Chapter 100: Taking on a Subordinate and a Task
When Lin Feng agreed,
a smile immediately blossomed on Huizi’s face.
"There’s a nice Western restaurant nearby. Would that be alright, Mr. Lin?"
It was clear Huizi had already done her homework before inviting Lin Feng to dinner.
Lin Feng didn’t particularly care what they ate.
After all, given her budget, it wasn’t going to be some exclusive, high-end restaurant.
"I’m fine with anything!"
The Western restaurant Huizi chose was actually a pleasant surprise for Lin Feng.
The ambiance was quite elegant.
The food was pretty good, too.
Huizi even ordered a bottle of red wine.
"Mr. Lin, a toast to you!"
"I’m truly... so, so, so grateful to you for trusting me and giving me this deal!"
Halfway through the meal,
Huizi was already a little tipsy.
She raised her glass to Lin Feng and drained it in one gulp.
As she kept drinking, her eyes began to redden for some unknown reason.
"Mr. Lin, you’re still in university, aren’t you?"
"Society is so complicated these days."
Lin Feng could tell Huizi was drunk.
But he didn’t interrupt her venting.
Huizi was actually quite attractive. With her eyes red and teary, she had a certain pitiful charm.
However, Lin Feng wasn’t the type to be swayed by a pretty face.
Still, for a moment, he did feel a flicker of compassion.
Lin Feng was well aware of the conflict between Lü Na and Huizi.
He knew all too well about newcomers getting bullied by veterans in the workplace.
"I quit. But before I did, I reported those two villains."
"If I’m out of a job, they can forget about having one either!"
Thinking of something, a deeply satisfied smile spread across Huizi’s face.
Back then, when Huizi had returned to the An Company with the huge contract to finalize the paperwork, she had directly forced the head office manager to launch a full investigation into their abuse of power for personal gain.
The branch manager had been doing shady things for years.
A simple investigation was all it took to uncover the manager’s embezzlement.
Huizi couldn’t be bothered to recount just how big the scandal became.
In any case, when those two were forced to clear out of the office in disgrace, Huizi just sat there and watched.
It was incredibly satisfying!
"So this dinner is to thank you, Mr. Lin. If it weren’t for your deal..."
At this, Huizi choked up.
"I would have been just like countless others... forced to leave in disgrace!"
"I would have had to swallow all that injustice, with no way to ever let it out!"
Just like countless newcomers to the professional world,
Huizi knew she would face setbacks.
But she never expected a setback like this.
Life’s hardships are the fastest way to grow up.
Huizi didn’t even realize it, but as she spoke, tears began to fall into her wine glass.
At that moment,
Lin Feng was genuinely moved.
From his few brief interactions with her, Lin Feng could tell that Huizi herself was very capable and efficient.
It was a shame that such a good employee was being forced out of her career simply because her superiors had it out for her.
It was truly lamentable.
"So what are you going to do now? Have you thought about it or made any plans?"
Lin Feng took a sip of red wine and asked, looking at Huizi across from him, who had unknowingly begun to sob her heart out.
Huizi blinked, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
"I don’t know... Because of disgusting people like that, I think I’ve actually become afraid of the whole real estate industry!"
The wine was making her speak her mind.
Huizi was speaking from the heart.
"I just quit, so I haven’t figured out what I’m going to do next..."
Huizi shook her head and downed another glass of wine.
Lin Feng sat there, thinking quietly for a moment.
After a moment, he spoke.
"Since you’ve already quit, why don’t you do something for me?"
Although Huizi was already drunk,
upon hearing Lin Feng’s words,
she shook her head, struggling to focus her thoughts.
"Me?"
"What could I possibly do for you, Mr. Lin?"
Huizi blinked, looking at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng pulled out some documents and placed them on the table.
"We’ll talk about it when you’re sober."
Lin Feng was just about to explain the task to Huizi when he found that she couldn’t hold her liquor and had passed out on the table.
Huizi had been under immense pressure recently.
Tonight’s drinking had been a release for all her long-suppressed frustrations.
The moment her mind relaxed, the alcohol hit her full force.
Lin Feng shrugged helplessly.
’Getting a meal turned into such a hassle,’ he thought.
However, if Huizi could handle this next task beautifully, then this little bit of trouble would be well worth it.
Fortunately, even though Huizi was drunk, she at least knew her own address.
After Lin Feng took her home, he left the documents by her side.
...
「Meanwhile.」
Lin Xiaoman and Su Ruoxi had already made it halfway up the mountain.
Xiang City had many mountains. In fact, one could say the entire city was surrounded by them.
Today, the two of them had chosen a relatively short, easy-to-climb mountain.
"Xiaoman, there’s a pavilion up ahead. Let’s go rest there for a bit."
Su Ruoxi had never been on such a strenuous hike before and was already a little out of breath.
Xiaoman happened to be a bit tired too, so the two of them went to rest inside the pavilion.
Gazing at the distant clouds and feeling the sunlight on her skin, Lin Xiaoman let her mind go blank.
Su Ruoxi had already seen the private message Lin Feng sent her right after they parted ways.
At first, Su Ruoxi thought Lin Feng was just giving her instructions, telling her to look after his sister.
But now, seeing how unusually quiet Lin Xiaoman had become, Su Ruoxi sensed that something else was going on.
She recalled that when they were shopping yesterday, Lin Xiaoman had said today’s hike was to take her mind off things. Su Ruoxi keenly sensed that something was weighing on Lin Xiaoman’s mind.
"What’s wrong?"
"Xiaoman, you’re not acting like yourself at all!"
Su Ruoxi asked with a gentle smile.
Su Ruoxi’s voice pulled Lin Xiaoman back to reality.
"Ah... You could tell, Sis? You’re so sharp!"
Lin Xiaoman found a clean spot in the pavilion and sat down.
She picked a perfect spot where the sunlight fell right on her face.
The glare made it impossible for Su Ruoxi to see Lin Xiaoman’s expression clearly for a moment.
"Sis, what are your plans for the future?"
Instead of talking about herself, Lin Xiaoman turned the question to Su Ruoxi.
Su Ruoxi paused for a moment, then sat down beside Lin Xiaoman.
The spot Lin Xiaoman had chosen was nice, allowing the sunlight to bathe her as well.
A pleasant warmth enveloped her.
It made it easy to temporarily forget the troubles of the real world.
A smile touched Su Ruoxi’s lips. "Honestly, my future used to be something you could see at a glance."
"Graduate from Yang City University, get a corporate job, find someone to marry, have kids."
She shook her head at this.
"But that was before I met your brother."
"After I met your brother, I stopped feeling like the future would be boring."
As she said this, a smile she wasn’t even aware of graced her lips.