To be honest, my mindset is still quite conservative, so I can't help but feel somewhat averse to this open lifestyle.
For some reason, I suddenly thought of my wife, Lu Wan.
If Gu Xiaofei's views are so liberal, what about my wife's?
In the over a year I've been with my wife, I haven't noticed anything particularly open about her.
In my impression, she's a very traditional woman.
So when Gu Xiaofei insisted that my wife had cheated, I didn't believe her.
But now, I'm starting to waver in my thoughts about my wife.
At this moment, Gu Xiaofei spoke up again, "Zhao Jian, actually, I called you here today for something else."
My heart skipped a beat. I had a feeling this woman wouldn't just call me for no reason.
Before I came in, my eyelid was twitching like crazy, which usually means something big is about to happen.
But right now, I have no choice but to follow Gu Xiaofei's lead. It's a helpless situation.
Gu Xiaofei continued, "I want to go to Xingchang Technology. Can you drive me there?"
My expression darkened. When Zhang Zhiyuan assigned me this task, it was specifically to keep Gu Xiaofei occupied.
If Gu Xiaofei rides in my car to Xingchang today, Zhang Zhiyuan will probably fire me tomorrow.
But is this something I can even decide?
I hesitated for a moment, then said to Gu Xiaofei, "I'm sorry, Xiaofei, I can't take you there."
Gu Xiaofei seemed to have anticipated my response. She snorted coldly and said, "Are you scared of that bastard Zhang Zhiyuan?"
Faced with her question, I couldn't say a word.
Gu Xiaofei seemed very confident. She said, "If Zhang Zhiyuan dares to fire you, I'll make sure his company doesn't survive tomorrow."
I knew Gu Xiaofei had the power to do that.
Right now, Zhang Zhiyuan avoids Gu Xiaofei like the plague. I can't figure out why she wants to see him now.
Gu Xiaofei added, "If you don't take me there today, I'll make sure you're out of Xingchang tomorrow."
My face turned grim. It felt like my fate was in someone else's hands.
Seeing that I didn't respond, Gu Xiaofei continued, "You need to understand who you can really rely on."
Her words made me even more upset. Am I really so dependent on her that I can't survive without her?
A woman this domineering—even if I could make a living under her, life wouldn't be easy. So I decided to confront her.
A man needs to stand his ground once in a while. Otherwise, who would respect someone who's always so timid?
At that moment, I made up my mind.
I stared at Gu Xiaofei with a cold gaze, not saying a word.
Gu Xiaofei seemed to notice the change in my expression. Suddenly, her tone softened, and she asked, "Zhao Jian, what's wrong?"
I replied coldly, "I've decided I won't be controlled by you anymore. At worst, I'll quit."
With that, I stood up from the couch and headed for the door.
But just as I reached the door, I heard Gu Xiaofei's icy voice behind me, "Stop."
I turned around and smiled, "Xiaofei, I know you're powerful. You can manipulate Zhang Zhiyuan all you want, but I'm different. I'm just a nobody. At worst, I'll find another job."
As I said this, I felt it was the most resolute I'd ever been.
Gu Xiaofei didn't expect me, usually so meek, to suddenly change like this.
Just as I was about to leave, Gu Xiaofei suddenly said, "Zhao Jian, have you thought about your future? Do you really plan to be a driver for the rest of your life?"
Damn, this woman was actually concerned about my future. It was like a dog worrying about a mouse's business.
I simply replied, "Xiaofei, as for my future, I'll work for it myself. No need for you to worry."
Gu Xiaofei said, "You idiot, do you really think following me would be a loss for you?"
In my heart, this wasn't about loss or gain. It was about crossing a line I couldn't accept.
I didn't want to live in such humiliation. At the very least, I had my own dignity.
I turned back to her and said, "You're too big for me to follow. I'll have to find my own path."
As I said this, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. The competition in this society is just too fierce.
