Earning 100 million a day, yet trapped in a county town.

Chapter 98 You signed a non-compete agreement with Meiwei

The office was deathly silent.

Secretary Xiao Zhou stood at the door, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea, unsure whether to go in or leave.

She hesitated for a few seconds, but still braced herself and went in, carefully placing the teacup on the corner of the table.

"Mr. Wen, your tea—"

"roll."

One word.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like an icicle, making Xiao Zhou shudder.

She didn't dare say another word, quickly retreated, and gently closed the door behind her.

Wen Guoliang was left alone in the office again.

He picked up the phone on the table, found Shen Qingxue's number, and dialed it.

"Hello, Mr. Wen."

What are you doing right now?

Wen Guoliang's voice was very low, but you could feel the suppressed anger in his tone even through the phone.

"At the hotel," Shen Qingxue said. "What's wrong?"

Have you seen Cheng Wanhua's video?

"I've seen it."

"Then tell me the fuck, what are we going to do now?"

Shen Qingxue held her phone without saying a word.

What can she do?

Cheng Wanhua has betrayed his country, and his apology video has already been released. The whole internet knows that Meiwei was behind it all.

It's too late to say anything now.

"Mr. Wen, I told you long ago that Cheng Wanhua is unreliable."

Shen Qingxue's voice was very calm, so calm that even she herself felt unfamiliar with it.

"He could betray Wang Guanxi back then, and he can betray you today. People with no principles like that are not to be trusted."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Wen Guoliang's voice exploded.

"You're telling me this now?! Where the hell were you all this time?!"

"When you went to Jiangcheng, what did I tell you? I said, 'Recruit people! Recruit people!' Did you manage to recruit anyone?"

"Lu Mingyuan didn't find anything, Jiang Yinan didn't find anything! They didn't find a single one!"

"Now you're telling me Cheng Wanhua is unreliable? What the hell are you?! You're useless!"

Shen Qingxue held her phone, listening intently to Wen Guoliang's cursing on the other end, word by word.

She used to feel wronged and her eyes would well up with tears.

But today, she felt no ripples in her heart.

Maybe it's because I cried enough that night.

Perhaps because of what happened with Edison Wang that night, she no longer cared.

She only spoke slowly after Wen Guoliang finished cursing.

"Mr. Wen, you're right, I really didn't complete the task you assigned me."

She paused, her voice very soft, but every word was clear.

"Therefore, I resigned."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

It was quiet for a long time.

Then Wen Guoliang's voice rang out again, colder than before, carrying an anger of being betrayed by his subordinates.

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm resigning," Shen Qingxue repeated. "I'll go back and handle the paperwork with HR."

"Shen Qingxue, do you even know what the hell you're saying?"

"I know."

"You're telling me you're resigning at this crucial moment? Are you tired of living?"

Shen Qingxue did not speak.

Wen Guoliang continued to curse, his voice growing louder and more offensive.

"You think you're all grown up now? Want to fly away?"

"Let me tell you! Without me, Wen Guoliang, you, Shen Qingxue, are nothing!"

"Get out! Get the hell out of here! Don't let me see you again!"

"Beep beep beep————"

The phone hangs up.

Shen Qingxue took the phone away from her ear and glanced at the screen.

The call ended, lasting four minutes and seventeen seconds.

Seven years have passed.

She worked at M&A for seven years, rising from marketing assistant to marketing director.

Over the past seven years, she has lost count of how many overtime shifts she has worked, how many nights she has stayed up, and how many times she has accompanied Wen Guoliang to social events.

All she remembered was that Wen Guoliang had never praised her once.

It's always "not good enough," "try harder," "look at other people's directors."

Shen Qingxue threw her phone onto the bed and let out a long sigh.

It wasn't as sad as I had imagined, nor as relaxing as I had imagined.

It's just... empty.

It's like a stone that's been weighing on my heart for a long time has finally been removed.

As Shen Qingxue pulled her suitcase out of the hotel, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

She took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from Edison Wang.

"You resigned?"

There were only three words, no extra pleasantries, as if it had been expected all along.

Shen Qingxue stared at those three words for a few seconds, then replied, "You're certainly well-informed."

Edison Wang replied instantly: "Are you free tonight? I'll treat you to dinner as a way of celebrating your newfound freedom."

Shen Qingxue couldn't help but curl her lips slightly when she saw the words "gained freedom".

She replied with a single word: "Okay."

It was 7 p.m. at a private restaurant in the old town of Jiangcheng.

The shop is small, hidden deep in an alley, and doesn't even have a decent sign at the entrance.

But once you step inside, you'll find a completely different world.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, a small courtyard with a skylight, and a clump of bamboo growing in the corner, the warm yellow light creates a quiet and private atmosphere.

When Shen Qingxue arrived, Wang Guanxi was already sitting inside.

He was wearing a dark gray T-shirt, with a pot of tea in front of him, and looking down at his phone.

Shen Qingxue sat down opposite him and placed her bag on the empty chair next to her.

"Mr. Wang, you certainly know how to pick a location."

"These kinds of private restaurants tucked away in alleys are impossible for non-locals to find."

Wang Guanxi looked up and smiled.

"Jiangcheng is only so big, and there are only a few good restaurants. If you eat there repeatedly, you'll always remember them."

He poured Shen Qingxue a cup of tea and pushed it towards her.

"Try it, the owner sun-dried his own osmanthus tea, you can't get it anywhere else."

Shen Qingxue picked it up and took a sip.

The tea was warm, with a subtle osmanthus fragrance. It wasn't very sweet, but it was very pleasant.

"How is it?" Wang Guanxi asked.

"It's alright." Shen Qingxue put down her cup. "It's better than the instant coffee in the Meiwei tea room."

Wang Guanxi smiled but didn't reply.

The dishes were served quickly.

Steamed sea bass, scallion oil chicken, garlic water spinach, and a bowl of slow-cooked soup.

These are all home-style dishes, but the cooking time is just right, and the flavor is light yet not bland.

The two ate and chatted, their conversation going on and on.

Wang Guanxi didn't ask Shen Qingxue why she resigned, and Shen Qingxue didn't bring it up herself.

It was just like two ordinary friends having an ordinary meal.

When she had almost finished eating, Shen Qingxue put down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

Aren't you going to ask me why I resigned?

Wang Guanxi was peeling a shrimp without even looking up.

"You'll say it when you want to."

Shen Qingxue looked at him, and suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

This person will always be like this.

I won't press you, I won't pressure you, I'll give you plenty of space.

He doesn't resemble Wen Guoliang, nor does he resemble Dong Xiaocheng.

She leaned back in her chair, glanced at the clump of bamboo in the yard, and slowly began to speak.

"This afternoon, Wen Guoliang called and berated me. He said I couldn't poach talent and that I was useless. Then he told me to get lost."

She paused, her tone flat, as if she were talking about someone else.

"Then I quit. Seven years, I worked at Meiwei for seven years, and in the end I was told to get out."

"7

Wang Guanxi put the peeled shrimp into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

"So what are your plans for the future?"

Shen Qingxue shook her head.

"I don't know. I'll go back to Jiangzhou to finish the paperwork first, and then cancel the lease on the apartment. You know my ex-boyfriend; I don't want to see him again."

Wang Guanxi didn't say anything, but picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Shen Qingxue looked at him and suddenly asked a question.

"Mr. Wang, don't you want to recruit me?"

Wang Guanxi put down his teacup and looked at her.

"think."

"But you signed a non-compete agreement with M&W, right?"