The call ended, and Jiang Yonghan stared blankly at his phone screen, feeling as if he were dreaming.
"Hey! Old Jiang, who wants to take you out for dinner? Could it be Zhou Jicang?"
A colleague teased him, "Look at you, making it big without a peep. A billionaire boss inviting you to dinner, when are you going to share some of that good fortune with us?"
"Eh, why do you think Zhou Jicang would invite Old Jiang? Could it be the big boss has some contraband he wants to smuggle in? If that's the case, rather than finding Old Jiang, it would be better to ask Old Zhang who watches the warehouse. At least there's a small dock there."
"You're thinking too small. What kind of private goods could the big boss have? I bet it's because the big boss wants to rejuvenate himself and has taken a fancy to Old Jiang's pretty daughter.
In the future, Old Jiang will be the big boss's father-in-law. You all should show some respect, got it?"
No sooner had these words been spoken than the office erupted into cheerful laughter, clearly Jiang Yonghan was often the butt of jokes amongst these old slickers.
Jiang Yonghan was furious and slammed his hand down on the desk, shouting, "Bullshit! The person who just called is my son-in-law, and he has a good relationship with Zhou Jicang.
He was invited out to dinner tonight, couldn't refuse, and also felt sorry for me, not wanting me to be home alone, so that's why he's taking me along."
As his words fell, there was a moment of silence in the office, which was then followed by an even louder burst of laughter.
"Hahaha... Old Jiang, even if you're going to boast, at least come up with a believable excuse!
Your son-in-law, as long as it's one of the old-timers from our unit, not one of them doesn't know he's a foul-smelling gambler and a waste."
"Exactly! Someone like that probably can't even write the words 'Zhou Jicang'... Hahahaha..."
"Last week, I ran into Old Jiang's daughter-in-law at the market, heard her cursing her son-in-law worse than dogs and pigs, even talking about getting her daughter to divorce him and snatching the house from him.
Now all of a sudden, your son-in-law is fond of you? Turns out your wife didn't give birth to the same daughter, huh!"
"Hey! Don't talk nonsense, maybe we all misunderstood.
Old Jiang didn't say that 'Zhou Jicang' is the same Canghai Group boss who visited our unit the other day. Maybe it's a gambling buddy his son-in-law met at the gambling table, what's wrong with having a meal together? It's perfectly normal!"
"You... you all..."
Listening to his old colleagues' clamorous discussions and ridicule, Jiang Yonghan's face flushed with anger, his heart pounded violently, but he was so tongue-tied that he didn't know how to retort at all.
Just then, the door was pushed open, and a portly, balding middle-aged man walked in, asking with a chuckle, "What's so funny, what are you all talking about that's making you so happy?"
Most of the office staff were old-timers just killing time, so they weren't nervous even when the boss showed up.
A plump woman with a face full of wrinkles spoke up, "We're laughing at Old Jiang! He just boasted that his son-in-law is taking him to dinner, and the host is Zhou Jicang.
Section Chief, tell us, it's something you wouldn't dare even dream of, and he had the audacity to say it so brazenly like we're fools, right? Haha... it's killing us..."
However, the section chief not only didn't laugh, but his previously smiling face instantly vanished, and there was even a hint of anger in his eyes.
"I think you're the fools, all damn senile! All day long with nothing better to do than to gossip about colleagues, you might as well retire and look after your grandchildren at home, make room for the young ones!"
The office instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop, Jiang Yonghan's colleagues all had their smiling faces freeze, not understanding why the boss had suddenly become so furious.
Under normal circumstances, in front of these senior employees with little actual authority, leaders, both old and new, liked to show off their amiable and approachable side, chatting about family matters and the like.
After all, no one wanted to be criticized for disrespecting their elders or having too much pride.
Therefore, situations like the one that had just occurred were not unheard of, but they might not happen even once a year.
So they were all extremely astonished and wanted to ask about it, but feared getting on someone's bad side, so they all kept their mouths shut and heads down, pretending to be very busy.
The section chief didn't bother lecturing any further, quickly returned to a smiling demeanor, and briskly walked over to Jiang Yonghan, shaking his hand and saying, "Old Jiang, don't mind those old fools who haven't seen the world.
After all, you have several years left before retirement, and, based on seniority, you should be in line for a promotion, we'll talk about the future when it comes."
All the colleagues were shocked, and Jiang Yonghan was also baffled, "Section chief, do you mean..."
The section chief didn't bother explaining, just laughed heartily, then added, "I've already informed the gate security. When Mr. Zhou's secretary's car arrives, they will let it through directly, just wait for a call before heading downstairs."
"Oh my! How come the leader is troubled because of this, I'm truly sorry."
"It can't be helped! Social vehicles simply can't enter our premises at will. Mr. Zhou is a big shot, he's a stickler for rules, so it's necessary to give a heads-up beforehand!"
With that, the section chief patted Jiang Yonghan on the shoulder again, "A relative just sent me some Oolong tea, and I've heard you're quite the tea connoisseur, why not come to my office for a tasting? We're free anyway!"
Jiang Yonghan did indeed have some knowledge about tea, but even he could tell that this was just an excuse. While expressing his gratitude, he followed the section chief out.
"By the way, I've heard that Mr. Zhou is interested in investing in the port area. Since your son-in-law has a say in the matter, you should try to gain some benefits for our logistics department. After all, you're part of us here..."
The section chief's voice gradually faded away, the air in the office became increasingly quiet, even a bit heavy, making it difficult to breathe.
Those who had just mocked Jiang Yonghan now had ugly expressions on their faces, exchanging looks but finding no words to say.
Everything old Jiang said was true. Not only was his son-in-law not a gambling addict, but "Zhou Jicang" was not any gambling buddy either.
The most honest and timid colleague was about to be picked up by a billionaire's secretary for a meal, while what about them? If they were late cooking dinner at home, they would be scolded to death by their daughter-in-law.
The key point was, the section chief's words implied a lot. If Jiang Yonghan really advanced further in the future and turned around to give them a hard time, at least the section chief would definitely not intervene.
Just when they were near retirement, they stupidly offended the new leader.
Pitiful? Tragic? Or did they deserve it?
After drinking a pot of tea in the section chief's office, Zhou Jicang's secretary arrived. Jiang Yonghan went downstairs and, seeing the unbranded but clearly imposing sedan at the foot of the stairs, immediately entered a dreamlike state again.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ming took a taxi to a prestigious restaurant named "Long Yan."
This restaurant specialized in the luxurious Shandong royal cuisine, with the founder's ancestors rumored to have been royal chefs in the palace.
Regardless of the truth, the average cost per person here was over a thousand yuan, a place where salary-workers would hesitate to enter and also a top choice for business meals among bosses.
Passing through the archway adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, Xiao Ming was about to step up the stairs when he heard a cold snort behind him.
"Truly a persistent haunting, enemies on a narrow road indeed!"