7: Chapter 7: Layoffs Hit the Lifeline

Chen Hao spoke in a tone that was infuriatingly calm.

"I've already completed all the handovers I needed to. Your uncle Wang Liguo personally approved it, and HR Manager Li signed off on it himself. You have no business talking to me."

He even played a recording of HR Manager Li for him.

Wang Kaiming was furious, his voice low and heavy.

"So you're such a calculating person. What exactly will it take for you to come back to the company once?"

Chen Hao stated righteously.

"You guys revoked my permissions immediately. My building access was cancelled, and I can't even use the elevator. How am I supposed to go back?"

Wang Kaiming compromised: "If you come back, I'll personally pick you up downstairs at the company, alright?"

Chen Hao replied coldly.

"I'm very busy; I don't have the time."

Wang Kaiming suppressed his anger and questioned him.

"Are you determined not to cooperate?"

Chen Hao gave a cold laugh.

"Don't talk to me with that arrogant attitude! Haven't you realized yet? You're not my boss anymore!"

"You..."

Before he could finish, Chen Hao hung up the phone and proceeded to block him to avoid further disturbance.

The frustration he had bottled up yesterday dissipated quite a bit after that phone call.

Zhang Menglu asked with a bewildered look on her face.

"What happened? It sounded like they were in a real hurry."

"Nothing. The company manager got caught by me while having an affair, so he found a random excuse to fire me. Today he wants me to go back for a handover. He can keep dreaming."

Zhang Menglu blinked her large, doll-like eyes, looking incredulous.

"Ah! What kind of company were you at before? The relationships are so messy!"

Chen Hao gave a helpless smile. He hadn't mentioned that the woman involved in the mess was his ex-girlfriend; Lin Xiaomeng had the nerve to do it, but he didn't have the nerve to say it.

"They fired me without cause and refused to give me the bonuses and commissions I'm owed. They didn't even give me the basic 2N+1 compensation, yet they still want me to go back for a handover. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

Zhang Menglu watched Chen Hao silently.

"So, you're currently unemployed."

Chen Hao changed the subject.

"If you don't mind, I can work for you and help you make big money."

She said half-jokingly.

"I can't afford to pay you a very high salary."

"I don't need a salary to work for you."

She immediately beamed with joy.

"Then what do you want?"

"As long as you provide room and board, and give me the stockings you've worn every day."

She immediately blushed.

"You're awful."

She then extended her slender, graceful hand.

"Happy cooperating."

After eating, Zhang Menglu started tidying up, preparing for the morning's business.

There were basically no customers in the morning. Chen Hao sat on the bed scrolling through his phone. The only colleague he was on good terms with was Xiao Zhao. He and Chen Hao were both veteran employees who had known each other for four years. Whenever there was any inside info in the company, Xiao Zhao would tell Chen Hao immediately.

"Brother Chen, Vice President Wang is really panicking. Several projects have completely stalled, and the project that was supposed to be signed today couldn't be signed."

"It turns out the company really can't run without you."

"Vice President Wang is like an ant on a hot pan right now, throwing a fit at the office."

A ten-second WeChat video followed below.

Wang Liguo was smashing things in his office, with items scattered everywhere.

"Vice President Wang is flying into a rage, cursing your ancestors back eighteen generations. He really hates your guts."

Just then, a call from Vice President Wang came in.

Chen Hao rejected it directly and even blocked his number, then informed Xiao Zhao on WeChat.

"I just added some fuel to his fire and blocked his number to keep them from bothering me all the time."

"Ah! [Laughing Emoji]"

After finishing the chat, Chen Hao felt great.

If nothing else, Chen Hao was a veteran of the company who had joined during the startup phase; no business had ever not passed through his hands.

He had done a lot of work over the years, but his salary hadn't increased much.

Those well-connected slackers who did nothing but take up space were one thing, but they actually dared to cuckold him.

If he didn't give them a lesson, they really wouldn't know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is.

Chen Hao stood up, stretched, and strolled around the shop.

Seeing this, Zhang Menglu immediately put down her phone and asked cautiously.

"Are you done with your work?"

"I'm done."

"Then could you teach me some more business tips?"

Only then did Chen Hao focus his gaze on the shop. The storefront had a 4x10 layout, appearing very narrow and long. Both walls were hung with stockings, dense and very cluttered.

There were also simple shelves in the middle, also filled with stockings.

Chen Hao asked, "Did you take over this shop from someone else, or did you start it from scratch?"

Zhang Menglu followed behind Chen Hao with her hands behind her back, looking like a primary school student.

"I took it over. Two of us invested 150,000 each, all from loans. After my partner withdrew her shares, I gave her all my assets, which means I've invested nearly 300,000 alone."

Chen Hao was stunned by what he heard.

Although this shop had a lot of stock, it was worth 200,000 at most. She had actually invested 300,000. It really is easy to cheat female college students out of their startup money.

"So what is your total capital now?"

She immediately took out her ledger and glanced at it.

"It's just the 45,000 from yesterday's sales. I plan to sell for a few more days, and once I've saved up 100,000, I'll go to Guangcheng to restock."

Well then!

This girl, Zhang Menglu, really just acts on a whim and never leaves herself any room for error.

However, this kind of personality has its perks: it's either success or total failure.

In the past, she would have certainly failed, but now, with Chen Hao joining, while they might not make a fortune, making some small money would definitely be no problem.

"Your customers are still too niche, your goods are one-dimensional, and your customer base is very limited. Can I ask you a question? Why did you open a stocking shop in the first place?"

Zhang Menglu immediately showed off her slender, long, fair legs.

"Because I look good in stockings! After opening this shop, I can wear them whenever I want—there's plenty!"

Ah!

This reason was very much in line with her personality.

Now Chen Hao finally understood why Zhang Menglu's token was a pair of stockings; this was her dream and her obsession.

...

Not a single customer visited all morning.

Mainly, the location of the storefront wasn't great. Although a bustling night market was nearby, the night market's main operating hours were in the evening.

Secondly, the storefront was in an alley of the night market. Although it was in the market area, it was effectively a residential shop. Customers on the street wouldn't come in; most customers were nearby residents.

Who among the residents would come to buy stockings every day, unless their intentions were impure?

While eating lunch, Chen Hao stated bluntly.

"This shop of yours is beyond saving. Even if you can make a small profit by relying on the street stall economy, what will you do when winter comes? There won't be a single customer; you'll just be waiting to die."

"Ah?"

Zhang Menglu was shocked repeatedly.

"Then what should I do?"

"How much time is left on the rent?"

"One month left."

"Don't renew the lease. Opening a stocking shop in a residential area won't bring any business to your door. After we finish eating, I'll take you for a walk on the streets and explain the rules of renting a storefront to you."

After wolfing down a few bites, she immediately said,

"I'm finished. Let's head out now."

Chen Hao was quite helpless; he could only quickly shovel down a few mouthfuls of rice. After eating in a hurry, he locked the door and began to wander around the streets.