Chapter 814: Half Over
[I suggest reading Chapter 29 and Chapter 30 before reading this]
Hearing that it was Juduoduo’s boss, w.a.n.g Dong was shocked. He hurriedly extended his hand to shake Huang Zheng’s hand. “h.e.l.lo… h.e.l.lo, Mr. Huang. I’m a user of your app. May I know why you’re looking for me today?”
Huang Zheng looked at w.a.n.g Dong, then said with a smile, “Aren’t you going to invite me in for a seat?”
w.a.n.g Dong patted his head and hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, of course. It’s my mistake. Please, Mr. Huang, come in.” As he spoke, w.a.n.g Dong hurriedly invited Huang Zheng into the rented house.
Seeing w.a.n.g Dong walk in with a person, w.a.n.g Dong’s girlfriend glanced at Huang Zheng curiously. w.a.n.g Dong quietly walked in front of her and introduced, “This is Juduoduo’s general manager, Huang Zheng.”
Then, he whispered to his girlfriend, “Quietly check and see if he’s the real deal.”
The tacit understanding between the two made w.a.n.g Dong’s girlfriend instantly understand w.a.n.g Dong’s meaning. She nodded and got up first to greet Huang Zheng. Then, she left the room to go to the kitchen.
After a moment, she brought out a plate of fruits from the kitchen. As she placed the fruits on the table, she nodded slightly at w.a.n.g Dong who was already sitting on the sofa.
Seeing this, w.a.n.g Dong’s heart settled down as he knew that the person in front of him was not an impostor.
w.a.n.g Dong understood Juduoduo very well. As a new member of the capital market in the country now, Juduoduo only used a few short months to become an emerging e-commerce platform that everyone was familiar with.
Later, with the support of Tencent’s stocks and resources, things got out of hand. Relying on its unique virus marketing and unit model, and with the support of Tencent’s traffic, Juduoduo grew rapidly like a s...o...b..ll. Until that moment, it had become the third most popular e-commerce platform in the country, second only to cats and dogs.
And its cheap price was also very suitable for young people like w.a.n.g Dong who worked hard at the bottom of Shanghai. Therefore, after knowing about this platform and placing a few orders, no matter what w.a.n.g Dong and his girlfriend bought during this period of time, they would order all of it through Juduoduo.
Although the quality of the goods on this platform varied, and there were occasional after-sales disputes, most of the time, the cheap price still trumped everything…
Generally speaking, w.a.n.g Dong’s impression of Juduoduo was very good. So when he saw Juduoduo’s boss suddenly visiting his house, w.a.n.g Dong was a little frightened.
At first, he thought that the other party was a liar, but now that his girlfriend had confirmed the other party’s ident.i.ty, w.a.n.g Dong started to think about the other party’s motive for looking for him.
‘Have I won the jackpot on Juduoduo?’
w.a.n.g Dong pondered for a moment and felt that it was unrealistic. Because the Juduoduo he remembered did not seem to have such a lucky draw activity.
‘Could it be that he has taken a fancy to my abilities and is planning to offer me a job, like how Liu Bei invited Zhuge Liang to join him?’
w.a.n.g Dong pondered again and felt that it was still not too realistic.
If one were to say that w.a.n.g Dong was still very arrogant when he was at the Jiadian Group, then after he left the Jiadian Group and suffered a series of vicious beatings by society, w.a.n.g Dong already knew the limits of his own capabilities.
Hence, he knew that a person like him was not worthy of being personally invited by such a big boss.
So, after thinking for a long time and really could not think of the reason why Huang Zheng came to find him, w.a.n.g Dong still took the initiative to ask, “Mr. Huang, we don’t seem to know each other. Yet, why have you come here today?”
After entering w.a.n.g Dong’s house, Huang Zheng’s gaze briefly sized up this rental house. Based on the narrow s.p.a.ce and messy decor, Huang Zheng knew that ever since w.a.n.g Dong resigned from Jiadian Group, he should not be leading a good life.
However, Huang Zheng thought that it was normal. According to his own intelligence, w.a.n.g Dong did not have much capabilities on his own. In fact, even his character could only be said to be very ordinary. Otherwise, he would not have missed the opportunity to become part of the management of Jiadian Group and ended up in that state.
Thankfully, he was on the wrong side last time, but this time, he was following the right person. And… He met a good boss.
When he thought about this, Huang Zheng could not help but feel emotional. ‘Mr. Su really is a sentimental person. Even though this person before me has betrayed him once before, he still forgave him after the other party realized his mistake and changed for the better.
Then, he looked at w.a.n.g Dong and felt that the person in front of him was actually very lucky.
In fact, w.a.n.g Dong was very lucky to have met Su Yang. At the very end, he sincerely regretted it and made Su Yang reminisce about their past relations.h.i.+p.
‘Even though it’s impossible for him to return to the management level of Jiadian Group, his choice this time would change his life.’
