Chapter 145: Internship Spots
What gives you the right to take the host’s seat?
Excuse me, could you move?
The pressure in the private room instantly dropped to freezing. The entire room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The classmates were so scared they hardly dared to breathe, as if Young Master Tang would explode with thunderous rage the very next second.
Tang Mingcheng’s body trembled with rage. ’This ex-con actually told me to move? Does he really think he’s a big shot?’
Tang Mingcheng struggled to suppress his fury. ’For someone of my status, arguing with an ex-con would be beneath me!’
Pan Gang, seeing another chance to curry favor with his master, loudly rebuked Cheng Yuan, "This is just a friendly get-together today, not a formal team-building event. Among everyone here, Young Master Tang has the highest status. What’s wrong with him sitting at the head of the table?"
Hearing this, Tang Mingcheng’s expression relaxed, and he gave Pan Gang an approving glance.
Cheng Yuan snorted. "If this isn’t a team event, then I’ll take my leave."
With that, Cheng Yuan turned to leave, without the slightest hesitation.
This sent Tang Mingcheng into a fury. He hadn’t even had a chance to put on his show, and Cheng Yuan had just shut him down for no reason. ’I can’t let him get off this easy!’
Tang Mingcheng hurried to block Cheng Yuan’s path. "Classmate Cheng Yuan, you’re right. As a plus-one, I’m not qualified to sit at the head of the table. Please, Cheng Yuan, you take the seat!"
Cheng Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony. He plopped right down in the host’s seat, then pointed to the chair beside him and said with false sincerity, "Young Master Tang, you’re a plus-one, an honored guest. Please, have a seat."
Of course, Tang Mingcheng wasn’t about to follow Cheng Yuan’s direction. He turned and looked at Bai Xuening. She quickly stood up, and Tang Mingcheng took her seat. The other classmates then shuffled down to make room for Bai Xuening.
Seeing Pan Gang still standing there dumbly, Cheng Yuan pointed to the seat at the foot of the table. "Squad Leader Pan, what are you spacing out for? Hurry and sit down."
Pan Gang’s face went pale with rage. If Tang Mingcheng hadn’t been there, he probably would have stormed out in a huff.
Pan Gang was extremely reluctant to sit at the foot of the table, but after Tang Mingcheng gave a pointed cough, he had no choice but to obediently take his seat.
Once Pan Gang was seated, Cheng Yuan beckoned to the waitress. "Miss, you can start serving the dishes now."
"Right away."
The waitress left. The atmosphere in the Champion Scholar Pavilion was bizarrely tense. No one spoke. Everyone’s complicated gazes shifted back and forth between the faces of Cheng Yuan, Tang Mingcheng, Bai Xuening, and Pan Gang.
Only Xu Ke felt incredible. ’This is so damn satisfying!’
Pan Gang, wanting to recover some of his lost face, glanced at a few of the plants he had arranged beforehand.
Pan Gang’s most loyal follower, Yun Peng, was the first to break the silence.
"Squad Leader, how are things looking with the internships?"
Pan Gang said, affecting a modest tone, "Yun Peng, don’t you worry. Given our relationship, I’ll definitely secure an internship spot for you. You’ll start as a team leader, at the very least."
"Thanks, Squad Leader!"
"Hahaha, don’t mention it."
The eyes of the other classmates lit up, and they immediately began to shower him with praise.
"Our Squad Leader is so generous, starting Yun Peng off as a junior manager right away."
"Squad Leader, can you get me an internship opportunity, too? I don’t need to start in a management position. I probably can’t handle the workshop floor, but a regular sales position should be fine."
"Squad Leader, I’m not picky! I’ll even work on the factory floor!"
...
In an instant, Pan Gang became the object of everyone’s adulation.
Pan Gang’s vanity was immensely satisfied. However, he knew very well that he wasn’t the star of the show today. He was just the hype man for Young Master Tang.
"Everyone, don’t look for a distant well to quench a nearby thirst! Young Master Tang’s family is the biggest contractor for system doors and windows in all of Luocheng. Their factory covers over a thousand mu of land! My family is just one of their suppliers. I can offer three to five internship spots at most, but Young Master Tang can offer at least a hundred!"
’Luocheng’s biggest contractor for system doors and windows?’
