Liu Yong concealed a sneer in his heart, marvelling at the audacity of pickpockets these days. However, his amusement quickly became understanding as he realized they were working together as a gang. Within moments, two young individuals approached, one brandishing a menacing dagger.
"Boy, mind your own business," one of the young men warned, his tone laced with arrogance.
Standing nearby, Kang Zhenggang and He Qiang remained unfazed. They were well aware of their boss's capabilities and felt a hint of pity for the three delinquents.
As expected, Liu Yong applied just a fraction of his strength, causing the pickpocket to wail like a pig as if his wrist had been crushed.
Enraged, his accomplices lunged at Liu Yong with a dagger, issuing a malicious threat, "You're asking for death!"
However, before the dagger could make contact, He Qiang swiftly intervened. With a machete firmly grasped in his palm, he slashed down upon the young man's wrist with a resounding thud, causing the weapon to clatter.
The wounded youth cradled his injured hand, shrieking in agony, "My hand is broken! It's excruciatingly painful!"
Meanwhile, Kang Zhenggang swiftly took action, delivering a swift kick that sent the other young man tumbling.
Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye, quick and decisive.
Inside the carriage, cheers erupted, accompanied by applause. The young girl whose belongings were stolen expressed her gratitude and introduced herself as Du Xue, saying her heartfelt thanks to Liu Yong.
"You're welcome," Liu Yong replied modestly. "It was nothing more than a small effort."
With the three pickpockets brought under control, the bus driver, displaying incredible generosity, diverted the vehicle directly to the nearest police station. The trio cooperated with the police, providing a detailed account of the incident, and emerged from the station shortly after, boarding a bus again at a nearby stop.
To his surprise, Liu Yong noticed that the young girl who had been victimized also boarded the same bus.
Upon seeing Liu Yong and his companions, Du Xue exclaimed, a tinge of astonishment in her voice, "It's you!"
Liu Yong nodded in acknowledgment.
Du Xue expressed her sincere gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much for your help earlier."
"It was merely a trivial matter," Liu Yong responded modestly.
Curiosity piqued, Du Xue inquired, "Are you all heading to Huahai International Garden too?"
Liu Yong affirmed, "Yes, we plan to take a look there."
Du Xue shared, "What a coincidence! I'm also going there to explore. I heard it's a community developed by a company for employees. I'm thrilled at the thought of potentially having my own place there in the future."
"You're heading to Huahai International Garden as well, which means you're also from the Global Shipping Group. It's quite a remarkable coincidence that we're colleagues," Du Xue remarked, her excitement evident.
Liu Yong nodded, introducing his companions, "This is Kang Zhenggang, and this is He Qiang. We are all members of the Global Shipping Group."
"Truly, we are colleagues!" Du Xue exclaimed joyfully, shaking hands with each of the three men. She introduced herself as a newcomer in the operations department, having joined the company less than a week ago and is currently in her internship.
Liu Yong couldn't help but smile inwardly, finding the situation amusing. Du Xue appeared oblivious that she was conversing with her big boss.
Kang Zhenggang and He Qiang also shared a chuckle, seemingly entertained by Du Xue's unknowing interaction with their superior.
Du Xue engaged in lively conversation, chatting happily with Liu Yong before diverting her attention to He Qiang. They hit it off quite well, and Liu Yong tactfully allowed them space to converse, knowing that He Qiang was single and without a girlfriend.
The bus ride to Huahai International Garden took approximately half an hour, a bit lengthy but without any transfers required. Upon arrival, Liu Yong's gaze was immediately drawn to the construction site of the community. They ventured into the premises without causing a commotion among the site's managers.
Unbeknownst to Liu Yong, Du Xue had been following their group, assuming that they, like her, were simply interested in exploring the site during their free time.
"Look, there are a total of eight houses under construction simultaneously. Our company is certainly generous," Du Xue remarked, expressing her excitement. "I truly hope they complete the construction soon so I can have a place to call my own."
Observing the eight ongoing construction projects, ranging from two to six floors, Liu Yong couldn't help but feel impressed. The progress exceeded his expectations.
As Du Xue conversed with He Qiang, Kang Zhenggang discreetly moved aside, displaying his vast knowledge, primarily staying by Liu Yong's side.
He Qiang commented, "Du Xue, it's clear that having your own house means a lot to you."
"Of course," Du Xue replied, her eyes filled with aspiration. "Huahai City is one of China's finest metropolises. Owning a home here has always been a dream of mine."
He Qiang added optimistically, "Yes, it won't be long—maybe just a few more months—and our dreams will come true."
The two conversed animatedly about their shared desire for a home, seemingly limitless topics to discuss.
Liu Yong and Kang Zhenggang exchanged knowing glances, sharing a smile. Both knew He Qiang and Du Xue appeared to have developed an affinity for each other. However, they remained oblivious that their connection extended beyond mere coworkers.
They spent 30 to 40 minutes at Huahai International Garden before taking the subway back to the company. Liu Yong believed that the subway would be a more time-efficient mode of transportation, particularly for employees residing in Huahai International Garden.
The following day, Liu Yong arrived at the company earlier than usual as a vice president from Melpark Company was scheduled to visit that morning.
The visit, disguised as a courtesy call, aimed to negotiate the procurement of fish oil derived from the deep-sea white monster fish, particularly the fat found in its stomach.
Kang Zhenggang dropped off Liu Yong at the office building entrance and parked the car in the underground garage.
Stepping into the lobby on the first floor, Liu Yong made his way to the elevator. The morning rush had begun, with white-collar workers hurrying to catch the elevator.
As the doors were about to close, a familiar voice called out, "Wait for me, wait for me!"
Du Xue hurriedly entered the elevator, her face flushed with urgency as she realized the crowd was waiting inside.
Suddenly, her eyes landed on Liu Yong.
"Brother Yong, it's you!" she exclaimed.
Liu Yong nodded and greeted her with a smile. "Take it easy, you almost missed it."
Du Xue playfully stuck out her tongue. "Thank goodness I made it in time. If I had missed this elevator, who knows how late I would have been."
The elevator stopped on several floors, with various company employees stepping out. The office building housed numerous businesses.
Finally, the elevator reached the floor where Global Shipping Group was located.
With less than a minute until 9 o'clock, they were on the verge of being late. Most likely, the other employees had already clocked in using the fingerprint recognition system and were already at their workstations.
Du Xue hurriedly headed towards the sign-in area, where two fingerprint machines were located for employee check-ins.
Observing Liu Yong's intention to proceed directly to the company, Du Xue kindly reminded him, "Brother Yong, you haven't scanned your fingerprint yet."
Liu Yong found himself momentarily stunned.
It appeared that Du Xue genuinely didn't recognize him. As the boss, he usually didn't need to go through the traditional check-in process.
Witnessing Du Xue's anxious expression, Liu Yong smiled lightly, walked over, and pressed his fingerprint on the scanner.
Inadvertently, Du Xue caught sight of Liu Yong's employee number, 0001, prompting her to gaze at him bewilderedly.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com