"Hello, my name is He Yu. I'm a market analyst at an investment firm, with an annual salary of around 100k!" He Yu couldn't help but say as soon as he sat down.
It wasn't that He Yu liked to show off, but the woman sitting opposite him was simply too captivating. She was wearing a demure, all-black coat, and though she was completely covered, one could still sense her shapely figure beneath.
Especially her face, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Thus, He Yu, who was initially reluctant to go on a blind date, immediately unleashed his full 100% hormones and began to boast about what he had.
For He Yu, there was nothing more worth showing off than his salary and his job.
An annual salary of 100k in China in 2004 was considered upper-tier income, definitely middle-class. Furthermore, a market analyst at an investment firm was, by all accounts, a very respectable job.
After all, any job associated with the words "finance" and "investment" sounded very high-class in those days.
"What does 'k' mean?" Hearing his words, Hu Jing frowned and asked in confusion.
"When you ask that, I get excited!" He Yu's heart leaped with joy. He then added, with a hint of apology in his tone, "Sorry, it's jargon in our circle, something you might not have heard before."
"In English, the word 'kilo' means thousand, so 1k means a thousand yuan!" He Yu explained. As a gentleman, he didn't go on to say, "100k is 100,000, meaning his annual salary is 100,000 RMB."
This had to be understood by the woman herself for maximum effect.
As expected, He Yu heard the woman say, "So, 100k means 100,000? I'm hearing this kind of expression for the first time!"
"Yes, it's commonly used by employees of foreign companies like us. Outside of this circle, not many people use it. So, it's perfectly normal that Ms. Hu hasn't heard of it, don't worry about it!" He Yu said with a comforting smile.
"I see!" Hu Jing nodded, but then continued, "Then I have a question I'm very curious about, and I wonder if you could answer it?"
"Of course, Ms. Hu, please ask anything!" He Yu replied immediately.
"In your circle, how do those people with annual salaries in the tens of millions or even hundreds of millions describe their income? Is it 10,000k, or 100,000k? Or perhaps 10kk, or 100k?"
"Or would it be like in English, where 'million' is used..."
"If that's the case, then never mind!" Hu Jing shook her head. "Authentic French cuisine takes a long time, has small portions, and tastes quite bad. I tried it once and lost all interest."
"How could that be? I suspect the French restaurant you went to must not have been authentic, which is why you felt that way. The restaurant I'm taking you to this time is absolutely the most..."
"No, I think the one I ate at was quite authentic. Its name was Tour d'Argent..." Hu Jing uttered a string of French words, which left He Yu confused because he didn't understand what she was saying. He assumed her English proficiency didn't even pass CET-4.
This made He Yu look down on Hu Jing even more. A woman who hadn't even passed CET-4 would certainly not be able to give birth to excellent children. Therefore, He Yu became even more impatient. He simply said directly, "Ms. Hu, I've never heard of the restaurant you mentioned. It must be a second-rate, imitation French restaurant."
"The restaurant I'm taking you to today is at the Hilton Hotel in Yanjing. It's the most high-end restaurant and hotel in all of Yanjing. If you're interested, after our meal, we can go up to the top floor of the Hilton Hotel to overlook the beautiful night view of the entire Yanjing!" He Yu said.
"Hahahaha!" Suddenly, He Yu heard the laughter of the old man opposite him again, and he was even laughing with his belly in his hands.
"Is there something funny about what I said?" He Yu couldn't help but stand up and question.
"Cough, cough, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to tell you that Tour d'Argent is a French restaurant located in Paris, France, and it's right next to Notre Dame Cathedral, separated by just a wall!" the old man said with a smile.
"..." He Yu's face instantly turned crimson. A restaurant located a wall's breadth away from Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris must be incredibly authentic, at least more authentic than the French restaurants in American hotels like the Hilton!
Thinking of this, He Yu knew he had no face to stay any longer. Without saying goodbye, he simply fled.
"Boss, is this interesting? Sneaking to peek at an employee's blind date!" Hu Jing walked over and said to the old man with a touch of annoyance.