69novels Chapter 40 Sense of Security
Chapter 40 Sense of Security
It turns out that a sense of security is never given by love, but earned by oneself.
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The Tianyi Group's New Year's annual meeting was dragged out until February 1st. Although there were still two months until the performance-based deadline for the two business lines, the financing funds for both lines had been fully received. This was a real victory, enough for Zhang Zhishan and Yu Li to be proud of for quite some time.
The couple, who are usually at odds and constantly bickering, surprisingly reached a high degree of consensus this time: this year's annual meeting must be grand and extravagant, to put it bluntly, it's for outsiders to see, and all they want is that show of grandeur.
As a result, the red carpet at the annual meeting stretched halfway around the venue, and the spotlights were so bright they were blinding, making it comparable to a top-tier awards ceremony. Almost all the partners were invited, and even third- and fourth-tier celebrities were brought in to show their support, as if they wanted to turn this annual meeting into a city-wide carnival extravaganza.
What's even more interesting is that Zhang Zhishan's delicate and pretty little lover Nuonuo and Yu Li's ambiguous relationship with Wang Xiaoye also made a grand appearance together, even trending on social media.
Zhang Zhishan and Yu Li, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, holding hands and smiling brightly. They played the role of a model couple who were in sync and built their business together with great skill. They perfectly captured the image of a loving couple, and even the "tacit understanding" in their eyes was impeccable.
In short, the core theme of this year's annual meeting can be summed up in two words: high profile.
The year-end bonuses were outrageously extravagant, with mountains of lavish gifts and cash raining down from the blowers. Limited-edition luxury prizes were also piling up, and the screams and cheers nearly punctured the roof of the venue. The employees present were all green with envy; no one cared about the bosses' hypocritical act or the calculations behind the festivities. They were all completely absorbed in the dazzling, decadent atmosphere, thoroughly enjoying this extravagant year-end celebration.
Only two people stood out from the celebratory atmosphere – Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen.
They were responsible for banging the drums and blowing the trumpets for this expensive production, so busy that even taking a deep breath was a luxury.
After finally finishing coordinating one segment, Zeng Jia glanced at the stage. The dazzling jewelry around Nuonuo's neck—wasn't that the thing she had personally taken from the villa's safe? Then she looked at Yu Li next to her, smiling at Nuonuo with such a gentle and kind smile. If Wang Haowen hadn't already told her that Yu Li knew everything perfectly well, she would have almost thought that Zhang Zhishan's "deception" had succeeded.
"What are you thinking about? Your eyes are practically glued to the stage." Wang Haowen had just downed half a bottle of water, and his voice was still hoarse like sandpaper.
"It's nothing," Zeng Jia said quietly, turning her gaze away. "I just envy President Yu's good teeth. He can gnaw on any hard bone and chew it with relish."
Wang Haowen followed her gaze and glanced at Wang Xiaoye. A sudden pang of jealousy shot through his heart. "Old Zhang's got some nerve. He was treating me like a thief before, absolutely refusing to let me sign the marriage certificate with this woman. And today, he's personally taking her out for a stroll. Don't you think he's afraid that President Yu will flip the table on the spot and turn this company year-end party into a full-blown brawl?"
"Who cares? Let them act however they want. We'll just treat it as paying for a ticket to see a monkey show." Zeng Jia picked up the schedule and suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, the 8th is the 80th birthday of the Zhang family matriarch. The whole Zhang family has to go back to Zhejiang. Make sure you remember that and lock in Mr. Yu's schedule. Make sure there are no scheduling conflicts."
Wang Haowen quickly scrolled through his phone's schedule, "What day of the week?"
"Tuesday!"
"No way," Wang Haowen refused decisively, "I can't attend the second round of financing signing ceremony with President Yu that afternoon!"
Zeng Jia was taken aback, not expecting this. "Can't the signing ceremony be moved by one day? It's the old lady's 80th birthday, and if President Yu doesn't go, President Zhang will definitely be anxious."
Wang Haowen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Sister! Do you think this is a vegetable market? How many eyes are watching a listed company's contract signing! It's just the old lady's birthday; will the sky fall if she loses one daughter-in-law? If it really comes down to it, talk to General Manager Zhang and ask him to change the birthday banquet to a lunar calendar date!"
"Wang Haowen, what nonsense are you talking about? Changing the date for his 80th birthday? Are you afraid that President Zhang isn't tough enough and want him to be riddled with criticism? Besides, President Yu is the legitimate eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhang family. If she doesn't show up, she'll be drowned in spittle. Don't you even know what social etiquette is?!"
Wang Haowen was also provoked. "Zeng Xiaojia, you're a woman too, why don't you speak up for women? You're acting like an old feudalist. Does a daughter-in-law have to be a servant, a slave? Tomorrow is my dad's birthday, and if you don't go, and I don't utter a single word, I'll write my name backwards, I absolutely won't hold it against you!"
"Did I even bring up family matters with you?" Zeng Jia was so angry she was practically blind. "I'm talking about work, a confirmed arrangement. What nonsense are you trying to pull?!"
