Chapter 141 That Bastard is Finally Leaving
"Did you develop that medicine Professor Xu was praising all by yourself in the laboratory and the auxiliary factory?"
"And you earned 700 million from that deal?"
After returning to their office, Song Jia stared at Liu Shang, blinking curiously.
To this, Liu Shang nodded very honestly.
He then briefly explained how he had met Fan Shikang and how he came to acquire the company.
Song Jia was slightly taken aback.
The day Liu Shang had helped Shen Chengcheng with the construction—especially the night they both drank too much—had become an important memory for her.
Before, she had thought Liu Shang was just being kind-hearted, working so hard to help a friend.
To think that this guy actually made 700 million from it!
"Hey, you seem to have forgotten something."
"If I recall, there was a certain little helper by your side that day, who took you in when you were drunk so you wouldn't freeze to death on the street."
"Shouldn't she get a cut of the profits?"
Liu Shang laughed. "A bonus, you say? Of course!"
"Tell me, does Miss Song want pocket money, or something from LV or Chanel?"
Song Jia gave him a hard look. "You know I don't care about boring stuff like LV or Chanel."
"And I'm certainly not short on your pocket money!"
"Huahai Company has an annual output value of several hundred million and a net profit of tens of millions."
"The fortune you just made so easily probably doesn't even amount to a fraction of my family's wealth."
"If you really want to repay me, you could always offer yourself!"
"If you did, this girl might just consider it..."
Liu Shang was amused. "Well, now! I never thought I'd see the day I was so valuable."
Song Jia snorted at him. "Don't be so full of yourself, okay?"
"Someone like you probably wouldn't even catch this girl's eye."
"It's just that you've been around for a long time, and you're not as annoying as you used to be. At best, you're the spare tire for my spare tires."
As she said this, Song Jia suddenly remembered Liu Shang mentioning he would be leaving, telling her he wouldn't be around to bully his "little helper" anymore.
For a moment, her heart felt a little empty.
"Liu Shang, now that you have your own company, you'll be... leaving, right?"
In her heart, Song Jia had also thought about their futures.
Liu Shang was just some guy from an ordinary background; how could he ever be worthy of Jiang Ruolin?
Come graduation, the season of breakups, he would surely face pressure from Jiang Ruolin's family.
She had thought it was fine for her and Liu Shang to get along as good friends at the company.
But she never could have imagined that Liu Shang would grow so fast, becoming more dazzling and brilliant by the day.
Even before graduation season, he was already off to develop his own company.
The distance between them was growing wider and wider.
Fortunately, what Liu Shang said next made her feel a little better.
"I say, my dear Miss Song, you really sound like you want me to leave, don't you?"
"You have no idea what state the company I bought is in."
"The office buildings and warehouses are empty. There isn't a single piece of production equipment."
"The only asset is a beat-up Jetta, and the entire staff consists of four security guards."
"And I had to find two of them on a temporary basis!"
"I have to change the company name, recruit a team, and basically start from scratch."
"It's going to be a long road!"
"Besides, I have a lot of affairs to hand over here and make sure everything is properly arranged."
"I'm afraid for the next half a year, at least, you won't be able to get rid of me!"
At this, Song Jia shot him a fierce look. "Who are you calling 'dear'?!!"
"Hmph, since you're not leaving yet, I suppose I can put up with you for a while longer!"
Clearly, Song Jia's mood was much better than before.
In the afternoon, Song Guangyuan returned to the company and called Liu Shang to his office immediately.
By then, Song Guangyuan had also heard that Liu Shang had spent 550 million to buy Fan Shikang's company.
He had the same reaction as Mr. Zhong, telling Liu Shang with great concern that he had been too hasty.
Even if he wanted to acquire a company, he shouldn't have bought Fan Shikang's.
If he had only said something in advance, Song Guangyuan could have used his connections to find a much better option.
For Song Guangyuan's care and concern, Liu Shang was naturally grateful and thanked him repeatedly.
