"Did that bastard say he’s docking my pay?" Chu Feng asked, his face grim.
"Yeah, and he said you don’t need to come in anymore. You should hurry and apologize. Whatever you do, don’t argue with him," his colleague whispered.
Although Chu Feng was filled with rage upon hearing this, there was nothing he could do.
He had been the one who was late, after all.
Besides, he was just a powerless wage slave. For a meager salary, he had no choice but to swallow his pride.
Chu Feng knocked on the manager’s office door and walked in.
A pot-bellied, balding, middle-aged man had his legs propped up on the desk, his arm wrapped around a beautiful young woman beside him.
"Chu Feng? You have the fucking nerve to show your damn face at the company?" Liu Hui began to curse the moment he saw Chu Feng.
"Manager Liu, I only missed one morning. Why are you withholding my salary?" Chu Feng asked.
"Do you have any idea that because of you, our department lost five potential clients?! And you still want your salary? Get the hell out of my sight! You’re fired!" Liu Hui roared.
Chu Feng was stunned. ’I can’t believe this guy is so ruthless.’
"Settle my salary and my year-end bonus, and I’ll leave," Chu Feng said, suppressing his fury.
"Who the fuck do you think you are? After the shit you’ve pulled, you still have the gall to ask me for your salary? I’ll give you three seconds to disappear from my sight, or I’ll break both your legs!"
Enraged by Chu Feng’s words, Liu Hui shot to his feet, pointing and cursing at him arrogantly.
"Manager Liu, aren’t you going a little too far?!" Chu Feng said, gritting his teeth and holding back his anger.
"Too far? Believe it or not, I can show you what ’going too far’ really means!" Liu Hui grabbed a Pixiu figurine from the desk and gestured as if he were about to strike Chu Feng with it.
This infuriated Chu Feng. He slammed his fist on the table, absolutely livid.
"You fat bastard, don’t push it! Even a worm will turn! If you dare to withhold my salary, you’ll get your legs broken by a car the moment you step outside!"
The reason Chu Feng dared to say this was because he could see a negative Merit Points value displayed above the fatso Liu Hui’s head.
-1500!
At the same time, according to the memories in his mind, a value of -100 meant that person would suffer from constant misfortune.
A Merit Points value of -500 would lead to a bloody disaster. As for -1500... broken bones would be getting off easy.
This Liu Hui had been committing evil acts since he was young—bullying men, preying on women, and doing whatever he pleased. He once even threatened a young woman with her parents’ lives just to sleep with her. He was truly a man despised by all.
"You’ve really got a death wish, don’t you? Me, get my legs broken by a car? I’ll break your legs right now!" Liu Hui snarled, walking toward Chu Feng.
Chu Feng glanced back, giving Liu Hui a long, hard look, then turned and walked away. He wouldn’t waste his time on a dead man walking.
"Manager Liu, you’re so domineering! So powerful," the young woman at his side cooed, flattering him.
Watching Chu Feng leave, Liu Hui said viciously, "Little punk, daring to threaten me! I’ll arrange for a few guys to take care of you tonight!"
"He should’ve thought about who he was talking to. Who in Beihai would dare speak to me like that? Only someone with a death wish!" Liu Hui said, a smug and self-satisfied look on his face.
As he walked out of the office, all his colleagues outside looked up at him.
But not a single one of them said a word. No one was willing to offend their boss for someone else’s sake.
Chu Feng left the company, his heart filled with gloom and frustration.
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a long drag, exhaling a plume of smoke.
Over a month’s salary, plus a hefty year-end bonus—all gone.
He knew that given Liu Hui’s scummy, skinflint nature, he most likely wasn’t getting that money back.
’No salary, and tens of thousands in credit card debt... How am I supposed to go home for the New Year?’ Chu Feng sighed, feeling helpless and dejected.
In the end, he returned to his rented apartment alone, feeling dejected.
Meanwhile, Su Miaoke was at her company, handling business matters.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
"Miaoke, bring your boyfriend home tonight for your father and me to meet," an excited voice said from the other end of the line.
It was Su Miaoke’s mother.
Evidently, Mother Su was thrilled to hear that Su Miaoke had found a boyfriend.
After all, Su Miaoke wasn’t getting any younger, and she was always completely absorbed in her career. How could her parents not be anxious?
Although Su Miaoke managed the company impeccably, she was expected to get married eventually, and the company couldn’t belong to her alone.
Because Su Miaoke also had a younger brother.
After all, a company with a market value of one billion was no small enterprise.
Her continued control over it was a constant source of gossip among the family.
Therefore, Su Miaoke’s parents wanted her to marry soon, hand over operational control of the company, and simply collect her dividends each year.
"Mom, was it Uncle Wang who told you?" Su Miaoke asked coolly.
She had known Wang Hai would tell her parents, but she hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
"Yes! Your Uncle Wang said the boy is quite nice—handsome and cheerful. His family’s financial situation might not be the best, but that doesn’t matter. As long as the two of you are happy together, that’s all that counts."
"Remember to bring him home for us to meet tonight. Then, for the New Year, you can go visit his family. Next year, when the time is right, we’ll pick a good date and hold a wedding for you two."
Su Miaoke was flabbergasted. She never imagined her parents would be so delighted.
’They haven’t even met the man, and they’re already talking about marriage?’
"Mom, you haven’t even met him and you’re already talking about marriage. Isn’t that a little too fast?" Su Miaoke said, a little flustered.
"Not at all, not at all! Your father and I already met with your Uncle Wang. He also thinks the young man is wonderful and that you two are a great match, both in terms of height and looks."
"Your father and I will cook a nice dinner and wait for you tonight. At the end of the year, you’ll go visit his family. And don’t you worry about the company; your father will take good care of it."
Hearing her mother’s words, Su Miaoke instantly understood.
"Mom, I know what you and Dad are getting at. Don’t worry, I’m not going to seize the company. I have no interest in its ownership."
"If Dad is really that eager to take over, I’ll hand the management rights back to him next year. After all, I’m only managing it for you two anyway."
Su Miaoke said this with a sense of resignation. Her parents had brought up the matter of the company with her on countless occasions.
Between the lines, their one and only goal was to get the company back so they could give it to her younger brother.
Before, she definitely wouldn’t have given in. But after her experience with a terminal illness...
Su Miaoke no longer saw these things as being as important as they once were.
"Really? Oh, Miaoke, if you truly think that way, that’s wonderful! Come home early tonight, okay? Your father and I will be waiting to have dinner with you both," Su Miaoke’s mother said happily.