Everyone Can Hear My Thoughts, and Now They're Panicking

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Someone Is Fooling a Naive Child

Willow Summers looked up and tugged on the hem of Jim Jenson’s shirt. "Jim, let it go."

Jane Lancaster thought for a moment. To see how the drama unfolded, she supposed she could tolerate that piece of filth, Jim Jenson.

Manager Raymond smiled and smoothed things over. "Young Master Jenson, allow me to toast you and Miss Summers. May your love be as strong as gold!"

After he made the toast, a few male employees under him, as if on cue, all raised their glasses to toast Jim Jenson.

The female employees, meanwhile, drank with Willow Summers.

The atmosphere quickly livened up.

From across the crowd, Jim Jenson raised an eyebrow at Jane Lancaster, his eyes filled with disdain.

’This woman is so petty. It’s been so many years, but she still won’t let it go. How ridiculous.’

Jane Lancaster met his gaze, unflinching.

"Miss Lancaster, please, eat something. You’re Pauline’s good friend, right? We’re all Pauline’s colleagues, so make yourself at home," Manager Raymond said, trying to make her feel welcome.

Jane Lancaster tilted her head, sizing up the manager.

He was in his forties, but unlike the pot-bellied men one often sees, he was quite thin. His face was wreathed in smiles, and he seemed very approachable.

Half of the employees under him were women, and the department’s team atmosphere seemed quite good.

’This must be that "smiling tiger." He may not look like Uncle Shaw, but they have a similar air about them.’

’It’s no wonder Pauline Shaw fell for his trap.’

Pauline Shaw was very unhappy to hear her slander the manager she respected.

’Manager Raymond, though a man, has a gentle personality and holds no prejudices against women. At work, he’s often willing to give his female subordinates more opportunities.’

’Just as he himself said, he has three daughters. Every time he sees a group of young women like us, he thinks of his own girls. He hopes the workplace environment will become fairer for women, so that when his three daughters grow up and start working, they can also benefit.’

Seeing Manager Raymond always reminded Pauline of her own father.

When she was little, she hadn’t understood. She’d only been close with her mother. But the older she got, the more she could appreciate her father’s hardships.

Her parents had married for love. Her father came from a poor background, but he was undeniably brilliant. With her mother’s help, he started a business that grew into the Shaw Group of today.

It couldn’t compare to the Lowell Family’s century of accumulated wealth, but her father had done his best.

But her mother was never satisfied. She was aggressive and domineering. Despite being just a vice president, she lorded it over her father, interfering with his every decision and wishing she could turn the company into her personal dictatorship.

In recent years, her father’s hair had turned gray prematurely, and he had aged a great deal, all from the stress his mother caused him.

He had said that if he weren’t trying to watch over the company for his daughter’s sake, afraid his wife would run it into the ground and leave her with a mess, he sometimes thought he might as well just retire.

---

When no one was paying attention, Manager Raymond gave Pauline Shaw a look, and the two of them stepped outside.

Jane Lancaster thought for a moment. She had nothing better to do, so she might as well follow them and see what was going on.

She followed them openly. Pauline Shaw had noticed her right away, but Manager Raymond, walking in front, did not.

Pauline Shaw was speechless. ’Why does she love to act like such a sneak?’

’But she’s probably going to be disappointed. Manager Raymond is nothing like the bad guy she makes him out to be. She won’t overhear anything bad.’

Manager Raymond stopped in a corner and asked Pauline Shaw with a smile, "Pauline, what’s the deal with that friend of yours?"

Pauline Shaw replied, "Manager, I’m sorry. She and Young Master Jenson had a small falling-out many years ago. I shouldn’t have brought her."

Manager Raymond quickly waved his hand. "No, no, it’s fine. Since she’s your friend, it’s okay to have her join us for dinner. I just saw that she was alone and was worried Young Master Jenson would keep giving her a hard time. I was afraid she’d be at a disadvantage."

After a pause, he added, "When we’re done later, should I have a few of the guys see her home?"

’So Manager Raymond was quietly looking out for me.’

Hearing the thought drift from behind her, Pauline Shaw thought coldly, ’What did you expect? Did you think everyone is as cynical as you?’

"Manager, that’s not necessary. I’ll give her a ride home."

"Oh, okay, that’s good. Be careful on the road, and call me right away if anything happens."

Manager Raymond paused again, then asked, "And what’s the situation between you and that Miss Summers?"

Pauline Shaw froze for a moment.

"I noticed that although you two know each other, you both looked uncomfortable. You two aren’t friends, are you?"

Pauline Shaw lowered her head. "No. I’m sorry, Manager. I also have a bit of a history with Miss Summers."

She felt a little guilty. Willow Summers was at the height of her success right now. What if she used her pillow talk to ruin their collaboration because of this?

Manager Raymond paused, stunned. "Hey, what are you blaming yourself for? If Miss Summers really targets you, worst-case scenario, we just drop this deal. I’ll help manage the team’s expectations."

Pauline Shaw was a bit surprised. She never thought the manager, who always prioritized performance, would actually be willing to give up a deal that was already in hand.

"I always tell you to let your performance do the talking, but I’m not the kind of person who would abandon all principles for the sake of results."

Watching someone deceive a naive child, Jane Lancaster sighed silently.

’Of course you don’t care about this one deal. As long as you coax Pauline Shaw, won’t the Shaw Family’s resources be yours for the taking? You’ll have as many deals as you want then.’

’You, have principles? You not only want to steal the Shaw Family’s business, you’d love nothing more than to bring the whole family down.’

The gratitude that had just started to well up in Pauline Shaw’s heart suddenly vanished without a trace.

She knew it! Jane Lancaster was incapable of saying anything nice!

Manager Raymond had been watching Pauline Shaw’s expression. Seeing her face suddenly turn cold, he wondered, ’Was my performance not good enough?’

He knew that as the heiress of a wealthy family, Pauline Shaw had always looked down on women who climbed the social ladder by latching onto powerful men.

As it happened, he was also quite displeased with Willow Summers. When he went to toast her, she had put on airs and refused to drink. She was really full of herself.

"Pauline, you’ve always despised evil. It’s perfectly normal for you to have issues with Miss Summers. I can’t stand that kind of woman who has no self-respect."

Manager Raymond chose his words carefully. "She’s perfectly able-bodied, yet all she thinks about is taking shortcuts with her looks to get money from men. Women like that have no real ability. She’ll never understand how hard normal, career-oriented women like you have to fight to establish yourselves in the workplace. She’ll only laugh at you for having to work so hard."

"Letting a gold digger like that get away with it will only corrupt society’s values. I don’t want my daughters to come crying to me in the future, saying they don’t want to work and just want to marry a rich man."

’This is hilarious. Listening to his righteous indignation, you’d think Willow Summers took *his* money.’

’Besides, does he think all rich people are idiots? Jim Jenson, at least, is no fool. He acts generous on the surface, but he only spends money on himself. If you don’t believe me, just watch. The one paying the bill today will most likely be Willow Summers.’

’You’re all eating her food and drinking her booze, and then you gossip about her behind her back. You guys are the worst.’

Pauline Shaw frowned. ’Willow Summers would be willing to pay the bill? Impossible!’

Manager Raymond saw the look on her face and thought he had this in the bag.

’Aren’t all women like this? They love it most when a man praises them by putting another woman down.’

’To be honest, if Pauline Shaw weren’t the heiress of the Shaw Group, I might have actually made a move on her.’

’She’s young, beautiful, and full of admiration for me. Wouldn’t she be mine with just the crook of a finger?’