Chapter 74: My Desperate Counterattack

I was speeding down the road, my mind foggy and heavy—completely different from the confident feeling I had this morning when heading to work.

Just then, my phone rang.

Honestly, I was irritated and didn't want to answer any calls.

But it depended on who was calling.

I looked at the screen and saw it was Zhao Hu.

"Zhao Hu, what's going on? Why are you transferring that Liu Jing woman back to HR? They say she needs retraining. Also, am I still in charge of this department?"

Hearing this, my heart sank even further. It made me realize that I absolutely could not lose this position.

I said to Zhao Hu, "Alright, just go back to HR for retraining first. We'll deal with things when I get back."

After hanging up, I pulled over to the roadside and thought—my only hope was to seek help from Gu Xiaofei.

After all, she was the one who got me this position in the first place. Now that I've been knocked down, surely she won't ignore me!

With a mixture of anxiety and hope, I called Gu Xiaofei.

Lately, she seemed less attentive to me; every time I called, it took ages for her to pick up.

Her first question was blunt: "Zhao Jian, what exactly do you want from me?"

"Sister Xiaofei, I…"

Seeing me hesitate, she suddenly snapped, "Zhao Jian, are you still a man or not? If you have something to say, just say it."

"Zhang Zhiyuan is removing me as sales manager. He wants to transfer me."

Hearing that, Liu Jing was surprised and asked, "Why would he target you? Doesn't he know that behind you stands me?"

I said, "It's not that simple. Recently, one of our company's deals went wrong. The client wants to terminate contract with Xingchang, and Zhang is panicking, so he wants to replace me."

Gu Xiaofei had been through thick and thin; there wasn't a situation she hadn't seen. After hearing me, she immediately knew someone had stabbed me in the back.

"Zhao Jian, you really disappoint me. I've already given you such valuable resources, and you don't know how to use them? Do you need me to teach you?"

I was at a loss for what she meant, standing there dumbfounded.

She said, "If they are using a client to pressure you, then you can use a client to pressure them. Who is bigger than Yuxing Group among Xingchang's clients? With such a powerful backer, what are you afraid of?"

Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

Actually, the reason Zhang Zhiyuan dares not pick a fight with me now is partly because Gu Xiaofei backs me, and partly because of that major client, Yuxing.

Since Yuxing is cooperating with Xingchang to protect my interests, I naturally can use them to make a big move.

Gu Xiaofei added, "If you can't even handle this, don't bother calling me again—I don't want any useless bums."

After hanging up, a great pressure weighed down on me.

Perhaps this is the humility of ordinary people: to rise, you must pay a much higher price than others.

I thought for a moment and called Shen Minhong.

"Sorry, General Shen, I have some trouble to bother you with today."

Upon hearing me, Shen Minhong suddenly said, "Zhao Jian, there's no need to be so polite. Just say it."

I tentatively asked, "General Shen, when will Yuxing order products from Xingchang?"

Shen Minhong was puzzled by my question. She said, "I'm not sure about that. You'd better ask Purchasing Manager Zhu. He knows the details."

I thought for a moment and said, "Thank you, General Shen."

"Zhao Jian, no need for polite talk. How about dinner tonight? Consider it your way of thanking me."

Honestly, it was hard to refuse, especially since I was in a bad mood and wanted someone to talk to.

I agreed, "Alright then!"

She said, "Six in the evening, let's meet at Golden Coast Grand Hotel. Don't be late."

After hanging up, I called my wife to tell her I was meeting a client that evening.

Actually, I wasn't lying—Shen Minhong is indeed an important client.

Whether there is a private relationship between us, no one can say.

My wife didn't say much, just told me to take care of myself.

Then I called Zhu Tongbiao from Yuxing's purchasing department.

As soon as he answered, he said, "Manager Zhao, what can I do for you?"

I thought for a moment and asked, "Manager Zhu, can you do me a favor?"

"From what you said and your relationship with General Shen, everyone at Yuxing knows you. Just say the word and I'll get it done."