If I ever reached a dead end, I'd have to sell my house. After all, my family is already broken, and keeping the house would only remind me of what I've lost.
At this moment, I felt like a tragic hero, but at least I'd stood up for myself.
This is what it means to be a real man.
Gu Xiaofei said, "Don't you really want to know the truth about Lu Wan's affairs?"
When it came to this, I had to admit, it was my weak spot.
Now that Lu Wan wants a divorce, she's standing on the moral high ground. In court, everything would be my fault.
The best way to turn this around is to find evidence of her infidelity and prove my innocence.
With my current abilities, that's impossible. I'd need Gu Xiaofei's help.
After all, money can move mountains in this society.
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Gu Xiaofei quickly added, "Do you know why I'm taking you to Xingchang Technology?"
Right now, Gu Xiaofei is probably the least welcome person at Xingchang Technology. What good could come of her taking me there?
I thought about it but still shook my head.
Gu Xiaofei continued, "To be honest, I'm trying to secure a position for you, and I've been planning this for a while."
Hearing this, I was shocked.
I was starting to realize that Gu Xiaofei didn't approach me for no reason. There was a purpose, and I might just be a pawn in her game.
Gu Xiaofei said, "The reason I've let you suffer so much is simple: to teach you a lesson. Society is like a battlefield, and all wars are fought in silence."
I never expected Gu Xiaofei to say something like this.
She meant that I was like a new recruit, needing to be trained before entering the battlefield.
Indeed, the future Gu Xiaofei painted was tempting, and I couldn't help but think about my own prospects.
Seeing that I was silent, Gu Xiaofei asked, "So, is my offer tempting enough?"
I had a vague feeling that Gu Xiaofei was planning something big at Xingchang, and now was the time for her to gather her forces.
And I might be her first move.
It seemed Gu Xiaofei's plan to take over Xingchang was becoming more and more apparent.
At this moment, I thought of Director Zhang, a man who worked tirelessly for his career.
Although Director Zhang had his flaws, I had to admit, his dedication to his work was strong.
More importantly, Director Zhang had been good to me. At a critical moment, I might even be able to help him.
After all, I didn't want to see Xingchang fall into someone else's hands, destroying Director Zhang's life's work.
With this in mind, I asked Gu Xiaofei, "Xiaofei, what position are you offering me?"
Gu Xiaofei said, "Sales Manager. It's a challenging role, isn't it?"
Hearing this, I was stunned.
In any company, the sales department is the core. All profits come from sales.
Usually, sales managers are promoted from top-performing salespeople. Outsiders hired as sales managers rarely last more than two months.
If this was supposed to be a career opportunity for me, I couldn't understand why Gu Xiaofei would throw me such a tough bone.
Seeing my wide-eyed stare, Gu Xiaofei said, "Zhao Jian, you don't really know what kind of person I am, but I can tell you this: I want capable people. As for the useless ones, they can get lost."
I understood that she wanted me to prove myself in this position, to establish a foothold so she could further control Xingchang Technology.
But I couldn't help wondering, could I really let her control me like this?
Gu Xiaofei said, "Zhao Jian, if you want to be a man of strength, show me your strength in this role. If you can't last three months, I'll kick you out like garbage."
Hearing this, I felt extremely uncomfortable, but that's just the harsh reality of society.
Gu Xiaofei looked at me and asked, "So, do you accept?"
Suddenly, I thought of my wife, Lu Wan.
Perhaps because of her humble background, Lu Wan had always been frugal.
But her brother, Lu Feng, was a bottomless pit. Most of Lu Wan's earnings were squandered by him.
As for me, I'm just a driver, not earning much.
On top of that, we have a mortgage to pay, and we've barely saved anything.
Right now, nothing could make me crave money more.
Gu Xiaofei was offering me this opportunity, and it was hard to refuse.
After some thought, I said to Gu Xiaofei, "Alright, I accept."
A triumphant smile finally appeared on Gu Xiaofei's face. She said, "Good. Let's go to Xingchang now."