Chapter 328 - 222: "Time Reveals a Person’s Heart

"By the way, Yang, Futong Commerce has a lot of brands. Which one are you in charge of, specifically?"

The question caught everyone’s attention. The more important the brand one was responsible for at a company, the more crucial their position—and the greater their potential for future growth.

Yang Wei took a cigarette from someone beside him, a smug look on his face. "Their best-performing brand right now," he said proudly. "Airex."

Huh? Wang Hua and Wu Min were immediately intrigued. ’Isn’t that the brand Yang Hui was in charge of? If Yang Wei’s going to Airex, does that mean Yang Hui was transferred?’

He couldn’t help but ask, "So the previous head of Airex was transferred?"

Yang Wei laughed. "Not transferred. Laid off."

Wang Hua was stunned. "For real?" ’I thought Yang Hui just joined Futong Commerce not long ago.’

"Of course it’s real. That last guy never did any real work, just slacked off all day. He was a pro at chasing skirts, though. I was making my store rounds today and saw him out shopping with some hot girl. Why would the company keep someone like that?"

The group raised their glasses again. Wang Hua whispered to Wu Min, "Well, he’s screwed. Now he won’t have any income to buy Shen Meng gifts."

Wu Min didn’t even look up, just let out a disdainful snort. She could tell Wang Hua’s words were born not of sympathy, but of schadenfreude. ’I can’t even be bothered to correct him. Does he really think Yang Hui is the kind of person who relies on a salary? The man has his own business. But I’m not about to explain that to Wang Hua.’

’Ever since Yang Hui bought Shen Meng that Mercedes C260L, it seems like he’s just given up on himself. He has this whole ’if you can’t win the rat race, just quit’ attitude. I was still thinking about how to help him get some confidence back. But if I told him Yang Hui is the owner of Yanghe Commerce, I’m afraid Wang Hua would just give up completely, and that wouldn’t serve my interests.’

’This is better for now. If a supposedly ’unemployed’ Yang Hui can still buy gifts for Shen Meng, we’ll see if Wang Hua feels any shame.’

After dinner, the group walked out of the restaurant. Wu Min started looking around for Shen Meng’s car; she had just messaged that she’d arrived. Just then, the hazard lights of a white car flashed in the distance. Wu Min knew that must be Shen Meng.

The group said their goodbyes to Yang Wei. Wu Min said to Wang Hua, "I’m getting a ride back with Shen Meng. You should call for a designated driver."

Wang Hua nodded. "I’ll walk you over. Oh, and you should console Shen Meng when you get back. Sigh... As for Yang Hui, I feel so sorry for him, I don’t even know what I could say."

Wu Min nearly stumbled. She turned back and said coldly, "Yang Hui needs your pity? Needs you to console him? Do you have any idea that he brings home bags and bags of gifts for Shen Meng every day? If anyone needs pity, it should be me!

"You, a Passat driver, pitying a Mercedes owner? What’s going through your head? Is your heart just overflowing with compassion?"

Wang Hua had no idea why she was so angry. He gave a dry laugh and said with a placating smile, "That was before. He has no income now. Shen Meng’s quality of life is going to take a hit. You just wait and see."

"Heh..." ’From a monthly income of 200,000 down to 10,000... that’s not a ’hit,’ that’s a nosedive off a cliff.’

Arriving at the Mercedes C260L, Shen Meng lowered the driver’s side window. From the way Wu Min was walking, it didn’t seem like she’d had too much to drink. Wu Min pulled open the passenger door and slid in. Wang Hua offered a piece of false courtesy, "Drive safe, Shen Meng."

Thinking he was just worried about his girlfriend, Shen Meng smiled and nodded. "Don’t worry, I will."

Wang Hua then added, "I just heard about what happened with Yang Hui. It’s a real shame."

His abrupt comment startled Shen Meng. Thinking something had happened to Yang Hui, her face instantly turned pale. "What happened to Yang Hui?"

Seeing her reaction, he assumed she didn’t know. ’That bastard Yang Hui must not have had the guts to tell her,’ he thought. ’He’s probably scared she’ll leave him. In that case, I’ll just have to expose the truth for you. I just love breaking couples up.’

"Hasn’t Yang Hui told you? He’s on his way out at Futong Commerce. It’s such a terrible shame, really... sigh—"

Shen Meng let out a sigh of relief. ’He nearly scared me to death. So that’s all it is.’ Once she calmed down, she noticed that while Wang Hua spoke of "shame," his expression was that of a gossipy onlooker who couldn’t get enough of the drama. She instantly understood his motive and gave a cold laugh. "Oh, that? I already know. We’re actually planning to celebrate when he leaves."

The window slid shut as Shen Meng gently pressed the accelerator, the car pulling slowly out of the restaurant’s parking lot.

’Celebrate? Who celebrates losing their job?’ Wang Hua didn’t buy it for a second. ’She’s just putting on a brave face.’ He had no idea that Yang Hui truly did intend to celebrate with Shen Meng—by getting a hotel room and ’celebrating’ day and night without coming out.

At the Qingjiang Regional Headquarters of Xinyue Group, HR reported to the business VP that Zhao Rui was using sick leave as a delaying tactic. The news made the VP laugh with anger. ’I need to make an example of you to smooth things over with Yang Hui. You think I’ll let you get away with such a pathetic move? You can run today, but you can’t run forever. Why waste time on such a futile effort?’

"Just send out an internal memo announcing his termination. Confiscate his work equipment immediately. He wants to take leave? Fine, we’ll give him a permanent one."

The HR head, who was also fed up with Zhao Rui, was delighted by the business VP’s decision. "Understood, sir. I’ll get right on it."

Meanwhile, Zhao Rui himself was already in a hotel in Qingzhou. He had arrived the day before, and Han Chao had accompanied him for another night of drinking, even taking him to the most exclusive KTV in Qingzhou, where they spent nearly 20,000.

All told, they had spent fifty or sixty thousand on Zhao Rui recently, which made even Li Yang feel the pinch. But this was a critical week, so he gritted his teeth and endured the expense. Han Chao was scheduled to pick Zhao Rui up from the hotel and take him to Li Yang’s office. After a chat in the afternoon, Li Yang himself would attend that night’s reception—a gesture meant to show Zhao Rui immense respect.