The two chatted for a while before the inattentive Sun Dasheng noticed his apprentice stamping her feet from the cold. It turned out that in her haste to meet her mentor, she hadn't even had time to put on her overcoat.
He quickly took off his down jacket, thoughtfully helped her put it on, and cautioned her, "You... you take your youth for granted and don't take care of yourself. Once you get to my age, all sorts of aches and pains will come looking for you."
Having said that, he saw Ouyang Jiani's face was covered in tears.
"What's wrong? Can't you even take a few words from your master?" Sun Dasheng wiped the tears from her face. "You're a grown woman now and still such a crybaby. Isn't that embarrassing? Many of the people coming and going here are your subordinates. They'll laugh if they see this. How are you supposed to manage them in the future?"
Ouyang Jiani quietly looked at her master, not knowing why her emotions had suddenly spun out of control. Perhaps it was her master's fatherly care and concern. Or maybe it was because her master, now middle-aged, had suffered the double blow of unemployment and a failed marriage. He looked so haggard. It made her feel a pang of sorrow, and the tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"Alright, alright, let's quickly find a warm place to eat, otherwise your master here is going to freeze to death at the company entrance," he said. "Tomorrow's headline will be: 'Former Employee, Protesting Unfair Dismissal, Freezes to Death at Company Gate!'"
As he finished speaking, he deliberately shivered like a leaf in the wind.
Seeing her master's goofy act, Ouyang Jiani burst into laughter through her tears. She hadn't expected her mentor, known for his calmness and professionalism at work, to have such a side to him.
To celebrate their long-awaited reunion, Ouyang Jiani had specifically chosen a high-end Western restaurant. This restaurant was famous in the area for its fresh ingredients, diverse menu, and a chef with outstanding skills. Combined with its superior ambiance, it was a regular spot for the company's executive dinners.
The restaurant was on the third floor of Wanda Plaza. Since it wasn't a weekend, it wasn't too crowded, so they didn't need to queue or make a reservation. The two found a window-side booth in the main hall. Outside, neon lights flashed over the bustling stream of pedestrians and vehicles on the ground below.
A waiter brought over two menus. Sun Dasheng glanced at his and noticed the prices had gone up quite a bit—a single serving of Shanghai greens was 288. He saw the hall was nearly full and cursed under his breath. So many damn tycoons in Shanghai City.
"Master, please, order whatever you like. Don't stand on ceremony with me," Ouyang Jiani said, closing her menu. "This is my treat. It's time for your apprentice to show her master some proper respect."
Sun Dasheng casually ordered a few dishes and told the waiter, "Just these for now. We'll add more if it's not enough."
Jia Nai wouldn't have it. She could see her master was trying to save her money by only ordering the cheaper dishes. She added a few more substantial items: oil-poached salmon, raw-marinated geoduck, and an Australian lobster, finally topping it off with an order of foie gras.
Sun Dasheng was a bit speechless. "We ordered so much. Can the two of us even finish it all?"
Ouyang Jiani winked playfully and leaned in to whisper, "The portions at Western restaurants are pitifully small. With just the few things you ordered, we'd definitely leave hungry."
Alright, I rarely eat Western food and don't know much about it. Looks like my apprentice is spending a lot today. He didn't try to fight her for the bill; after all, it was a gesture of her kindness, and he didn't want to spoil the mood and strain their relationship.
The food arrived slowly, and by the time they finished the grand meal, more than an hour had passed.
As they were heading to the front desk to pay, a group of acquaintances came walking down from a private room on the second floor. It was a group of the company's executives, including Sun Dasheng's former direct supervisor, Xiang Yunsheng.
The man leading the group was Wu Sanyuan, the vice president of the company's K12 division, which was in charge of live-streaming sales—Sun Dasheng's old department. He was treating some of the company's downstream channel partners to a meal to foster goodwill and deepen their cooperation.
Ouyang Jiani greeted the executives, and Sun Dasheng gave a simple nod of acknowledgment. The executives nodded back, keeping up appearances perfectly.
The vendors in the group were a mixed bag. The eyes of one greasy, corpulent middle-aged man lit up the moment he saw Ouyang Jiani. The bespoke designer suit he wore was a mess, completely unsuited to his frame. His unbuttoned suit jacket revealed a potbelly that looked several months pregnant, and the belt cinched tightly around his waist boasted a large, gleaming 'H' buckle.
"Is this beauty also one of your company's streamers?" he asked. Before anyone could answer, he added, "If your company has her stream for my products, I can give your company an additional ten-percent cut."
Wu Sanyuan was about to refuse, but he swallowed his words. This man is Chen Weida, a cosmetics manufacturer. His products are bestsellers in the live-streaming category, with extremely high-profit margins. If the company could get an extra ten percent, our annual net profit would increase by tens of millions. As an old fox, I know there's no such thing as a free lunch. The man's not an idiot, so why would he just give away so much money? He's clearly after our employee. She is certainly beautiful, the very picture of a sharp, elite white-collar professional—a rose with thorns. Spending so much money to chase a woman seems foolish. But the world is full of men who would spend a fortune on a woman. This one is probably just tired of the usual types and wants more of a challenge. And as luck would have it, this woman is part of the live-streaming division, which I directly manage. Chen Weida's proposal is tempting. If the division's performance improves, I'll be the biggest beneficiary. As a senior executive with stock options, I stand to gain an even larger bonus.