At the same time, Liu Shang also promised that even though he was leaving, he would take all his duties seriously and ensure a smooth handover.
He added that since he had money now, he didn't need to take advantage of company perks anymore.
He had already handed the key for the Pajero back to Minister Sun.
After hearing his words, Song Guangyuan sighed, then patted his shoulder and told him very seriously, "This place will always be your home! We'll always have a spot for you!"
"People like myself and Mr. Zhong will always be your elders, your family!"
"You are always welcome here, no matter when you go or when you come back."
"So, you keep driving that car, even if it's to your new company."
"And if you run into any problems over there, or if you need any help at all, remember to say something. Don't be a stranger..."
Song Guangyuan's heartfelt sincerity and affection genuinely warmed Liu Shang's heart.
After they had chatted for a while and Liu Shang had left, Mr. Zhong ambled over with a smile to share a smoke and a chat.
Not surprisingly, the two of them started talking about Liu Shang.
"Mr. Zhong, it looks like Liu Shang will be leaving us soon."
"I think back to when he first came here for an interview, and the bet he made with me... it feels like it just happened yesterday."
"Back then, I was so fed up with that arrogant, stubborn kid, I wished he would just get out!"
"Heh, but who would have thought that now that he's really leaving, I'd actually feel reluctant to see him go?"
Mr. Zhong laughed. "Haha, you're right. That bastard is finally leaving."
"But it's not just you who's reluctant to part with him, Mr. Song!"
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Mr. Zhong said slowly, "Actually, ever since Liu Shang showed his true abilities, I felt that he wasn't destined to stay in a small pond. I knew he would leave here sooner or later."
"How many boys his age can compare to him?"
"I just didn't expect him to build his network and capital so quickly."
Song Guangyuan nodded and sighed. "Mr. Zhong, reluctant or not, once Liu Shang really leaves, you, Professor Xu, and Li Shaohua need to oversee his job handover."
"Make sure nothing goes wrong."
Chapter 142 It's Not What You Think
After hearing Song Guangyuan's words, Mr. Zhong couldn't help but shake his head slightly and sigh.
"President Song, do you still not understand Liu Shang?"
"There will never be any problems on his end. That's not what I'm worried about."
"The only thing I'm worried about is that once that kid is gone, there's no one in the company who can take his place!"
"You can't expect Ma Yuan to take over Liu Shang's job, can you?"
"As for the true value of Liu Shang's work, even you, the boss, might not have a deep enough understanding of it."
"Take me and Old Xu, for example. That kid has made our lives so easy for the past year."
"With him around, it's been so peaceful and effortless, it's almost like we're retired."
"But if he leaves, I'm afraid I won't be able to adjust!"
Song Guangyuan frowned. "Ma Yuan?"
"He definitely can't do it!"
"But Mr. Zhong, didn't we recruit two new graduates from the Petroleum University six months ago?"
"Surely they can take over Liu Shang's job, can't they?"
At this, Mr. Zhong couldn't help shaking his head again. "President Song, these recent graduates have never even seen a real-world site."
"They are completely clueless about common oilfield procedures like well washing, profile control, acidizing, and fracturing."
"They can't even explain the most basic theory. What they learned in school is completely detached from reality—it's superficial and pitifully inadequate."
"I'm afraid it would take them three years just to catch up to Ma Yuan's level, if they're lucky. How could you possibly expect them to replace Liu Shang?"
Hearing Mr. Zhong's description, Song Guangyuan's eyes widened.
"Three years just to catch up with Ma Yuan?"
"But Mr. Zhong, wasn't I specific when we were recruiting?"
"I said, regardless of cost, we had to find good people—excellent character and excellent academics!"
"So how did we end up with these two?"
"Liu Shang is only a sophomore, but they're both university graduates. How can they be like this?!"
Mr. Zhong waved his hand with a wry smile and patiently explained.
"No, no, it's not what you think."
"President Song, think about it this way: Ma Yuan is also a graduate of the Petroleum University, and he has seven or eight years of work experience now."
