"I don't know what you're talking about. That could be anyone's." I said calmly, though my heart was pounding.
The man raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Really? Do you think I'm that naive? The footage isn't perfect, but it's clear enough to identify you."
"That's my sister, not me. You got the wrong person."
The man looked doubtful and quickly asked, "If this is your sister, why did you run away when you saw me just before class?"
"Of course my sister sent me your photo and told me about the righteous deeds I did today."
Although I often act impulsively, I'm not stupid. Once I start lying, I lie very quickly. When these words came out of my mouth, it sounded almost convincing even to me.
I thought the other party was almost 80% convinced, but then he said, "Then tell me your sister's name and phone number. I have something to discuss with her."
"How could I possibly betray my own sister? Don't even think about it." Inside, I was desperately trying to find a way out of this situation without telling the truth.
What I was actually thinking was, how could I betray myself?
Of course, I don't have a sister, and it's impossible to provide information for a fictional character.
He smirked and in a mocking tone, asked, "If that's the case, can you make it up to me instead of your sister?"
Although I feel guilty for disrupting their company's job fair, I only blame the situation and not the person. I don't feel guilty at all about this man and don't feel that I should compensate him for anything.
So, at this moment, I arrogantly contradicted him, saying, "Then what do you want me to compensate you for? Compensate you with a job fair? Why don't I compensate you with a memorial service, and the protagonist will be you."
"I expected him to get mad because he easily gets upset, but instead, he stared at me curiously, examining me closely from head to toe, which made me a bit frightened."
I stepped back fast, covered myself, and asked cautiously, "What are you looking at?"
"I was wondering if you know who I am. I am Su Xi. Are you not afraid of me?" At this moment, he finally looked at me with normal eyes.
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid if I stay with you any longer, I'll be tempted to bite you to death." I said while baring my teeth at Su Xi as a threat.
"Perhaps your parents don't work in this city? It's no wonder."
I understood why he said this. As the birthplace of Su's Enterprises, this city has almost 70% of its industries tied to the company. Consequently, nearly everyone working here, especially those in the upper class, is employed by Su's Enterprises in some capacity.
Wait a minute, Su's Enterprise…Su Xi…
"You're not the heir to Su's Enterprise, are you?" I suddenly exclaimed, the realization hit on me.
"You just figured that out now? I thought my reputation preceded me." Su Xi shrugged nonchalantly, though a disappointment flashed in his eyes.
Now it all made sense—why people fawned over him and tolerated a college student acting so high and mighty. His family's influence was clearly a shield and a sword.
He smiled arrogantly and said to me, "Then you should realize by now that I can easily ensure you have no place in this city."
"Tch, at worst, I'll just leave this place. If Su's Enterprise has an heir like you, I'd rather be a beggar than rely on your family."
Su Xi's eyes lit up with interest, and he responded with a mix of amusement and satisfaction, "You're really brave. I must admit, I didn't expect to find someone with such spirit at a job fair like that..."
He quietly mumbled the final words. I heard them but couldn't understand what he meant.
"As for the memorial service, there's no need for it. Just pay the money, and we'll have nothing to do with each other from now on."
When I heard this, I was very happy and thought to myself, is he such a magnanimous person? I really underestimated him before.
Looking at the bill, I suddenly exclaimed, "How many zeros are there on this?"
"One…ten…hundred…"
"You don't need to count, it's only a mere thirty thousand yuan, which is the cleaning fee for my clothes."
"Let me tell you, 30,000 yuan is enough to buy a new suit, okay? You are obviously blackmailing me!"
I grabbed the bill, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at his feet.
I was shocked. Thirty thousand yuan for street clothes? Does he even understand what street stalls are?
Su Xi opened his eyes wide, looking innocent, and said. "To be honest, this is the suit I am wearing. Do you really think someone like me would wear cheap street clothes worth less than thirty thousand yuan?"
I couldn't help but feel dumb, thinking that 30,000 yuan is still a street vendor? Do you have any misunderstandings about street stalls?
However, given his status as the heir to the Su Corporation, it's not impossible that cleaning the coffee stains on his suit would cost more than 30,000 yuan.
But even if what Su Xi said was true, I am still in an economic crisis now. I can't afford even 300 yuan, let alone 30,000 yuan.
"Sir, please spare me. I really can't pay this money…" I bowed deeply, pleading for mercy.
"If you knew you couldn't pay, you should have contacted your parents and asked them to send money," Su Xi replied coldly. "Otherwise, you should have asked your sister to pay."
"I can't do it. I don't trust you with my sister's safety," I said, standing my ground firmly. "I may not have the money now, but I can work for you and pay off the debt with all my effort. Will that be okay?"
Su Xi laughed mockingly. "You think you can work for me after upsetting me? Do you really think you can get a job in our company? If this gets out, I'll be the one facing criticism."
I hadn't expected her to agree; I just hoped she would give me more time to gather the money. As I hesitated, Su Xi suddenly said, "Forget it, you can come work as my secretary."
I was taken aback by her sudden change of heart, but since I needed a part-time job, I decided to accept her offer.
"Then, about my living expenses… No, I mean, how much will my salary be?" I asked, summoning my courage.
Su Xi simply raised one finger.
"Ten thousand? That much?" I asked, a bit overjoyed.
"Could it be one hundred thousand? Boss Su, you are very generous, but as a student, isn't that too much?" I asked, curious about his intentions.
His smile became sly. "You've got quite the imagination. It's just 100 yuan."
I almost lost my temper and asked, wide-eyed, "Isn't that against the law? 100 yuan is way below the minimum wage, isn't it?"
"Don't forget you still owe me money. This is what's left after deducting your debt payments. If you're not happy with it, you can always call your sister and ask her to pay."
"Oh... fine," I mumbled, accepting defeat. Not wanting Su Xi to catch me in women's clothes once more, I reluctantly agreed to the poorly paid job. Then I made my move. "In that case, I'll need 100 yuan per week as my salary. Are you going to break your promise?"
While salaries are usually paid monthly, student jobs often pay weekly to meet urgent financial needs. Since Su Xi had not specified the pay frequency, I took advantage of the situation.
Actually, I didn't want to act so cunningly, but I was desperate for money. If I had been offered a salary of 10,000 yuan or even 1,000 yuan, I wouldn't have done this. Now, 100 yuan was enough for living expenses. As for other expenses, I could figure them out later and deal with the problems at home as soon as possible.
"In that case, come with me," Su Xi said, brushing off the issue with a gesture. He turned and began to walk away, not pausing for a reply.
I got into her car. I wasn't very familiar with car brands, but from its shape, I could tell it was a high-end commercial vehicle. The spotless black body reflected light like a black pearl, making it very eye-catching.