The next day at the company, everyone stared at Xu Yun in surprise as soon as he walked in.
Dressed in Gucci today, his entire presence had improved considerably.
Combined with his already handsome features, he suddenly stood out in the crowd.
Li Xiaoguang saw him too and immediately walked over.
He asked with some displeasure, "Xu Yun, what were you doing yesterday? Why didn't you show up?"
"Manager Li, it looks like you're trying to usurp Sister Su's position."
Xu Yun said sarcastically, "You've even started managing HR and attendance."
Just then, Su Mu was walking by. Hearing this, she turned and looked at Li Xiaoguang with a puzzled expression.
"..."
Li Xiaoguang gave Su Mu an awkward smile before turning to Xu Yun and snapping, "Don't spout nonsense."
"Manager Li."
Su Mu chimed in to help. "Xu Yun already requested leave from me yesterday. It doesn't count as skipping work."
"Of course, Manager Su."
Li Xiaoguang said with a placating smile, "It's nothing, I was just asking. I needed him for something yesterday but couldn't find him, so I was worried he'd skipped out."
"Well, I'll let you two talk. I'm off."
After saying this, Su Mu gave Xu Yun a meaningful look before turning and walking away.
But she thought to herself, 'You know, that outfit of his actually looks pretty good today.'
After Su Mu left, Li Xiaoguang said angrily, "Xu Yun, you did that on purpose just now, didn't you?"
"Don't make baseless accusations. Be careful, or I'll sue you for slander."
"When are you going to give me that report?"
Li Xiaoguang used to be able to bully Xu Yun because Xu Yun was honest and obedient.
But now, it seemed like he couldn't anymore.
Xu Yun replied, "There are still some issues with the data. I'll send it to you once I'm done fixing them."
"Still not done?"
Hearing this, Li Xiaoguang immediately seized the opportunity to lecture him. "Do you have any idea how important this report is? Can't you hurry it up? If you cause a loss for the company, will you take responsibility?"
"Fine."
Xu Yun said casually, "If anything goes wrong, you can just have the company fire me."
'The report I have is just a backup copy and isn't important at all. The client approved the original draft long ago.'
'When Li Xiaoguang gave it to me, I knew the guy was just making up busywork for me.'
"..." Li Xiaoguang was speechless.
Watching his manager walk away dejectedly again, Xu Yun was in a great mood.
'Now that he wasn't worried about being unemployed and broke, this trick of talking back to his manager was proving to be foolproof.'
[Faced with a toxic manager, the Host chose to Do as You Please and talk back to him again. Reward: 50,000 yuan in cash.]
'It works like this, too?'
Looking at the system that had just rewarded him with another fifty thousand, Xu Yun suddenly found Manager Li to be a little endearing.
'Looks like from now on, I should just talk back to him whenever I get the chance at the office.'
'It's satisfying, and I get paid for it!'
When Xu Yun felt happy, he felt the urge to spend money.
So, he generously ordered a Starbucks for everyone in the company again.
'A cup of coffee in the morning to wake everyone up.'
But, as before, he didn't get one for Manager Li. This was to deliberately provoke him and maintain his hostility, so he would keep looking for trouble.
'That way, it would be perfectly reasonable for me to clap back!'
Just as he finished placing the order, the familiar voice rang out again.
[Faced with the colleagues you see day in and day out, the Host once again chose to Do as You Please by buying coffee, rapidly improving relations with them. Reward: 20,000 yuan!]
'Strange.'
'It didn't trigger the first time I bought coffee, so why did it trigger now?'
Xu Yun couldn't quite figure out the system's reward rules.
'But this feeling of having more money the more I spend... it's pretty great.'
With nothing to do, Xu Yun idly scrolled through his WeChat Moments and saw a post that Huang Mengyao had just published.
[Good morning. Turns out my life can be this exquisite, too.]
Below it was a beautiful picture of a new handbag.
Xu Yun frowned as he looked at Huang Mengyao's not-so-cheap bag. He suddenly remembered that his betrothal money was still with her.
'Goddammit, she definitely bought that with my money.'
Thinking of this, he immediately sent her a message.
Xu Yun: [When are you going to transfer my betrothal money back to me?]
....
「Meanwhile.」
Huang Mengyao had only been showing off on her Moments for a few minutes when she saw the message from Xu Yun demanding his money back.
Her wonderful mood was instantly ruined.
If it were ten or twenty thousand, she could let it go, but the key was that it was over 100,000!
'Who would be willing to part with that!'
So, of course, she didn't want to give it back to him.
Besides, a large portion of that money had already been taken by her parents to be used for her younger brother.
'I have to find an excuse.'
After a moment of thought, she began to type out a reply.
Huang Mengyao: [What money? You have the nerve to ask me for it? I was with you for three years. Isn't my youth worth anything?]
In the office, Xu Yun stared at her reply, stunned.
'Playing the victim?'
Xu Yun: [What do you mean? You're not planning on giving the betrothal money back?]
Huang Mengyao: [Consider that money your compensation for wasting my youth.]
Xu Yun's expression turned cold.
'Damn it, this woman really isn't planning to give it back.'
Xu Yun: [Compensation for wasted youth? Fine. Let's calculate it at 500 yuan a pop. Figure out how many times I slept with you over the past three years, make a list for me, subtract the total, and give me the rest!]
[!!!]
Huang Mengyao clutched her chest in pain as she read the message, furious.
'What does he take me for? A prostitute?'
'And 500 yuan a pop at that!'
Huang Mengyao typed angrily: [Xu Yun, I'll tell you the truth. My parents took that money and used it long ago. There's no money to give you. You can't have what isn't there. If you've got the guts, go ahead and sue me.]
[Fine, you said it!]
Seeing her resort to being a deadbeat, Xu Yun had nothing more to say to her.