"He may be a bit overly ambitious and flashy, but there's no denying he's very smart."
"And those two newly recruited college students are the best graduates we could find."
"For the two of them to reach Ma Yuan's technical level in just three or four years would already be considered exceptionally fast, don't you think?"
"You know, in the oil field, hands-on experience is what counts."
Song Guangyuan couldn't refute Mr. Zhong's words, but he still couldn't quite wrap his head around it.
Seeing his expression, Mr. Zhong smiled and continued, "Let me tell you something else, and maybe you'll understand."
"Take Chen Xu. Even though he's left the company and made a serious mistake, we have to admit that he has more than twenty years of oil field experience."
"Technically, he was skilled enough to be our deputy technical manager. He was once considered the future pillar of our company's technical department. He was outstanding, right?"
"However, after he left, Liu Shang took over all his duties. And we—especially Li Shaohua's team—not only felt no strain, we actually felt more relaxed."
"What does that tell you?"
After pausing for a few seconds, Mr. Zhong sighed.
"President Song, it's not that Ma Yuan and those two new graduates are too bad. It's that Liu Shang is too good!"
"It's no exaggeration to say he's the kind of talent that comes along once in a decade, or even once in a century."
"You questioned Professor Xu and me back then, asking why we spoiled Liu Shang so much."
"It's because we've both retired from the technical front lines that we truly understand the value of a talent like him."
"President Song, I know you are also very good to Liu Shang and have given him a lot of privileges and preferential treatment."
"But if you look at the workload on his shoulders and the contributions he has made silently, you'll find that you've still undervalued him!"
"If that kid leaves, I, Professor Xu, Li Shaohua, and the others will all feel responsible!"
Hearing this, Song Guangyuan also shook his head with a wry smile.
"Now that you mention it, that's really true."
"But Mr. Zhong, when Liu Shang leaves, it's not just you who will have a hard time. I will too."
"You have no idea how much of the communication work with our clients in the oil field Liu Shang has taken on in the past six months."
"At first, I asked him to maintain those relationships, but he didn't want to handle the company's expense account, to avoid any potential criticism."
"So I had Xiaosun accompany him. Liu Shang was in charge of the discussions, and Xiaosun was in charge of handing over the gifts."
"Usually, I handle the communication with the higher-ups, and then Liu Shang takes Xiaosun to deal with their subordinates who handle the day-to-day affairs."
"It's been half a year, and that kid has done an excellent job."
"To put it bluntly, he's built some very strong relationships with people in the oil field."
"A few times, I asked them for favors, and they didn't even ask for payment. Their only request was to have Liu Shang go out for a drink with them!"
At this, Song Guangyuan and Mr. Zhong both burst out laughing.
"Well, that kid is really hard to get a hold of these days. Sometimes even I can't find him when I want to ask him out for a drink!"
"Actually, President Song, although Ma Yuan is out of the question, there are other talented people in our company."
"If Liu Shang leaves, there is someone who could step up and make life much easier for Professor Xu and me."
Upon hearing this, Song Guangyuan's spirits lifted. "Oh?"
"If we have a talent like that, we must focus on training them!"
"How come I've never heard you mention this?"
Mr. Zhong smiled. "President Song, you can't see the forest for the trees."
"The person I'm talking about is your daughter, Song Jia."
"Oh, don't give me that look!"
"Do you think all your daughter knows is how to eat, drink, have fun, and spend money on fashion?"
"Let me tell you, that girl Song Jia is incredibly sharp."
"Ever since she started her internship with Liu Shang, she has picked things up very quickly."
"Nowadays, almost all the data analysis, report compilation, and the creation of technical presentations are all done by Song Jia."
"Without Song Jia's help, that boy Liu Shang couldn't get so much work done even if he had three heads and six arms."
"My only fear is, if Liu Shang really leaves, will Song Jia keep coming to the company?"
Hearing this, Song Guangyuan couldn't help but frown again.
If Liu Shang left, he could just hire more people to replace him.
But would his precious daughter really be all right?
