In this photograph, Lin Mei is adjusting her shoulder strap, revealing half her face.
When magnified, an opened pack of Okamoto condoms can be seen on the bedside table.
It’s a post-coital perspective. Could Xing Zheng be trying to blackmail her with this photo?
If so, that’s incredibly low-class.
Lin Mei intended to reply and ask, but then received another text message from Xing Zheng. It was a string of characters, likely his address in Nanjiang City, in the Zhuhua Villa District. As its name suggested, it was a place so expensive that ordinary working-class people like her could only dream of it.
Lin Mei was busy eating her beef noodles and didn't reply to Xing Zheng. She had his address now, and they could arrange something later.
She didn't have the energy to see him these days. She was still five million two hundred thousand short of her quarterly quota and needed to secure her savings quota next week.
***
Being a client manager isn't an easy job. With performance targets hanging over their heads, the work pressure is much greater than for ordinary bank tellers.
During the performance review meeting mid-week, Chen Qi was singled out for criticism by the deputy bank president for failing to meet his performance targets.
The deputy bank president always spoke harshly, belittling Chen Qi to no end, making Chen Qi's face turn green.
After the performance review meeting, several colleagues came to comfort Chen Qi.
“Old Liu always talks like that. After all these years, don’t you know him? Don’t take it to heart.”
“Just let it go in one ear and out the other. Of us here, who hasn’t been scolded by him?”
Chen Qi, with a dejected expression, thanked the colleagues who came to comfort him. He then looked at Lin Mei and said, “Let’s go out for lunch.”
In front of her colleagues, Lin Mei couldn't refuse. She put away her documents and went out to lunch with Chen Qi.
Chen Qi didn't put on a show in front of Lin Mei. During lunch, he kept complaining.
“Old Liu is just targeting me. So many people didn’t meet their targets, why is he only scolding me?”
“I’ve worked so hard these past few years, and they don’t see it. When it comes to promotions, I’m never considered!”
Chen Qi complained a lot. That was his personality: he was vain and sensitive, couldn’t handle criticism, and had poor psychological resilience. A few scoldings would shatter his fragile heart.
Lin Mei used to comfort him often, but after a while, no one could stand it.
Not to mention that she now knew he was cheating. Lin Mei had seen through Chen Qi.
After Chen Qi’s incessant complaining, he noticed Lin Mei wasn’t comforting him and asked, “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Lin Mei said calmly, “Old Liu scolded others just now, Zhang Ying, Li Yang, Chen Bin, they were all scolded.”
Chen Qi didn’t remember any of that. He didn’t care about others; he only cared about himself being scolded!
“It’s no use being angry,” Lin Mei reminded him while eating her salad. “The performance review is next week. You should try to find a way to make up your performance numbers first.”
“It’s all that rich kid from the tech company’s fault! He promised everything when we were drinking, but he went back on his word when he sobered up!” Chen Qi slammed the table in anger, drawing many curious glances.
Lin Mei frowned at his uncouth action. “What are you doing?”
Seeing that everyone was looking, Chen Qi regained some composure. He apologized to Lin Mei, “I’m sorry, honey. I’ve been under too much stress lately, and I shouldn’t have said those things to you just now.”
Lin Mei shook her head. “Let’s eat.”
***
Lin Mei was also out drumming up business for her performance targets.
In the evening, she had arranged to meet a client at Rufeng Club. At seven o’clock, the client arrived, and Lin Mei stepped forward to greet him. “Mr. Zhao, you’re here. Please, have a seat!”
Mr. Zhao was in his forties, not tall, a typical middle-aged man. The moment he saw Lin Mei, his eyes leered, and he came forward to shake her hand, holding it for a long time.
“Lin Mei, you’ve become even more beautiful since we last met!”
Lin Mei was a shrewd operator. She had been in sales for several years and was accustomed to such situations, knowing how to handle them.
“Mr. Zhao, you too. You look like you’ve lost so much weight since we last met!” Lin Mei’s flattery came effortlessly. “Seeing you reminds me of a saying: ‘A man at forty is a blooming flower!’”
Mr. Zhao was so flattered that the corners of his mouth turned up to his ears. “Lin Mei, you always have such sweet words!”
***
Business negotiations often involve drinking, especially when dealing with middle-aged men like Mr. Zhao. You can’t close a deal without drinking heavily.
That night, they were drinking baijiu. Lin Mei downed nearly half a liter by herself, but Mr. Zhao, seeing she was still coherent, kept pouring for her.
“Lin Mei, you truly are as capable as any man. What a capacity for drink!”
Lin Mei wasn’t drunk, but her stomach was burning. Mr. Zhao, the idiot, had been forcing drinks down her throat since she sat down. Lin Mei’s stomach wasn’t good from years of drinking, and drinking so much on an empty stomach was causing excruciating pain.
Enduring the stomachache, Lin Mei pushed the deposit agreement in front of Mr. Zhao and said in a strained voice, “Mr. Zhao, let’s get the main business done first, and then I can relax and drink with you!”
Mr. Zhao, the old lecher, felt his heart melt upon hearing Lin Mei speak like that. He had also had a few drinks and was feeling bold. He picked up the agreement and signed it decisively. After putting down the pen, he held Lin Mei’s hand and said, “Come, Lin Mei, let’s continue drinking.”
Lin Mei pulled her hand back and smiled. “I’ll refill your glass, Mr. Zhao!”
Mr. Zhao, who had intended to get Lin Mei drunk, ended up getting drunk himself, thanks to Lin Mei.
After getting Mr. Zhao thoroughly drunk, Lin Mei helped him out of the private room and handed him over to his driver.
“Lin Mei, truly… you capture my heart.”
“Why would such a beautiful woman need to work? Consider this: be my mistress, and I’ll give you a hundred thousand a month!”
“Mr. Zhao is drunk. Thank you for seeing him home.” Lin Mei saw them downstairs and turned to leave when a sharp, burning pain shot through her stomach.
Lin Mei clutched her abdomen and squatted down. In her pain, a pair of black leather shoes came into view.
Lin Mei looked up and saw Xing Zheng looking down at her, his gaze laced with a hint of mockery.