Chapter 176 - 174: Zhang Zhe Replaces You
"Zero votes?" Zhang Zhe said in disbelief.
’This is actually good news, but it feels a little insulting.’ "Can you double-check? Maybe there was a bug in the system?"
"Of course not. We’re professionals."
"Look, the top guy here got votes from 68 women."
Seeing that Zhang Zhe had gone completely unnoticed, Boss He’s mood instantly improved. Since no one was paying attention to him, she had room to maneuver.
"Can I take a look? What’s the deal with the guy who got the most votes?" Zhang Zhe was curious. ’What kind of person could possibly get that many votes?’
’Did he rig the vote?’
’If he’s really that great, how did he end up in the matchmaking scene?’
"Let’s see..."
"Oh, I know this one. His dad is with the city’s Education Bureau, and not low-level either. Take a guess why all these preschool and elementary school teachers voted for him?"
"They’re trying to kill two birds with one stone, obviously. If they marry him and he can’t even help them secure a tenured position, then his old man might as well step down."
"Exactly." Boss He nodded. "But there aren’t many guys like him. Most of them are just ordinary people."
"Some of them, like you, got zero votes."
"If you’re going to participate as a Matchmaker, go home and study their profiles carefully. Don’t make a fool of yourself at the event."
"And study the schedule carefully, too."
"Alright." Zhang Zhe nodded, his expression unchanged.
The two had a tacit understanding at that moment. He wouldn’t bring up how Boss He had signed him up without his permission, and in return, she would help him figure out a way to attend the event as a Matchmaker.
After getting home, Zhang Zhe looked at the event schedule and burst out laughing.
’Seriously? In this day and age, they’re still running a traditional matchmaking party like this?’
According to the plan designed by Boss He and her team, the event had a total of six main segments.
After entry, the first segment was a doozy:
All the women would stand in six rows while the men formed a single line, taking turns to go down the rows and shake hands.
If this event were posted on Xiaohongshu, it would get flamed for pages and pages. If a handshake lasted even 0.05 seconds too long, you’d be slapped with a sexual harassment label.
But the good thing about an in-person event was that most of the participants cared about their reputation.
Anyone who made a scene at the event wouldn’t just face social death across the entire city, but they’d also have to be prepared for their superiors to make their life difficult every day.
After the handshaking was the second segment: a talent show.
Zhang Zhe’s heart sank as he looked at the program. ’A matchmaking event, and someone’s singing "Old Boy"? You’d be more on-theme even if you sang "Love You Till I Die".’
The Latin dance was a bizarre choice, too. ’It would probably be painful to watch.’
After that were two more segments that were cringey beyond belief: "Ten-on-Ten Interaction" and "Declaration of Love."
Thankfully, an "Afternoon Tea" was scheduled in between, so everyone could eat and watch, giving them a bit of a break.
As far as Zhang Zhe was concerned, the only truly useful parts of this matchmaking event were the last two segments:
"Matchmaker-Assisted Chats" and "New Couple Awards Ceremony."
If Zhang Zhe were to go, he would most likely participate in the second-to-last segment:
As one of the 30 Matchmakers present, he’d help facilitate one-on-one chats between prospective couples who were interested in each other.
As for the final awards ceremony, he would also have a vote for the new couple he was most optimistic about.
’Come to think of it, these last two segments sound pretty interesting.’
’After filling up on food and drinks during afternoon tea, I can be a bystander and offer some sharp commentary on these public-sector singles.’
’You never get a chance like this. Dare to judge these people elsewhere, and you might find yourself on the receiving end of an electric baton and a trip to the countryside.’
Since he wasn’t streaming right now, Zhang Zhe quickly started studying the profiles of the guests attending the matchmaking event.
...
Meanwhile, at the Zhuyin Marriage Agency, Boss He found Jiang Qi.
She tapped on the desk and, after Jiang Qi looked up, asked with a beaming smile, "Teacher Jiang, have you been busy lately?"
’Huh?’ Jiang Qi looked as shocked as if she’d seen a ghost. The past few days, Boss He would just roll her eyes at the sight of her. To suddenly be smiling and speaking so kindly was terrifying. "President He, is something the matter?"
"Oh, nothing. I just came to ask if you’re busy."
"Busy! I’m very busy." Jiang Qi replied defensively. "So many clients! Business is great. My schedule is packed every day."
"That’s great." Boss He smiled and nodded. "In a couple of days, you’ll be able to relax a bit."
’Huh?’
"You don’t need to go to the matchmaking event this Friday."
Stunned speechless, Jiang Qi shot to her feet. "Why not?"
"Aren’t you busy? You can stay and watch the agency on Friday. Get some rest."
"So I’m the security guard now? President He, this isn’t right. You know how important Friday’s event is for us."
"Anyone can be on duty. Why does it have to be me?"
The matchmaking agency hosted many events, but ones that involved city leaders were few and far between.
An opportunity like this might only come once a year.
It was a huge affair. The provincial TV station would cover it, and the city’s TV station would be filming the whole thing. Needless to say, it was a great chance for exposure.
Jiang Qi wasn’t actually short on cash. The old man she’d found was already very rich; she was just waiting for him to kick the bucket.
What she really lacked was fame, or rather, social status.
This was also one of the reasons she was so jealous of Zhang Zhe...
"Because someone else needs your spot," Boss He said flatly.
"Who?"
"Zhang Zhe."
"Him? On what grounds?" Jiang Qi asked, craning her neck defiantly. The fat on her face trembled slightly, a clear sign of her indignation. "Isn’t he getting fired?"
"He’s already been fired. His only request before he left was to go to this matchmaking event."
Boss He smiled happily. She had guessed Jiang Qi would be upset, but she hadn’t expected her to be *this* upset.
"After thinking it over and over, I had no choice but to give your spot to him."
"Why should I be the one to give it up?"
"Because you wanted Zhang Zhe’s streaming channel. The streaming channel or the matchmaking event, pick one."
"..."
"Not talking? I’ll take your silence as acceptance, then."
Boss He nodded in satisfaction. Things had gone more smoothly than she’d imagined.
"Oh, right, Teacher Jiang. I’d advise you not to go looking for trouble with Zhang Zhe."
"He’s opened his own matchmaking agency. I just looked it up online. When he had his grand opening, several of your target clients sent him flower baskets."
"Including the good-for-nothing son of that old man of yours."
"Don’t be an idiot and provoke him. I don’t care if you get yourself into trouble, but don’t you dare drag me down with you, thank you very much."
After saying her piece, Boss He left Jiang Qi, whose face was dark with rage, and quickly called Zhang Zhe to share the good news.
’This was a win-win.’
Zhang Zhe was also taken aback when he got the call.
’It could work like that?’
’It really was a double blessing.’
He quickly thanked Teacher He.
’As expected, there was a reason the Zhuyin Marriage Agency had gotten so big. It had people like Jiang Qi and Sister Zhou, who had no moral bottom line, to rake in the money, and people like Boss He to maintain a respectable facade.’
After hanging up, he turned his attention back to the profiles in front of him.
These single men from the public sector, aside from a select few whose reasons for being "leftover" were unclear, were all in surprisingly similar situations:
Their family backgrounds were all poor.
Some came from rural families where he was the sole wage earner;
Some had sick parents whom they had brought to live with them so they could take care of them;
The most pitiful guy had been unlucky in love; his ex-wife had taken the car and the house, leaving him, a 32-year-old deputy section chief, with almost zero savings. It was hard to say when he’d ever recover.