Chapter 143 As If Facing an Enemy!
On a summer morning, Tan Feng, Lu Kai, Zhou Liang, Song Jia, and several other core figures of Fengcheng's local elite circle gathered at the outdoor seating area of a Starbucks.
Their posture was tense, as if they were preparing to face a formidable enemy.
"I've got confirmed news. Lu Ming, Ye Hai, and their convoy are arriving in Fengcheng tomorrow."
"A lot of other big shots from the Imperial Capital are with them."
"I hear they have some serious cars in their fleet."
"I don't know if you still remember Lin Pengyun?"
"Even he's coming this time, driving a BMW Z4 sports car."
Lu Ming and Ye Hai's families were originally from Fengcheng. Later, when they graduated from junior high school, their parents moved to the Imperial Capital for business. Naturally, they went along to study there and made new friends.
In addition, many families in Fengcheng had relatives in the Imperial Capital, creating a web of intricate relationships.
As time went on, the circles of rich kids from both Fengcheng and the Imperial Capital began to interact frequently. Although they were friendly on the surface, the two sides were always secretly competing and trying to one-up each other.
On the whole, the group from the Imperial Capital had an air of superiority and looked down on Fengcheng. The Fengcheng locals were unconvinced, often mocking the capital kids for not having as much spending money as they did.
But this Lin Pengyun from the Imperial Capital was an exception.
He was a serious, straight-laced guy, and his family had senior officials at the deputy-ministerial level. This was far beyond the ceiling of anyone else's family status; they weren't even in the same weight class.
Two or three years ago, Lin Pengyun had come to Fengcheng with the group from the Imperial Capital for some reason. It was precisely because of his presence that everyone in Fengcheng felt pressured and lost face.
It had to be said that with his temperament, his sophisticated conversation, and his subtle aura, there was no one in all of Fengcheng who could match him.
Now, the guy was coming back. How could the Fengcheng group not feel overwhelmed?
"Lin Pengyun?"
"This guy should be in the Imperial Capital schmoozing and networking. Why is he coming back to Fengcheng?"
"Exactly. A person like him speaks so smoothly, everything's airtight, and you can never tell what he's really thinking or feeling."
"He's nothing like a playboy!"
"I heard that in two years, he'll be graduating from that prestigious politics and law university in the Imperial Capital—the one that trains future leaders."
"His family will probably arrange a real government position for him somewhere after that."
"So you tell me, why the hell is a guy like that hanging out with us for fun?"
"Well, this is just bad luck."
"Several of our guys went to Europe for the summer."
"That leaves us even more short-handed and vulnerable."
Immediately, the person who spoke turned his gaze toward Tan Feng and Song Jia.
"Tan Feng, you're our main force for this 'battle.'"
"Which means Lin Pengyun is all yours, Song Jia."
"Didn't we rely on you, Jiajia, to hold the line last time?"
Seeing everyone's attention focused on her, Song Jia gave them a disgusted look, then spread her hands helplessly.
"Oh, give me a break. Back then, I was just a sharp-tongued girl who could shut people down with illogical arguments."
"You have to admit, Lin Pengyun is a real gentleman; he just kept smiling the whole time I was bullying him."
"But I've grown up now. I don't like to argue with people anymore."
"Also, there's some very unfortunate news."
"A cousin of mine from my uncle's family in the Imperial Capital just got into college this year."
"She's in their convoy and will be staying at my house when she gets to Fengcheng."
"I'll probably be completely overwhelmed dealing with her."
"As for you guys, I can only offer limited help."
"The only contribution I can make is to keep my cousin and a few of her friends occupied separately. You can consider that me splitting their forces for you."
Hearing Song Jia's words, everyone's eyes lit up and their spirits lifted.
"Cousin?"
"From the Film Academy (Emperor Shadow)?"
"Jiajia, your cousin must be talented and gorgeous, right?!"
"We have a lot of bachelors here. Think you could give us a chance to get to know her?"
Song Jia snorted lightly, then took a sip of her drink and said slowly and coldly:
"You guessed right."
