Tao Guisong enthusiastically shared some juicy gossip with Shi Pengpeng, who listened with wide-eyed fascination, nodding repeatedly, completely losing the air of a high-minded expert who had just been striking down evil spirits moments ago.
Jiang Jianwei, watching this with a mix of amusement and exasperation, glanced at the time and reminded them, “We should probably get going now.”
After a pause, he added, “Miss Shi, if you’re still interested in gossip, I can share some more on the way… but you’ll have to keep it confidential.”
“Sure, sure!” Shi Pengpeng reluctantly turned her attention away, clearly reluctant to leave.
Tao Guisong scoffed, “Hmph, what could he possibly know that’s more accurate or detailed than what I’ve told you? My sources are firsthand, straight from the industry!”
“He’s also an insider,” Shi Pengpeng chuckled.
“He’s an old friend of Deng Qian, and a director, no less.”
Tao Guisong was momentarily stunned. “Well, isn’t that a coincidence?”
“Wait, you wouldn’t happen to be Jiang Jianwei, would you?” Tao Guisong suddenly recalled.
“Deng Qian mentioned a friend like you the other day…”
Jiang Jianwei perked up. “What did he say about me?”
Tao Guisong hesitated, then awkwardly replied, “Nothing much, just that you’re a stubborn old man, and he was going to surprise you one day.”
Jiang Jianwei was silent for a moment.
“Ah, he was just joking,” Tao Guisong quickly added.
“I think he was a good guy. He even shared a lot of the offerings he received with me. Thanks to him, I had a feast that day and even got to drink some fine wine.”
He licked his lips, clearly savoring the memory.
“It’s a shame, though. He mentioned he had a bottle of his best wine stored at the bottom of his cabinet, saved for his final days to share with friends. But he passed away too suddenly, and his family didn’t know about it, so they didn’t bring it during the memorial. Otherwise, I could’ve had a sip…”
Jiang Jianwei’s heart stirred as he remembered Deng Qian’s son mentioning over the phone that Deng Qian had planned to meet him one last time before his death.
He had a feeling that the wine was meant for them to share.
“Thank you,” Jiang Jianwei said sincerely, smiling at Tao Guisong.
“When I get back, I’ll have someone burn some paper money for you and offer two more bottles of fine wine.”
The car started up again, leaving the dense forest behind.
In the distance, a faint voice could be heard muttering in the woods, “These people from the entertainment industry are surprisingly nice. One after another, they’re quite polite to us wandering ghosts…”
That evening, Shi Pengpeng received a message from Jiang Jianwei.
He had gone to Deng Qian’s house to retrieve the wine and, next to the bottle, found a long-prepared authorization contract.
The contract, drafted by Deng Qian himself, granted Jiang Jianwei full authority to handle the film they had co-produced after Deng Qian’s death.
Shi Pengpeng was genuinely happy for him.
The dead are gone, but the living must carry on.
This was, in its own way, a comforting conclusion.
Two days later, Jiang Jianwei sent her a news link.
The police had raided an underground gambling den hidden in the mountains, arresting over thirty people and seizing a significant amount of counterfeit money.
The news reported that the gambling den had been extremely vigilant, with lookouts stationed at various points along the road.
Strangely, on the day of the raid, the lookouts either fell asleep or failed to notice the police.
Most bizarrely, one of them even actively led the police to the location.
Netizens commented below the article:
“Wow, gambling in the mountains in the middle of the night? Aren’t these gamblers afraid of running into ghosts? “
“What’s the big deal? Gamblers are scarier than ghosts when they get going. We used to have people gambling right in the cemetery-even ghosts would steer clear of them.”
“Am I seeing this right? Hell money??? Are they really gambling with ghost money?”
“Ah, it’s the same old trick. They use hell money as a substitute, and if they get caught, they claim they were visiting graves in the mountains. But if they’re caught in the act, there’s no way to deny it. The investigators aren’t fools.”
“Honestly, reading the report, it really does seem like they ran into ghosts. All those lookouts fell asleep at the same time.”
“Serves them right. If there really were ghosts, they’d be the ones to deal with these people!”
