But just as Zhou Rui was brewing her coffee beans, Zhou Kai and his group hurried up to her. Zhou Rui looked at the bunch with confusion.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Rui glared and said, "Who allowed you to barge into my office?"

Zhou Kai didn't rush to respond; instead, he curiously surveyed the office. Well, you have to say, this woman's office decor is pretty nice—very proper and colorful. Basking in pride, Zhou Kai smiled and said, "Yo, little chili pepper, not bad, huh? Became our general manager already?"

As he spoke, Zhou Kai clearly showed a hint of jealousy. This position was so important; he had thought it might be his, but unexpectedly, Lin Chuan had appointed someone else. This was really disappointing. Zhou Kai didn't dare to confront Lin Chuan, so he could only mock and ridicule Zhou Rui.

"Of course." Zhou Rui snorted softly and said, "Such an important position naturally belongs to the capable, doesn't it?"

"You!" Zhou Kai was taken aback and said, "By saying that, you mean I'm incompetent?"

"Whether you're capable or not, what does that have to do with me?" Zhou Rui disdainfully glanced at Zhou Kai's crotch and said, "That should be something your future wife cares about, right?"

Ha ha...

A bunch of lackeys burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Zhou Kai was livid, angrily saying, "Little chili pepper, who made you our general manager?"

"Of course, it was Lin Chuan!" Zhou Rui smiled confidently, lightly stroking her hair and saying, "Ah, originally I didn't even want it, but Lin Chuan is such a pest. Not only did he cling to my arm and not let me go, he even stood outside my door for a whole day and night, insisting on having me take this job. What's so great about this place? Dilapidated and rundown, just a transportation company, a property management office, and that shoddy bathhouse is barely worth mentioning..."

When Zhou Kai heard this, he couldn't help but laugh; this was seriously at odds with the version he had heard.

"Little chili pepper, don't you think you're bragging a bit too much?" Zhou Kai, with hands in his pockets, scoffed coldly, "I heard that you pleaded with our Brother Chuan to find you a job. Don't think I have no clue just because I've just returned. Hmph, I might have been in the mountains, but I'm aware of everything."

"You!" Zhou Rui stared at Zhou Kai and retorted, "So what if I did? I am a returnee, an MBA graduate from a renowned American university. And you? Hmph, nothing but a brat who graduated from a third-rate domestic technical school. What do you have to compare with me?"

Zhou Rui's greatest pride was probably her educational background. From a young age, she had been praised as a prodigy, and it was with such a halo and honor she lived her life proud and pleased. It's just that after graduation, she was taken aback, finding it hard to grab a job fitting her high qualifications—a truly embarrassing reality. She was even looked down upon, mocked, and subjected to sharp, cutting criticism.

"You." Zhou Kai was infuriated.

"What? Getting riled up with me?" Zhou Rui replied irritably, walked to the side, and then unplugged the machine. The pot of brewed coffee beans released a fragrant aroma, very pleasant to smell. Zhou Rui smiled and said, "Want a cup of coffee?"

"Not interested." Zhou Kai shook his head.

"Besides arguing with me, is there anything else you need?" Zhou Rui asked, "If there's nothing else, then don't disturb my work."

"Let's hear it, what work do you have?" Zhou Kai plopped down on the couch and said, "I'd really like to see what this general manager of ours is busy with all day!"

"My job is very simple." Zhou Rui said disdainfully, "Every morning after coming in I practice an hour of yoga, then I clean the office, and give my plants and flowers a little water. Around eleven I start reading documents, and oversee the reports from the transportation company and management office. I have lunch at twelve, then take an afternoon nap. After waking, I just daydream a bit, looking at the world outside the window. If there's work to do, I do it; if not, I go home."

Zhou Kai and his crew were a bit annoyed upon hearing this.

"So tell me, how much do you make a month?" Zhou Kai asked.

"Lin Chuan said he would give me eight thousand." Zhou Rui giggled.

"You work an hour a day and still get a salary of eight thousand?!" Zhou Kai was flabbergasted.

"Of course!" Zhou Rui nodded, "Or do you need me to stretch that one hour's work over eight hours to make you feel better?"

"You!" Zhou Kai was enraged and shouted, "Enough, I won't discuss it with you, I'm going to talk to Brother Chuan."

After saying that, Zhou Kai turned and left. Zhou Rui retaliated with irritation, "Really no taste, to get me to work for eight thousand, you should hurry to the temple and light some big incense sticks."

Zhou Kai heard this and trembled. He sped away from the transportation company.

Zhou Rui snorted softly. Abroad, work advocates freedom. As long as you can complete the day's workload on time, the rest of the time is yours to manage. Whether it's reading a book or sleeping, it doesn't matter. As long as it makes you feel comfortable and relaxed, you can do whatever you like.

But in China, it's different. Bosses would rather have you work for twenty-four hours a day, unable to bear seeing you rest even for a minute.

Overseas, overtime is unimaginable. But in China, it's a very normal thing. Overseas employees typically finish their work early, then spend time in the office reading books they enjoy or doing things they like; however, in China it's different. Chinese employees slack off during work hours, but become busy as soon as it's time to leave, furiously working overtime, not for anything else but for the overtime pay.

Zhou Kai and the others rushed to find Lin Chuan.

"Brother Chuan, I'm not convinced." Zhou Kai was indignant, very upset.

"What's the matter?" Lin Chuan was getting ready to go to work.

"Why did you make little chili pepper our general manager?" Zhou Kai clenched his teeth and said, "Is there really no one suitable among the brothers?"

