Return of the Celestial King

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: General Manager

Qin Tuo spoke with a cold smirk.

His gaze was so sharp it made the interviewer’s heart pound with uncertainty.

His guilt only fueled his shame, which quickly turned to fury.

He shot to his feet, marched right up to Qin Tuo, and pointed a finger in his face.

"You punk, that’s a baseless accusation! I’ll sue you for slander!"

Inside, however, his thoughts were in turmoil, a raging storm he couldn’t calm.

’Damn this kid! How is he so observant!’

And he was right. The interviewer did in fact live a life of debauchery, frequenting all sorts of pleasure dens. His body had been completely worn out as a result.

Many people at the company already knew about this; it was an open secret.

By the very moral standards the interviewer had just preached, he should have been the first one to resign and get the hell out.

Wang Lei was inwardly shocked. ’This kid is sharp!’

’With just a few words, he put the interviewer on the back foot.’

Despite this, his face turned livid as he feigned a righteous accusation.

"Qin Tuo, you have no respect for anyone. To be honest, I know Ke Xin brought you in. I was going to give you a chance out of respect for her, but I never expected you to be this arrogant."

Qin Tuo saw right through Wang Lei’s malicious intentions and sneered.

"Heh, don’t bother. You don’t need to do anyone any favors."

Wang Lei’s anger exploded when Qin Tuo dared to talk back.

Inwardly, however, he was ecstatic.

’Haha, this kid’s a fool. He walked right into the line of fire. Now I can fail him without lifting a finger.’

Qin Tuo knew exactly what this guy was thinking.

But he had already made up his mind. He wasn’t planning on staying here anyway.

With that, Qin Tuo turned crisply and made to leave.

But Wang Lei shouted at his back:

"Just as I’d expect from an ex-convict. You have no class at all. No company would ever hire someone like you."

Qin Tuo let out a cold laugh without turning back.

"At least I’m better than a bunch of hypocrites who act all high and mighty but are rotten to the core."

"You..."

The interviewer and Wang Lei were so furious they were left speechless.

’This kid has a wickedly sharp tongue!’

Qin Tuo had only ever planned on going through the motions. He had no intention of staying at this company.

The confrontation turning ugly was, in a way, a relief for him.

Just as he reached the door, however, a tall man walked in, and they nearly collided.

The moment they saw this man, both Wang Lei and the interviewer shot to their feet and scurried over, bowing and scraping.

This was Zhang Cheng, the general manager of Mani Company, a professional manager hired by the Chen Family.

A few years ago, Chen Wenxiong’s health deteriorated, and he wanted Chen Man Ni to take over the family enterprise.

However, Chen Man Ni had to care for her father and didn’t have much time to manage things herself.

After Zhang Cheng was hired to run things, Chen Man Ni was rarely seen at the company anymore.

General Manager Zhang Cheng handled all day-to-day affairs, big and small.

Zhang Cheng sized up Qin Tuo and asked,

"Young man, what’s your name?"

Qin Tuo replied,

"I’m Qin Tuo. Is there a problem?"

He guessed this man must be a high-level executive; his position couldn’t be low.

One look at the fawning smiles on the two men behind him was all it took to know.

"Oh, Qin Tuo?"

Zhang Cheng nodded slightly, his voice cold.

"You seem capable. In that case, you can stay with the company."

Qin Tuo was shocked. The man hadn’t tested him or even asked any other questions before telling him he was hired.

’Did Chen Man Ni send him?’

The thought had barely formed before he dismissed it.

’No, Chen Man Ni shouldn’t even know I’m here for an interview...’

As he was puzzling over this, Wang Lei grew anxious and rushed forward to object.

"Manager Zhang, you can’t! This guy has been to prison! How can we let someone like that into our company!"

The interviewer nodded in vigorous agreement.

"Yes, President Zhang! Someone like him will completely ruin our company’s image."

Zhang Cheng snorted. "I’ve made my decision," he said coldly. "There’s no need for further discussion."

Wang Lei was now in a full-blown panic. His plan had been going perfectly; Qin Tuo was about to be kicked out.

Why had General Manager Zhang suddenly appeared and insisted on keeping Qin Tuo?

This couldn’t happen! How was he supposed to explain this to his girlfriend?

So, he decided to fan the flames:

"President Zhang, if someone with a criminal record stays at our company, and Miss Chen finds out..."

Before he could finish, Zhang Cheng’s brow furrowed, and he snapped viciously,

"What, do my words no longer carry any weight?"

His words silenced them instantly. Neither dared to utter another sound.

Wang Lei glared at Qin Tuo, his resentment palpable as he wondered to himself,

’Who the hell is this kid? Why would the General Manager personally come here to hire him?’

He started to suspect that maybe his girlfriend, Zhou Kexin, didn’t actually know Qin Tuo’s real background.

Qin Tuo, though surprised, nodded in thanks.

"Thank you."

He was now fairly certain that Zhang Cheng must know him. He’d find a chance to ask him about it another day.

After Zhang Cheng left, Qin Tuo looked at the two buffoons and couldn’t help but sneer.

’Damn you, what’s there to be so smug about? I’ll have plenty of chances later. Just you watch, I’m going to slowly crush you!’

Staring at Qin Tuo’s departing back, Wang Lei’s face twisted into a grotesque mask.

Once back in his office, Zhang Cheng’s expression immediately turned grim.

He made a call.

"Hello, how did it go?"

The voice on the other end belonged to a young man and sounded somewhat frail.

Zhang Cheng replied respectfully,

"Young Master, you were right. The kid is indeed Qin Tuo."

The Young Master on the other end of the line gloated,

"Heh, I knew it. That punk is trying to get close to Manni. A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh—what a delusional fantasy!"

He had personally driven Qin Tuo’s parents out of Half Moon Bay, and later learned that Qin Tuo and Chen Man Ni were somehow still in contact.

He had been monitoring the situation ever since.

When he learned that Qin Tuo was interviewing at Chen Man Ni’s company, he immediately gave Zhang Cheng his orders, which led to the scene that had just unfolded.

Zhang Cheng asked,

"Young Master, what are your orders?"

A disdainful sneer came from the other end of the line.

"Zhang Cheng, I want you to watch Qin Tuo’s every move. Report anything unusual to me immediately. Understand?"

"Yes, Young Master. Understood."

Zhang Cheng nodded again and again.

After hanging up, the Young Master sneered to himself.

’Oh, Qin Tuo, Qin Tuo... I will find your weakness and make Manni give up on you for good!’