From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

The female sales clerk was checking the grave information in the system. She typed a few keys and the corresponding number popped up on the screen.

Please verify the homeowner's name and number.

Ye Churan leaned closer to take a look and nodded: "That's right, it's this one."

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of dragging footsteps came from behind him.

Zhang Lei had somehow wandered over again, arms crossed, leaning against the edge of the desk at the next workstation, but his eyes weren't on the system screen.

His gaze slid down Ye Churan's face, along her neckline, and lingered on her chest, refusing to leave.

His tongue circled in his mouth, and he swallowed, making no attempt to conceal it.

Ye Churan stiffened for a moment.

She subconsciously pulled her collar tighter, took a half-step to the side towards Lu Yunzhou, and her ears turned red.

Lu Yunzhou looked up and followed the direction she was avoiding, only to be met with Zhang Lei's eyes, which were like a dead pig staring at its trough.

There's no need to think about anything else.

He took two steps forward, swung his right hand in a wide arc, and slapped Zhang Lei across the face.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound echoed in the empty hall.

Zhang Lei stumbled and knocked over a nearby file rack. He covered his face and squatted on the ground, howling. Half of his face swelled up, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"What are you looking at? Try looking at me like that again."

Lu Yunzhou flicked his wrist and stood still.

Several other salespeople in the hall gathered around upon hearing the commotion, each trying to persuade Lu Yunzhou.

"How could you hit me? Can't you talk things out?"

"No matter what, you can't resort to violence. Apologize to them right now!"

Lu Yunzhou shoved his hands into his pockets, his shoulders relaxed, and said in a nonchalant tone, "So what if I hit him? He deserved it."

With Su Qingwan and Feng Qianyi backing them up, there will be someone to clean up any messes that happen.

There's no need to keep swallowing your anger like before.

As the situation remained tense, a hoarse voice came from the corridor outside: "What's all the noise about? Making such a scene during working hours, what kind of behavior is this!"

The people who had gathered around immediately fell silent, turned around, and straightened their backs: "Manager Gou, you've arrived."

Zhang Lei, seeing this as his savior, rushed over, covering his face and crying, "Manager, please help me! This guy came in and slapped me without saying a word! Look at my face, how am I supposed to go out and do business now?!"

A middle-aged man in his early forties strolled into the hall.

He reeked of alcohol and had a layer of cheap cologne on his skin. His tie was askew, his shirt was wrinkled and halfway out of his waistband, his hair was messy and stuck to his forehead, and his face was oily.

Lu Yunzhou understood it immediately after just one glance.

The way this person exuded a sense of dejection, from the inside out, suggested he had just come from some disreputable place.

Manager Gou's eyes widened as he was about to lash out at Lu Yunzhou, but a glance at Ye Churan standing beside him instantly changed the expression on his face.

"Why?"

His eyes lit up, and he rushed over, rubbing his hands and bending down. "You must be... Professor Ye from the medical school?"

Ye Churan was taken aback: "You know me?"

"Of course I know him!"

Manager Gou's face crinkled with laughter. "Teacher Ye is one of our biggest clients! My surname is Gou, and I'm the manager of this area. I've been wanting to get to know you for a long time."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to Zhang Lei and shouted sternly, "Are you blind! This is our honored guest! Get over here right now and apologize to Teacher Ye and this gentleman!"

Zhang Lei stood there dumbfounded, his mouth agape, unable to understand why his manager had changed his attitude so quickly.

But he didn't dare to talk back. He could only cover his swollen face and move closer, bowing his head to Ye Churan and Lu Yunzhou, and mumble a sentence: "I'm sorry... it was my bad attitude."

Ye Churan shook her head: "Never mind, we'll be more careful next time. Manager Gou, we'd like to renew our cemetery plot lease, is now a convenient time?"

"Convenient! Of course it's convenient!"

Manager Gou bowed and nodded repeatedly, "Teacher Ye, you've come all this way yourself, how could I let you wait in the lobby? Come to my office, I'll handle it for you personally, I guarantee it'll be done quickly."

