Want This Job? Then Pay Up!

"Li Junsheng, hurry up! Just press your fingerprint already—stop dragging your feet!"

The impatient voice of Ma Yulian rang in Li Junsheng's ears, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Hadn't he died?

How could he still hear Ma Yulian's voice?

With great effort, Li Junsheng opened his eyes and saw Ma Yulian—now in her forties—staring at him with an expression of urgency and irritation.

Beside her stood Chen Dazhu and his son, Chen Zhiyuan!

When Li Junsheng looked over, Chen Dazhu plastered a fake smile on his face and clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Old Li, do us a favor. You've watched Zhiyuan grow up, and now he's at the age where he needs to get married. Just let him take over your job at the factory for now. Once he finds a wife, he'll return the position to you immediately!"

"And he's only borrowing the title to help with marriage prospects. Every month's salary will still go to you!"

Chen Dazhu's words sent a jolt through Li Junsheng's heart.

This… wasn't this the exact moment in 1981 when his wife, Ma Yulian, had conspired with Chen Dazhu and his son to swindle him out of his job at the machinery factory?

Had he been reborn back to 1981?

His fingers trembled slightly as he looked at the written agreement Ma Yulian had already prepared on the table.

This very meal had once altered the course of his life!

Ma Yulian and her childhood friend Chen Dazhu had set up a trap for him—getting him drunk before coaxing him into signing the document, agreeing to "temporarily" hand over his state-owned factory job to Chen Zhiyuan.

Chen Dazhu's sweet talk about returning the job and giving him the salary was nothing but lies. Once the paperwork was done, the job would never come back to him!

The father and son, along with Ma Yulian, would immediately turn their backs on him, denying everything they'd promised today.

He had no proof of their verbal assurances, but they had ironclad evidence that he had "voluntarily" given up his job.

The memories surged, fueling Li Junsheng's fury.

In his past life, this despicable pair had ruined him—costing him his respectable job, leaving him unemployed, and tearing his family apart. Ma Yulian had despised him so much that she'd extended that hatred to their four children.

Back then, he'd been blind and foolish. But now that he'd been given a second chance, he refused to repeat the same mistakes!

Taking a deep breath, Li Junsheng finally spoke. "Chen Dazhu, you want my job at the machinery factory, right?"

"Of course, Old Li! You must be a little drunk, huh?" Chen Zhiyuan immediately grinned, his eyes flickering with calculation. "We already agreed earlier—just sign here and press your fingerprint."

"Agreed?" Li Junsheng let out a cold laugh. "We never discussed money. How could we have agreed on anything? Did you really think I'd hand over such a good job for free?"

"Li Junsheng, have you lost your mind?"

Ma Yulian slammed the table and stood up, pointing at him with undisguised scorn. "What kind of relationship do we have with Old Chen? All you have to do is say a word at the factory—it's not like it costs you anything! And now you have the nerve to ask for money?!"

In the past, his meek and spineless self would have caved immediately, obeying Ma Yulian's demands without another word.

But Li Junsheng had already died once. He had lived through decades of suffering—especially in his later years, when illness had left him at the mercy of Ma Yulian and his eldest son's abuse.

After his miserable death, he had awakened to the truth. He was no longer the same man.

Ma Yulian couldn't control him anymore.

"Why wouldn't I ask for money? You call this 'temporarily' handing over the job, but who's to say Chen Zhiyuan will ever give it back? If you want this job so badly, then pay for it!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Chen Dazhu and Chen Zhiyuan were first stunned by his defiance—then overjoyed, their lips twitching with barely suppressed glee.

"Deal! We'll buy the job outright—that way, Old Li can rest easy!"

Chen Dazhu quickly agreed, afraid Li Junsheng might change his mind. This was an unexpected windfall!

They had originally planned to trick him out of his job, but now he was willing to sell it?

Had the alcohol gone to his head? Was he not thinking straight?

Even Ma Yulian was baffled. Since when was Li Junsheng willing to give up such a coveted position at the state-owned factory?

If she'd known earlier, why would she have bothered scheming?

But then there was the matter of the money…

"You can't possibly expect—"

Ma Yulian's protest was cut off by Chen Dazhu.

"Yulian, Old Li's right. A job at the machinery factory is a lifelong iron rice bowl—such good benefits! No wonder he's reluctant. Paying for it is only fair. In fact, we're getting the better end of the deal!"

"It's just money—we'll pay! Name your price, Old Li, and we'll get the paperwork done at the factory."

Pay first, then get the paperwork done?

Chen Dazhu's grin was so wide it threatened to split his face, but he still made sure to sweet-talk Li Junsheng.

Looking at Chen Dazhu's hypocritical expression, Li Junsheng sneered inwardly.

Neither Chen Dazhu nor Ma Yulian knew that their factory was about to undergo reforms. With an excess of employees, management was preparing to lay off some of the older workers.

At fifty years old, Li Junsheng's name was already on the chopping block!

In other words, this job would soon be worthless.

Chen Dazhu wanted it?

Fine—he could have it!

But not for free. Li Junsheng needed startup capital for his next venture, and this was the perfect opportunity to get it.

With that in mind, Li Junsheng chuckled and raised his glass toward Chen Dazhu. "Now that's what I call recognizing value! My job at the machinery factory is top-notch—salaries are always on time, retirement benefits are solid, and if you're lucky, the factory even assigns housing."

"Spending a little money to buy it is a steal. I won't ask for much—just a thousand yuan, and the job's yours."

"A thousand yuan?! Uncle Li, you might as well rob us!"

Chen Zhiyuan gasped, outraged by the audacity.

"Rob you? This job is one in a million—there's no market price for it!"

Li Junsheng didn't even glance at him. "If you think I'm robbing you, then tell your father not to buy it."

Ma Yulian stared at Li Junsheng in disbelief, utterly perplexed.

What was wrong with him today?

He had always been so obedient—she said jump, and he asked how high. But now, when she tried to trick him into giving up his job, he turned around and demanded payment?

And such an outrageous sum at that!

Was it the alcohol? Liquid courage for a coward?

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Li Junsheng never drank—who knew how he acted when drunk?

Chen Dazhu was the first to recover. Shooting his son a look to stand down, he quickly put on a jovial smile.

"Old Li, don't mind him—Zhiyuan's young and doesn't know how to talk!"

"A thousand yuan for a machinery factory job? That's a fair deal! We accept!"

"How about we settle this today?"

"Fine." Li Junsheng popped a peanut into his mouth, his smile laced with mockery. "But you pay first. No money, no paperwork."

Chen Dazhu froze for a second before glancing at Ma Yulian.

Catching the signal, she immediately snapped, "Li Junsheng, don't push it! Old Chen has done so much for us!"

"Have you forgotten? He's the one who saved me from drowning!"