Chen Wei smiled helplessly and followed her.
"Boss, two skewers of grilled squid and a bottle of beer!" Xu Lili called out to the stall owner as she ran up.
"Coming right up!" the owner replied cheerfully and started preparing the order.
Chen Wei walked over and stood beside Xu Lili, watching the owner skillfully flip the squid on the grill. The air was filled with a tempting aroma.
"Smells amazing. Makes my mouth water," Xu Lili said, eyes shining as she stared at the grill.
"You're about to leave, and you're still craving grilled squid?" Chen Wei asked with a smile.
"Of course, it's been a small wish of mine here in Yunzou," Xu Lili replied, beaming.
Chen Wei vividly remembered the first time he and Xu Lili came to the beach and saw grilled squid for sale.
Xu Lili had remarked, "Smells so good!"
Then Chen Wei asked about the price.
"Twenty yuan for one squid."
Chen Wei hesitated.
Xu Lili pulled him away, saying as they walked, "Twenty yuan for one squid? That's outrageous."
That was the first and last time.
They never visited the beach together again, nor did they eat grilled squid.
Chen Wei felt a bit sentimental.
This time, Xu Lili didn't hesitate to order two skewers, the biggest ones available.
When they were ready, Xu Lili eagerly took them, handing one to Chen Wei while she bit into the other.
"Delicious," she praised after the first bite.
Chen Wei smiled and began eating his squid. He also bought two bottles of water.
The two of them sat on the beach, eating grilled squid and drinking water.
They finished quickly.
Feeling unsatisfied, Xu Lili ran back to order two more skewers.
This time, they ate slowly.
The sun gradually set, leaving only the red glow of the sunset reflected on the sea.
A few seagulls flew by occasionally.
Xu Lili stood up, walked a few steps toward the water's edge, and stopped, gazing out at the distant sea.
Chen Wei followed and stood beside her.
"The sea is vast for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly. Chen Wei, I hope that one day in the future, I can hear your name in America, and you can hear mine here," Xu Lili said softly, her eyes filled with longing and determination.
"Alright!" Chen Wei nodded.
"Good luck!"
"Good luck!"
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
Chen Wei didn't go to the station to see Xu Lili off.
Neither of them were the type to cling on; they had said what needed to be said and done what needed to be done. From now on, they would be worlds apart.
After Xu Lili left, Chen Wei sat alone on the beach until late.
Meanwhile, in a rather elegant restaurant, Luo Chen, Yuan Tong, and Xu Lin were sitting in a private room.
There were a few exquisite dishes on the table.
Luo Chen personally poured a glass of beer for Yuan Tong, which made him feel quite honored.
"I've been wanting to have a meal with you for a long time, but never had the chance. Finally, we're here today. Come on, let's have a drink first!" Luo Chen said warmly to Yuan Tong and Xu Lin.
Yuan Tong quickly responded, "Brother Chen, I'll drink to you!"
Luo Chen laughed heartily and downed his glass in one go.
Yuan Tong and Xu Lin followed suit.
"Help yourselves to the food," Luo Chen said, picking up his chopsticks.
After taking a couple of bites, Luo Chen put down his chopsticks and looked at Yuan Tong with a knowing smile.
Yuan Tong felt a bit puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Chen, what's up?"
"Yuan Tong, I never realized you had such skills!" Luo Chen complimented Yuan Tong.
Yuan Tong was even more confused and glanced at Xu Lin.
Xu Lin also looked at him, giving him a meaningful look.
Yuan Tong understood and, feeling a bit embarrassed, said to Luo Chen, "Brother Chen, are you talking about the Wang Fang incident?"
"Don't tell me it wasn't you," Luo Chen said with a smirk.
Yuan Tong smiled sheepishly and said, "Nothing can escape your eyes, Brother Chen. It was indeed us. But you know, I just couldn't stand Chen Wei and Zhou Yi…"
Luo Chen waved his hand, cutting him off, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming you. In fact, I think you did well."
"I… uh… Thank you, Brother Chen," Yuan Tong said, a bit embarrassed.
"No need to be so modest! From the company's risk management perspective, any violations by traders must be firmly addressed. Only by doing so can our company develop healthily and steadily, and grow stronger. Otherwise, if everyone breaks the rules, our company would be doomed," Luo Chen said righteously.
"You're right, Brother Chen. I just can't stand those who violate the rules! Such behavior is despicable! Making money through cheating is no skill at all!" Yuan Tong said indignantly.
"Exactly. I can't stand those rule-breakers either. But unfortunately, I'm only the leader of the third team and can't control others. You did a great job this time, especially you, Xu Lin. Wang Fang is a newbie and doesn't know much. You need to guide her more, help her not to be afraid, and ensure she strictly follows the company's risk management rules. If anyone breaks the rules, don't hesitate to report it! If anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll back you up and take it up with President Wang! We can't let these rotten apples spoil our company!" Luo Chen said passionately.
"Brother Chen, with your support, we feel much more at ease! You should have seen Zhao Yang bringing Chen Wei and the others to our risk control team, acting all high and mighty. It was infuriating! Anyone who didn't know would think he was the company boss! Ridiculous!" Yuan Tong said angrily.
"Exactly! A mere team leader acting so arrogant in our risk control team. Who does he think he is? Brother Chen, don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about you. You're much better than Zhao Yang," Xu Lin chimed in, equally indignant.
Luo Chen smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, Zhao Yang will be gone by the end of this month. He's incompetent, just relying on his early arrival at the company to boss others around. President Wang has been dissatisfied with him for a long time, just didn't want to fire him. Who knew he would escalate things and cause trouble in your team? Outrageous! Once he's gone, the position of the seventh team leader will be vacant. Yuan Tong, I'm planning to let you take over. How about it? Only you can straighten out the problems in the seventh team!"
Yuan Tong was ecstatic upon hearing this!
He jumped up and said to Luo Chen, "Brother Chen, don't worry, I won't let you down! But, what about President Wang…"
"Don't worry about President Wang. My word still holds some weight," Luo Chen said with a faint smile.
"That's great! Come on, Brother Chen, let us toast to you!" Yuan Tong and Xu Lin both raised their glasses, full of gratitude.
Core team traders might have high commissions and authority, but they are still just traders. Their monthly earnings and commissions vary, and the base salary is negligible.
But being a team leader is different.
A team leader not only has a substantial base salary but also gets a 5% commission from the total team profits!
Don't underestimate this 5%. With a team of twenty to thirty traders, they can easily make 100,000 to 200,000 yuan a month, which means a 5% commission is 5,000 to 10,000 yuan!
More importantly, leading the seventh team would make Yuan Tong the direct superior of Chen Wei and Zhou Yi!
No wonder Yuan Tong was so excited!