"My cousin's name is Wu Ying, and yes, she's talented and beautiful."
"However, she's always smiling, and she's incredibly quirky and unpredictable."
"In the Imperial Capital, countless guys are chasing her, but so far, I haven't heard of anyone succeeding."
"And you think a few fellas like you have a chance?"
"You won't even know what hit you."
Hearing Song Jia's words, everyone blinked and took a sharp breath.
Thinking about it, a girl from a prominent family in the Imperial Capital's social circle couldn't possibly be simple.
At this moment, Tan Feng sighed.
"I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you guys this time."
"I always expected my first car to be a coupe, like an Audi TT or a Porsche 718."
"They're under a million, so they're not even that expensive."
"But my dad only bought me a Tiguan."
"And I had to fight tooth and nail just to get that."
"Originally, he wanted to get me some cheap clunker!"
"Because of this, I've been getting lectured a lot lately about 'keeping a low profile.'"
"I really hate this Tiguan. It's just so bland and average."
"In comparison, the Volkswagen CC that Zhou Liang's family bought for him is way better than my Tiguan!"
Hearing Tan Feng's complaints, everyone laughed. Immediately, they fell into their usual discussion of luxury cars, fine wines, famous brands, and supermodels.
Listening to them, Song Jia felt a headache coming on, and her irritation grew.
These guys... they smoked the best cigarettes, drank the best liquor, wore designer clothes, and bought the best cars. However, all the money they spent was given to them by their parents.
To put it bluntly, they were no different from parasites.
Without their parents, they'd be nothing. They'd have trouble even supporting themselves. Yet, they were completely unaware of this, remaining smug and self-satisfied.
Perhaps, in the future, they'd get a cushy job in the oil fields or some state-owned enterprise. It was also possible they would inherit a family business, or start a small one using family resources. On the surface, it might seem like they had outstanding ability and great achievements, but in reality?
Everything was set up for them by their families, spoon-fed to them. All they had to do was open their mouths and swallow the results.
Comparing them to... Song Jia's mind inevitably drifted to someone else.
Liu Shang. From the very beginning, he had applied for a job at her company all on his own. After showing his talent, he was given more responsibility and became a vital part of the company.
And now? He had successfully started his own business, bought his own home, earned 700 million, and acquired his first company.
Song Jia had witnessed every step of his journey. She had seen the pressure he endured, the contempt and exclusion he faced. She had also seen his stubborn determination, working fiercely for days on end in the laboratory.
Unconsciously, the deeply ingrained ideas about love in Song Jia's mind had been subverted and transformed.
For a boyfriend, for a future husband... should she choose one of the princelings in front of her, or a man like Liu Shang?
The answer spoke for itself.
Chapter 144 A Blank Sheet of Paper
Just then, a mysterious person in the group suddenly changed the topic to Liu Shang.
"By the way, that reminds me of something."
"Zhou Liang, weren't you the one always saying how scheming and difficult Liu Shang was?"
"And that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing with an extraordinary background?"
"I won't lie, we were all bluffed by him at the time."
"Everyone thought the kid was hiding some incredible power. Right out of the gate, he got the deputy director of the oil field to intervene and took down the director of the school's academic affairs office."
"But guess what?"
"Just a few days ago, a friend of mine ran into Pan Chen, the deputy director's son."
"After asking around, it turns out there's no family connection between the deputy director and Liu Shang at all."
"They didn't even know each other before."
"He only stood up for him because of some joke of a verbal promise made at work."
"In short, things aren't what you think they are."
"That Liu Shang kid is just really cunning. He played us all for fools."
"But in reality, he's nothing! Just a clever poor kid!"
"Tan Feng, you still have a great shot with Jiang Ruolin!"
Hearing this, everyone frowned. Had things really taken such a turn?
Meanwhile, listening to their dismissive evaluation of Liu Shang, Song Jia's disgust reached its limit.
With a dark expression, she muttered a few words and left.
