"Thank you, Sister Ying," Lin Yi said with a warm, genuine smile.
Wang Ying returned the smile with a gentle one of her own. "Is there anything else I can help with? If you don't explain things, you might face difficulties in the future," she said, adding a touch of playful concern.
"No need to worry. Don't you all have my contact info? Just reach out if needed, and make sure to call when you do," Lin Yi replied casually.
As soon as Lin Yi arrived at the venue, he quickly became the center of attention, despite the room being predominantly filled with female colleagues. The remaining male colleagues sat on the other side, casting him sidelong glances with smirks.
"Lin Yi, you're really something. At your level, you've worked hard. And now, the position of Sales Director will be yours," Wang Ying said with a hint of regret.
Wang Ying had a good rapport with Lin Yi. She was confident that if Lin Yi secured the Sales Director role, his future would be bright. However, she was feeling pessimistic at the moment, especially since their paths might not cross again.
"Sister Wang, you're too kind. Even though Lin Yi has performed well, Dong Ge is no slouch either. How can you be so sure that the Sales Director position is definitely Lin Yi's?" asked Huang Youwei, one of Lin Yi's colleagues.
Li Jiangdong, referred to as Dongge, had been the top salesperson in the department before Lin Yi arrived. But since Lin Yi's emergence, the top spot had shifted. Though Li Jiangdong was frustrated, he could do little about it.
"Sales Director positions indeed demand high performance. Given Lin Yi's superior results, he naturally deserves the role," Wang Ying answered, albeit with a hint of doubt.
In the sales department, there were two factions. The men supported Li Jiangdong, while Lin Yi and the female colleagues formed a separate group, maintaining a superficially harmonious but distant relationship.
"So what's the point of all this? After all, he's been fired," Huang Youwei said.
"And I hear the dismissal papers are about to be finalized, with Dong set to be promoted to Sales Director. Let's toast to Dong," he added.
"Hehe, don't worry," Li Jiangdong responded with a smile. "Even though I'll be the Sales Director soon, today is Lin Yi's day, so I won't take over."
"That's fine, just respect him later," Huang Youwei said with a grin.
Li Jiangdong and the others raised their glasses and finished their drinks, while the female colleagues remained silent.
"My feeling is, you didn't come to see me off, which seems a bit forceful," Lin Yi said with a relaxed tone.
"Don't be like that, I'm just having a casual drink. You're still the star today." After finishing his glass, Li Jiangdong looked at Lin Yi with a mischievous smile. "What's your plan after getting fired? In a big city like Zhonghai, it's not easy to get by."
"Brother Dong is right, this city is too dangerous. But the countryside is better," Huang Youwei replied with a cynical tone.
"What's going to happen to Lin Yi in the countryside? He's an orphan and doesn't even have a house. He has nowhere to go," Li Jiangdong said with a sneering smile. Then he made a surprising offer. "Lin Yi, if you want to stay in Zhonghai, I can arrange a job for you as a security guard. Interested?"
The male colleagues laughed, seeing Lin Yi as a source of amusement. They felt Lin Yi was too ambitious to compete with Li Jiangdong for the Sales Director position.
"You don't need to worry about a job," Lin Yi said with a smile.
"By the way, Xiao Yi, I was just about to ask you," Wang Ying decided to dig deeper. "Now that you're fired, what are your plans for the future? Are you looking for a new job?"
"I'll soon be starting with Didi, and I need to support my family," Lin Yi answered.
"Starting Didi?" Wang Ying and the other female colleagues looked skeptical.
"Your scope seems a bit broad," Huang Youwei said dismissively. "Isn't that unlikely? To make a living?"
"Lin Yi, you might have an expensive vehicle, but what about your old Xiali? Can you still register? Passengers might give you bad reviews and make it hard for you to support your family," Huang Youwei added.
"That's alright, Xiao Yi. In the future, when we take a taxi, we'll call your car and give it to you," Wang Ying said sympathetically.
As the conversation continued, the hotel lobby manager knocked loudly on the door and entered with a serious expression.
"Excuse me, who owns the Pagani Zonda parked downstairs?" the manager asked.
"Pagani Zonda?" Everyone in the room was astonished. Supercars like that were rare in China.
Several male colleagues immediately stood up and looked out the window.
"Did someone really park a Pagani here? Impressive."
"This is one of the wealthiest places in China. Many rich people are here," Huang Youwei said, sighing. "That car is probably worth more than 20 million. Only local wealthy people can afford it."
"Okay, don't talk too much. You can't afford it either," Li Jiangdong said, glancing at the lobby manager. "We're just regular white-collar workers. We can't afford such a car. Maybe you should ask elsewhere."
"Alright, sorry for the intrusion," the manager said before turning to leave.
However, Lin Yi suddenly spoke up. "What's the issue with the Pagani?"
"There's another car blocking it, so I need to inform the owner to move it," the manager replied.
"That Pagani is mine. I was just asking," Lin Yi said firmly.
Everyone was stunned.
"You, what did you say? The Pagani is yours?"
"How is that possible?" Huang Youwei asked, his face showing shock.
Lin Yi pulled out the car key from his pocket and waved it in front of Huang Youwei and the others, almost making them gape in disbelief.
Indeed, the car was his!
The lobby manager, who had appeared calm before, was now astonished. Typically, owners of such cars are young heirs from wealthy families. But seeing Lin Yi was still quite young, the manager was baffled.
"Lin, Lin Yi, what's going on? Wasn't your car a Xiali? How did it become a Pagani?"
"Who said you can only own one car? Can't I buy another one?" Lin Yi replied casually.
Everyone felt dazed. This was a sports car worth more than 20 million yuan, not a cheap two-yuan car.
"Didn't you say you wanted to start Didi? Why are you so rich and still running Didi?" Li Jiangdong asked, bewildered.
"I'm not doing nothing while I'm between jobs. Isn't it better to enjoy life?" Lin Yi replied with a smile.