Chapter 160: There Is a Long Way to Go; Trust Neither Shengxin Nor Zhang Long

Jiujiantang.

Located within the Administrative and Art Center zone of Pudong New Area in the magic city, bordered by Century Park to the west, each villa occupies an average plot of three acres and is enclosed by 3.5-meter-high walls, recreating the traditional Chinese architectural concept of "deep courtyards."

Detached houses with independent courtyards, encircled by jade-like streams.
……

Three bays and three courtyards, known as Jiujiantang.

This is the origin of the name Jiujiantang, and also the most refined description of traditional Chinese architectural layouts. Several of China's top successful individuals and super heavyweights, with net worths reaching tens or hundreds of billions, have taken up residence in these luxury villas.

It ranks firmly among the absolute top-tier luxury residences in the magic city.

While it might be purchased for tens of millions now, a single villa will be worth at least 150 million in the coming years.

In any case, buying one here would certainly not result in a loss.

"Will it be very hard to snap up?"

Regardless of whether there was any hope of actually buying one, Zhang Long still chose to come and take a look. Only one Jiujiantang villa is sold every year or two, so he hadn't given it any thought before, but now there finally seemed to be a sliver of possibility.

Each villa spans three acres and is surrounded by high walls to ensure privacy. The environment is serene and quiet, and the property management services within surpass even those of Grandview Gardens, living up to its prestigious reputation.

"There's a chance."

Xiao Fang from the sales office wasn't entirely confident about Zhang Long's chances either, but since the owner hadn't privately closed a deal with some major tycoon and had instead notified nearby sales agencies to bring clients for viewings, they might as well give it a try. You never know.

Courtyard 43, a blend of Chinese and Western styles.

Looking at the perfectly integrated design and layout, the inner garden ponds, the matching of the buildings, and the classical light luxury decoration, Zhang Long couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This single property was far more valuable and tasteful than the upper and lower duplex luxury residences at Grandview Gardens combined.

The homeowner was not present, and no sales negotiations would take place for the next half month, before the May Day holiday.

"Is it a public announcement?"

Zhang Long wasn't the only one viewing the property today; several other groups were touring as well. Xiao Fang even exchanged greetings with some of her colleagues. That didn't matter much—whether a deal could ultimately be closed depended not only on money, but also on a bit of luck.

Or perhaps personal connections and networking.

However, since the owner had notified nearby agencies to bring clients for viewings, making it a matter of public knowledge, it was likely that private negotiations hadn't gone smoothly. Were they being low-balled?

Was that why the owner decided to openly put it on the market, allowing anyone in the magic city with the financial capacity to participate?

Perhaps so, who knows?
……

"How has it been these past few days?"

Zhang Long treated them to dinner. Sitting across from him were only Liang Xue and Qin Miaotong. After all, Qin Miaotong was Liang Xue's best friend and had once been mentored by her at HSBC, making them relatively close.

As for that Gu Su, leaving her in the trading department to liven up the atmosphere was a good idea; being pretty and cute was quite enough.

"Pretty good, all right."

Qin Miaotong was somewhat reserved. If Zhang Long were merely a superior, it would be fine, but he and her best friend Liang Xue shared a subtle, unspoken spark. Although the window paper hadn't been pierced yet, it was probably only a matter of time.

Therefore, she still had to mind her behavior to some extent.

"Then keep up the good work."

Zhang Long didn't mind giving Qin Miaotong some special care and smiled. "The real competition started in April. The trading department will hold a performance showdown next month, and then select the two people with the best results to be promoted to supervisors."

"And barring any accidents, the headquarters will expand around June and July, which means there will be opportunities for promotion to manager in the trading department around July and August. Keep it up."

Even without specific promotion opportunities, she would have worked hard anyway, but knowing the exact timeline?

It allowed for better effort and motivation.

"Mm-hmm, I will."