***
While his detractors were gathering, Liu Shang was in a quiet but excellent tavern, dragged there by Yuan Hui.
Yuan Hui, who was in a terrible mood, ordered a shocking amount of alcohol.
"Damn, what are you trying to do, man?" Liu Shang exclaimed.
"If you want to drink yourself to death, you don't have to take me down with you, do you?"
Yuan Hui gave a bitter smile and sighed. "Oh, brother, don't even ask."
"I dropped out of the sports academy and had another huge fight with my family."
"Now I'm on my own. I stormed out of the house and have no idea where I'm sleeping tonight."
"I forgot my wallet when I left, so you'll have to pay for this meal!"
Ever since their last fight, Yuan Hui and Liu Shang had become friends.
The two got along well and often met up to chat and drink.
As he got to know him better, Yuan Hui's admiration for Liu Shang grew.
He saw Liu Shang as magnanimous, insightful, and capable of seeing the big picture—a mature and genuine man.
He had far more substance than his own group of friends, who just ran around getting into fights.
Because of this, Yuan Hui had taken to calling Liu Shang his brother.
Hearing his story, Liu Shang was taken aback.
"Dropped out? Ran away from home?"
"What's going on? Tell me."
Yuan Hui took a large gulp of wine and began to speak, his voice low and dejected.
"You know I have a lot of buddies and friends at the sports academy."
"We get into fights pretty often."
"So, my family decided they won't let me pursue the life I want anymore."
"They pulled me out of school and are transferring me to the provincial police academy."
"It was my dad's idea. He said I'm spoiled and that he wants me to go to the police academy to get straightened out and disciplined."
"Brother, you tell me, do I look like police officer material?!"
"So, I had a massive fight with my family. A really bad one."
"My dad said I have high ambitions but no ability to back them up, that I'm nothing but a good-for-nothing!"
"He also threatened that if I don't go to the police academy, I won't get another cent from the family."
"So, it ended with me cutting ties. I ran away from home to fend for myself."
He raised his glass to drink again but was stopped by Liu Shang.
"So what are your plans now?"
Yuan Hui shook his head. "I don't know."
"Maybe I'll crash with my crew for a while, but eventually, I'll have to go home and negotiate with my family."
At this, Liu Shang shook his head slightly and smiled.
"Yuan Hui, do you remember what I told you once?"
"Your current approach is too naive, too immature."
"To put it bluntly, in the end, you'll still end up as a parasite, living off your family."
"I know your character. You have a lot of pride. You hate being looked down on by others, especially your own family."
"If I were you, I'd either go home right now and enroll in that police academy."
"That's an opportunity others can only dream of."
"Or, you truly run away from home. Don't take a single penny from your family."
"Rely on your own two hands and your hard work to support yourself. Eventually, you could even build a great career and show your family what you're made of."
"Now that is the mark of a real man!"
Liu Shang's words struck a chord with Yuan Hui. He began to imagine the scene Liu Shang described, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
But just as quickly, the light in them faded again.
"Ah, I know you're right, brother."
"But I don't have a diploma or any skills. What am I supposed to do, wash dishes in a restaurant?"
Liu Shang gave him a very serious look. "If you really want to prove something to your family, there's no shame in starting by washing dishes in a restaurant!"
"Of course, for you, it doesn't have to come to that."
As he spoke, Liu Shang took out 200 yuan and tossed it on the table.
"Let's go. Forget this meal. I'm going to show you something."
Under Yuan Hui's confused gaze, Liu Shang pulled him into the Jetta.
He drove north, leaving the city behind and entering the industrial park on the outskirts of town.
It wasn't until their car pulled into a company compound and the guard greeted Liu Shang enthusiastically that Yuan Hui slowly began to understand. The gloomy suspicion in his eyes was replaced by a look of dawning incredulity.
"Brother, did he just call you Mr. Liu?"
"Is this company yours?"
Liu Shang nodded casually. "That's right. This company is made up of two parts."
"One is a petroleum service technology company, and the other is a petrochemical additive production plant."
