Diary of Getting Rich Quick in the South

My heart skipped a beat.

What does that mean? Which cadre can't withstand this kind of test?

Just as I was about to reply to the message, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.

When I turned around, I saw it was Zhang Dongting.

"What are you looking at? You seem so engrossed." Zhang Dongting glanced down at my phone.

I quickly stuffed my phone back into my pocket and said it was nothing, I was just checking my WeChat Moments.

Zhang Dongting didn't press for details, and patted me on the shoulder.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to some clients."

……

I followed Zhang Dongting into the private room. Inside were the same middle-aged men and women who had come with me earlier.

As soon as I came in, everyone's eyes turned to me, making me so nervous that I didn't know what to do with my hands and feet.

"This is my younger brother, Chen An!"

She turned her head and pointed to the bald middle-aged man next to her, introducing him: "This is Mr. Wang, who specializes in building materials transportation and is a major client of our logistics company that we have been cooperating with for many years."

I immediately bowed and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Wang."

Mr. Wang looked me up and down, smiled and nodded, saying, "Young man, you are full of energy, with a dignified and steady appearance. You look reliable and dependable."

Then Zhang Dongting introduced me to the other people present one by one.

There are bosses who mainly deal in clothing wholesale, as well as business people who are involved in fresh food freight and hardware supply; they are all powerful merchants in the industry.

What shocked me the most was that these people were not well-educated; two of them had only graduated from primary school, and the most accomplished among them had only graduated from a third-rate university.

But now they're all dressed in suits and ties, talking about deals worth hundreds of thousands or even millions.

I used to think that as long as I studied hard, I could become a superior person one day with my knowledge, but now I find that it's not that simple.

Out of respect for Zhang Dongting, everyone was very polite to me, saying that I was young and promising, and that I was destined for great things. They told me to do a good job and to call them if I encountered any difficulties.

I knew in my heart that they were just saying nice things, and I didn't really feel like I had made a connection with them.

While everyone was chatting casually, Sister Li, who runs a clothing business, suddenly came up to me, glanced at Zhang Dongting next to her, and asked me with a smile.

"Xiao Chen, tell me the truth, is Dongting really your sister?"

I didn't know what she meant by asking that, but I answered honestly anyway: "Ms. Zhang is my cousin's best friend, so I call her 'sister'."

"So that's how it is!"

Sister Li chuckled and joked, "This is the first time I've seen Dongting bring such a young subordinate to dinner with us. I thought you were her boyfriend."

I blushed with embarrassment and quickly waved my hands to explain, "Really, no, I'm just an ordinary employee. Mr. Zhang has always taken good care of me; it's purely a senior helping a junior, nothing more!"

Sister Li's voice was a bit loud, and Zhang Dongting rolled her eyes at her helplessly after hearing it: "Li Hong, don't joke around. I'm seven or eight years older than him. Don't tease him."

Sister Li laughed even harder after hearing this: "They say a woman three years older than her husband is like holding a gold brick, and you've practically got two gold bricks with you! What a wonderful thing!"

Zhang Dongting glanced at me and laughed heartily, "I'd like to, but it depends on whether Xiao Chen is willing. Otherwise, wouldn't I be the one sexually harassing my male subordinate?"

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I felt like her gaze was burning towards me.

Before I could even speak, Sister Li turned to me with a smile and asked, "Did you hear that, Xiao Chen? Your boss Zhang is asking if you're willing! Getting on good terms with your boss Zhang can save you twenty years of detours."

The surrounding business owners chimed in, "Yeah, Xiao Chen, even though Dong Ting is older than you, everyone says she's an eighteen-year-old girl."

"Your boss Zhang is beautiful and has such a successful career. If you can seize this opportunity, your life will be secure."

"Young man, don't be too shy! Don't miss such a great opportunity!"

Faced with the teasing of a group of bosses, I didn't dare to say a word. I kept my head down and didn't dare to breathe.

In the end, Zhang Dongting stepped in to smooth things over.

