Chapter 359: Xiaoyuan, You Need to Have Your Own Career
’The incredible position of Director at the Construction Bureau is just a small starting point?’
Awed by Wu Renqing’s commanding presence, the crowd began to frantically suck up to him!
"Big Brother, this is a meteoric rise! The heavens are smiling on us! The Wu Family has produced a True Dragon!"
"Oh my god! Is our family about to have a high-ranking official? The ancestors of the Wus must be smiling down on us!"
"Big Brother, congratulations! Now that you’re taking off, you can’t forget about your family! Feifei is graduating this year and wants to get a government position; you have to give her a little boost!"
Wu Renqing, dizzy from all the flattery, said smugly, "Don’t worry. Xiaoyuan got a villa and let us all move in! As the head of the Wu Family, now that I’m successful, I naturally won’t forget my relatives! I’m going to show you all what it means for one person’s success to elevate the whole family!"
The crowd unleashed another torrent of effusive praise. Any minor resentment they had about Wu Renqing summoning them for a meeting vanished, replaced entirely by excitement and anticipation.
Wu Renqing turned to Cheng Yuan with a broad smile and asked in a patronizing, fatherly tone, "Xiaoyuan, I hear you and Ruoxi are in business together?"
Cheng Yuan nodded slightly. "Yes, Ruoxi and I are running a small business."
Wu Renqing put on the full airs of an elder and began to lecture, "Xiaoyuan, as a man, you can’t be too dependent on your wife! We men have to stand on our own two feet and build our own careers! You should pull out of Ruoxi’s company. Your uncle here will set you on the right path."
Cheng Yuan was speechless. ’I’m the one who arranged my uncle’s future, and now he thinks he needs to arrange mine?’
Wu Xiuli was also at a loss for words. ’Hasn’t Big Brother gotten a little too full of himself?’
Everyone else was incredibly envious. With his uncle’s powerful support, Xiaoyuan was about to hit the big time too!
To everyone’s surprise, however, Cheng Yuan just smiled and politely declined Wu Renqing’s olive branch.
"Uncle, thank you for your kind offer, but I’m quite satisfied with my current situation."
The relatives grew anxious. Lian Shiqiang interjected, "Xiaoyuan, you probably don’t understand the power a Director of the Construction Bureau has, do you? With a single wave of his hand, your uncle can give you all sorts of projects from the Municipal Government Office—road repairs, bridge construction, you name it! You could conservatively earn several small fortunes a year!"
’Several small fortunes?’
The corners of Cheng Yuan’s mouth twitched upward. The Lingxi Health Beverage was a runaway success all over the Dragon Country, conservatively estimated to bring in hundreds of small fortunes a year. To him, money was just a number.
What he desperately needed now were Divine Medicines and various Spiritual Objects.
Wu Renqing maintained his pompous attitude, fully prepared for Cheng Yuan to start flattering him.
But Cheng Yuan’s next words nearly made him choke.
"Actually, I’m not that interested in making money right now."
The relatives were speechless. ’What a poser! Who in the world isn’t interested in money?’
It took a great deal of effort for Wu Renqing to control his emotions. He said in a placating tone, "Xiaoyuan, don’t blame yourself for not introducing me to President Mei. You may have been cold to your uncle, but I can’t be unfair to you. I genuinely want to help you! Just take my advice and leave Ruoxi’s company!"
Huh?
’Cheng Yuan didn’t help Big Brother get an introduction to President Mei?’
For a moment, everyone started whispering amongst themselves.
"No wonder Xiaoyuan kept refusing Big Brother. So he feels guilty?"
"Big Brother is really the more magnanimous one! Compared to him, Xiaoyuan seems a bit petty."
"Xiaoyuan must really regret not introducing Big Brother to President Mei. Otherwise, he would have been the one to get all the credit!"
...
Wu Xiuli couldn’t stand it any longer and quickly stood up to set the record straight for Cheng Yuan.
"Big Brother, you’re misunderstanding Xiaoyuan! The reason he didn’t introduce you to President Mei is that President Mei can’t even save himself right now—he’s the one who needs Xiaoyuan to pull some strings for him! Xiaoyuan is the one who got you the connection to the City Lord. The only reason the City Lord was so warm to you was out of respect for Xiaoyuan!"
’Xiaoyuan found a connection to the City Lord?’
Pfft...
Wu Renqing couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"Xiuli, you’ve always been so down-to-earth. Since when did you learn to brag like this? You’ll believe anything Xiaoyuan says? How could he possibly know the City Lord?"
Wu Xiuli insisted, "I was standing right there when Xiaoyuan made the call to get the connection! I’m definitely not making this up! Xiaoyuan really is the one who found the City Lord connection for you! Big Brother, it’s one thing not to thank him, but how can you mock him?"
Wu Renqing just shook his head. "Xiuli, your story is getting more and more absurd! Can’t you be a little more sensible? Stop saying things that are so full of holes. You’re making a laughingstock of yourself!"
Wu Xiuli was getting desperate. She quickly turned to Cheng Yuan. "Xiaoyuan, say something! Explain it to him!"
Cheng Yuan calmly explained, "Uncle, my mom is telling the truth. I was the one who arranged the connection with the City Lord. And according to the City Lord, your appointment won’t be as simple as just a director. You should be appointed directly as Deputy Director."
Pfft!
Wu Renqing couldn’t help but laugh out loud again.
"Xiaoyuan, if you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t just spout nonsense. With my current seniority, the highest I could be promoted to is Director. Deputy Director is absolutely out of the question! I’d need to work for at least another three to five years."
Cheng Yuan wasn’t flustered in the slightest. He said calmly, "Uncle, have you ever heard of an exceptional promotion?"
Wu Renqing’s eyes lit up. A fire of ambition suddenly blazed in his chest!
’As a model employee, I really do have a chance for an exceptional promotion!’
"Exceptional promotions do happen. I didn’t expect you to have done your homework, Xiaoyuan! But don’t think for a second that makes me believe you. Since you claim you found a connection to the City Lord, tell me, what are the names of the City Lord and his secretary?"
"The City Lord’s name is Ni Zhenjiang. As for his secretary, I don’t know him yet. Perhaps his secretary will be paying me a visit very soon."
Wu Renqing rolled his eyes dramatically, and the other relatives were also speechless.
’Xiaoyuan’s boasts are getting more and more ridiculous!’
Wu Renqing immediately "exposed" Cheng Yuan. "Xiaoyuan, you’ve certainly done your homework and found out the City Lord’s name! But there’s a fatal flaw in your story! If you arranged the connection with the City Lord, how could you possibly not know Secretary Wang? And do you have any idea who Secretary Wang is? Even the Directors of every bureau have to treat him with the utmost respect! Why would he ever personally visit you?"
Cheng Yuan shrugged. "I’m just telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, Uncle, there’s nothing I can do."
Wu Renqing was almost too exasperated to argue. "Fine. Let’s say you really don’t know Secretary Wang. Then tell me this: where did the City Lord work before he was transferred here?"
Cheng Yuan shrugged. "How would I know that?"
Wu Renqing couldn’t be bothered to argue with Cheng Yuan anymore. He switched to a tone of earnest persuasion. "Xiaoyuan, I know you’ve had a little success! But don’t get carried away. All of your achievements rely on Ruoxi! As a man, you have to build something for yourself! Otherwise, you’ll never be able to hold your head high in your own home! Think carefully about my proposal! When you come to your senses, pull out of Ruoxi’s company immediately and start an engineering firm! With your uncle’s full support, you’re sure to build a real career and become the head of your family with dignity!"