"Xiao Xin, what happened? Why are you lingering here?" I was aimlessly wandering the staff corridor, clutching the remnants of my bag and shoes with a goofy smile plastered on my face, when someone suddenly called out to me. I turned around to find Yueyue.
She had parked her little car on the side; luckily, the corridor was wide enough not to block anyone else's way.
"Yueyue, you look really beautiful today." I waved vigorously because I was in a good mood, which made me speak sweetly.
Yueyue glared at me and motioned with her hand, "Come over here, get in the car and we'll talk."
I ran over, barefoot and flapping, and waited until she parked her car in her reserved spot before excitedly recounting this morning's incidents.
Yueyue frowned, "Do you realize you've caused trouble? Do you know who that damned man you're talking about is? He's your dream lover's older brother, Lin Zefeng. We have two Vice Presidents in Lin. The one you're interested in manages all the company's internal affairs, and the one you hit is in charge of all the company's external business dealings. That man is notoriously iron-fisted, ruthless, and cold-blooded. I haven't worked with him much, but they say he's extremely petty, and no one who has offended him has had a good outcome. He kills without bloodshed in the business world, consuming without leaving a trace."
No way, is he that scary? If he targets me, am I not dead meat?! I was startled. Moreover, not to mention whether Lin Zexiu would make his brother unhappy for my sake, but based on my unspeakable intent towards Lin Zexiu, it was a big obstacle for the future!
But could I have just watched that dog get beaten to death and do nothing? That was not something Yu Huxin could do, so I had no regrets about this morning's bloody incident.
"So what? Lin Zexiu didn't fire me, and I didn't mean to tackle Lin Zefeng. It's his fault for having such a high nose. If his face was flat like a purebred Pekingese, he wouldn't have bled so much." I said stubbornly.
"He bled from his nose!" Yueyue's face was a mix of disbelief and despair, "You're almost thirty, how can you still be so clumsy?" After saying that, she suddenly showed a hint of amusement, "But to think that Vice President Lin, always so commanding and never at a loss, actually got his nose bloodied by you, that's really funny."
"I didn't hit him; it was an accident!" I chided Yueyue with a slight smack, "So what do we do now?"
"What can we do? Just wait and see for now. Let's hope he's too busy to bother with a small fry like you." Yueyue spread her hands, "Or perhaps hope that the Lin Brothers are at odds. If Lin Zefeng wants to deal with you, Lin Zexiu might just take your side. If the brothers have a falling-out, you could survive by staying close to your crush, waiting for a chance to 'devour' him."
"Are the two brothers not on good terms?" I was excited.
Wow, the drama of wealthy families, it's like those melodramatic evening soap operas. But as long as I'm around, my Xiu Xiu will definitely be okay.
Yueyue sighed, "Who knows the details? At least they seem fine on the surface at the company, but they often publicly dispute over many issues. Wealthy families are just like that — unlike us ordinary families where siblings love each other dearly, how blissful."
I thought about it too; they seemed to be racing when they drove in earlier, competing for even a single lane, suggesting the brothers were not that harmonious.
"They don't look alike at all. Could they be from different mothers? Look at how refined and handsome my Zexiu is, and his brother truly lives up to the 'mad' part. Or maybe Old Man Lin had no heir, so he adopted one first. You know, many childless people adopt a child as a 'harbinger', meaning it could lead to them having their own baby later. That guy's got such a rotten temper, maybe he was picked out of a trash can; he can't even tolerate a dog. Yeah, from now on I'll call him trash mad."
"His name represents abundance, and they are blood brothers from the same mother," Yueyue laughed at my antics, "Anyway, just be smart. If you want to achieve your goal, you need to spend as much time as you can in the company. Don't be silly, keep your eyes sharp. If the Lin Brothers really are at odds, you might survive in the cracks, but you could also become collateral damage at any moment. After all, Lin Zexiu can't completely alienate his brother for you. On the surface, the brothers need to maintain harmony. You should know that the CEO of CES, the father of the two brothers, although he is nearly retired, it is still not decided who will take over."
Well, well, wealthy family squabbles with a struggle for inheritance among brothers. My bland and tragic life finally had its glamorous moment, even though I was just a moving background prop, but what did that matter? I was going to strive to be the best leading lady.
"I get it, Yueyue, you nag more than my own mom." I patted my chest, feeling no particular distress.
I guess that's one of my strong points, isn't it? They say idiots are happier, and their emotions swing wildly—I'm exactly like that. However, I still hadn't told my mother about my new job at CES, and figuring out how to break the news to her was going to be a problem, let alone asking her for some cash.
She's in her menopausal years, and her go-to is to hit first, curse second. These symptoms have been ongoing for twenty-nine years, pretty much since the day I was born, causing me to have a psychological barrier whenever I encounter middle-aged women.
"Then you'd better get going, I have work and can't walk you out. Who would've thought your first day would be so earth-shattering? You should be careful of Lin Zefeng in the future, he might come looking for trouble." Yueyue opened the car door, "Did you bring any money? Call a cab to take you back."
I nodded. To fit in at my CES job, I'd spent all my money on clothes, but I still had about a hundred bucks left for emergencies. I estimated that I'd give half to the cab driver shortly, which meant that I'd already lost half a life this morning and even missed out on a free lunch.
I wanted to take the bus, but I was barefoot. If I stepped on something and got an infection, it would cost even more. Where's the high salary in this job? It's pure suffering, skimping on meals and scrimping on clothes, as long as I look glossy on the outside. At this point, I truly sympathized with the ordinary employees of the company; if I didn't have ulterior motives, I would have wanted to leave right away.
I wandered out through the employee passage and received clear disdain from the security guards at the exit, but when I evaluated the remnants of my shoes, they immediately ignored me, letting me swan out with ease. However, just as I rounded the corner onto the sidewalk, I heard a whimper from the flower bed. There sat the trouble-making dog from before, peeking out at me with a pitiful look.
I sighed and communicated with it through telepathy before walking over to pick it up. Gosh, it was heavy. This dog was smart, knowing to come to me when hurt. I couldn't just leave it; as a stray, it wouldn't survive. The name-brand clothes I was wearing didn't matter anymore.
Those people who claim to manage stray dogs and clean up the city won't really catch them because no one will pay for strays. It's much better to catch registered pets because the owners will shell out thousands to reclaim them.
Holding the dog, I tried to hail a cab, and dammit, several drivers refused to take us, complaining that the dog was too dirty, which seriously pissed me off. I didn't mind the dog's filth as a noble lady, so what were they fussing about? Finally, one driver agreed to take me if I paid an extra twenty bucks and promised not to let the dog down during the ride.
Nearly an hour later, I arrived at the clinic, arms nearly breaking. I only had twenty bucks left in my pocket. I decided to go all out and spend fifteen on a boxed lunch, plus an extra five for a small chicken leg. The dog and I would enjoy a feast; any worries could wait until tomorrow.
"I'll name you Trash Mad," I decided as I washed and treated the dog on my own, since Xiao Shan wasn't there. I was exhausted and filthy, but the idea of using the dog's name as a dig at that insufferable jerk brought me a delightfully A Q kind of joy.
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Two more chapters this afternoon, check them out around five.
Thank you.