Chapter 72: Help Me Knock Some Sense Into Her
[Medium-Value Intelligence]
[The host’s current blind date prospect, Lu Qiaofan, is determined to marry only a civil servant. Unfortunately for the host, it’s too late to take the exam now. Furthermore, she also wants the man’s family to be able to help her career.]
Zhang Zhe’s eyelid twitched as he read the intelligence.
’So this woman is only after the man’s family background.’
That explained everything.
It didn’t matter if the guy was bald or had "stomach problems"—the key was that his parents were influential.
Zhang Zhe really wanted to edit a clip of this call. That way, if any of his male fans were being pressured by their families to get married, he could just show them the video and have them tell their parents:
"If you guys worked a little harder, I could get married even if I were a eunuch!"
"Did he tell you about the ’stomach problems’ himself?" Zhang Zhe asked curiously. "Usually, if someone really has that kind of issue, they don’t enter the dating market."
"I’m sure. We tried once. He really can’t perform."
"Er... and you don’t mind?"
"I’m actually okay with it." The woman’s tone was calm; she had probably already come to terms with it. "And it’s not just the performance issue. He told me he might be attracted to men."
[This guy definitely likes men.]
[I think I get it. This guy was probably on hormone therapy when he was younger. The hair loss is a side effect of the medication.]
[Even a guy like this has a partner? That’s insane.]
[To put it bluntly, it’s about whether you can accept a marriage of convenience.]
"Are you sure you’re not making this up?"
"Honestly, with the characteristics you’ve listed, if this person really exists, anyone who knows him would recognize him immediately."
"I guarantee it’s true." The woman’s tone was firm.
"So what terms did he offer you to make you willing to marry a man who’s bald, impotent, and also gay?"
"No terms yet, we haven’t gotten to that stage. But objectively speaking, his family background is really good. His father was a city-level leader and retired from a high-ranking position, so he has a certain amount of influence."
"Can his father’s connections even help you? Don’t you work in administration at a school?"
"I... I don’t know."
"Do his parents know about their son’s situation?"
"They probably don’t."
"Don’t ’probably.’ You need to be sure." Zhang Zhe felt like there was something wrong with this woman’s thinking. She was planning a marriage of convenience without even knowing what she would get out of it.
’You wouldn’t even conduct business this way.’
"Is it because you don’t have a secure government job yourself that you think being ’in the system’ has some kind of halo effect?"
"I’m not..."
"Don’t be so quick to argue, let me finish." Zhang Zhe cut her off mercilessly. "In the civil service, being active and being retired are two different things. Once they leave, their influence fades. Unless he’s the type who has proteges everywhere, he won’t have any real connections left."
"The impression you’re giving me right now is that you’re desperate for money, and instead of choosing between borrowing or getting a loan, you’ve decided to snatch the few coins from a beggar’s bowl on the street."
"Is it that serious?"
[Brother Zhang, is it possible she really can’t find anyone to marry?]
[Even if you have no other options, don’t agree to a sham marriage. His parents will blame you for everything.]
[This woman needs to go watch that video "Husband, Say Something!"]
"So..." The woman hesitated for a moment before asking in a small voice, "So this man... he isn’t the best I can do, right?"
"Based on his personal stats, maybe I could find someone with better connections?"
Hearing this question, Zhang Zhe knew she was a lost cause.
’This woman’s mind is completely consumed with ’cashing out at a high point.’ She wants to use her last few years of golden marriageable age to marry someone well-off.’
’Get the money or resources first, and worry about the rest later.’
For people like her, marriage was just a tool for "starting a business" or "getting rich." Whether they were happy in life was completely irrelevant.
Coincidentally, for the man she was dating, marriage was also just a shield to deal with pressure from his family and society.
’When you think about it that way, they’re practically a match made in heaven.’
Zhang Zhe’s advice was to lock it down.
But looking at the bullet comments, everyone was telling the woman to run. ’The audience is just too kind,’ he thought.
"Finding someone with better connections will probably be difficult. All I can say is that there’s a chance."
"A situation like yours... there might only be a few cases like it in the whole country each year. You’ll have to figure it out yourself." Zhang Zhe was being very restrained.
"Brother Zhang, that’s not real advice. I came on your stream and gave you content; I really want some guidance."
"You’re being too perfunctory."
"Mm, true." Zhang Zhe nodded. The woman had a point. This material was indeed explosive.
"Alright, then I’ll give you a useful strategy."
"Spend a little money and go to a few more marriage agencies. Have the Matchmakers take your profile and requirements and find matches. Then, out of all the men who are interested in you, just pick the one with the best offer."
"They’ll most likely be divorced with kids, or have a physical disability. You can probably accept that, right?"
"As long as their offer is good, I can accept it."
"Then you’re all set." Zhang Zhe made an OK sign with his hand. "Any more questions?"
"No, thank you, Brother Zhang."
[Divorced with kids versus a bald, impotent gay man. That’s a truly well-matched dilemma.]
[I’m just now realizing, this girl is a gold digger at her core!]
[She can even accept a sham marriage. There’s nothing left in the Chinese marriage market that could possibly faze her.]
"This woman’s understanding of love and marriage is purely transactional."
"Calling her a gold digger is actually underestimating her."
Zhang Zhe summarized as he read the bullet comments:
"Actually, even if she does marry her current prospect, you don’t need to feel sorry for her. The moment she stops receiving enough benefits from his side, she’ll immediately divorce him to cut her losses."
"For people like this, a marriage certificate is purely an item for trade."
"It’s just a shame that, right now, only women have a market for this kind of transaction. No one’s buying a man’s marriage certificate yet."
After finishing the call with that piece of work, Zhang Zhe took a sip of water to compose himself.
He instinctively glanced at his phone. The guy who had previously bought ninety-nine consultation orders from him had sent him a private message:
[Bro, I have a cousin who wants to consult you about her marriage problems.]
[When are you free?]
"I’m free right now. I’m live on Douyin."
"Search for ’Qing City Zhuyin Marriage Agency’."
"Have your cousin come over. If she sends a Carnival, I’ll see her."
[Okay, I’ll tell her right now.]
[Brother Zhang, please help me chew her out. Her perception of marriage is messed up.]
[If you can knock some sense into her, I’ll have my aunt send you 10 Carnivals, no problem.]
"OK." Zhang Zhe only replied with those two letters.
This rich client had driven a sports car even back in his school days; his cousin definitely wasn’t poor. She wasn’t lacking the material conditions or financial foundation for marriage.
The reason she wasn’t married, then, was obvious.