"Then you tell me, who is suitable?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile.

"Anyone is better than her." Zhou Kai clenched his teeth and said.

Lin Chuan laughed, took a proposal from the car, and said with a smile, "Here, this is a proposal Zhou Rui gave me the day before yesterday, containing detailed reform plans and future outlooks and plans for the company. I think she's done very well. Not to mention future plans, just this set of reform proposals alone, I find highly organized, and it could save us quite a lot of expenses."

"I can do that too." Zhou Kai quickly said.

"Can you understand this proposal?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile.

Zhou Kai was startled, quickly flipping through the thick stack of the proposal, filled with illustrations and numerous professional terms. Zhou Kai was immediately overwhelmed: "Anybody can make a proposal like this."

"Actually, Zhou Rui is not that simple," Lin Chuan said seriously, looking at Zhou Kai, "She is a great talent, willing to stoop to working with us for eight thousand yuan, which is already a blessing; in foreign countries, such talents won't be hired for less than tens of thousands of US dollars a month. Understand?"

"Is she really worth that much?" Zhou Kai said, looking indignant.

"Trust me," Lin Chuan nodded, "With Zhou Rui on board, we can save a lot of trouble in our work. Right now, because we have fewer projects, Zhou Rui's strengths are not apparent; but once we have more projects in the future, Zhou Rui's advantages will immediately come to light."

"Sigh," Zhou Kai nodded, "But still, I can't accept it. Why should the little chili pepper of the past climb above us now?"

"It's because she's educated. We're just suffering from a lack of education," Lin Chuan laughed.

"Brother Chuan, are we really going to make her our general manager?" Zhou Kai asked curiously.

"Of course!" Lin Chuan said earnestly, "After more than a week's trial, I've found that Zhou Rui is a very suitable candidate. I've decided to choose her. So, now that we've hired her, let's give her free rein to do a great job. Unless we don't want her."

"Alright," Zhou Kai nodded, "Since that's the case, then I have nothing more to say. I'll go apologize to her."

"Forget about apologizing," Lin Chuan smiled, "After all, a man has to have his pride."

Zhou Kai looked conflicted.

As Lin Chuan drove towards the City Committee, he had barely walked a few steps when he said, "Kai, when you go back this time, give Brother Zhao a heads-up to bring his brothers back next week. We must make sure the security is tight for the bathhouse opening."

"Got it." Hearing about the bathhouse opening, the gloom on Zhou Kai's face was swept away.

......

Lin Chuan's bathhouse became a focus of attention for all forces in the East District. Whether it was the Northeast Tiger or Feng Taibao, they were closely watching. Around the three-story bathhouse, there were countless people lurking, keeping an eye on the renovation progress.

Of course, near the bathhouse, there were also many of Zhou Kai's and Lu Dapao's men. These people had to be vigilant to ensure that the hard-earned renovation wouldn't be destroyed by vandals; otherwise, all efforts would have been in vain.

Lin Chuan seemed very satisfied with his current life, which was ordinary yet extraordinary.

Every day he went to work without clocking in, which might have become his special privilege. At the latest, Lin Chuan would arrive at the City Committee at eleven o'clock, and Minister Chen would have to give him a silly smile, probably hating Lin Chuan deep down. Everyone else bowed to his tyranny, but Lin Chuan was the bastard not under his control. How could he not be furious?

For Lin Chuan, an ordinary life was a pleasure, without gunfights or threats of death, nor the threat of ferocious beasts. Plus, he had a group of brothers in life, and a beautiful girlfriend who was the Secretary of the City Committee…

All of these were things Lin Chuan couldn't have imagined before, but now his life is something he's very satisfied with. His goal was to lead his brothers on a path to wealth. In addition, to marry Tang Yumeng and make her his wife would mean his life was complete.

What about Song Xiaojia?

In his mind, a sudden voice appeared, catching Lin Chuan off guard, and he abruptly fell off his chair.

"Yo, you can even take a tumble while sleeping?" Luo Guoqing laughed teasingly.

"Is it time to clock out?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Almost there," Luo Guoqing glanced at his watch.

Lin Chuan rubbed his eyes and said, "It's about time to leave, the day just flies by."

"That's why the work here is relaxed and leisurely," Luo Guoqing laughed, "You're even more comfortable; no one dares to manage you, and Secretary Tang rarely goes out, you're even more relaxed than the rest."

"Hehe, no comparison," Lin Chuan grinned and laughed.

After work, the sun was already slanting low, and although it was already February, the temperature was still quite low. A cold snap seemed to be coming, chilling people to the bone. The Prophet knew early that the ducks in the East River had grouped together, searching for food on the water.

Lin Chuan drove home.

On Huai Mountain South Road, a man stopped Lin Chuan.

"Mr. Lin, our butler is looking for you." A man in a sharp suit said with utmost respect.

"Who?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

"You'll know when you get there," the man smiled.

"Lead the way," Lin Chuan said, noticing the other party wasn't hostile but very friendly. However, he didn't seem to know anyone in Jiangbei City, especially not this man, whose attire was so refined. Even such a minor subordinate was dressed so carefully, obviously implying that the other party had significant influence.

So, Lin Chuan immediately followed the man's Range Rover.

Before long, the car arrived at the Sheraton Hotel.

Lin Chuan followed the man into the hotel. Since they were meeting at a hotel, it meant the other party was unlikely to pose any danger to him.

[There will be another burst in the afternoon. Asking for recommendations, thank you.]

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