Seeing the interested look on Wu Sanyuan's face, Sun Dasheng immediately sensed trouble. He glanced at his straightforward, naive apprentice, who was standing there in a daze, oblivious to the malicious intent behind the vendor's words.
He quickly interjected, "Jia Nai is one of the company's middle managers, not a streamer. She isn't a professional at live-streaming sales. Boss, you'd be better off finding a professional. We have plenty of young, beautiful streamers at the company; no need to look elsewhere."
Only then did Ouyang Jiani realize what was happening, and she stood behind her master, her expression darkening.
"Oh, is that so?" Chen Weida smacked his lips, his beady, lecherous eyes fixated on Ouyang Jiani's perky rear before shifting his gaze to Wu Sanyuan. "Well, I've taken a liking to her, and now she's the only one I want."
This is the shot-caller. If he says you're a streamer, then you're a streamer, whether you are or not.
Faced with this interloper who had appeared out of nowhere, Wu Sanyuan was displeased. You're a former employee. What are you doing interfering in this? What does this have to do with you?
But he wasn't very familiar with Sun Dasheng and couldn't bring himself to scold him publicly. Instead, he simply glanced at his direct subordinate, Xiang Yunsheng, the manager of the live-streaming division.
Receiving the signal from his superior, a beatific smile instantly spread across Xiang Yunsheng's face. He clapped Sun Dasheng on the shoulder and said, "Da Sheng, a word in private."
Sun Dasheng's face remained cold; he didn't budge an inch. I'm not your subordinate anymore. I'm not falling for that act.
To be disrespected by a former subordinate, making me lose face in front of my boss... Xiang Yunsheng's expression changed in a flash, his face darkening. His voice turned sinister. "Da Sheng, the company may have signed an N+1 severance agreement with you, but I'm still the one who decides when that money gets deposited into your account. I hear you still haven't found a new job, and you have a mortgage of tens of thousands to pay every month. You wouldn't want to default on your mortgage and have the bank repossess your house, would you?"
Xiang Yunsheng, you son of a bitch. You're as skilled as ever at finding people's pressure points. You think you've found my weakness? Too bad for you, I already sold my house.
Sun Dasheng smiled.
Seeing Sun Dasheng smile, Xiang Yunsheng smiled too, and the others around them joined in the laughter.
"That's more like it," Xiang Yunsheng said with a chuckle, patting Sun Dasheng's shoulder. "There's an old saying: A wise man submits to circumstances. Now, go and persuade your good apprentice to accept the company's arrangement. Becoming a streamer might earn her even more than her regular job."
Xiang Yunsheng, thinking he had Sun Dasheng under his thumb, spoke with arrogance.
"Fuck off, Xiang Yunsheng." The smile vanished from Sun Dasheng's face. His voice was cold as ice. "Why don't you have your wife or your daughter go stream for that bastard? My apprentice is young and doesn't understand your shady, under-the-table dealings, but do you think I'm a fool?"
Xiang Yunsheng's face instantly turned ashen.
"Hey! Buddy, you're not young anymore, so why are you acting with all the hot-headedness of a kid? Don't be so arrogant," Chen Weida chimed in, annoyed at being cursed. Ever since his career had taken off and his wealth had grown, he'd been surrounded by sycophants. Who didn't greet him with a fawning smile? No one had dared to curse him to his face like this.
Sun Dasheng laughed out of pure rage. "So trying to talk sense to you people makes me hot-headed? If I gave you a taste of my righteous fists, would that make me a lawless thug?"
Seeing the tall, powerfully built Sun Dasheng, who looked as furious as a raging bull, Chen Weida scurried back a few steps behind the crowd before retorting, "Country bumpkins have no class! Coming to our great Dahu City to beg, and you still dare to be so arrogant? Any random person here is someone you can't afford to offend, you little punk!"
A few people in the crowd looked displeased. Chen Weida realized his regional insults had unintentionally hit several of his business partners. He quickly tried to backtrack. "I was talking about him, this migrant worker from out of town. I wasn't referring to you esteemed bosses, of course. You are all social elites, honored guests wherever you go. You're nothing like these laborers."
"Apologize to Boss Chen right now, or you can forget about ever making it in Shanghai City!" Xiang Yunsheng chimed in, choosing the perfect moment to be vile.
Sun Dasheng laughed. You people really think you're so important, don't you? Threatening that I won't make it in Shanghai City... what a joke. In this great Dahu City, you're all just shrimps that are slightly bigger than I am. It seems this bunch from the company is so used to being high and mighty they've forgotten their own worth. Today, I'll be merciful and teach you vermin a lesson.
He began to unleash his fury on the executives. "I always knew you were despicable, but I never thought you'd be so vile as to sell out your own employees for profit. You people in power are truly shameless and unscrupulous when it comes to your own interests."
"I have never seen such brazenly shameless people!"
His voice was powerful and resonant, turning every head in the restaurant. The room fell silent. The company executives all wore grim expressions, while their invited guests watched the drama unfold with amusement.
Xiang Yunsheng's hand trembled with rage. He pointed at Sun Dasheng, sputtering, "You... you... you..."
Sun Dasheng let out a cold snort, took his young apprentice Ouyang Jiani by the hand, and walked out.
[You have been manipulated by your former boss Xiang Yunsheng. Toxicity +100]
[You have been mocked by Chen Weida. Toxicity +10]