"The entire company covers an area of one hundred thousand square meters. This office building, the warehouses, and the chemical plant behind it—it's all mine."
"One… one hundred thousand square meters?"
"A chemical plant?"
"It's all yours?"
"Brother, are you kidding me?!"
Seeing Yuan Hui's stunned expression, Liu Shang couldn't help but chuckle.
He patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you the office building first."
***
Soon, Liu Shang had shown Yuan Hui the office building, then the two rows of neat warehouses, and finally, the chemical plant.
They walked the entire grounds on foot.
Just touring those few areas took a full hour.
"The office building has four floors, with more than ten offices on each floor."
"You've seen its current state. It's a mess and needs a complete renovation and cleanup."
"And this chemical plant is fully licensed. The value of this brand-new, never-used equipment alone is 18 million."
"Right now, this company, this huge territory, is like a blank sheet of paper."
"At present, the entire company consists of just me and the four guards."
"So, what do you say? Are you brave enough to endure the hardship? Do you have the confidence? Do you want to follow me and build something big, something of our own?"
"Do you really want to make a name for yourself and show your family and your little buddies what you're capable of?"
"And then, one day, see the shocked and astonished expressions on their faces with your own eyes?"
Chapter 145 Hurry Up and Help Me!
Yuan Hui's eyes lit up with excitement when he heard what Liu Shang said.
"Let's do it!"
"Brother, I always knew you were different, a man destined for big things, but I never imagined it would be this big!"
"I, Yuan Hui, have never admired anyone this much in my entire life—not even my own father."
"But brother, I don't know the first thing about any of this, especially not about oil fields!"
Liu Shang smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "In any enterprise, the real shortage isn't in technical roles, but in management."
"Now that you're with the company, we need to be more formal, even if we're small."
"We'll define your position, and your salary will be based on that."
"For now, the Jetta is yours. I'll also give you a reserve of 100,000 yuan."
"You've seen the state of this office building. Your first task is to get some people to redecorate it."
"The plumbing, electrical wiring, and internet all need to be redone."
"Your title for now is Operations Manager. This will be a good chance for you to get some hands-on experience."
"Your starting monthly salary will be 3,000 yuan. Once the company is formally established, we'll start paying your social security and housing fund contributions, backdated to today."
"When the office building is finished, I'll set you up with your own large office."
"As for where you'll live..."
"You can stay in my dorm for now. It's summer vacation, so there are plenty of empty beds."
Yuan Hui waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not staying in any dormitory!"
"I saw some empty beds in the guard's quarters. I'll just stay with them for now."
"If that doesn't work, I'll just move a cot into the office building."
"Heh, I'd have this whole place to myself. What villa or mansion can compete with that?"
Liu Shang gave him a helpless look. "It's a huge building that's been abandoned for a long time. Aren't you afraid a ghost will pay you a visit in the middle of the night?"
Hearing this, Yuan Hui laughed even louder. "Brother, let me tell you something."
"I've always been fearless. I never backed down from a fight in school."
"If a female ghost really shows up, great! I happen to be single right now!"
...
In the end, Liu Shang couldn't change Yuan Hui's mind; he insisted on living at the company.
What Liu Shang hadn't expected was that a well-known rich kid from Fengcheng like him wouldn't mind the harsh conditions at all.
It only took one night for him to become good friends with the few guards on site.
Of course, Liu Shang left the Jetta for him. Before leaving, he also gave him a supermarket gift card worth 10,000 yuan so he could buy his own daily necessities.
He told him to spend whatever he needed and that there was plenty more where that came from, a gesture that brought a sense of warmth to Yuan Hui, who had run away from home.
The next day, when Liu Shang arrived at the company, Yuan Hui had already changed into fresh clothes and was fully re-energized.
The gloomy and decadent air from yesterday was gone.
According to him, he'd bought the entire outfit at the supermarket—all good quality, inexpensive brands.
The whole set cost less than 300 yuan, which was what he used to spend on a single pair of underwear.
