“Shang Xu, compared to Ji Yan, you’re both incompetent and shameless!”
Shang Xu’s face was expressionless. He stared at the two men, veins bulging on his forehead as he gripped the edge of the table with both fists, struggling to contain himself.
Fu Jia and Jiang Yi were startled. His gaze felt like a sinister, icy probe shooting toward them, and they trembled involuntarily.
They swallowed, their throats dry and hoarse, as if someone had filled them with coarse sand.
They had never seen Shang Xu like this. Their legs stiffened like Wooden Sticks, and by the time they came to their senses, cold sweat had soaked their backs.
“You... think carefully about how to save the situation. In any case, we must get our money back.”
The two of them fled Shang Corporation’s building. Only after the sunlight warmed them did they finally come to their senses.
“Did you see what Shang Xu looked like?”
“I did.” Both of them saw the astonishment in each other’s eyes.
“I almost thought he was going to kill me.”
“How did he become like this?”
“Perhaps he has always been like this, using his cold exterior as a disguise.”
“What are we going to do about all that money? We can’t expose everything and file a lawsuit, can we? Once Shang Corporation collapses, so will we.”
“If only someone could save us.”
The two exchanged a glance and said in unison, “Ji Yan!”
Then they grew uneasy. “How could he help us?”
“We can give it a try. What if he agrees? Although we used to hang out together all the time, I could tell he resented Shang Xu always keeping him down. Now he has the chance to become Shang Xu’s savior. Do you think he might be tempted?”
“Besides, since that ecosystem product launch, Ji Corporation’s and Su Corporation’s stock prices have kept rising. He has money to spare, too.”
“Then shall we go to the wedding banquet the day after tomorrow together?”
“All right.”
✦✦✦
“Bang!”
The people in the Secretariat outside the CEO’s Office were startled by the sudden sound of something being smashed. One by one, their faces paled, and they fell silent as frightened as cicadas in winter.
They slipped away carefully, afraid Shang Xu would choose one of them as the next target to vent one's anger on.
The women’s restroom was packed. Lisa patted her chest. “I’m planning to resign. What about you?”
“I don’t know.” Zhang Qing hesitated. “I’m already thirty-three. At this awkward age, unmarried and without children, I don’t know whether I can find another job with such good benefits.”
“But the Corporation’s benefits have been shrinking for the past few months. I can’t take it anymore. I’m terrified every day, afraid my heart will stop.”
Rongrong’s lips were pale. “I dreamed about him berating me even last night. I’ve already developed nervous exhaustion. I’ve submitted my resignation letter. Nothing is more important than good health.”
“President Shang had a cold temper before, too, but he wouldn’t punish people arbitrarily. As long as we finished our work, there was usually no trouble. Now I suspect he has manic disorder.”
“It’s probably because he’s under too much pressure. I hear several major shareholders on the Board of Directors are also saying they want to withdraw their holdings.”
“Even if he’s under pressure, he can’t take it out on us wage workers. Aren’t we people too?”
“I think we should stop hiding here. If President Shang comes out later and can’t find anyone, he’ll lose his temper again.”
“I’m planning to resign anyway. Let him do whatever he wants.”
Zhang Qing was still indecisive, but she could only leave with a bitter expression.
The Secretariat and Shang Corporation’s senior management had the most contact with Shang Xu, so gloom hung over them all day. To ordinary employees and outsiders, however, Shang Corporation still appeared to be flourishing.
When Ji Yan saw Fu Jia and Jiang Yi at the wedding, he figured that Shang Corporation’s collapse was not far off.
He lowered his voice as he addressed He Chan, Lin Ranran, and the others. “You can still buy another round of Shang Corporation’s Shares while you have the chance.”
He Chan was surprised. “Isn’t Shang Corporation already on the verge of collapse?”
“Precisely because it’s on the verge of collapse, some major shareholders—and even Shang Xu himself—will drive up the stock price before they escape. The increase won’t be small, either.”
“What they’re doing harms small investors and large numbers of homebuyers!”
“There’s nothing we can do. That’s how business works. There aren’t many merchants with a conscience.”
“If only everyone were like you.”
In fact, some of Ji Corporation’s new products were not cheap either; they could even be described as expensive.
However, he sold products that met basic needs at almost cost. Their functions were solid; they simply lacked flashy designs and dispensable gimmicks to justify a higher price.
He had always made money from the wealthy. Even when he multiplied the prices several times over, people were still willing to pay.
When wealthy people bought things, functionality was not enough. The products also had to offer prestige and separation from ordinary products.
They were unwilling to use the same products as ordinary people. Sometimes they knew a product was not worth so much, but if it carried the label that only the wealthy could afford it, most would still pay.
Although the public might say some products deceived no poor people and only took money from the rich, the wealthy still bought and wore them to show others they could afford them.
Ji Yan gave a derisive smile. “If I were like that, I’d go bankrupt faster.”
After all, few people could foresee the direction of future development as he could. He had benefited from his foreknowledge, so he did not care about money and was willing to give the public a larger share of the profits.
In the Endless Wasteland, hardly anyone hoarded assets. Enjoying the present was what life was about; no one knew what fate might bring next.
“Sometimes I’m truly envious of Su Xiang. She managed to win the best man.”
Lin Ranran shrugged too. “With you around for comparison, I guess marriage will be difficult for the few of us in the future.”
Ji Yan laughed helplessly. “That would be terrible. The media might photograph me entering and leaving places with all of you, then claim I’m enjoying the blessings of several women or something.”
“They already have.” Su Xiang came out after changing into her toast dress and held up her phone for them to see.
“Pictures of the three of them serving as bridesmaids have already been used to make a story, along with pictures of you attending a product launch with Lin Ranran, taking He Chan home, and eating with Xu Ting. There are all kinds of photos taken from suggestive angles.”
Xu Ting snorted helplessly. “In this picture of us eating, all of you were right beside us. Those people taking secret photos must have worked hard to find an angle.”
He Chan laughed despite her irritation. “If you hadn’t been in the car at the time, Xiangxiang, I might have believed it. Look at what the comments say: my eyes are full of affection? They’ve let their imaginations run wild.”
Lin Ranran was even more helpless. “At the product launch, I had forgotten to introduce the performance of one of the new products. I was asking President Ji for help, all right?”
Su Xiang turned off her phone. “So take online news with a grain of salt. Everyone loves gossip, and it becomes more outrageous as it spreads.”
Ji Yan stroked his chin, his brows slightly furrowed. He felt that things were not so simple.
There was no reason netizens would spot and photograph him every time he went out unless someone had deliberately been tracking him.
What did the person behind this want?
To stir up trouble in his family? To alienate the relatives and friends around him?
But these rumors could not harm Ji Corporation. They only affected his personal reputation.
Who could harbor such simple-minded jealousy toward him?
Shang Xu?
✦✦✦