"Do you think you can separate work and life? If it weren't for buying you a house, and being obsessed with it, would I need to be here every day acting like a grandson or a dog, constantly having to watch other people's faces?" Wang Haowen blurted out without thinking.
"Buy me a house?! Be my dog?!" Zeng Jia was shocked to the core. "You won't live in the house? You won't spend your salary? You won't pay the heating and water bills? Wang Haowen, do you have any shame?! Just tell him it was President Yu who set the date, you don't have the guts to change it, and you don't want to change it. Don't use buying a house as an excuse!"
"Yes! I don't want to change it. I don't think such an important event should be postponed just for the old lady's birthday." Wang Haowen was completely desperate. "There are only two months left until the deadline for the bet. Zhang Zhishan is short-sighted and definitely can't compete with President Yu. If you follow Zhang Zhishan, you're doomed to lose. You're forcing me to change the financing signing date, are you just trying to deliberately cause trouble?"
Zeng Jia's face instantly darkened; she felt her features freeze. "Wang Haowen, am I really that bad in your eyes? Then why did you marry me? With the current economic situation, Yu Li's methods simply won't work. Do you really need me to interfere? You overestimate yourself!"
"Do you dare say you're following Zhang Zhishan not for the money?"
"Yes! It's better than not even having a place to live with you!"
Wang Haowen finally snapped, "Aren't you still holding a grudge about that time I didn't come home immediately when you were drunk? You said you'd marry me if I bought you a house, and now my dad has agreed to sell the house to help with the down payment, what more do you want?!"
He had been feeling very stifled lately, so stifled that his chest felt constantly tight. He didn't know when it happened, but Zeng Jia's eyes no longer held entirely his image.
Even when the topic of marriage came up, she lost her previous enthusiasm. When her parents urged her to book tickets to visit her future in-laws, she made excuses. What is he after?!
Zeng Jia looked at him, her face full of absurd sarcasm. "Your dad sold an old, run-down house to make a down payment, and I'm supposed to kneel and kowtow three times and nine times to thank your Wang family ancestors for their great kindness, and from now on be their slave and treat them like royalty? Who said that you should quit your job to deliver food if there's a conflict at work? Now that it's a real issue, you're starting to act all high and mighty. So everything you said was just bullshit?! Don't you ask me who's more important? I'll tell you, work!"
"Since neither of us can convince the other, let the bosses fight it out themselves." Zeng Jia didn't want to stay a second longer and turned to leave.
"Zeng Xiaojia! What do you mean? Explain yourself..." Wang Haowen reached out to grab her arm, his fingertips just touching her cold coat when he suddenly caught Yu Li's probing gaze out of the corner of his eye.
He pulled his hand back as if he'd been electrocuted and quickly jogged towards Yu Li.
Zeng Jia strode forward, almost pushing through the crowd. The noisy music, screams, and flattery became indistinct background noise; she couldn't be bothered with such glitz and excitement, her heart filled only with a long-suppressed sense of exhilaration.
She thought that speaking her mind would cause her immense pain and make her cry bitterly, but the expected bitterness and pain did not come at all. Instead, the heavy stone in her chest called "compromise" was shattered with a "clang" and completely disappeared.
If she had known it would be this straightforward, she should have torn things up a long time ago. It was the right thing for her not to let her parents rush to Beijing!
The hustle and bustle of the annual party eventually subsided, the crowds gradually thinned out, and the huge venue was no longer filled with bright lights and revelry, only scattered confetti and confetti, balloons hanging in the air, and a sense of emptiness.
Zeng Jia seized the opportunity when the crowd around Zhang Zhishan dispersed slightly, and slipped over like a fish. "Mr. Zhang, I just confirmed with Assistant Wang that the signing ceremony for the second round of financing for President Yu's company coincides with the old lady's 80th birthday. The schedule is completely locked and cannot be changed. I'm afraid you'll have to personally go and discuss it with President Yu." She tossed this hot potato, hot enough to fry an egg, back to her boss with precision and composure.
Zhang Zhishan held a half-full glass of champagne, his smug, self-satisfied smile remaining unchanged. He simply uttered three words through gritted teeth: "Understood."
Zeng Jia turned to deal with the last wave of dawdling brand representatives, her eyes casually glancing towards the doorway, where she caught sight of Wang Haowen hunched over, urgently explaining something to Yu Li through her car window. Without a doubt, it was about the car accident at the old lady's birthday banquet; he was giving Yu Li a heads-up beforehand, letting her know.
Thinking of his previous attitude, Zeng Jia felt no disappointment or pain. Instead, she felt a huge sense of irony wash over her. Over the past few years, she had poured her heart and soul into planning their future together, scrimping and saving every penny. But with him, her sincerity had become a murky mess that was impossible to calculate or explain.
Zeng Jia gave a self-deprecating twitch. She was so damn narcissistic, overestimating her importance in his heart. She suddenly realized that if she was capable of earning her own living, why would she need to depend on anyone else?
At this moment, she actually envied Yu Li from the bottom of her heart. She envied that Yu Li could point at the top star Wang Xiaoye without any scruples and wave him away with a flourish. And Zhang Zhishan's words, which she had once sneered at, suddenly popped into her mind: Money is a woman's sense of security. You can't have anyone without money.