But, as he said, clothes bought without using his family's money were far more comfortable and practical!
Afterwards, Yuan Hui got into the swing of things very quickly and discussed his views on redecorating the office building with Liu Shang.
Liu Shang's instructions were clear: keep it simple and professional, and use low-polluting, non-toxic materials.
He also told him that he could outsource the job to a decorating company. That way, Yuan Hui would only have to supervise, which would be much easier.
However, Yuan Hui insisted on not hiring a decorating company. He wanted to manage the entire process himself, hiring individual contractors.
This would save money, he argued, and ensure the materials used were safe and reliable.
Besides, the entire office building didn't need to be as exquisitely decorated as a private home; they only really needed to properly decorate the executive offices, like Liu Shang's.
Just as Liu Shang and Yuan Hui were brimming with ambition, Song Jia, on the other hand, was about to die of frustration.
Her cousin, the eccentric, beautiful, and utterly outrageous Wu Ying, had finally arrived as scheduled.
She, of course, moved into Song Jia's house.
The first day was fine; it was just a family gathering.
Song Guangyuan even came home early and gave Wu Ying a warm welcome.
But on the second day, as the host, it was naturally Song Jia's duty to take Wu Ying and a few of her friends out for dinner and entertainment.
Wu Ying had said that besides dinner, Song Jia didn't need to go to too much trouble.
Just a relaxing stroll in the park and a movie at the cinema would be fine.
She mentioned that the recent movie, Assembly, was very popular, and she really wanted to see it.
When it came to movies, Wu Ying, who grew up in the Imperial Capital, had a clear sense of superiority, talking endlessly about how advanced the theaters were there.
They had 3D, IMAX, Dolby Surround Sound, and so on.
At this time, Song Jia had already heard the news that Tan Feng and his friends had been defeated.
Song Jia, ever competitive, was even more determined not to be outdone.
She immediately retorted, "What's so great about that? Even if our Fengcheng can't compare to the Imperial Capital in terms of theater hardware..."
"The advantage here is that I have connections. It's easy to get things done."
"If you and your friends really want to see a movie, I'll just book out the entire theater so we can have a private screening."
Her words naturally left Wu Ying gaping in shock.
Her bragging had certainly had the desired effect.
But now she actually had to book the theater, or she'd be a laughingstock to Wu Ying and her friends.
She'd never be able to live it down!
So, the next day, while Wu Ying was out with her friends from the capital, Song Jia frantically tried every method she could think of to book a theater.
She went to numerous theaters in person, but none would sell her a full buyout.
After that, she called in favors from all sorts of people and finally even resorted to using her father Song Guangyuan's connections.
But the result was, naturally, very pessimistic.
The theater managers all had looks of helplessness.
Booking out a screening for any other movie would be easy, they said.
But Assembly had just been released yesterday and was simply too popular.
Many tickets had already been sold in advance, and their hands were tied.
By the time she had exhausted all her options, it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.
Seeing that she was supposed to meet Wu Ying that evening, she would have to shamefully admit that she had been bluffing and had failed to book the theater.
Song Jia hadn't even eaten lunch, but she didn't feel the slightest bit hungry.
This feeling of extreme embarrassment and helplessness made her so distraught that she wanted to cry.
So, she sent a desperate message to Liu Shang: "I'm about to die, get over here and help me!!!!!!!"
Liu Shang had just gotten back to his dorm when he received Song Jia's text.
Before he could even catch his breath, he had no choice but to head back out to see her.
When he saw Song Jia, he was taken aback. How could this little tigress of a girl look so defeated?
"Heh, I haven't seen you in a few days, and what's this?"
"What happened to the majestic and dignified Miss Song I know?"
Song Jia glared at him, then instantly deflated back into her previous weak state.
"You jerk, can't you see I'm dying here?"
"Sigh, what am I going to do? Who can save me..."
After a moment, Liu Shang finally understood what had happened.
A look of surprise and astonishment appeared in his eyes.
"The cinema?"
"A buyout?"
Author's Note:
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