Chapter 12: Encountering Classmate Daxue

Zhang Jingyan was taken away by the police.The employees were at a loss for a moment.

Most of them had mortgages or car loans, so suddenly losing their job naturally made them anxious.

Yang Chen had worked with these colleagues for a while and understood them well.

Summing up their characteristics, there were two key points.

First, they all had business skills.

Second, they were particularly tolerant.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Employees who could stay with someone like Zhang Jingyan had to be capable and able to endure all kinds of unfair treatment.

If they had tempers like Yang Chen, they would have quit long ago.

Honestly, no boss would refuse such employees, right?

Don’t all bosses hope their employees have decent business skills and are particularly tolerant?

Yang Chen felt that he couldn’t just rely on ride-hailing incentives to earn money; he needed his own company.

He majored in advertising planning after graduating from college, so starting an advertising company was the safest bet.

And aren’t these capable and enduring individuals the best candidates for employees?

Moreover, hiring them would mean the company could start operating immediately, without wasting time on recruitment.

Essentially, Yang Chen only held grudges against the boss and the manager, and he had no enmity with the others, so he could accept them.

So, Yang Chen said, "I’m planning to start an advertising company, and I’ll use this office space. Anyone interested in joining?"

Everyone was excited and quickly raised their hands.

"Me! I want in!"

"I want in too!"

"Me as well, Brother Chen!"

...

First, the issue of employment was resolved.

Second, Yang Chen was rumored to be a mysterious second-generation rich kid, so working with him surely wouldn’t lead to loss.

Yang Chen pointed at Li Yuan and said, "Li Yuan, you’re not needed here. Weren’t you Zhang Jingyan’s loyal lackey? Why are you jumping in now?"

Li Yuan quickly replied, "Brother Chen, don’t say that. You know what Zhang Jingyan is like. If I didn’t flatter him, I couldn’t have become the manager."

"Heh... that’s your business. I don’t want to hear your explanations. You better leave. You’re not welcome here," Yang Chen said directly.

Li Yuan hastily said, "If I act as a whistleblower and testify against Zhang Jingyan, can I stay?"

Yang Chen shook his head and said, "Even if you killed Zhang Jingyan, I wouldn’t let you stay. You betrayed your principles to become a manager, flattering Zhang Jingyan without limits. Now, to stay with me, you’re betraying him to win me over. If someone offers you better conditions to betray me in the future, you’d undoubtedly accept without hesitation. You have no boundaries, so there’s no way I can keep you around. Get lost."

Li Yuan was left speechless by Yang Chen.

The others immediately turned on Li Yuan.

"Li Yuan, you’ve bullied us enough. Don’t act so innocent."

"Exactly! You always made me treat you to meals. I’m just a newbie; where would I get the money to treat you all the time? You deliberately made things difficult for me whenever I didn’t. We don’t want to work with you; just leave."

"We can still talk civilly with you now, but leave before we have to resort to violence. You know full well what you’ve done to us; stop acting innocent."

...

Facing the furious employees, Li Yuan chickened out and quickly left in disgrace.

With Li Yuan gone, everyone left was in the same boat.

They asked Yang Chen when they could start working so they could prepare.

In a week, the lease between Jingyan Advertising Company and Haisang Financial Mansion would expire.

Given the situation, renewing the lease was impossible.

Zhang Jingyan would also go to jail for issues like false VAT invoices, and Jingyan Advertising Company would undoubtedly shut down.

Yang Chen planned to negotiate a price with Zhang Jingyan’s family to acquire the company.

He’d then change the company name and legal representative to restart operations.

Yang Chen thus announced, "In no more than half a month, everyone can return to work. Xiaoli will become the company manager, and you can reach out to her directly for anything. I’ll also notify her of any updates to inform you all. Take a break during this period, go home and rest well, and wait for the call to return to work."

Xu Xiaoli was so excited that she didn’t know how to respond.

She used to be just a receptionist, but now she was suddenly appointed as a manager, which was a huge leap she couldn’t fully grasp yet.

"Boss, you want me as the manager?" Xu Xiaoli asked.

Yang Chen nodded and said, "If you don’t like the title of manager, you can call yourself the CEO. The company’s in your hands now, so don’t disappoint me."

Xu Xiaoli was trembling with excitement and said, "But I have no experience; I might not be up to it."

"Experience doesn’t matter. As long as you’re obedient and eager to learn, that’s enough," Yang Chen replied with a smile.

Xu Xiaoli nodded repeatedly and quickly replied, "Rest assured, boss, I’ll definitely do as you say and will study hard."

Yang Chen nodded, saying, "Alright, I’ll leave it to you now. I have other things to handle."

Xu Xiaoli and the others quickly bowed to bid farewell to Yang Chen.

Chen Zhichao also directed the management office staff and the building security to return to their posts.

After that, he followed after Yang Chen.

Yang Chen gave a few instructions to Chen Zhichao and then drove away from the Haisang Financial Mansion.

With vengeance served, Yang Chen had to get back to work.

Yang Chen took four consecutive ride-hailing passengers and planned to take a lunch break as it was meal time.

Just then, a booking came in from the platform, only 500 meters away, heading back to the city.

Thinking it was on his way and there was nothing to lose, Yang Chen quickly accepted the order and followed the navigation.

Upon reaching the passenger’s location, Yang Chen saw a couple embracing intimately.

Perhaps they were so engrossed that they didn’t notice Yang Chen’s car pulling up next to them.

Of course, Yang Chen wasn’t sure if they were his passengers.

So, he called the passenger through the platform.

Just then, the man’s phone rang.

Only then did the couple separate.

Once they did, Yang Chen recognized the woman as his university classmate Wang Lixin.

Yang Chen was conflicted; having just seen her being so affectionate with her boyfriend, would reuniting make things awkward?

Wang Lixin and her boyfriend confirmed the license plate number and quickly got into the car.

As soon as she got in, Wang Lixin thought the driver looked familiar.

She quickly leaned forward to get a better look and then exclaimed in surprise, "Yang Chen? Is that you!"

Yang Chen had thought reuniting would be awkward, but seeing Wang Lixin unfazed, he was relieved.

"Wang Lixin, what a coincidence! Out with your boyfriend?" Yang Chen replied with a smile.

Wang Lixin nodded and immediately hugged her boyfriend’s arm, saying, "Let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend Zhang Jiankun. Kun Kun, this driver is my university classmate Yang Chen. Back in school, he was quite something. Never missed a scholarship and was the heartthrob of our Economics department. He was quite the sensation."

Though Wang Lixin was polite outwardly, inwardly she was full of disdain.

Being a top student from Hai City University of Finance and Economics but now reduced to driving a ride-hailing car was shameful.

With a half-smile, Zhang Jiankun asked, "So he was quite popular with the girls back then?"

Wang Lixin nodded and said, "Oh yes, so many girls liked him. It’s just a shame he always liked his childhood sweetheart. Oh, by the way, how’s it going with your childhood sweetheart girlfriend? Have you broken up? Oh, sorry, I mean, how is it going now? Shouldn’t you be getting married by now?"

Yang Chen started the car and replied with a chuckle, "We broke up."

Wang Lixin immediately wore a look of ’I saw it coming,’ saying, "That’s really a pity. Back then, you turned down so many girls for her. Do you regret it now?"