So Qin Miaotong nodded without hesitation, her pretty face glowing with determination and excitement. Starting tonight, she would work as hard as if she were high on adrenaline, building her foundation and ammunition this month to fight for performance next month.

First be promoted to supervisor, then secure the manager position.

As for the director of the trading department, that might be a bit difficult. After all, Chang Wei was a veteran employee, and if there were no unexpected twists, it would end up being him, though there was still hope.
……

Thinking of this, Qin Miaotong secretly glanced at Zhang Long across the table. With this lord's support?

"Hey, say something..."

Qin Miaotong nudged Liang Xue, who was sitting beside her and acting aloof, solely focused on eating and drinking. Leaving her hanging at the table like this was hardly appropriate.

"Well, the food is delicious."

Liang Xue cast a noncommittal, reproachful glance at Qin Miaotong. What was there to talk about so much? Eat your fill and go home—did she expect to go back and sleep with Zhang Long? How boring...

Liang Xue was well aware of what her best friend Qin Miaotong was plotting, wanting her to whisper sweet nothings into Zhang Long's ear in the future.

Therefore, silence was golden; she simply ignored her.
……

"Why are you dodging me?"

After dinner, Qin Miaotong went straight back to Shengxin to continue working overtime, while Zhang Long took a walk along the Bund with Liang Xue. The early April night breeze was cool yet warm, devoid of any lingering winter chill.

"It's not time yet."

This remark left Zhang Long somewhat exasperated, but Liang Xue wore a serious expression. "I'm very certain that I don't like you because of your money and status, but your current height makes me distressed. I don't dare take that step."

"I admit I have low self-esteem."

"My family background is neither good nor bad. At least growing up, I never lacked food or clothing. Although my living expenses while attending university in the magic city weren't much, they were enough when combined with part-time jobs."

"Miaotong's family background is slightly better than mine, but she has two younger brothers below her."

Zhang Long scratched his head. They were discussing issues between the two of them, so why bring up Qin Miaotong? But Liang Xue ignored Zhang Long's puzzlement, calmly gazing at the river view as she continued, "I have an older brother above me and a younger brother below me, and neither of them is married."

"It's even less simple than the Luo family."

This girl had too many reservations, and Zhang Long couldn't help sweating profusely inside. "You are you; you don't need to overthink your siblings. I don't mind."

"But I do."

Liang Xue gave a soft sigh and shook her head. "Wait until I've mastered finance and been promoted at least to the director level."

"Otherwise, I won't have the courage to hold my head up in front of you. Even though being a director at that time won't carry much weight, at least I will have the courage."

"Right now, you've just settled into Shengxin, and it's also a time when you need to focus on producing impressive performance metrics."

"There's plenty of time in the future, isn't there?"

The river breeze of the Bund blew against their faces. Zhang Long looked at Liang Xue, who possessed a slender frame yet a resolute spirit. Perhaps this was Liang Xue's true personality. If it were any other woman, why bother worrying about so much? They'd just go straight home to warm the bed and start rolling in the sheets.

Become the dragon lady first, talk later.

"Yeah, plenty of time."

Zhang Long stood side by side with Liang Xue, gazing quietly at the river view together, letting out a measured breath. "I respect you. When you have realized your own value, we will talk again."

"Thank you, alright."

Liang Xue's gaze softened as she replied softly.
……

Shen Yi, an ordinary working-class citizen, part of the legendary wage-earning populace, the largest demographic group.

Yet today, he was somewhat dazed.

Not only Shen Yi, but many former Shengxin colleagues who were similarly dazed had returned to re-sign their previous severance compensations, calculated according to legal standards.

As for the few who were currently in the middle of lawsuits and causing trouble, they basically hadn't signed, because signing meant accepting the terms.

"It was Chairman Long's proposal."

After learning the brief details, Shen Yi's gaze was somewhat complicated. Everyone had witnessed the sudden explosion in Zhang Long's performance last September and October. He hadn't expected to be invited back by Shengxin recently and even elevated to the upper management.

