Chu Fang drove home.

Zhong Tingyue has to work overtime for a while tonight, so he'll go home first to make dinner.

Back in the neighborhood, Chu Fang went to the market to buy fresh vegetables. He enjoyed grocery shopping, chatting with the vendors and haggling over prices. After some intense negotiation, he finally managed to buy the vegetables for 1.8 yuan less.

Chu Fang wasn't short of money, but he enjoyed the feeling of being pulled in different directions, which gave him a strange sense of accomplishment.

And don't think that Chu Fang is bullying these low-income people who buy vegetables. These people are not poor, and they are very cunning. When they encounter a novice, they can rip them off swiftly and decisively.

For novice grocery shoppers, Chu Fang recommends buying groceries at supermarkets rather than at farmers' markets, otherwise you'll end up overpaying.

Back in the neighborhood, the security guard was chatting with a few old friends. Seeing him all alone, he greeted him warmly, "Hey, Chu, what brings you here all alone today? Where's your girlfriend? Did you break up with her? That's great! You're not good enough for her at all. Don't waste her youth."

Chu Fang stopped in his tracks: "Grandpa, I wish you good health."

The security guard tilted his head: "?"

Chu Fang and he often bickered and attacked each other, so why did Chu Fang suddenly say "in good health" today? It sounded so strange.

Security guard: "What do you mean?"

Chu Fang: "It doesn't mean anything. I wish you a long and healthy life."

Security guard: "What do you mean? Are you cursing me in a new way? You're not allowed to leave, stop right there."

Chu Fangcai ignored him and strode into the residential area.

In fact, what he said didn't really have any special meaning.

I recently came across a quote that said a calm demeanor and words of blessing might be more powerful than arguments.

He applied it to the security guard.

Judging from the security guard's attitude, facial expression, and emotional changes.

That makes a lot of sense!

Back home, Chu Fang began chopping vegetables and cooking. She peeled and deveined the shrimp she bought, mixed them with starch and eggs, then deep-fried the shrimp over high heat. Finally, she stir-fried onions and bell peppers over high heat, and a delicious salt and pepper shrimp ball dish was ready.

Chu Fang took a bite and said rather narcissistically, "The outside is crispy, salty, and spicy, while the meat is tender and delicious. Chu Fang, you're a genius!"

The stray yellow dog was squatting at his feet, looking at him with a fawning expression.

The little yellow dog seems to have inherited the bloodline of the Chinese rural dog, disliking dog food and preferring human food instead.

Chu Fang tossed a shrimp ball, which the latter caught with a tilt of its head, taking small bites and grinning from ear to ear.

The little blond guy always seemed happy. Chu Fang patted its head, then glared angrily at the 'idiot' on the windowsill.

An ungrateful wretch.

Then Chu Fang made a few more dishes: sweet and sour pork ribs, Mapo tofu, seaweed and egg drop soup, and dry-fried green beans.

After finishing his meal, Chu waited for Zhong Tingyue to come home for dinner, but after half an hour, she still hadn't returned. He sent her a message to inquire, and she told him that she had to work overtime and asked him to eat first.

Chu Fang shrugged and sighed, "Falling in love with someone who never comes home, waiting for a door that will never be opened..."

That woman is a workaholic.

After finishing their meal, Zhong Tingyue still hadn't gone home, so Chu Fang had no choice but to pack up the food and head to the studio.

When they got downstairs, the security guard was eating his meal. Chu Fang smiled and said, "Grandpa, I wish you boundless happiness and longevity."

Seeing the security guard stunned, he smiled even more broadly.

The security guard suddenly felt that his dinner wasn't so appealing anymore.

What exactly did that kid mean by those words?!

Upon arriving at the studio, Jiang Wenzhen and a group of colleagues were packing their luggage to leave. When they saw him, Jiang Wenzhen was somewhat surprised and pinched Chu Fang's face, asking, "What happened to your face? There are signs of bruising. Were you beaten up by another man while having an affair?"

Chu Fang: "..."

Last night, when I was playfully fighting with Zhong Tingyue, that woman was terrified and pinched my face, and there are still signs of a bruise.

"none of your business!"

"I was just showing you some concern, can I ask you a question?"

“I can answer anything except for bruises.”

"Who hit you?"

Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask.

Jiang Wenzhen is the same; she has absolutely no sense of propriety.

Chu Fang opened the office door and saw Zhong Tingyue focused on her work. Her eyes were deep, like the starry sky, and her long, straight black hair was piled up in a bun. She exuded a mature charm, like a married woman.

Zhong Tingyue turned her head and saw her boyfriend staring at her intently. She asked, "What's wrong?"

"Ms. Zhong, you are so beautiful."

"Mr. Chu, you have such a sweet tongue."

Chu Fang placed the packed food on the table, then took out individual lunchboxes from the insulated container, each one steaming hot: "Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

As Zhong Tingyue ate her meal, Chu Fang watched her. She ate slowly and gracefully, every movement of hers so elegant, as if it were all natural.

"By the way, how's the layoffs going at your company?" Zhong Tingyue asked.

"I don't know, it depends on the final calculation results," Chu Fang replied. He looked at the exquisitely handsome face before him, pondered for a few seconds, and said, "Because of the severe overtime situation in the company, the company's efficiency has increased. And because of this increased efficiency, the company is preparing for layoffs. To keep their jobs, employees are working even harder overtime, further increasing efficiency..."

He paused for a moment, then asked with some surprise, "Why do you think those employees worked so hard? And the final result of their hard work was that they 'killed themselves'?"

He doesn't understand.

Do these employees enjoy working overtime? Is it absolutely necessary for them to work overtime?

He didn't discover this phenomenon until more than a year after the company was founded.

"Perhaps it was my fault. The message I conveyed to them wasn't accurate, leading them to believe that my company, like other companies, required high-intensity work to survive and maintain their current positions..."

Chu Fang felt that the company was not what he had imagined.

Zhong Tingyue took his hand and said softly, "The current economic situation is not good, and it is understandable that people want to work hard to earn more money."

"It's not your fault. As the boss, you've already thought a lot about them. There's no need to overthink things. Everyone has their own place to belong and is an independent individual. No one is indispensable to anyone else."

“Hmm… …” Chu Fang sighed, “I really want to dissolve the company to save myself the trouble, but when I think about dissolving it, it seems that more than a hundred employees will lose their jobs, which is a tragedy for more than a hundred families. I also feel that dissolving it is a huge pressure.”

Furthermore, all of these hundred-plus employees are in the investment industry, which is a high-paying position with very high salaries, and they are the breadwinners of their families.

"Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore." Chu Fang waved his hand. "Let's wait for Kang Bo to come up with the calculation results. Based on compliance with labor laws, how much will work efficiency decrease? How many people will ultimately need to be laid off, and how many will be kept?"

She paused, then looked at Zhong Tingyue; "By the way, why have you been so busy lately? You haven't been coming home for dinner."

“I didn’t realize your company was about to go bankrupt, and you were going to be broke again, Mr. Chu. I’m planning to work harder and get rid of you as soon as possible,” Zhong Tingyue said.

Chu Fang: "... Zhong Tingyue, you are very rude!"

“Hehe… …” Zhong Tingyue showed off her clean and neat teeth.

"You'll be disappointed, buddy. I'll never be poor. I'm a born landlord."

"I don't believe it!"

"Hmph..."

He grunted and mumbled a few times.

Ms. Zhong, you're still too young. You don't know the true value of a guy earning ten million a day.

After dinner, Zhong Tingyue worked for a while longer, while Chu Fang played games on the side. As night deepened, before his sister-in-law returned home, the two hurried home.