It's said people are sycophants these days. Hearing this, I knew Zhu Tongbiao was one.

Since he's a flatterer, he would handle things smoothly. Maybe this would make things easier.

I said, "Can you contact our General Manager Zhang and tell him the contract was signed with me? Without my involvement, Yuxing wouldn't honor it."

Zhu Tongbiao had been navigating the workplace for a long time. With his sharp sense, he immediately sensed trouble.

"Don't worry. Leave it to me—I'll pressure Zhang Zhiyuan."

Having connections makes things easier. Now I finally understood that.

I knew mere pressure from Zhu Tongbiao wasn't enough.

What I needed to do next was to go to Zhang Zhiyuan's house.

Because I understood that the boss's wife was also a powerful chess piece for me—and when necessary, could unleash a big move.

More importantly, if Qin Jingyi found out Liu Jing was Zhang Zhiyuan's mistress, would there be a huge scandal?

With my plan set, I immediately went to Zhang Zhiyuan's house.

The enemy was already launching an unscrupulous attack, so naturally I had to show them some strength.

Back when I was Zhang Zhiyuan's driver, I came to this villa every day.

But now, standing before the villa, I suddenly felt uneasy.

Maybe socializing was never my specialty, but to stand steady in this world, I had to do it.

I rang the doorbell and after a long wait, the housekeeper finally opened.

Speaking of the housekeeper—she was in her early thirties, well-endowed, dressed like a twenty-year-old girl. My first impression was that she wasn't reliable.

I didn't know why Zhang Zhiyuan would employ such a person as housekeeper. I thought maybe Zhang Zhiyuan had an affair with her.

But if that were true, how could Zhang's wife tolerate it?

After all, Zhang Zhiyuan's wife might overlook his affairs outside, but hiring such a housekeeper was basically bringing a mistress home.

No matter how I thought it through, I couldn't piece together a logical explanation.

When the housekeeper saw me, she was quite surprised—I hadn't chauffeured Zhang for a long time.

"Xiao Zhao, what are you doing here?"

I thought a moment and said, "I'm here to see the boss's wife. Is she home?"

The housekeeper's expression suddenly grew flustered. She said, "No, the boss's wife is out."

My intuition told me that wasn't true.

I suddenly sensed the housekeeper and the boss's wife were in cahoots.

So why would she lie to me? The boss's wife knew my background.

I said, "Please tell the boss's wife I'm here to see her. She will surely meet me."

But the housekeeper still shook her head. "She's not home. Maybe you can come back this evening."

I sneered inside—if I waited till evening, it'd be too late.

If she's at home, why not meet me? I was pondering this.

Just then, I saw a white sedan parked not far away.

Zhang Zhiyuan's villa was inside a gated community. Each household has its own garage.

For this car to park outside like that, something was definitely strange.

A strong feeling rose in my mind—could it be the boss's wife was having an affair right now?

Only this could explain everything I had encountered.

When I first met Qin Jingyi, I was captivated by her beauty.

I always thought of her as a goddess above us all.

But now, my worldview was completely shattered.

This boss's wife not only had something with Zhao Hu, she was now bringing some ruffian home for secret trysts.

Keep in mind Zhao Hu was currently in HR training. I knew if I couldn't regain the sales manager position, Zhao Hu would have to leave the company.

Knowing the boss's wife had an affair with Zhao Hu was why I was risking everything to find her.

I originally thought the boss's wife had feelings for Zhao Hu. Now it seemed I was mistaken again.

I just didn't know who this man sneaking around with the boss's wife was—or if he intended to take care of her forever.

Seeing me loitering at the door, the housekeeper seemed anxious. She said, "I already told you, the boss's wife isn't home. Why don't you just leave?"

I thought a moment and said, "I'm waiting here for the boss's wife to come back."

Just as I finished speaking, a beautiful face appeared at the second-floor window.

She said to the housekeeper, "Xiaojie, Xiao Zhao isn't a stranger. Let him in."

The housekeeper looked reluctant, but since the boss's wife ordered it, she had no choice.