, we can increase our reach from six million across the entire network to ten million, and that our three accounts can also have better monetization and expand more offline businesses. The bad news is that for the sake of development, the company will soon relocate to Beijing. I will have one-on-one talks with each colleague next. It is my unrealistic wish that everyone will follow to Beijing, but if there is truly a parting, I will do my best to help everyone move towards a better future.”

Even lying in bed, Yu Zhimei could still feel the blood running cold through her body. The benefits of signing with Yue Dong were too many. This wasn’t a resident media under a certain website or app, but a first-tier automotive agency under an MCN. The company would have a more complete creative process, more stable advertisers and distribution platforms, and traffic. The lingering smell of barbecue from that night was gone, and Yu Zhimei understood that CEO Xing’s choice was brilliant: the largest video account currently was “CEO Xing Talks Cars,” with over a million followers on various platforms. In this in-between period, having a higher platform and resources to give him a boost was exactly what he needed.

And CEO Xing had also given her a new task: to open a short video account and post three short videos within a week to connect with the traffic provided by Yue Dong. After planning with Monkey and the intern, Yu Zhimei rented three different Volkswagen models for filming. It rained just as they were about to leave. Yu Zhimei left last and suddenly discovered that her car wouldn’t start.

Jian Zhaowen called Yu Zhimei. Hearing that she was in the parking lot near the company, he walked over and saw Yu Zhimei squatting on the ground, fixing the car. He recalled Sister He’s earlier sarcasm: after being exposed to the sun for a while, even a delicate flower would be covered in dust and have disheveled hair. Yu Zhimei heard his footsteps and looked up, her eyes slightly red-rimmed, but she quickly lowered her head and continued working on the car. Jian Zhaowen patted her shoulder and squatted down beside the car: “Are you okay?”

“Frustrated.”

“What’s wrong?”

“CEO Xing is filming cars this afternoon, three of them together, making short videos—yes, I’m now in charge of short videos. So all three cars have a shot, they’re supposed to be speeding side by side on a wide road in the suburbs. The script is all set, the other two cars have already driven to Songjiang, and this car is still here. I have to fix it. It won’t even move now, and I’m the only one who can fix it.”

Jian Zhaowen squatted down, looking at Yu Zhimei’s dirty face. Her dejected appearance looked like she was ready for a fight: “What’s all this about?”

“Don’t worry.” Seeing that it was about to rain, Jian Zhaowen pulled Yu Zhimei: “Let’s call a tow truck to take the car to the repair shop first, at least to get out of the rain.”

“If it’s broken and sent to the repair shop, we won’t be able to film it today, and I won’t be able to complete the task. Look, how inadequate words are in this world. It’s like I need a driven plate to fix the car, but all I can reach are a bunch of pistons. I’m just making an analogy, this car just needs engine oil. But people just can’t easily get what they want. I’m already so tired, I just want things to be simple, but things will still go against my wishes, teaching me to accept my fate, and then telling me that’s life. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Do you get what I mean?”

Jian Zhaowen suddenly laughed: “I understand perfectly.”

The rain poured down at this moment, hitting them head-on. Yu Zhimei’s hair quickly got wet. She wiped her hair and continued to stand by the roadside, her green jacket damp and dark, her gaze shifting to the dyed shadows everywhere. Jian Zhaowen knew that Yu Zhimei was like this when she was really serious, but he didn’t expect her to not even try to avoid such heavy rain, until a scooter delivered engine oil—it was actually a same-city delivery service. She added the oil in the rain, and Jian Zhaowen bought an umbrella at a convenience store and asked, “This will work?”

“It’s a Volkswagen, you carry engine oil with you.”

“Why?”

“Because this car is relatively ‘high-end’.” Yu Zhimei opened the car door: “Get in, let’s go film the show.”

Yu Zhimei kept sneezing in the car. Jian Zhaowen turned off the car’s air conditioning and, while waiting for the red light, took out a tissue and pressed it to her forehead, helpless against her stubbornness: “Why are you so stubborn? Couldn’t you have gone to take shelter from the rain for a while?”

“When I’m angry, I don’t care about the rain. When I was in junior high, there was a girl in my class who would skip class in heavy rain and drag her boyfriend out to get soaked. At the time, I thought she was really cool. Getting rained on just now suddenly reminded me of her. I wonder how she’s doing.”

“How well can someone with a waterlogged brain be doing?” Jian Zhaowen sighed: “You always make trouble for yourself over small things.”

The short video shoot went very smoothly, taking just over an hour to get the script and shots right. After filming, Yu Zhimei was dragged by Jian Zhaowen to drive home, her head pushed into the bathroom for a shower. After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, the two went out to find food. While waiting for a table at the restaurant entrance, Jian Zhaowen kept touching Yu Zhimei’s forehead with his hand, afraid she would catch a cold and get a fever. Yu Zhimei couldn’t stand Jian Zhaowen’s hand waving around anymore and grabbed it: “I’m really fine, just hungry.”

Jian Zhaowen pouted: “There’s still an hour. You said you wanted to change restaurants but then refused.”

“Can’t I just be craving this? Since we’re just waiting anyway, can you tell me how you do algorithms?”

“Curious?”

“Yeah.”

“Modeling, collecting data is basically using the privacy in your phone. Contacts, input method, photo album, microphone... triggering keywords allows us to collect information. Once we have a good user profile, we can push content to you, and we can also capture information from other people’s pushes and build a more accurate model of you. What kind of person you are, I can understand very clearly without even meeting you. Actually, social networking software is more accurate. Young people’s goals are to find love and get married. Education, origin, salary, phone interests, and hobbies can all be seen clearly. Matching depends on whose algorithm is better.”

“That accurate?”

“No one who uses my algorithm has said it’s inaccurate.”

“Don’t be too confident, Jian Zhaowen.”

“Of course. If you don’t believe me, register for ‘Day and Night’ and try matching.”

Yu Zhimei connected to Jian Zhaowen’s hotspot, downloaded “Day and Night,” and clicked the match button. The first match wasn’t Jian Zhaowen, and she looked at him reproachfully. Jian Zhaowen glanced at the screen: “You’re still connected to my hotspot. We’ll definitely be avoided under the same Wi-Fi. Did you think you could use a small app in the room to match with your own husband?”

After switching to 4G, she started the second match, which was a Shanghai boy 3 kilometers away. Jian Zhaowen tapped away the chat invitation in the upper right corner for her: “Continue matching.”

“What, you’re not even letting me chat with the people I’m matched with?”

“Of course not. Look, isn’t it me?”

Yu Zhimei looked at Jian Zhaowen on the screen, who was less than a hundred meters away, and suddenly wanted to play a prank: “Show me who you’ve matched with on your phone.”

The other party didn’t hide anything: “Sure, this is my personal phone, I just registered for ‘Day and Night,’ you can see.”

There were indeed greetings from a few girls, but Jian Zhaowen had tapped away the notifications on his phone without replying. Jian Zhaowen drank his Coke seriously: “What, you still don’t trust me? If you really want to see how many people want to date me, just look at the Weibo comments and WeChat friend requests. A lot of internet celebrities took photos with me at Lei Zheng’s party before, and they even meticulously photoshopped the pictures and tagged my name.”

“Are you showing off how popular you are?” Yu Zhimei frowned, and sure enough, she saw Jian Zhaowen’s eyebrows twitching.