Chapter 28: Chapter 28: When Will You Take Me Away?
The two of them went downstairs and out into a wide-open plaza.
Beneath the glow of the city’s neon lights, Yang Na’s black satin wrap dress perfectly outlined her hourglass figure.
Catching whiffs of her perfume carried on the evening breeze, he found his mind starting to wander.
Or maybe it was that kidney and bull pizzle soup he’d had. It made him want to bolt. What if she noticed his... predicament? Especially since she was his subordinate.
He glanced sideways at Yang Na, who was walking beside him.
The dress had a one-shoulder design, with a silk ribbon on the other side that fluttered in the night breeze like flowing ink against the darkness.
As she walked, the high slit of her skirt offered tantalizing glimpses of her long, slender legs, their paleness in the darkness enough to make a man’s heart tremble.
Her figure wasn’t the exaggerated "influencer curve" but had the slender strength of a ballerina.
"Where are you headed? Did you call a car?"
"I drove here."
She turned to him, surprised. "You bought a car?"
’He’s my boss, sure, but he only graduated two years ago. And he’s always been a big spender, so he can’t have much saved up!’
"Yeah, I bought one to get around. It’s more convenient."
Yang Na’s mind immediately went to a Volkswagen Polo or a Nissan Sylphy. ’The image of his six-foot frame crammed into a compact car like that would be pretty funny,’ she thought.
’Those cars aren’t too expensive; they should fit what Yang Hui can afford right now.’
"When are you planning to take me with you?"
"Honestly, being an operations manager at Ruijing Commerce is a better fit for you. If you leave, your income might not be as high or as stable as it is here. You need to think this through carefully."
"I’ve thought it through very carefully. Can we stop with the pointless warnings?"
He feigned anger. "Is that any way to talk to your boss?"
"When you were checking out my chest and my ass every day, how come you didn’t pull the ’I’m the boss’ card then?"
"I... How did you know?"
He was about to deny it, but his guilty conscience stopped him.
"You know the saying: walk by the riverside long enough, and your shoes are bound to get wet. You look every single day. Of course I’d catch you a few times!"
"Yang Na, I’m about to register a commerce company. I’ll start by representing some brands. You can come and help me run it, or you could come with me to Futong Commerce.
"The difference is, if you work for me, I’ll be the one setting your salary. At Futong Commerce, we’d have to follow their pay scale. I’d only have a say, not the final decision."
She stopped and stared at Yang Hui, as if she’d never imagined he had the financial means to start his own company.
"Do you have enough money?"
He couldn’t help but laugh. "What, if I don’t have enough, are you going to fund me?"
"That depends on how much you need. I can probably find a way to get you up to 500,000."
’I already knew from her expensive clothes at the office that she must come from a well-off family, but I never thought a 25-year-old could come up with 500,000 just like that.’
Of course, he didn’t need her money. "Once the project is confirmed, you can invest if you’re interested. If not, you can just come work for me, and I’ll pay you a salary."
’If Yang Na is determined to follow me, it’s better if she works for me directly. If I take her to Futong Commerce, I’ll probably be quitting myself in three months. That would just be screwing her over, wouldn’t it?’
’Every time I change jobs, my income doubles. But for her, frequent job-hopping would be a black mark on her resume.’
"Then I’ll work for you. And if you need it, I can invest a little, too."
"Let me finalize the project in the next couple of days, and then we’ll set a time to talk details."
’I’ll go see Zhang Chun tonight and ask him about it. He promised to help me find some brands to represent. With his connections, I should get an answer soon!’
He told Yang Na to head back upstairs first, since the party wasn’t over yet.
"It’s fine. I’ll wait for you to leave, then I’ll go up."
She followed Yang Hui toward the parking lot. Up ahead, parked next to each other, were a Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a Nissan Sylphy.
She joked, "Boss, why would you buy a car from the Japs?"
He didn’t get it. "When did I buy a car from the Japs?"
Yang Na smiled. "Don’t tell me you didn’t know the Sylphy is a Japanese brand."
Just as she spoke, the lights of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class flashed on. The geometric multibeam headlights carved two trails of ice-blue light through the gloom.
Yang Hui pulled open the driver’s side door. "Go on back, Yang Na. I’ll contact you in a couple of days."
The black E-Class was like an elegant gentleman. Combined with Yang Hui’s chiseled features, it was impossible to tell if the car was accentuating his sharp-edged charisma, or if he was the one breathing life into the machine.
Soon, only the car’s taillights were visible in the distance, but Yang Na remained standing there, lost in a daze.
’So it wasn’t the Sylphy... He’s already driving a Mercedes!’
’When did he get to this level?’
This man had always been cheerful, handsome, upright, trustworthy, responsible, and principled. But as of today, he was also shrouded in an aura of mystery.
This mystery made her heart flutter once more. She was distracted and lost in thought all the way back to the private room.
"Yang Na, you two were down there for over ten minutes. Long enough for a ’close encounter,’ wouldn’t you say?"
"Li Qing, you’re underestimating our boss. Careful, or I’ll tattle on you!"
"Haha, I’m not scared. He can’t dock my bonus anymore!"
Yang Na was in no mood for their teasing. She was already looking forward to her next meeting with Yang Hui—a private meeting, just the two of them.
Yang Hui parked in the Tianyu Hotel’s lot. A quick glance around revealed that the Rolls-Royce Phantoms and Mercedes-Benz GLS SUVs from the afternoon were still there. ’Looks like that big shot hasn’t left yet. Why would Zhang Chun ask me to come chat under these circumstances?’
The room number Zhang Chun had given him was for the presidential suite. ’Is the treatment at Xinyue Group this good? Regional directors can stay in the presidential suite?’
He went to register at the front desk, where security was tight. The hotel staff only granted him access after his information matched the "Visitor Registration Form" provided by the guest he was seeing.
The presidential suite’s floor had its own separate security access; non-registered individuals had to be escorted up by an assistant lobby manager.
This was his first time in a presidential suite. Before his eyes could even take it all in, his nose caught a fragrance of cedarwood and orris root—a custom blend called "Breath of the Clouds," used exclusively to welcome guests of the presidential suite.
"A Hui!"
Zhang Chun’s smile was as warm and approachable as ever, but for some reason, he seemed a little on edge today.
"Brother Chun!"
Yang Hui followed him to the formal sitting area, and they took seats opposite each other on an eight-person circular sofa.
He took a moment to survey the suite, noticing a grand piano by the window.
Solid wood paneling, gold leaf inlays, a hand-woven Persian rug.
’He would never have even dared to imagine such luxury before. Now, he figured he should learn how others enjoy life. With his current income, he could stay in a suite like this whenever he wanted, without any financial pressure at all.’
Zhang Chun personally brewed a cup of tea for Yang Hui. "Have a taste. It’s this year’s new harvest."
"Giving me good tea is like casting pearls before swine," he joked. "I’m perfectly happy with the cheap twenty-yuan-a-pound stuff we serve at the office!"
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