Thinking of this, Huang Zheng looked at w.a.n.g Dong and said, “Yes, we don’t know each other, but you should know Mr. Su, shouldn’t you?”
‘Mr. Su?’
Hearing Huang Zheng’s words, w.a.n.g Dong was stunned for a moment. Immediately after, he thought of the young people who had brought him to fight alongside them.
He nodded in realization. “Did Mr. Su ask you to come?”
Huang Zheng nodded and did not say anything else. He took out a contract and placed it in front of w.a.n.g Dong before he said, “This is from Mr. Su.”
w.a.n.g Dong received the contract and took a look curiously. Then, he was stunned for a moment. Because the contract had a few large words written on it… House Purchase Contract.
‘What’s this?’
w.a.n.g Dong felt his heart beat a little faster. He looked at Huang Zheng in disbelief.
Huang Zheng reached out his hand and gestured. “Take a look.”
w.a.n.g Dong looked at Huang Zheng’s expression and his heart beat even faster. He flipped through the contract in front of him page by page and looked at it carefully. Then, he realized that this was a house in the Shanghai Metropolitan Region.
Actually, the house was not big. It had two rooms and one living room, spanning to just 60 square meters, but it was already considered a place where normal families with children could live comfortably. In other cities, it might not be expensive, but because it was in Shanghai, it was worth about three million yuan.
w.a.n.g Dong raised his head and looked at Huang Zheng. Then, he asked again, “This is?”
Huang Zheng said, “You are Mr. Su’s most important a.s.sistant in the early stages of his business. Although Mr. Su never said it, he is actually very grateful for your support back then.
“Even though you betrayed him later, he was actually paying attention to your life. He knew that you were living a difficult life, and he also knew about your regret. However, there are some things that cannot be returned.
“Even though he could not forgive you, he doesn’t want you to live the rest of your life in misery, so he prepared this house for you.”
“When you left Jiadian Group, you took some money from the shares, so you should still have some savings. With this house and your savings, you and your wife will have a much easier life in Shanghai.
“He remembered that you once said that you wanted to be a designer. After getting to know each other, and after a long journey together, he hopes that you can fulfill your dream without any worries. He also hopes that you and your wife will be happy, so he’s prepared this gift for you.
“He says that this is all he can do.
“And that from now on, you’re even and he wishes you a safe future.”
After hearing Huang Zheng’s recount, w.a.n.g Dong was stunned for a moment.
He trembled as he held the contract before him. His eyes slowly turned red as they filled with tears. Then, two streams of tears rolled down his cheeks…
For the first time, he regretted leaving Su Yang. For the first time, he regretted not doing more for Su Yang. For the first time, he regretted letting Su Yang down.
Back then, he had let Su Yang down. But now, Su Yang still remembers him, even his dream.
At that moment, he had never felt so regretful before.
Hearing Huang Zheng’s words and seeing w.a.n.g Dong crying bitterly now, w.a.n.g Dong’s girlfriend hurriedly walked over and gently hugged w.a.n.g Dong, then comforted him softly.
Huang Zheng sighed inside when he saw this warm scene, but did not say anything else.
He put down the contract and left behind his secretary’s name card. Then, he turned and left the small rented apartment, leaving the two crying inside.
He had already done everything that could be done for Su Yang. The remaining transactions and handover could be done by his secretary. After w.a.n.g Dong made that decision back then, he was destined to no longer be part of their circle.
After all, they were aiming for the stars, to become a huge domestic enterprise. It was to bring the hope of the Chinese people to conquer the entire world. And w.a.n.g Dong was destined to be just a pa.s.serby in their colorful lives.
However, Huang Zheng was not surprised that Su Yang chose to help w.a.n.g Dong.
‘Revenge be done unto grudges, but kindness be repaid unto kindness is something that a man of character should do. Furthermore, it was worth spending some money to understand what happened between them so that I could have a clear conscience.
‘Not to mention, Mr. Su is not only a sentimental person, he’s also a nostalgic person. Therefore, when his old subordinate regretted and tried to salvage the situation, he couldn’t bear to see his old subordinate suffer for the rest of his life.’
Thinking of this, Huang Zheng looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle. He felt that it was indeed a good choice for him to continue working with Mr. Su. At least from w.a.n.g Dong’s results, as long as he did not let Mr. Su down, he would definitely be able to achieve a meteoric success…
At that moment, in the room, w.a.n.g Dong and his girlfriend were already crying. Only they understood what a house meant to them.
Only w.a.n.g Dong knew why Su Yang gave him a house.
Because that was the hope of staying in Shanghai. That was the result of two youngsters working hard their whole lives, and they might not be able to achieve it. It was also the dream that w.a.n.g Dong had been talking about when he first met Su Yang.
Before he met Su Yang, w.a.n.g Dong had worked hard in Shanghai for six years and had nothing. His girlfriend wanted to break up with him, so he could only drag Su Yang, a young man who resembled him, to drink with him.
