Zhang Zhiyuan's gaze suddenly shifted toward me.
For some reason, at that moment, my heart began to pound wildly.
Perhaps it was because I felt guilty!
"Xiao Zhao, I'll replace the sales manager today. You'll officially start work tomorrow!" Zhang Zhiyuan said to me with a smiling face.
I had a feeling that Zhang Zhiyuan's smile was not sincere, as if he had some hidden agenda.
"If there's nothing else, Zhao Jian, let's go!" Gu Xiaofei said, turning and leaving Zhang Zhiyuan's office.
I could sense that Gu Xiaofei's feelings toward Zhang Zhiyuan were extremely indifferent.
If that's the case, why had she stayed with him for five years? What was really going on behind the scenes?
As I followed Gu Xiaofei out of Zhang Zhiyuan's office, Fang Xinyi gave me a strange look.
I knew what she was thinking: she must have been wondering if there was something going on between me and Gu Xiaofei.
But I knew I didn't need to explain anything to her because she was an outsider to all this.
When I finally left Xingchang Technology, I let out a deep breath of relief.
In the car, I finally opened up.
"Xiaofei, the position of sales manager is very important. It's directly related to the company's profits. I never expected Zhang Zhiyuan to agree so quickly."
Gu Xiaofei said, "That's because you don't understand Zhang Zhiyuan's mindset."
I was a little surprised and asked, "Xiaofei, do you know what Zhang Zhiyuan is thinking now?"
Gu Xiaofei sneered and said, "If I didn't know, how could I have helped you get this position?"
At that moment, I couldn't help but admire Gu Xiaofei. It seemed she had Zhang Zhiyuan completely under her control.
I thought about how Zhang Zhiyuan's biggest regret right now was getting involved with Gu Xiaofei, which was driving the company towards bankruptcy.
Gu Xiaofei continued, "Honestly, I understand very clearly that Zhang Zhiyuan has pinned all his hopes on the new paint."
I had heard a little about Xingchang's development of a new product, but this new paint was a chemical product, meaning the working environment in Xingchang's factory was extremely harsh.
Moreover, I rarely went to the workshop, so I really didn't know much about the conditions inside.
Since Gu Xiaofei had gone to such lengths to help me secure this position, she obviously had another purpose.
She said, "I didn't help you get this job for free—I need you to do a few things for me."
Not wanting to offend such a powerful ally, I quickly asked, "What exactly do I need to do?"
Gu Xiaofei said, "The position of sales manager carries a lot of weight, as you well know. So the first thing is for you to achieve results in your role."
I understood clearly that given my background, stepping into sales management, the veteran employees wouldn't take me seriously. If I didn't perform, I probably wouldn't last a day.
I nodded and said, "No problem."
Then Gu Xiaofei added, "The second thing is that I want you to find a way to win over Liu Xin from the Technical Department."
I still had some impression of this person. He hadn't been at Xingchang Technology very long—only about three years.
But for some reason, he had climbed from an ordinary employee to the position of Technical Director, and rumors said his salary was the highest among all employees.
If he didn't have real ability, Zhang Zhiyuan wouldn't treat him that way.
I guessed the purpose of winning Liu Xin over was to have him work for Steyr.
In my heart, I was hesitant about doing this. After all, it would be betraying General Manager Zhang.
But under the circumstances, I could only take things step by step. Maybe something would turn around.
I said to Gu Xiaofei, "Liu Xin has a strange personality, and he's hard to deal with. I'm not sure if I can win him over."
Gu Xiaofei smiled and said, "Whether you succeed depends on your ability. You wouldn't want me to doubt your competence, would you?"
I was speechless.
I saw Gu Xiaofei to the bottom of her building. As she was about to leave, she said, "Zhao Jian, you should go home now. After all, you have new challenges waiting for you tomorrow. Plan carefully, and don't let me down."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "Regarding your wife Lu Wan's affair, I will have someone investigate thoroughly. You'll get a satisfactory answer."
