Three days had passed, and Jian Tong had been transferred to the Public Relations Department, yet she hadn't earned a single penny. Glancing at the time, it was the bustling hours of the night.
The entire Public Relations Department was eerily deserted, with only her left in the lounge. Her colleagues had all gone out on assignments. Truth be told, in Donghuang's Public Relations Department, everyone seemed to be making substantial earnings. Those who came to Donghuang were not ordinary folks; the affluent and powerful were generous in their expenditures.
Though Jian Tong had only been there for three days, she had heard stories. That Zhen Zhen, who had an ambiguous encounter with Xia Xiao in the stairwell last time, was boasting yesterday. A wealthy businessman from Hong Kong had been exceedingly generous, tipping her fifty thousand just like that.
Ten sets of fifty thousand would make it half a million. A hundred sets of fifty thousand would make it five million... This way, she could meet that man's demand and gain her freedom.
Shaking her head... that was Zhen Zhen, not her. Shen Xiu Jin said: "You can sell ugliness, foolishness, and pity." But she didn't even have the chance to sell ugliness or foolishness now.
"Jian Tong, come with me." The door was pushed open from the outside, and Jian Tong looked towards the voice—it was Su Meng.
"Meng Sister." She quickly stood up and followed Su Meng without questioning where they were headed.
"Don't you want to know where I'm taking you?" Su Meng raised an eyebrow. "You're coming with me without asking? Aren't you afraid I might sell you?"
Jian Tong smiled. "Meng Sister, I'm worthless."
This woman, who lightly claimed her worthlessness, tugged at Su Meng's heartstrings as she led the way. But soon, Su Meng regained her composure and ushered Jian Tong into a dressing room.
Su Meng handed Jian Tong a piece of clothing. "Hurry and change."
Jian Tong blinked, finding the clothing a bit difficult to handle. "Meng Sister, this..."
Su Meng looked at Jian Tong with a touch of pity. "Ah, just change. It's Mr. Shen's orders." Su Meng pointed to the clothes in Jian Tong's hand. "This outfit was sent by Mr. Shen's people."
Worried that Jian Tong might not comply, and troubled by how to convince her, Su Meng was surprised when the woman across from her lowered her head, turned away, and silently changed into the clothes.
The clown costume draped over Jian Tong's figure. Su Meng called someone over to do her makeup. Jian Tong sat quietly in front of the vanity mirror, allowing the makeup artist to transform her face into that of a clown.
A round red nose, a wide, painted smile that stretched across her face, rendering her unrecognizable.
Su Meng, feeling a myriad of emotions, escorted Jian Tong to the sixth floor. "Let's go, in you go. In this private room, there's a group of young lords from the capital. They've tired of the usual entertainment and have come to Donghuang just to see a clown perform." Su Meng spoke but suddenly realized she had said too much and hurriedly added, "Xiao Tong..."
Before she could finish, Jian Tong interrupted. "Meng Sister, I still need to save that five million. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
Su Meng stopped outside the private room, feeling a mix of emotions. After a moment, she raised her hand to knock on the door, pushing Jian Tong inside. She had already put on a composed and professional smile. "Mr. Shen, the clown has arrived."
Jian Tong suddenly looked up... How could Shen Xiu Jin be here?! She thought it was just a group of young lords from the capital!
Shen Xiu Jin was here too! He did it on purpose! He wanted to witness her humiliation, her disgrace, her agony!
"Clown, clown, come on, give us a smile." Seated nonchalantly on a black studded sofa was a young man, dressed in a black and white striped T-shirt and tight jeans, with a silver chain around his neck, exuding a strong hip-hop vibe.
This young man, about twenty, had dyed sandy-colored hair, exuding a youthful recklessness.
Leaning back on the sofa, he suddenly leaned forward upon seeing Jian Tong enter. The chain around his neck swung with his movement as he gestured to himself, grinning mischievously at Jian Tong. "Come on, clown, give me a smile. This way, yes, make it look good, and I'll reward you." He tossed a thick stack of bills generously at Jian Tong's feet.
The insult was thick in the air.
Jian Tong's eyelashes trembled slightly, but suddenly, she lifted her head and forced out a broad smile. With the heavy clown makeup on, her smile appeared even more obsequious.
"N-O-N-O-N-O, this smile won't do. Change it." The young man casually shook his index finger. "Want money? Smile harder."
Jian Tong lowered her head, pink fuzz from her hair falling over her eyes. She felt a tremor in her gaze and knew that every move she made was being observed by Shen Xiu Jin, a trace of darkness passing through the man's eyes.
Lifting her head again, Jian Tong blinked, the corners of her mouth stretching wider and wider, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth, accentuated by the exaggerated clown's bright red lips, making her smile seem extremely ludicrous.
"Hahaha... so amusing!" The young man burst into loud laughter, calling out to others beside him. "Hey! Look at her, doesn't she look like a fool?"
The heavy clown makeup concealed Jian Tong's forced smile. Cheers erupted around her as those young lords clapped and cheered, saying, "This is fun! Here, the money is yours."
At this moment, Jian Tong didn't know whether to feel happy or sad.
"Pick it up? I said it's for you. Don't want it?"
"I do..." she uttered in shame.
"Then squat down and pick it up. Whatever you pick up is yours." The young man raised an eyebrow, saying it as if it was the most natural thing.
Shen Xiu Jin hid in the darkness, his eyes darker than the night, watching all of this with indifference.
Jian Tong lowered her eyes. Beneath the heavy clown makeup, her face was as pale as paper. But so what? In the dimness, Jian Tong self-mockingly sighed... Money, what a great thing. With it, she could buy her freedom, couldn't she?
Three years ago, he sent her to prison, and since then, she had lost her freedom.
Three years later, she was released, and now he locked her freedom again with the colossal sum of five million... No, she had promised that foolish girl a dream, and she must fulfill it!
Jian Tong squatted down, picking up the wad of bills from the ground. Just as she was about to stand up, the young man above her laughed mockingly, "Like money, huh? I don't lack anything, except money. Today, I've had fun with you. I have plenty of cash to reward you."
As he spoke, a rain of bills began to fall from the sky, large stacks of money, fluttering down. Jian Tong stared in astonishment as the young man held one stack after another, tossing money into the air with ease.
What was... this for?
"Like it? I'm giving it to you." The young man grinned freely. "You don't have to stand up either. I'll give you one minute. Lie on the ground and pick up the money. Whatever you pick up is yours. If you manage to collect all the money on the ground, I'll reward you with an additional fifty thousand."
In a corner where no one could see, Jian Tong's hands trembled... not with excitement, but with a deep pain in her soul!
What should she do?
Pick it up, or not?
She had heard that finding money was supposed to be a happy thing... So why did her heart feel so heavy?