The nearly three-hour drive wasn't long, nor was it short. It was already noon when they arrived in the provincial capital. Gao's mother looked out at the street scene and said, "Xiao Li, you've never been to the provincial capital, have you? You were my guide in Weizhou, and now I'll show you the way."

Li Cheng's cheeks twitched twice, thinking to himself, can I tell you that I worked like a slave for three years in this provincial capital, all thanks to your son who is the bank president?

Every year, the provincial branch of G&S Commercial Bank would recruit some "laborers" from its city-level branches and their affiliated sub-branches. Li Cheng and his colleagues used the term "laborers" privately to express their dissatisfaction with the provincial bank's frequent recruitment of personnel.

It is probably because the bigwigs in the provincial bank look down on these people who were transferred from the grassroots level, so they treat them like animals.

It's easy to say that animals are just livestock, as they still need some grass. Those who were drafted here had to find their own way to eat, and the worst part was, they also had to find a place to live.

It sounds very inhumane, but this is how this bank behaves.

What’s even more ridiculous is that the provincial bank is not short of money, but it just doesn’t spend it on these people.

If a large number of people are recruited to work and provided with food and accommodation, a huge expense will inevitably be incurred every year.

I don’t know whether the people at the provincial bank feel bad about this huge expense or whether the financial system doesn’t allow it, but the provincial bank is not responsible for the expenses of these people at all.

As a result, each branch and sub-branch had to cover these people's food and lodging expenses themselves. This approach worked well at first, as some people even mixed in miscellaneous invoices with their reimbursements. The bank, understanding the difficulties faced by everyone, turned a blind eye and reimbursed the expenses, much to everyone's satisfaction.

But later, when the financial system became stricter, and this kind of withdrawal became the norm, and there were also cases of reimbursement of expenses that absolutely should not have been reimbursed, someone suggested issuing a fixed amount of subsidies every day.

This seems like a good idea, but there's one thing: the leaders are probably afraid that if the subsidies are too high, everyone will go to overly "high-end" places to spend money, so they set the subsidy amount very low. They also say that this is for the good of everyone and their families.

What’s even more infuriating is that during the six months that I worked at the provincial bank, the company only reimbursed the round-trip expenses once.

This made everyone very angry. Think about it, whether it's a man or a woman, it's impossible for them not to go home during these six months, right?

Well, I paid for transportation myself, but if I wanted a decent place to live and eat better, I would have to pay for it myself, not to mention drinking, smoking, and having special hobbies.

It’s not that everyone can’t afford the money, it’s just that this matter is too frustrating.

As a result, no one was willing to work as a laborer in the provincial bank anymore.

What if no one wants to go? Just take turns. Whoever's next will go. Each person will go for half a year. No one should force them.

This was what was agreed upon, but one year it was Li Cheng's turn to work as a laborer. After half a year, President Gao refused to send anyone to replace Li Cheng, forcing Li Cheng to work like a donkey in the provincial bank for three years.

Life was okay during those three years, but the sheer workload caused Li Cheng to lose over ten pounds. Worst of all, Li Cheng had no friends in the provincial capital, and after work, he had no one to talk to, which was a bit devastating.

But Li Cheng gritted his teeth and persevered, and thus kept his job.

Otherwise, what President Gao will be waiting for him is definitely "resign if you don't want to do it."

Gao's mother's words aroused Li Cheng's infinite hatred.

Li Cheng glanced at Gao's mother's plump white face in the rearview mirror and said lightly, "Yes, this is my first time here. Please help me with directions, Auntie."

With Gao's mother's instructions of "turn left, turn right, east, west," Li Cheng finally parked the car at a large gate. Li Cheng looked around and saw that it looked like a residential compound for family members of a certain unit.

"Hey, Lao Li, open the door, I'm back." Gao's mother stuck her head out and shouted to the guard.

"Oh, it's Teacher Yang who's back."

The guard said this and opened the iron gate with a bang.

The Audi drove into the yard and stopped in front of a building as Gao's mother said, "Turn left, turn right at the end, this is it."

On the way, Li Cheng learned that Gao's mother was going to the home of President Gao's brother, but Gao's mother never said which unit's staff quarters this was.

It seemed that Yan Hua didn't know either. After getting off the car, she helped Gao's mother out while looking around.

"We're finally home. You should have dinner before leaving." Gao's mother said after getting out of the car.

Li Cheng looked at Yan Hua and found that she was looking at him, as if she wanted to hear his opinion.

Li Cheng knew that this meal could not be eaten no matter what.

So, Li Cheng said, "Auntie, let's do it next time. I won't eat it this time."

Gao's mother was unhappy when she heard this and complained, "How could you be like this, child? You sent me back from far away, what's wrong with having a meal?"

Li Cheng was about to explain when Yan Hua said, "Auntie, it's not that we don't want to eat. It's just that President Gao has some official business that requires us to go to the provincial branch."

Gao's mother frowned and asked, "Really?"

Li Cheng and Yan Hua both said, "Really, really------"

Gao's mother was a little unhappy and muttered, "Your President Gao is really a jerk. He said he would send someone to bring me back, but he actually arranged a job for you in private."

Li Cheng and Yan Hua both laughed. Yan Hua said, "Auntie, President Gao is just like that. He never forgets his work. Please be more tolerant of him."

Mother Gao shook her head, smiled, then took Yan Hua's hand and said, "Then I won't keep you here. You must remember what I told you!"

Yan Hua clapped her hands and said, "I can't forget it, I can't forget it. How could I forget what you told me?"

Gao's mother was relieved and looked at Li Cheng meaningfully with a look of satisfaction in her eyes.

After sending Gao's mother upstairs, Li Cheng and Yan Hua went downstairs and sat in the front seat of the Audi.

Li Cheng turned to look at her and said, "Did President Gao really arrange for us to go to the provincial branch?"

Yan Hua smiled and said, "If you don't say that, we'll have to stay for dinner. I'm fine, but I'm afraid you------"

Seeing that she stopped talking mid-sentence, Li Cheng asked her, "Why are you afraid of me?"

Yan Hua just smiled and told him to drive and take him out for a nice meal.

The place Yan Hua wanted to take Li Cheng to was called "Yanchihuang", a high-end hotel in the provincial capital. However, Yan Hua had a poor sense of direction and was unfamiliar with the place, so in the end, Li Cheng had to find the place on his own.

After parking the car and walking to the hotel entrance, they saw a burly and handsome middle-aged man standing there. He smiled when he saw them.

"Come, Li Cheng, meet your brother-in-law."

Yan Hua pulled him and said with a smile.