Gossiping Too Close to Home

The door to the private room closed.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Chen Zhi let out a long breath and turned his head, ready to share a tender moment and seek some comfort from his comrade-in-arms who had just fought alongside him.

But as soon as he turned around, Chen Zhi froze.

Pei Ningxue, who had just been leaning against his chest looking frail and acting out the I will marry no one but you and I am pregnant with your child routine, was now standing up perfectly straight.

She casually smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt, the frailty and deep affection on her face vanishing without a trace.

Alright, stop playing dead. Pei Ningxue picked up her bag from the table. The show is over. Consider this level passed.

Chen Zhi's eyes widened. What do you mean the show is over? Weren't you just saying...

Saying what? Pei Ningxue rolled her eyes at him. That I'll marry no one but you? Or that I'm going to have your baby? Boss Chen, you are nineteen and I am eighteen. We haven't even reached the legal age for marriage. Did you really plan on going to the Civil Affairs Bureau with me tomorrow?

Chen Zhi choked on his words. Then what about earlier with my father-in-law...

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Pei Ningxue walked out in her high heels. If I hadn't said that, my dad really would have stuffed you in a sack and thrown you into the Huangpu River today. You should be thanking me for my quick reflexes.

Reaching the door, Pei Ningxue stopped and glanced back at him.

I am going back to rest. You have the day off today, so don't bother me. Go chill somewhere else.

With that, the door opened and closed, and she was gone.

Chen Zhi sat in his chair, mulling over everything that had just happened.

The more he thought about it, the more something felt off.

Who was Pei Dongcheng? A decisive and ruthless old fox in the business world, a big shot worth tens of billions.

I just stole this old fox's prized cabbage, would he really need to sit at a dinner table and earnestly reason with me?

He went to all that trouble to get those photos and schedule the emails, all just to force me into saying I will only marry Pei Ningxue?

And thinking back to how fast Pei Ningxue's attitude just changed.

Tossed aside once used, absolutely heartless!

Chen Zhi slapped his thigh hard.

Fuck!

I got played!

This father and daughter definitely colluded beforehand! One played the bad cop, the other played the good cop. One held a knife to my neck, and the other offered me a way out, smoothly swindling that crucial promise out of me!

Chen Zhi sucked in a breath of cold air, realizing it all in hindsight.

Damn it, I got scammed.

Leaving the hotel, Chen Zhi took a stroll down the street.

He didn't know where to go.

Back to Peking University? Li Zhiyi was probably in class right now.

Go to the hotel to find Lin Wanwan? Better not, he had just betrayed his girlfriend a little today and felt pretty guilty about it.

Since he had nothing else to do, Chen Zhi decided to go inspect his company.

Dai Damai and that bunch of miserable programmers were still coding day and night. As the boss, he should buy some afternoon tea to show his appreciation, and while he was at it, see how that little wolf cub Jiang Ke was being shaped up in the administrative department.

He hailed a cab and headed straight for the Huanmao Center.

As soon as he arrived downstairs at the office building, Chen Zhi noticed something was wrong.

In the open space outside the main entrance, a massive crowd was gathered, surrounded three layers deep.

Delivery guys, cleaning ladies, and passing white-collar workers were all craning their necks to look inside.

A few property security guards stood nearby, sweating profusely with anxiety. They were calling for backup on their walkie-talkies but didn't dare to go up and forcefully pull anyone away.

There is drama to watch!

Relying on his youth and strength, Chen Zhi forcibly squeezed his way from the very back of the crowd to the front row.

Right in the center of the crowd sat a middle-aged man in his fifties.

The man was wearing a yellowing old jacket, his hair a messy bird's nest.

He was sitting on the ground, slapping his thighs with both hands and howling at the top of his lungs.

There is no justice! Bullying an honest man!

Everyone, judge for yourselves! My college-educated daughter, who I worked so hard to put through school, is being treated like a beast of burden by them!

As the man yelled, he wiped away tears. He looked as miserable as could be.

Chen Zhi sidled up to an auntie carrying a grocery basket nearby.

Auntie, what is going on? Why is this uncle sitting on the ground crying?

The auntie, who was listening intently, saw a young man striking up a conversation and enthusiastically began to explain.

It is a sin! This brother says his daughter works upstairs and got scammed by a black-hearted boss!

Hearing this, a sense of justice immediately surged in Chen Zhi's heart.

The companies renting offices here in the Huanmao Center were all Internet upstarts or financial firms of various sizes. How could there be such blatant exploitation of employees?

