They say man’s plans can’t outmatch heaven’s will—or, to put it plainly, no amount of brilliant scheming by the staff stands a chance against the boss’s spur-of-the-moment whim.

All because of Qin Ning’s sudden impulse, I’d ended up digging my own grave.

“Fine, fine, I’ll wear it,” I muttered.

After all, I’d be hiding behind the front desk. Unless someone specifically came looking, no one would even notice me.

After I quickly ran through the remaining reporting details, Qin Ning—trusting me completely—didn’t raise a single objection.

“You decide. My expectations for the initial phase are pretty low anyway.”

Well… calling it “trust” was generous. More like she genuinely didn’t care.

This was the true definition of a hands-off boss—one who didn’t even glance at performance metrics. Thinking back, this so-called work report had only served one real purpose: asking Qin Ning for money.

Hmm… I had this odd feeling the whole store was quietly living off the boss’s generosity.

“Go on, get back to work,” Qin Ning said after listening, already picking up her phone again. “I need to catch up on sleep.”

You call playing mobile games “catching up on sleep”?

Whatever. You’ve got the money—you get to define reality. I silently gathered my papers and stepped out of the office. Stick to the plan: open the store first. Custom uniforms could wait until tonight.

Qin Ning did mention a group dinner—probably treating us.

Back on the first floor, several girls stood waiting in the center of the room, holding cardboard boxes.

“Sister Xiao Xi, here’s the package you wanted.”

“Open it.”

Ye Xiaoshuang was all action. At my words, she ripped the box open with two swift motions—no box cutter needed.

Does your martial arts school teach the “Dragon Claw Hand” alongside Wing Chun?

“Whoa, what are these?”

The tiny items inside caught their eyes: miniature acrylic and plastic anime character merch. Purely decorative—zero practical use.

But then again, isn’t that the whole point of merch? Figurines are the same—just for display.

“So cute!”

“That’s my favorite character!”

“Wow! The princess!”

“Though… where do we even put all these?” Xu Wei, thinking ahead, voiced the worry others hadn’t. “And Sister Xiao Xi, these don’t have barcodes. Will we have time to stock them today?”

I waved a hand. “No, no—these aren’t for sale. They’re gifts.”

“Huh?”

I’d been too brief. Most of the girls were fresh hires with little experience—they didn’t get it.

“Later, head to the printing room for flyers. You’ve handed them out before, right? Or at least seen others do it,” I pointed outside. “Once we open, stand along the path to the entrance and hand out flyers. Tuck a plastic charm into each one. The acrylic ones? Free gifts with any purchase.”

Grand opening perks. Traditional stores might discount, but today’s youth see right through those gimmicks. Giving stuff away feels more genuine.

Plus, we’re showcasing the boss’s style—generosity! Qin Ning said the only goal for now was making the store *look* like it’s properly open. Just get people through the door.

Even if they don’t buy a thing.

Boosting our core competitiveness? That waits for the custom uniforms. I had a whole plan—but step by step.

For now, with no pressure from the boss and time tight, I wanted to keep things light.

But the girls didn’t feel the relief at all.

“Ugh… we have to go outside?”

“So hot out there.”

“The afternoon heat’s brutal.”

I forced a tired smile. “We’ll take shifts. Everyone rotates. Just two days for the opening—hang in there.”