'For something like this, the only option is to find a professional lawyer to handle it for me!'
'Think you can get away with not paying me back? Dream on!'
'Sue you, is it? I'll make you spit out every last cent you spent.'
A short while later, the coffee Xu Yun had ordered was delivered.
Everyone watched the two delivery guys and then, one by one, turned to look at Xu Yun.
"That's right, it was me again."
Xu Yun grinned. "A Starbucks every day for a happy workday."
"Xu Yun, did you strike it rich or something?"
"Yeah, you're too nice! Treating us again!"
"So extravagant, but I love it."
"..."
Facing everyone's teasing, Xu Yun threw up his hands and smiled. "To be honest, I bought a lottery ticket for fun recently and accidentally won 200,000."
The reason he said 200,000 and not a million was because the number was more appropriate.
It wasn't too much or too little. It could explain his recent changes in behavior without making his colleagues green with envy.
"..." Everyone was silent.
Everyone had been quite curious lately.
Why had Xu Yun suddenly become more interesting, generous, and started wearing luxury brands?
And even dared to talk back to Manager Li every day.
'So he won 200,000 in the lottery. That explains his confidence.'
'This feeling is worse than losing money on stocks...'
'We were all supposed to be corporate drones together, but you just had to go and take off.'
Li Xiaoguang, who was in his office, naturally heard this as well, and it left an even worse taste in his mouth.
'I've been buying tickets for so many years and never won once. How did he win just like that?!'
In the entire company, only Su Mu, sipping on the coffee from Xu Yun, knew he was lying and didn't believe his nonsense.
'Won 200,000 in the lottery... what a joke...'
'Hmph, he's probably spending recklessly because he saved money from not getting married.'
She took out her phone and sent him a WeChat message.
Su Mu: [Just because you're not getting married doesn't mean you should be wasting money like this.]
Xu Yun glanced up at the administration office.
[Sis, I used to make myself miserable for a woman. Now that I'm free, of course I have to treat myself a little better.]
Su Mu: [This looks like post-breakup revenge spending to me. You'll regret it in a few days.]
Xu Yun suddenly remembered he needed to find a lawyer to file a lawsuit.
'I wonder if Su Mu knows any lawyers.'
Xu Yun: [Sister Su, let me ask you something.]
Su Mu: [Yeah, go ahead.]
Xu Yun: [Do you know any legal professionals? I'm looking for a reliable, competent lawyer.]
Su Mu: [I have a friend who might know someone. What's up?]
Xu Yun: [It's too complicated to explain over the phone. Could you help me set up a meeting? I need to consult them about something.]
Su Mu: [Okay, I'll ask for you. I'll message you back later.]
After replying to Xu Yun's message, Su Mu immediately called her roommate.
After her divorce, she had originally lived alone.
But a month ago, her best friend, Li Jinshu, suddenly gave up her own apartment and came to live with her.
She claimed it was to "protect" her, but in reality, it was to save on rent and live in a bigger place.
And Su Mu did feel a bit lonely living in such a big house by herself, with no one to talk to at night, so she agreed.
Li Jinshu was an interior designer at a large renovation company.
She had once mentioned designing a house for a top lawyer from a "Red Circle" firm, and they had ended up on good terms.
What was a "Red Circle" firm?
It's a term that usually refers to the most powerful and prestigious law firms in the country!
The call connected quickly.
"Hey, Susu."
A sweet female voice came through the phone, "Shouldn't you be working? Why are you calling me? Did you miss me?"
"Are you busy? I need to talk to you about something."
"You think everyone's a manager like you with no one to answer to? I'm busy as hell all day, constantly drawing up design plans."
Li Jinshu laughed. "But hey, for you, I can spare a minute or two. No problem."
"A colleague of mine needs a legal consultation."
Su Mu asked, "Are you free tonight? I'd like to set something up."
"Since you're the one asking, I'll make time even if I don't have any."
"Great, I'll send you the time and place in a bit."
After hanging up, Su Mu sent a message to Xu Yun.
Su Mu: [I asked. She's free tonight. I'll pick a place, and you guys can talk over dinner.]
Xu Yun: [No way. This is my problem, how could I let you pay? I'll arrange the restaurant. I'll send you the details after I book it.]
Su Mu: [Alright, have it your way.]
'She had no idea what Xu Yun's problem was, or why he suddenly needed a lawyer.'
'Could it be because of his ex-girlfriend again?'
'Well, she'd find out at dinner tonight anyway.'
After chatting with Su Mu, Xu Yun started looking for a place on his phone.
He had only one criterion: pick somewhere expensive, good, and with an available reservation.
After much searching, he chose a place called "Elegant Garden."
He didn't know if it was truly as high-end and private as it claimed, but the online description looked pretty good.
Xu Yun sent the location and time to Su Mu.
Then he sent a message to his mom, telling her he had something on tonight and wouldn't be home for dinner, so she wouldn't wait up for him.
At home, Zhang Sujuan had just finished cleaning and was about to go grocery shopping to cook dinner for her son, but then she received his message saying he wouldn't be back to eat.
She sat alone and bored on the balcony, staring blankly at the skyscrapers outside, and suddenly found herself missing her friends back home.
This city was very prosperous, but it felt cold and lacked the warmth of daily life.
She didn't even know the neighbors who lived across from her. They'd pass each other without so much as a greeting, like complete strangers.
It was nothing like back home, where all her neighbors were friends. After dinner, they would go for walks together or go do their square dancing.
The reasons she had wanted to come before were, one, she no longer had her own house, and two, she thought that after her son got married, she could help with housework and take care of the children.
But now, she felt that her son was busy with work all day and didn't really need her care.
Especially after she found out her son had bought her house back, her desire to return home grew even stronger.
...