Uncle! Chen Zhi shouted, biting into a popsicle. Don't just cry, tell us the details. How was she scammed?

Seeing someone offering him a platform, the man on the ground instantly got energized.

He scrambled up from the ground and pointed up at the building.

My daughter, she graduated from a prestigious university! A top student from the law school!

Other interns get paid over ten thousand a month! But for my daughter, they only give her three thousand yuan!

And that is not all! They make my daughter do all the dirty and tiring work! Serving tea and pouring water, fetching takeout, and even sweeping the floors and scrubbing the toilets!

The man grew more and more agitated as he spoke, spit flying everywhere.

That boss simply isn't human! His heart is black and rotting! He is treating my daughter like a servant girl from the old society!

The surrounding crowd immediately let out a collective gasp.

That is too much. What can you do with three thousand yuan in Beijing? It is not even enough to rent a basement!

Exactly, and making a top student scrub toilets. Is this boss a psychopath?

Chen Zhi listened and shook his head, the popsicle in his hand suddenly losing its sweetness.

What a scumbag! Chen Zhi joined in the cursing, filled with righteous indignation. What kind of garbage company is this? Isn't this pure exploitation of labor?

He looked at the man on the ground, his face full of sympathy.

Uncle, you are in the right here! A student from a prestigious university, and they give her three thousand to do a cleaner's job. Even a capitalist would shed tears seeing this! What an absolute animal!

The man slapped his thigh, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and grabbed Chen Zhi's arm.

Young man, you understand! I came here today to demand an explanation! If they don't raise my daughter's salary, and if they don't bring that black-hearted boss out to kowtow and apologize to me, I am going to sleep right here at the front door and never leave!

The auntie nearby was also furious.

Exactly! It is so hard for young people to find jobs nowadays. We can't let these black-hearted companies run rampant! Brother, which company does your daughter work for? We will help you expose him! We will get the media to expose him!

Yes! Expose him! Chen Zhi joined in the uproar, eager to stir the pot. Uncle, say it loud, which company is it? We have got your back!

The man took a deep breath and pointed a finger at the Huanmao Center building.

It is right upstairs! On the twentieth floor!

It is called Deep Space Technology!

The surrounding air seemed to freeze in that instant.

The righteously indignant auntie froze.

The onlookers who were ready to join the condemnation also fell silent.

Deep Space Technology?

Twentieth floor?

Top student from a prestigious university's law school?

Three thousand a month, serving tea and pouring water?

These few keywords rapidly rearranged themselves in Chen Zhi's mind, ultimately piecing together a familiar name: Jiang Ke.

Fuck.

This was Jiang Ke's bloodsucking biological father coming to knock on the door!

Damn it, I just ate my own drama.

What did he just call himself a moment ago?

Damn it, it is all Jiang Ke's fault!

"Young man!" The old geezer grabbed Chen Zhi's arm like a drowning man clutching at a straw. "You were right just now! The boss of Deep Space Tech is a beast! Help me call that hotline thing, let's expose this animal together!"

Chen Zhi coughed dryly twice and quietly pulled his arm out of the old geezer's grip.

"Um... Sir." Chen Zhi took a half-step back. "About this... I think we need to look at it rationally. We can't just listen to one side of the story, right..."

"What do you mean one side of the story!" The old geezer flared up. "My daughter told me herself!"

Chen Zhi's eyelids twitched wildly.

The surrounding crowd had already started pulling out their phones to record the scene.

Just then, several people hurried out of the building's revolving doors.

Leading the pack was Jiang Ke, her face full of anxiety.

Behind her followed two administrative staff members from Deep Space Tech.

Jiang Ke immediately spotted her father throwing a tantrum in the middle of the crowd, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

"Dad! What are you doing!"

Jiang Ke rushed over, grabbed the man's arm, and yelled in a lowered voice, "Are you crazy? Who told you to come here and make a scene!"

Seeing his daughter come out, the old geezer did not dial it back at all; instead, his voice grew even louder.

"Why can't I come! You wretched girl, getting bullied like this and you don't even dare to utter a peep! I am going to demand an explanation from your boss today!"

"Shut up!" Jiang Ke was so anxious she was almost crying. She had finally managed to gain a foothold in the company today. If the boss found out about this, she would definitely be kicked to the curb.

She looked up, just about to explain things to the surrounding crowd, when her gaze suddenly swept over Chen Zhi standing in the front row.

Jiang Ke's breath caught in her throat.

It is over.

It is all over.