The company had finally hired two subordinates for Shi Pengpeng, and her workload had significantly decreased.
She no longer had to work like a dog, pulling endless overtime.
The rapid growth of the e-commerce department had boosted the entire company’s operations.
By the end of the month, performance bonuses for all related departments including business, logistics, and customer service had increased substantially.
As for Shi Pengpeng, she received a hefty commission, effectively bidding farewell to her days of poverty.
Her close colleagues jokingly demanded she treat them to a meal, and Shi Pengpeng was quick to agree.
With a casual wave of her hand, she said, “No problem! You guys pick a place, and we’ll all go together after work one day. Order whatever you want!”
“Awesome! Pengpeng, you’re the best!”
“Hot pot! I want hot pot!”
“Come on, don’t be so basic! When someone’s treating, go for something better! I want barbecue!”
“I want both! Wuhu! Let’s go, let’s go!”
The surrounding colleagues cheered, but the few from the major clients department, who occupied the best window-side desks, exchanged glances, their expressions sour.
The rise of the e-commerce department had benefited almost the entire company-except for the major clients department.
In fact, with Fuxi’s brand gaining popularity online, the major clients department could have also reaped the benefits.
However, as the saying goes, there are no secrets that don’t leak.
News of Liu Yuguang bribing the Cat’s Paw manager, Kang Lu, had eventually spread, causing many of their cooperative clients to become cautious.
The procurement officers from those major companies, especially those who had previously been cozy with Liu Yuguang, had recently become more restrained, fearing that their own companies might catch wind of the scandal and investigate them as well.
As a result, while the company’s overall performance had surged, the sales of the once-dominant major clients department had actually declined.
One of them remarked with a hint of jealousy, “Pengpeng is really impressive. She’s been out of school for less than a year and has already achieved such great results. Who would’ve thought?”
“Ah, come on, she’s so pretty. Manager Liu said long ago that she’d have an advantage in sales over us,” another chimed in.
Their words, neither too harsh nor too soft, were just loud enough for others to hear.
The surrounding colleagues immediately frowned.
Someone snapped, “What are you implying?”
Liu Yuguang had a tight grip on the major clients department, and those who remained under him were all cut from the same cloth.
They had always relied on their strong performance to act arrogantly within the company.
While other departments resented them, there was little they could do.
But now, with the e-commerce department bringing everyone a share of the success, they dared to openly belittle Shi Pengpeng.
Naturally, the others couldn’t just stand by.
The person from the major clients department shrugged it off, replying with a sarcastic tone, “You’re so sensitive. I was just complimenting Pengpeng on her looks. What, can’t we even say that now?”
“You!” The colleague was furious and was about to start an argument, but Shi Pengpeng quickly stopped him.
Shi Pengpeng shook her head, “Forget it, don’t argue with them.”
“No,” the colleague protested, “They said such things about you…”
“It’s nothing,” Shi Pengpeng blinked and said, “I think what they said isn’t entirely without reason.”
The colleague: “Huh?”
Wait, is she really that submissive?
The people from the major clients department burst into laughter.
The one who spoke earlier said, “Pengpeng is indeed sensible, no wonder her performance is so good.”
“I think so too,” Shi Pengpeng glanced at them and smiled, “So, is your recent performance decline because you’re not good-looking, or because you’re not sensible?”
The major clients department was left speechless.
The surrounding colleagues were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Oh, that’s a boomerang.”
“Exactly, it’s the ugly ones who cause trouble.”
“Hey, don’t be so sensitive, you said it yourselves.”
Other departments, who had been bullied by the major clients department for a long time, finally got a chance to vent their frustration.
The office was filled with laughter and joy.
The people from the major clients department turned pale with anger but couldn’t find a reason to retaliate.
In the past, they would have directly started cursing, but now that their performance couldn’t match the e-commerce department, they had lost that confidence.
Shi Pengpeng didn’t care what the major clients department thought.
After finishing, she went back to checking her bank account balance, feeling delighted as she saw the numbers grow.
Then, she remembered that she hadn’t treated Yan Jing to a meal yet, so she opened WeChat.
