Chapter 28: Dismissal
Deli Electric Power Top Floor Office.
“Dad, has there been no news from Xinghai at all during this time?”
Ma Wei’s injuries had already healed, and he was now sitting across from Ma Gaosheng with a frustrated expression.
Ma Gaosheng, who had been looking down at documents, looked up and glanced at his son, shaking his head.
“If there’s no news, can’t you see that for yourself? It’s been nearly half a year—has Xinghai ever closed a decent project?”
Ma Wei shook his head. It was precisely because he had noticed this strange situation that he couldn’t help running to his father to ask.
Ma Gaosheng recalled the call from headquarters earlier, asking if he had played an inglorious role in the cooperation with General Manager Zhang.
He had long privately agreed with General Manager Zhang that these were General Manager Zhang’s personal attitudes, while other aspects were left vague.
The manager at Deli Headquarters clearly knew Ma Gaosheng very well. After hesitating for a long time, he simply said to Ma Gaosheng, “You know the consequences. Handle it yourself.”
There had been no contact with Ma Gaosheng since then.
He knew what this statement from headquarters meant.
If handled well, it could force Xinghai into a desperate situation and finally sell the patent right. If Deli Electric Power could profit from it in the end, that would be Ma Gaosheng’s merit.
But if Xinghai survived, then before the next patent renewal period, Ma Gaosheng would pack up and leave to appease Xinghai’s anger.
“Dad? Then why is there still no news at all? They can’t just drag it out like this and starve them to death, right?”
“Full of youthful vigor and holding a grudge in their hearts, they’re single-mindedly focused on that factory of theirs. Do they really think that building the factory, lowering manufacturing costs, will let them expand the market? Dream on.”
Ma Gaosheng felt he had guessed Xinghai’s plans and now disdainfully expressed his view.
Hearing his father’s hint, Ma Wei finally smiled and sincerely praised, “Dad, you’re still the best.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen plenty of young people like this—arrogant and ignorant, always thinking their ideas are right. They think having their own factory and saving costs will get them what they want? Dream on.”
Ma Wei left the office smiling. He had no intention of working either and headed straight to the company entrance, planning to skip work and go play cards.
His gaze subconsciously swept over the front desk at the entrance. Seeing no sign of that person who made him uncomfortable just by looking at her, he felt even more at ease.
“Ungrateful.”
He muttered under his breath and left.
In the shared apartment, Xu Min sat listlessly in front of the computer in her room.
She had been fired.
Ever since she was drugged last time, due to the drug’s effects, her memory of that night was unclear, and subconsciously she still held a sliver of hope for Ma Wei.
But after that, Ma Wei’s attitude toward her took a sharp turn for the worse.
From that day on, whenever he encountered her coming to or leaving work, he would walk straight past, treating her like air.
He even blocked all her contact methods, giving her no chance to reach him.
Moreover, she sensed that the way Ma Wei glanced at her carried some hatred.
Only then did she belatedly privately arrange to meet Zeng Yingying and ask in detail about what happened that night.
Zeng Yingying was very busy lately, often not coming home at night, saying she was sleeping directly at the company.
Regarding this, Liu Xinyue’s attitude surprisingly carried a hint of jealousy, privately speculating to her things like “she must be kept by some rich person.”
Xu Min didn’t pay attention to these things—everyone has their own way of living.
It was just that Zeng Yingying didn’t meet up, simply recounting the events of that night over the phone.
It was the same as before: she had passed out and crashed into the door of the private room where Zeng Yingying was.
Even now, Xu Min still couldn’t accept that the handsome and sunny-looking Ma Wei had drugged her.
Although Zeng Yingying didn’t say it outright, between the lines, Ma Wei had intended to send her to General Manager Zhang’s bed that day.
And this was confirmed in the series of cooperations between Ma Wei and General Manager Zhang afterward.
Until a couple of days ago, when she was fired by the company.
Everything felt like a dream.
She sighed. Now wasn’t the time to think about these messy things—she needed to find a job again, or she wouldn’t even be able to pay next month’s rent.
Looking at the balance in her bank card, Xu Min couldn’t help regretting how lavishly she had spent during this time, leaving her with only a few hundred yuan now that she had no job.
She had sent out quite a few resumes during this time, but not a single reply. With no other choice, she could only look for part-time jobs like Liu Xinyue.
The sound of the door opening outside startled Xu Min. At this time, Liu Xinyue was at her part-time job, and Zeng Yingying was someone who left early and returned late, or even didn’t come home for several nights—how could someone be coming in?
She turned her head and peeked through the door crack, immediately feeling relieved.
“Yingying, why are you back at this time?”
As the logistics supervisor at Xinghai, Zeng Yingying had an enormous workload lately.
The young engineers at the company, led by Fan Ren, were inexplicably full of energy like they had been injected with chicken blood, with many even following Fan Ren’s example by eating, drinking, and sleeping at the company.
This had made things tough for her as the logistics supervisor—she had to prepare midnight snacks for them and arrange places for them to sleep.
Though they all said it was fine, that sleeping on ground mats would do. But could she really let this group, who were especially precious in Fan Ren’s eyes, sleep on ground mats?
It was tough on her, running around like a big nanny, taking care of their every need.
“Ah, I’m back to get some clean clothes. Why aren’t you at work? Taking the day off?”
Zeng Yingying turned and responded, going back to her room to find clean clothes.
Xu Min curiously followed into Zeng Yingying’s room and was immediately startled.
In view were all sorts of expensive cosmetics, even better than the ones she used. And she hadn’t noticed before, but Zeng Yingying’s bags were a brand worth nearly ten thousand yuan.
Looking now at Zeng Yingying’s outfit from head to toe, none of it seemed cheap.
For a moment, Liu Xinyue’s words flashed in her mind.
“Yingying, you haven’t been doing anything reckless outside, have you?”
After hesitating for a long time and not knowing how to bring it up, Xu Min still couldn’t hold back and asked.
“Huh? Reckless what?”
Zeng Yingying turned around and saw Xu Min standing at her bedroom door, eyeing everything in her room. She immediately realized what the other meant.
Her salary was now nearly 30,000, she gave 5,000 to her family each month, and she was busy like a dog at the company every day. Her only pleasure was buying bags, clothes, and cosmetics she couldn’t afford before.
But now she was misunderstood.
“What nonsense are you talking about? I got promoted—I’m now the logistics supervisor.”
Because Xinghai was Fan Ren’s company, she wasn’t convenient to explain too much. She gave a speechless look at Xu Min, who seemed a bit out of sorts, then curiously asked.
“What’s going on?”
She set down the clothes she was picking through, walked over, and showed concern.
Xu Min didn’t think much of it. She had seen Zeng Yingying’s hard work lately, so the promotion wasn’t surprising—she could only sigh that the other’s efforts had been rewarded.
Thinking of her own firing, she said a bit embarrassedly, “I got fired. Sorry for not believing what you said last time…”
Zeng Yingying waved it off, not caring. Perhaps because of Fan Ren’s attitude, she wasn’t even curious about Xu Min’s relationship history anymore.
She didn’t press further, just comforted her casually a few times, then went back to packing her clothes.
Xu Min suddenly had an idea and tentatively asked, “Yingying, is your company still short on people? Do you think I have a chance?”
She had to admit she was envious. The underwear Zeng Yingying casually pulled from the closet—she hadn’t noticed before, but now they all looked expensive.
Ones she couldn’t afford.
She and Zeng Yingying were in the same major, so she wondered if she could rely on Zeng Yingying’s current position to solve her job problem.