’A factory covering over a thousand mu?’
’Doesn’t that mean Young Master Tang’s family assets are in the hundreds of millions?’
’No, wait, probably over a billion!’
In that moment, all the male classmates stared at Tang Mingcheng with looks of utter reverence.
As for the female classmates, their eyes gleamed, looking like they wanted to devour Tang Mingcheng whole. Unfortunately, they knew their own standing all too well; they could never compete with Bai Xuening.
Bai Xuening, like a proud swan, threw a cool glance at Cheng Yuan, her expression seeming to say, "See the difference between us now, Cheng Yuan? Compared to Mingcheng, you’re less than dirt!"
Tang Mingcheng shot Pan Gang another look of approval, then announced in an amicable tone, "You are all Xue Ning’s classmates, which makes you my classmates as well. As long as you’re interested, you’re all welcome to intern at our Dawn System Doors and Windows."
WHOA!
The entire private room erupted in an uproar.
The classmates scrambled to lavish him with praise.
"Young Master Tang, you’re so magnanimous! You’ve solved our biggest headache—finding internships!"
"Young Master Tang, you can rest assured, we’ll work hard and won’t let you down."
"There’s nothing left to say! From now on, Young Master Tang is my benefactor!"
...
Listening to his classmates’ blatant brown-nosing, Cheng Yuan just shook his head slightly. ’Coincidentally, I have a plot of land I was just planning to develop.’
’I wonder how good Dawn System Doors and Windows is?’
’If they’re any good, I could throw a few orders their way. It would be a way to finally close the Chapter with Bai Xuening.’
’After all, the girl did chase after him so persistently for several months.’
Xu Ke couldn’t stand it any longer and muttered under his breath, "Is it really worth all this for an internship spot? They’re acting like the world would stop spinning without that Tang guy."
Seeing Cheng Yuan shake his head, Tang Mingcheng was displeased. He discreetly shot Pan Gang a meaningful look, then pressed his hands down slightly, gesturing for quiet. The classmates gradually fell silent.
Pan Gang understood his master’s intent. He turned to Cheng Yuan with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Cheng Yuan, what have you been up to? Found a job yet?"
As he said this, Pan Gang feigned a sudden realization and gave himself a light slap on the cheek.
"Oh, look at me, always putting my foot in my mouth! Cheng Yuan just got out of prison, how could he possibly have found a decent job?"
Tang Mingcheng, feigning ignorance about Cheng Yuan’s release, asked with a puzzled expression, "Just out of prison? What happened?"
Bai Xuening explained, "Cheng Yuan got into a jealous fight with a rich heir over his girlfriend. He ended up injuring the guy, and while Cheng Yuan was in prison, his girlfriend got together with that same rich heir."
Tang Mingcheng feigned indignation. "How could that woman be so shameless? Don’t worry, Cheng Yuan! As long as I’m here, you won’t be without a job! If you’re willing, you can come intern at my family’s company. You can start directly in a middle-management position!"
’A middle-management position?’
’Holy hell, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!’
The classmates all turned to look at Cheng Yuan, their eyes filled with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and spite.
One of the classmates piped up, "Cheng Yuan, hurry up and thank Young Master Tang! He’s being incredibly generous!"
Tang Mingcheng raised his chin slightly, awaiting Cheng Yuan’s gratitude.
But once again, Cheng Yuan’s reaction was not what he expected.
"I’m used to my freedom. But thank you for the kind offer, Young Master Tang."
The classmates were in an uproar. ’Cheng Yuan actually refused?’
’What an amazing opportunity!’
’This Cheng Yuan... he’s an ex-con, what’s he got to be so proud about?’
’Did two years in prison not teach him how cruel the real world is?’
Bai Xuening shook her head gently, feeling foolish for her past affections. ’To think I actually liked someone who’s all bravado, just pretending to be something he’s not. I was so immature back then.’
At that moment, Bai Xuening truly let go of her past feelings. She offered her ’kind’ advice, "Cheng Yuan, in this world, pride is the most worthless thing there is! For an ex-con, a middle-management position at a major company is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity. You can’t let it pass you by! So it’s settled. Tomorrow, you’ll report to Dawn System Doors and Windows for your internship!"