Even now, w.a.n.g Dong still remembers what he said when he was drunk.
“Su Yang, I’ve graduated for six years! Six years! I’ve been exhausted for six years!
“I really like the indoor design that I learned. I really want to be a designer, but I can’t make any money in this industry!
“I graduated five years ago. Firstly, I don’t have a house, and secondly, I don’t have a car. I’m a designer that rents a small house that’s about 10 square meters. Although I work from nine to five, I still can’t save more than 10 yuan a month.
“Every New Year, I want to buy something for my family, but I just can’t afford it! At the end of every month, I survive by eating one yuan worth of instant noodles! So, where am I going to find the money to buy things?
“After doing this for five years, I can only choose to compromise… But what about after that? I still can’t earn money!
“I’m already so old, and I’m still working hard for a few thousand yuan salary. I’m a f*cking piece of tras.h.!.+
“Do you know how much it costs to own a home in Shanghai?
“At least three million yuan.
“I work hard, I work very hard, but I just can’t earn that much money! I can’t afford a house! I can’t give her a home!”
And now… Su Yang had just given him a three million yuan house…
In fact, it was just like Huang Zheng said, with that house and his savings, w.a.n.g Dong and his girlfriend would be able to establish themselves in Shanghai as long as they worked diligently. They would no longer have the sense of imminent danger, and they would no longer have to be afraid of being chased out of their rented apartment. They could even build a small family and have a child.
And… w.a.n.g Dong could finally become an interior designer and use his own interests to support his family…
So, Su Yang’s final gift had really fulfilled their dream of working hard in Shanghai for eight years.
And to w.a.n.g Dong, he felt truly regretful and touched.
He stood up and slapped himself three times. Then, he bowed deeply in the direction of Mount Baoshan and said in a choked voice, “I’m sorry, Mr. Su.”
“Thank you, Mr. Su.”
As he spoke, his tears started to fall again.
“Ding dong, ding dong.”
w.a.n.g Dong’s WeChat notification was still ringing with the people from [Resignation Team] stil leaving messages, mocking and ridiculing w.a.n.g Dong the entire way, saying how even if he regretted it and reported it to Su Yang, Su Yang would still not forgive him. Furthermore, there was nothing good for him in return. Hence, if he was being ridiculed, why not use his conscience to exchange for some money? Would his conscience be worth anything?
If w.a.n.g Dong saw those messages at that moment, he would definitely wipe his tears and say “conscience is indeed more valuable than money”.
After sorting out his emotions and picking up his phone, w.a.n.g Dong opened this group chat. He did not look at the chat in this group anymore and directly exited it.
No matter what, from that day onwards, he would be a brand new w.a.n.g Dong. He would no longer be a.s.sociated with these ungrateful people and start a new life.
Although he and Su Yang would no longer have any interactions, w.a.n.g Dong swore to himself that he would be Su Yang’s employee for the rest of his life. Even if he could not do anything, he would silently protect Su Yang, protect Jiadian Group, and fight for Su Yang when needed…
…
When w.a.n.g Dong started his new life, Su Yang also received a call from Huang Zheng at this time. After knowing that Huang Zheng helped him to settle his grudge with w.a.n.g Dong, although he was a little surprised when he first heard it, Su Yang quickly got over it.
He also understood that Huang Zheng had been beating around the bush these few days, asking about w.a.n.g Dong’s matter and asking about his opinion of w.a.n.g Dong.
However, there were some things that had to be done. Running away was not a good solution.
Previously, Su Yang wanted to settle his grudge with w.a.n.g Dong, but he did not want to face it.
On one hand, he felt that he could not forgive w.a.n.g Dong because betrayal was a double-edged sword.
On the other hand, w.a.n.g Dong not only helped him this time, but he also helped him too much during Su Yang’s initial stage of entrepreneurs.h.i.+p, which was a favor that could not be erased.
Until that day, Su Yang also remembered that on the night of w.a.n.g Dong’s first meeting, w.a.n.g Dong had drunkenly said that the two of them were very similar: similar family circ.u.mstances, similar experiences, similar pa.s.sion for life, but w.a.n.g Dong was eight years earlier…
w.a.n.g Dong felt that Su Yang was like his past self. Then, how could Su Yang not feel that w.a.n.g Dong was like him without any gold fingers…
This was also the reason why although Su Yang could not forgive w.a.n.g Dong, he kept thinking about him.
Now that Huang Zheng had helped him to solve this problem, whether it was his att.i.tude or the reward, it was all in line with Su Yang’s wishes. Su Yang felt that he had a good explanation for w.a.n.g Dong and his youth.
For a moment, Su Yang wondered if he had really hinted to Huang Zheng to do these things. Otherwise, why would Huang Zheng be able to guess what he was thinking and deal with his request so perfectly?
Just as Su Yang was doubting his memory, Little Deeny’s panicked voice rang in his ears. “Master! Something happened to the Clown Sea Serpent and the base in Central Asia!”