Just as she was about to contact Yan Jing, a message popped up first.
Cao Fanzhen: [Pengpeng, are you there? [pitiful]]
SPP: [Yes, what’s up?]
Cao Fanzhen: [Are you free for a voice call now?]
Shi Pengpeng saw the message and immediately called.
The other side picked up right away.
Cao Fanzhen sounded urgent, “Pengpeng, are you free tonight? I need your help with something.”
Shi Pengpeng: “Don’t worry, tell me what’s going on.”
“Okay, okay.” Cao Fanzhen organized her thoughts and then explained that her younger sister, who was in high school, had suddenly decided to come to Xiluo to visit her.
She thought her sister was just coming for the weekend and agreed without hesitation.
But once her sister arrived, she refused to go back, neglecting her studies and already skipping school for three days.
Both Cao Fanzhen and their parents were very worried.
However, whether it was due to her rebellious phase or something else, no matter how they tried to persuade her, she wouldn’t go back and refused to explain why.
When pressed, she even threatened to run away from home.
At this age, kids are the most impulsive.
Cao Fanzhen’s family was afraid of pushing her sister too far and didn’t dare to say anything harsh, but letting it drag on wasn’t a solution either.
Finally, after secretly observing, Cao Fanzhen discovered that her sister was sneaking out every night after she fell asleep to meet up with a yellow-haired punk who rode a ghost bike.
When Cao Fanzhen caught her sister in the act, she finally told the truth.
It turned out that her sister had met this ghost bike punk back in their hometown and had started a relationship with him.
Their romance had been going on for over a month and was in the honeymoon phase.
Recently, the punk mentioned that a big shot in the motorcycle community was organizing a gathering in Xiluo, and he wanted to come and join the event.
Her sister couldn’t bear to be apart from him and decided to follow him to Xiluo.
She couldn’t bear to be separated from him, and since Cao Fanzhen happened to be working in Xiluo, she used the excuse of visiting her sister to tag along.
Originally, they were only supposed to stay for two days.
However, after the blond guy attended that motorcycle club gathering, he felt like he had found his tribe and kept postponing their return date.
Seeing that the blond guy wasn’t leaving, her younger sister decided to stay as well, even skipping her classes.
When Cao Fanzhen found out the truth, she was furious and strongly urged her sister to break up with the blond guy.
But her sister was completely love-struck and wouldn’t listen, continuing to go out with him every night.
Unable to do anything else, Cao Fanzhen decided to confront the blond guy directly, hoping to persuade him to stay away from her sister.
However, those blond guys had dropped out of school early and were known to be troublemakers.
Cao Fanzhen was worried that things might escalate if a conflict arose, so she thought of finding someone to accompany her.
“Pengpeng, you were the first person I thought of,” Cao Fanzhen said eagerly.
“I know you usually charge for your services, but I’ll pay you double your usual rate, okay?”
Normally, one would prioritize finding a burly man for such situations, but ever since Cao Fanzhen witnessed Shi Pengpeng’s heroic display of exorcising ghosts in the secret room, no one else could compare to Shi Pengpeng in her eyes.
Shi Pengpeng: “…”
Shi Pengpeng wiped the sweat off her face and said, “Alright, no need for money.”
This was just a small matter, and since they were friends, it felt awkward to accept payment.
After agreeing on the time and place, Shi Pengpeng hung up the call.
Just as she was about to pack her things, she noticed a new message from Yan Jing.
Yan Jing: [It’s the end of the month. You should be getting your salary soon, right?]
Yan Jing: [When can I get my promised treat?]
Yan Jing: [By the way, I happen to be free tonight.]
Shi Pengpeng: “……”
She had indeed made a promise to the big boss.
SPP: [Black face emoji.jpg. Bro, you might not believe it, but I just made plans for tonight.]
Yan Jing: …………..
Yan Jing: [Are you doing this on purpose?]
SPP: [No, the person I’m meeting is someone you know. You can ask if you don’t believe me.]
Yan Jing: [Who?]
SPP: [Your blind date, Sister Cao.]
Yan Jing: [?]