Chapter 387: Just A Wage Earner
Fickle is the common man’s mind, for the moment Princess Salama revealed her Swiss Bank Centurion card, any doubt of her eminent status was instantly cast aside. Despite being dressed in everyday streetwear, her currency skyrocketed to exalted heights, and suddenly, no one thought of her as an ordinary person any longer.
Princess Salama composed herself for a brief moment, then she stood up and garbled in her own tongue to Xiao Luo.
Xiao Luo listened attentively and duly translated her words to Shen Qingyan. “The princess says that she’s changed her mind. She no longer wishes to place her order with Huayao.”
Shen Qingyan glared spitefully at Shen Xingqing and hissed, “Uncle, you better hurry up and apologize to her. If this deal goes down the drain, not only will I, but the entire board will have much to say about this. Do not force me to disown you!”
She did not mince her words, and there was no doubt that she would make good on her threat. She was now convinced that this lady was a princess from Dubai and that this was an opportunity for the company to enter the UAE market and compete with Renhe Medicines on a level playing field. Therefore, regardless of whom, she would not allow anyone to disrupt this deal.
“Are you out of your mind? Do you really believe that she’s a princess from Dubai? It’s just a Centurion card, it could easily be forged…”
In the midst of Shen Xingqing’s uncontrolled burst of emotions, he abruptly stopped, as a realization dawned on him, and he carped, “Ahh, I understand now, you are all colluding against me. You’ve put together this brilliant show to entrap me and humiliate me. Well done, my niece, I have underestimated how far you’d be willing to go!”
“Do you think I’m like you, with nothing better to do?”
Shen Qingyan was indignant and rued the fact that she had such an uncle. She no longer cared about Shen Xingqing felt and screamed, “I demand that you apologize to Princess Salama now! Do it, or else…!”
Shen Xingqing was sullen-faced, and seeing that he had no choice, he said, “Fine, I fell for it!” He reluctantly walked over to Princess Salama, and showing no remorse on his face, he said, “I’m sorry!”
Xiao Luo translated his words to the princess, in the tone that he said it.
Salama nodded to Xiao Luo as a courtesy, then she spewed a lengthy diatribe in her own language at Shen Xingqing, before finally spitting at his feet. She looked furious as she stood glaring at him with her arms on her hips.
“What? How dare you dare spit at me, are you tired of living?!”
A hideous expression formed on Shen Xingqing’s face as he rolled up his sleeves, intent on teaching Salama a lesson.
Xiao Luo was ready for this, and without a second thought, he took a step forward and kicked Shen Xingqing right in the gut. The blow was harder than he had antic.i.p.ated, but he did not regret it, as he abhorred such an arrogant and self-serving man; and it was exactly such people that gave his countrymen a bad name.
Shen Xingqing sailed through the air, letting out a horrible shriek like a pig being slaughtered, before slamming heavily against the wall. And, as he slumped to the floor, he twitched uncontrollably and whimpered. His aides were startled for a moment before one of them rushed over to help him.
The others, including Shen Qingyan, Guan Tong, and the tall lady, simply stared wide-eyed at Xiao Luo in total shock. They couldn’t believe that Xiao Luo would dare kick Shen Xingqing and marveled at how powerful the kick was that sent the man flying in the air like a cannonball.
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It wasn’t long before a stately convoy of three black vehicles came to a halt at the towering Huayao Corporation Building entrance. They were luxury cars and the one in the middle was a stretched Lincoln Limousine, it was plush and impressive, certainly fit for royalty.
These vehicles were escorted by a motorcade of police cars dispatched by the Xiahai police department.
The top official from the UAE consulate in Xiahai had come to fetch Princess Salama in person. The atmosphere in Huayao Corporation boiled up with excitement as it wasn’t every day that a foreign dignitary would visit them.
“What… she’s really a princess…?”
Shen Xingqing was crestfallen, and his dejected expression could only be likened to someone who had inadvertently consumed a pile of dung. Salama had initially come to see him, and she should rightly have been his account, but he judged her by appearance and made light of her inquiries. He even used her as a tool in his scheme to make a laughingstock out of Shen Qingyan. In the end, he had gifted away an unrivaled key client, and had he been the one to strike the deal, his status would have been elevated, and his suppression of Shen Qingyan complete.