I could feel that she meant what she said, because she needed my help right now.
Suddenly, the pressure on me felt overwhelming.
Driving home, my phone rang again.
Every time the phone rang, my heart fluttered with hope, wishing it was my wife calling.
But when I picked up the phone, I was quickly disappointed—it was my close friend Zhao Hu calling.
I found it strange—wasn't he crazy about Fang Min now? How did he have time to call me?
Although he'd been my buddy since childhood, I knew he was unreliable. Fang Min was likely being dragged down by him.
I answered in a mocking tone, "Bro, how do you have time to call me?"
"Sigh, don't mention it. Fang Min's parents found out everything. They refuse to accept this, and I'm so frustrated."
I thought to myself, if you're always neglecting responsibilities, it's no wonder her parents disapprove.
Zhao Hu continued, "Do you think it's strange? Fang Min isn't exactly 'original' anymore, yet they expect so much, acting like their daughter's going to marry into royalty or something."
Hearing this, I was intrigued. "Did Fang Min live with someone else before?"
Zhao Hu said, "I asked her; she denied it. But bro, we've been around plenty of women—whether someone's 'original' or not, you can tell right away."
In my memory, Fang Min, as my wife's best friend, likely shared the same interests and values.
Now that Zhao Hu called Fang Min a loose woman, my wife clearly wasn't any better.
At this point, no matter what, I couldn't feel happy.
Zhao Hu said, "I'm in a bad mood today. How about we hit a bar and have some fun?"
Honestly, I was facing a stressful new job tomorrow, but this was a good chance to gather information about my wife through Zhao Hu, so I couldn't miss it.
Besides, since my wife and I had been separated, my mood had been lousy. I wanted a place to vent.
I said, "Alright, but which bar should we go to?"
Zhao Hu thought for a moment and said, "A new bar just opened up on Dongcheng Street. I heard the girls there are stunning, and there are plenty of cheating married women. Should be easy to hook one."
I admit, when it comes to playing the field, I'm definitely no match for Zhao Hu. He's a master at hunting women.
Without a second thought, I said, "Okay, I'll wait for you at the bar on Dongcheng Street."
"Good. See you there," Zhao Hu replied.
At eight o'clock in the evening, I arrived punctually at the bar on Dongcheng Street.
In Nanzhou City, Dongcheng Street was the most bustling area, so opening a bar here came with a high price.
Zhao Hu hadn't arrived yet, so I had to stand outside and wait.
This guy was always unreliable and had a habit of being late.
The area around the bar grew lively as many men and women entered.
The owner really had business acumen—a bar in such a busy area would surely do booming business.
About ten minutes later, Zhao Hu finally showed up. I saw his strange outfit that made him look like a hooligan.
I sized him up from head to toe—it all seemed off.
"Zhao Hu, what's with the outfit? Is this the latest fashion?"
Zhao Hu laughed, "I told you you're a country bumpkin. All the girls who come to this bar are lonely. If you want to win their hearts, you have to make them laugh. If they see you as a real no-good, you're halfway there."
Damn, I'd never heard of this before. Have modern women really changed their tastes that much?
I'd never seen him so carefree. Just recently, he'd been with Fang Min and even hooked up with her, now he was already trying to meet new women. Did he really think all women in the world were fools?
Seeing the disbelief on my face, Zhao Hu added, "Just wait and see. I'll hook a beautiful married woman for you."
I smiled and said, "I believe you. Fang Min was tough to handle, yet you managed quickly—that's your skill."
Zhao Hu said, "Today, I'm going to put on an even better show for you."
With that, the two of us entered the bar.
Relatively speaking, the bar had a rather elegant atmosphere; it was where couples and affairs unfolded.
Once inside, Zhao Hu quickly scanned every corner, as if hunting for something.
Finally, his eyes locked onto a corner as if he'd discovered a new world.
"Zhao Jian, the show is about to start. Just wait and watch!" Zhao Hu said excitedly.