He lifted his foot and walked towards the side of the corridor. After a few steps, he glanced back at Lu Yunzhou following behind Ye Churan, and paused: "Teacher Ye, who is this?"

"My students."

Ye Churan's answer was brief.

"Oh, a student."

Manager Gou smiled and said, "Well then, Ms. Ye, the procedures are a bit complicated. Just come in with me and let your student sit in the lobby for a while. It'll be quick."

After saying that, he pushed open the office door and went inside.

Lu Yunzhou reached out and grabbed Ye Churan's wrist, lowering his voice: "Teacher Ye, this person is not a respectable person, don't go in alone."

Ye Churan glanced back at him and said softly, "It's broad daylight, what could possibly happen? Don't worry."

"I'll stand guard at the door. If anything goes wrong, just call out and I'll come in immediately."

Ye Churan nodded and stepped inside.

The office was bigger than I imagined, but it was as messy as a garbage dump.

Cigarette butts were scattered on the floor, and the table was piled with messy documents and takeout boxes. Used tissues were draped over the sofa armrests. The air was thick with the smells of alcohol, cigarettes, and cheap perfume, which made Ye Churan frown.

Manager Gou casually shoved the clutter off the table and said with a smile, "Teacher Ye, I'm sorry, the cleaning staff hasn't been here for the past few days, so the room is a bit messy. Please don't mind, have a seat."

Ye Churan found a relatively clean spot to sit down and got straight to the point: "Manager Gou, I'm here to renew the lease for my husband's burial plot. I called before and asked; it's 200,000 yuan for ten years, and I've already prepared the money."

Manager Gou leaned against the desk, his eyes darting around, a troubled look on his face, and he let out a long sigh.

"Teacher Ye, if you had come last month, I would have taken care of this for you without hesitation."

"But just two days ago, headquarters issued a new regulation that all burial plot renewals must be signed for twenty years at once, which is 400,000 yuan. You know what's going on here, there's nothing I can do."

Ye Churan straightened her back and gripped the bag strap resting on her knees tightly with her fingers.

She could come up with 200,000, and 400,000... she did have money in her account, but that belonged to Lu Yunzhou.

She already owed him a huge favor with 200,000 yuan, and she had to repay the rest; she couldn't touch a single penny of it.

Manager Gou noticed the change in her expression, took a half-step closer, and lowered his voice.

"Teacher Ye, I can see you're really in a difficult position. I can't stand seeing good people suffer, but I do have a solution, though it's a bit risky. I don't know if you'd be willing to listen."

Ye Churan looked up: "What method?"

"Although the document has been issued, I can pretend I didn't see it and sign a ten-year contract with you as usual."

Manager Gou shrugged. "But if headquarters finds out, I'll be fined at best, and lose my job at worst. You have to understand the risks, Professor Ye."

"Besides 200,000, I can offer you some more as a token of my appreciation for your hard work."

Ye Churan quickly took over the conversation.

"Hey, Teacher Ye."

Manager Gou waved his hand, his gaze sliding from her face to her collarbone before slowly returning to her, his voice becoming sticky.

"It's not about the money. To be honest, I was smitten the first time I saw you."

"If you're willing to be with me, I'll cover all your expenses for every year thereafter, not just for ten years, so you won't have to worry about a single penny."

The color drained from Ye Churan's face instantly.

She stood up abruptly, dragging her chair back half a foot, her voice trembling: "Manager Gou, please show some respect."

The obsequious facade on Manager Gou's face peeled away, revealing a greasy smile underneath, and he stopped pretending with his voice.

"Then, as a compromise, Ms. Ye, you can stay with me for one night, and the procedures will be completed for you the next day, how about that?"

"You're dreaming."

Ye Churan was trembling all over, gripping her bag strap tightly, and turned to leave.

Manager Gou didn't stop her. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Teacher Ye, I advise you to think this through. But no one can get this procedure done without my approval."

"According to regulations, if the lease is not renewed after the expiration date, we will have to remove your husband's urn and dispose of it separately."

"Will you be able to live with yourself when he's in the afterlife and can't find peace?"