After seeing off Princess Salama, Shen Qingyan smiled as she pa.s.sed him and said, “Uncle, I totally misjudged you. Little did I realize your benevolence and sincerity in bringing such a client to me. This really secures my position in the company, and I’m really thankful. I’m sorry I gave you a hard time.”
Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on Shen Xingqing.
Shen Xingqing felt his chest tighten and almost vomited blood. He made every effort to salvage his pride as he glared at her coldly and said, “Qingyan, there’s still a long road ahead, don’t be too full of yourself!”
Shen Xingqing cobbled together what dignity he had left, snorted, and left in a huff.
“A long road is ahead for me, indeed…”
Shen Qingyan stood at the same spot and pondered as she muttered to herself, for this sentence had a profound significance. She then looked around for Xiao Luo and saw him talking face-to-face with a police officer, one that belonged to the group escorting the three limousines.
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“We’re conducting an operation tomorrow, will you be coming, Mr. Xiao?” the officers inquired.
The officer had handsome features, and his poise and bearing reflected an upright quality about him. This man was no other than Qiu Yuanjie, whom Ji Siying had mentioned to Xiao Luo before. The police department had received a report that Princess Salama of Dubai had gone out alone and was now at Huayao Corporation. The last thing he had expected was to b.u.mp into the very agent that he was supposed to work with from the NSA, Xiao Luo. His superiors had long requested him to get acquainted with Xiao Luo, but Qiu Yuanjie was reluctant as he felt that the NSA’s a.s.sistance was redundant, as sooner or later, he was confident in his own team’s ability to eliminate the scourge of Xiahai City—the MLM organizations.
“Sure thing. The timing is perfect for me.”
Xiao Luo nodded. As he had accepted this mission, he would certainly do his best as that was his att.i.tude in anything task that he undertook.
“Very well, then. Come to the headquarters at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning,” Qiu Yuanjie said.
Qiu Yuanjie turned around and joined his squad, but he wasn’t enthusiastic about working with another agency. In his opinion, he and his team were on top of the problem, and the high-ups had made an unnecessary move to involve people from the NSA.
“Xiao Luo.”
Shen Qingyan made her way over to him and asked, “What were you talking about to that policeman?”
“Nothing, really,” Xiao Luo replied.
Shen Qingyan didn’t pursue the matter and got back to the issue about the Dubai deal instead. “It’s all thanks to you that we secured the order from Princess Salama. You will get your commission for the sale, I’ll see to that.”
“Does that mean that I’ve pa.s.sed the interview?” Xiao Luo said.
“Of course, Huayao Corporation is always in need of talents like you. You, and that friend of yours, will be a.s.signed to the sales department.”
Shen Qingyan glanced at Guan Tong, who was nervously standing some distance away from them. “He dared to impersonate an interviewer and drive off his compet.i.tors. For that, I’ll consider him an ordinary genius of sorts, but the additional condition you requested will only apply to you.”
Xiao Luo knew that she was referring to the flexible working hours he mentioned. Getting hired for the job wasn’t such a bad deal after all, as not only was Su Li appeased, but he would also receive a salary every month. Giving Shen Qingyan a big grin, he said, “You’re not wishy-washy at all in your decisions, Miss Shen.”
“I’ve always been so.”
Shen Qingyan smiled delightedly and said, “Although you will be determining your own working hours, I hope you clock in daily. At least, make sure that you show up at the company regularly.”
“No problem!”
After Miss He led Xiao Luo and Guan Tong to HR to process their employment formalities, Shen Qingyan immediately called Su Li.
“Li, I think you’ve underestimated this man you’re married to.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Su Li finally spoke, “Huh, he got you into trouble?”
“No, no, no, I’m not sarcastic here. That guy, Xiao Luo, he seems to have a lot of hidden talents…”
Shen Qingyan proceeded to tell Su Li everything that happened at her office.
“What, can he really speak so many foreign languages?” Su Li said.
“Yeah, he spoke French, Russian, and Arabic. The Arabic he spoke was a tribal dialect, not everyone understands it. If I hadn’t heard it for myself, I would never have believed it too. He even speaks them better than me.”
Shen Qingyan rarely complimented anyone, so for her to shower Xiao Luo with praise was highly unusual. She went on to ask, “Li, are you sure that this man was just a wage earner when he was in Jiangcheng?”
“Yes, absolutely. The first time I met Xiao Luo was in his dilapidated apartment, and he was just renting it.” Su Li felt a rush of blood to the head, and her heart jumped a beat, she began to ask herself exactly who this man actually was.
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