The crucial point was that the very first thing he did upon entering upper management was to secure a formal and normal severance subsidy for regular employees like them who had previously resigned. It was very touching.

Surprisingly, the Shengxin board of directors had even agreed. One must know that severance pay, no matter how small, was still money—real hard cash.

If Shengxin had been willing before, they wouldn't have stubbornly paid only half according to legal regulations and deducted the rest.

Yet today, it was paid out in full. Utterly shocking.
……

"Are there no other conditions?"

Someone asked the Shengxin finance department. At that moment, Liang Xue, who was also present, smiled and shook her head. "None. The remaining compensation is what everyone rightfully deserves. Just sign the paperwork with peace of mind and take your money. However, with Chairman Long now leading Shengxin, if our performance rebounds and rises in the future, and we happen to need to expand the team, anyone who wants to return to Shengxin will be very welcome."

"If you don't come back, that's fine too. Just please refrain from badmouthing Shengxin as unprincipled to the outside world from now on, that's all."

Ahem, ahem. Some people dry-coughed.

To be honest, among this group of people, there were indeed those who had badmouthed Shengxin externally, some even leaving curses in the comment sections of the official website or on other relevant forums.

For instance, on job-hunting forums and tiebas, some had spread the true state of Shengxin, warning people that it was a pitfall and to stay away.

Now, the tide at Shengxin had turned. Zhang Long's return carried immense weight on the board of directors; the times had changed.

Brother Long is awesome and worth following.
……

"Damn, is this real?"

That very night, some people saw posts on tiebas or forums where resigned colleagues said that Shengxin was paying out employee severance compensation in batches. Long before it spread across forums and tiebas, it had already circulated privately.

Resigned colleagues were still colleagues, and after all, they hadn't parted ways for long and basically kept in touch. Those who got their compensation naturally wanted to show off a little.

Making others envious, I got mine before you.

"Zhang Long is now Chairman Long?"

The second thing that spread among the resigned colleagues was that Zhang Long had returned to Shengxin and even become a senior executive.

Damn, that was truly impressive.

Among the employees who had recently left Shengxin, there was probably no one who didn't know Zhang Long. Last September and October, his performance was utterly explosive; he single-handedly revived the Flying Eagle and Pioneering teams, directly driving order placements and client transactions with ferocious momentum.

Some people even developed the thought that if Shengxin were to expand its team again, they would definitely go back.

They didn't trust Shengxin, but they trusted Zhang Long.

Everyone knew why Zhang Long had resigned previously, and seeing him now fighting for the remaining compensation for resigned employees made them feel a deep sense of shared empathy. Earning money through honest, hard work was what truly mattered.

All other grand promises were empty illusions. As long as Zhang Long was at Shengxin for even a single day, it was worth going.
……

"Sigh..."

Of course, not everyone was very happy. For example, Zhou Yu, Shao Kang, Jiang Hao, Zheng Peng, and a few others—especially the former employees of the Flying Eagle and Pioneering teams—had even more complicated feelings. Having previously followed Chairman You's promise to swallow half of Zhang Long's performance, they were thorough villains and could never go back.

There was no medicine for regret in life.

Yet no matter how much they regretted it, they still had to go collect their remaining severance compensation; only a fool wouldn't take it.

This was human nature, with very few exceptions.
……

"Buzz, buzz-buzz~"

That night, just as Zhang Long had finished showering and was preparing to go to sleep, his phone suddenly vibrated with an incoming call. Glancing at the name on the screen with slight confusion, he answered, "Is something the matter, Sister Su?"

"Yes, it's a bit urgent."

Sufi's tone on the other end of the receiver carried a hint of anxiety. "If you're not busy, can you come to the hospital?"

"Yurong has run into some trouble..."

"Send me the address."

After listening to Su Fei's brief explanation, Zhang Long left home and headed toward a certain clinic hospital, arriving leisurely.

It wasn't a major issue, but it was rather inexplicable.