"Alright, alright, you lot, stop making a scene. Little Chen is easily embarrassed; if you really scare my employee away, I'll settle the score with you all later!"

Everyone was just joking casually, and seeing the situation, they all knew when to stop and stopped teasing about it.

Zhang Dongting could tell that I wasn't quite comfortable in this kind of social setting. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the bosses, she led me out of the private room.

"I know you're not used to these kinds of dinner parties, but since you're in this line of work, you have to learn to adapt gradually. Li Hong, who runs a clothing business, has a wide network of connections. In the future, take the initiative to build a good relationship with her at work; it will always benefit you."

"There are a few other bosses. We don't need to bother them deliberately. Just send them a simple message during holidays to keep in touch."

I listened attentively to every word of her advice.

"I'll remember that, Mr. Zhang. I'll definitely maintain this connection... If there's nothing else, I'll head back to my colleagues now."

Just as I was about to leave, Zhang Dongting called me back again and stuffed two packs of cigarettes into my hand.

"I usually smoke thin cigarettes, I'm not used to smoking thick ones, you can take this and smoke it."

It's a pack of Da Zhong Jiu for 100 yuan.

I quickly handed him a cigarette: "Mr. Zhang, I don't smoke."

"Are there still guys who don't smoke these days?"

Zhang Dongting glanced at me with surprise, but then handed me the cigarette again.

"Even if you don't smoke, take this. When you're running around doing business and meeting clients, offering cigarettes is basic courtesy. You can't exactly give out 14-yuan Ziyun cigarettes, can you? There's no need to give out cigarettes of this quality to colleagues on a regular basis, lest people gossip and say you're showing off."

……

When I returned to the lobby, my colleagues had almost finished eating.

Xu Mingde drank quite a bit of alcohol, and under the influence of the alcohol, he intentionally or unintentionally moved closer to Bai Yan.

Because there were other colleagues present, he didn't dare to go too far, only occasionally touching Bai Yan's hand while drinking.

Bai Yan moved to the side, and he followed suit.

Upon seeing me, Bai Yan quickly stood up and walked towards me.

"Chen An, could you please give me a ride? I've been drinking and can't drive."

As she spoke, she handed over the car keys.

Upon hearing that I was to drive, Xu Mingde's expression darkened slightly.

"Chen An lives in the staff dormitory, which is not on our way, so there's no need to bother him. We can just call a designated driver."

I looked at Bai Yan. She was clutching her bag tightly in both hands, looking at me with a pleading expression, as if she was about to cry.

I didn't dare look at Xu Mingde's increasingly dark face, and forced myself to speak haltingly.

"Um, my brother just called and asked me to go to Tangwu for barbecue. It's on my way there."

Hearing me say that, Xu Mingde didn't say anything to stop me anymore, and patted me on the shoulder with a smile.

"Xiao Chen, I'm so sorry to trouble you!"

I lowered my head somewhat guiltily and said, "You're welcome, it's on my way."

As they were getting ready to get in the car, Bai Yan rushed out and opened the passenger door, getting in first.

Before Xu Mingde could speak, she took the initiative to explain.

"Chen An has never driven my car before, and he's not familiar with the road conditions or how to operate the car. I'll sit in the front and teach him, and also give him directions."

Throughout the journey, Bai Yan kept trying to chat with me, not giving Xu Mingde a chance to interject at all.

I first dropped Xu Mingde off at the entrance of the residential area, and then, following Bai Yan's directions, I drove the car into the Fengning residential area across the street.

"Just find any empty spot to park. Our neighborhood is quite old, and there aren't any designated parking spaces. It's first come, first served."

I parked the car against a wall as she instructed and returned the car keys to her.

"Chen An, thank you so much for today. I really don't know what I would have done without you," Bai Yan said gratefully.

I scratched my head and said, "It's good that you're home."

"That……"

Bai Yan looked at me, her face slightly flushed, and after hesitating for a while, she lowered her head and asked softly.

"Would you like to come upstairs for a cup of tea before you leave?"