"Bang!" "Clang, clang, clang!"...
The noise from within the meeting room was not insignificant and lasted for quite a while, leading the onlookers outside to automatically concoct a scene in their minds where the "battle was in full swing."
After about ten minutes, the two men finally emerged from the meeting room—Elder Zhang still appeared furious, while Meng Lang looked like an eggplant beaten by frost.
"What are you still doing here? Why aren't you out finding clients? If you don't meet your targets this month, just pack up your bags and get lost!" Elder Zhang glared fiercely at Meng Lang.
"Oh," Meng Lang replied, his attitude meek as he left the office.
Wang Zhiping, watching through the glass window, revealed a hint of a cold sneer...
...
"Sigh~" Upon leaving the company, Meng Lang looked up at the suddenly overcast sky with a heavy sense of dejection.
No performance achievements, offending the boss, and even dragging Uncle Zhang down with him.
It's so hard to make a stand in the big city...
"Hey! Not bad acting, huh!" Just then, a hand clapped onto his shoulder, and Ma Qiao appeared beside him out of nowhere.
Meng Lang glanced at him, "You knew about it too."
"What do I not know about Elder Zhang? To do well in sales, you've got to have a pair of eyes that can see through people," Ma Qiao said with a laugh.
At his words, Meng Lang thought about what Uncle Zhang had just said about him, and his mood sank even further.
"Do you think I'm not cut out for sales too?" he asked.
Ma Qiao's eyes widened, and he gave Meng Lang an incredulous look. "Is it even about being suitable or not?"
"Uh..."
That comment hit even harder.
"Vroom! Vroom, vroom!" Just then, an Audi A4 abruptly stopped beside them.
The revving of the engine seemed to be a deliberate display of its presence.
"Hey! Where's brother Ma Qiao headed? Want a ride?"
Meng Lang turned to the driver's seat and saw a young man with a cocky demeanor and earrings, talking to them.
Hmm, he looked somewhat familiar, like he was a colleague from the company.
"Ah Cheng? Sure, why not! Did you trade your old shotgun for a cannon?" Ma Qiao recognized the person and approached, patting the somewhat flashy red car body with a smile.
"Hehe! Just made a bit of money from investing, how is it, not bad right?"
"Not bad? That's like saying a man stands out in gold and a horse in its saddle—you've shot straight into high society, haven't you? This car must've cost a pretty penny."
"400,000, a lucky whole number!" Ah Cheng said proudly.
"Whoa! Struck it rich?"
"Hey! Made a little money from stocks," he replied.
"What stock is that magical?"
"Don't say I didn't take you for a ride, bro—Huaxia Energy, it's been soaring lately. How about it, wanna join in the fun?"
"I'll pass. You guys in Group One rake in tens of thousands in commission every month. I'm on a tight budget with no spare cash to gamble on stocks!"
"Fine, but don't say I wasn't brotherly if you regret it later. So, want to take a spin in the car?"
"Nah, I've got to hit the gym. Some other time."
"Cool, I'll catch you at the gym then. See you around. I've got a little hottie waiting for me from last night, hehe!"
Before driving off, he stole a glance at Meng Lang standing beside Ma Qiao, his eyes revealing a trace of disdain.
"Vroom! Vroom, vroom!" The red Audi roared off, drawing the gaze of many passersby.
Turning around, Ma Qiao found Meng Lang still standing there, in a daze.
"Hey! What's up with you?"
"Ah? Oh! Nothing." Meng Lang snapped back to attention, asking with a peculiar look, "Was that guy from Group One?"
"Yeah, Chen Cheng. His relatives are all civil servants, so he has a broad network. He joined the company around the same time as I did and is doing fairly well. He's always at the gym where I work out, trying to pick up girls.
But as you saw, he's showy and likes to boast," Ma Qiao explained, seemingly knowing everything about everyone in the company.
It was remarkable how he managed to get along with all kinds of people, always back-slapping and calling everyone brother.
"Chen Cheng..." Meng Lang appeared to be deep in thought.
First, there was Tony and his heavy-handed endorsement, then the continuous troubles at the company, and now Chen Cheng showing off his luxurious car...
And coincidentally, they both mentioned "Huaxia Energy"...
Meng Lang couldn't help but enter a state of retrospective reasoning, what you might call being "a Zhuge Liang after the fact."
Suppose he hadn't read that "autobiography"... Would his life trajectory really have been as described in the book?
Just think, when you're down on your luck and confused, and suddenly there's a verified get-rich opportunity right in front of you—wouldn't you be tempted?
Why is it that others can drive fancy cars and enjoy the company of beautiful women, while I can't even pay my rent?
I knew it! I'm not an impulsive person by nature, so how could I rashly dive into debt to play the stock market!
But after these three successive punches, it would be hard not to feel impulsive!
Meng Lang felt as if he had been struck by enlightenment, instantly understanding the entire cause and effect of the situation.
Is this "my future"?
Seeing Meng Lang's distracted appearance, Ma Qiao thought he was jarred by Chen Cheng's display, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"I'm telling you, you don't have some crazy idea, do you?"
"Huh? What crazy idea could I possibly have?" Meng Lang asked, puzzled.
"Good if you don't. I was afraid you might want to trade stocks too. Here's a piece of advice for you: the stock market is risky, enter with caution!"
"How could I? Trading stocks? In this lifetime..."
Meng Lang stopped mid-sentence and then suddenly froze.
Wait a minute! I was only thinking about not repeating the same mistakes, but didn't realize that those "pits" in the "autobiography" I was supposed to fall into—aren't they opportunities for me now?